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Pope Francis has established [goo.gl] a new Metropolitan Church sui iuris of Eritrea. This means that the Ge'ez Catholic Church of Ethiopia and Eritrea is now two separate Churches.

The Metropolitan Church of Addis Abeba (Ethiopia) will have three suffragan eparchies: Adigrat, Bahir Dar-Dessie and Emdeber. The eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie is newly created from the archeparchy of Addis Abeba. The Metropolitan of Addis Abeba is Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, who will be made a Cardinal on February 14.

The Metropolitan Church of Asmara (Eritrea) will also have three suffragan eparchies: Barentu, Keren and Segheneity. The new Metropolitan is Bishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam.

From now on, the number of Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris will be 23.

Last edited by Latin Catholic; 01/19/15 08:20 AM.
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Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

I am happy that this Pope seemto have a better understanding of us Eastern Catholics.

Just an FYI, even though it has no active Churches or hierarchs the Georgian Byzantine Catholic Church is still valid, therefore there are 24 Eastern Catholic Churches.

Fush BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

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A P.S.to be added to the above : we need to get rid of the bunk of "Major Archbishop " and call them what they are PATRIARCHS

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I don't know if calling the primates of EC Churches (which are minority Eastern Rite groups that are under the jurisdiction of Rome in a way that never existed prior to 1054 AD) "patriarchs" is at all appropriate.

Ultimately, the existence of EC jurisdictions is an ecclesial anomaly which RC ecclesiologists today have acknowledged.

Would it not be better to allow EC primates a less exalted title, including Major Archbishop or whatever, with the title "patriarch" reserved only to the primates of their Orthodox Mother Churches?

We talk the talk of Eastern Christianity as Eastern Catholics; Isn't it time we walked the walk that included a recognition that only the heads of the Orthodox Churches from which we originated (and from which Rome ripped us away, in most cases) can be true Patriarchs in any real Eastern Christian sense?

Alex

Last edited by Orthodox Catholic; 01/22/15 05:51 PM.
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Wonderful news!

Congratulations to the new metropolitan archbishop!

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Shlomo Alex,

I have to disagree with you. Your point is valid only for those Eastern Catholic churches that come from the Byzantine tradition. Those Churches that do not are not addressed in your point. My Church, the Maronite has no Orthodox. Counterpart, who would we "go back to? " Or the Chaldean Catholic Church which contains 75% of those Christians which follow the Eastern Antiochene Holy Tradition? Or even in the Byzantine Holy Tradition the Ruthenian Catholic Church which contains over 90+% of all Ruthenians that follow an Eastern Tradition.

Your point makes us Eastern Catholics and our Churches less legitimate than our Orthodox counterparts, which violates the Balamad agreement.

Not all Eastern Catholic churches are from unis, nor are there counterparts fully "orthodox" in their beliefs.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

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Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

One of the thingsI hope happens is for more Ethiopian and Eritrean Catholic Churches to be established here in the US.For administration purposes they could do what they Maronites and the Melkites did in the Holy Land apoint an eparch to oversee the faithful of both Churches.

Fush BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

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Shlomo Yuhannon,

You are correct, of course, but I was thinking out loud in a general way.

And in the case of the Assyrian Church of the East, they really have no where to go but Rome-ward, given their precarious social and political situation.

It is a point for discussion, after all.

You raise the Balamand agreement in an interesting way. I would have thought that Balamand, more than any other document of the last little while, would be the "go-to" to see what Rome's theologians really think about the Unions effected with a number of Eastern Catholic Churches (the largest of all being the UGCC).

Rome's contemporary policy APPEARS to be a contradiction in terms, in my view. On the one hand, Rome (and the Orthodox who participate in talks with Rome) affirm the legitimacy of the existing EC Churches. After all, Rome isn't going to tell them to "go back home," especially, as you rightly point out, there are some that don't have anywhere to go back home.

I believe Pope Benedict XVI was quoted some time ago telling a ROC Metropolitan something to the effect that the EC Churches are simply there, however they came to be historically and also that it wasn't contemporary Rome's fault.

Clearly, Rome is ready to apologise for having been directly and politically involved historically in the creation of certain Unias which were - even by modern RC standards - a jurisdictional invation of Orthodox Churches to cull as many "converts" as possible, as if Orthodoxy was incapable of providing the full means of salvation to its own faithful.

Rome would today only be interested in any sort of church union wth Orthodoxy if it involved all of Orthodoxy - which is what its position should have been all along.

My point, which is under discussion, does not, I believe, make Eastern Catholics less legitimate than their Orthodox counterparts.

I, for one, would rather not see a Ukrainian Catholic patriarchate alongside a Ukrainian Orthodox patriarchate (assuming both are canonical and fully recognized).

It would be better for the creation of an ecumenical climate if the UGCC maintained its Primate as a Major Archbishop with the majority of Orthodox working toward a canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Patriarchate (ideally autocephalous and independent of both Constantinople and Moscow).

I don't see how that makes Ukrainian Catholics any less legitimate than their Orthodox counterparts.

It recognizes the anomaly, affirmed by both Rome and Orthodoxy, of the Church union - not that there is anything wrong with such a union in any sense other than a jurisdictional one and in terms of the historical wrongs committed against the Kyivan/Ruthenian Orthodox Metropolia via such a union.

This perspective rather activates the principle that we EC's and Orthodox are somehow both less than we would be if we were together once more (again, keeping in mind your point about the lack of Orthodox Mother Churches for certain EC Churches).

And it also makes real the point that EC's are ultimately destined to "disappear" as they return to union with their Mother Churches. Again, this has nothing to do with those EC Churches who are already completely in full union with Rome (perhaps they could re-open negotiations with Rome about their own autonomy and rights as a way to combat Latinization which may or may not be a real issue for them?).

I don't understand your point about the Orthodox counterparts not being fully "orthodox" in their beliefs (?).

Are you saying that because the Orthodox Churches aren't with Rome, they are therefore not fully . . . "Orthodox?"

IF SO, then you are clearly wrong even from Rome's perspective.

But if you could clarify further . . .

Alex

Last edited by Orthodox Catholic; 01/23/15 05:01 AM.
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Found this blog for the up until recently Eparchy of Asmara: http://eparchiadiasmara.blogspot.com/

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Shlomo Alex,
My Orthodox comment was referring to the Oriental Orthodox and the Church of the East which are still considered heretical. Therefore, ECer's rejoining those Churches would become heretics.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

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Originally Posted by Yuhannon
Shlomo Alex,
My Orthodox comment was referring to the Oriental Orthodox and the Church of the East which are still considered heretical. Therefore, ECer's rejoining those Churches would become heretics.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon
I think you are mistaken brother Yuhannon. The Catholic Church doesn't treat the Oriental Orthodox as any more or less Orthodox than the Eastern Orthodox. In fact, some Oriental Orthodox have a more united relationship, at least in regard to recognizing marriages, Eucharist and other Sacred Mysteries

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Originally Posted by Yuhannon
Shlomo Alex,
My Orthodox comment was referring to the Oriental Orthodox and the Church of the East which are still considered heretical. Therefore, ECer's rejoining those Churches would become heretics.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon
Besides, other than ecclesiology specifically having to do with the authority of the Bishop of Rome, a difference held among Eastern-Oriental-Assyrian nonCatholics, what exactly do you claim is heretical

Last edited by Michael_Thoma; 01/23/15 03:40 PM.
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Originally Posted by Yuhannon
... the Oriental Orthodox and the Church of the East which are still considered heretical.
Well yes, by "traditionalist" Catholics.

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Originally Posted by Orthodox Catholic
I don't know if calling the primates of EC Churches (which are minority Eastern Rite groups that are under the jurisdiction of Rome in a way that never existed prior to 1054 AD) "patriarchs" is at all appropriate.
Not trying to divert the direction of conversation, but after reading this I have to ask: do you feel any differently w.r.t. calling them "Catholicos"? (Just for the record.)

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Originally Posted by Michael_Thoma
Originally Posted by Yuhannon
Shlomo Alex,
My Orthodox comment was referring to the Oriental Orthodox and the Church of the East which are still considered heretical. Therefore, ECer's rejoining those Churches would become heretics.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon
I think you are mistaken brother Yuhannon. The Catholic Church doesn't treat the Oriental Orthodox as any more or less Orthodox than the Eastern Orthodox...

Agreed. The Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East have signed Christological Declarations with Rome; therefore, they cannot be regarded as heretics.

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