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Ray,
Are they reffering to the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church or the Eastern Chuch.
Stephanos I

Dear Ray,
There is no canon law which forbids Greek-Catholics to evangelize in the USA. Anyone who asserts the contrary should be invited to produce a direct quote of the canon in question, plus chapter and verse.

Incognitus

incognitus that was my senitment exactly. People so often refer to canon law concerning this point or that point when no point is even being made.
If that makes sense. lol
Stephanos I

Incognitus,

I learned it from a Deacon on this board. I am looking for the thread which states the direct quote of the canon. So far I can't seem to find it. The post was within this year but I am not sure what to place in the search feature.

If you can help me I would appreciate it. Perhaps I am wrong but I am pretty sure I read it correctly. If memory serves it was under the Evangelization header.

Incognitus,

I was speaking of:

I mean come on! Far from forbiding missions this canon confirms that the Eastern Church should be missionary. Read canon 593. 2 and 593.2
1. All presbyters of whatever condition working in missionary territory and forming one presbyterate are to cooperate zealously in the work of evangelisation.

2. They are freely to cooperate according to can 908 with all other Christian missionaries so that together witness is given to Christ the Lord.
Where does anyone get that that canon forbids Byzantines to engage in missionary activity?
Canon 594 merly state that what is known as "mission lands" is determined by the Apostolic See, as opposed to those lands where the Church is firmly established and the lands are no longer considered missionary territory.

Stephanos I

Stephanos is correct. The USA was "missionary territory" until about a century ago, if memory serves me correctly - the designation of "missionary territory" has nothing much to do with any question about which Local Church is entitled to engage in evangelization, and everything to do with the way in which the Church in such a territory relates to the Holy See.

Elsewhere on the Church News section of the forum there is an announcement of an impending Divine Liturgy in the Roman Catholic cathedral in Peoria, organized by some good folk who hope to organize a mission parish in Peoria. God grant them every success.

Incognitus

I remember contributing to this discussion about the perceived "prohibition" against the Eastern Churches to do missionary activities in the U.S. and in other areas.

It is worth repeating here that there is no such "prohibition" under either Code (East and West). The Codes merely give guidelines for an effective "evangelization of the world" by the Catholic Church, regardless of ritual patrimony.

What the Catholic Church, as a whole, enjoins is cooperation, i.e, coordination, among ritual Churches in order to have a "common witness!"

Asia and Africa are "mission lands!" Where are the Eastern Catholic Churches in these areas?

The problem with the Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S. is not as much as "mission" related as their difficulty in fostering their own growth because of (1) the vestiges of enthnocentrism, as indicated previously, and (2) lack of mutual support among the various jurisdictions. In the second instance, what is preventing the Eastern Catholic Churches from having one common jurisidiction, at least on the part of the Byzantine Churches? There is value to pooling of resources, you know!

Laying blame for everything that went wrong, or that is going wrong, in the Eastern Catholic Churches on Rome or on the Latin Church in the U.S. can go only so far.

We have our own nagging problems that we do not have the time nor the luxury of adding or creating more problems involving the Eastern Catholic Churches. To give true meaning to the "sui juris" status of the Eastern Catholic Churches, each must be willing to row its own boat without leaning on the Latin Church so much! :p

Amado

My son and I received communion at a Melkite Greek Catholic liturgy in Cleveland, Ohio, by the hands of the Patriarch himself this way. I remember this was how we received in other Melkite parishes. However, the Eucharist was not a non-leaven wafer - if that is what you mean by "Latin Rite style").

Joe

Dear Incognitus,

There are very many, here included, who believe that the U.S. still IS missionary territory . . .

Alex

The question of "canonical territories" as applied to evangelization is not relevant to the USA, where there are several different Eastern Catholic Churches with dioceses, who are therefore free to evangelize without further ado.

Incognitus

Dear Incognitus,

I meant that there are those who say we must begin evangelizing North America from scratch . . .

Gosh, but you are Latinized!

Alex

I appreciate the response. I aplogize since it looks like I was wrong.

North America is certainly in need of new evangelization - but since the Christian presence in North America has been there continuously for centuries, this cannot be called "evangelizing from scratch", as would be the case in, say, Saudi Arabia.

Incognitus

Next I need to apologize about my spelling . :rolleyes: