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Could someone give me the Cliff Notes version of who the Byzantine Catholic Church is and is not in relation to the Pope and Orthodoxy?

Welcome!

The much abbreviated version of the Cliff notes is:

We are Orthodox in Communion with Rome. I'm sure others will elaborate.

Dan Lauffer

Welcome, deziner!

The short version is that Byzantine Catholics are Orthodox Christians who are in full communion with Pope John Paul II. We are inheritors of the theology and liturgy of Orthodoxy that matured in the Byzantine Empire centered on the Great Church of Constantinople (today�s Istanbul).

You might check out the page "Who are Byzantine Catholics?" as a primer.

Again, welcome to The Byzantine Forum.

Admin

Dear Deziner,

Welcome to the Forum!

We are one big family here. We sometimes get each other mad and offend one another. And then we "kiss and make-up" (three times, as opposed to your once . . .).

And, as with the original Roman Forums, we sometimes run the risk of being eaten alive . . .

The Eastern Catholics are, as we like to call ourselves, "Orthodox in communion with Rome."

As you know, the One, Holy, Orthodox-Catholic, Apostolic Church divided into East and West soon after the year of our Lord 1054.

Groups from Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches and from the Assyrian Church of the East, entered into communion with Rome at various points in time afterwards.

We are organized into Particular Churches, as Vatican II reiterated and confirmed, and we maintain in unbroken succession our particular theological, disciplinary and liturgical heritages from our Eastern Mother Churches.

We are fully Catholic and usually have nothing but good things to say about the Pope .

We are also fully Orthodox, as we believe, although our Orthodox brothers and sisters sometimes consider us to be "pains in the butt."

Sometimes Rome shares this Orthodox view of us - and this is why we see ourselves as "bridges" between East and West . Although there are other reasons as well . . .

Sit back and enjoy.

Feel free to jump in at any time.

God bless,

Alex

Let me say that I only know enough about Orthodoxy and Catholocism to get me in trouble, but with that being said...
I don't understand how you can be Orthodox and still in communion with Rome. Orthodoxy has huge issues with Rome. Do you recognize the supremacy of the Pope?

Dear Deziner,

We recognize the authority and dignity of the Pope of Rome.

Orthodoxy WAS in communion with Rome for about 1,000 years before the break-up.

"Orthodox" as a name describing "true believing and practicing" Christians was first formally used in 325 AD at the First Ecumenical Council.

The Pope still uses this term in his Mass with respect to "those who teach the Orthodox Faith."

Yes, Orthodoxy (not in communion with Rome) has issues with the Pope.

We don't.

The Pope has also asked us to be "Orthodox in union with him."

What other issues can we help you with?

Also, I'm Ukrainian Greek Catholic. I take it you are Roman Catholic? Are you Tridentine or Novus Ordo?

Alex

So, is the pope infallible?

Is that a touchy question? I got 3 responses in a matter of minutes and all of a sudden--nothing. It's not a loaded question. I'm not trying to set anyone up.

Shlomo Alex,
Which Eastern Catholics like to be called .

Also, you state you forgot to say except the Maronites and the members of the Italo-Greek-Albanian Catholic Churches which have never been formally out of communion with Rome.

For your penance Alex you will have to re-read and reflect on my posts on why Eastern Catholic and Byzantine Catholic are not synonymous. :rolleyes:

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Shlomo (Peace in Syriac) Deziner,
Welcome to the board.

According to Catholic Dogma the Pope is infallible, but according to the doctrines of the various Catholic Churches that infalliblity is limited to the area that it covers. Many Roman Catholics do not realized that the vast majority of Papal anouncements are actually Patriarchal in nature and do not cover the entire Catholic Church.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Dear Deziner,

I forgot to mention that most of us on this board have jobs too . . .

The Pope is infallible under the terms and conditions the Church has laid out.

He cannot proclaim heresy a doctrine and he cannot speak outside the unbroken Tradition of the Church.

Why do you seem to be suspicious of our loyalty to Rome?

Tell me this, will you, are all Roman Catholics loyal to Rome? On birth control and abortion? On all matters of faith?

So are you a RC? You expect your questions answered. Are you ashamed of your religious affiliation?

Alex

Dear Yuhannon,

O.K., you've made your point!

Those members of the Eastern Catholic Churches who have a high degree of "Eastern" identity like this name.

Was it Aklie who said that some Ethiopian Catholics also like this title.

But not all do . . .

And Orthodox usually don't like us using it.

Alex

No, I am not RC, and I am not ashamed of my religious affiliation. I respectfully did not ask about anyone's personal life. I am asking questions regarding a very large group with which I am unfamiliar. I began studying Orthodoxy about 2 years ago. I ran across some things abount Byzantine Catholics and wanted to find out more.

Dear Deziner,

O.K., sorry!

Most of us here share what religious background we are with - it's not personal, we are all here because of our faith in Christ and our membership in this or that Church is a part of our public witness to that.

I raised that with you because we sometimes get Traditional Roman Catholics who come after us, often on the issue of Papal primacy etc.

It is good to know where we are coming from, do you not agree?

Alex

CIX!

I believe the Pope is as fallible as any other bishop when not part of an Oecumenical Council.

That's what I believe anyhow.

in Domino,

Edward