Repentance & Redemptionin Children of Divorce

FOSTERING CHRISTIAN UNITY

BETWEEN BYZANTINE CATHOLICS & ORTHODOX

Church History: a Crash Course When the Apostles spread the Gospel

and established Churches in “all the World” (Europe to India)

7 Ancient Centres of Christianity developed

Rome Constantinople Antioch Alexandria Persia Armenia Ethiopia

History of Churches & “Rites” Each Church Centre developed own

tradition of: theology, liturgy, etc Rome: S. Peter: Latin Church Constantinople: S. Andrew:

Byzantine Antioch: S. Peter: Syrian Alexandria: S. Mark: Coptic Persia: S. Thomas: Chaldean Armenia: S. Thaddeus of the 70 Ethiopia: S. Philip of the 70

Original Unity of “East” & West Basically for the 1st 1,000

years There was unity between

Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism

True Christians/Church was called

“Catholic” in West Europe “Orthodox” in East Europe

Original Unity: Broken Patriarch Maximos IV explains that Over the Centuries These ancient Apostolic Churches Became estranged & separated Ostensibly over doctrinal disagreement But more over cultural & political reasons Eg the Assyrian Chaldean Church had to break

contact with the Western Churches because Rome and Persia were enemies

The Coptic Church separated due to Byzantine Imperial oppressive cultural domination (using the Church to exert political control)

The Holy Catholic Church & Ecumenism

Who Cares? Does it matter? We are the 1 true Church Why should we engage in

Ecumenism They can all just join the Roman

Catholic Church

Sister Churches: Vatican Orthodox Churches have

Valid Apostolic Succession Valid Sacraments

John Paul II: Church must breathe with Both Lungs Eastern Lung includes Orthodox

Churches as well as Eastern Catholic “Sister Churches” (cf. Vat II)

So cannot just dismiss them Connected with the Catholic Church

somehow

Commitment to Ecumenism:

Essential to Catholicism Ut Unum Sint:

The Catholic Church desires nothing less than full communion between East and West. (Ut US 61)

In accordance with … Pope Paul VI, our declared purpose is

to re-establish together full unity in legitimate diversity: "God has granted us to receive in faith what the

Apostles saw, understood, and proclaimed to us. By Baptism 'we are one in Christ Jesus' (Gal 3:28). (UtUS 57)

Orientale Lumen (JP2)

Byzantine Catholic Churches carry a tragic wound,

for they are still kept from full communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches despite sharing in the heritage of their Fathers

Intentionality of Ecumenism: Our church Catholicism Our Salvation (inter alia)

Orthodox v Protestant Ecumenism Most Catholic Ecumenism vis a vis Protestants Difficult because Cath/Protestants different

Even the name/identity of Prot: protest vs Cath With Catholic/Orthodox, You’d think it be easy

Focus: Not here dealing with the Roman Catholic &

Orthodox Churches But the 2 Byzantine Catholic Churches Byzantine Churches is split between Catholic and

Orthodox Same theology Same spirituality Same liturgy, saints, Marian devotions, etc. Even with all this Difficult Ecumenism

Byzantine Cath/Orth Ecu. Problems Over the centuries: Byz. Cath latinized Now: Byz Cath: PROBLEM, not a solution Because we have become Evidence AGAINST Reunion example of result of reunion:

lose Faith (theology, spirituality, liturgy) (cf RC seminaries) inferior status: not be treated as Sister Church,

a daughter or servant sub-church controlled by bureaucrats in a Vatican dicastery

result proselytization: bad memory sheep stealing, disrespect, not treat as Sister Church, but as

non-Christians lacking grace eg of bad methodogy, individual stealing rather than

negotiated reconciliation between 2 sister churches

Solutions: What can we Do 1. Repent of our mistakes, past/present 2. Reform ourselves

in liturgy, theology, spirituality, etc.

become what the Church calls us to be “Orthodox” in Communion with Rome” Not a strange hybrid of both Not wolves in sheep’s clothes (RC in Byz dress)

3. Act as fully fledged Autonomous Sister Church not just a “rite”, not a SAR admin’d by

bureaucrats in a dicastery office If we can show that we can be truly & really an Autonomous Byzantine Church in the Cath Communion, then we will be a Bridge Not an obstacle

Vatican’s Latest Canon Law: In every effort of liturgical renewal,

therefore, the practice of the Orthodox brethren should be taken into account,

knowing it, respecting it and distancing from it as little as possible so as not to increase the

existing separation, but rather intensifying efforts in view of eventual adaptations, maturing and working together.

Thus will be manifested the unity that already subsists in daily receiving the same spiritual

nourishment from practicing the same common heritage

Rebirth, Renewal,Regeneration

It has been stressed several times that the full union of the Catholic Eastern Churches with the Church of Rome which has already been achieved must not imply a diminished awareness of their own authenticity and originality.

Wherever this occurred, the Second Vatican Council has urged them to rediscover their full identity

Orientale Lumen 21.2

Pope St. Pius X Nec Plus Nec Minus Nec Aliter Nothing More Nothing Less Nothing Different

Pope Benedict XVI• The current Successor of Peter • feels himself to be personally implicated in this question• and is disposed to do all in his power • to promote the fundamental cause of ecumenism

Essential to Eastern Catholicism

Its Ministry to Ecumenism Ecumenism:

sine qua non of our Catholicity

Vat II: Orientalium Ecclesiarum (24)

The Eastern Churches in communion with the Apostolic See of Rome have a special duty of promoting the unity …,

Of especially Eastern Christians, by prayer the example of their lives fidelity to the ancient Eastern traditions, greater knowledge of each other, collaboration and a brotherly regard for objects and feelings.

Pray for HealingCf. Vatican II

Meanwhile, however, all Christians, Latin as well as Byzantine, are earnestly asked to pray to God fervently and assiduously, nay, indeed daily, that, with the aid of the most holy Mother of God, all may become one. (OrientE 30b)

What do we get out of it? Orthodox: Enemy #1

These Churches carry a tragic wound, for they are still kept from full communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches despite sharing in the heritage of their fathers.

      scion of “parent Churches” -- now separated       inherit from both       caught in between the two       our very presence we draw attention to the problem       by our “anomalous” existence we make the Divorce       -- uncomfortable, unamicable, unacceptable       our Existence highlights the “anomalousness” of the Divorce

Healing, Salvation, Divinization…….Healing

Children of Divorce

Self-destructive behaviour conflicted and torn between parents choosing 1 parent over the other playing off 1 parent against the other, to

get what we want (usually bad stuff) neurosis identity crisis shame and bad self image

Examination of Conscience?

Our Wounds, Christ’s Wounds

the great prayer, desire, hope, yearning of Children of Divorce is:

reconciliation of parents For healing/salus of they themselves For healing/salus of their parents

Ecclesial Reconciliation

minister from our woundedness cf innocent Passion bearers

Ss Borys and Hlib:

channels of God’s healing for: ourselves, our parent churches make the Church even ”more truly Catholic” healing for the world

Conversion

Orientale Lumen (21.2)

These Churches carry a tragic wound, for they are still kept from full communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches despite sharing in the heritage of their fathers.

A constant, shared conversion is indispensable for them to advance resolutely and energetically towards mutual understanding.

Kenosis And if sometimes, in their relations with the

Orthodox Churches, misunderstandings and open opposition have arisen, we all know that we must ceaselessly implore divine mercy and a new heart capable of reconciliation over and above any wrong suffered or inflicted. (OrLumen 21)

Turning the Other Cheek Forgiveness Self-Sacrificing Love Agape

A Healing Prescription

Vat II (Unitatis Redintegratio)

The very rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern Churches should be known, venerated, preserved and cherished by all.

They must recognize that this is of supreme importance for the faithful preservation of the fullness of Christian tradition, and for bringing about reconciliation between Eastern and Western Christians.

Pope Benedict XVIPrinciples of Catholic Theology pp. 199f.

"Rome must not require more from the Orthodox Churches with respect to the doctrine of primacy than had been formulated and was lived in the first millennium.

When the Patriarch Athenagoras…designated him as

as the most esteemed among us, as one also presides in charity, the doctrine of primacy in the first millennium. Rome need not ask for more. Reunion could take place in this context

Making the Catholic Church Catholic

And conversion is also required of the Latin Church, that she may respect and fully appreciate the dignity of Eastern Christians and accept gratefully the spiritual treasures of which the Eastern Catholic Churches are the bearers, to the benefit of the entire catholic communion; that she may show concretely, far more than in the past, how much she esteems and admires the Christian East and how essential she considers its contribution to the

full realization of the Church's universality.

Our Mission, Our Mandate

You are in a privileged position to fulfill that request of the Second Vatican Council

Everyone should realize that it is of supreme

importance to understand, venerate, preserve, foster, and share the rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern Churches in order to faithfully

preserve the fullness of Christian tradition, and to bring about reconciliation between Eastern and Western Christians."

(Unitatis Redintegratio, 15)

Burning Desire in Christ! (Ut Unum Sint: JP2)

“Certainly, due to disagreements in matters of faith, it is not yet possible to celebrate together the same Eucharistic Liturgy. And yet we do have a burning desire to join in celebrating the one Eucharist of the Lord, and this desire itself is already a common prayer of praise, a single supplication.

May we be filled with a burning desire that the prayer of Christ be realized:

"May they all be one, Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.

(I John 17:21)