The Official "ask Byzantine About The Eastern Churches" Thread

[Byzantine]

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory (to Him) forever!

That is the traditional greeting of the Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches. We borrowed it from the Latins and now use it in place of "Christ is among us! He is and shall be!" which we now reserve for the anointing at the end of Divine Liturgy (Mass) for feasts (there are other greetings for other times).
[center][size=6][font=comic sans ms,cursive]Basic history of the Eastern Churches[/font][/size]
1054: Schism between patriarchs of Constantinople and Rome. The patriarchs of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem stick with the Patriarch of Constantinople.
After that: The Maronites (one of two Churches never in schism with Rome; the other is the Italo-Albanian) discover that they are not, in fact, the only Christians left in the world, restore ties with Rome, and are heavily latinized as a result. Parts of the other Churches restore communion with Rome. Some come from those who had been separated since the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (here you get your Copts, Syro-Malabars, Syro-Malankars, Chaldeans, Ethiopians (none of these are Byzantine, not all were necessarily split off at Chalcedon). Interestingly, the Coptic patriarch in the 1800s joined communion and then schismed again (I think), but some stayed in communion.
1595: Union of Brest', birth of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
1646: Union of Uzhorod (name varies depending on whom you talk to), birth of Ruthenian Greek-Catholic Church
1900s: Creation of Exarchate(?) of Munhall, PA for the Ruthenians. Change to Pittsburgh PA. The See is raised to the rank of Metropolitan See (between regular bishop and major archiespiscopal See (between Metropolitan See and Patriarchate), includes suffragan bishops (the Metropolitan is first in honor among them, but doesn't actually "rule" over them)). Eparchies (dioceses) of Parma, OH, and Passaic, NJ, are created. Not sure which was first. Eparchy of Van Nuys, CA is created. We are finally allowed to cast off many latinizations.
2010? '09? '08? Eparchy of Van Nuys becomes Holy Protection of the Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, AZ.
2010: His Beatitude Basil (he was referred to as "Excellency," but as the leader of an entire Church, he is properly called "Beatitude"), Archbishop of Pittsburgh and Metropolitan of the United States, reposes in the Lord. Eternal Memory!
2011: Waiting for a new Metropolitan... The Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton (they answer to the Patriarch of the Melkites of Antioch and All the East (a common title for Patriarchs actually)); no real affiliation with the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh (we answer to no one (well, except the Pope and God, but you get the idea. No higher authority FOR the Church of Pittsburgh WITHIN the Church of Pittsburgh (excepting all whose who dwell in heaven) than the Metropolitan of Pittsburgh).

Amppax: The reason things are more interesting in the Metropolia (the term used to describe the entire area of a Metropolitan Church, possibly also used in Churches that have more than one metropolitan, like the Ukrainians (leader: Patriarch Sviatoslav of Kiev) and Melkites) of Pittsburgh is that the Byzantine Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh is the only Catholic Church, and one of two (maybe three) Churches with Apostolic Succession, based in the Americas. Plus all the stuff about being a Metropolitan Church.

Hope everything was understandable.

Ask away!

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Edited August 18, 2011 by Byzantine

[eustace scrubb]

Why do Eastern Catholics use comic sans?

This is the most important question there could EVER be...

[Vincent Vega]

I still don't understand exactly where the eastern Catholics stand on Petrine primacy.

[Byzantine]

BECAUSE COMIC SANS IS COOL OKAY???

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='Byzantine' timestamp='1313714538' post='2290967']
BECAUSE COMIC SANS IS COOL OKAY???
[/quote]

[Byzantine]

Eastern Catholics acknowledge papal infallibility (which, as I understand it, is really kind of common sense). I don't feel qualified to say much else. Sorry... Liturgy and history are my major areas (I'm 17). I can generally handle theology (except, apparently, when it involves ecclesiology)...

[Byzantine]

I just realized I never finished the thing about the Melkites in 2011. Their new bishop of Newton is to be installed on 8/28/11 unless I'm mistaken.

[faithcecelia]

Ooooh, thanks for this. I don't have any particular questions but will keep an eye on this thread.

[eustace scrubb]

Comic Sans is not cool. You are thus excommunicated!!!!!!

[Lisa]

What are some of the big differences seen in the Divine Liturgy from a Roman Catholic Mass? And, what are some of the differences between various Eastern Rites- basically, what makes you Byzantine vs. a Melkite or a Copt, etc.? Thanks so much for doing this! I love to learn new things?

[Byzantine]

[quote name='Lisa' timestamp='1313765559' post='2291309']
What are some of the big differences seen in the Divine Liturgy from a Roman Catholic Mass? And, what are some of the differences between various Eastern Rites- basically, what makes you Byzantine vs. a Melkite or a Copt, etc.? Thanks so much for doing this! I love to learn new things?
[/quote]

I copied this from [url="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23139532543"]here[/url]. Commentary and bases are my own.

WESTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES:

LATIN (ROMAN)
Roman Catholic Church (you )

EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES:

BYZANTINE (CONSTANTINOPOLITAN) (me )
Albanian Catholic Church (Italy?)
Belarussian Catholic Church
Bulgarian Catholic Church
Byzantine Catholic Church in America (Also: Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh and several other variations. Also: Me )
Czech Catholic Church
Eparchy of Krizevci (Don't ask; I don't know)
Georgian Catholic Church
Hungarian Catholic Church
Melkite Catholic Church (Arabic-speaking Byzantine Catholics; their leader is Patriarch of Antioch and All the East (insert the rest of his titles here)... these titles are carried by multiple patriarchs, both Orthodox and Catholic)
Romanian Catholic Church
Russian Catholic Church
Ruthenian Catholic Church (Sub-Carpathia, based in Uzhorod, Ukraine)
Slovak Catholic Church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (currently lead by the 3rd youngest Catholic bishop; the second largest Catholic Church; based in Kiev)

ANTIOCHIAN (WEST SYRIAN)
Maronite Catholic Church (very latinized due to various factors)
Syrian Catholic Church
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (India; founded by St. Thomas?)

CHALDEAN (EAST SYRIAN)
Chaldean Catholic Church
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (India; founded by St. Thomas?)

ARMENIAN
Armenian Catholic Church

ALEXANDRIAN
Coptic Catholic Church (Egyptians; their leader is His Beatitude Antonios, Patriarch of Antioch of the Copts)
Ethiopian Catholic Church

[font="'comic sans ms"]Many historical differences separate the Churches. Practices may vary within different Churches of the same Rite (for example: when members of the Church of Pittsburgh (hereafter BCMCP) process, first with the Gospel Book (Little Entrance) and then with that which is to be consecrated (not sure if they're called the "Holy Gifts" at this point; the Great Entrance), they go out the North Deacon Door of the iconostas (screen of icons, some good pictures are [url="http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=iconostas&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1228&bih=753"]here[/url]) and process around the ambon (semicircle in front of the altar used for preaching) then enter the altar again. Melkites, however, process out the North Door, around the back of the church, and down the center.[/font]

[font="'comic sans ms"]In an Eastern Liturgy, almost everything is to be chanted. The priest faces the same direction as the people (which is how it was in the Latin Rite prior to the Novus Ordo and, according to my religion teacher, the way Pope Benedict says even the NO should be celebrated). Beyond that, things are probably different depending on Rite and local custom. There are way too many differences to show in this post, so [url="http://www.metropolitancantorinstitute.org/servicebooks/DivineLiturgies.pdf"]here is a link to the BCMCP service book for the Divine Liturgy[/url] (Mass). The only real way to see the differences completely, however, is to go to one yourself.[/font]

[dominicansoul]

i like you, byzantine ...you present all this very nicely

[Byzantine]

:D Thanks!

[Basilisa Marie]

OH I have questions! :D

I've heard from various sources that the Eastern Church generally rejects reason in favor of "faith." And by "faith," I mean being okay with not really having a reasoned explanation for pretty much everything (explanations that seem to be so popular with Catholicism). I've also heard that Easterns put a LOT of emphasis on the Early Fathers. Could you speak to either?

[Byzantine]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1313803373' post='2291643']
OH I have questions! :D

I've heard from various sources that the Eastern Church generally rejects reason in favor of "faith." And by "faith," I mean being okay with not really having a reasoned explanation for pretty much everything (explanations that seem to be so popular with ROMAN Catholicism). I've also heard that Easterns put a LOT of emphasis on the Early Fathers. Could you speak to either?
[/quote]
Well, the way I see it, we just don't seem to need the definitions. We believe in Transubstantiation; we never needed to define it as such because we don't share your history, which at some point did demand it. I'm sure that we have a few things in our theology that you don't really look at because your history never really needed them defined. We are content with letting mysteries be. Not that there's something wrong with not letting mysteries be, that's just not the way we roll. And yes, we do rely a lot on the Early Fathers. It occurs to me that you also probably do. However, the Early Fathers "spoke" Eastern so they has to be "translated" into Western. Again, we also haven't had too many heresies since the Fathers and so we haven't needed a new generation of geniuses to fight heresy. Hope that's accurate and that it makes sense. If I missed a point you wanted answered, let me know.