Qui Locutus: Eastern Rite

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Cheesefare Sunday

Well, for the Orthodox this year Cheesefare Sunday or Forgiveness Sunday is not until March 1st, but in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, since their Lent aligns with the Latin Church, TODAY is Cheesefare Sunday!

What IS Cheesefare Sunday?

Cheesefare Sunday is the culmination of Cheesefare Week, which is the last week before Lent begins and for those who celebrate Great Lent (Eastern Rite Catholics and Eastern Orthodox), this is the last day to partake in dairy products, meat, and eggs until the Pascha - Easter Sunday. The Monday after Cheesefare Sunday then begins Lent for Eastern Catholics.

Forgiveness Sunday

Another name for Cheesefare Sunday is Forgiveness Sunday. On this Sunday at the end of Divine Liturgy, the congregation lines up to go before the priest and they ask the priest for forgiveness of their sins and he says "May the Lord forgive you" then he asks each member of the congregation for forgiveness and they, one at a time, ask the Lord to forgive the priest his sins too. In this way it symbolizes starting Lent with a clean slate.

Do not then, confront your neighbor in judgment - rather do so in a spirit of forgiveness. Especially during Lent - let your confrontations be in the spirit of love and charity - and not in judgment of one another. This sentiment is not just for Lent!

Adam and Eve Cast Out of the Garden

One of the themes for Forgiveness Sunday is the casting our of Eden of Adam and Eve, but the focus, rather than on their sin, is upon their reconciliation to and through Jesus Christ.

Eastern Catholics and Married Priests

"Validity of Eastern Catholic traditions?"

The following article from the USCCBlog does a pretty good job of summarizing what transpired between Eastern and Latin Rites about the turn of the 19th century. All in all, I appreciated what was being said, but I would offer one correction. In the final paragraph it states:

The fact that Pope Francis has decided to allow Eastern Catholic bishops anywhere in the world to ordain worthy married men to the priesthood is a great step forward. He has recognized that the validity of Eastern Catholic traditions is not limited to certain geographical areas, but applies to those churches wherever they may be found.

Well, that's a bit misleading a bit condescending to all the popes of the 20th century! There NEVER was a question of the Eastern Catholic traditions, even that of the married clergy! Now what DID happen was the Western bishops decreed that Eastern Rite priests who wished to stay in the United States could not be married. There is nothing about validity here - what the decree did was make it "illicit" for married priests to remain in the United States. That being said, several exceptions to that rule were made, especially in recent years.

Personally, I welcome the married clergy among Eastern Catholics - and would support the Latin Rite creating a special order which allows for married priests too. At a time when there is a shortage of priests in the world, removing obstacles - like the discipline of a celibate priesthood - may help to alleviate the situation. The full article I refer to can be found here:

http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2014/11/with-married-eastern-catholic-priests.html?m=1

Married and Catholic Priests

Well, yes indeed! Many may know that Eastern Rite Catholic priests could be married - however, NOT in the United States! There has been a "ban" in place since 1929 prohibiting Eastern Rite Catholic priests from serving in the United States. The "ban" states: Greek-Ruthenian Catholic priests “who wish to go to the United States of North America and stay there, must be celibates.” (Article 12, last sentence).

It would appear this "ban" is virtually dead, according to word leaked and reported here and here. However, there has been no official pronouncement that married, Eastern Rite priests can be priests in the United States. Now, there have been some exceptions to this "ban," one such is now Fr. Akiki, who was ordained into the priesthood - with Pope Francis' approval - on February 28, 2014 (pictured here giving the Eucharist to his daughter on the day of his ordination). According to this article, he is the first married Maronite to be ordained to the priesthood in the United States. It seems strange that there are actually MORE married Catholic priests in the Latin Rite in the United States than there are in all the Eastern Rites, combined!

Another discussion of the subject of married Eastern Rite priests can be found here.

The Irish Central reports:

Does that mean we can soon expect the end of celibacy for Roman Catholic priests? The short answer is “no,” because even Pope Francis has dismissed this. But we tend to forget that we already have married Roman Catholic priests. Less than 100, true, the vast majority of them former Protestants who were married, then converted.Still, given the various crises enveloping Roman Catholicism these days, who knows what small open door will lead to a kind of reform that even Pope Francis could not envision?

So, are we on the doorstep of a married clergy in the Latin Rite of Catholicism? Only time will tell. It is the opinion and hope of this writer that the pope could, without scandal, allow for the complete abrogation of this ban on married Eastern Catholic priests and also, while he's at it, establish an order to which Latin Rite priests could belong to and be married and serve in diocese throughout the world - including the United States this time. Call it an experiment, if you will, and see how it goes! I would predict that there would be no shortage of candidates for the priesthood in that order!

Eastern Catholics

Catholic Global Network shared this on Facebook. I know that Scott (Cathapol) has talked about Eastern Catholics before, but I thought this was a good thing for us to remember. Our Church is truly Catholic (universal) and truly diverse.

"Every Roman/Latin Rite Catholic should know of the Easter Rite Catholic Churches. Fully united, 100% Catholic..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches

Greek priest and his wife.

A very good friend of mine posts an article of interest to Eastern Catholics and to Eastern Orthodoxy, which has been having conversations about reuniting with Rome. My friend is concerned about the Vatican encouraging Eastern Catholic priestly candidates in the USA to "embrace celibacy."

http://orthocath.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/rome-to-us-eastern-catholics-new-priests-should-embrace-celibacy/

The reasoning is the "norm" in the USA is celibacy in the priesthood. I truly don't see this encouragement being any different from St. Paul's "encouragement" in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8 -

⁷For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.⁸But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.

Again, this is not a world-wide statement from the Vatican, but directed toward priestly candidates in the United States among Eastern Catholics - because it is the norm in the USA among Catholics. Certainly there have been exceptions to the "rule" - and sometimes methinks the East protesteth too much.

Divine Liturgy

A friend of mine gave me a copy of the following CD, and all I can say is that it is just AWESOME! Now that is a word I only use in reference to things of God - and this most definitely fits that requirement. It is the Divine Liturgy #3 of St. John Chrysostom. I highly recommend this! Give a listen to the samples and see if you do not agree with me. It is SO glorious - and what's more - though the choir is out of this world (nearly angelic!) - this is not some special occasion - but the REGULAR way of the Eastern Rite of Catholicism as well as Eastern Orthodoxy. Please, do give it a listen and see if you do not find yourself meditating on things beyond this world!

Liturgy No. 3 - English (The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom)

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