The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit. St. Basil the Great
Purgatory and the Christian East
It is often asked of Eastern Catholics what it is they believe about Purgatory. (At least it is a question that I myself have been asked on more than one occasion!) Roman Catholics, after all, speak in quite definitive terms about it, while the Orthodox explicitly reject the doctrine. Consequently, it might be supposed that Eastern Catholics either fall right in the middle of the two positions, or that they simply adhere to Latin definitions.
One of the issues that I have struggled with as an Orthodox Christian and as a Greek Catholic Christian is the western teaching on Purgatory. Father James offers some thoughts on the subject that I have found helpful in my understanding of the teachings of the Church east and west.
Catholicos Cleemis Mar Baselios and Cardinal Dolan
Luncheon at Cardinal’s residence in honor of Cardinal Cleemis Mar Baselios, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church, May 13, 2013. (Photo by John E. Kozar)
A thorn in the side for those who do not seek true unity.
“Our church is a thorn in the side for those who do not seek true unity. My predecessor, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, said that the biggest obstacle to the unity of the church is that not everyone wants it. We feel it is not good when we are separated, in the Catholic Church, and in relations with the Orthodox. Our mission is to remind about our unity,” – His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk)
True to Tradition
The Eastern Catholic equivalent to Roman Catholic liturgical abuse is the issue of 'Latinisation'. Those of you who are of the Eastern Tradition will understand what I mean, but for those of you reading this from a Latin (or Roman, or Western) perspective, it is important to understand that this is no insult to the venerable Latin Tradition. It is merely to say that what properly belongs to one Church's life should not be co-opted by the other in what ends up being a pale imitation of the other's practice.
Fr. James is spot on here! Eastern Catholics should live out the fullness of their traditions, without addition or subtraction.
The Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord
A little fun on the feast of the Ascension.
Interview with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarch
Our Lady of Fatima Russian Catholic Church posted an interview, done by Salt and Light Television, with His Beatitude Sviatoslav of Kiev. His Beatitude speaks English fluently. Towards the end the interviewer, Fr. Thomas Rosica, asks the Patriarch about the Church breathing with both Lungs. His Beatitude’s response is wonderful. Also, he was asked if he wanted to meet with His Holiness Kryill, Patriarch of Moscow. His Beatitude answered in the affirmative and also goes on to explain what he would talk about with the Patriarch and how he wants to work together with the Orthodox Church of Russia.
