ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC

A REFLECTION FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Today we commemorate the feast of the two bishop brothers who brought the faith to Eastern Europe and Russia.  In other words to the lands that are now thought of as no longer belonging to the Catholic Church, but to the schismatic Orthodox.  Today, when we tend to view even the once solidly Catholic Church of Rome as being schismatic, a great cloud of obscurity has arisen in the minds of many, even traditional Catholics, who wonder who is really “of God” and who isn’t.  Many Catholics have even taken refuge in the rites of the East, and we ask ourselves, are they right to do so, or have they themselves fallen into schism?

It’s a complex situation, but it deserves to be explained briefly on this feast of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, so that we can understand a little better how to navigate our way through these apparent contradictions. Historically, when Christ founded the Church on St. Peter, it was just one Church, united in the faith.  As it spread farther and farther across the world, there arose variations in the form of worship each far-off land chose to re-enact the Holy Sacrifice.  Rome had its Latin rite, and yet, there were also a variety of eastern rites, equally valid, equally venerable, and equally pleasing to God.

The forms of worship may have varied, but for the first thousand years, the faith remained the same across the globe.  It was truly “catholic”—universal, believed by all true believers—“orthodox.”  But then came the Great Schism of 1054, separating the Roman Church from the Eastern Orthodox churches.  Each region of the East now had its own autonomous (self-governing) orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and so on, all of which went their own way in matters of faith and worship.  They still exist today, and are regarded by Catholics as schismatic.  We may NOT participate in their services or sacraments, because these are not pleasing to God.  They are outside the true Church, where, as we know, there is no salvation. An exception may be made if we are in danger of death and cannot get to a Catholic priest for the Last Rites—their sacraments are at least valid, and God permits us to take advantage of them if our souls are at stake.

Making the situation more complicated, a great number of people in the east opted many years later to return to the fold of St. Peter. And so communities developed in these countries who were now loyal to Rome.  As they rejoined the true Church, they were allowed to keep their liturgical rites and practices and laws, and are known today as “Eastern Rite Catholics” or “Uniates.”  Their sacraments are not only valid, but, no longer outside the Church, are also pleasing to God.  On the surface, they are almost indistinguishable from the schismatic Orthodox, but because of their allegiance to Rome, we are permitted to receive sacraments from them, and they are held by the Church in the same esteem as the Latin Rite Church. Caution, though!  You mustmake the distinction between Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic.  See the note on the following page.