A kind Ukrainian-Rite friend sends me materials which relate to that Byzantine Catholic Church; among these documents I have found an important Teaching Document from His Beatitude Patriarch + Sviatoslav. In this well-argued communication (Given in Kyiv and dated December 22 2023), His Beatitude deals with the DDF (i.e. Bergoglio/Fernandez) document which redefines blessings in such a way as to make it licit to bless couples in 'same-sex' relationships ... Fiducia Supplicans.
The Patriarch points out (with many references) that Canon Law upholds the distinctive liturgical, theological, canonical and spiritual heritage which all the Ukrainian faithful are obliged to observe and cherish. He points out that the meaning of the concept of 'blessing' in the UGCC differs from the teaching of the Latin Church.
Blessings cannot be reduced only to circumstances and needs of private piety. "According to the traditions of the Byzantine rite, the concept of 'blessing' means approval, permission , or even an order regarding a certain type of action. It is obvious that the blessing from the priest ... cannot in any way contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church about the family as a faithful, indissoluble and fruitful union of love beteen a man and a woman, which our Lord Jesus Christ raised to the dignity of the Holy Sacrament of Marriage. Pastoral promptness prompts us to avoid ambiguous gestures, statements and concepts that would distort the Word of God and the teachings of the Church."
To be concluded.
It would be interesting to know their take on the concept that there are times when a Presbyter is not a 'liturgical person'.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what St. Nicholas would make of the current antics of Pope Francis- and whether he might approve of a rather more vigorous response to the current situation. In the Mafia sense of the word vigorous, or "vig", which indicates a forceful response than we are seeing.
ReplyDeleteOne more reason His Beatitude should be a cardinal. Re. Fiducia Supplicans: In order to spare my mental health I have not devoted much time to reading the many responses to it. My first thought on how to interpret it? If memory serves, Pius XI in Casti Connubii sets forth the proper attitude towards "relationships": there is sacramental marriage, and then there are human persons not married. Ergo, any talk of "relationships" other than sacramental marriage goes against magisterial teaching. Am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteBravo for the Byzantines and the Patriarch!
ReplyDeleteThe Major Archbishop (so many of his great predecessors raised to the dignity of Cardinal yet Francis is so pandering to enemies he patently refuses) actually states the actual situation for us Latins too, but Primate Shevchuk evidently thought better of it. I wouldn't put it beyond PF to reprise the mess of a liturgical war in southern India in actual war torn Ukraine if Shevchuk had responded without a filter. If the past decades has shown us the extent of pride and shamelessness in the Vatican. Pray for Pope Francis to turn in the right direction. God gives us all time.
ReplyDelete+ Sviatoslav will not get a red hat from this pope.
ReplyDeleteIt is most unjust that Rome continues to refer to Metropolitan of Kyiv Sviatoslav Shevchuk as Major Archbishop rather than as Patriarch, when he is head of the largest Eastern-rite Catholic Church. In Ukraine in the Divine Liturgy he is almost universally acknowledged as Patriarch.
ReplyDeleteThis refusal appears to arise from either fear of Moscow's reaction to the declaration of the Ukrainian Patriarchate, and/or a certain Moscophilia among high-ranking denizens of the Vatican, who entertain unreal hopes of ecumenical rapprochement with the Statist and xenophobic Muscovite church.
Since Moscow has broken communion with Constantinople over the grant of the tomos of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (5 Jan 2019), it is patently clear that ecumenism with the warmongering Putinist Muscovite church is for the present a lost cause.
The late Fr Robert Taft SJ, specialist in the Byzantine rite and Rome's Apostolic Visitor to the Ukrainian seminaries, told us in L'viv, keep referring to the Metropolitan of Kyiv as Patriarch and eventually Rome will catch up.