"Who are Eastern Catholics?" PART 1 with Fr. Maximos of Holy Resurrection Monastery

[Search4diabetescure]

Father Maximos is an Australian, just so you know!

[bass109]

rebuke the evil ones in name of jesus christ

[alex4ucj]

The Greek Catholics were mostly as Orthodox, but they had their church united with Rome, that's why it is even called the Greek Catholic church united with Rome. Most of the Greek Catholic churches are by Byzantine Orthodox architecture and some major elements.

[DeFideCatolica]

@alex4ucj i am Melkite greek catholic....well my mother is, my father is Roman catholic

[arthegor]

Orthodoxes are not catolics do not forget...

[cypriotmick]

this priest saddens me- eastern catholics are just this - 'uniates' - and the eastern orthodox church suffers because of these churches - these churches cause great confusion and it's heart breaking they no longer belong to the patriarchate of constantinople - the eastern orthodox church is not in communion with the roman catholic church - simple fact - the roman catholic church instigated this mess and by doing this has cut itself off from the most important ecumenical dialogue in the world -

[ponyboy1488]

Excuse me, Ms. Catherine Alexander, but I wonder why you didn't allow my comments to be posted. Do you not allow people to disagree with Uniatism or what your priest here says? I find that rather odd.

[YourWordFromTheWise]

@ponyboy1488 I'm afraid I did not realize there were comments awaiting approval here--both in support and not. Please forgive me.

[ponyboy1488]

Fr. Maximos seems like a sweet person and it's nice to have someone come and speak about his faith. I also think what Fr. Maximos is saying makes absolutely no sense. Uniatism is unfortunately, a very confusing and sometimes underhanded way of empowering Rome.

Personally, I think Uniates should return to their Orthodox Mother Church, where they rightly know they belong and from where they once came from.

[zacgotgame]

we roman catholics and othordox and eastern catholics are 1 i believe we are all the true church together because we practice the basic same faith there are small differences but we all practice the same faith i love my othordox and eastern catholic brothers and sisters god bless we are one

[YourWordFromTheWise]

@zacgotgame Thank you for the support!

[rumpranger65]

Woah. I met Fr. Maximos at the Melkite Church I go to in San Bernardino.

[Dierector189]

Can a Roman Catholic like me use icons and attend an Eastern Catholic service (like a Maronite service, it's just that Im planning to have a holiday in Lebanon in the near future and it would please me greatly if they would let me do mass).

[YourWordFromTheWise]

Yes! A Roman Catholic's canonical obligation to attend church on Sunday (which I don't know the canon number for) can be fulfilled by attending the Eucharistic liturgy of any Catholic Church sui iuris (there's a canon for that, too). You may go to the Maronite Qurbono (Mass) and participate fully as a layperson.

[YourWordFromTheWise]

You may pull from the spiritual traditions of other Catholic rites to enhance your own interior life as they are available for the entire church. Just don't expect your RC parish to replace its public spiritual life with what enhances your private life. There is much in the eastern & oriental traditions that are the shared treasure of the western that has been understated or forgotten there. May you grow in faith & love for our Lord the more you build your relationship with Him & His Church!

[Dierector189]

I SURE WILL

FOR THE LORD LOVES US ALL

[NeuenschwanderPride]

Long Live The True Church of Christ!

[kirkor1911]

I think that Fr. Maximos is wrong when he says about the origins of Eastern Catholicism. There were Byzantine churches, especially in southern Italy, that have never broken communion with Rome, also there's Byzantine monastery in Grotaferrata, 10 km from Rome, established before the schism, operating continuously.

[YourWordFromTheWise]

The Greco-Albanians in Southern Italy and the Maronites do not have Orthodox counterpart churches. The rest of the Eastern and Oriental Churches were in the joint Catholic Orthodox Church, after the schisms went with the Orthodox, and then later left the Orthodox communions and rejoined the Catholic ones. They now share communion with the Eastern, Oriental, and Western Churches. Which part in particular do you believe Fr. Maximos didn't explain well?

[kirkor1911]

Fr. Maximos tells in 7:25 or so, that except for the Maronites, Eastern Catholics are former Orthodox who asked to be allowed back to communion with Rome at some point of time. But there were Eastern Christians, Byzantines in particular, that have never broken with Rome, even after the schism of Constantinople.

[YourWordFromTheWise]

Yes, Fr. Maximos failed to mention the Italo-Albanians, which I accidentally called the Greco-Albanians above. They are the only Byzantine Catholic church to have no Orthodox counterpart. They are an extremely small church located in the southern tip of Italy, having 2 eparchies and 1 monastery covering about 60,000 faithful and about 250 priests and religious.

The other churches all followed the path Father Maximos described. CNEWA has a book under their resources link that might be useful.

[waaasteee]

JOJ JOJ JO what is this : ) this is funy : ) come on east and see big different : ))) we are ortodox not catholic !!!!!!

[AGDIRGIA]

Also, yes, I do believe that the Catholic Church has grace, and is the closest thing to God other than the Orthodx Church, but how can he call both churches orthodox (small o) if they have fundimental dogmatic differences?

[YourWordFromTheWise]

That's a solemn and heartwrenching question. One I'm not qualified to answer and one which the greatest theologians of both east and west struggle with. I pray for them. Please pray with me that all who are in positions of leadership have wisdom, grace, mercy, and clarity in guiding our churches.

[AGDIRGIA]

I mean no offense, but my question is, why do Eastern Catholics stay with Rome now that they have the freedom to return to Orthodoxy. Most, not all, but most, Eastern Catholic churches started because Roman Catholics forced Orthodox Christians to recognize the Pope under threat of death in certain areas. Now that there is no more threat, why do you remain with the people that oppressed you?

[YourWordFromTheWise]

I can not speak for others. One of the videos of Fr. Max answers this question. I've forgotten which, but he says, "Why am I an Eastern Catholic?" and then answers it. Unfortunately, I've not had access to all of the videos I took for a while. I'm hoping to salvage them from a crashed hard drive still. For me, I'm an Eastern Catholic because it is how and where God called me to worship Him. I appreciate the unity of faith it provides and the many lives of martyrs that made that unity possible.

[RandyFermo]

Very well done ... congratulation

[E3Harrison]

I've been to the monastery when I was in high school. I was Chrismated a Uniate at St. Nicholas in Fontana. After Visiting Holy Resurrection, they are the monks that helped my decision to enter the Holy Orthodox Church. Every monk I talked to HRM told me they dont believe in the "Papal Innovations" and that they were only "witnessing" the the Catholics about Orthodoxy. Now they are feeding youtubers this stuff?

[YourWordFromTheWise]

Daniel,

I am very sorry to hear that you do not remember your time as an Eastern Catholic as a positive time of your life. I ask you for forgiveness for any hurt or offense that was caused you by the members of the Eastern Catholic Churches, whether by omission or commission, and for your prayers for me, a sinner. May the Lord draw us all ever closer to Himself as we embark on the Lenten journey together! -Catherine

[arthegor]

Orthodoxes are not catholics ! Big difference don't mean any evil.... Orthodox is very different than catholics...we havent change .... we didn't changed...and we are independent from Rome the Pope isn't the ruler of the church the one true ruler of the church is Jesus Christ...:)Orthodox means Unchanged Dogma

[YourWordFromTheWise]

Thank you for the comment! I've always seen the definition of orthodox to be "of right belief" and I've sometimes heard "giving right praise." Eastern Catholics share theology, spirituality, practices, and in most Eastern Catholic Churches, history and patrimony with the Eastern Orthodox. We also share full communion with Rome--not under, but beside her--as well as with all of the Oriental Catholic Churches. This is an important difference between Eastern Catholicism & Eastern Orthodoxy. Thanks!

[ESEME11]

absolutely, i am Roman Catholic.

It's amazing how he/she said the Pope isn't the ruler of the Church, yet the Keys were given to Peter. I wonder why Christ felt the need to have a ruler on earth.

Arthegor, the ruler of Christ's Church on earth is the Pope, Christ established a visible head for his church. Without this visible head we will all be like the Protestants contradicting each other and interpreting the Bible to their liking.

[BlackCappa]

Not under Rome in the sense that you do not belong to the Western portion, "patriarchate", of the Catholic Church, but still under the universal jurisdiction of the Pope.

God bless

[BigDink57]

This very informative...it's good to learn about our Eastern Catholic Brothers and Sisters!

[YourWordFromTheWise]

Thank you. It is encouraging to know that others are benefiting from the work. The poor monks tolerated much from me to get these. :) I'll be sure they know as well.

[Frach438]

Do you record these interviews then send them to Catholic radio stations? Great job by the way! Pax†

[YourWordFromTheWise]

It is my hope to have them on Catholic radio. I am in discussions with two stations so far and hope to expand the list. The audio versions are much better quality and better edited (like ums being removed), but it would look funny in the videos to have constant little blips in the picture, so they remain here. If you have a local station you think would be interested, please direct them to me or shoot me a private message and I'll contact them.

[hiya4011]

How wonderful, and inspiring!