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Post by hibernicus on Sept 23, 2017 20:23:57 GMT
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Post by hibernicus on Sept 30, 2017 23:34:10 GMT
Just to say when I was standing in the car park beside St Kevin's last Sunday after Mass I saw the Ethiopian Orthodox congregation coming out of Synge Street school where their Mass is held, and was very impressed by the neat and reverent demeanour of the families. Thus it is to sing the Lord's songs in a strange land.
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Post by hibernicus on Nov 21, 2017 20:30:57 GMT
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Nov 22, 2017 11:39:34 GMT
There was always a political dimension between eastern Catholicism and Orthodoxy with many bishops affiliating to Pope or patriarch as the wind blew from Moscow or Vienna. Many worshipers changed faith many times in their lifetimes without consciousness as individual bishops hammered out deals with the dominant force at the time, something which was often a temporary little arrangement. Regarding St Josaphat, tthe Orthodox venerate St Mark of Ephesus who opposed the Union of Florence in 1439 but eastern Catholics have a different idea. It should be noted the Sublime Porte in Istanbul represented a detached but very well informed and interested third force in these deliberations
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Post by hibernicus on Jan 26, 2018 19:57:31 GMT
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Post by hibernicus on Apr 8, 2018 19:00:37 GMT
Best wishes to our Eastern brethren, whether or not they are in communion with us, who celebrate Easter today. Christ is truly risen!
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Post by hibernicus on Jun 7, 2018 20:08:39 GMT
I should have congratulated our Chaldaean brethren on the appointment of their Patriarch Sako to the Cardinalate. God knows they have had little to celebrate for a long time.
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Post by hibernicus on Jun 26, 2018 21:33:00 GMT
It seems painfully possible that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is being hatchet-jobbed by Rome in the interests of relations with Russian Orthodoxy, which is particularly disgraceful given how the UGCC was persecuted in the last century with Orthodox complicity. A couple of minor caveats- Patriarch or MAjor Archbishop Shevchuk, depending on how you see his role, is only 48 - if appointed now he could be a Cardinal Elector for the next 32 years. This may contribute to the delay in making him a Cardinal. It does strike me as a bit iffy that the UGCC joined in petitioning Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to recognise a separate Ukrainian Orthodox patriarchate, especially when the civil government (under President Poroshenko) joined in the request, and when it might have serious implications for the position of congregations in Ukraine which remain affiliated to the Moscow Patriarchate. Nevertheless, I strongly suspect this is the sort of back-stabbing that happens when Vatican policy gets dominated by diplomats. www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2018/06/19/why-is-rome-sidelining-the-ukrainian-catholics/
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Post by hibernicus on Nov 28, 2018 20:52:36 GMT
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT publishes an article by an Orthodox priest who supports the case for a separate Ukrainian Orthodox church (incidentally mentioning that some Ukrainians have become Greek-Catholics from nationalist motives). www.catholicworldreport.com/2018/11/25/ukraine-the-ecumenical-patriarchate-and-post-truth-an-orthodox-perspective/Much to my surprise, I find myself sympathising with the Moscow Patriarchate here, for several reasons: (1) The intervention of the Ukrainian government appears to be based on the supposition that it is impossible to be both Russian and Ukrainian, you must be one or the other. This is very problematic given the long period of Russo-Ukrainian union, the historically amorphous boundaries between them, and the size of the Russophone population. (2) Since the Orthodox generally do not recognise two jurisdictions in the same territory, the implication of recognising an autocephalous church is to de-legitimise those who remain attached to the MP, even though the MP are the ones in possession and have prescriptive rights (acquired over time). There have already been calls (which I have seen reported from pro-Kiev as well as pro-Moscow sources) that various historic monasteries and churches held by MP clerics should be confiscated by the state and handed over to the new church. This IMHO is all too similar to the criminal treatment of the UGCC in the post-war era for comfort. It was a crime when it was done to our brethren, it would be a crime if done to the MP church.
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Post by Young Ireland on Dec 2, 2018 20:04:40 GMT
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT publishes an article by an Orthodox priest who supports the case for a separate Ukrainian Orthodox church (incidentally mentioning that some Ukrainians have become Greek-Catholics from nationalist motives). www.catholicworldreport.com/2018/11/25/ukraine-the-ecumenical-patriarchate-and-post-truth-an-orthodox-perspective/Much to my surprise, I find myself sympathising with the Moscow Patriarchate here, for several reasons: (1) The intervention of the Ukrainian government appears to be based on the supposition that it is impossible to be both Russian and Ukrainian, you must be one or the other. This is very problematic given the long period of Russo-Ukrainian union, the historically amorphous boundaries between them, and the size of the Russophone population. (2) Since the Orthodox generally do not recognise two jurisdictions in the same territory, the implication of recognising an autocephalous church is to de-legitimise those who remain attached to the MP, even though the MP are the ones in possession and have prescriptive rights (acquired over time). There have already been calls (which I have seen reported from pro-Kiev as well as pro-Moscow sources) that various historic monasteries and churches held by MP clerics should be confiscated by the state and handed over to the new church. This IMHO is all too similar to the criminal treatment of the UGCC in the post-war era for comfort. It was a crime when it was done to our brethren, it would be a crime if done to the MP church. This is certainly worrying, though my sympathy for the Moscow Patriarchate, as distinct from its members is limited given that they have acquiesced in the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory through their moral support of the Kremlin's actions. They can hardly be surprised then if they are seen as personae non gratae among Ukrainians. That doesn't mean that the state should forcibly intervene against them, as two wrongs don't make a right, and of course it is the parish clergy and the parishoners who will pay the biggest price in this.
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Post by hibernicus on Jan 6, 2019 0:20:38 GMT
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Post by hibernicus on Feb 11, 2019 20:04:35 GMT
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Post by hibernicus on Mar 7, 2019 19:59:59 GMT
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Post by hibernicus on Apr 6, 2019 17:54:52 GMT
Since I have stated on this thread that the followers of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Ukraine have legitimate concerns about their treatment, I feel it all the more incumbent to highlight this article which states quite plausibly that the separatists in the Donbass are aggressively persecuting followers of the Kiev Patriarchate and Greek Catholics in the territory under their control. Even worse mistreatment is currently being experienced by sects including Mormons and JWs in Russia, and I wish to express solidarity in particular with the JWs who are being systematically robbed and tormented. There are aspects of the JWs everyone should be concerned about, but they also have many great virtues. The fact that they were mistreated here in the mid-50s (though on nothing remotely like the same scale) makes it all the more urgent to speak out for them as well as for our Greek Catholic brethren and other victims of Russian persecution: www.nationalreview.com/2019/04/ukraine-religious-liberty-moscow-russian-orthodox-church/www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/jehovahs-witnesses-persecuted-russia-worldwide/
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Post by hibernicus on May 23, 2019 18:01:39 GMT
This account of the situation of the Chaldaean Christians in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq, and their dilemmas about whether to emigrate or remain, should be of interest to all. Credit where credit is due, it seems the Trump administration has done something to help them financially - though how long this will be sustained is another matter. And of course, while they are facing martyrdom, recent generations of Irish have allowed the faith to slip through our fingers like water. (I'm not saying all are equally to blame - but that's what has happened.) www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/05/iraqi-christians-nineveh-plain/589819/
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