Ukraine cardinal wants synod with Orthodox
Oct 24, 2005
A senior Ukrainian cardinal said Monday there was little dividing the Catholic and Orthodox Christian faiths and suggested that the pope call a meeting of the world's bishops to discuss the Eastern rite within the Catholic Church.
(Associated Press, Oct. 10, 2005) VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, made the suggestion in a speech to a three-week meeting of the world's bishops that is designed to give the pope recommendations on running the church.
Eastern rite Catholic churches share many Orthodox rituals but are loyal to the pope.
The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over several questions, including the issue of the primacy of the pope. Relations now between the two sides have been made tense by Orthodox charges of aggressive Catholic missionary work in Eastern Europe and by property disputes.
Pope Benedict XVI has made unifying all Christians a fundamental priority of his pontificate, and he invited a record number of ecumenical representatives to take part in the Oct. 2-23 meeting, known as a synod, including one from the Russian Orthodox Church.
In his speech, Husar noted that the Catholic and Orthodox churches share fundamental beliefs about the Eucharist, which is the topic of the synod.
The Catholic Church also recognizes as valid Orthodox ordinations of priests, and both churches recognize the apostolic succession of their bishops, meaning both trace the ordination of their bishops back to Christ's 12 apostles, Husar said.
"If the mutual recognition of the apostolic succession of bishops is recognized, and consequently that of the priests who celebrate it, my question is: what else do we need for unity?" according to a summary of his remarks released by the Vatican.
"Is there perhaps another source, or another summit superior to the Eucharist?" he asked. "And if it doesn't exist, why can't we allow concelebration?"
Husar then suggested that the pope call a new synod of the world's Catholic bishops to discuss the role of the Eastern rite church, saying there was a lack of understanding among other Catholics about its role.
He suggested Orthodox clerics be included in the meeting.
In an interview with The Associated Press after his speech, Husar noted that the late Pope John Paul II had frequently said the Catholic Church "breathes with two lungs" - a reference to the Eastern and Western halves of the church.
"At the moment we do not feel that the church is breathing with these two lungs," he told the AP.
At the start of Monday's meetings, the bishops were asked to keep the victims of the South Asian earthquake in their prayers.
Several bishops also spoke of the need for the church to incorporate more local customs into the Mass. The working document of the synod warned that while useful, such attempts at including local songs and dance in the Mass, sometimes go too far and can cause "scandal" and confusion among the faithful.
But the archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, Monsignor John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, said such "inculturation" has had a positive effect on the church in Africa, increasing participation of the faithful and promoting evangelization, and said it should not be cause for alarm.
"Solemnity and sacredness can be expressed not only in plain chant and the organ, but also by the gong, the xylophone and the tam-tam," he said, according to the Rev. John Bartunek, a synod spokesman who read from his text.
"We may not have much to offer in terms of the glorious architecture of European cathedrals or the fabulous paintings of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci," he said. "But what we have, we are happy to give: our songs and lyrics, our drumming and rhythmic body movements, all to the glory of God."
Ukraine cardinal wants synod with Orthodox