The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-25

The position Of the Ruthenian
Catholics in the United States is
unique, in one respect at least.
They are not subject to the i'm
mediate jurisdiction Of the Bishop
in whose diocese they reside. This
is due to the fact that the Holy
See has placed over them a Bishop
OF their own rite, who Stands in
the same relation to all the
Ruthenian Catholics of this coun-
try as the Bishop of a diocese does
to the Catholics of the Latin Rite
who live within it's borders. The
Ruthenian Bishop for the United
States is the Right Reverend
Stephen S. Ortynsky, who resides
in Philadelphia and is charged
with the spiritual supervision Of
all the Ruthenian Catholics in the
country.
The story Of their allegiance to
the Church is an interesting one.
Originally the Ruthenian Catholics
of Polish Galicia and part of
Hungary, as well as the Russians
and Greeks, were members of the
Greek Catholic Church in COM
munion with Rome. At the time
of the Great Schism, when the
Russian and Greeks fell away
from the Catholic Church and
formed the Orthodox Greek
Church, the Ruthenians Of Hun
gary remained loyal to the See Of
Peter, but continued to follow the
Greek Rite, which, in, essentials, is
the same as the Latin Rite, but
which exhibits no inconsiderable
divergence from it in matters Of
discipline and ceremonial. The
Ruthenians who were subject to
Russia were compelled to follow
that country into schism.
Of late years, large numbers Of
Ruthenian immigrants from Hun
gary have settled in the United
States and formed parishes of
their own wherever they are nu-
merous enough to do so. They are
ministered to by priests of their
own nationality. In the early days
they were, like other Catholics,
subject to the Bishop Of the do
cese in which they resided; but
some years ago the Holy See
deemed it wise to place them I'M
der the immediate jurisdiction of
d Bishop Of their own rite who, as
already stated, is Bishop Ortynsky.
The Ruthenian Catholics have
two parishes in Minneapolis in
charge of their own priests, who
are not subject to the Most Rev
erend Archbishop Of st. Paul in
the same way as are the other
priests Of the diocese. He can
Eexercise no jurisdiction over them
in any manner whatsoever. He
has no power 10 appoint priest
to minister to them nor can he re-
move the priest in charge Of the
parish. Even when, as sometimes
happens, there is a disagreement
between the priest and his people
which threatens to disrupt the
parish, the Archbishop can not
settle the difficulty as he would in
other eases. Recourse must be
had to the Ruthenian Bishop in
Philadelphia.
The Ruthenian Catholics are
loyal to their Church and to the
Holy Father; but the harmonious
relations usually existing between
them and their pastor are often
disturbed by the efforts OF
proselytizers who try to lead them
into schism. These cmissaries OF
the Russian Orthodox Church
leave no means untried to make
them disloyal to the Holy See.
At the present time determined
efforts are being made in Mime
apOlis to add to the membership OF
the Russian Orthodox Church by
inducing the Ruthenian Catholics
to join it's ranks. Every trick
known to the proselytizers is EN-
Iployed to wean these simple PEG
pie away from the Church of their
forefatherS. 1t is no wonder
therefore, that disSension and mis-
understanding are sometimes rife
among them, and this is USED
against them by people who are
interested in attacking the Cath
Ollie Church from base and mer
cenaly motives and for the pur
pose Of fomenting sectariar
strife in localities where peace
and harmony would otherwise
prevail. Under such circum
stances it is the part of prudence
i for Catholics at least to take with
la grain of salt the reports oil
lquarrels and pickering among
/ their Ruthenian brethren SO in
sidiously sent out by individual.