The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-03-30
Catholic Thought And Opinion


q a loosely called. OF courue Us
language q Greek end lls liturgy
very strange 10 one accustomed %
cur Latin Mass. m America Ne
have about VeoOoo Greek Catholics
with their own Bishops. priests.
nuns and religious orders.
IN The Western group We have
principally The Roman rite with
two others noe &C al widespread.
The Roman rite b the most pcpue
larry known. It's language d Latin
and though &C was formerly used
only IN Rome C d now the liturgy
Of most Of the Church.
THE CHURCH Is SHIT
At various times during the firSt
eleven centuries Of the Church some
heresles and some Schlsms appear.
ed IN the Church and dissatisfied
groups o. the Eastern Church broke
away from the authority Of Rome.
In 1854 there came what "a called
the Greet Schism when almost all
the Eastern Catholic seeded and
became known a. the Orthodox
Eastern Church.
Today there are some three hum
bred and fifteen million Catholics
In the world and about one hundred
and seventy million members Of the
Eastern Church. All profess the
same faith and have the same
sacraments but TIE latter do
not recognize the authority Of
Rome. From time to time In the
centuries that have gone reunions
have been effected so that today
about nine million Catholics Of the
Eastern Rite are In union with the
Holy See.
UNITY, LIBERTY
AND CHARITY
The Church Is guided BY the ALL
wise precept: Unity Is essential,
liberty IN non-essentlals and charity
In ell things" In matters Of faith
the Eastern Catholics are identical
with all other Catholics. In liturgy,
language, music, vestmentS, customs
and canon law there are many DIFF
ferences.
In their Divine Liturgy, for in
stance, we ind frequent litanies
which are not In our Latin Mass.
There Is no elevation after the con-
secration as there Is with US, though
In some rites the priest elevateS the
host and chalice together after the
conservation Of the wine. Leavened
bread Is used for Mass and In most
Of the Eastern Rites Communion Is
distributed under both the species
Of bread and the species Of wine.
Churches Of the Eastern Rite us
ually present quite q different APP
pearance from that TO which We are
accustomed. They are SuFmounted
usually with dubious domes either
one alone IMPLYING Our Lord, or
three Of equal size for the Trinity
or one large and two small repre-
senting God and the old and new
law.
In making the Sign Of the Cross
Greek Catholics hold the thumb
and first two fingers together signi-
flying the Trinity and 90 from right
to left. This is an earlier mode Of
the Sign Of the Cross that was once
general In the Church,
The most notable characteristic In
which the Eastern Rites differ from
Latin Is In the celebacy Of the Ro-
man clergy. In the Eastern Church
q married man may be ordained q
priest and continue TO live with his
wife though no priest can marry
after ordination.
"NEITHER LATIN
NOR GREEK"
There Is no classification as to the
excellence Of the various rites Of the
Church. All are worthy Of equal
respect. The Church glories In these
rites and the testimony they are 10
the apostolic origin Of the Church.
Our Lord let his apostles know
that His Church should be One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic; He
did not tell them that they should
say their prayers in either Latin or
Greek or that they should use either
the Latin or Greek Rite.
In the words Of Benedict XIV:
"The Church Of Jesus Christ Is
neither Latin nor Greek, nor Slav,
but Catholic; accordingly she makes
no difference between her children
and Greeks and Latins and Slavs
and members Of other nations, are
equal In the eyes Of the Apostolic