The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-27

people love their ceremonies and
their traditions and are suspicious
of any attempt to Latinize them"
CHURCH CHERISHES
ANCIENT tITES
The Church, too, looks with dis
favor on any attempt to c',ange the
members of the Eastern Rite to the
Latin Rite, and with so much dis
favor that anyone desiring to
change must have the p mission of
the Holy See. Why? Because the
Church cherishes these rites and
will not allow to weaken or die these
testimonies to her ancient origin
and her variety of worship in her
unity of faith and morals.
Furthermore she is anxious that
her Latin Catholics acquaint them
selves with the history, customs and
worship of these fellow Catholics,
millions of them, who believe in God
and worship Him in the true faith
but who use the accidental differ
! ences of language and custom in
their mode of worship.
RUSSIA'S SORRFUL WAY
At the end of the tenth century
Russia was converted to the faith
through the medium of the Greek
Patriarch of Constantinople The
influence Of Constantinople, how
ever, carried with it the dangerous
notion about the relation of Church
and State that had grown out of the
teaching of pagan, Rome, namely,
that the Emperor was supreme in
both political and religious matters.
In old Rome this notion was COM
batted successfully, but when Con-
stantine moved the seat of his en-
pire to Constantinople in the second
quarter of the # urth century, the
notion that the spiritual AUTHORITY
of the Church had also been moved
became widespread, and soon Pat
riarchs of Constantinople began
claiming for themselves an author
ity equal to that of the Pope.
Successive conflicts of authority
led inevitably to final break with
the Holy See in 1854 This was the
Great Schism which split the
church into the East and the West,
the East refusing to recognize the
authority of Rome but retaining of
course it's valid priesthood and sac
raments.
Russia did lot follow Immediately
into schism. 1t remained with the
Papacy for more than a hundred
years, but by 1905 the rift had come
chiefly out of the Russian church S
historical connection with Constan-
tinople. But IN 1853 Constantlnople
fell before the Turks. 1t was not an
other Eternal City"
In Russia the Government had
been gradually taking over control
of the Church and the ruler adopted
the title Gar (Ceasar) in 1547 and
from the days of Ovan w absolute
subservience of the Church to the
State was demanded and given.
Moscow became the third Rome
only to fall f.om its Importance as
a center of Christianity with the
coming of Bolshevism in 1917.
RUSSIAN CATHOLICS IN
AMERICA
Today the center of Russian
| CtIllOllClIy III Illc OllltCo OldCCo As
st. Michaels Chapel on Mulberry
street in New York City. This shrine
was founded nine years ago by
Father Andrew Rogosh, one of the
first graduates of the Russicuni In
stitute in Rome, the college founded
by Plus XII for Russian apostles
When the activities of the OGPU
made it impossible to Worl' in Rus
STA Father Rogosh was sent to New
York and his church has become
a center for hundreds of Russian
Catholics 1t was he that originated
the Fordham Conferences on the
Eastern Rites which are now at
tended by thousands and climaxec
with the celebrating of the Eastern
Liturgy in st. Patrick's Cathedral.