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Patrick Mulcahy's avatar

I have been a long-time friend with Bishop-Elect Bahhuth since seminary together. Albert is a wonderful priest and an inspired choice for Bishop. Kudos to the Holy Spirit in calling him to this new role. Please join me in prayers of blessing for him and the others and thanksgiving to God. Blessed be God.

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Bisbee's avatar

For more than a century and still today when an Eastern Church child is enrolled in some Latin parish schools there is little to no understanding that they were chrismated and communed in the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of the Lord at baptism.

Therefore, out of concern for the Latin kids and parents (as this might cause "astonishment" or possible "scandal") the Eastern child is asked not to receive Holy Communion until 2nd grade when the Latins usually begin feeding their children the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Instead of taking the opportunity to catechize regarding the Eastern Churches and the universality of the Church, much like John Ireland (who in Orthodoxy, tongue in cheek, is called the "Father of Orthodoxy in America") the Eastern child's patrimony is ignored through simple ignorance or even malevolence (as in the case of Bp. Ireland)

In 1930, another group (at least 8000) of Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics turned to Constantinople and became Orthodox over Rome forcing celibacy on Eastern Catholic clergy in America, Canada and Australia at the request of the Latin bishops. Married priests were seen to cause "scandal and confusion" among the predominant Latin Catholics.

As a bi-ritual priest I have dealt with the situations of Eastern students in Latin schools numerous times. On two occasions I had to go to the Latin bishops who understood and explained the reality to their priests. I did this only after speaking with the priests who didn't get the message from me.

Many times when this happens the child and family often de facto "become" Latins. It is simply easier to follow the bigger crowd.

In this day and age Latin clergy should know the basics of the practice of the Eastern Churches and encourage Easterners to follow their own patrimony.

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