You Legalistic Romans!
I have read your magazine for several years, and although you claim to be a magazine of “Catholic apologetics,” I have noticed a disturbing penchant on your part to define Catholicism only in terms of Roman Catholicism. In particular, your articles, commentaries, and responses to questions consistently ignore the beliefs and practices of Eastern Rite Catholics, who left Orthodoxy primarily for political and economic reasons and united with the Church of Rome.
While this group of Catholics, who may number up to a million in this country alone, accept all Roman Catholic dogmas, their doctrines and practices are frequently at variance with those of Roman Catholics. Two examples of these differences are the use of the filioque clause in the Nicene Creed and the married priesthood.
I am sure your readers are not aware that while Roman Catholics must use the filioque, its use is optional for most Eastern Catholics; in this country the Melkites and some Byzantine Rite Catholic Bishops have banned its use as an unjustified insertion. Another example is the continued ordination of married men to the priesthood in areas outside of the Americas; the Eastern Catholic rites ordained married men in the Americas or sent married priests here from Europe until the 1920s, when Rome forbade the practice due to intense pressure from American Roman Catholic bishops.
I suggest that in future articles and columns, wherever possible, you point out the practices of the other Catholic rites when they differ from those of Roman Catholics. After all, according to Vatican II’s Decree on the Eastern Catholic Churches and the writings of Popes John Paul II, Pius XII, and Benedict XV, Eastern Catholic liturgical practices and theological beliefs are supposed to be just as valid as those of Rome. It would be unfortunate if This Rock found itself in league with many Roman Catholic Bishops and priests who, even today, question the legitimacy and Catholicism of Eastern Catholics because of their Orthodox roots and retention of Orthodox liturgical, doctrinal, and spiritual beliefs.
On a final note, I must also say I also am troubled by Fr. Ray Ryland’s series of articles on Orthodoxy. From what I have read so far, his Western theological training and legalistic Roman Catholic approach to issues have resulted in a simplistic treatment of the complex theological and dogmatic issues that divide Rome and the East, which does not do justice to either position. This is certainly true in his attempts to portray the Eastern Orthodox position on such issues as papal primacy, the nature of original sin, and various teachings about The Mother of God. Did you even consider finding, for example, an Eastern Catholic priest or layman who would be willing to tackle this series? I know from my own readings that there are several in the U.S. who are active in Eastern Catholic apologetics at the university level or with Catholic-Orthodox publications such as Diakonia or The Eastern Churches Journal.
David Allan Filtz
Manassas, Virginia
Father Ryland replies: A few observations about terminology. I know from my reading of Eastern journals, tabloids, and books that “Western” and “legalistic” are practically synonymous terms in much Eastern writing. Much of that writing is polemical, not dialogical. From the same sampling I know that “Roman Catholic” and “legalistic” are often equated.
Now the blanket indictment. Mr. Filtz speaks of my “simplistic treatment” of complex issues which “does not do justice to either [the Eastern or the Roman] position.” As examples he lists my “attempts” to portray the Eastern position on papal primacy, the nature of original sin, various teachings about the Mother of God.
Take a look at my articles thus far published. I have written nothing about what Easterners do believe about papal primacy; I have written only that Easterners reject papal primacy. I have written nothing about the nature of original sin. I have not mentioned “various teachings about the Mother of God.”
It boils down to this. Mr. Filtz’s criticism is in fact a prediction. He knows nothing of what I will write in the future. Given his prejudices he knows in advance (“round up the usual suspects”) that whatever I do write in the future will be “simplistic” and “legalistic” and too “Roman” for his tastes. On this point he will turn out to be right. Why? Because anything I write necessarily will be Roman Catholic because I am Roman Catholic.
The Fault Is at the Pulpit
Sola Scriptura, one of the two basic philosophies of Protestantism, is the belief that all knowledge of morality and religion comes solely from Scripture. The Roman Catholic belief has been that in addition to Scripture, man has two other sources of knowledge of God and morality.
Today we learn from polls of “Catholics” that the majority do not accept the teachings of the pope and the magisterium of the church on at least six specific items: the sinfulness of premarital sex, the use of contraception, the sinfulness of homosexual activity, married priests, and women priests, and they agree with the teachings of the Church by a scant majority on the crime of abortion. In addition, few “Catholics” accept the doctrine of the True Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
Still these “Catholics” consider themselves to be true Catholics. All too prevalent is the belief that the individual conscience is the true guide to right or wrong. The objective truth as promulgated by God and the magisterium of the Church is simply of secondary importance to individual conscience.
How did this come about? It is obvious that most such “Catholics” are truly ignorant of the teachings of the Church. But this ignorance is inculpable because the truths that we learn from the Tradition of the Church throughout 2,000 years and the teachings of the popes, especially the present Holy Father, are simply not taught at Mass.
Homilies are restricted to the biblical stories. Morality and the current problems Catholics face are ignored. Our Holy Father never fails to stress the gravity of these problems, but his words are not discussed at Mass.
The greatest omission of all is the silence on the holocaust of holocausts, abortion. Few priests mention this subject during the Mass. Prayers for the unborn are rarely heard. The silence of our priests and bishops on this subject alone plays a major part in the continuation of abortion in this country. Catholics are the largest single voting block, yet poll after poll shows that they are the strongest supporters of the very politicians who permit the slaughter of the innocents. Catholics voting for those who tolerate abortion do not recognize the possibility that this could be a serious sin.
Until the moral truths of the Church are taught regularly at Mass how can one expect Catholics to be knowledgeable about them? The responsibility for the inculpable ignorance of Catholics can only rest on those whom our Lord commanded to teach his teachings.
John J. Cranley, M.D.
Naples, Florida
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Ever since I read Catholicism and Fundamentalism three years ago, I’ve admired the way your organization defends and clarifies the true teachings of the Catholic Church. In America today, it’s easy to get discouraged with all of the anti-Catholic sentiment that exists, especially within the Church (and with the clergy too!). Your organization stands as an oasis of truth in a desert of relativism.
D. J. Beberwyk
Altoona-Johnstown Diocese
Fairy Tales
Regarding the fairy tale on the back cover of the October issue of your magazine — unless Jonathan Edwards died a Catholic you owe all the 25,000 denominations your magazine claims exists an apology. A Catholic apologist not resting his case entirely on the Scriptures has a difficult row to hoe. At least the Scriptures were written by men chosen by God rather than a Catholic tribunal.
My forefathers called themselves Mennonites because a Catholic priest named Menno Simons left the Catholic Church to follow the Scriptures instead of a pope. In those days you were risking your life to do such a thing. He had to go into hiding for several years just to survive. And that’s no fairy tale.
William Goertz
Everett, Washington
Editor’s reply: And it’s no fairy tale that Menno erred. Let’s pray for the repose of his soul.
What the Heck!
I especially enjoyed the cover story, “What the Devil!” (November 1995) by Rev. Nicholas Halligan, O.P. I would like to thank him; please convey my thanks via this note.
I was raised in the Methodist Church, but found my real church home as an adult in the Catholic Church. (This Easter will mark my tenth year as a member of the Catholic Church.) Good Catholic reading requires a diligent search here in Mississippi. Praise God for the wonderful work Catholic Answers is doing.
Bill Smith
via the Internet