The Death of a Spirituality

SOURCE:  Eastern Catholic Spiritual Renewal

Metropolitan Kallistos

To no surprise there have been many in Eastern Orthodox church history who have had no problem with some Latin spiritual traditions. A quick search of the internet will demonstrate some well noted saints of the East, such as St. Tikon or St. Nicodemous, who found spiritual life from the Latin traditions. In fact, there is some controversy about just how deep they were involved in some of the Latin dogmatic traditions of original sin and indulgences. Never the less, even modern Eastern Orthodox leaders, like Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), have pointed out that it's not heretical for Orthodox Christians to accept Latin traditions. On the other hand, from a Roman Catholic perspective the spiritual traditions that were proclaimed dogmas after the great schism are non- negotiable.

Many Eastern Catholics have had to struggle with the non-negotiables of the Latin tradition. Sometimes it seems we are getting different messages from Rome. In the beginning we were told to maintain our traditions when we entered into communion with Rome only to later upgrade to avoid heresy. Even today since Vatican II we are told to return to our roots only latter to have corrections from the Latin hierarchy for being too Eastern. With oppositions such as these most of us are stuck with two options: be faithful to our spiritual tradition or accept the weight of the Latin dogmas and what they impose, which ultimately is the death of some of our spiritual traditions.

Recently, I listened to a Byzantine Catholic program on the internet about the Immaculate Conception. In the program the Byzantine Catholic priest had no problem affirming that he accepts the Latin dogma and why the Immaculate Conception works for him. In his mind since none of his byzantine liturgical prayers have had to change it all works out. He pointed out how some Orthodox Christians believe in the Latin dogma, even quoting Metropolitan Kallistos the same way I did. However, what he failed to do was to demonstrate that the freedom for the Orthodox to have diverse spiritual views on original sin and the Theotokos will not be optional if they join his church. Even though they can keep the prayers the spirituality behind it will no longer exist- it dies once the tradition is altered.

It should be an obvious error that you cannot separate how you believe from the way you pray. However, this is where we find ourselves today. Sure some of our churches have the same icons and liturgies that the local Orthodox churches use but in some cases we sure don't have the same spirituality. For example, just by adopting the Immaculate Conception you automatically accept the Latin understating of sin. It doesn't stop there by accepting that you accept the Latin understanding of grace and it continues to spiral down to where the spiritual practices come to represent a spirituality that was carried out similar to St. Tikon. However, in his case it was not under dogmatic obligation that his spirituality was birthed causing traditional byzantine beliefs to cease. For him the Byzantine world continued on where his personal practice did not dwarf the historical byzantine spirituality that shined forth in the past in great saints such as St. Gregory Palamas or St. Symeon the New Theologian to name a few.

A friend of mine recently told me that he feels spiritualy isolated as he strives to live fully the spirituality of the Byzantine tradition. He says the only people that he sees trying to live the authentic spiritual traditions of our Eastern Fathers are only on the internet. For him the spirituality of the East has died in what he knows of his local church. Like some Byzantine Catholic churches the prayers might be the same as the Orthodox but the spirituality is Roman Catholic. Consequently, he wants to go to a church were the spirituality matches the prayers, which is in the Eastern Orthodox church. Who could blame him for this. For the most part people like him are told they are wrong. If people like him claim to just be practicing another tradition they do so at times with facing the dogmatic force of Roman Catholic apologists with all their paper work. Of course I encouraged him to stay and fight. We might be few but the "Orthodox in Communion with Rome" movement is a prophetic movement. If it's anything other than prophetic we must be a bunch traditionally high-minded heretics soon to be forgotten.

To see a general difference in Roman and Byzantine spiritualities click (here)

To understand the general differences in our spiritual tradition concerning the Immaculate conception click (here)