De Mysteriis
Fr. Maximos (Davies) of Holy Resurrection Monastery has written a paper on the sacramental differences between East and West that can be read here (go to the link and then download it as a PDF).
And these monks need a new vehicle. If you want to donate one, your reward will be great in Heaven.
posted by Arturo Vasquez @ 7:22 AM
3 Comments:
Excellent link to an excellent paper.
I fully agree that Vatican II, properly understood, was intended to take Catholicism from the Hapsburg's House Religion into a truly International Fatih. Perhaps, in end, VII will succeed and overcome those who distort it as an invitation to "Clown Masses," secular humanism, and other such sophmoric tripe.
Still, I question whether the West's overly scientific approach is as valid as the author suggests. Indeed, by embracing essentially a scientific method, the Germanic Church unwittingly (or perhaps not??) invited its people to convert to science straight; the pure stuff without any "hocus pocus." After all, the Church itself taught the intelligensia the virues of the Aristotle's pagan methodolgy, so why not go whole-hog? Hence, its hard to argu that the Germanic Churches embrace of a pagan, godless methodology did not contribute to the modern, Western head long rush into secular humanism, which has been embraced by so many Catholics and Protestants.
In contrast, the Christian East has historically been assualted from without -- by Islam and Marxism, a product of the Enlightened, Scientific, Rational West that was produced in the British Royal Library in London. This is not to say that Easterns are without sin -- to the contrary, racism and traditionalism (as opposed to discerning adherance to tradition) runs rampant in the East -- but rather that the Eastern Church by baptizing neoPlatonism more fully than the West did and also by just avoiding systematic Aristoteleanism when Justinian closed the Lyceum in Athens (likewise orthodox Judaism suppressed Aristotle by smashing Maimonides and Islam, Avecina and Avveroes) unlike the West with Aquinas who tried to baptize Aristotle (but who in th end, to his great credit, recognized that his attempt was "straw,") at least avoided any major, self-inflicted wounds.
Nevertheless, both the Christian East and West are besieged, whether from within or without, and the Truly Faithful on each side of the globe need each other. After all we find ourselves in the midst of hostile territory. And, Vatican II, The New Catechism, and Fr. Maximos's article are excellent steps along the path to renewal of the fully catholic Church militant, should the Lord tarry.
We had a lot of good times in that van! May its memory be eternal. (cue "Summer Nights" by Lil Rob)
"I'm right next to the Pacific
To be specific."
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