I never said I disagree with the Bishop’s decision; I only contradicted the notion that it was none of the Bishop of Rome’s business. I actually sincerely hope that the Bishop of Rome permits the eparchy to ordain married men... so much so that I immediately wrote off taking advantage of the policy myself, because I believe as a Latin I would be a case for not approving it.
As a Latin, I’d attended many Eastern-rite masses. I chose the one that’s probably the most dissimilar of the ones I’ve attended to the Latin rite to adopt as my own, the Melkite. So I assure you, I certainly don’t want the Melkites to be more like the hyper-politicized, leftist-ingrained, Protestantized, masonically filtered Latins that are all too common.
My cause from concern from you is that you were ready for schism at the mere suggestion that the Pope MAY not permit the ordination of married men; I was not asserting that the pope should or reasonably could override the Melkite bishop. I was asserting that the pope’s interests were entirely legitimate.
You write as if you bitterly oppose the union of the two churches. That’s sad. The West needs to be re-evangelized by the East, and the East needs to be universalized, because the Christian presence in Lebanon and Syria is looking vaporous and the Melchite churches in America have relied heavily on the ability to cooperate with the West. As a case in point, the previous Melkite bishop closed the only Western seminary, to the strong dismay of Rome, and is now thoroughly dependent on non-Melkite resources for the education of its priests... or else send them to Lebanon.
oh, and for the record: the Roman Catholic diocese of Lviv of the Latins exists because there was no church in union with Rome until 1595 in that region, so the Polish/Slavs living in the area had to turn to Rome for a priesthood. By the time that some of the Orthodox church in the Ukraine rejoined the Catholic church, there was a separate, Latin tradition within the Ukraine.
The Latins have their discipline. We have ours. You have the right to your celibate-only priesthood, but we have the equal right to our married priesthood.
All I was doing was pointing out how the unfortunate actions of the Roman Catholic hierarchy and successive Popes created nothing but schism. The problem isn’t with the Eastern Christians, but rather with narrow-minded Roman Catholics who refuse to accept unity amid diversity.
Also, there is far more to being Melkite or Eastern Catholic than celebrating a different Divine Liturgy.
I’d say far more ignorance and intolerance today comes from Latin Catholic laity who associate Latin practices with being Catholic.
From the Sixth Ecumenical Council at Trullo:
CANON XIII.
SINCE we know it to be handed down as a rule of the Roman Church that those who are deemed worthy to be advanced to the diaconate or presbyterate should promise no longer to cohabit with their wives, we, preserving the ancient rule and apostolic perfection and order, will that the lawful marriages of men who are in holy orders be from this time forward firm, by no means dissolving their union with their wives nor depriving them of their mutual intercourse at a convenient time. Wherefore, if anyone shall have been found worthy to be ordained subdeacon, or deacon, or presbyter, he is by no means to be prohibited from admittance to such a rank, even if he shall live with a lawful wife. Nor shall it be demanded of him at the time of his ordination that he promise to abstain from lawful intercourse with his wife: lest we should affect injuriously marriage constituted by God and blessed by his presence, as the Gospel saith: “What God hath joined together let no man put asunder;” and the Apostle saith, “Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled;” and again, “Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed.” But we know, as they who assembled at Carthage (with a care for the honest life of the clergy) said, that subdeacons, who handle the Holy Mysteries, and deacons, and presbyters should abstain from their consorts according to their own course [of ministration]. So that what has been handed down through the Apostles and preserved by ancient custom, we too likewise maintain, knowing that there is a time for all things and especially for fasting and prayer. For it is meet that they who assist at the divine altar should be absolutely continent when they are handling holy things, in order that they may be able to obtain froth God what they ask in sincerity.
If therefore anyone shall have dared, contrary to the Apostolic Canons, to deprive any of those who are in holy orders, presbyter, or deacon, or subdeacon of cohabitation and intercourse with his lawful wife, let him be deposed. In like manner also if any presbyter or deacon on pretence of piety has dismissed his wife, let him be excluded from communion; and if he persevere in this let him be deposed.
NOTES.
ANCIENT EPITOME OF CANON XIII.
Although the Romans wish that everyone ordained deacon or presbyter should put away his wife, we wish the marriages of deacons and presbyters to continue valid and firm.