Light from the East: The Catholic Eastern Churches Sixty Years After Vatican II

Dear Colleagues,

The proclamation of the Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches, Orientalium Ecclesiarum (OE), on November 21, 1964, marked a pivotal moment in the history of the Catholic Church. This Special Issue seeks contributions that re-evaluate the relationship between the Roman Church and its Eastern Catholic sister churches. Since OE, significant pastoral and theological efforts have been made yet much remains to be accomplished. We are interested in your insights on this ongoing dialogue.

We invite scholarly contributions focusing on a specific Eastern Catholic Church to critically evaluate the impact of OE on its theology, history, and mission. Submissions should address themes such as the implementation of OE in the post-conciliar period, how OE has translated into actual practice, especially through canon law, and the churches’ responses to the Vatican II mandate to preserve and rejuvenate their spiritual heritage, including Eastern liturgies, spirituality, and iconography.

We invite scholarly contributions that critically evaluate the impact of OE within a specific Eastern Catholic Church, focusing on various themes:

• Conciliar Mandates and Rights Preservation: How has the conciliar mandate for the continued assertion of Eastern Catholic rights and freedoms within the fullness of the Catholic Church been preserved or neglected in the sixty years since the promulgation of OE? What efforts are required to overcome the Latinized ecclesiology that fails to comprehend patriarchates as viable and autonomous institutions within the Church?
• Synodality in Eastern Catholic Churches: How does synodality within the Eastern Catholic Churches compare to the synod on synodality of the Roman-Latin Church? Are there instances of micromanagement by curial officials in Rome over Eastern Patriarchates?
• Papal Titles and Responsibilities: Following Pope Francis' reinstatement of the title “Patriarch of the West”, how can Rome authentically act in accordance with this role?
• Development of Collegiality: How has Vatican II’s doctrine of “collegiality” (developed in Lumen Gentium) manifested within the Eastern Church?
• Ecumenical Mandates: How have Eastern Catholic Churches applied the ecumenical mandate of OE to foster bridges with the Eastern Orthodox Churches? In what ways can their experience of remaining in communion with the Bishop of Rome while preserving their Eastern traditions serve as a model for discussions on church unity and theological reconciliation?
• Impact of Current Conflicts: Have recent wars exacerbated tensions between Eastern Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Church?

We welcome interdisciplinary approaches which might include theological, historical, religious, canonical, and pastoral perspectives on the subject matter. These inquiries aim to deepen understanding and foster a nuanced discussion of the challenges and opportunities faced by Eastern Catholic Churches in a contemporary ecclesiastical context.

Prior to submitting a manuscript, we request that interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors Prof. Dr. Ines Angeli Murzaku ([email protected]) and Assoc. Prof. dr. Ana Victoria Sima ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring a proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Deadline for abstract submission: August 30, 2024

Deadline for full manuscript submission: March 31, 2025

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ines Angeli Murzaku
Dr. Ana Victoria Sima
Guest Editors

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• Eastern Catholic Church
• latinized ecclesiology
• patriarchates
• synodality in Eastern Catholic Churches
• Roman-Latin Church synodality
• Pope Francis
• Patriarch of the West
• development of collegiality
• Vatican II
• Eastern Orthodox Churches
• church unity and theological reconciliation

Title: The Synodality of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania (1964-2024): Evolution, Institutional Forms, and Identity Significations

Abstract: The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, boasts a long and rich synodal tradition, with roots tracing back to the Metropolitanate of the Orthodox Romanians of Alba Iulia, which, at the close of the seventeenth century (1697-1700), re-established communion with the Church of Rome. The aim of the study I put forward is to analyze the evolution of synodality in the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania between the years 1964 and 2024, employing a methodology that will systematically relate historical, ecclesiological, and canonical aspects, thereby highlighting their identity implications. The structure of the article is determined by the principal stages through which the Greek-Catholic Church has traversed during the specified period: 1964-1989; 1989-2005; 2005-2024. These stages have witnessed profound transformations within the Greek-Catholic Church, including modifications to its canonical status that have also impacted its synodal life. In the year 1964, as the Second Vatican Council concluded and the Decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum was approved, the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania was in the midst of severe communist persecution, having been outlawed since 1948. Its canonical status as a metropolitan province extra Patriarchatus was regulated by the Motu Proprio Cleri Sanctitati (June 2, 1957), which recognized the institution of the provincial metropolitan synod, yet not that of the diocesan synod. Due to the persecution, the celebration of the metropolitan synod was not possible; however, privy conferences of bishops and diocesan ordinaries were held, which had significant effects on the life of the Church. The fall of communism, in December 1989, and the legalization of the Greek-Catholic Church, were followed by the publication, on October 18, 1990, of the Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium. According to the new legislation, the Greek-Catholic Church regained the status of a Metropolitan Church Sui Iuris, a status unsuitable to its dignity and tradition since it lacked the institution of the synod. Indeed, the Council of Hierarchs, which under the presidency of the metropolitan archbishop governed the Church, did not constitute a synod but merely a form of exercising episcopal collegiality. Nevertheless, with the approval of the Holy See, the Fourth Provincial Council was held in Blaj (1997-2000). On the 14th of December, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania to the dignity of a Major Archbishopric. Thus was achieved the full attainment of synodality, with the supreme governing authority being the Major Archbishop and the Synod of Bishops. The proceedings of the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Catholic Church have prompted institutional development, to be detailed in the article. This research will also illustrate the limitations of the current Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium concerning the synodality of the Greek-Catholic Church.

Title: The Holy Wisdom of God Visualized: From Hagia Sophia Constantinople to Saint Sophia Ukrainian Catholic University Lviv

Abstract: In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine dedicated his Imperial Capital Basilica to Holy Wisdom. As Byzantine Christianity spread over the ensuing centuries to regions including the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and the Americas, eparchies and their respective cathedrals adopted and emulated the Imperial Prototype in Constantinople. Notable examples include Saint Sophia in Kiev (12th century), Saint Sophia in Belarus, Saint Sophia in Belgrade (13th century), and the recent establishment of Saint Sophia at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic University in Lviv (2016). The interior iconography and church architecture articulate the presence of God on earth. From the mosaics and Justinian architectural patterns in Istanbul to the present-day Saint Sophia Church in Lviv, identifiable patterns, trends, and designs have evolved and persisted throughout the centuries. Following and surviving the tragic dark eras of communist atheism in Eastern Europe, the Saint Sophia Church at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic University in Lviv not only embodies the goals of the Vatican II Orientalium Ecclesiarum doctrine but also extrapolates and extends the original Byzantine roots envisioned by Constantine in the fourth century. This paper investigates the architecture and iconographic programs that illustrate the Holy Wisdom of God, portraying the eternal kingdom of splendors within this world.

Title: Communion with the Successor of Peter: The Ecumenical Aspect and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Abstract: The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is an Eastern Catholic Church that lives according to the Ukrainian-Byzantine Christian theological, liturgical, canonical and spiritual tradition and is in full and visible communion with the successor of Peter. Unity with the Roman Apostolic See has become one of the most important foundations of the UGCC’s identity, enriching its church life and strengthening its ecumenical ministry. As a sui iuris Church in the “family” of the Catholic communion, the UGCC actively develops its ecumenical commitments with the Orthodox Churches and Protestant church communities. In this report, we will briefly examine how the UGCC developed communion with the successor of Peter and how communion with the Apostolic See was a blessing for our Church, but at the same time sometimes became a threat to its existence in times of persecution by totalitarian regimes. We will also present the current religious context in which the UGCC operates, analyze some of its most important ecumenical initiatives, and examine its participation in the development of interfaith dialogue in Ukraine. We will consider the challenges that Russian military aggression has brought to the UGCC and other religions in Ukraine, and how the UGCC, by developing communion with Rome, manages to witness the Gospel of life in the difficult circumstances of war and death.

Title: Vatican Council II: Reception and application in the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania

Abstract: A re-reading of the documents of the Vatican Council II (1962-1965) from the perspective of "signs of time" reveals, among others, the prophetic character it had and continues to have the conciliatory teaching. The ecclesiology promoted by these documents, especially by Lumen Gentium (LG), Orientalium ecclesiarum (OE) and Unitatis Redintegratio (UR), an ecclesiology of communion from which emerges (arises) the principle of the Universal Church in the legitimate diversity of rites, Particular canonical disciplines, of the only, unique faith celebrated in different liturgies, highlights the unity in the diversity of the Catholic Church. Inspired by this ecclesiology the publication of Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientaliaum (CCEO) has transposed into canonical norms the objectives drawn by the conciliatory documents regarding the Eastern Catholics, thus constituting the premises of a subsequent institutional development of the Oriental Churches that CCEO defines as Ecclesiae sui iuris. The Council recognizes them and values "very much institutions, liturgical rites, church traditions and discipline of Christian life" and wants them "to bloom and fulfill their mission, with a renewed apostolic vigor" (OE 1). Starting from this specific role, 60 years after the completion of the works of the Council, it is natural to ask to what extent our Eastern churches have lived and applied the guidelines and expectations underlined by it, marking their organic progress. The study captures relevant aspects of the institutional development of the Romanian Church, United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, and how it managed to receive and apply the conciliatory teaching in its own life.

Title: The Restoration of the Married Presbyterate in the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church in America

Abstract: This paper will chronicle the evolution of the presbyterate of the Ruthenian Byzantine Metropolitan Catholic Church in the United State of America from the time of the first wave of immigrants to the United States to the present day. It will look at critical junctures in the history of this Sui Iuris Church regarding (1) the presence of married priests serving in the Metropolia from Europe from the first wave of immigration; (2) the restriction of celibate men to consideration for priestly formation and ordination; (3) the more recent importation of married priests from Europe as an initial response to the critical shortage of clergy; and (4) most recently, the admission of American-born married men to priestly formation and ordination. Taking the Eparchy of Passaic as an example for this proposal, there are twenty-six active celibate priests and twenty-three active married priests serving eighty-five parishes. Of the married priests, five are American born of whom three had been serving as deacons in the Eparchy for varying periods of time prior to their ordination. One American born married deacon, having completed theological studies, is soon to be ordained to the presbyterate. The Eparchy has also seen the ordination of three celibate men under the episcopacy of Bishop Kurt Burnette over the past ten years. This paper will examine in more detail the changing face of the presbyterate across the Metropolia, beyond the boundaries of the Passaic Eparchy. This paper will also discuss: • The similarities and differences among the ecclesial jurisdictions in the Metropolia (Pittsurgh, Passaic, Parma, and Phoenix) as regards who is recommended for acceptance to the seminary. For example, at least one jurisdiction (Passaic) does not sponsor married laymen in the seminary. Men accepted by Passaic are expected to discern whether they are called to be celibate priests or married priests. • How the Byzantine Catholic Seminary adapted from having a student body of celibate men to one which includes celibate men, men who are dating, and others who are married. • The program of formation for married deacons who are called to the presbyerate. • The reception of married priests and their families by the lay faithful. • The reception and acceptance of married priests and their families by celibate clergy. Finally, this paper will discuss why the restoration of the married presbyterate to the Metropolia has been a healthy development for the Church. It will also discuss how, in the Churches of the East, the presence of both married and celibate presbyters is desirable and makes for a healthy Church. It will also be argued that this had led to a more robust, authentic expression of Byzantine Catholicism in America in the spirit of Orientalium Ecclesiarum and has, at times, unwittingly infused vitality into some otherwise floundering parishes.

Title: From Decree to Reality: The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's Diaspora Efforts to Implement Orientalium Ecclesiarum

Abstract: The Second Vatican Council's Declaration on the Eastern Churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum) played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in the diaspora during the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, the UGCC in its homeland was forced into clandestine existence and was unable to directly engage with the Council's directives. The declaration’s exhortation for Eastern Churches to faithfully maintain their rites, laws, and customs—and to restore those that had been improperly altered—was met with enthusiasm among Ukrainian Greek Catholics in exile. This article examines the UGCC’s efforts to implement the principles of Orientalium Ecclesiarum in its diaspora communities, with a particular focus on the Church’s attempts to assert greater autonomy from the Roman Apostolic See. Central to this endeavor were efforts to establish a synod of bishops whose decisions would hold binding authority over the entire UGCC and to secure the right to appoint bishops for vacant sees in the diaspora. These initiatives were closely linked to the aspiration of elevating the UGCC to the status of a patriarchate, a topic of significant discussion during the Council's preparatory sessions and championed by Metropolitan Josyf Slipyj following his release from Soviet captivity. Despite the enthusiasm for these reforms, the Roman Apostolic See’s response was largely resistant, leading to protracted discussions and negotiations between the UGCC leadership and the Roman Curia, particularly the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. This article analyzes these efforts over the two decades following the Council, highlighting the complex interplay between the UGCC's desire to preserve and enhance its distinct Eastern identity and the centralizing tendencies of Rome. Through this examination, the article seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by Eastern Catholic Churches in navigating their relationship with the Roman Apostolic See, particularly in the context of post-conciliar ecclesial developments.

Title: The activities of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church under the Soviet totalitarian regime and the Second Vatican Council

Abstract: The UGCC was officially liquidated by the Soviet state security authorities in close cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church at the L’viv Pseudo-Council on March 8-10, 1946. However, the bishops, clergy, and laity remained loyal to their Church and began to form church structures under brutal repression. Already in the late 1950s and early 1960s, underground Greek Catholic communities, monasteries, and seminaries were functioning in Ukraine. The hierarchical structure was also restored. Many priests, who returned from Stalin's camps, began active underground pastoral work. With the partial liberalization of the communist regime in the USSR after Stalin's death, hopes arose among the persecuted Greek Catholics that they would be able to gain the right to freely confess their faith. Moreover, in the West and among the Catholic Church the active search for certain models of coexistence with the Soviet Union encouraged hopes for the UGCC legalization in Ukraine. Moreover, during the preparation of the council, difficult negotiations with the Soviet leadership continued over the fate of the former head of the UGCC, Metropolitan Josyf Slipyj. For 18 years, he had served his sentence in Soviet penal camps just because he refused to transfer to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and cooperate with Soviet state security agencies. It should be noted that Pope John XXIII played a decisive role in the Metropolitan's release. After arriving in the West, Metropolitan Joseph took an active part in the meetings of the Second Vatican Council and for the next two decades, until his death, was one of the most consistent representatives of the Eastern Catholic Churches in implementing the Council's decisions. At that time, many suspicions and accusations arose among the underground UGCC due to insufficient information about the actions and decisions of the Council. In particular, in those years, a movement emerged that later grew into an apocalyptic sect (Pokutnyky), whose leaders claimed that the world was about to end, a sign of which was the establishment of diplomatic relations with the USSR government. Ecumenical talks between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, the issue of patriarchal status for the UGCC, ritual disputes, and so on also caused a lot of discussion among the underground. Undoubtedly this paper is an attempt to better understand the perception of the decisions of the Second Vatican Council by underground Greek Catholics regarding their struggle for the existence and revival of their Church.

Title: The Synodality of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church after Vatican II: A Need of the Faithful and Challenge for the Roman Curia

Abstract: The Second Vatican Council and its Decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum played an important role in the life of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. After World War II the Church was dispersed around the world, the eparchies and exarchate were not united in one ecclesial body, and the Mother Church in Ukraine was persecuted. Vatican II became a moment of unity as all the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic bishops, including newly-released-from-exile Josyf Slipyj were gathered in Rome. The bishops had the unique opportunity to form a synod of bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. This synod would help to unite the UGCC faithful scattered around the world into one ecclesial structure and preserve their Eastern Catholic identity in the diaspora. The laity, theologians, and most of the bishops were in favor of the convocation of the UGCC synod of bishops. However, many challenges arose in the 1970s as the Vatican Curia did not allow the Ukrainian bishops to form a synod. Even some of the Ukrainian bishops did not support this idea and were in favor of a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical vision for the Eastern Catholic Churches. The decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum brought a new perspective in the understanding of the Eastern Catholic Churches and their ecclesiology. The decree was actively used in UGCC discussions to support the convocation of a UGCC synod. Unfortunately, the Vatican did not confirm the legal character of the document, and its canonical power with respect to the UGCC synod was questioned. This paper will analyze the discussions and argumentation of the Ukrainian laity, theologians, select bishops, the Roman Curia, and the role of Orientalium Ecclesiarum in the convocation of the UGCC synod in 1980.