The Western Rite:
Its History, Its Validity, and Its Opportunity
an Interview with the Very Rev. Fr.
Paul Schneirla, Antiochian Archdiocese
Annette Milkovich, FROC
Journal (Russian Orthodox), 1990
Introductory
Remarks
The Very Rev. Paul W. S. Schneirla, a
Professor of Church History and Old Testament, pastor of St. Mary's
Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, New York (Antiochian Jurisdiction), and
Vicar General of the Western Rite of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian
Archdiocese of North America, converted to Orthodoxy over 50 years ago
from a Protestant background. Fr. Schneirla never heard of "Western
Rite Orthodoxy" until the 1950's, when he visited a community of
Western Rite Orthodox within the Romanian Orthodox jurisdiction in
Paris, France. Struck by this little known facet reflecting the
universality of the Orthodox Church and considering it a creative idea
with possibilities, Fr. Schneirla traced its background and validity.
Currently, he is considered the authority on Western Rite Orthodoxy and
has written and lectured extensively. As a priest within the
Antiochian Orthodox jurisdiction in the U.S., for approximately a half
a century, he eventually influenced Metropolitan Anthony Bashir (of
blessed memory) to allow converted congregations to continue (with
properly edited) Western Rite Services. This was done with the full
blessing of the late Patriarch Alexander III (Tahan) of Antioch. In the
following interview, Fr. Schneirla gives us background and the
development of Western Rite Orthodoxy.
Q. Is Western rite Orthodoxy
valid historically?
A. Western rite Orthodoxy is valid historically, because
prior to the Great Schism of 1054, Eastern and Western Christianity
enjoyed full unity and shared a common Christian faith while differing
in liturgies. Canonical validity is based on the pre-schismatic reality
and to deny its validity would be heretical.
Q. Who are the Western rite
Orthodox?
A. After 1054, the Western rite became identified
primarily with Roman Catholic, Anglican-Episcopalian, and some other
Western Christian Churches. For this reason, Western rite Orthodox are
usually converts from the Roman Catholic and Anglican-Episcopalian
Churches who want to recapture the past when there was unity of faith.
They want to be Orthodox, but do not want to be required in the
process, to adopt unfamiliar cultural and liturgical forms. In a
broader context, for example, no one has ever suggested that the
Jacobites, Copts, and Armenians, et al., be required to abandon their
rites upon reunion with the Orthodox.
Q. Wouldn't converts be
satisfied with the Eastern rite?
A. In speaking of the "Eastern rite", one must realize
that we are no longer dealing with a single "Eastern rite" in this
country. There are differences between Greek Byzantine and Slav
Byzantine, and within each group. So, in answer to your question, some
converts are satisfied and some may not be able to be. Let me put it
another way. Your readers know the tenacious love traditional Eastern
European Orthodox have for their traditional liturgical form. Isn't it
reason able to assume that most adherents of a Western liturgical form
have similar feelings? As converts they accept the corrections
necessary to be within the Orthodox Church but they do not want to
reject their entire past. It is only after editing to conform in all
essentials with Orthodox teaching that the Western rite can be restored
to its rightful place within the treasury of Orthodox devotion and
spirituality.
Q. Can you give some examples
of "editing to conform to all essentials in Orthodox teaching?"
A. Faith and rite must correspond. The most important
"editing to conform" is in the recitation of the third paragraph of the
Creed. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and other Western Churches include
the erroneous Filioque, which was added to The Creed in 589. The
Orthodox hold the original wording, which is that the Holy Spirit
proceeds "from the Father." In the Filioque, the Roman Catholics,
Anglicans, and other Western Christian Churches insist that the Holy
Spirit proceeds "from the Father and the Son."
Q. Is this a major difference?
A. Perhaps not to the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and
other Western Churches, but the Orthodox see the Filioque as a major
distortion of the Church's God-revealed doctrine of the Trinity. The
Filioque reduces the Holy Spirit to an "also ran" in the Trinity. In
Orthodoxy (and this is the important point) all Divine actions are
understood to be the dual operations of "the two hands of God, the Son
"attracting" and the Holy Spirit "enabling." By His two hands, the
Father raises us into His Eternal Embrace.
Q. Since most Western rite
Orthodox were (or are apt to be) Roman Catholics or Anglicans, let us
consider the major beliefs they must give up. First, the Roman
Catholics...what held beliefs must Roman Catholics give up besides the
erroneous Filioque?
A. Roman Catholics must give up the beliefs in the
"Infallibility of the Pope," "the doctrine of Merits," and "the
doctrine of the Immaculate Conception." These are the major ones. What
is held in common (the vast majority of beliefs) do not require
editing.
Q. And for the
Anglican-Episcopalian, what are the specifics?
A. They are extensive. The best source I can think of to
describe the specifics are the recommendations in a report prepared and
published by a "Special Committee of the Holy Synod of the Russian
Orthodox Church 'To Consider Questions Relating to Reception of
Anglicans and Old Catholics into Union with the Orthodox Church.' " It
will be of interest to your organization (because of its primarily
Russian background) that this committee's recommendations were the Holy
Synod's response to a request from Archbishop Tikhon (recently
canonized) when he was the ruling hierarch in North America. Archbishop
Tikhon had asked for guidance regarding Episcopalians who had been
converted to the Orthodox Faith.
The recommendations Tikhon received from the Holy Synod
early in the 20th century entitled "observations", has two parts: (1)
Those things which must be "removed" from the Anglican Book of Common
Prayer (1892 edition) and (2) those things which must be "inserted."
Those things which must be "removed" from the Anglican
Book of Common Prayer are: (l) the "Thirty-Nine Articles of the
Anglican Confession, (2) the Catechism with its Protestant teaching
about the Sacraments, (3) the Filioque from the Creed, (4) the idea of
the Holy Scripture as the sole source of the teaching of the Faith,
since the Orthodox hold that Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition
are the sources.
The things which must be "inserted" into the texts of
prayers and rites are: (1) belief in the change of the Holy Gifts into
the Body and Blood of Christ, (2) belief in the sacrificial
significance of the Eucharist, and (3) belief in the Divine
establishment of the priesthood; the distinctive right of the priest to
offer the bloodless sacrifice.
In all services, prayers must be inserted which are
addressed to the Blessed Mother of God, to Angels, and the Saints with
glorification and invocation of their prayers. Prayers for the dead
must also be inserted.
There must be inserted the missing rites for the
Sacraments of Penance, Oil Anointing, and Unction. The rite of
Consecrations of Churches must be inserted, too. Finally, icons must be
introduced.
Q. What about the reception
into the Church of already ordained clergy?
A. Regarding the reception of clergy from the Anglican
Church, the Special Committee of the Holy Synod proposed (pending a
final judgment of the question by the Church) to offer a new
"Conditional Ordination."
Q. Just by his request for
guidance, Tikhon demonstrated his desire to be an evangelizer when he
was Archbishop of North America. Is that correct?
A. Tikhon was certainly open to those who approached the
Orthodox Church. He foresaw that in pluralist America there could be
evangelistic opportunity. Let me read you an excerpt from his "Farewell
Address": "...the Light of Orthodoxy is not lit for a small circle of
people. No, the Orthodox Faith is Catholic; it is a commandment of its
founder, Go into all the world...(Mark 16:15) It is our obligation,
therefore, to share our spiritual treasures, our truth, our light, and
our joy with those who do not have these gifts..." Tikhon was
canonized in October 1989 and we have already chosen him to be the
"Patron Saint of the Western Rite Vicariate."
Q. How many Western rite
Orthodox are there in the Antiochian Archdiocese?
A. There are in excess of 10,000 souls, largely in
Southern Florida. On record there are parishes, missions, and
information centers as follows: Florida (4), New Jersey (1), Canada
(2), Oregon (1), North Dakota (1), California (2), Texas (1), and New
Mexico (1). However, since the Archdiocese Convention in 1989,
parishes have begun in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Omaha, Nebraska; and
Denver, Colorado. The latter is pastored by Fr. Alexi Young, the long
time editor of Orthodox America. He is very missionary minded
and is convinced that successful mission to America must include the
Western Rite. (note: Fr. Alexi, now Fr. Ambrose,
currently serves in the Greek Archdiocese in Eastern rite.)
Q. Do any other jurisdictions
besides the Antiochian Archdiocese have Western Rite parishes?
A. Not the O.C.A. [Orthodox Church in America] but there
are Western rite parishes sponsored by the Exarchate of the Moscow
Patriarch, the Russian Church Abroad (Synodal) and, as previously
mentioned, the Romanian Patriarchate has an extended community,
centered in Paris. [note: there no longer appear
to be functioning Western rite parishes in the Moscow Patriarchate.]
Q. Are there any other Western
rite Christians (besides the Roman Catholic and Anglican Episcopalian)
who have approached the Orthodox Church for acceptance?
A. The Polish Catholic Church, which severed its
communion with the Episcopal Church over the ordination of women, has
approached the Antiochian Archdiocese. This is a group which broke away
from the Roman Catholic Church in 1897. This Church has 282,000 members
in 162 parishes and five bishops. The members of the Western Rite
Commission are at present in dialogue with the Polish National Church.
Q. Would there be any debate
within Orthodox jurisdictions which do not have Western rite Churches
if or when an approach is made?
A. Some people within these Churches might suffer from
parochialism and ethnocentrism and consequently not be evangelistic
even if an opportunity presented itself, but usually there is a
creative pastoral response. Hopefully more and more people can be
restored to the Orthodox Faith.
Q. What immediate difference
would one experience when attending a Western rite Orthodox Church for
the first time?
A. The Western rite is always in the vernacular; it is
simpler, more direct, and has greater congregation participation.
[note: Some Western rite Orthodox do use
Latin in the liturgy.]
Q. Is there any monastic
community of converts that use the Western rite?
A. Yes, it is called "St. Luke's Priory" and is located
in Stanton, New Jersey. They have an interesting publication called
Credo ("I Believe"), published in the interests of Western rite
Orthodoxy. [note: The St. Luke's Priory community
no longer exists.]
Q. Is the potential for the
Western rite being realized?
A. Well, it is certainly not a mass movement. In this
connection it should be noted that the budget has been very limited,
workers few, and most of the progress has been spontaneous and
self-sustaining.
The
preceeding artical is from the Russian Orthodox Journal, Nov.,
1990.
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