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September,
1997
His
Beatitude, Miroslav-Ivan Cardinal Lubachivsky
and the Fathers of the
Holy Synod
L’viv, Ukraine
Your
Beatitude, and dear Fathers:
Slava
Isusu Xristu!
We
welcome the Instruction for Applying the Liturgical
Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches as
we would any instruction of our Fathers which conveys the
intention of assisting the faithful to strive for holiness and to
increase in charity.
At
the same time, we wish to bring to the attention of the Holy Synod
certain conditions in North America which may seriously interfere
with a correct, prudent and fruitful application of the
Instruction.
A
growing body of Eastern Catholic faithful are becoming
increasingly aware of and concerned about two currents of opinion
and practice within the Ukrainian Church in North America.
On
the one hand, there are those who exhibit what may best be
described as an intemperate affection for things and practices
Orthodox, especially (but not exclusively) as pertains to the
Divine Liturgy.
On
the other, there are those (among them not a few young priests,
having imbibed the innovations of neo-Modernism from education in
Latin Rite seminaries) who would continue naively to welcome in
our Church many similar misapplications of reform introduced to
the Western Church for the past 30 years, mutatis mutandis.
There
are, thank God, a significant number of priests and laymen whose
first priority remains to save souls by the grace and Gospel of
Jesus Christ and who will avail themselves of any ready and moral
assistance to this end. Nonetheless, the innovative opinions and
practices of the two above mentioned groups have been the cause or
at least the condition for a disturbance in the peace among the
faithful.
Meriting
grave concern is the incursion of neo-Modernism to our Church,
transferred by contact with Western Catholics (primarily through
the education of our priests in Latin seminaries and
institutions),
the borrowing from dangerous Latin catechesis for our children, as
well as from the new scholarship and from defective Latin liturgical
and scriptural translations.
If or whenever
some corrections involving modifications to our public prayer and
devotional practices are needed, we expect those practices
incompatible with our Eastern tradition to be expunged first which
have most recently been introduced. There is a common term for this
in the United States, used by businessmen: “Last in, first
out”. In other words, what has most recently been introduced
to our liturgy, catechesis (et cetera) should be the first
expunged. This certainly pertains to innovations of neo-Modernist
influence from the Latin Rite in the past 30 years.
There is a sense
in which these times mark a more or less defining moment for the
Ukrainian Church. On the one hand, there is the great opportunity
for the Eastern Churches to act as the bridge of reconciliation
between Orthodoxy and the Holy Roman See. On the other hand, the
effect of 30 years of experimentation, innovation and aggiornamento
in the Western Church has left the Church there weakened and in need
of restoration. The Eastern Churches have been spared much of the
same trouble, and have been a kind of refuge for so many (both
Byzantines and former Latins) seeking the strength of orthodox
Catholicism practiced authentically.
We hope that the
Fathers of the Holy Synod are aware of similar potential
consequences and, moreover, that You wish only to avert such
misapplication. We therefore humbly submit the attached points for
Your consideration at the Holy Synod with the hope that they will
assist You in exercising the pastoral discipline required of our
pastors in the application of the Instruction.
We submit these
points from the point of view of the faithful, clergy and lay, who,
thanks be to God, have accumulated years of experience in our
particular professions, apostolic work, state in life and as active
Ukrainian Catholics. We have very carefully studied the Instruction
for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of
the Eastern Churches. It is our sincere hope that each and
every implementation of this document will assist souls attain to
greater states of perfection.
Accordingly we
are praying for and requesting that the Holy Synod do the following:
(1)
Make only those changes in practice (whether liturgical,
catechetical or otherwise) which will more readily assist souls to
attain to the perfection of holiness. Historically this has
occured, in liturgical matters, organically, not juridically. Under
the present circumstances, following upon years of innovation and
experimentation in Catholic practice in the West, it seems most
reasonable to avoid artifical changes.
(2)
Consider whether proposed changes or modifications meet the
standard of pastoral prudence under the present conditions which we
have described.
(3)
Wholesome practices introduced by custom and by centuries of
inculturation should not be disturbed. (For example: retain and
encourage devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Rosary and
recover the recitation of the Jesus Prayer. Confer nos. 6 &
7 in section IV of the attached points.)
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