Orientalium Ecclesiarum

Orientalium Ecclesiarum is the solemn decree of the Second Vatican Council on the Eastern Catholic Churches. It was promulgated on November 21^st, 1964 by Pope Paul VI.[1] Though one of the shortest of the conciliar documents, what it outlined was meant to help renew the Eastern Catholic Churches in their own ancient traditions. The decree was a breakthrough in many ways for the Eastern traditions of the Universal Church of Christ to be seen on being on an equal level with those of the Roman tradition. Professor Geoffrey Hull explains:

“The conciliar documents included a special decree on the Eastern Churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum) which reiterated all the recent papal teaching to the effect that unity of Catholic faith in no way implied uniformity of rite and custom. The decree also declared that ‘the Churches of the East, as much as those of the West, fully enjoy the right, and are in duty bound, to rule themselves.’ Moreover, Eastern Catholics were not only guaranteed their right to the free practice of their ancestral traditions (‘All Eastern rite members should know and be convinced that they can and should always preserve their lawful liturgical rites and their established way of life’), but the decree banned in principle any artificial reform of the Oriental liturgies, which ‘should not be altered except by way of an appropriate organic development’.”[2]

The Decree is broken up into several parts. The first part, the Preamble, declares that the Catholic Church holds in high esteem, all the ancient traditions of the Eastern Churches. The second part continues in saying that the Catholic Church is made up of those who profess the same faith, participate in the same sacraments, and are under the visible hierarchy established by Christ. Within the Church are many churches (groups of faithful with bishops of their own ritual tradition), who follow a different style of worship, have different disciplines, and a different spirituality. These local churches are ancient and apostolic in origin, whose bishops, as successors of the Apostles, are united to the Pope of Rome, the successor of St. Peter. The different rites celebrated by the various Eastern Churches, in no way contradicts the unity of faith held between them all.

 

The third part is dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the Eastern Churches, and contains some very important lines: “The Sacred Council, therefore, not only accords to this ecclesiastical and spiritual heritage the high regard which is its due and rightful praise, but also unhesitatingly looks on it as the heritage of the universal Church. For this reason it solemnly declares that the Churches of the East, as much as those of the West, have a full right and are in duty bound to rule themselves, each in accordance with its own established disciplines, since all these are praiseworthy by reason of their venerable antiquity, more harmonious with the character of their faithful and more suited to the promotion of the good of souls.”[3] This statement is especially important as the question of self-goverance is one of the biggest obstacles to reunion between Catholics and Orthodox. If the Eastern Catholic Churches once again regain the full autonomy to govern themselves as they had in the past, while staying in communion with Rome, the Orthodox could no longer offer any possible objections to reunion. As of AD 2016, this part of the text of Orientalium Ecclesiarum has not yet been fully implemented.[4] This section also mentions that the Eastern Churches should strive to carefully preserve their ancient ritual heritage and teach it to the faithful.

The fourth section deals with the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches. The document acknowledges that, from the earliest days of the Church, the institution of the Eastern Patriarchate was both recognized and revered by the Ecumenical Councils. “By the name Eastern patriarch, is meant the bishop to whom belongs jurisdiction over all bishops, not excepting metropolitans, clergy and people of his own territory or rite, in accordance with canon law and without prejudice to the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.”[5] The decree in this section also makes another strong statement saying that in those things where the Patriarch’s traditional powers were lessened, they should be re-established: “This Sacred Council, therefore, determines that their rights and privileges should be re-established in accordance with the ancient tradition of each of the Churches and the decrees of the ecumenical councils. The rights and privileges in question are those that obtained in the time of union between East and West; though they should be adapted somewhat to modern conditions.”[6]

The fifth section concerns the discipline of the sacraments: “The Sacred Ecumenical Council confirms and approves the ancient discipline of the sacraments existing in the Oriental Churches, as also the ritual practices connected with their celebration and administration and ardently desires that this should be re-established if circumstances warrant it.”[7] Other important points here is the desire for re-establishment of priests as the primary ministers of the sacrament of Confirmation, and, the restoration of the permanent diaconate. The sixth section speaks about divine worship, particularly emphasizing the power of the Eastern Churches to regulate their own established customs, including which languages should be used for it.

The seventh section involves the relationship of the Eastern Catholic Churches with their Orthodox counterparts. The restoration of unity with the Orthodox is pointed out to be a central priority. The Eastern Catholic Churches should work to bring this about especially by prayer, by living exemplary Christian lives, and by fidelity to ancient eastern tradition. If Orthodox desire to reunite with the Catholic Church, the decree states, “If any separated Eastern Christian should, under the guidance of the grace of the Holy Spirit, join himself to the unity of Catholics, no more should be required of him than what a bare profession of the Catholic faith demands. Eastern clerics, seeing that a valid priesthood is preserved among them, are permitted to exercise the Orders they possess on joining the unity of the Catholic Church, in accordance with the regulations established by the competent authority.”[8] While warning against religious indifference, the Decree also grants permission for Orthodox to receive the sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction from Catholic priests in certain circumstances, and adds further that: “...common participation by Catholics with their Eastern separated brethren in sacred functions, things and places is allowed for a just cause.”[9] These permissions echo centuries of allowances by Popes with regard to joint participation between Catholics and Orthodox in sacred functions,[10] the last being Pope St. Pius X’s permission in 1908.[11] As Pope Pius XI once said about the Orthodox Churches: “People do not realize how much faith, goodness, and Christianity there is in these bodies now separated from the age-long Catholic truth. Pieces broken from gold-bearing rock themselves bear gold. The ancient Christian bodies of the East keep so venerable a holiness that they deserve not merely respect, but complete sympathy.”[12]

The Eastern Catholic Churches form part of the treasury of the Universal Church. They have produced some of the greatest saints and martyrs of all time, and are a living witness that Christ’s message is not just for one people, but for all.[13] The various ways of worship within each Eastern Catholic Church show how the Holy Spirit has worked within the different races of the world. The Apostles in their missionary journeys adapted the Gospel to the different mentalities they encountered, but without compromising the truth of the teaching of Christ. Latin Rite Catholics should know about their brethren of the East and their rites, to, as Pope Pius XI once said, “...be moved to yet warmer love for the true Bride of Christ, whose marvelous beauty in the diversity of her various rites they would be enabled to see more clearly and more impressively.”[14]

1 The Holy See. Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, solemnly promulgated by His Holinessm Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964, at:  http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_orientalium-ecclesiarum_en.html

2 Hull, Geoffrey. The Banished Heart: Origins of Heteropraxis in the Catholic Church. (New York: T&T Clark International, 2010), p. 293.

3 The Holy See. Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, solemnly promulgated by His Holinessm Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964, at:  http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_orientalium-ecclesiarum_en.html. Paragraph 5.

4 H.B. Gregoios III LAHAM, B.S., Patriarch of Antioch for the Greek-Melchites, “Speech at the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops,” at The Holy See at: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/sinodo/documents/bollettino_20_x-ordinaria-2001/02_inglese/b10_02.html]

5 The Holy See. Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, solemnly promulgated by His Holinessm Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964, at:  http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_orientalium-ecclesiarum_en.html. Paragraph 7.

6 Ibid. Paragraph 9.

7 Ibid. Paragraph 12.

8 Ibid. Paragraph 25.

9 Ibid. Paragraph 28.

10 De Vries, SJ., Wilhelm. “An Historical Study of the Problem of Liturgical Services in Common with Eastern Christians separated from Rome.” ( New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1965), p. 18-40.  

11 Transalpine Redemptorists. “Communicatio in sacris-II-“Tollerari posse” September 2, 2010, at: http://papastronsay.blogspot.com/2010/09/communicatio-in-sacris-ii-tollerari.html

12 Attwater, Donald. The Christian Churches of the East, Volume II: Churches Not In Communion With Rome. (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1948), p. 265.

13 Rooney, James Dominic. “Truth, then love: An Eastern priest’s vision for Catholic-Orthodox relations.” America,  214 no. 20 (Jun 20 - 27 2016), p 30-32.

14 Attwater, Donald. The Christian Churches of the East, Volume II: Churches Not In Communion With Rome. (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1948), p. 265.