My Hopes In Western Rite Orthodoxy

“Never, Never, Never let anyone tell you that in order to be Orthodox you must also be Eastern. The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies.”                            

- St. John the Wonderworker

When Orthodoxy touched me for the first time, I naturally became inclined towards Eastern Orthodoxy. Why not? I was born in this part of the world: South East Asia. The Orient. 

Having said all of these, I remember considering the relations between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. And I remember: 'Wait a minute, Roman Catholicism is indeed a Western Theology!' 

Then I hear and read about the thing on Uniates-- I'm not going into details (read Wikipedia, darn it). But suffice it to say that some people see the creation of Uniates as a sort of go-between for Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism; like the "missing link" in Darwinism. 

Yet something troubled me about it. I have no intentions of lambasting someone or something and my views do not in any way shape or form reflect the standing of the Holy Orthodox Church (wherein someday in God's timing, I will be baptized) on the Uniates issue... But if speaking one's mind is allowed and part of my inalienable rights, then I'll just spill it...

I don't believe that the Uniates is the healing ointment for what happened in the 1054 Schism. The Uniates, though in communion with the Roman Pontiff, is still riddled with objections from some Roman  Catholic hierarchs and of course, from Orthodox hierarchs. 

At that point of discovery I told myself what then can be done? Now, I know that everything will be in God's timing and with God's own hands He can heal. But in continuously pondering about the two lungs and the Schism-- there must be something else that God has in store.

At this point of my Orthodox exploration, I came across some Youtube channels that have WESTERN RITE Orthodoxy practice: 
Their services resemble some Anglican and Roman Catholic      hymns-- Oh, especially THE hymns! My ears enjoy Orthodox and Roman Catholic hymns.

After seeing these videos the Eureka-like feeling in me evaporated and was gone just like that. As I have discovered soon Western Rite Orthodoxy IS NOT an attempt, unlike the Uniates, to bridge the gap between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.

Western Rite Orthodoxy is a Rite USED by the Western part of the world who embraced the religion that was established by Christ Himself. The Western Rite is the correct practice of the western world prior to 1054 AD Schism. And as a movement within the Orthodox Church, it does not seek dissension. It does not pull itself away from the core teachings of the Orthodox Faith rather, as a movement, it seeks to reclaim "The West" back to the loving fold of Orthodoxy by reviving the hymns, the services that were lost after the Schism.

So what am I hoping for?

First I am praying that the Western Rite, like the Eastern/Oriental Rite, will be revived in it's fullness and beauty for God's glory. Second, I am hoping and praying that the Roman Catholic Church will once again search for Her Orthodox roots through the Western Rite and be once again 'Orthodox Catholic'.

It's not too much to ask of God.

PEACE!!!


Photo above, not mine, just got it from google.