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.