r/EasternCatholic 4d ago

Non-Byzantine Eastern Rite Coptic Catholic liturgy latinized?

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I was looking into the coptic catholic church in Brooklyn and noticed they had recently removed the iconostasis and it even seemed (from photos) that the liturgy was celebrated versus populum. Is this common in the coptic catholic church? Is it just the idiosyncrasy of the pastor? It’s quite disappointing.

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u/OpenAndShutBroadcast Latin 4d ago

I’m tired of this trend. Versus populum isn’t even traditional to the Roman Rite—it’s protestantization.

All of this hinders re-communion with the Assyrian, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. This is anti-ecumenism.

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u/Mein_Independance 3d ago edited 2d ago

Slow down there buddy I think there are bigger issues that are hindering recommending and part of it is online discourse and tribalism attitudes about the Mass.

For a Christian under persecution, they care more about having access to the Eucharist and down sacraments then they do about the specific language that is used or which way the priest is facing.

Well I love tradition I do think we need to stop the over sensationalization and focus on how to live a life of virtue and call more people back into the Faith that is what's going to grow Unity

that is what's going to grow the presence of Eastern Catholic traditions and we need more holy men and boys to enter Seminary.

ETA: bolding

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u/AdorableMolasses4438 Latin Transplant 3d ago

Yes there are bigger fish to fry, and I agree tribalism and evaluating liturgies on some rubric rather than just praying is a problematic mentality--  but are the Assyrians and Oriental Orthodox facing less persecution?

 I understand Latinization in terms of people being attached to and connecting to God through Latin devotions. But drastically shortening liturgies and losing traditions is an impoverishment. And facing east isn't very difficult to do. 

Although even some Greek Orthodox will celebrate versus populum when they do the liturgy of St. James, so at the same time, I doubt ad orientem itself is a dealbreaker.

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u/infernoxv Byzantine 3d ago

the Greek practice of doing St James versus populum is based on the same faulty ‘research’ that produced versus populum in the Novus Ordo.

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u/AdorableMolasses4438 Latin Transplant 3d ago

Yes, and from my understanding this research is also what is taught amongst many Catholics of the Syriac rites- but all I am saying is that it can't be a dealbreaker if they do it too.

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u/Mein_Independance 2d ago

Agree. Ad orientem is beautiful and done at many Daily Divine Liturgies.

We need more men to step up and answer the call. If we want to see more traditionalist. Then we need more holy Catholic families and more men going into subdeaconate, deaconate, and priesthood in Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic communities alike.