The Dormition of the All-Holy Theotokos

Finally! My favorite Feast of the whole year is here! This is a slightly different one for me too. It’s the first year that I actually followed the traditional Dormition Fast of the Byzantine Rite. I have not had any meat or alcohol since August 1st and have severely cut back on other luxuries. I took it almost like another Lent (though only a third as long). It actually did wonders for my mood, my spiritual state, and my appreciation of this Feast. While it has been my favorite since I became a Byzantine, I can say without a doubt that it is my absolute favorite and probably will be for the rest of my life.

One reason (not a good one, but it’s one nonetheless) is that it’s a relatively ignored Feast. Outside of Catholic/Orthodox circles, it’s unknown. Unlike Christmas and Easter which the secular and Protestant worlds acknowledge at least a little bit (they appear on otherwise non-religious calendars). Even among modern American Catholics, it’s usually an ignored Feast despite its status as a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics.

It takes on so much greater significance for us Byzantines, however. It marks the ending of our liturgical year which starts on September 1st.  It is fitting that this Feast wraps up the year, and that the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8th), begins it.

During the Dormition Fast that I finally practiced this year, I realized that this Feast really concludes the commemoration of our salvation and everything we’ve celebrated over the past year. All the major Christological Feasts (the Nativity, Pascha, etc.) are all summed up today. Their ultimate application is revealed today. What was promised and foretold in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ is proven today. What happens to the Mother of God at the Dormition is the foreshadowing of what is to happen to us as long as we follow her example.

The realization of this fact has heightened my appreciation and love of this Feast and cemented its position as my favorite.

O Theotokos, in giving birth you preserved virginity; and in your falling asleep you did not forsake the world. You are the Mother of Life and have been transferred to life, and through your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

The grave and death did not detain the Theotokos. She intercedes without rest and is our unfailing hope of protection; for he who dwelt in the womb of the Ever-Virgin transferred to life the Mother of Life.

From the Ambon Prayer for the Feast:

O Christ our God, You transferred Your incorrupt Mother from life to death to the fullness of life. Though she
was buried in a grave of corruption, beyond our understanding You lifted her on high and gathered Your
apostles from everywhere to be at her side. By her prayers, ransom all of us who celebrate the feast of her
Dormition from all deadly thoughts and deeds and free us from spiritual corruption. Save us from the death of
despair, and keep us from disbelief or any memory of bad faith. Put to sleep all tyranny and treachery against
governments following the pure way. Put to death the audacity of barbarous people and humble all who rise to
scoff at Your teachings.
Make all of us worthy of eternal life, for You want all men to be saved, and to You belongs glory together with
Your eternal Father, and Your all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Happy Dormition!

For those of you who don’ t know, I am a Catholic of the Byzantine-Constantinopolitan Rite (Ruthenian Recension), and as such, I belong to the sui-iuris Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (the self-governing archdiocese of Ruthenian Catholics in the United States). Being raised in an ethnic Hispanic and Irish family, I was raised as a Latin-Rite (“Roman”) Catholic, and then later wandered around in atheism, then Buddhism, and eventually came back to the Roman Catholic Church. Shortly after my return to Catholicism, I found the Byzantine Church and never looked back. I officially requested a canonical change of Rite, and am now a Byzantine Catholic. Still a Catholic like any Roman Catholic, but Byzantine. If you’re the typical American, even the typical American Catholic, you have no idea what a Byzantine Catholic is, or even whether a Byzantine Catholic is just as Catholic as a Roman Catholic. This is perfectly understandable given we Byzantines are in the minority (not just in this country, but in the Catholic Church worldwide). Actually, the fact of your ignorance of our existence is pretty much the center of my whole post today.

I came across this blog post today, and it got me thinking a lot about married priests in the Catholic Church. If you go to that blog and view the video from ABC News, let me warn you, it is very one-sided and rather inaccurate in its assumptions (such can be expected from today’s “liberal” media, of course), BUT it does show how married priests are common in our Eastern Catholic Church, and that it has always been this way. Rome (the Vatican) knows this, and told our Church it would respect that as a tradition that we would always be allowed to practice. The problem I have is that in the United States, Rome has denied our Church its rightful practice. Why, you may ask? Because it would “scandalize” the Latin-Rite faithful as they are unaware of our existence. From what I have read and studied on the issue, officially, this prohibition no longer stands as it was allowed to expire by some wise Pope a few decades ago. However, our bishops are still not ordaining married men to the priesthood despite having every right to, and I’ll get to that later.

This situation is outrageous. The Byzantine Church in America was told by Rome that she could not practice her legitimate customs just because the larger Roman Church is the majority in a certain geographic area. Why? Our ordaining of married men to the priesthood would “scandalize” the Latin-Rite faithful. That argument (the whole basis for Rome’s denying us our right) is just ridiculous. For one, Latin Catholics didn’t (and don’t, for the most part) know we even exist. The few who did know we existed surely were aware of our tradition of a married clergy, and would not have been “scandalized.” This prohibition back in the 19th century caused a painful rift in the American Byzantine Church, the effects of which can still be felt.

The worst part is that the Latins themselves are now ordaining married men in America. Granted, they are all former Protestant ministers (usually Anglican or Lutheran) and they get “special dispensations” from Rome, but still, where’s the justice in that? Rome, for all her faults and injustices against our traditions and rights, is not the only party to blame for the current situation in our Church today, however. Our bishops too, should be asked why they are not exercising their rights to ordain married men in America. We should just do it. If Rome wants to make a fuss about it (and I expect they would, despite the fact that the injunction supposedly has expired), point to the fact that they are allowing former Protestant ministers (with wives and kids) to be ordained here IN THE LATIN RITE, and tell them to mind their own business.

I know I’ve been harsh, but I’m a Catholic and I love my Church and all her Rites, and sometimes I get so frustrated when I see injustices and human pride running the show.