"Come and See"
Jesus teaches us about East and West
Jesus Christ from Nazareth established His Church and said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail" is a promise from Jesus in Matthew 16:18, guaranteeing that his Church will endure and ultimate victory over evil is certain.
We are "introducing" Roman Catholic priests to the Eastern Rite Divine Liturgy (a basic overview) and then we connect them to an Eastern Rite parish so that the priests from the East can continue to teach the priests from the West. This will then automatically be shared to the respective parishioners who are eager to learn as well. In reality it is not about East and West, it is about the Church which is not divided.
Priest to become bi-ritual
If you are a priest in the Roman Rite, this is an opportunity for you to learn about the Eastern Rites and we show you how to offer the Divine Liturgy and teach about all of the Eastern Rite Sacraments which the Roman Catholic Church accepts as valid. The Eastern Rite bishops and priests are equal to the Roman Rite clergy. We will reach out to your ordinary to receive the necessary permission to teach you about the East.
The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV and His All-Holiness Bartholomeus are working on uniting East and West. The more the parish priest knows about the East and shares it with his parishioners, the more support the Shepherds have in working for unity. If the Church unites it will take the whole Church to make it possible with the Holy Spirit.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was indeed bi‑ritual, meaning he held faculties to celebrate liturgy in both the Latin Rite (the Roman Rite) and in the Eastern Rite of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Being bi‑ritual does not mean a priest can celebrate in all Eastern rites — it means they have been granted special permission (often through a papal indult) to serve in one of the 20+ Eastern Catholic Churches. In Sheen’s case, this was the Melkite Church, which is part of the Byzantine tradition.
What “bi‑ritual” means
- Latin Rite: The Roman Rite, used in most of the Catholic Church, including the Diocese of Rochester where Sheen served as bishop.
- Eastern Rite: In Sheen’s case, the Melkite Byzantine Rite, which uses the Byzantine liturgical tradition, including the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
- Faculties: These are the official permissions from the Church to celebrate certain rites or sacraments in a particular rite.
- Scope: Bi‑ritual status is specific to one Eastern Rite Church, not all Eastern Churches.
(Wikipedia and Catholic Questions)
Why it Matters
Let's take the beatification opportunity of the Archbishop in saying we have a chalk board with nothing on it. This is the time to plan something new and exciting for the Church. The idea of teaching the West about the East is a very powerful thing that CAN BE DONE.
Bi‑ritual status reflects the Catholic Church’s communion with Eastern Catholic Churches, allowing bishops and priests to serve in both traditions. For Sheen, it was part of his broader mission to evangelize across liturgical and cultural boundaries, while remaining fully committed to the unity of the Church.
In short, Fulton J. Sheen was bi‑ritual because he had papal faculties to celebrate the Byzantine Liturgy of the Melkite Church alongside the Latin Rite, enabling him to serve in both traditions. (Wikipedia and Catholic Questions)
How to Learn from Each other
Holy Communion
The Roman Cathoic Church has Holy Communion distributed by clergy and lay people. Holy Communion in the East is done with a spoon which is dipped into the challice where the consecrated bread and wine are mixed together. This is something that most Roman Catholics do not understand or know about.
If Roman Catholic priests were bi-ritual, they will be able to offer a Divine Liturgy in the parish (maybe in the afternoon) and it would give the parishioners the opportuninty to learn about the East first hand.
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
The opportunity for a "bi-ritual" priest to learn about the Eastern rites and the Divine Liturgy are many. We are working with several Orthodox parishies who are open to having a Roman Catholic priest participate in the Liturgy so that they can become more familiar with the mysteries (Sacraments) of the East.
Sure, the Eastern Rites that are in union with Rome can teach the Roman Catholic priest how to offer the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom as well, but they are already in union with Rome. Working with the Orthodox specifically will open new doors and allow for a new synergy to develop between East and West.
Homilies about the East
A wonderful opportunity for the Roman Catholic priest is to include the Eastern rites into his homily and start teaching the parishioners more about the East. This is a great opportunity to speak about the Holy Fire in Jerusalem as an eye opener.
The Holy Fire
The Holy Fire is a miracle in the Sepulchre in Jerusalem in the tomb of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. This video will highlight some of the interesting things that have been going on for decades with the East at the tomb.
This is another example of some of the treasures of the Eastern Churches that the West knows very little about.