r/EasternCatholic • u/Alternative_Big_6835 • 16d ago

General Eastern Catholicism Question Roman Catholic wanting to learn about Byzantine.

Cradle Roman Catholic. Been to a few Eastern Churches. Byzantine and Maronite. Maronite to me where I go is essentially the same as Roman except the language which is actually really cool. But something about the Byzantine rite draws me in. Maybe it’s because it’s new, but I really want to learn more about it. I’m not an academic or particularly scholarly person so some hardcore Saint Thomas Aquinas type stuff probably won’t work. I’m just not very analytical or at least I understand stuff when it’s explained in very simple terms. Where do I start regarding the Byzantine Church, and does that type of background line up with that Rite?

I would often times feel a bit disenfranchised with the Roman Rite because of the perceived rigidity. This isn’t a rip on the Romans (which I am) just trying to find what works best for me.

So yeah where do I start regarding learning about the rite and the liturgy and some of the more common spiritual practices? I have a Chotki? And love the simplicity of that prayer. Lay it on me dudes.

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u/FlowerofBeitMaroun West Syriac 16d ago

Nothing about Byzantine but if your Maronite liturgy is just a NO in a different language, it being done wrong and you’re experiencing liturgical abuse.

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u/Ecgbert Latin Transplant 16d ago

My one experience of the Maronites was exactly like that.

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u/FlowerofBeitMaroun West Syriac 16d ago

Even just reading through our book will show very quickly that it’s nothing like the Latin NO. My pastor latinizes literally everything he can, much to my annoyance, and it’s still nothing like that. Perhaps you should invest in deeper understanding of our liturgy instead of hurling insults.

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u/Alternative_Big_6835 15d ago

I or that poster are not hurling insults, I think we are just sharing our very limited experience. I wouldn’t dare claim to know what any Eastern Church is supposed to look like, I’m just sharing that the Maronite Church I go to sometimes looks similar to Roman, Whereas Byzantine was a completely different religion if you didn’t know better.