Romanian Christians have been practicing Christianity since the beginning of the country, as is demonstrated by tradition, archeological evidence, and language. The basic terms of Christianity are Latin in origin, including church (biserica from basilica), God, and Pascha. The question then becomes, is the Romanian Orthodox Church in communion with Rome?
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Roman Catholics
If you’re wondering if Roman Catholics are in communion with the Roman Orthodox Church, you’re not alone. This is a question that has been raging for decades. While most Roman Catholics are in communion with the Orthodox, there are also some Orthodox Christians who are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. For example, in the East, Orthodox Christians cannot receive the sacraments from Roman Catholic priests.
Some Eastern Catholic churches separated from the Roman Catholic Church, becoming Eastern Catholics. This split was a major factor in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, which led to the creation of new denominations. Today, the Greek Orthodox church is the largest Christian grouping in the Holy Land, and its patriarch claims direct descent from St James, the first bishop of Jerusalem. In Israel, the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church is primarily expatriate Greeks, while in Jordan, the leadership is made up of mostly Arabs.
Although the Catholic Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church remain in communion, there is still some unresolved issues that need to be addressed. While many Catholics and Orthodox Christians are grateful for the efforts of Cardinal Burke, these difficulties must be addressed before any progress can be made in the dialogue. Many people in the audience noted that Cardinal Burke had met with leaders of the Patriarchate and discussed the possibility of establishing a joint commission between the two churches. However, the time is not yet right for this.
Orthodox Christians
Last October, His Beatitude Teoctist, Patriarch of the Orthodox Church in Romania, paid an official visit to Rome. This was a momentous event and helped to foster a spirit of rapprochement between the two Churches. At the time, the Romanian Patriarch met with the elderly Pope in Rome and the meeting was a first step in the reunification of the two Churches.
There are major differences between Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics regarding the use of bread in the Eucharist. These differences stem from differences in the understanding of the Last Supper and the Passover meal. The Orthodox view the risen bread as symbolic of Christ’s risen body and blood. This issue was a major point of contention during the Great Schism.
The surviving bishops made repeated appeals to the Romanian government to reinstate their church. President Ceausescu refused to budge. The surviving bishops then appealed to the Madrid Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Eastern Catholics
Last October, the Romanian Patriarch was welcomed in Rome, in the name of the Lord. The Romanian Church and Romanian people have strong historical and cultural ties with Rome. They view their Church as Latin-Orthodox and a mediator between the East and the West.
The Catholic Church is composed of 24 different churches: the Latin Catholic Church, which represents ninety percent of Catholics worldwide, and the Eastern Catholic Church, which includes 23 “Oriental” churches. Each church recognizes the primacy of the pope, but it has its own liturgy, traditions, and hierarchy. Eastern Catholic churches practice Eastern legal canons and have distinct liturgical practices.
The Eastern Catholic Churches are in communion with Rome, but they differ greatly from the Catholic Church. The Eastern Catholic Churches follow the ancient liturgical traditions of the East. They also claim to be Orthodox, but do not practice full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. While there are many differences between the Eastern Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church, the differences are not insurmountable.
Latin Rite
The Romanian Orthodox Church is a branch of Orthodox Christianity. While it is not recognized as a rite of the Catholic Church, Romania has retained its unique liturgical traditions. In a synod on september 5, 1700, 2,000 clergy and laity ratified the union between Romania and the Roman Catholic Church. The synod accepted the four dogmatic points of the Council of Florence, including the primacy of Jesus Christ and the use of unleavened bread in the Holy Eucharist. In addition, it also allowed the Romanian rite to maintain its own liturgical language and its own bishop.
During the Reformation, the Romanian Catholics separated from Rome, but later returned. Today, they live mainly in Romania and some parts of Europe and the Americas. In the same way, some Russian Christians returned to Rome, but the definitive reunion did not occur until the eighteenth century. Today, most Russian Orthodox Christians are in Communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
