How much do you know about Eastern Rite Catholicism?
In this episode of “The Catholic Talk Show,” Ryan Scheel, Ryan Dellacrosse, and Father Rich Pagano discuss the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches with Father Jason Charron.
Father Charron, a married Ukrainian Catholic priest, offers a unique perspective into how architecture, the Sign of the Cross, iconostasis, and more are used in our faith.
He shares that the universal Catholic Church has diverse expressions of a single, unifying faith, but the Eastern Catholic churches contrast and complement their Western counterparts.
“Italian bread is not the same as German bread… the same with the faith in Ukraine and Mexico. It’s the same Catholic faith but takes on a whole new dynamism,” Father Charron explains.
For example, while both traditions use architecture as part of worship, there are interesting differences in how the churches themselves are used to preach the Gospel.
“In the West, cathedrals lift man’s hearts to God. In the East, it’s descending the Heavenly worship down among men,” he says.
Iconostasis, a barrier adorned with icons separating the nave from the sanctuary in Eastern churches, is used similarly.
Father Chiron describes it as a “reflection in the movement of liturgy.”
Iconostasis is a journey for the faithful–a visible sign of the invisible reality of God’s kingdom. It is both a barrier and a bridge, concealing the mysteries of the Divine Liturgy while inviting the faithful deeper into communion with God.
Father Jason also explores the profound meaning behind some of our most ancient, everyday prayers like the Sign of the Cross.
Unlike the Western tradition, where the faithful mimic the priest’s motion from left to right, in the Eastern rites, the movement is reversed, symbolizing the reception of blessings from God.
“The people are receiving the blessing…that’s why the priest goes left first…and the faithful… they follow my hand because the blessing comes over this way.”
This is a great episode for anyone wanting to learn more about the beauty and unity of the Catholic faith!
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