[TitusOneNine] Fr. Kimel is to be ordained into the Orthodox Church on Pentecost Sunday (i.e. today) by Bishop Jerome of the Russian Church Abroad, for the Western Rite.
For those of you who may not know, Al is the former rector of Holy Communion, Charleston, S.C. In 1998 it was written about him:
Father Alvin Kimel, Jr. became the 15th rector of the parish in November 1996. He is a scholar and accomplished liturgist. His efforts include an emphasis on improving music to complement the choral Eucharist and to generally raise the beauty of worship. Father Kimel is a superb teacher from the pulpit, in the classroom, and by published worship aid always available in the Church. He is well on his way to a successful ministry and the future of the Church of the Holy Communion looks bright.
Link to this.,..
And to Vivificat...
What I notice is that American Orthodoxy is really just a whole lot of Protestantism with icons and incense. Lest I sound uncharitable by saying that i will add that I can see why many in the West turn to Orthodoxy rather than to the Catholic Church. Catholicism since Vatican II outside trad chapels has been just atrocious on so many levels. Bad liturgy, bad sermons, bad catechesis and bad leadership.
ReplyDeleteI also once heard some Orthodox asking SSPX chapel goers why the SSPX didn't just become Western Rite with ROCOR because the Pope didn't recognize them anyway. On the Ancient Faith radio website in the podcast "The Illumined Heart" there is a talk by a former Catholic priest and self styled traditionalist who had simply had it with the lack of seriousness in modern Catholicism and has since become Orthodox. He said that for him once the sex abuse scandal broke in Boston he realized (the American bishops had no more moral authority") Really the only way Catholics are not going to be lured in by the Orthodox is if the high ranking members of the Catholic Church start taking the Faith serious again on every level.
As far as the Orthodox claims against the Papacy go they are utterly unconvincing to me at least but when you are simply disgusted and feel like the Church doesn't care anymore it's easy to just ignore things and move East. Lets face it, even the most renovationist of Orthodox parishes with say, the Greek Archodiocese are more reverent than your average Novus Ordo and at least you get incense, bells and no applause and goofy piano music. I've also heard some who decided to go Orthodox say things like the Assisi debacle turn them away from Catholicism. After all, they say, if the Pope is giving credence to false religions why should he be taken seriously. The chaos within Rome and the uncertain trumpet she sounds these days is literally pushing people into the arms of schismatics.
ReplyDeleteEpiscopal priests in America have often chosen Orthodoxy instead of Romishness. sometimes the Orthodox experience is a stop-over. Orthodoxy is often overlaid with ethnicity, which does not appeal to other cultures.
ReplyDeleteThe step from traditional Anglican to the Antiochian Orthodox church is surprising in that the liturgy of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is identical to the Orthodox liturgy used by the Antiochian folks.
Like the Holy Orders problem illustrated in Anglicanorum Coetibus, the Anglican priests are re-ordained by the Orthodox, because there remains some uncertainty about the validity of Anglican Orders.
Father-
ReplyDeleteWhen you say that the Liturgy from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is the same as the one used by the Antiochian Orthodox you mean the Western Rite and I right? That's interesting. I've never actually encountered a Western Rite Orthodox parish but I know they exist in under ROCOR and the Antiochians.