Tuesday, July 24, 2007
HEBREW CATHOLICS
Wikipedia has an entry for Hebrew Catholics that contains the following:
Hebrew Catholics (in Hebrew עברים קתולים Ivrim Qatholim) are Christians who consider themselves part of the Roman Catholic Church and who follow a liturgy in Hebrew. Many are resident in Israel.
Hebrew Catholics are fully in line with the doctrines of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The main point of differentiation lies not in dogmatic beliefs but in liturgical pratices. For example, their liturgical calendar differs from Latin Catholics in their use of Jewish holidays. Hebrew Catholics celebrate Passover, Rosh Hashana, Shavuot, etc.
The movement is not a sectarian nor a schismatic group inside the Catholic Church. Their identification as Hebrew and as Catholic derives from their spiritual background as belonging to the Hebrew People and to the Catholic faith. They do not respond to any other "catholic" denominations but only to the "One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church" at the Vatican See. Their masses are held principally in the Latin Rite (and in fact in the Roman Rite) but in the Hebrew Language. In Israel they are under the pastoral care of Monsignor Michel Sabbah, current Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
How can a group of Hebrew Catholics use a different liturgical calendar? Isn't there only one liturgical calendar? Isn't one of the sticking points over the SSPX the liturgical calendar? How can they be Roman Catholic while clinging to Jewish holidays?
What rite is a "Latin Rite in the Hebrew Language"? Novus Ordo? Tridentine?
