by Brent Kostyniuk
Breathing through both lungs is the expression St. John Paul II used on many occasions to express his great desire for the Church—both East and West—to be united in our common faith in the Triune God. In order to be united, however, we must first know and understand each other. Looking at the Catholic Church, the vast majority, some 1.2 billion faithful, are aligned with the West—the Latin Church. A mere 16 million Catholics, or 1.5 %, belong to one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Clearly, the task of learning about the other lung is more difficult for those in the West who must seek out this very small minority. Yet, there are signs that St. John Paul II’s message is being heard and acted upon.
This fall, Grade Five students in the Catholic systems of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories were introduced to a new Religious Education program which not only acknowledges the existence of the Eastern Catholic Churches but introduces students to elements of Eastern theology and spirituality. Spearheaded by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ has actively sought out guidance and input from Eastern Catholic theologians. Although far from comprehensive, aspects of Eastern Christianity are sprinkled throughout the text.
Accompanying the student’s textbook is the Teacher Resource which clearly and concisely provides basics of that small portion of the Catholic Church stemming from the East. While not exhaustive, it most certainly will make teachers aware that the Church does, indeed, have two lungs. The Teacher Resource introduces basic attributes of the Church which, sadly, are very often not understood. “A rite of the Catholic Church represents a tradition in the manner in which the sacraments and various liturgies are celebrated. The Church of Rome, or the Roman Rite, represents the majority of Catholics in Canada.”
It continues by making specific reference to the holy pontiff’s goal.
St. John Paul II often referred to the two traditions of the Church as the ‘two lungs of the Catholic Church.’ Although Latin (Western) Catholics are the vast majority, the other “lung” of the Church is the Eastern Catholics. The Eastern Catholic Church is very diverse, with 21 different Churches in its family. One example is the Ukrainian Catholics, a group of faithful who are found across Canada but particularly in Ontario and the Prairie provinces.
Finally, the Resource makes it clear that we Ukrainian Catholics are indeed part of the same Universal Church. “Eastern Catholics worship according to different traditions, but the truth of the Church is preserved in the Sunday worship (called the Divine Liturgy), the tradition of praying through icons, and the prayer styles (e.g., the Jesus Prayer). The Catholic Church is the same in faith but different in its traditions, and that is what makes our Catholic faith so alive and beautiful. Both the Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome—the Pope—as the [visible] head of the Church.” Hopefully, teachers will pass this knowledge on to their students, and in the future, there will no longer be ambiguity about whether or not we are really Catholic.
For some teachers, the new Resource is like a breath of fresh air. Now, they have the instrument which allows them to share their ancestral faith. Elizabeth Dokken is one of those. The school chaplain at an inner-city school in Edmonton, she is both happy and proud to be able to include Eastern spirituality in the religion program.
As a Ukrainian Catholic growing up in a Catholic School system, I always felt like I needed to defend what I believed and how I practiced my faith. There was very little understanding from the teachers I had. They were familiar with the Roman Catholic approach to Catholicism, but I felt like I had to be an advocate for the Byzantine Rite. This did make me stronger in my own faith, but often left me feeling isolated. In particular, Lent was a difficult time because both the time line and how it is observed seemed so different, that I felt even more segregated. With the introduction of the new Religion curriculum, I am overjoyed to see how well it has been designed to ‘breathe with both lungs.’ In a world where we are striving to embrace the good in all faiths and religions, it is fitting that we educate our own Catholic members on the richness and depth of diversity found within our own Church. As an educator, I feel the new curriculum is so strongly written, it offers a foundation of knowledge to our students that will give them the proper foundation to foster and develop their own connection to the Catholic Church in all its wealth and beauty.
If Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ does nothing more than making teachers and students aware of the reality of the Eastern Catholic Churches, it will have made a significant contribution towards St. John Paul II’s goal. If it instils some appreciation for the beauty and richness of Eastern spirituality, all the better.
