Changes

The '''Western Rite''' is a strand of Orthodox Christian worship based on the minority liturgical traditions of tradition within the ancient pre-[[Great Schism|Schism]] Orthodox Church of the West. Western Rite Orthodox Christians hold in common the full Orthodox faith in common with their brethren of the [[Byzantine Rite]] but celebrate Western forms of liturgy. Liturgical diversity, both between and within the East and most West, was common before the [[Great Schism]], yet not as diverse as like in today's time. At present, all of the [[bishop]]s who care for such [[parish]]es are themselves followers of the Byzantine Rite. {{westernrite}}

:''Main article: [[Western Rite in the Nineteenth Century]]''In 1864, 44-year-old [[Joseph Julian Overbeck]], a former German [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] priest who had left the priesthood and later married, was [[chrismation|chrismated]] into the [[Orthodox Church]] at the Russian Embassy Chapel in London. Overbeck was a Syriac scholar and professor in Bonn former [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] priest from Germany who had become left the priesthood after becoming disillusioned with the papal claims of supremacy. Two years after his chrismationHe became Lutheran and married before joining the Orthodox Church. In 1866, he published ''Catholic Orthodoxy and Anglo-Catholicism'', in which he developed contained the schema with which he was about to begin groundings for his work for the next twenty years. In 1867A year later, be began publishing a periodical, he published the first issue of the ''Orthodox Catholic Review'', a periodical which "aimed at setting forth the truth of Catholic putting forward Orthodoxy as opposed to Popery and rejecting Catholicism and Protestantism, clearing its way through the heap of rubbish stored up by both parties for centuries past." Overbeck regarded both the Papacy and the Church of England to be on the verge of collapse.

In March of The year 1867saw Overbeck, with 122 signatures from the Oxford Movement, Overbeck circulated a petition to the [[Holy Synod]] of the [[Church of Russia]] explaining his designs and requesting for the establishment of a Western Rite church in [[full communion]] with the Eastern Rite of the Orthodox Church. A seven-member synodal commission was then formed, saying, "we are Westerns...and must plead an inalienable right invited Overbeck to remain Westernsattend." In September of 1867 the petition, with some 122 signatures—mainly Tractarian clerics (the "Oxford Movement")—The idea was sent to the Russian synod. Upon receiptapproved, and Overbeck set about submitting a synodal commission was formed, comprised draft of seven members under the Metropolitan of St. Petersburgproposed Western liturgy, inviting Overbeck which added an epiclesis and the Trisagion hymn to attend the deliberationsTridentine [[Mass]]. Accompanying him This rite was Fr. Eugene Popoff (chaplain of the Russian embassy submitted in London)1871, and the two were present in January of 1870 when the scheme was examined and approvedby the commission. Overbeck was then requested focused his efforts on the Old Catholic movement, who had rejected Papal Infallibility. He continued to submit a draft of engage in polemics with Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox converts using the Western liturgy for examinationByzantine Rite.

The liturgy which Dr. In 1876, Overbeck developed for issued an appeal to the Russians was based on the 1570 Roman rite of Pope Pius Vvarious Holy Synods, but also included a brief [[epiclesis]] and the [[Trisagion]] hymn after the ''Gloria'', "traveling to Constantinople in remembrance of our union with the Orthodox Church1879." Returning There he met the Ecumenical Patriarch, who authorized him to Russia in January of 1871, Overbeck submitted the ritedeliver sermons and create apologetical material. In two long sessions of 1881, he had some success when the commission, Ecumenical Patriarchate agreed that the liturgy was examined West had a right to a Western church and then approved for userite.

Over However, his successes did not establish the next few years, Western Rite. Overbeck mainly focused on the development of the Old 's marriage after his Catholic movement in Europe (which had gone into [[schism]] from Rome over ordination was a canonical impediment to his ordination to the new [[dogma]] of [[Papal Infallibility]] promulgated at the First Vatican Council), probably hoping to find fertile ground for Orthodox priesthood; the establishment Holy Synod of Greece vetoed his liturgical usescheme amongst Orthodox Churches, a Western liturgical rite within pressuring Constantinople to retract its previous endorsement; the ''Orthodox ChurchCatholic Review'' ended its run; and by 1892, he admitted failure. In his magazine, he engaged Overbeck reposed in polemics with both Roman Catholics and Anglicans, as well as Orthodox converts who used the Byzantine rite1905.

In 1876, he reiterated his design and issued an ''Appeal to the Patriarchs and Holy Synods of One Western Rite parish briefly entered communion with the Orthodox Catholic Church''in the Nineteenth Century. Three years laterIn 1890, he travelled to Constantinople to meet the Ecumenical Patriarch, [[Ioachim III of Constantinople|Ioachim III]], who gave him authorization for delivering sermons and addresses a Swiss Old Catholic parish in defense of Wisconsin pastored by Fr. Joseph Rene Vilatte approached Bp. Vladimir (Sokolovsky) about being received into Orthodoxy. In August of 1881Bishop Vladimir received them on May 9, 1891; however, the [[Church of Constantinople]] appointed a commission Fr. Vilatte was consecrated to examine the scheme and made the announcement that "an agreement on certain points has already been reached," recognizing the right episcopacy by hierarchs of the West to have a Western church and rite as had existed before the [[Great Schism]]. Much to Overbeck's disappointment, no further developments occurred. He had hoped to be a [[priest]] within the Church of Antioch (Syriac)|Syriac Orthodox Church, but his marriage after his Roman Catholic [[ordination]] was seen as an impediment, rendering him ineligible. He became somewhat paranoid in his later years, especially regarding the Greeks in London as hostile toward him. The ''Orthodox Catholic Review'' ended its run in 1885, and seven years later he admitted that his project had failed, saying that he had had "Hopes entertained with joy by all the truly Orthodox, recommended and pushed forward by the Holy Synods of Russia, Romania and Serbia, approved by Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, but finally crushed and destroyed by the veto of the Greek Synod!" He died in 1905India, his dream unfulfilled. Fr. among them Metropolitan [[Georges FlorovskyJulius of Goa|Alvares Mar Yulios]] wrote: "it was not just a fantastic dream. The question raised by Overbeck was pertinentof Goa, even if his own answer to it was confusedly conceivedon 29 May 1892. And probably the vision of Overbeck was greater than He eventually led his personal interpretationparish back into Old Catholicism."

[[Image:Alexander_Turner.jpg|right|thumb|Former Antiochian Western Rite Vicar General Fr. Alexander Turner celebrating Mass.]]:''Main article: [[Western Rite in the Twentieth Century]]''In 1911, Arnold Harris Mathew, an Old Catholic bishop, entered into union with the twentieth centuryPatriarchate of Antioch but left the Church soon after. In 1926, two significant Western Rite the six-parish ''Polish Catholic National Church'' was received into the Polish Orthodox movements have occurred, building on Church. It celebrated the principles established by the work Liturgy of DrSt. OverbeckGregory, one in France and flourished as Orthodox until wiped out by the other in the United StatesNazis. [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-five.html] [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-four.html]

====France====[[Image:Kovalesky-MaximovitchSt.jpg|right|thumb|250px|BpTikhon's involvement in the Western Rite has been more enduring. [[Jean (Kovalesky) While he was bishop of the Russian mission in America, some Episcopalians were interested in the possibility of joining Orthodoxy while retaining some form of Saint-Denis]] and the Anglican liturgy. St. [[John Maximovitch]] in 1964]]In 1937Tikhon sent the 1892 Book of Common Prayer to the Holy Synod, asking about the [[Church possibility. According to Fr. Edward Hughes, St. Raphael of Russia]] received a small group under Brooklyn composed the former Liberal Catholic bishopletter of inquiry. In 1904, Louis-Charles (Irén&eacutee) Winnaert (1880-1937)the Holy Synod admitted its possibility, dubbing them ''l'Eglise Orthodoxe Occidentale'' ("Western including edits for its use in an Orthodox Church")manner. The work of Winnaert was continuedIt concluded that such edits "can be carried out only on the spot, though not without some occasional conflictin America, by [[Jean (Kovalesky) of Saint-Denis|Evgraph Kovalesky]] (1905-1970) " and Lucien Chambault (later known as found it "desirable to send the 'Observations'Pére Denis'')themselves to the Right Rev. Tikhon, the latter of which oversaw a small Orthodox Benedictine community in American Bishop." Between communications, the rue d'Alleray Episcopalians who had petitioned withdrew. Thus, St. Tikhon could not receive any Episcopalians before returning to Russia in Paris1907. Also associated with them was However, his involvement lay the former Benedictine monk, Archimandrite Alexis van der Mensbrugghe (1899-1980), who favorably viewed groundwork for the restoration reception and approved liturgy of some parishes in the ancient Roman [[Western Rite Vicariate]] [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite cleansed of medieval accretions and supplemented by Gallican and Byzantine interpolations-history-part-five. In 1948, he published his ''Liturgie Orthodoxe de Rite Occidental'' html] and in 1962 later the ''Missel Orthodoxe Rite Occidental''[[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia|Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR)]].

After 1946, the There has been a significant [[Orthodox Church of France|Eglise Orthodoxe de Western Rite movement in France]] was developed by Kovalesky specifically with , the intention to restore largest remaining group thereof being the ancient [[Gallican ''Union des Associations Cultuelles Orthodoxes de Rite|Gallican usage]] of the preOccidental'' (UACORO -[[Charlemagne|Carolingian]] Roman rite, basing his work on the letters of St. [[Germanus of Paris|Germanus]], a 6th century [[bishop]] of Paris. During this troubled period, the Orthodox community in Paris went through several [[jurisdiction]] changes, but eventually Fr. Alexis returned to the [[Church Union of Russia]] and was consecrated to the episcopacy in 1960, continuing his Western Rite work under the auspices of the Moscow PatriarchateOrthodox Worship Associations).

After some years ====The United States====The Antiochian Archdiocese has presided over the most stable and successful group of canonical limbo, Kovalesky's group came under Western Rite parishes. The Archdiocese received the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaSociety of Clerks Secular of St. Basil]] between 1959 and 1966in 1961. Upon reception, and Kovalesky himself was consecrated with the title of Bishop SSB became the [[Jean (Kovalesky) of Saint-Denis|Jean de Saint-DenisAntiochian Western Rite Vicariate]] in 1964. During this time, the Eglise Orthodoxe de France received considerable encouragement from St. and their leader, [[John MaximovitchAlexander Turner]] (who was ROCOR's representative in Western Europe at the time), becoming an Orthodox priest and the Vicar-General of the Vicariate until 1971. At his death in 1966 was a serious blow to these French Orthodox Christiansrepose, Fr. Paul W.S. Schneirla became Vicar-General. On January 1, 2009, Fr. Schneirla retired, who had had an influential and holy advocate in StFr. JohnEdward Hughes became Vicar-General of the Western Rite.

Meanwhile, Besides the Moscow Patriarchate's Western rite withered and came to an end, but Bishop Jean's church continued to thrive, though after St. John's death in 1966, they parishes that were again on canonical hiatus. Bishop Jean died in 1970the former Society, and then in 1972 other parishes have been received into the [[Church Western Rite Vicariate of Romania]] took the Eglise Orthodoxe de France under its [[omophorion]]. Gilles Bertrand-Hardy was consecrated as Bishop [[Germain (Bertrand-Hardy) Antiochian Archdiocese, especially because of Saint-Denis|Germain de Saint-Denis]], the theological and practical devolution of the restored Gallican rite became the regular liturgy used in the many small French Orthodox [[parish]]es established throughout France. The full splendor of that liturgy can be seen in the Cathedral of St. Irén&eacutee in Boulevard Auguste-Blanqui in ParisEpiscopal Church (TEC). In 1994Added to this, after a lengthy conflict with the Romanian Holy Synod regarding various canonical irregularitiesseveral Western Rite missions have been founded, the Eglise again found itself in canonical limbo, where it remains to this day. The Romanian patriarchate established a [[deanery]] under Bishop Germain's brother Archpriest Gregoire to minister to those parishes which chose to stay with Romaniasome growing into full parish status.

The Church of Russia received a New York Old Catholic community in 1962 as Mount Royal Monastery, which later moved from Woodstock, New York, to St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City under Archbishop John (Wendland) of the Russian Exarchate of North America. In 1975, this community was received by Archbishop Nikon (Rklitzsky) of ROCOR and was again relocated. In 1993, after the retirement of the Abbot, Dom Augustine (Whitfield) of Mount Royal, the late 1990sprior of Mount Royal, negotiations had been underway with Fr. James (Deschene) was blessed to found Christ the Saviour Monastery ("Christminster" colloquially) in Rhode Island, under Bishop [[Church Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion of SerbiaManhattan]] for the Eglise (since transferred). As of 2007, Christminster relocated to come under its jurisdictionHamilton, but NATO's bombing of Kosovo in 1999 abruptly ended those hopesOntario, as France was then seen by the Serbians as complicit in its persecution by the WestCanada. Its present abbot is Dom [[James (Deschene)|James Deschene]].

====The United StatesElsewhere====[[Image:Alexander Turner.jpg|right|frame|Fr. [[Alexander Turner]] at the offertory]]In 1961, members of the [[Society of the Clerks of St. Basil]] (mainly centered in Mount Vernon, New York) were received into the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]] by Metropolitan [[Antony (Bashir) of New York]]. The Society had been led up to that time by the uncanonical but widely respected Bishop [[Alexander Turner]] (''née'' Paul Tyler Turner), who upon the reception of his group as the [[Western Rite Vicariate]], became a canonical priest of the Orthodox Church and continued to guide the group as its Vicar-General. Fr. Alexander died in 1971, and the Western Rite Vicariate continued under the leadership of Fr. Paul W.S. Schneirla, who remains the Vicar-General to the present time.

Besides the original Western Rite Orthodoxy, in [[Orthodoxy in Australasia|Australia and New Zealand]], has arisen mostly from Anglican and Continuing Anglican communities associated with the Society, a number . Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney]] of other parishes ROCOR received some communities under his omophor; while others have been received into the Western Rite Vicariate by Bishop [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of the Antiochian Archdiocese, particularly as the theological Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]] and practical devolution of the Metropolitan Archbishop [[Episcopal Church U.S.A.Paul (Saliba) of Australia and New Zealand|Paul]] picked up speed in , both under the latter half of the twentieth century and the beginning Church of the twenty-first. Additionally, several Western Rite missions have been founded, some growing into full parish statusAntioch.

In 1995, the [[Church of Antioch]] also established a British Deanery to absorb converts from the Church of England, though not all of those parishes use Other small groups following the Western Ritehave been received, but usually have either had little impact, some following the Byzantineor have declared their independence soon after their reception.

====Elsewhere====Other small groups following the Western Rite have been received into the The [[Oriental Orthodox Church, but usually ]] churches also have had little impact or sometimes declared their independence subsequent to their canonical reception. some Western Rite parishes were established . The Syrian patriarchate of Antioch consecrated Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvarez as Archbishop of Ceylon, Goa, and India in Poland 1889, authorizing a Roman rite diocese under him; in 1926 when six parishes formerly of 1891, the Syrians consecrated the aforementioned Joseph René Vilatte as archbishop for the American Old Catholics. Vilatte, however, returned to the Polish National Roman Catholic Church (an Old Catholic communion) were received into at the Orthodox Church, but that movement largely dwindled during World War IIend of his life. Many independent churches now claim to be under his "succession".

Further, ==Liturgy in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] have also done some Antiochian Western Rite work. In 1889, the [[Church of Antioch (Jacobite)|Syrian]] patriarchate of Antioch consecrated Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvarez as Archbishop of Ceylon, Goa and India, authorizing a Roman rite diocese under him. Additionally, in 1891, the Syrians consecrated Joseph René Vilatte as archbishop for the American Old Catholics.Vicariate==

==Liturgy==North American Western Rite parishes in the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate generally follow one (or sometimes both) of two types of traditional Western liturgical traditions(and sometimes both). About 75% use The majority celebrate the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]], which is commonly accepted to be an adaptation of the [[Eucharist|Communion]] service from the 1928 Anglican ''Book of Common Prayer'' and ''The Anglican Missal in the American Edition.'' [http://members.cox.net/stgregoryoc/history.htm#fifteen] The remaining 25% use Until 1977, all Western Rite Vicariate parishes celebrated only the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], which is a modified form of the [http://www.latin-mass-society.org/msshst.htm Tridentine Mass known ] (that is, the Mass as revised and authorized by the Roman Catholic Council of Trent). Many parishes within the Western Rite Vicariate continue to Roman Catholics before celebrate the liturgical reforms Gregorian liturgy. Since most AWRV parishes celebrate more than one weekly liturgy, many of Vatican II in the 1960sparishes that celebrate the Liturgy of St. The complete Roman rite Tikhon on Sunday celebrate the Liturgy of Benediction is also authorizedSt. Gregory on weekdays.

The Western Rite liturgy has much , depending on its type, makes less repetition use of the litanies than its corresponding elements in the Byzantine rite, and generally has a more rational, succint manner to itRite. Celebrants wear distinctive Western vestments, and the faithful follow pious devotional customs particular to their tradition, as well.

==Congregations==By far The development of the largest group of these parishes in North America is represented by current use within the [[Western Rite Vicariate]] is of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]]. The [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR) also has a small number of Western Rite parishes in addition to at least two monasteries, one located in Australia and another in Rhode Island which follows Benedictine liturgical traditions. particular note:

:Metropolitan Antony was well aware that the Western Rite was "a work for specialists." The [[abbot]] who led this latter monasterynew Western Rite usage of the Archdiocese was to be guided by "a Commission of Orthodox Theologians, named [[Christminster (Providence, Rhode Island)|Christminster]] (" an advisory committee of qualified clerics or Christ laymen to advise the Metropolitan and determine "the Savior Monastery)mode of reception of groups desiring to employ the Western Rite, into communion with ROCOR once remarked and the character of the rites to Stbe used, as well as the authorization of official liturgical texts. " The first WRV Commission, convened by Metropolitan Antony in 1958, was composed of Fathers Paul Schneirla, Stephen Upson, [[Alexander Schmemann]] and [[John MaximovitchMeyendorff]] that it was difficult to promote . Schneirla, Schmemann, and Meyendorff in particular had seen the Western Rite Orthodoxyup close in France, whereupon as it had been approved in the saint replied: "Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, Russian Ukase of 1936. Schneirla recalls Schmemann's work in order to be Orthodoxparticular as being key, you must also be easternas he was familiar with the Liturgical Movement within the Roman Catholic and Anglican communions. The West Schmemann was Orthodox for a thousand yearsparticularly instrumental in joining together the separate Rites of Initiation of the Rituale Romanum – Baptism, Confirmation and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresiesFirst Holy Communion – into one unified rite, according to the Orthodox understanding."[http://members.cox.net/kelticnordic/history.htm]

The [[Orthodox Church of France]]—which is currently :In January of ambiguous status with regard to world Orthodoxy1962, but at one time the official Western Rite Directory was cared for by St. [[John Maximovitch]] issued, "establishing liturgical usages and customs and later by discipline," drawing on principles gleaned from the 1904 Moscow Synodal response to Saint Tikhon, the [[Church authorization of Romania]]—also uses a Western Rite liturgy based on ancient Gallican liturgical materialsoffices by Metropolitan Gerassimos (Messarah) of Beirut, and the 1932 Russian Ukase of Metropolitan Sergius.[http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-eight.html]

Ironically, before his committed and pivotal involvement with the architecture of the current usage of the Western Rite, Fr. Schmemann had criticized it in a response to a 1958 article Fr. Schneirla wrote in ''The Word''.[[Holy Synod of Milan]http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/westernrite.html]However, an [[Old Calendarist]] groupafter his criticisms, has a few communities (including one monastery) in Fr. Schmemann worked to establish the United States which worship according to Western ritesRite Vicariate and, including a restored [[Sarum later still, taught at the Western Rite]]seminary in Paris.

==Criticism==The By far the largest group of Western Orthodox parishes is represented by the [[Western Rite Vicariate]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]]. Other Antiochian Western Rite parishes exist in the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. The [[Russian Orthodox Church is not without its criticsOutside Russia]] (ROCOR) also has a small number of Western Rite parishes in addition to three monasteries: one located in Canada, one in Tasmania, and one in Florida. Some argue essentially that there is no liturgical tradition that can be viable within Missions and parishes of the ROCOR Western Rite use either the Church other than Rite of St. Gregory in one of varying uses (Sarum, Christminster, Mount Royal, or Overbeck), the Byzantine ritual traditionGallican Rite, or "The English Liturgy, " an English Use service based upon the Sarum Use but that argumentwhich adapts a few elements of the 1549 ''Book of Common Prayer''s main problem . Christminster Monastery in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is its ignorance a Western Orthodox [[Rule of St. Benedict|Benedictine]] monastery, which celebrates the wide liturgical variety characteristic Liturgy of St. Gregory. St. Petroc Monastery in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, celebrates the first millennium [[Sarum Use]]. St. Petroc has a number of dependencies that follow its liturgical usage, as found in the Church's history'Saint Colman Prayer Book''.

The more historically minded criticisms usually center around Dom Augustine (Whitfield), the [[abbot]] of the idea Monastery of Mount Royal from 1963 until retirement, once remarked to St. [[John Maximovitch]] that it is untenable was difficult to try promote Western Rite Orthodoxy, whereupon the saint replied: "Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, in order to revive be Orthodox, you must also be eastern. The West was Orthodox for a liturgical tradition which was lost centuries ago when the West fell away from the thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies." [http://www.christminster.org/history.htm][[Image:Confeitor.jpg|left|thumb|Hieromonk Aidan (Keller, ROCOR) celebrating a Sarum liturgy.]]In 2008, Metropolitan [[Orthodox ChurchHilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion]]of ROCOR [http://theyorkforum. This argument essentially states that, because the yuku.com/sreply/12977/t/Western -Rite died out -Orthodox-News.html blessed] Hieromonk David (Pierce) to assist Dom Augustine Whitfield "in the continuation of the work of Mt. Royal" at Hieromonk David's monastery, Holyrood, in Florida. Hieromonk David utilizes the Churchordinary compiled by Mount Royal monastery, and because a continuous living tradition is a necessary element preparing for publication of liturgical practice, the Western Rite ought to be abandoned and only developments from books of the Byzantine Rite ought to be pursuedMount Royal use.

Proponents argueIn late 2008, however, that it is not Metropolitan Hilarion received a dogmatic principle hieromonk of the Church that liturgical traditions can neither be revived nor created. After allMilan Synod, there are whole services even within the Byzantine Rite which are not universally practiced Father Aidan (e.g.Keller), and blessed the [[molieben]])publication of a new edition of his seminal work, ''Old Sarum Rite Missal'' for his personal prayers, so they must have been invented somewhere along the waywhile he serves a Byzantine parish in ROCOR. Even then, His liturgy had previously been blessed by the rites being used by Western Rite Orthodox Christians are not new, but mainly predate Archdiocese of the [[Great SchismMilan Synod]].

Another criticism is that the Western Rite is inherently divisive. Following different liturgical traditions than their neighboring Byzantine Rite Orthodox Christiansrite communities can also be found which are not or, are no longer, those using the Western Rite do not share liturgical unity in communion with them and present an unfamiliar face to the majority of mainstream [[Orthodox Christians. Though divisive differences exist between the various uses of the Byzantine Rite itself, the Western Rite is much more different. Again, this argument is based on the relatively new notion of liturgical homogeneityChurch]].

Whether the Western Rite will survive in the The [[Orthodox Church of France]] was once cared for by St. [[John Maximovitch]] and be accepted later by the majority who follow the [[Church of Romania]]—also uses a Western Rite liturgy based on ancient Gallican liturgical materials, with some Byzantine Rite remains yet to be seensupplements. In the meantimeThe Orthodox Church of France currently functions as an independent body, the Byzantine Rite bishops who oversee the Western Rite parishes continue to declare their Western flocks to be Orthodox Christians and regard them as fully is not in communion with the rest [[List of the autocephalous and autonomous churches|mainstream Orthodox Church]].

Some Byzantine Rite Orthodox Christians, howeverIn addition, do not recognize the Orthodoxy [[Holy Synod of those in the Western Rite Milan]], an [[Old Calendarist]] Synod (despite their being under the jurisdiction of Byzantine Rite bishops with whom they themselves are and therefore not in communion), and will not share with the [[EucharistList of autocephalous and autonomous churches|mainstream Orthodox Church]] with them), declaring them to be "Roman Catholicshas a number of communities (under the central direction of the monastery and Archdiocesan center," "the [[schismThe Abbey of the Holy Name (West Milford, New Jersey)|Abbey of the Holy Name]]atics) which worship according to Western rites," or "including its own version of the [[UniatesSarum Use]]." As yet, there are no schisms within This recension is different from the episcopacy version of the Orthodox Church regarding the issue of Western Sarum Rite parishesused within ROCOR before 2008.

===An Orthodox Unia?=Criticism==The situation of Western Orthodox parishes has been compared by some with the analogous status of the autonomous :''Main article: [[UniateWestern Rite Criticism]] churches under ''The Western Rite in the [[Roman Catholic Orthodox Church]]is not without its critics. For centuries, there have been hierarchical churches Objections are made in [[full communion]] with and in subjection to the Vatican, but which the Pope allows regards to follow desire for liturgical customs uniformity within Orthodoxy and rules like those of fears that the Western Rite would produce division within the [[Orthodox Church]] (e.g. Some question the sincerity of Western Rite converts, they use Bzyantine just as some question the conversions of those within the Byzantine Rite liturgies. Finally, they confirm newly [[baptism|baptized]] infants via [[chrismation]]some complain about a lack of organic liturgical continuity, they have married [[priest]]s, their churches have or will not attend a Western Rite [[iconostasis|iconostasesEucharist]], etc.). AdditionallyHowever, as no Orthodox parish may deny the Eucharist to visiting faithful of the Uniates share a common dogmatic requirement with Latin canonical Western Rite Catholics, regardless of their feelings about the concept of Western Rite Orthodoxy. There have been no schisms within the episcopacy of the Orthodox share Church regarding the same faith as their Byzantine issue of Western Rite brethrenparishes.

However, unlike Whether the [[Uniates]], Western Rite will grow in its acceptance by Orthodox congregations are not mainly Christians who follow the result of large-scale ecclesiastical political machinations and [[schism]] but rather of small-scale genuine conversion Byzantine Rite remains to Orthodoxy by individuals and congregationsbe seen. In any eventthe meantime, the criticism of the Orthodox bishops who oversee Western Rite parishes—and many who oversee no Western Rite based on its similarity parishes—continue to declare their Western flocks to be true Orthodox Christians and regard them as fully in communion with the Uniates is mainly guilt by association by means rest of a superficial similarity of form. Because the ideas are analogous, the argument goes, they must therefore both be wrong developments. Yet the more firmly established criticisms of Uniatism usually have nothing to do with rite, but rather with issues of dogma, ecclesiology, and allegedly subversive missionary workChurch.

* [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]]

* [[Western Rite Service Books]]* [[Liturgy of St. Gregory Tikhon (text)]]* [[Saint Petroc Monastery (Cascades, Australia)|Saint Petroc Monastery]], Australia* [[Christ the Savior Monastery (Providence, Rhode Island)|Christ the GreatSavior Monastery]], Canada* [[Vestments]]* [http://www.stcolumbamonastery.org St. Columba of Iona Orthodox Monastery (USA, Massachusetts)]

* [http://www.antiochian.org/western-rite/ Western Rite Vicariate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]* [http://www.orthodoxresurgence.com/petroc/ Saint Petroc Monastery ROCOR Tasmania] * [http://www.christminster.org Christ the Savior Monastery ROCOR Rhode Island]* [http://www.occidentalorthodox.org.uk/ Worldwide directory of canonical Western Rite Orthodox communities]* [http://www.stgregoryoc.org/links/western-rite-parish-directory/ Antiochian Western Rite Parishes] (North America, with links to parish sites)* [http://www.rocor-wr.org/ ROCOR Western-rite Communities] (ROCOR Western-rite Communities homepage with Links to parishes)

* [http://memberswww.aolstgregoryoc.org/article/the-divine-liturgy-according-to-the-rite-of-saint-gregory/ Text of the Liturgy of Saint Gregory]*[http://orthodoxanglican.net/downloads/tikhon.PDF Text of the Liturgy of Saint Tikhon], though not in its authorized form.*[http://www.orthodoxresurgence.com/FrNicholaspetroc/liturgysarum.htm Text of the Sarum Rite Liturgy] as corrected for use within [[ROCOR]] by His Grace Archbishop Hilarion *[http://www.orthodoxresurgence.com/petroc/english.htm Text of the English Liturgy ]*[http://orthodoxie.free.fr/the_divine_liturgy_of_saint_germanus.htm Text of the Divine Liturgy according to Saint GregoryGermanus of Paris]] *[http://www.stmichaelwhittier.org/resources/osboff7.pdf Office and Prayers of the Oblates of St. Benedict] (PDF) - Western Rite oblates.*[http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/Liturgy/Liturgics.html Liturgical Texts Project](PDF) - Compilation of numerous liturgical texts.* [http://www.saintpeterorthodoxantiochian.org/sites/default/files/ordinary_and_canon_rite_of_st_gregory.pdf The Ordinary and Canon of the Mass], according to the Rite of St. Gregory of Great, revised 2012 translation blessed for use by Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America.*[http://media.wix.com/ugd/144b2c_20fb156e03c34f56a6dc312f73f9888d.pdf The Order of the Divine Liturgy According to the Restored Ancient Roman Rite of St. Gregory the Great], authorized by the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]].*[http://media.wix.com/ugd/144b2c_a2ca284c5a934ec0af6e0a8fe6404ba7.pdf The Liturgy of the English Church], approved for Orthodox usage by the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]].htm Text *[http://media.wix.com/ugd/144b2c_f7a90a42b99e4fe9879d2aebe641ad20.pdf The Ordinary of the Sarum Liturgy ], approved for Orthodox usage by the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]].*[http://civitas-dei.eu/winch.pdf The Canonical Mass of Saint Tikhonthe English Orthodox], by Dr. Raymond Winch, Third Edition. An academic reconstruction of the pre-schism English usage of the ancient Roman Rite.

===Books===* ''[http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=23809 Children of the Promise: An Introduction to Western Rite Orthodoxy]'', by Fr. Michael Keiser. ISBN 9781418475826* ''[http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~40659.aspx Offering the Lamb: Reflections on the Western Rite Mass in the Orthodox Church]'', by Fr. Michael Keiser. ISBN 9781425970819* ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=s8nfEy1H8QcC&source=gbs_navlinks_s Liturgies of the Western Church]'', by Prof. Dr. Bard Thompson. ISBN 9780800614287* ''[http://www.archive.org/details/MN41674ucmf_0 The Ancient Liturgies of the Gallican Church]'', by Rev. J. M. Neale, 1855. ''(In Latin with some English notes)'' ===Introduction and History===<!-- * [http://www.receive.org/index.php?submenu=23 An Introduction to Western Rite Orthodoxy]: Interview with Fr. Paul Schneirla and Fr. Michael Keiser on [http://www.receive.org/ Come Receive the Light] (audio) Sent message to Seraphim Danckaert at OCN to see whether this is online. ~Magda --->* A Short History of the Western RiteVicariate, by [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/ Benjamin Andersen]: [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/short-history-of-western-rite.html Part 1], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-two.html Part 2], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-three.html Part 3], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-four.html Part 4], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-five.html Part 5], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-six.html Part 6], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-seven.html Part 7], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-eight.html Part 8], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-nine.html Part 9](permission required)* [http://www.occidentalorthodox.org.uk/ Occidental Orthodox Christianity] Dedicated to the furtherance of the Western Rite within canonical Orthodoxy.

*[http://memberswww.coxchristminster.net/kelticnordicorg/write.htm Western Orthodox Christians: Who Are They?], from [[Christminster (Providence, Rhode Island)]], a Benedictine Monastery under [[ROCOR]]*[http://www.christminster.org/history.htm History of Christminster]

===ApologiasVideo===*[http://westernorthodox.blogspot.com/2009/01/video-fuller-christmas-eve-mass-with.html Video] of Dom James Deschene celebrating Midnight Mass for Christmas 2009 at the Oratory of our Lady of Glastonbury, the chapel attached to Christminster Monastery.*[http://stpaulsorthodox.org/Media/SaintPaul.wmv Video] on the Western Rite from St. Paul Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas ===Apologiae===* [http://westernorthodox.blogspot.com/2006/03/message-from-metropolitan-western-rite.html Met. PHILIP (Saliba)'s Promise]: Western Rite churches will not be Byzantized.

* [http://www.westernorthodox.com/Lux-Occidentalis Lux Occidentalis(PDF)] ''The Orthodox Western Rite and the Liturgical Tradition of Western Orthodox Christianity, with reference to The Orthodox Missal, Saint Luke's Priory Press, Stanton, NJ, 1995'' by the Rev'd John Charles Connely (PDF)

* [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/ Occidentalis - A Weblog of Orthodox Catholic Christianity in the Western Rite tradition](permission required)* [http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/western-rite/sergius.html On the Question of Western Orthodoxy], by Patriarch [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow]] in a letter to [[Vladimir Lossky]]*[http://http://westernorthodox.blogspot.com/search/label/Anti-WR%20Criticism Dealing with Anti-WR Criticism], from the Western Orthodoxy blog.

* [http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/western-rite/tsichlis.html The Western Rite - Some Final Comments], by Fr. [[Steven Peter Tsichlis* [http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/western-rite/sergius.html On the Question of Western Orthodoxy], by Patriarch [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow]] in a letter to [[Vladimir Lossky]]