Western Orthodoxy?
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The nomenclature, "Western Orthodox", "Western Rite", "Western Rite Orthodox" refer to the contemporary existence of what was once known in Western Europe before 1072 a.d. simply as The Catholic Church. During the first thousand years of Christianity what was known as The Catholic or Western Roman Church was in fact Christ's Church started with the Apostles and was universal; united with the Eastern Roman Church. Many know of the unfortunate Great Schism of 1054 when in the latter 11th century the Western Roman Church fell into schism from the orthodox Eastern Roman Church.
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Here at the St. Aidan's Center for Western Orthodox Liturgics presents the wide range of liturgical practices that come under the umbrella reference "Western Rite". This resource not only aims to preserve the The Liturgical Texts Project, [established in 1999, by the Reverend Father Hieromonk Aidan (Keller) of Austin, Texas (ROCOR) ] but to expand upon it as resources and documents come available.
What is the Western Rite Orthodox?
The Holy Catholic Church; otherwise known as the Orthodox Church, was united across all of the Holy Roman Empire. From Byzantium in the east all the way to Rome in the west and even in the British Isles and what is now modern-day France. The Church existed in a way that was united in doctrine and theology for over a thousand years after the day of Pentecost in AD 33.
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The Liturgy, or “work of the people” varied from east to west due to the cultural and societal makeup of the regions in which the Church existed. In the West, the Liturgy, like the Latin language, tended to be terse and Patristic. Yet slight differences were reflected in the Liturgies of Rome, Milan, Toledo, and Lyons. The differences came to be known as rites: Ambrosian, Roman, Mozarabic, and Gallican and were named after Saints Ambrose, Gregory, and Germanus. Further, within the Roman Rite there developed “Uses” of which the post-schism Sarum is perhaps best known.
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