Western Rite Orthodoxy, or ‘Who’re you calling a Uniate?’

A lively discussion is taking place over at the Young Fogey's blog article, which is in part a response to Ben Johnson's article The Western Rite is not "Reverse Uniatism".

I am not normally a very pugnacious man, but when rank nonsense like this by a certain "Death" Bredon is uttered all over the blogosphereabout a rite in Orthodoxy in which I worship...well, let's just say that statements like this bring it out in me:

"Of course the Roman Rite (the words of the Eucharistic service) largely predates Trent, but the usage, ceremonial, art, architecture, music, devotions, etc. that surround the Rite itself and give it its character or ethos changed radically as the West first Germanized and then "Scholasticized." Hence, the ethos of Tridentine spirituality (including the liturgy) became extremely "Good Friday-esque" due in large part to the doctrines of satisfactionary atonement either to God's honor (Anselm) or wrath (Aquinas). Indeed, the difference between the Roman Rite in the first millennium and the second can be summed up in the very life-like crucifixes of Christ in agony found in traditional RC and Anglo-Catholic parishes today versus the stylized frescoes and murals of Christ Pantocrator in all his glory that typified all churches (yes, even in Britian) before the schism but only Orthodox and some Eastern Unitate churches now. In short, the Roman Missals according to Ritual Notes or Fortescue were employed (twisted?) to embody the very unOrthodox doctrines of Trent."

And here's the clincher:

"In any case, my main point is that Western Rite Orthodoxy parishes in North America are by and large engaged in varying degrees of false Uniatism with Orthodoxy."

Notice the lack of any specifics. Many critics of WRO speak in generalities, like "Well we all KNOW that the Western Rite is just Tridentine/Anglo Catholicism with an epiklesis..." and there the "argument" ends.

Now observe with what finesse our own Subdeacon Benjamin Andersen answers this "argument":

"Death Bredon -I can't say much about your view of the Antiochian Western Rite, which you have broadcasted far and wide in the blogosphere, except that I don't think that you have much experience of the way that the Vicariate actually is. Lots of people have strange ideas about what Western Rite Orthodox liturgies are actually like, and I find that most (even some of the most implacable Byzantine types) are pleasantly surprised when they actually experience it.Of course, we will never match your dreams and expectations for a perfect Church, but I doubt that any religious body ever will.Perhaps your problem is not necessarily with the Vicariate but perhaps with a very skewed, radically dichotomized view of East and West, the kind in which every day is either Good Friday or Pascha. Sorry, but it's just not that simple.Anyhow, we know absolutely nothing of the dreary religion you describe above. The Western Rite Vicariate may have its problems and inconsistencies (I am the first to admit), but we are far closer to the "Mass-and-Office" model of Catholicism described by the YF above than the caricature you so often describe (without, of course, having any experience worshipping in a Vicariate community)."

Well done, Cardinal Subdeaon :-)