ncregister.com - 202.03.28 - Nearly every article or social media post about current restrictions on the Latin Mass eventually produces a familiar refrain: “If this can happen to the TLM, it could just as easily happen to the East.” Such statements rest on a basic misunderstanding of what the Church means by “Church” and “rite.” Clarifying two fundamental points of Catholic ecclesiology will help ensure that serious discussion can proceed on solid ground. From its beginnings, the Church has never existed as a single, undifferentiated monolith. Scripture and Tradition present a Church that grows as a communion of local Churches. Christ’s commission to Peter (Matthew 16), the missionary activity of the apostles, and the early organization of Christian communities all point in this direction. Read the full article here: https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/klesko-rites-churches