An Australian Ukrainian rite Catholic theologian has criticised the "latinisation" - or cultural imperialism - of the Roman Catholic Church.Dr Andrew Kania said this disadvantages the Eastern churches that are in communion with Rome.
In a paper published on the independent catholica.com.au website, he said that young people in Catholic schools are not specifically encouraged to preserve their Byzantine Signing of the Cross.
All those he surveyed at a meeting a few years ago had adopted the Roman Rite Signing.
Dr Kania is a visiting scholar at Oxford University, where he is completing a book on Dag Hammerskold.
He has taken 12 months leave of absence from his position as Director of Spirituality at Aquinas College in Perth complete his book.
In addition, he said those who had received the Eucharist as infants were not allowed to receive the Eucharist at the Catholic Schools until after their Latin Church classmates had made their First Holy Communion.
Dr Kania suggested that outside of the Holy Land and Eastern Europe, most Roman Rite Catholics are oblivious to the existence of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and their integral role within the history of the Universal Church.
He said: "For the majority of Catholics in the world, to be a Catholic is to be 'Roman Catholic' and these terms are often misused interchangeably."
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