Baptism and The Eastern Catholic Churches

[jimmy]

I have heard that the rite you are depends on the rite your father was. If your father was a latin rite Catholic you are a latin rite Catholic. If your father was a Byzantine Catholic, then you would be a Byzantine Catholic even if you were baptized in a Latin rite church by a latin rite preist.

Since this would affect me I would like to know about it. My dad is a Maronite Catholic. We have always gone to a Latin rite Catholic Church. Some of my older brothers were baptized in the Maronite Church, but I was baptized in a latin rite church. Can anyone give me information on this?

Thankyou

 

[Edwin1961]

jimmy:

I have heard that the rite you are depends on the rite your father was. If your father was a latin rite Catholic you are a latin rite Catholic. If your father was a Byzantine Catholic, then you would be a Byzantine Catholic even if you were baptized in a Latin rite church by a latin rite preist.

Since this would affect me I would like to know about it. My dad is a Maronite Catholic. We have always gone to a Latin rite Catholic Church. Some of my older brothers were baptized in the Maronite Church, but I was baptized in a latin rite church. Can anyone give me information on this?

Thankyou

My understanding is this.
The Rite of the Father in the Eastern Catholic Churches determines what faith the children will be brought up in. I do not know if this is binding when you are an adult however.
In my case, my father was a Christian and non-practicing. Howerver, my mother was Byzantine and my father told her that he wanted the kids raised Catholic.

I was baptized Byzantine, but as soon as I was of school age, my mother moved us to a Latin Rite Church/School.
I returned to my Baptizmal Rite just over 2 1/2 years ago. I don’t regret my change back!

 

[jimmy]

Hello Edwin, thankyou for the response. I would probably remain in the latin rite, but I would like to know, for sure, what I actually am. If I am Maronite, then I think I should do a little study of the Maronites. I feel I should know my heritage.

 

[Brendan]

jimmy:

Hello Edwin, thankyou for the response. I would probably remain in the latin rite, but I would like to know, for sure, what I actually am. If I am Maronite, then I think I should do a little study of the Maronites. I feel I should know my heritage.

Any Catholic may attend Mass or the Divine Liturgy at any Catholic church. One might even register as a parishioner.

But, technically, you are a Maronite Catholic until you officially change Churches. The fact that you were Baptized by a Latin Priest has no bearing on it.

This really doesn’t mean too much, except that technically, you are supposed to follow the Calendar (Holy days of Obligation) and Fasting practices of the Maronite Catholic Church.

And, if you decided to pursue Holy Orders as well.

If you wanted to officially change from the Maronite to the Roman Church, you would need to recieve letters of permission from each Bishop. Your pastor can help you with that.

At the very least, I would get a letter from the Maronite Bishop allowing you to follow the Latin Calendar and Fasting. Otherwise, you would technically be incurring a sin of disobedience.

But please do investigate your religious heritage. The Eastern Churches are truely priceless gems in the crown of the Queen of Heaven.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Brendan:

Any Catholic may attend Mass or the Divine Liturgy at any Catholic church. One might even register as a parishioner.

But, technically, you are a Maronite Catholic until you officially change Churches. The fact that you were Baptized by a Latin Priest has no bearing on it.

Actually I do believe that this could be an issue.

Only when the person being baptized is over 14 years of age, then they can choose to not be the same as there father.

 

[jimmy]

Brendan:

Any Catholic may attend Mass or the Divine Liturgy at any Catholic church. One might even register as a parishioner.

But, technically, you are a Maronite Catholic until you officially change Churches. The fact that you were Baptized by a Latin Priest has no bearing on it.

This really doesn’t mean too much, except that technically, you are supposed to follow the Calendar (Holy days of Obligation) and Fasting practices of the Maronite Catholic Church.

And, if you decided to pursue Holy Orders as well.

If you wanted to officially change from the Maronite to the Roman Church, you would need to recieve letters of permission from each Bishop. Your pastor can help you with that.

At the very least, I would get a letter from the Maronite Bishop allowing you to follow the Latin Calendar and Fasting. Otherwise, you would technically be incurring a sin of disobedience.

But please do investigate your religious heritage. The Eastern Churches are truely priceless gems in the crown of the Queen of Heaven.

Thankyou Brendan. You have made it very clear.

I have been to the Byzantine Liturgy several times, it is beautiful.

 

[jimmy]

ByzCath:

Actually I do believe that this could be an issue.

Only when the person being baptized is over 14 years of age, then they can choose to not be the same as there father.

Hello ByzCath,

What could be an issue?

 

[Brendan]

jimmy:

Hello ByzCath,

What could be an issue?

If you were Baptized at age 14 or higher, you were Baptized into whatever Church you chose to be Baptized into.

 

[jimmy]

Brendan:

If you were Baptized at age 14 or higher, you were Baptized into whatever Church you chose to be Baptized into.

Oh, no, I was baptized when I was a baby.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

jimmy:

Oh, no, I was baptized when I was a baby.

Sort of what happened to me.

My father is Byzantine (Ruthenian). My older and younger brothers were baptized, chrismated, and first communed as infants in the same Church my father was baptized in.

I was born in Arizona a year before the first Byzantine (Ruthenian) parish was opened in another city. I was baptized in a Latin Church.

When I decided to “enter” the Church I got out my baptismal certificate and it said Latin so I went to the local Latin parish and went though RCIA. It wasn’t until the week before Pascha that I found out I was Byzantine (Ruthenian).

Well it has worked out anyways.

 

[jimmy]

ByzCath:

Sort of what happened to me.

My father is Byzantine (Ruthenian). My older and younger brothers were baptized, chrismated, and first communed as infants in the same Church my father was baptized in.

I was born in Arizona a year before the first Byzantine (Ruthenian) parish was opened in another city. I was baptized in a Latin Church.

When I decided to “enter” the Church I got out my baptismal certificate and it said Latin so I went to the local Latin parish and went though RCIA. It wasn’t until the week before Pascha that I found out I was Byzantine (Ruthenian).

Well it has worked out anyways.

Thankyou,

Do you go to a latin church or a Byzantine church?

I actually heard from a cousin that you are what your father is.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

jimmy:

Thankyou,

Do you go to a latin church or a Byzantine church?

I actually heard from a cousin that you are what your father is.

Right now I am attending a Byzantine Church. A local Melkite Parish to be exact.

That being said… I will be shortly starting the application process to the Carmelites, a Latin religious order. God willing, when I am ordained it will be by a Byzantine bishop as I do not have to change churches.

I see you are in Pittsburgh, PA. That is the “Holy Land” for us Byzantine Ruthenians. There are also a couple of Marionite Churches there if I am not mistaken.

 

[jimmy]

ByzCath:

Right now I am attending a Byzantine Church. A local Melkite Parish to be exact.

That being said… I will be shortly starting the application process to the Carmelites, a Latin religious order. God willing, when I am ordained it will be by a Byzantine bishop as I do not have to change churches.

I see you are in Pittsburgh, PA. That is the “Holy Land” for us Byzantine Ruthenians. There are also a couple of Marionite Churches there if I am not mistaken.

Yes, there are some Maronite churches in the Pittsbugh area. I think I have heard about the Byzantine bishop in Pittsburgh being the bishop for the whole east coast or something, and being where the Byzantines started out in the US.

 

[delorean_boy]

Jimmy,
I am also maronite, because of my father.
I was brought up in the roman catholic rite, because there wasnt any maronite churches around.
I only found out recently after i decided to pusue a vocation to the priesthood, that i was technically maronite(i was baptized roman catholic ).
After attending maronite divine liturgy for a while, and speaking with priests of that rite, i decided that i would prefer becoming a priest of the roman catholic rite.
Now ive heard conflicting stories as to what i need to do, My local diocese said that i didnt need any special permission, but a friend of mine who is a priest said i would have to get some kind of dispensation or something.

 

[jimmy]

delorean_boy:

Jimmy,
I am also maronite, because of my father.
I was brought up in the roman catholic rite, because there wasnt any maronite churches around.
I only found out recently after i decided to pusue a vocation to the priesthood, that i was technically maronite(i was baptized roman catholic ).
After attending maronite divine liturgy for a while, and speaking with priests of that rite, i decided that i would prefer becoming a priest of the roman catholic rite.
Now ive heard conflicting stories as to what i need to do, My local diocese said that i didnt need any special permission, but a friend of mine who is a priest said i would have to get some kind of dispensation or something.

Hello delorean_boy, I would guess you would have to change rites to become a preist in the latin rite.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

delorean_boy:

Jimmy,
I am also maronite, because of my father.
I was brought up in the roman catholic rite, because there wasnt any maronite churches around.
I only found out recently after i decided to pusue a vocation to the priesthood, that i was technically maronite(i was baptized roman catholic ).
After attending maronite divine liturgy for a while, and speaking with priests of that rite, i decided that i would prefer becoming a priest of the roman catholic rite.
Now ive heard conflicting stories as to what i need to do, My local diocese said that i didnt need any special permission, but a friend of mine who is a priest said i would have to get some kind of dispensation or something.

I believe to be a priest in a Latin Diocese you would need to formally change your Church.

If you were to join a Latin Religious order you would not need to do so.