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lucia_kay
Guest
I am currently a Roman Catholic, but my heart is in the eastern tradition. Is it possible to switch to the eastern rite?
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theistgal
Guest
Certainly. Find an Eastern rite parish, attend Liturgy and other services there for a while, and if you decide you would really like to belong to that rite, speak to the priest about it.
(And be aware that you don’t have to switch rites in order to receive the Eucharist.
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JuantheTuba
Guest
Yes, I believe you can, but only once is the rule I think, and you’ll have to be in contact with your Bishop of the Diocese you belong to currently and the Bishop of the Diocese(or Eparchy) you are hopping to join. But I’ll defer to those who are more knowledgeable about this. And as always it’s best to consult a live person, like a Priest, than strangers on the net. 
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CDB1718
Guest
You can switch to a specific Eastern Church, but you can’t switch to a general Eastern Catholicism or pan-Byzantine rite.
You have to get active in a parish of a specific Church, like a Ukrainian or Ruthenian or Maronite parish. After you’ve been there for a while and it’s become part of your life and you’ve become part of the church life, you can talk to the priest about changing. Most places expect 1-3 years of active participation before having that discussion. Before that, you’d focus on learning, living the home life, and participating in the liturgical cycle.
There is not a rule about how many times you may change Churches. It’s isn’t undertaken lightly so the bishops might deny your request if they think it is frivolous. They’re more likely to think it is frivolous if it is a second or third switch, but there are legitimate reasons that would be accommodated over the course of a person’s life if the circumstances called for them.
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Peter_J
Guest
Hi lucia. Yes it is possible, and welcome to the forum.
What kind of Eastern Catholic parish do you go to (e.g. Maronite, UGCC, Melkite, Ruthenian, etc.), and how long have you been going there?
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lucia_kay
Guest
Thanks,
I go to a melkite church. I have been going there for a couple of months.
I go to a melkite church. I have been going there for a couple of months.
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Peter_J
Guest
P.S. I was just thinking: it should also be kept in mind that “switching” could be taken different ways. There the formal, canonical change of church membership that some people do; but there’s also the simple change-of-habit, where you might be in the habit of going to a Roman-Rite parish every week, and then start going instead to an EC parish on some or all Sundays.
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Peter_J
Guest
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rben20
Guest
Absorb and learn as much as possible before you decide!
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ronyodish
Guest
lucia,
I would give it at least a year before I consider any formal transfers. You could be in an infatuation mode or a honeymoon type of mode right now. You should spend a lot more time there, to see if you can settle in, to see if you can become like one of them.
You have to remember this, and this goes for all Roman Catholics who are considering the East, that if you want to formally transfer to an Eastern church, then you will need to be prepared to accept and live the totality of the Eastern tradition to which you are seeking to belong.
So, in your example, if you want to be a Melkite, you will need to make the whole of the Byzantine tradition as your own, not just the liturgical aspect of the tradition, but also the theological, spiritual, and disciplinary aspects as well. You will need to learn to think and live as a Byzantine, no more or less than the members of the parish there.
You will need to speak to the priest about this later on, but for now, I just think you need a lot more time than a couple of months. Anyways, may God bless your journey…
Rony
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