Can a Roman Rite catholic become a member of an Eastern Catholic Church

[JamesCaruso]

Of course. You can certainly participate in more than one parish church at a time, too. We have some large families in our parish who go back and forth between our church and the local Latin Rite parish, because that church, being much larger, has lots of family events and classes which our smaller parish can’t offer.

On the other hand, we have pirogies and kielbasas. So you can see why there might be some divided loyalties.

Hmmm! And where is this church with the pirogies and kielbasas may I ask?

 

[Peter_J]

Well that would mean turning your back on the Roman Church. However you can attend their mass and follows hip with Eastren rite Catholic as long as you don’t take the Eucharist

Loving disciple, please post a retraction of this statement (or defend it if you believe you can). There has never been anything saying that Latin Catholics cannot receive communion in Eastern Catholic Churches.

 

[Peter_J]

No offense meant Vico… But…

This Canon Law thing should be ok for those who prefer following the rules to the letter.

If you’ve observed closely, the majority cannot really follow these rules to the letter.
This is a fact that you must learn to accept.

Try asking ANYONE, if they follow the Canon Law. Chances are, most might say… What is the Canon Law anyway ? I know this, because in my life, I tried asking around. Most will die without even knowing a Canon Law existed.

This Canon Law was formulated by the Church as a tool for the political organization that it has become, in order to support the Church in the government of it’s members ( be it East or West ).

But remember this, God did not give these rules in the first place. From Moses to Jews, He gave 10 commandments. From Jesus Christ to the Jews, Jesus gave only 2 commandments. Secondly, the most important thing in our life, I believe, is nurturing our relationship with God, AND nurturing our apostolate ( which is part of showing our love for our neighbor). In the end, I believe that God will judge one as a fig tree. These important things in our lives represent the fruit that we bear before God. No fruit, means dead fig tree. Period. No such thing about Canon Law there. Let the bishops worry about how to govern the sheep, I need not be concerned about those political rules for as long as I love God, I love my neighbor, & I fulfill my work for God.

Not trying to be a mind-reader or anything, but it sounds like you believe that LCs can attend an EC parish in spite of Canon Law (i.e. that doing so is somehow not in accord with Canon Law).

 

[JamesCaruso]

Not trying to be a mind-reader or anything, but it sounds like you believe that LCs can attend an EC parish in spite of Canon Law (i.e. that doing so is somehow not in accord with Canon Law).

I have never heard of a RC Canon that forbade RC’s to take communion in an Eastern Catholic church, that is, an Eastern church that is in communion with Rome. We only cannot take communion in an Eastern Orthodox church, since they are not in communion with Rome. I have myself taken communion in a Byzantine Catholic church, in which communion is by intinction, that is, the consecrated bread dipped in the consecrated wine. .

 

[malphono]

I have never heard of a RC Canon that forbade RC’s to take communion in an Eastern Catholic church, that is, an Eastern church that is in communion with Rome.

Of course not, because there is no such canon.

We only cannot take communion in an Eastern Orthodox church, since they are not in communion with Rome.

That’s because the Orthodox do not generally allow it (although there are exceptions, (more commonly in the Middle East, but also elsewhere) depending on the particular circumstances). On the RC side, there’s nothing to prohibit it.

 

[Peter_J]

That’s because the Orthodox do not generally allow it (although there are exceptions, (more commonly in the Middle East, but also elsewhere) depending on the particular circumstances). On the RC side, there’s nothing to prohibit it.

… provided certain conditions are fulfilled, such as the lack-of-availability of a Catholic priest.

 

[malphono]

… provided certain conditions are fulfilled, such as the lack-of-availability of a Catholic priest.

I suppose that depends on how one looks at it.

 

[normbetland]

I’m not sure exactly why this diversion evolved where people are arguing about whether we are members of all the sui iuris churches or not. Clearly there is a lot of confusion.

I think though that this analogy will help.

I live in North Dakota and am licensed by the state of North Dakota to drive a motor vehicle. As a North Dakotan I am part of a greater country, America. While I’m not a Texan, the fact that I am licensed to drive in North Dakota means that I can still legally drive in Texas because of the fact that North Dakota and Texas are part of the same country.

I am a Roman Catholic. As a Roman Catholic I am able to take part in Holy Communion at any Roman Rite parish. As a Roman Catholic I am part of the greater Catholic Church. And so while I am not a member of the Ruthenian Catholic Church I can participate in Holy Communion in a Ruthenian Catholic parish because the Roman Church and the Ruthenian Church are both a part of the Catholic Church.

 

[Vico]

I’m not sure exactly why this diversion evolved where people are arguing about whether we are members of all the sui iuris churches or not. Clearly there is a lot of confusion.

I think though that this analogy will help.

I live in North Dakota and am licensed by the state of North Dakota to drive a motor vehicle. As a North Dakotan I am part of a greater country, America. While I’m not a Texan, the fact that I am licensed to drive in North Dakota means that I can still legally drive in Texas because of the fact that North Dakota and Texas are part of the same country.

I am a Roman Catholic. As a Roman Catholic I am able to take part in Holy Communion at any Roman Rite parish. As a Roman Catholic I am part of the greater Catholic Church. And so while I am not a member of the Ruthenian Catholic Church I can participate in Holy Communion in a Ruthenian Catholic parish because the Roman Church and the Ruthenian Church are both a part of the Catholic Church.

I don’t know why either, however the open reception of Eucharist by Catholics in a Catholic church sui iuris only exists without complexity, for those that have received first communion and have the use of reason. For example, a Latin infant is not normally communed in the Latin sacramental discipline so is not communed by any Catholic church sui iuris, and the Byzantine infant is normally communed in any Catholic church sui iuris (because first communion normally occurs at the time of Baptism and Chrismation), but it may be denied in the normal course by a priest or bishop if it would cause scandal.

 

[BVMFatima]

I don’t know why either, however the open reception of Eucharist by Catholics in a Catholic church sui iuris only exists without complexity, for those that have received first communion and have the use of reason. For example, a Latin infant is not normally communed in the Latin sacramental discipline so is not communed by any Catholic church sui iuris, and the Byzantine infant is normally communed in any Catholic church sui iuris (because first communion normally occurs at the time of Baptism and Chrismation), but it may be denied in the normal course by a priest or bishop if it would cause scandal.

Very true, however a Eastern Catholic can let the Latin priest know about there traditions in the East and inform the priest that the child has received the sacraments in the Catholic Church.

 

[Peter_J]

I don’t know why either, however the open reception of Eucharist by Catholics in a Catholic church sui iuris only exists without complexity, for those that have received first communion and have the use of reason. For example, a Latin infant is not normally communed in the Latin sacramental discipline so is not communed by any Catholic church sui iuris, and the Byzantine infant is normally communed in any Catholic church sui iuris (because first communion normally occurs at the time of Baptism and Chrismation), but it may be denied in the normal course by a priest or bishop if it would cause scandal.

On the other hand, I doubt any EC priest would insist that only those LC kids who have been confirmed should receive communion from him. (Even though the practice in the EC Churches is confirmation-before-communion.) So in both cases, the general policy seems to be the Latin practices trump Eastern ones.

 

[Diak]

So in both cases, the general policy seems to be the Latin practices trump Eastern ones.

No, since the teaching of the Church is that all particular Catholic Churches are of equal dignity. The general policy is to (1) follow the traditions of your own particular Church and (2) to respect the traditions of the particular Church you are visiting.

If you are Latin, and your children commune normally in your Latin parish, approach the Chalice in the Eastern Catholic Church you are attending. In the UGCC for our own children it is a non-issue since the children are baptized, chrismated and communed in infancy and continue to receive regularly throughout their childhood (assuming they are brought to church), We do not refuse Communion to Latin Catholics who approach not because their particular law "trumps’ ours, but because we respect their particular customs in this regard. Likewise we expect our children to be communed in Latin parishes when we approach. I’ve never had my children refused when discussing it with the Latin priest beforehand.

 

[Peter_J]

the teaching of the Church is that all particular Catholic Churches are of equal dignity.

Yes, I’m well aware of that, and also of:

The general policy is to (1) follow the traditions of your own particular Church and (2) to respect the traditions of the particular Church you are visiting.

But that doesn’t change the fact that, in practice, (1) is stressed more in one direction and (2) is stressed more in the other direction.

… Likewise we expect our children to be communed in Latin parishes when we approach. I’ve never had my children refused when discussing it with the Latin priest beforehand.

I’m glad to hear it, but I have also heard of numerous cases that didn’t work out that way.