Catholic Priests: are you authorized to preside/serve at both Western and Eastern Rite Masses

[Episcopalian]

I visited the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral that’s half a mile (as the crow flies) away from the Roman Catholic Cathedral here in Philly. Very very close!

Which made me think…in smaller towns, are Western Rite priests able to preside at Eastern Rite Masses say if the local Eastern Rite priest is unavailable for one reason or another?

Or, even, would the Western Rite priest preside a Western Rite Mass in the Eastern Rite Church, since the congregants need to meet the Sunday obligation?

Could the Western Rite priest co-preside, or serve as a deacon, if the Eastern Rite priest is healthy and able to preside himself?

I know weird hypotheticals…but I’m curious!

 

[phil19034]

I visited the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral that’s half a mile (as the crow flies) away from the Roman Catholic Cathedral here in Philly. Very very close!

Which made me think…in smaller towns, are Western Rite priests able to preside at Eastern Rite Masses say if the local Eastern Rite priest is unavailable for one reason or another?

Or, even, would the Western Rite priest preside a Western Rite Mass in the Eastern Rite Church, since the congregants need to meet the Sunday obligation?

Could the Western Rite priest co-preside, or serve as a deacon, if the Eastern Rite priest is healthy and able to preside himself?

I know weird hypotheticals…but I’m curious!

Yes and No.

A Latin (western) Priest is only allowed to pray an Eastern Divine Liturgy if the priest is bi-ritual. In other words, the priest in question needs to receive the facilities to pray the Divine from said Eastern bishop.

For example: a Latin Priest may only pray the Ukrainian Catholic Divine Liturgy if he has been granted faculties by an Ukrainian Catholic bishop. And vice versa.

The Latin Archbishop of Philadelphia cannot grant a Latin priest in Philadelphia the ability to pray the Ukrainian Divine Liturgy. However, the Ukrainian Archbishop of Philadelphia could (theoretically) grant faculties to a Latin priest (with said priest’s bishop’s approval).

HOWEVER, this is rarely done for several reasons. Typically, bi-ritual priests have some kind of personal connection or personal experience that makes they “acceptable” to the laity.

As far as sharing Church buildings, this does happen quite often.

 

[Vico]

I visited the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral that’s half a mile (as the crow flies) away from the Roman Catholic Cathedral here in Philly. Very very close!

Which made me think…in smaller towns, are Western Rite priests able to preside at Eastern Rite Masses say if the local Eastern Rite priest is unavailable for one reason or another?

Or, even, would the Western Rite priest preside a Western Rite Mass in the Eastern Rite Church, since the congregants need to meet the Sunday obligation?

Could the Western Rite priest co-preside, or serve as a deacon, if the Eastern Rite priest is healthy and able to preside himself?

I know weird hypotheticals…but I’m curious!

There are two ways:

• Adaptation of rite: indult from the Holy See, the Congregation for the Eastern Churches.
• Bi-ritual: indult from the Holy See granting faculties to celebrate according to another rite, normally with a specific time limit.

The indult of bi-rutualism is not needed to con-celebrate in another rite, but the con-celebrant should wear his own vestments.

Multi-ritual Priests Eastern Catholicism

There are two indults: indult of Adaptation of Rite and the indult of Bi-ritual faculties. The bi-ritual indult proceeds through both bishops and then to the The Congregation for Eastern Churches.Biritualism is a grant for a period of time to celebrate in the Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass and the Holy Sacraments according to the liturgical rite of another Church sui iuris as well as one’s own Church sui iuris, yet always ascribed to your own Church sui iuris. The adaptation of rite is a pap…

 

[Diaconia]

Deacons, also, need bi-ritual faculties to serve in both churches.

Bi-ritual faculties (which I possess) are given for five years at a time.

Fr. Deacon Christopher

 

[CRM_Brother]

While the two indults stated above are the primary ways for priests to become bi-ritual, there is a third, lesser used way which involves a few prerequisites first. First, a priest (or seminarian about to be ordained) must be of an Eastern rite. Second, that priest or seminarian must be a solemnly professed brother of a religious order of Pontifical rite.

As all religious orders of Pontifical rite are inherently Roman rite, the Father General (this does not include Prefect Generals who are not ordained priests) wield authority of a Latin rite ordinary with regards to the Order. The Father General has the ability to grant bi-ritual status for the Roman rite to the Eastern rite priest or seminarian. This bi-ritual nature only extends to private masses within foundations (houses) of the Order. If the priest wishes to say mass in the Roman rite outside of the religious house, he must have permission from the local Roman rite Bishop but another bi-ritual indult does not need to be given.