Changing from one rite to another Question

[ScottBb]

What are the restrictions or rules governing a Western Rite Catholic joining an Eastern Rite Parish And affiliating with the other Rite (or vice versa)?

 

[Vico]

The Latin Catholic in an eastern parish is still bound to the holy days of obligation and penitential periods and practices of the Latin Church, unless it has been dispensed of is in a mixed sui iuris Church marriage. The sacramental discipline given in the CIC is followed by a Latin Catholic, and the sacramental discipline given in the CCEO is followed by an eastern Catholic. Each of the faithful follows the canon law appropriate to the ritual church of canonical enrollment.

CIC

Can. 112 §2 The practice, however long standing, of receiving the sacraments according to the rite of an autonomous ritual Church, does not bring with it membership of that Church.

Can. 209
§1. The Christian faithful, even in their own manner of acting, are always obliged to maintain communion with the Church.
§2. With great diligence they are to fulfill the duties which they owe to the universal Church and the particular church to which they belong according to the prescripts of the law.

Can. 923 Christ’s faithful may participate in the eucharistic Sacrifice and receive holy communion in any catholic rite, without prejudice to the provisions of can. 844.

Can. 991 All Christ’s faithful are free to confess their sins to lawfully approved confessors of their own choice, even to one of another rite.

Can. 1246
§1: Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church. Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary Mother of God and her Immaculate Conception and Assumption, Saint Joseph, the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and finally, All Saints.
§2: However, the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See.

Can. 1248 §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a catholic rite either on a holyday itself or on the evening of the previous day.

 

[ScottBb]

In essence, a western Cathilic can repeatedly recieve communion in an Eastern Churh, but can’t change or “convert” into one of the Eastern Churches. Is that correct?

Thank you!

 

[onceablasphemer]

In essence, a western Cathilic can repeatedly recieve communion in an Eastern Churh, but can’t change or “convert” into one of the Eastern Churches. Is that correct?

Thank you!

You can “convert” but it is only once and you need special permission from your bishop and the bishop of the rite you wish to join. You only get to do this once. So if you change to an Eastern Rite you cannot decide later to change back to the Roman Rite. You will be bound by their guidelines for holy days, fasting and etc.

 

[Anastasia13]

You can “convert” but it is only once and you need special permission from your bishop and the bishop of the rite you wish to join. You only get to do this once. So if you change to an Eastern Rite you cannot decide later to change back to the Roman Rite. You will be bound by their guidelines for holy days, fasting and etc.

May I ask a hypothetical that may be a bit drawn out? Suppose someone changes rites, then has to move to an area where the only rite available is another rite, and for some reason (let’s put him in a low-tech area of the South Pacific or something), he is not able to access the calendars for his own rite and cannot perfectly maintain the fasting and such. What should he do?

 

[OLofMtCarmel]

Eastern Catholics, from my understanding, should go to the available rite’s divine liturgy or mass. There are some people that are located in remote areas that the Eucharist is not even available. The does not mean they can’t have a Liturgy of the Word or communion service, depending on the permissions given them by the bishop over they region. I’m open to hear other thoughts. But I was interested in transferring to another rite and found out the way to do so. However, my convert wife was not willing to go that far, so I stopped seeking it for her sake and the sake of our children. I remain Catholic - Latin rite.

 

[Anastasia13]

Eastern Catholics, from my understanding, should go to the available rite’s divine liturgy or mass. There are some people that are located in remote areas that the Eucharist is not even available. The does not mean they can’t have a Liturgy of the Word or communion service, depending on the permissions given them by the bishop over they region. I’m open to hear other thoughts. But I was interested in transferring to another rite and found out the way to do so. However, my convert wife was not willing to go that far, so I stopped seeking it for her sake and the sake of our children. I remain Catholic - Latin rite.

But what if hypothetically they lost track of the calendar schedules and cannot get a copy for a couple of months, meanwhile, things happen in both rites, a local one and their rite. They just do the best they can to follow their rite?

 

[Aramis]

But what if hypothetically they lost track of the calendar schedules and cannot get a copy for a couple of months, meanwhile, things happen in both rites, a local one and their rite. They just do the best they can to follow their rite?

In general, there are VERY few places one can’t get to a Catholic Church. The general principle is you obey your rite as you can, but when unable to participate in your own rite, then you may adopt the calendar of a parish of another rite that is in the area.

But note: A Ukrainian or Ruthenian with a Melkite parish nearby has access to their own rite, albeit a different recension and use. Likewise, the Indian and Syrian churches.

Likewise, a Byzantine in Ethiopia for an extended stay may adopt for his time there the calendar of the Ethiopian Church (which is a recension of the Alexandrian Rite) or the Roman, whichever the parish he attends uses. Ethiopia is special, tho - even the Roman Rite parishes are usually staffed by Ethiopian priests with dual faculties.

Note that the other prescriptions are not to be ignored. If your home rite has a fast for 14 days prior to the Dormition, then 14 days prior to the Dormition, you fast per your rite’s traditional fast, unless specifically exempted by the bishop of the place.

Even if one is denied transfer, exemptions/indults can be granted to allow one to practice as a member of another church. This is done often for Russian Orthodox received into the Roman Church in Alaska.

 

[5Loaves]

You can “convert” but it is only once and you need special permission from your bishop and the bishop of the rite you wish to join. You only get to do this once.** So if you change to an Eastern Rite you cannot decide later to change back to the Roman Rite**. You will be bound by their guidelines for holy days, fasting and etc.

These are particular Churches- the Latin Church with various liturgical rites, predominately the Roman Rite, and 21 Eastern and Oriental autonomous Churches sui uris, with various liturgical rites. There is no “converting”. Conversion is when someone who is not Christian becomes Christian by the Rites of Initiation.

One may have a canonical change of Church more than once.

CIC Code of the Latin Church:
Can. 112 §1 After the reception of baptism, the following become members of another autonomous ritual Church:
1° those who have obtained permission from the Apostolic See;
2° a spouse who, on entering marriage or during its course, has declared that he or she is transferring to the autonomous ritual
Church of the other spouse; on the dissolution of the marriage, however, that person may freely return to the latin Church;
3° the children of those mentioned in nn. 1 and 2 who have not completed their fourteenth year, and likewise in a mixed marriage** the children of a catholic party who has lawfully transferred to another ritual Church; on completion of their fourteenth year, however, they may return to the latin Church. **

CCEO Code of the Eastern Catholic Churches
Canon 33 A wife is at liberty to transfer to the Church of the husband at the celebration of or during the marriage; when the marriage has ended, she can freely return to the original Church sui iuris.

 

[5Loaves]

But what if hypothetically they lost track of the calendar schedules and cannot get a copy for a couple of months, meanwhile, things happen in both rites, a local one and their rite. They just do the best they can to follow their rite?

When in doubt, ask your spiritual father.

 

[OLofMtCarmel]

These are particular Churches- the Latin Church with various liturgical rites, predominately the Roman Rite, and 21 Eastern and Oriental autonomous Churches sui uris, with various liturgical rites. There is no “converting”. Conversion is when someone who is not Christian becomes Christian by the Rites of Initiation.

One may have a canonical change of Church more than once.

CIC Code of the Latin Church:
Can. 112 §1 After the reception of baptism, the following become members of another autonomous ritual Church:
1° those who have obtained permission from the Apostolic See;
2° a spouse who, on entering marriage or during its course, has declared that he or she is transferring to the autonomous ritual
Church of the other spouse; on the dissolution of the marriage, however, that person may freely return to the latin Church;
3° the children of those mentioned in nn. 1 and 2 who have not completed their fourteenth year, and likewise in a mixed marriage** the children of a catholic party who has lawfully transferred to another ritual Church; on completion of their fourteenth year, however, they may return to the latin Church. **

CCEO Code of the Eastern Catholic Churches
Canon 33 A wife is at liberty to transfer to the Church of the husband at the celebration of or during the marriage; when the marriage has ended, she can freely return to the original Church sui iuris.

I know a family friend, a bishop, that wanted to become a priest but was denied when they discovered he and his parents for Eastern Catholic. Not sure which rite off the top of my head without looking. But in order to continue his formation towards the priesthood in the Latin rite, had to request his parents to transfer to the Latin rite as well in order to prevent conflict. I was amazed to read that they did transfer on his account. He was once known as Fr. Sammy to my family and later I discovered that he was elevated to Bishop, now retired. He’s located in the Houma-Thibadaux Diocese of Louisiana if you’re interested in his life. My friend, a priest about to be inducted as an oblate of the Benedictines is in that parish as Vocation Director until he transfers.

 

[ScottBb]

My question was purely academic. The closest Eastern Catholic church is four hours away from my home. I appreciate all the responses.

 

[Anastasia13]

In general, there are VERY few places one can’t get to a Catholic Church. The general principle is you obey your rite as you can, but when unable to participate in your own rite, then you may adopt the calendar of a parish of another rite that is in the area.

But note: A Ukrainian or Ruthenian with a Melkite parish nearby has access to their own rite, albeit a different recension and use. Likewise, the Indian and Syrian churches.

Likewise, a Byzantine in Ethiopia for an extended stay may adopt for his time there the calendar of the Ethiopian Church (which is a recension of the Alexandrian Rite) or the Roman, whichever the parish he attends uses. Ethiopia is special, tho - even the Roman Rite parishes are usually staffed by Ethiopian priests with dual faculties.

Note that the other prescriptions are not to be ignored. If your home rite has a fast for 14 days prior to the Dormition, then 14 days prior to the Dormition, you fast per your rite’s traditional fast, unless specifically exempted by the bishop of the place.

Even if one is denied transfer, exemptions/indults can be granted to allow one to practice as a member of another church. This is done often for Russian Orthodox received into the Roman Church in Alaska.

I’m a uncertain about what you mean by “A Ukrainian or Ruthenian with a Melkite parish nearby has access to their own rite, albeit a different recension and use.” Can you rephrase and elaborate slightly? Do you mean Melkite is another addition of their rite and not a completely different one?

 

[RyanBlack]

I’m a uncertain about what you mean by “A Ukrainian or Ruthenian with a Melkite parish nearby has access to their own rite, albeit a different recension and use.” Can you rephrase and elaborate slightly? Do you mean Melkite is another addition of their rite and not a completely different one?

Ukrainian, Ruthenian, and Melkite Catholics are all of the Byzantine, or Constantinopolitan, rite.

 

[Aramis]

I’m a uncertain about what you mean by “A Ukrainian or Ruthenian with a Melkite parish nearby has access to their own rite, albeit a different recension and use.” Can you rephrase and elaborate slightly? Do you mean Melkite is another addition of their rite and not a completely different one?

The Catholic “Church” (Really, it’s the Catholic Communion, but called the Catholic Church) is 20-24 specific churches (numbers have varied recently), most with separate hierarchies of bishops, united under the pope. The churches within practice one of six major Rites: Roman, Alexandrian, Byzantine, East Syrian, West Syrian, Armenian.

The Roman church has several Rites-Minor - Roman, Mozarabic, Ambrosian, Bragan, Dominican, Carmelite, Carthusian, Dalmatian… (Those last three are not commonly used now), plus the Roman rite uses of the Extraordinary (Tridentine) Form, Ordinary (Pauline) form, Dominican Use (Dominican Rite propers but the Pauline missal), Anglican Use (Anglican Catholic Missal).

The 22 other churches each fall into one of those rites major, except the Ethiopian, which has both Alexandrian and Roman Rite-major represented, including priests of both native to the Ethiopian Church.

The Rites are divided into Recensions, which have particular differences, often different liturgies. Churches of the same Recension generally have the same liturgical texts, albeit with minor differences.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church (including the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh and the 3 sees in Europe) are part of the Ruthenian Recension of the Byzantine Rite, and part of the Slavo-byzantine Tradition.

The Melkites are of the Syro-Byzantine Tradition, and a recension of their own, but are also Byzantine Rite.

The Copts are a recension of the Alexandrian Rite.
The Ethiopians are a recension and/or Tradition within the Alexandrian Rite, quite distinct from the Copts, but of the same heritage.
The Eritreans are a use within the Ethiopian Recension of the Alexandrian Rite. Distinct, but much closer to the Ethiopian than the Coptic. Eritrian Catholic Priests are part of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, but Eritrian Orthodox are a separate church entirely from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tehwado Church.