Glory to Jesus Christ!
Since you have been baptized and chrismated in an Eastern Orthodox Church you are ascribed to the corresponding Eastern Catholic Church upon making your profession of faith in any Church in communion with Rome, Latin or otherwise. Can 35, as has been cited previously applies as does Canon 32.1-2 of the Eastern Code:
ā1. No one can validly transfer to another Church sui iuris
without the consent of the Apostolic See. 2. In the case of
Christian faithful of an eparchy of a certain Church sui iuris
who petition to transfer to another Church sui iuris which has
its own eparchy in the same territory, this consent of the
Apostolic See is presumed, provided that the eparchial bishops of
both eparchies consent to the transfer in writing.ā
and this being most important after Vatican II, Canon 31:
Canon 31
āNo one can presume in any way to induce the Christian faithful to
transfer to another Church sui iuris.ā
In other words because you are already baptized and chrismated the provisions of Canon 30:
āAnyone to be baptized who has completed the fourteenth year of
age can freely select any Church sui iuris in which he or she
then is enrolled by virtue of baptism received in that same
Church, with due regard for particular law established by the
Apostolic See.ā --Cannot apply to your case.
If you feel that your conversion to the Catholic Church is rooted in your attachment to the Latin Church and that after investigating the Eastern Catholic Church you would be ascribed or attached to, you definately desire to be a member of the Latin Church, you can in consultation with your pastor write a letter to the Latin bishop closest to your physical residence or domicile requesting that you of your own free will desire to be transfered to the Latin Church and that while respecting the sensitive issues involved with this transfer you feel that the Latin Church is the autonomous Church you desire to belong to at your reception into the Church. Your pastor should also write a letter of recommendation to the bishop. With this documentation should be provided real sacramental records, birth records, and name change forms (if any), and marriage records. This should all be sent to the Judicial Vicar or Chancellor of the Diocese via 1st class mail.
Usually, in order to change ritual Churches from the Byzantine to the Latin Church more than a simple desire to transfer is in order, since the Eastern Catholic Churches are so small in number and in practice it is harder to transfer from the Byzantine to the Latin Churchābecause of the historical issues of Latin clergy poaching Eastern faithfulāthat is another off-topic issue. Usually, the transfer is easier if you desire to enter a Latin religious order or in the case of men to enter a Latin seminary and practice as a Latin priest.
You can try your case, but it is most unlikely, that a simple desire to transfer is going to cut it. The bishop will most likely instruct you that you can practice in any Catholic Church you desire, and ritual transfer is unnecessaryāwhich it really is since you can practice in any ritual Church you desire.
Investigate the Byzantine Church you would be ascribed to, contact its chancery and talk to the judicial vicar or chancellorāexplain your situation. But, the most important thing is to not get caught up in the legal issues. The bottom line is that you are called to a lifelong conversion and not just a one shot and itās done kind-of thing. I understand the need to know oneās place in the Church, so if you are meant to be Latin Catholic it will happen and if not be grateful that you have come home to union with the Holy Father. Make sure to contact the Byzantine chancery that would closest match the Orthodox Church you belonged to, whether Greek, Ruthenian, Ukrainian etc. Family heritage will also be another important issue in this transfer process. If you come from a family of Orthodox for example, most likely you will stay Eastern Catholic after being received, but you will be able to practice as a Latin Catholic if that is what you desire, although you should be encouraged to practice your Rite everywhere (Eastern Code, Canon 35). Now if you are Greek Orthodox, there generally are no Hellenistic Greek Catholic Churches to sacramentally participate in, so you can choose any of the Eastern Catholic Churches that hold to the Byzantine Rite and belong to one of them. I believe all you have to do is just settle in to a parish, there is no paperwork to do, but ask a priest or judicial vicar of the eparchy you desire to belong to.
Another reality in your case is that even though the priest may tell you that you will be a member of the Latin Church you will not be as Canon 112.2 of the Latin Code states:
" The custom, however prolonged, of receiving the sacraments according to the rite of another Ritual Church sui iuris, does not carry with it enrollment in that Church."
Therefore, automatically upon making a profession of faith you become a Byzantine Catholic, and would need to make a petition to the Latin bishop with the support of your pastor to transfer; after the Byzantine bishop has agreed to the transfer and approved it he will send a letter to the Latin bishop agreeing to the transfer and the Latin bishop after he has agreed will send you a letter stating you are now a member of the Latin Church and the priest will issue a new baptismal certificate with the change of ritual Church in the notation.
Again, consult both the Latin and Byzantine tribunals in this case.
Sorry, it couldnāt be easy for you in regard to this matter.
In Christ,
Robert
Iām sorry Iām not sure where to ask this questionā¦