Considering a Byzantine Catholic Church for Confirmation

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theistgal said:
You say you’re steeped in Church doctrine and dogma, yet you also seem to think that the Byzantine and Latin rites are interchangeable, hardly different at all.

But there are significant differences in the liturgy, in prayers and devotions, and in theological expressions.

Just to give one example - are you attracted to Eucharistic Adoration? Then you should probably stay with the Latin Rite because (as always with a few exceptions), most Byzantine Rite churches do not practice this devotion.

That’s just one example but there are many others to consider before making this decision. (And I didn’t mean any of this to sound rude, so if it does, my apologies - I just want to be sure you know this is kind of an important decision and one that may require a little more pondering. 🙂 )
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Are there differences in Theology. Do the Byzantine Rite believe in Purgatory?
 
kitkatty said:
Just another thought to add to Catherines excellent post. Although raised Byzantine I do have a devotion to the Rosary and there are lots of other Eastern Catholics who do too. Maybe because there are still a lot of us around who were brought up when things were more Latinized in the Byzantine Church than they are now. I guess Im saying if you have a Latin devotion or two you like this still shouldnt stop you from becoming Byzantine, just don`t expect these devotions to be done publicly in Byzantine parishes because they really have no place as public devotions in the Byzantine Church. But if you find yourself with a lot of attachment to mostly Latin devotions than maybe that is the spirituality for you. Whichever way you end up going my prayers, have a good journey, you will have learned much on the way; and I will congratulate on your decision to enter the Catholic Church!
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Thank You.
 
holdencaulfield said:
Are there differences in Theology. Do the Byzantine Rite believe in Purgatory?
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We pray for all souls… We don’t call it purgatory… Eh… If you wanted to call your prayers for the dead the praying for those in “P” you could do just that… Or you could just leave it at your prayers for the dead.
 
ASimpleSinner said:
We pray for all souls… We don’t call it purgatory… Eh… If you wanted to call your prayers for the dead the praying for those in “P” you could do just that… Or you could just leave it at your prayers for the dead.
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This is why my question comes up. Ok so basically your belief is Purgatory, just a little bit less defined. However, regardless you believe in it. However how can’t you not believe in it. Because you follow the Bishop of Rome and Purgatory was defined in the Council of Trent. I can see why it doesn’t have to be included in your Liturgy however don’t you have to believe in it. Also what do you believe about with the Original Sin. I know Eastern Christians don’t believe in it, however it’s doctrine for the Western Church. :confused:
 
holdencaulfield said:
This is why my question comes up. Ok so basically your belief is Purgatory, just a little bit less defined. However, regardless you believe in it. However how can’t you not believe in it. Because you follow the Bishop of Rome and Purgatory was defined in the Council of Trent. I can see why it doesn’t have to be included in your Liturgy however don’t you have to believe in it. Also what do you believe about with the Original Sin. I know Eastern Christians don’t believe in it, however it’s doctrine for the Western Church. :confused:
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We are required to believe that there is a place &/or state that is neither heaven nor hell, and that prior to the end of time, it will be emptied during the final judgement. That’s pretty much all that is required belief.

The actual dogmatic definition is EXTREMELY vague. For a a reason: the theologumenae built up around the time between death and judgement are widely varied throughout the catholic church; the latin “place of purrification by fire” is but one of many views of it.
 
How about the Original Sin. Do you have to believe in that.
 
holdencaulfield said:
How about the Original Sin. Do you have to believe in that.
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Yes, just as the Orthodox do – we have to believe that man sinned and, as a consequence, death entered the world. we have to believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God, but that image is deformed. Thus, we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus and throughout our lives in the process of Theosis we try to grow closer to and more like God.

Instead of asking questions one at a time (which could take until the parousia to answer) it would be better to talk to your local parish priest – especially if you are interested in becoming a Byzantine Catholic.

Deacon Ed
 
holdencaulfield said:
Why was it a mistake for you?
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I don’t wish to go into detail, because a lot of it is very personal. In the final analysis, what I went through, and what my family went through with the parish and the diocese wasn’t worth being out of communion with Rome. There was always this feeling of being detached from something very important. Part of that may come from the fact that I was raised in the Catholic Church, and so yes, being Catholic was/is part of my personal identity. For you, this would not be an issue, since you were not raised in the Catholic Church.

At the same time, the Divine Liturgy spoke to me in a very meaningful way. I was disheartened by the watered down Novus Ordo that was used in all the Roman Catholic parishes here (save for a few) but the Latin Mass did not speak to me.

I fully believe that if I had done more research and found the Byzantine Catholic Church before I found Orthodoxy, I would not have converted to Orthodoxy. It is always a mistake to convert when you are running away from something, rather than running towards something.

As it happens, the Byzantine-Ruthenian church has roots in Hungary, and I have Hungarian ancestry, so in a way I feel I have truly found my roots. We even meet in the local Hungarian Catholic church. 🙂
 
Deacon_Ed said:
Yes, just as the Orthodox do – we have to believe that man sinned and, as a consequence, death entered the world. we have to believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God, but that image is deformed. Thus, we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus and throughout our lives in the process of Theosis we try to grow closer to and more like God.

Instead of asking questions one at a time (which could take until the parousia to answer) it would be better to talk to your local parish priest – especially if you are interested in becoming a Byzantine Catholic.

Deacon Ed
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But that sounds like the Original Sin. Don’t they have to believe it though?
 
holdencaulfield said:
But that sounds like the Original Sin. Don’t they have to believe it though?
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Yes, it is “Original Sin” – but the Eastern understanding is different from that of the West in that the West sees it as personal while the East sees it as affecting the world.

Deacon Ed
 
Deacon_Ed said:
Yes, it is “Original Sin” – but the Eastern understanding is different from that of the West in that the West sees it as personal while the East sees it as affecting the world.

Deacon Ed
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Doesn’t sound very different to me lol.
 
So although they are in Communion with the Bishop of Rome, they are not binded to Western Theology?
 
Bound to Catholic Dogma, but that doesn`t mean it has to be through Western spirituality.
 
Aramis said:
In which case you need to be preparing within the program set up by whichever bishop’s parish will be accepting you into the Catholic Church.
In my case: because I want to be a byzantine. The Latin expression of the faith is not one that works for me. Despite being raised Latin-rite, and the son of a Latin deacon, I find that I can not meet my spiritual needs within the Latin Church on a long term basis. I do not wish to be subject to the Latin calendar, which is different from the Byzantine one.

For me, it is part of my identity that I am Byzantified. I wish to take the next step, and make it part of my identity within the church.

Further, I am still discerning a call to the deaconate; I know I do not wish to be a Latin-Rite deacon, for I do not appreciate either the TLM nor the “Ordinary Form” nearly as much as the DL of St John. A man may only be ordained within the same rite in which his church enrollment is held.
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This is the case for me as well. The Divine Liturgy trumps them all. I have also been very put off by liturgical abuses in the Novus Ordo, and I find that the Byzantine Rite has not been contaminated with the "spirit of vatican 2’.
 
holdencaulfield said:
How long do you think it would take for someone like me who is seeped in Church doctrine and dogma, and is not a cafeteria Catholic :eek:
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It will take longer than it might if you were to go Latin. The reason for this is because the Episcopal tradition was derived from the Latin Rite, and has more similarities.
 
I have decided to start attending a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Rite Parish and a Traditional Latin (FSSP) Rite Parish and choose between which one I like better.
 
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