Do I have to follow the obligations of my rite?

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I was baptized Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic. I consider myself culturally Byzantine Catholic since it is my heritage. However, I only go to a Byzantine mass once every month or two and go to the Latin Rite mass the rest of the time. However, am I bound under penalty of sin to find out what the obligations are in the Ruthenian Rite if I make sure to follow the Latin Rite ones? For example, the Ascension is moved to Sunday in the Latin Rite but it is not in the Ruthenian rite. Would it be a sin to miss mass on this day as a Ruthenian Catholic? Would I have to drive the 20 miles to a Byzantine liturgy? Am I required to follow the Ruthenian rules of fasting. I followed what I remember them being during Lent when I was a kid and went with my family. However, I have heard that the regulations have changed and that there are actually more times than just Lent where one should abstain from meat on Fridays and that perhaps even fish is not allowed, though that makes no sense since there is a fish symbol on the Byzantine callendar I have.

Finally, I kind of just feel very lonely and isolated as a Byzantine Catholic which is why I stopped going to it most of the time and got very involved with the Latin Rite. I just don’t feel like I get anything from the Eastern Rite. I don’t want to change my rite since it is my culture and I may one day feel more comfortabe with it again, but I also don’t want to be continually sinning if that is what I am doing.
 
I was baptized Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic. I consider myself culturally Byzantine Catholic since it is my heritage. However, I only go to a Byzantine mass once every month or two and go to the Latin Rite mass the rest of the time. However, am I bound under penalty of sin to find out what the obligations are in the Ruthenian Rite if I make sure to follow the Latin Rite ones?
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I cannot fairly opine about your ethnic situation because I have never visited an Ruthenian parish that is ethnic.

I don’t know what a Byzantine mass is or a Latin rite Mass. I have never heard of a Ruthenian Rite.
For example, the Ascension is moved to Sunday in the Latin Rite but it is not in the Ruthenian rite. Would it be a sin to miss mass on this day as a Ruthenian Catholic? Would I have to drive the 20 miles to a Byzantine liturgy? Am I required to follow the Ruthenian rules of fasting. I followed what I remember them being during Lent when I was a kid and went with my family. However, I have heard that the regulations have changed and that there are actually more times than just Lent where one should abstain from meat on Fridays and that perhaps even fish is not allowed, though that makes no sense since there is a fish symbol on the Byzantine callendar I have.
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A very superficial assessment of your post (which is all I can really give with the meger info you provided) shows that you seem to know little about your own Holy Traditions. in fact, i’m not Ruthenian and I can assure you, I have seen the regulations published by your Metropolia for the guidelines of the Great Fast accordning to your Metropolitan.

I suggest that you learn more about the actual Traditions your Church.
Finally, I kind of just feel very lonely and isolated as a Byzantine Catholic which is why I stopped going to it most of the time and got very involved with the Latin Rite. I just don’t feel like I get anything from the Eastern Rite. I don’t want to change my rite since it is my culture and I may one day feel more comfortabe with it again, but I also don’t want to be continually sinning if that is what I am doing.
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You mean you are more involved with the traditions of the Latin Rite, or do you mean to say you are more involved in the parish life of a certain church community in the Roman Catholic church?

What are you looking for in the “Eastern Rite”? By “Eastern Rite”, you mean the Byzantine Rite? There are several “eastern rites” in the Catholic Church.

All in all you are obliged to follow the fasts and feasts of the sui iuris Church of which you are a canonical member.
 
Finally, I kind of just feel very lonely and isolated as a Byzantine Catholic which is why I stopped going to it most of the time and got very involved with the Latin Rite.

With all respect, may I ask you why, if you felt “isolated” in your Byzantine Catholic parish, how not attending it makes you feel less isolated? I’m puzzled.
 
Finally, I kind of just feel very lonely and isolated as a Byzantine Catholic which is why I stopped going to it most of the time and got very involved with the Latin Rite. I just don’t feel like I get anything from the Eastern Rite. I don’t want to change my rite since it is my culture and I may one day feel more comfortabe with it again, but I also don’t want to be continually sinning if that is what I am doing.

**Your first question was answered correctly by Laka, you are obligated to to keep to the obligations of your sui iuris Church. I also attend a Latin parish, the only reason is the Byzantine parish is ninety miles drive one way so it is rare when I do attend a Divine Liturgy. My sister(who lives near me) and I discussed this during Lent. I told her we were obligated to keep to the Byzantine fasting rules but it really wasnt a big thing to her. Like you she has pretty much assimilated into the Latin Church over the last twenty-five years or so as have many other Eastern Catholics who find themselves displaced from areas where there are Eastern parishes;and thats okay if you really feel more at home there but you are still obligated under canon law to observe Byzantine fasting. Im not quite clear from your post your feeling isolated as a Byzantine Catholic. Is this because most Catholics around you are Latins or do you feel isolated in the Byzantine parish when you are there? As another poster suggested you might feel less isolation if you attended on a more regular basis. Twenty miles isnt really all that far to go even if only a couple times a month or so but then I speak from the perspective of a rural person, in my neck of the woods most people go fifteen or twenty miles to work or to go to the local Wal-Mart. I dont know your age but if youre still a young adult I think it a good idea not to make a formal change at this time, you might very well decide later to pracrice as a Byzantine.
 
I’m in about the same boat as thrle OP, except I’m technically a Latin Catholic. I started attending a Maronite parish this past September. Reason being that all of the Latin parishes here have sadly slipped into heterodoxy and are more Protestant than my former Methodist community before converting. I feel so much more spiritually at home in the Maronite Church.

I’ve actually never been back to any of the Latin parishes in my area b/c of the heterodoxy as well as feeling a much deeper connection with the Holy Trinity. I plan to apply for a canonical change in about 12 months from now.

Al-Masih qam!

Alaha minokhoun,
Andrew
 
Yes, you are obligated to keep to the canons of your rite. As others have stated, what is it about the Byzantine-Ruthenian parish you attend that makes you feel isolated? If it is part of your culture I would think the 20 miles would be nothing (I drive 20 minutes through downtown traffic to attend at my Byzantine parish) if it is so important that you remain Byzantine. I know if I attended a Latin parish I would feel more isolated, whereas attending my parish once a week makes me feel more secure as an Eastern Catholic. 🙂

As my wonderful priest would say, you need to focus on what helps you be prayerful. If the Byzantine rite does not feel authentic for you, then you should look into a canonical change of rite and the Latin church. If your heritage is important to you, there are other ways of honoring that which would not make you feel less spiritually fulfilled.
 
Thanks for your responses. The Ruthenian Rite church is mainly old people or a few families with children I guess. There is nothing for young adults that I am aware of. I am in law school but still consider myself college age being only 23. I enjoy being a practicing Roman Catholic with everyone else I know. I feel isolated being a Ruthenian Catholic when everyone my age who are also faithful practicing Catholics are Latin Rite.
 
Can anyone provide a concrete source that I can read which would tell me I am under penalty of mortal sin if I do not follow the obligations of my rite but am in full compliance with the Latin Rite. Also, where can I find out what the obligations are. And, if possible, try to convince me why it would be beneficial for me spiritually if I am perfectly comfortable and happy with the Latin Rite. I already go to daily masses and adoration often and am really involved in the Latin Rite since I go to a Catholic school now and was really involved with my Newman Center in undergrad. I miss it so much and I wish I had that kind of time now to be just as actively involved with stuff. There is just so much more you can do in the Latin Rite. So many more Catholics, acitivites to get involved with, ways to be part of a community and help others. As soon as I get my law degree I’m sure there will be plenty of ways I can continue to be involved.
 
Finally, I just don’t want to abandon everything Latin Rite. I think things like adoration, the rosary, in paticular the Divine Mercy Chaplet, as well as beliefs in Purgatory, Immacuate Conception, the western saints, etc.
 
wjp984 said:
Finally, I just don’t want to abandon everything Latin Rite. I think things like adoration, the rosary, in paticular the Divine Mercy Chaplet, as well as beliefs in Purgatory, Immacuate Conception, the western saints, etc.
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So don’t switch rites, practice the required disciplines of your own rite, but attend the other rite’s liturgy’s if you wish. Why not? I’m Latin Rite but attend a Byzantine Rite church because I’m married to a Byzantine.

Have you consider speaking with a priest, of either rite, about your questions? Knowing your situation better, they could probably give you much better and more practical guidelines.
 
wjp984 said:
Finally, I just don’t want to abandon everything Latin Rite. I think things like adoration, the rosary, in paticular the Divine Mercy Chaplet, as well as beliefs in Purgatory, Immacuate Conception, the western saints, etc.
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I think you can just switch to the Latin Rite, if that’s what seems to make the most sense to you. I don’t know what’s involved with that - talk to your parish priest and get him to track down the information for you.
 
wjp984 said:
Can anyone provide a concrete source that I can read which would tell me I am under penalty of mortal sin if I do not follow the obligations of my rite but am in full compliance with the Latin Rite. Also, where can I find out what the obligations are. And, if possible, try to convince me why it would be beneficial for me spiritually if I am perfectly comfortable and happy with the Latin Rite. I already go to daily masses and adoration often and am really involved in the Latin Rite since I go to a Catholic school now and was really involved with my Newman Center in undergrad. I miss it so much and I wish I had that kind of time now to be just as actively involved with stuff. There is just so much more you can do in the Latin Rite. So many more Catholics, acitivites to get involved with, ways to be part of a community and help others. As soon as I get my law degree I’m sure there will be plenty of ways I can continue to be involved.
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Why don’t you ask a few of your Latin friends to attend a Divine Liturgy with you? Maybe they’ll like it and go with you more? Perhaps they’ll like it so much, they’ll bring their friends, etc., etc.

It’s possible! 👍

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
 
theistgal said:
So don’t switch rites, practice the required disciplines of your own rite, but attend the other rite’s liturgy’s if you wish. Why not? I’m Latin Rite but attend a Byzantine Rite church because I’m married to a Byzantine.

Have you consider speaking with a priest, of either rite, about your questions? Knowing your situation better, they could probably give you much better and more practical guidelines.
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What church do you go to? I bet I’ve heard of it or been to it before if it is in the Ruthenian rite.

I know that the Latin rite priests say I am not sinning when I go to confession. It is the select few people around my age that are my rite who are trying to tell me I have to follow my rite. I should rephrase. I am loyal above all else as in few things are more importnat to me, to my Newman Center while I was in undergrad and what I learned and established for my faith there. No one there was an Eastern Catholic. None of my friends are Eastern Catholic. I know a couple Ruthenian rite people at my school who are somewhat around my age. I’ve even gone to the liturgy with them at times. There just are no youth groups or ways to get involved in the Ruthenian Rite that I am aware of and as I mentioned, since my faith was grounded so much while a part of my Newman Center I don’t really care to change it.

Finally, 20 miles is a really long distance when you are in law school. While I post on here and watch tv when I’ve spent enough hours studying and before I go to bed, since I study/write through the night almost every Saturday I just want to sleep in, find a mass a couple miles away at a convenient time and enjoy the day.
 
jmcrae said:
I think you can just switch to the Latin Rite, if that’s what seems to make the most sense to you. I don’t know what’s involved with that - talk to your parish priest and get him to track down the information for you.
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I do not want to change rites. There are also things that I like about my rite that I would not want to give up. I really like the way the East makes the sign of the cross. I think it’s wonderful that the entire liturgy is chanted and that the congregation participates. It would be nice if there were a parish that had a choir though There was a really nice church that I went to in New Mexcio once while travelling that had one. The Ruthenian Rite churches are also a really nice community to be a part of if you are either a child or no longer a young adult. I could never choose one rite over the other. I like them both and have a mixed theology. I just believe in when in Rome do as the Romans do. When I am with Latin Rite people follow their rules and when I with Ruthenian Rite people I follow theirs.
 
I don’t know any more practical advice anyone here could give you than to speak with a priest at the church you’re most comfortable with, and follow the advice he gives you. Anything we could tell you would only be our opinion; his advice would be based on Church teaching and therefore be more valuable.

(And I attend St. Mary’s in Sherman Oaks, California.)
 
wjp984 said:
Thanks for your responses. The Ruthenian Rite church is mainly old people or a few families with children I guess. There is nothing for young adults that I am aware of. I am in law school but still consider myself college age being only 23. I enjoy being a practicing Roman Catholic with everyone else I know. I feel isolated being a Ruthenian Catholic when everyone my age who are also faithful practicing Catholics are Latin Rite.
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This is the reason why there aren’t that many youth left in the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church. Once the “youth” become independent, they don’t attend their Byzantine Church and just assimilate into the Roman Catholic Church. I think you can do what ever you want, as you now have adopted the Roman Church as your church. Why do you worry about laws of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church if you no longer attend?

U-C:confused:
 
Is that parish still doing alright? Every time I visit there seems to be less and less people attending. I assumed it was because everyone decided to go to the Latin Rite like me once they started the deLatinization of the Ruthenian church. That actually is the cause of my stubborness and dislike for my rite. Blame whoever you want, but if I am going to be brought up under one standard being catechized a certain way, and then be told, whoops, I guess we screwed up and you were not supposed to learn all that but instead you need to forget all that and do things like this since we are Eastern. That kind of creates a lot of confusion and mixes up your theology a lot. As a result, I’m just now more comfortable with the Latin Rite.
 
theistgal said:
I don’t know any more practical advice anyone here could give you than to speak with a priest at the church you’re most comfortable with, and follow the advice he gives you. Anything we could tell you would only be our opinion; his advice would be based on Church teaching and therefore be more valuable.

(And I attend St. Mary’s in Sherman Oaks, California.)
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Is that parish still doing alright? Every time I visit there seems to be less and less people attending. I assumed it was because everyone decided to go to the Latin Rite like me once they started the deLatinization of the Ruthenian church. That actually is the cause of my stubborness and dislike for my rite. Blame whoever you want, but if I am going to be brought up under one standard being catechized a certain way, and then be told, whoops, I guess we screwed up and you were not supposed to learn all that but instead you need to forget all that and do things like this since we are Eastern. That kind of creates a lot of confusion and mixes up your theology a lot. As a result, I’m just now more comfortable with the Latin Rite.
 
Ungcsertez said:
This is the reason why there aren’t that many youth left in the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church. Once the “youth” become independent, they don’t attend their Byzantine Church and just assimilate into the Roman Catholic Church. I think you can do what ever you want, as you now have adopted the Roman Church as your church. Why do you worry about laws of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church if you no longer attend?

U-C:confused:
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What do you expect? We have nowhere else to go. I don’t see any Byzantine Catholic priests going to Newman Centers or universities encouraging their members to remain faithful to their rite or for that matter educating the Roman Catholics about the different rites and giving them a chance to experience a Divine Liturgy. Well I’ve heard of one case in Philadelphia but Pennsylvania is the exception.
 
wjp984 said:
What do you expect? We have nowhere else to go. I don’t see any Byzantine Catholic priests going to Newman Centers or universities encouraging their members to remain faithful to their rite or for that matter educating the Roman Catholics about the different rites and giving them a chance to experience a Divine Liturgy. Well I’ve heard of one case in Philadelphia but Pennsylvania is the exception.
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How far is your Byzantine parish? Do you still go to a Newman Center? If there is a Byzantine Priest nearby, ask him to come sometime and share a little about his Church (whether it be Ruthenian, Ukrainian Greek, Melkite, etc). Ask him also to extend an invitation for the kids there to go to a Divine Liturgy, or perhaps he could offer one there if there were an appropriate space available.

Sadly, the Eastern Catholic Churches are America’s best kept secret. All Catholics, Eastern and Latin have the power to change them.

Al-Masih Qam!

Andrew
 
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