Eastern Catholic Conversion

[stbruderklaus]

Good afternoon,

I’m fairly familiar with the RCIA process in the Roman Catholic Church, particularly as it plays out in the Latin Rite. I think I also understand how the potential reception of priests from non-Roman Catholic Christian communions works, when they petition and are received into the Latin Rite.

My question is this: if a Lutheran or Anglican priest wanted to be received into one of the Eastern Rite churches in fellowship with Rome, would they then function under that particular Eastern Rite’s discipline and structure, rather than the Latin? For example, while married priests are peculiar in the Latin Rite, most of the Eastern Rites still practice this regularly… along with different fasting and liturgical canons.

As I watch some of the wrangling between Anglicans and Roman Catholics with the newly implemented Apostolic Constitution which is designed to welcome Anglican conversions en masse, I couldn’t help but wonder if any of the Eastern Rite churches in communion with Rome could have just as easily been a landing spot for married Anglican (and potentially Lutheran) priests who would rather be under the eastern disciplines than the Latin. Can the Eastern Rite churches receive convert priests from other Christian communions, and bring them into the life and discipline of their particular Rite?

Grace and peace.

 

[Filioque]

Good afternoon,
I’m fairly familiar with the RCIA process in the Roman Catholic Church, particularly as it plays out in the Latin Rite. I think I also understand how the potential reception of priests from non-Roman Catholic Christian communions works, when they petition and are received into the Latin Rite.
My question is this: if a Lutheran or Anglican priest wanted to be received into one of the Eastern Rite churches in fellowship with Rome, would they then function under that particular Eastern Rite’s discipline and structure, rather than the Latin? For example, while married priests are peculiar in the Latin Rite, most of the Eastern Rites still practice this regularly… along with different fasting and liturgical canons.
As I watch some of the wrangling between Anglicans and Roman Catholics with the newly implemented Apostolic Constitution which is designed to welcome Anglican conversions en masse, I couldn’t help but wonder if any of the Eastern Rite churches in communion with Rome could have just as easily been a landing spot for married Anglican (and potentially Lutheran) priests who would rather be under the eastern disciplines than the Latin. Can the Eastern Rite churches receive convert priests from other Christian communions, and bring them into the life and discipline of their particular Rite?
Grace and peace.

My take on it is this. Either the convert clergyman who becomes Latin Rite or Eastern Rite Catholic, the norm, even with the new provision from Pope Benedict is not to simply convert and automatically be ordained, or if proving valid apostolic succession (in the case of Anglicans who had Old Catholic bishops conditionally ordain them) the aspirant for Holy Orders in the Catholic Church normally goes through a period as a layman in the Catholic Church. Typically two years, after which he (with the consent of his wife, and the Ordianry of the diocese) goes through a period of formation (spiritual and academic) before ordination to the diaconate and priesthood.

What the new provisions are aimed at is how to accomodate large groups of Anglicans who may convert, allowing them to maintain some of the traditionas of their former practice that are not in conflict with Catholic teaching or liturgical praxis.

 

[stbruderklaus]

Thank you for the perspective. I agree, that is normally what I have witnessed for those who have swum the Tiber, so to speak.

My question, however, is specific to the applied discipline in the Eastern Rites, including their canonical and liturgical norms. I’ve never encountered a person who entered the Roman communion as a priest through the Eastern Rites, and I was curious how this might be different from entering through the Latin Rite.

Grace and peace.

 

[Filioque]

Thank you for the perspective. I agree, that is normally what I have witnessed for those who have swum the Tiber, so to speak.

My question, however, is specific to the applied discipline in the Eastern Rites, including their canonical and liturgical norms. I’ve never encountered a person who entered the Roman communion as a priest through the Eastern Rites, and I was curious how this might be different from entering through the Latin Rite.

Grace and peace.

I’ve heard of a handful, both among the Orthodox and Catholic Eastern Churches. I don’t know names or circumstances, but I’ll see if I can find out.

 

[bpbasilphx]

I personally know a couple of men who were raised Latin, converted to Orthodoxy, were ordained there, and returned as active priests to the Catholic Church in one of the Eastern sui juris churches (NOT “rites”).

 

[Aramis]

If the bishop can accomodate him*, an Orthodox priest “swimming the tiber” is accepted by vesting… that is, he arrives at DL in his cassock(s), makes his profession of faith, and is then vested by the bishop… or at least, handed his vestments in the bishop’s presence, and vested publicly. I’ve seen photos of it done during a Roman mass; the Orthodox priest then proceeded to concelebrate with the bishop.

Those who can not be accommodated as priests may be asked to just attend and commune until such time as they can.

• No more than one marriage, any marriage is valid, no canonical suspensions for heresy, can afford to pay him, provable apostolic succession, etc.

 

[stbruderklaus]

Very interesting-- thanks for the insight.

I suppose I could actually try to research the particular canons of the Eastern Rite Churches, and try to understand their ordination processes as well as their reception canons for priests outside their particular churches. Does anyone have a good link to such resources? If nothing else, it would be a fascinating study.

Thanks for the charity in your responses. Peace be with you all this Lenten season.

 

[Filioque]

You may want to do a search for ekonomia. My posting was more directed at Lutherans and Anglicans who may convert to the East, as the question is both of vocation and validity of orders.

Eastern Orthodox orders are not questioned, except for a period of time with one group, commonly called the “Eparchy of the hand”. I seem to recall that episode was rectified later.