If one wanted to become Eastern Catholic, but was confirmed in the Latin Rite, what is required to make the switch? I’m assuming the confirmation process is different. Also, what is the most popular Eastern Catholic rite in the United States? Is there some sort of directory to find the nearest parishes in your area?
Thanks, God bless!
The canon law specifies how this could be done, but it may not be allowed.
Canon 112 (NCCCL, Beal, Coriden, Green)"… because ascription to a ritual church is definitive, it belongs to the status of persons."
“In effect, the canon distinguishes membership from liturgical practice. This means that change of ritual church membership occurs in one of the three ways provided for in paragraph one.”
CIC 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.
§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.
1993 Rescript: To canonical norm CIC 112, §1, 1/
CCEO Canon 32 section 2 presumes consent of the Apostolic See (
consensus praesumitur) for transfer of a Catholic of one Church *sui iuris *to another with overlapping territories. This rescript extends the consent to the faithful of the Latin Church.
