How do I become Eastern Catholic?

[Madaglan]

Hey, I am thinking about going to an Eastern Catholic church in my area. I have been reading a lot about the Eastern spiritual traditions, and I really feel more strongly about them than my own Western ones. So, I’m thinking about changing my rite from Latin Rite to one of the Eastern Catholic churches. However, I don’t know any Eastern Catholics in person, and although I now know some about the Eastern Catholic tradition, I’m not so clear on the particulars in how the tradition is affected by the communion of the Eastern Catholic churches with Rome and Pope John Paul II.

I wrote a private message to someone yesterday, but he has not responded yet; so I ask here the same questions I asked him. Maybe I can get several views until he responds…

1. How do I become a full-pledged member of an Eastern Catholic Church? There’s a Ruthenian church in close proximity to me, so I am thinking that, if I like the church, I might want to become a member.
2. I am planning on studying Theology at Franciscan University, which means that I might down the road work for a diocese. If I work for a Latin Rite diocese, can I still be the member of an Eastern Catholic Church?
3. Concerning the actual BELIEFS of the Eastern Catholic churches: Are they the same as the Latin Rite Chucrh? I mean, do the Eastern Catholics hold to the Orthodox understanding of Original Sin, divorce, Tradition, etc.–or do they give up these understandings and submit to what is in the CCC? I am having difficulties understanding how the Eastern Catholics can maintain their Orthodox identity and theologies and then believe in what are the products of Western theology.
4. This might seem far out: but what if down the road I get married and then decide I have a calling to the priesthood. Are there Eastern Catholic seminaries in the U.S.?
5. Does it really matter if I’m not the same ethniticity as the original people in the church? I’m 25% Slovak and 25% Hungarian (Eastern European), so luckily I think I would fit in at an Eastern Catholic church. I’m really thinking about the Ruthenian church, since they seem to be Slavik, sorta like me. .

Thanks for any help you can give! :yup:

 

[Theodred]

1) How do I become a full-pledged member of an Eastern Catholic Church? There’s a Ruthenian church in close proximity to me, so I am thinking that, if I like the church, I might want to become a member.

I believe that you can change Churches once in your life time. Such an important decision would obviously require quite a bit of discernment and the involvement of your pastor and respective bishops. You may attend any Catholic Church regardless of which is your baptismal Church, but you are always responsible for the financial welfare of your local baptismal Church regardless of where you normally attend the Divine Liturgy.

2) I am planning on studying Theology at Franciscan University, which means that I might down the road work for a diocese. If I work for a Latin Rite diocese, can I still be the member of an Eastern Catholic Church?

It wouldn’t matter. A Catholic is a Catholic, whether he calls it the Mass or the Divine Liturgy.

3) Concerning the actual BELIEFS of the Eastern Catholic churches: Are they the same as the Latin Rite Chucrh? I mean, do the Eastern Catholics hold to the Orthodox understanding of Original Sin, divorce, Tradition, etc.–or do they give up these understandings and submit to what is in the CCC? I am having difficulties understanding how the Eastern Catholics can maintain their Orthodox identity and theologies and then believe in what are the products of Western theology.

Catholics of the Eastern Churches are fully Catholic, and therefore assent to the ancient teachings of the Church’s Magisterium. This would include everything in the CCC.

4) This might seem far out: but what if down the road I get married and then decide I have a calling to the priesthood. Are there Eastern Catholic seminaries in the U.S.?

Celebacy is required for Eastern Rite Catholic priests in the US. This may change in the future, but I doubt it. My suggestion would be to not get married if you think you have a calling to the priesthood. Both ordination and marriage require a long period of discernment, and there’s nothing wrong with taking your time to figure it out.

5) Does it really matter if I’m not the same ethniticity as the original people in the church? I’m 25% Slovak and 25% Hungarian (Eastern European), so luckily I think I would fit in at an Eastern Catholic church. I’m really thinking about the Ruthenian church, since they seem to be Slavik, sorta like me.

No, it shouldn’t (in an ideal world).

 

[Theodred]

3) Concerning the actual BELIEFS of the Eastern Catholic churches: Are they the same as the Latin Rite Chucrh? I mean, do the Eastern Catholics hold to the Orthodox understanding of Original Sin, divorce, Tradition, etc.–or do they give up these understandings and submit to what is in the CCC? I am having difficulties understanding how the Eastern Catholics can maintain their Orthodox identity and theologies and then believe in what are the products of Western theology.

Just to be absolutely clear here. The Eastern Catholic Churches do not have an “Orthodox” identity, if what you mean by “Orthodox identity” is something equal to the Eastern Orthodox Churches. While the Eastern Catholic Churches may use the same liturgical rites as the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Eastern Catholic Churches do not ascribe to many of the positions, both theological and spiritual, of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The most obvious, of course, being Eastern Orthodoxy’s denial of Papal sui juris authority and infallibility, and their condemnation of filioque.

 

[Edwin1961]

I have a website that you may want to view:

byzantinecatholic.com/radio.htm

Actually it’s a link for a radio program that explains The Eastern Catholic Church, and it is very well done.

I met Fr. Tom Loya when he was here in August for a visit and my Pastor is friends with him.

Since I returned to my Eastern Rite Catholicism, I have learned quite a bit. I believe God fave me a second chance to re-learn what I missed when I was a child.

God IS with Us!
Edwin

 

[Kielbasi]

How do I become a full-pledged member of an Eastern Catholic Church? There’s a Ruthenian church in close proximity to me, so I am thinking that, if I like the church, I might want to become a member.

I don’t get this, if you’ve never attended ( I assume this as you said “if I like the church”) why are you jumping ahead and ready to consider joining it already?

You should know that you are certainly free to attend liturgies at a byzantine parish even if you never become a member.

You should also know that most parishes would probably allow you to take classes in pysanka and other aspects of byzantine culture and faith, even if you aren’t a member. Heck, even if you aren’t Catholic, BTW. An African American baptist woman of my acquaintance learned how to make beautiful pysanka at a local byzantine church for a small charge for the materials. People, including byzantines, are usually more than pleased to teach folks about it who want to learn.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Théodred:

Celebacy is required for Eastern Rite Catholic priests in the US. This may change in the future, but I doubt it. My suggestion would be to not get married if you think you have a calling to the priesthood. Both ordination and marriage require a long period of discernment, and there’s nothing wrong with taking your time to figure it out.

Small, correction (or, perhaps, big correction). There are numerous married priests in the Eastern Catholic Churches serving in the United States. The Melkites have ordained several married men to the priesthood. The former requirement that priests in the United States and Canada be celibate no longer apply.

Madaglan:

Hey, I am thinking about going to an Eastern Catholic church in my area. I have been reading a lot about the Eastern spiritual traditions, and I really feel more strongly about them than my own Western ones. So, I’m thinking about changing my rite from Latin Rite to one of the Eastern Catholic churches. However, I don’t know any Eastern Catholics in person, and although I now know some about the Eastern Catholic tradition, I’m not so clear on the particulars in how the tradition is affected by the communion of the Eastern Catholic churches with Rome and Pope John Paul II.

Since changing ritual Churches requires the permission of both the Eastern bishop that would receive you and the Western bishop that would give you up, plus Rome, it is not a step to be undertaken easily. Secondly, you really need to be active in an Eastern parish for five years or so before a priest will even vouch for you.

So, go, visit Eastern Catholic parishes. Attend their liturgies, grow into an Eastern spirituality. Learn about Eastern traditions, practices, and ways of living. Get active in the parish. Then, in a few years, if you are still thinking of changing ritual Churches, go ahead – but remember it’s a one-way road. You can only make such a change one time in you life.

Deacon Ed

 

[Theodred]

Deacon Ed:

Small, correction (or, perhaps, big correction). There are numerous married priests in the Eastern Catholic Churches serving in the United States. The Melkites have ordained several married men to the priesthood. The former requirement that priests in the United States and Canada be celibate no longer apply.

I wasn’t aware of this. Is celebacy still required of the Byzantines and Maronites?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

ThŽodred:

I wasn’t aware of this. Is celebacy still required of the Byzantines and Maronites?

I can not speak for the Maronites but for the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church it is not. We have two married seminarians at our seminary now.

The Ukrainians in both the USA and Canada have ordained married men.

 

[mgy100]

I’m fairly certain the ukrainians ordain marrried men as well. I’m fairly certain it is the traditinal lustom in the eastern to have priests. I think the celibate priest thing in the eastern church was more or less a rub off of latin traditions and eastern churches are more and more being told to go back to being eastern and loose the latin influences (like stations of the cross, calling the Divine Liturgy “mass”, allowing married priests, getting rid of pews). I am no expert, correct me if I am wrong. But the GREATEST thing is we are all Catholic and we are all brothers. One holy and apostolic Catholic church.

 

[katolik]

WELL some Eastern Catholics are throwing away things to be more Orthodox than the Orthodox. In the home country Orthodox have the stations of the Cross under the eastern form of a moleben,[ daily matins,saturday vespers and sunday akathists!

mgy100:

I’m fairly certain the ukrainians ordain marrried men as well. I’m fairly certain it is the traditinal lustom in the eastern to have priests. I think the celibate priest thing in the eastern church was more or less a rub off of latin traditions and eastern churches are more and more being told to go back to being eastern and loose the latin influences (like stations of the cross, calling the Divine Liturgy “mass”, allowing married priests, getting rid of pews). I am no expert, correct me if I am wrong. But the GREATEST thing is we are all Catholic and we are all brothers. One holy and apostolic Catholic church.

](http://www.olrl.org/pray/pieta/15prom.shtml)

 

[Maccabees]

Reading a few books about Eastern spirituality is one thing.
But to to drop the latin rite when not even attending a eastern rite is a bit presumptious. Look the Eastern rite is not an escapte the life of each church it its liturgy and you can’t really get what that is about only from a book you need to and breath that church’s litruty for a year or two before making such an important decission. You can’t go back its a one time discision. You might be all giddy the first 6 months because its different but the newness thing wears off after a while. I visit eastern churches regularly but I choose not to transfer becasue I had to be honest with myself I think latin. I see the world in terms of original sin and the suffering christ I am a kneeler not stander. I like to visit but I do have the need to come home after my fliteration with something different. Try it you could be a bonafide Byzantine. But take time different isn’t always better even if you like some aspects of the East better it doesn’t mean you are an Eastern Christian it means you now breathe with 2 lungs and more well rounded perspective like the Pope asks us to.
After at least a year of living and breathing in the rite feel free to make a decision but don’t rush things.