If a Roman Catholic became an Eastern Catholic

[porthos11]

Thanks for all the replys!! Even though there are some doctinal differences (Purgatory, The Assumption etc) its totally ok for a Roman Catholic to change rites? I have been Catholic only since Easter Vigil, but am very interested in the Eastern rites. Particularly the Byzantine rite. I want to do a lot of studying and thinking on this rote in particular. Any resources, links, books etc would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Changing churches is not to be done lightly. From the looks of it, your interest is just that, interest. It’s likely not serious enough at this point that the Latin and Eastern bishops allow the transfer. Besides, there is more to it than just the liturgy. By changing churches formally, you will also be subjecting yourself to the new church’s canon law, so you must be certain that you’re willing to live under the new disciplines as well (look up the rules for fasting, for example). And I believe it’s still true that people can change churches only once in their lifetime.

Because you’re a new Catholic, I would suggest not working to change churches for now. Rather, if you’re interested, attend an Eastern Catholic church and see how it goes. As a Roman, you’re very much welcome to attend Divine Liturgy and receive Holy Communion at any Eastern Catholic parish and fulfill your Sunday obligation there. And yes, they believe and accept EVERYTHING we Romans do, even if they express it in a different manner or use different terms and expressions. They are just as Catholic as we are.

 

[ConstantineTG]

You don’t need to formally switch. I lived as an Eastern Catholic for 2+ years without canonically switching. My kids were communed and my daughter was even baptized and chrismated in the Ukrainian Rite.

There is nothing wrong if you follow Eastern traditions regardless of your canonical enrollment. When you get to heaven, God will not ask for your canonical enrollment papers.

 

[johndaniel]

Thanks for all the replys!! Even though there are some doctinal differences (Purgatory, The Assumption etc) its totally ok for a Roman Catholic to change rites? I have been Catholic only since Easter Vigil, but am very interested in the Eastern rites. Particularly the Byzantine rite. I want to do a lot of studying and thinking on this rote in particular. Any resources, links, books etc would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Absolutely! I’ve been to a few Eastern Masses, and I enjoyed it very much. I was baptized and communicated Western Roman Catholic. Also, I just thought I’d mention this, their doctrine about the Assumption of the Virgin is not in conflict with ours. They simply say that she had to have died before she was assumed, whereas our dogma does not make a claim either way. Now, the Immaculate Conception, that’s another matter… However, you can still receive Communion, confess, etc. at an Eastern Catholic church.

 

[Peter_J]

We must remember that “Eastern Catholic” =/= Byzantine. Yes there are a large number of Byzantines of various stripes but there are also Chaldeans, Armenians, Syriacs, Copts, etc who are most definitely non-Byzantine yet just as must “Eastern” as our Greek and Slavic brethren.

Some would like to define “Eastern Catholic” to mean Byzantine only, but I admit I always have doubts about the wisdom of that endeavor. I fear that it would mean more confusion rather than less.

 

[MaeganFlinchum1]

Changing churches is not to be done lightly. From the looks of it, your interest is just that, interest. It’s likely not serious enough at this point that the Latin and Eastern bishops allow the transfer. Besides, there is more to it than just the liturgy. By changing churches formally, you will also be subjecting yourself to the new church’s canon law, so you must be certain that you’re willing to live under the new disciplines as well (look up the rules for fasting, for example). And I believe it’s still true that people can change churches only once in their lifetime.

Because you’re a new Catholic, I would suggest not working to change churches for now. Rather, if you’re interested, attend an Eastern Catholic church and see how it goes. As a Roman, you’re very much welcome to attend Divine Liturgy and receive Holy Communion at any Eastern Catholic parish and fulfill your Sunday obligation there. And yes, they believe and accept EVERYTHING we Romans do, even if they express it in a different manner or use different terms and expressions. They are just as Catholic as we are.

I am just interested in the Eastern Rite. I dont even have an Eastern Rite parish anywhere near me. I am judt learnig and ofcourse I’m not even thinking about switching. I’ve only been Catholic 3 months!?!

 

[theistgal]

I am just interested in the Eastern Rite. I dont even have an Eastern Rite parish anywhere near me. I am judt learnig and ofcourse I’m not even thinking about switching. I’ve only been Catholic 3 months!?!

Hi Maegan, you may want to look on Youtube for Byzantine Catholic videos. I have a few of them up there, as does my husband ( we are both cantors at our church ).

Here’s one I took a couple of years ago at our Palm Sunday services:

youtu.be/P2o6BDUQeTI

 

[Peter_J]

I am just interested in the Eastern Rite. I dont even have an Eastern Rite parish anywhere near me. I am judt learnig and ofcourse I’m not even thinking about switching. I’ve only been Catholic 3 months!?!

Hi Maegan. What did you convert from exactly (just out of curiosity)?

I think that many people assume that protestants and ex-protestants wouldn’t have any interest in Eastern Catholicism. I don’t think it’s really a good idea to assume.

 

[MaeganFlinchum1]

Hi Maegan. What did you convert from exactly (just out of curiosity)?

I think that many people assume that protestants and ex-protestants wouldn’t have any interest in Eastern Catholicism. I don’t think it’s really a good idea to assume.

From an Assembly of God church

 

[MaeganFlinchum1]

Hi Maegan, you may want to look on Youtube for Byzantine Catholic videos. I have a few of them up there, as does my husband ( we are both cantors at our church ).

Here’s one I took a couple of years ago at our Palm Sunday services:

youtu.be/P2o6BDUQeTI

Awesome! Thank you!

 

[UncleBill]

Just FYI: Eastern CATHOLICS accept the doctrines of Purgatory and the Assumption (we call it the Dormition). It’s Eastern ORTHODOX that have different beliefs about those things.

This Byzantine Catholic side with the Orthodox on these issues in complete agreement with my Bishop. TYVM

 

[Peter_J]

This Byzantine Catholic side with the Orthodox on these issues in complete agreement with my Bishop. TYVM

The question that comes to mind is “Then why are you Catholic and not Orthodox?” But, to be honest, I’m a bit sick of people asking that question; and anyhow it’s a bit intrusive.

 

[CompSciGuy]

Is it ok for a Roman Catholic to become an Eastern Catholic?? Not Eastern Orthodox but an Eastern rite that os is communion with Rome. What are the differences between the Western and Eastern rites? What makes an Eastern rite an Eastern rite? As a Roman Catholic could we recieve sacraments in the Easterm Church? And vice versa? Thanks!

Yes as a Roman (Latin Rite) Catholic we are perfectly welcome to receive the sacraments in an Eastern rite Catholic church. Really there isn’t much point in becoming a member of an Eastern Catholic church unless of course you are getting married in the Eastern church or are being ordained or joining a religious order. Otherwise it’s an unnecessary formality. I regularly attend a Maronite divine liturgy near where I live and roughly half the parishioners in that church are baptized/confirmed in the Latin rite and didn’t bother actually joining the Maronite rite.It’s still a Catholic church just like any other just a different rite that’s all.

 

[Mgthesixth]

Yes as a Roman (Latin Rite) Catholic we are perfectly welcome to receive the sacraments in an Eastern rite Catholic church. Really there isn’t much point in becoming a member of an Eastern Catholic church unless of course you are getting married in the Eastern church or are being ordained or joining a religious order. Otherwise it’s an unnecessary formality. I regularly attend a Maronite divine liturgy near where I live and roughly half the parishioners in that church are baptized/confirmed in the Latin rite and didn’t bother actually joining the Maronite rite.It’s still a Catholic church just like any other just a different rite that’s all.

Actually a Roman Catholic can get married in the byzantine with the permission of the bishop. my wife and I were married at our local byzantine parish (she wasn’t catholic at the time).

 

[ConstantineTG]

The only time you really need to switch is if you are getting ordained. Even weddings and funerals you can get from a Byzantine parish if you are a regular parishioner there.

 

[5Loaves]

The only time you really need to switch is if you are getting ordained. Even weddings and funerals you can get from a Byzantine parish if you are a regular parishioner there.

Even then, ordination, it’s not * required*. Our much loved Fr Christopher (UGCC) was ordained a Dominican priest, and of course Fr Taft and those Jesuits who were trained in the early days of the Russicum to serve us Russians, were ordained as Greek Catholic priests while remaining Latin Catholic. There are other such cases.

We had two more people in my parish make the change this year from Latin to Russian. It’s really a discernment done with one’s spiritual father. Both were men and there was no problem with making the change. If anybody was concerned they might be changing in order to be able to be married men who could be ordained priests (neither is considering this) nothing was stipulated in their change that was in any way different from my own change (I’m female).