Limits of Eastern Catholicism for the Roman Catholic

[mykesobe]

OK, I basically wanna know, what can one do and not do if they’re Roman Catholic, but attend(ing) an Eastern Catholic Church? I do not need this information now, but just outta curiosity. Like can I receive Holy Eucharist from it? Can I attend any Reconciliation they have? How will the Eastern Catholic view my Roman customs? And many more questions. I know that theologically and in practice, the Eastern Catholic are extremely close to the Eastern Orthodox, so I would like to know this. When I’m an adult I plan on visiting such countries as Armenia and Greece (both have about 50,000 Eastern Catholics), and I’d like to be clarified on this. Pax dominus vobiscum et felix Nativitatis!

 

[Ghosty]

OK, I basically wanna know, what can one do and not do if they’re Roman Catholic, but attend(ing) an Eastern Catholic Church? I do not need this information now, but just outta curiosity. Like can I receive Holy Eucharist from it? Can I attend any Reconciliation they have? How will the Eastern Catholic view my Roman customs? And many more questions. I know that theologically and in practice, the Eastern Catholic are extremely close to the Eastern Orthodox, so I would like to know this. When I’m an adult I plan on visiting such countries as Armenia and Greece (both have about 50,000 Eastern Catholics), and I’d like to be clarified on this. Pax dominus vobiscum et felix Nativitatis!

For the purposes of your question a Latin Catholic can do everything in an Eastern Catholic church that they can do in a Latin church. Receive Communion, Reconciliation, ect.

Don’t be shy about using Latin customs in an Eastern church, but be aware of the fact that it may be unusual to the regular parishoners and they will almost definitely notice that you’re not a “local”. The actual local practices will be different in various churches, but in most cases they will be different from what you’re used to. This doesn’t mean you aren’t welcome, it just means that there may be obvious cultural differences.

Bottom line is that a Catholic is a Catholic, and while you will experience different practices, you won’t be ostracized just because you practice in a Latin manner.

Peace and God bless!

 

[Tradycja]

Can. 923 The Christian faithful can participate in the eucharistic sacrifice and receive holy communion in any Catholic rite, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 844.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P39.HTM#I0

Can. 112 §
§2. The practice, however prolonged, of receiving the sacraments according to the rite of another ritual Church sui iuris does not entail enrollment in that Church.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_PC.HTM#X0

Can. 991 Every member of the Christian faithful is free to confess sins to a legitimately approved confessor of his or her choice, even to one of another rite.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P3H.HTM

You must however not neglect the Holy Days of obligation and fast days of your own rite.
Here they are for the Latin rite: usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/obligation.shtml

If you wish to voluntarily follow the Eastern Church fast that is up to you (they fast more than us). Coordinating things is not so hard as most Eastern Churches in the USA follow the Gregorian Calendar.

Basically what it comes down to if you are a Latin in an Eastern parish is keeping an eye on the Latin calender as well as the Eastern calendar.

 

[ljubim]

Can. 923 The Christian faithful can participate in the eucharistic sacrifice and receive holy communion in any Catholic rite, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 844.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P39.HTM#I0

Can. 112 §
§2. The practice, however prolonged, of receiving the sacraments according to the rite of another ritual Church sui iuris does not entail enrollment in that Church.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_PC.HTM#X0

Can. 991 Every member of the Christian faithful is free to confess sins to a legitimately approved confessor of his or her choice, even to one of another rite.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P3H.HTM

You must however not neglect the Holy Days of obligation and fast days of your own rite.
Here they are for the Latin rite: usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/obligation.shtml

If you wish to voluntarily follow the Eastern Church fast that is up to you (they fast more than us). Coordinating things is not so hard as most Eastern Churches in the USA follow the Gregorian Calendar.
**
Basically what it comes down to if you are a Latin in an Eastern parish is keeping an eye on the Latin calender as well as the Eastern calendar**.

But what if you’re going to make the official switch between rites? How would that work? Just out of curiosity.

 

[Patchunky]

OK, I basically wanna know, what can one do and not do if they’re Roman Catholic, but attend(ing) an Eastern Catholic Church? I do not need this information now, but just outta curiosity. Like can I receive Holy Eucharist from it? Can I attend any Reconciliation they have? How will the Eastern Catholic view my Roman customs? And many more questions. I know that theologically and in practice, the Eastern Catholic are extremely close to the Eastern Orthodox, so I would like to know this. When I’m an adult I plan on visiting such countries as Armenia and Greece (both have about 50,000 Eastern Catholics), and I’d like to be clarified on this. Pax dominus vobiscum et felix Nativitatis!

What customs are you talking about and why would you want to bring them with you?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Main thing I can think of is that you would still be bound to the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church. You would be bound to the Holy Days of your Church. Yes most of them match up but the Eastern Churches tend to move the Holy Days less than the Latin Church does.

 

[bpbasilphx]

But what if you’re going to make the official switch between rites? How would that work? Just out of curiosity.

You would ask the Eastern Catholic priest to help you contact both the Latin and Eastern Catholic bishops for a change in canonical enrollment in your sui juris church.

NOT “switch rites”.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Essentially, what you cannot do is get married using an Eastern Church’s wedding ritual if you nor your spouse belong to that Church (without proper dispensation); nor can you be ordained into that Church without first being a member of that particular Church (although, in practice, this too has been circumvented in the past).

 

[Aramis]

OK, I basically wanna know, what can one do and not do if they’re Roman Catholic, but attend(ing) an Eastern Catholic Church?
Pax dominus vobiscum et felix Nativitatis!

Et cum spirito tuo!

The only sacrament you can not receive in an EC parish is ordination. (Major or minor, you may only be ordained to serve in the rite of your canonical enrollment.)

 

[mykesobe]

Thank you fellow forum-goers for clearing up my questions and doubts. I am now convinced that, if I should ever be somewhere in Eastern Europe (such as Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, etc.) on Sunday or any other holy day, yet remain in communion with Rome, I will be able to attend an Eastern Catholic Church. I plan on being Latin Rite forever (VIVA IL NOSTRO PAPA), but these questions were really bugging me and I had to get them cleared up!

 

[Ghosty]

Thank you fellow forum-goers for clearing up my questions and doubts. I am now convinced that, if I should ever be somewhere in Eastern Europe (such as Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, etc.) on Sunday or any other holy day, yet remain in communion with Rome, I will be able to attend an Eastern Catholic Church. I plan on being Latin Rite forever (VIVA IL NOSTRO PAPA), but these questions were really bugging me and I had to get them cleared up!

Incidentally, you are permitted by the Catholic Church to receive the Eucharist and Confession in Orthodox Churches if there is no Catholic church available. You must ask permission from the Orthodox first, of course. In countries like Armenia it likely won’t be much of an issue, but in Greece and Russia it likely would be.

Peace and God bless!

 

[bpbasilphx]

Thank you fellow forum-goers for clearing up my questions and doubts. I am now convinced that, if I should ever be somewhere in Eastern Europe (such as Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, etc.) on Sunday or any other holy day, yet remain in communion with Rome, I will be able to attend an Eastern Catholic Church. I plan on being Latin Rite forever (VIVA IL NOSTRO PAPA), but these questions were really bugging me and I had to get them cleared up!

**There are Eastern Catholic Churches all over the United States, inclding many in Chicago. There are a half-dozen of them in my city alone.

In fact, there’s a Ukraian Catholic Eparchy headquarted in Chicago–St. Nicholas of Chicago for the Ukrainians.**

 

[mykesobe]

Incidentally, you are permitted by the Catholic Church to receive the Eucharist and Confession in Orthodox Churches if there is no Catholic church available. You must ask permission from the Orthodox first, of course. In countries like Armenia it likely won’t be much of an issue, but in Greece and Russia it likely would be.

Peace and God bless!

Well that is very interesting. I wish I would have known that first though but still good to get it clarified. I think it is good that should there be a lack of a Catholic church, you can receive the Eucharist and Reconciliation at an Eastern Orthodox church. Just one small stride albeit a major one towards the reunification of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.

There is also another interesting peculiarity. Armenians mostly follow the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is an Oriental Orthodox denomination, not an Eastern Orthodox one. There are some 50,000 Armenian Catholics though. In many Armenian villages with strong numbers of Armenian Catholic, the people live sorta in a religiously segregated environment. Though now this behavior has stopped due to the unification of all Armenian Christians during Soviet time of religious suppression, it still lives on somewhat. The Armenian Catholics are colloquially known as “Franks” (due to the work of French missionaries). Oh, and would I be able to receive Eucharist and Reconciliation at any Oriental Orthodox church?

 

[Aramis]

Well that is very interesting. I wish I would have known that first though but still good to get it clarified. I think it is good that should there be a lack of a Catholic church, you can receive the Eucharist and Reconciliation at an Eastern Orthodox church. Just one small stride albeit a major one towards the reunification of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.

There is also another interesting peculiarity. Armenians mostly follow the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is an Oriental Orthodox denomination, not an Eastern Orthodox one. There are some 50,000 Armenian Catholics though. In many Armenian villages with strong numbers of Armenian Catholic, the people live sorta in a religiously segregated environment. Though now this behavior has stopped due to the unification of all Armenian Christians during Soviet time of religious suppression, it still lives on somewhat. The Armenian Catholics are colloquially known as “Franks” (due to the work of French missionaries). Oh, and would I be able to receive Eucharist and Reconciliation at any Oriental Orthodox church?

Yes, the Oriental Orthodox Communion is equally as valid and licit as the Eastern Orthodox Communion, and generally under the same conditions. You are also permitted to receive in the Assyrian Church of the East and the Syrian Orthodox Church, if they will let you.

The Armenians have intercommunion of Armenians both directions by treaty; I don’t know if it applies to non-armenian Catholics. Some deacons have commented that they are permitted by their bishop to assist in the masses in the other church when not assisting in their home parish, and priestly concelebration is known to happen, tho it is technically illicit.

The Assyrian Church of the East also has a treaty with the Chaldean Catholics, and the Syrian Orthodox with the Syrian Catholic Church; in these cases it includes allowing members of one to be parishioners in the other in both directions, based solely upon access to a parish at all. Essentially, the Chadean Catholic Church is in full communion with both all other Catholic Churches and with the ACE.

Further, certain Old Catholic groups still have valid orders and sacraments, tho figuring out which is dicey at best. The Polish National Catholic Church is still permitted, having broken from communion with Utrecht when Utrecht stated ordaining women.

The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association is permitted for fulfilling obligation; the Roman Catholic Church in China hides within the CPCA, and many CPCA priests are in fact Roman Catholic Priests, and many bishops likewise are “hidden” Catholic Bishops.

 

[Tradycja]

Thank you fellow forum-goers for clearing up my questions and doubts. I am now convinced that, if I should ever be somewhere in Eastern Europe (such as Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, etc.) on Sunday or any other holy day, yet remain in communion with Rome, I will be able to attend an Eastern Catholic Church. I plan on being Latin Rite forever (VIVA IL NOSTRO PAPA), but these questions were really bugging me and I had to get them cleared up!

You can go to an Eastern Catholic Church anytime, anywhere, not just in Eastern Europe. By the way even Eastern Catholics are “viva il nostro Papa” also All rites of the Catholic Church are equal in dignity. But I agree with your decision to stay Latin rite, we need to fight for tradition in the Latin rite before they destroy it completely. If all the traditional people were to go Eastern that is exactly what the liberal priests want. (Of course unless someone is REALLY called to do so.) Let’s not run for the hills.

 

[Diak]

I wouldn’t get too hung up on the law. If you wish to live as an Eastern Catholic of whatever particular ritual tradition, then do it. If after a time of living this way you want to make it permanent, there is a process for doing so.

One cannot fully discern what it means to be an Eastern Catholic as a permanent change of particular ritual Churches unless one has fully lived that way during discernment.

 

[ciero]

Main thing I can think of is that you would still be bound to the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church. You would be bound to the Holy Days of your Church. Yes most of them match up but the Eastern Churches tend to move the Holy Days less than the Latin Church does.

I have been told by my Roman Catholic Bishop that this is NOT true. If you are worshiping regularly in a Byzantine church you are bound by that churches discipline concerning Holy days and fasting. One is Not to be schizophrenic.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I have been told by my Roman Catholic Bishop that this is NOT true. If you are worshiping regularly in a Byzantine church you are bound by that churches discipline concerning Holy days and fasting. One is Not to be schizophrenic.

If your bishop has dispensed you then that is how it is for you, but with out such a dispensation it is not so.

No where within the Code of Canon Law is such an exception made, the only statement within the Code is that one may fulfill their Obligation at any Catholic rite.

 

[ciero]

If your bishop has dispensed you then that is how it is for you, but with out such a dispensation it is not so.

No where within the Code of Canon Law is such an exception made, the only statement within the Code is that one may fulfill their Obligation at any Catholic rite.

His Grace made it very clear that this was not a dispensation but was true for ANYONE who regularly worshiped in an Eastern Church.

It was after I was told (wrongly) here at Catholic answers that I spoke with him. He was emphatic that this held true for ALL catholics. No offence Brother but I think I will take his word over yours. Ciero

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

His Grace made it very clear that this was not a dispensation but was true for ANYONE who regularly worshiped in an Eastern Church.

It was after I was told (wrongly) here at Catholic answers that I spoke with him. He was emphatic that this held true for ALL catholics. No offence Brother but I think I will take his word over yours. Ciero

As you should, he is your bishop, but he can not speak for other bishops.

The Code of Canon Law makes no blanket exceptions.

I take no offense that you would take the word of your bishop of mine, that is as it should be, but again, your bishop can not speak for any other bishop as he lacks that authority.