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Timothy_Capps
Guest
What is the process for someone who was once Catholic and then became Orthodox through chrismation to become Catholic again?
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rosarygirl7
Guest
RCIA? My guess.
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gferrer
Guest
Making a good confession to a Catholic priest is sufficient for any reverting Catholic to return to the church. In this case, what may be unclear is whether joining an Orthodox church automatically changes your canonical enrollment; in other words, it is not clear if you “revert” to being a Latin Catholic or whether you automatically join the corresponding Eastern-rite Catholic church upon making the confession.
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JMJ_coder
Guest
If you received the Sacraments when you were growing up – that is, you moved to Orthodoxy later in life – then you need to go to Confession (only for those who have already had their first Confession) and talk with your Priest (recommended for everyone coming into or back to the Church).
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chrisb
Guest
Grace and Peace Timothy,
If you don’t mind me asking… why are you returning back to the Catholic Church? What has changed your mind about Orthodoxy?
Very curious.
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tdgesq
Guest
Tim,
The sacrament of reconciliation is all you need in this case.
As an aside, many here will be interested in your conversion-reversion experience. Just because we are interested though doesn’t mean you are required to tell. It’s up to you.
The sacrament of reconciliation is all you need in this case.
As an aside, many here will be interested in your conversion-reversion experience. Just because we are interested though doesn’t mean you are required to tell. It’s up to you.
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twf
Guest
Also remember that from a Catholic perspective your “second chrismation” would be null and void, so you might want to mention that in the confessional as well. You still have your original Catholic confirmation.
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Antonius_Lupus
Guest
I second that…As an aside, many here will be interested in your conversion-reversion experience. Just because we are interested though doesn’t mean you are required to tell. It’s up to you.
May the Lord draw you unto Himself and into His Truth.
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samcarter14
Guest
Another Catholic revert from Orthodoxy here. I am also interested in the answer, though we’ll be speaking with our priest after Theophany about it. We were chrismated (and our youngest baptized) in the Orthodox church two years ago, but last February reverted and have been attending a Byzantine Ruthenian chapel ever since.
(Oh, and by the way, we are very happy to be back in communion with the Catholic Church!
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There are various tangled issues I hope to discuss with our priest, such as how our youngest–who is two–could become Catholic, or if that happens automatically when my husband and I officially revert. My husband has gone to confession with our new priest, but we haven’t spoken to him about canonical enrollment yet.
So from one revert to another, hello and welcome back!
(Oh, and by the way, we are very happy to be back in communion with the Catholic Church!
)There are various tangled issues I hope to discuss with our priest, such as how our youngest–who is two–could become Catholic, or if that happens automatically when my husband and I officially revert. My husband has gone to confession with our new priest, but we haven’t spoken to him about canonical enrollment yet.
So from one revert to another, hello and welcome back!
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Aramis
Guest
Canon Law specifies a profession of faith after instructions is all that’s needed
Canon 897
A member of the Christian faithful of an Eastern non-Catholic Church is to be received into the Catholic Church with only the profession of the Catholic faith, after doctrinal and spiritual preparation according to each one’s condition.
intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_POX.HTM
Canon 897
A member of the Christian faithful of an Eastern non-Catholic Church is to be received into the Catholic Church with only the profession of the Catholic faith, after doctrinal and spiritual preparation according to each one’s condition.
intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_POX.HTM
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Diak
Guest
Most canonists agree one reverts to the ritual Church he immediately came from without regard to previous enrollments. So coming from Orthodoxy one would go to an Eastern Catholic Church unless they belonged to the Western Rite of Orthodoxy.
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tdgesq
Guest
I wouldn’t think the CCEO would apply to him since he was a Roman Catholic before he converted.
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samcarter14
Guest
That’s interesting. So my husband, myself, and my two oldest, all baptized Roman Catholics but then converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, would automatically, upon reverting, become Eastern Catholics? And my youngest would become an Eastern Catholic as well?
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SFH
Guest
No. You would most likely have the option to choose which rite you wished to enter. Catholics are allowed to switch to a different rite, but they usually need permission and can’t switch back and forth. In your case, I suspect you would enter the Latin Rite (although I’m sure the local bishop would be willing to accommodate you if you wanted to enter one of the Eastern Rites).
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chrisb
Guest
Boy, I would love to hear your story… hint, hint…
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LilyM
Guest
In response to the original question, most if not all of the posters here seem to be presuming that you went through all of the Catholic sacraments up to and including Confirmation before your conversion to Orthodoxy.
Assuming that you have, their advice is correct. If you haven’t you’d probably go through the RCIA process to prepare for whichever of the sacraments of Confession, First Communion and/or Confirmation you haven’t yet received.
Assuming that you have, their advice is correct. If you haven’t you’d probably go through the RCIA process to prepare for whichever of the sacraments of Confession, First Communion and/or Confirmation you haven’t yet received.
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JMJ_coder
Guest
That is also assuming that he wouldn’t have received those Sacraments in the Orthodox Church. He did mention that he was chrismated (Confirmation) – and the Orthodox usually also at that same time would bestow both Baptism if necessary and Holy Communion.
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LilyM
Guest
True, but at the very least he should probably have some instruction in the sacraments from a Catholic perspective before just leaping back into the fold
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JMJ_coder
Guest
It would likely be nominal – the Orthodox sacramental theology is very close (>99.999%) to Catholicism. It would be a matter of the Priest assessing that the person does believe what the Church believes about the Sacraments – which they should as Orthodox already.True, but at the very least he should probably have some instruction in the sacraments from a Catholic perspective before just leaping back into the fold
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Aramis
Guest
He became Byzantine Rite by virtue of his being EO.
Transfer out of the Latin Rite is actually encouraged by the Vatican II post-conciliar documents; transfer back to the Latin is discouraged. Realize, tho’, that those documents are pastoral, not legislative, in nature.
The CIC canons do not discuss the orthodox much, since they are considered enrolled in the parallel Church Sui Iuris automatically. in fact, the only CIC references to the Orthodox entail reciept of sacraments.
It is a fuzzy area, but that the Orthodox are received by profession of faith is in the CCEO.
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