But if they wanted to become Roman Catholic, would they have to go through RCIA? Hmm. I don’t know. It would seem that if the kids have been raised since birth in the Roman church, there wouldn’t be a need for this, since they’ve already received other sacraments through the Roman church, (First Holy Communion, Confession) correct? I would think that they would only need to go through the normal Confirmation classes for full initiation.
I would say this is a pretty unique situation.
They would have been confirmed (chrismated) and received their First Communion at their baptism, so they don’t need to prepare to receive those sacraments.
OK…I found a web page that addresses this
source]. Here are some excerpts:
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: What is the procedure for a person who was baptized Macedonian Orthodox and who now wants to be received into the Roman Catholic Church? — F.F., Toronto
A: In the vast majority of cases Orthodox Christians have been validly baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist from infancy, and thus do not have to receive any of these sacraments.
[snip]
The specific process for incorporating a baptized Eastern Christian is covered above all in the Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, canons 35 and 896-901.
Canon 896 specifies that for those adult Christians (beyond 14 years) “who ask of their own accord to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, whether as individuals or as groups, no burden is to be imposed beyond what is necessary.”
Canon 897 indicates that the Christian may be received “With only the profession of faith after a doctrinal and spiritual preparation that is suited to the person’s condition.”
With respect to individual laypersons the right to receive usually pertains to the pastor although in some cases particular law might reserve this admission to a higher authority (cf. Canon 898.3).
Canon 35, however, is important because it specifies that baptized non-Catholics entering into full communion “should retain their own rite and should observe it everywhere in the world as far as humanly possible. Thus they are to be ascribed to the Church ‘sui iuris’ of the same rite.”
When the person wishes not only to become Catholic but to change to the Latin rite, the same canon recognizes the right to approach the Holy See (the Congregation for Eastern Churches) in special cases.
Therefore, in the case at hand, the simplest thing to do is to approach the Eastern eparchy most closely resembling his original rite in order to be admitted into the Catholic Church in accordance with the dispositions of the pastor.
Once admitted, he should continue to practice the faith in the corresponding Eastern rite. But he may also freely practice in the Latin rite for a just cause, for example, if there were no churches of his own rite within a reasonable distance.
In order to formally switch rites, he would need to recur to the Holy See as mentioned above.
Follow-up: When an Orthodox Joins the Catholic Church [10-30-2007]
Two readers, both expert canonists, sent in some clarifications that expand on my earlier answer (Oct. 16) regarding how an Orthodox Christian may enter the Catholic Church. I am very grateful and happily share their wisdom with our readers.
I had suggested that the Orthodox Christian seek out the nearest Eastern eparchy in order to make the profession of faith. A canonist informed me that when this is not feasible, "The simplest thing to do, in the likelihood that the proper Eastern Catholic Church ‘sui iuris’ is not readily accessible, is for an Eastern Christian to make a profession of faith before the local (usually Latin) Catholic pastor.
"The Eastern Christian recites the Nicene Creed and adds: ‘I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God’ (RCIA, Appendix, 2, 15; USA, 474, 491).
“Ascription to the proper ritual Church ‘sui iuris’ is automatic but needs to be recorded. Mentioning this in your column will be helpful in reminding Latin priests (and priests of other Churches ‘sui iuris’) to note it properly in the remarks of the baptismal registry (which usually serves as the ‘special book’ referred to in RCIA, Appendix, 13; USA, 486).”
[snip]
