Roman Catholic as altar server in Byzantine catholic church

[RimoGrkoKatolik]

Hello dear brothers in Christ!
I am a Roman Catholic, and I am in Seminary because I want to become a priest, Byzantine Catholic priest. I love Byzantine Catholic church, and I attend Divine Liturgy every Sunday and I receive a Communion there. I am starting to live as a Byzantine Catholic. Now, I have a question for you, two, better said

1. Can I become an altar server in Byzantine Catholic church if I am a Roman Catholic ?
2. I just have a need to cross myself with three fingers when I am in Byzantine Catholic church. I am asking you, can I cross myself Byzantine way if I am baptised Roman Catholic?
   :byzsoc:
3. How much times do I have to cross myself while kissing an icon? Two times, maybe three? :yukonjoe:

Thanks in advance, my dear friends, may Lord be with you!

 

[L_Marshall]

You’re free to serve at the Divine Liturgy. This happens a lot at bi-ritual seminaries.

As far as the Sign of the Cross, my rule has always been “when in Rome” (err… Byzantium). I always just go along with the norm for the rite.

And I believe crossing one’s self twice is the norm, but I’m not sure.

That being said: I didn’t quite understand the beginning of your post, but if you want to become a Byzantine Catholic priest, you may run into trouble. Since you’re Roman Catholic, sometimes you will need to formally transfer rites, which requires the permission from your bishop.

 

[CDB1718]

These are questions you should first take to your Byzantine priest. He is the one who decides who may serve on the altar. He is the one charged with teaching you the faith.

If you’re in seminary and attending weekly Liturgy and desiring to be a Byzantine priest, you have to establish a good working relationship with the Byzantine priest and church. Please give your priest the opportunity to do his job.

 

[neokarny]

1. How much times do I have to cross myself while kissing an icon? Two times, maybe three? :yukonjoe:

Any regular old icon? I’d say this depends on the person, but IME it’s usually once before kissing it. Some people will cross themselves again afterward, although I don’t often. Crossing multiple times before, or multiple times after, is generally much less common unless there are special circumstances (wonderworking icons, icons with relics, etc.). I’m Orthodox, but I don’t think EC’s would be much different on this.

 

[WetCatechumen]

I am canonically Roman and have served at the Cathedral with our bishop and at a Byzantine ordination.

The Byzantine Rite was the second rite I learned to serve - my first was Maronite.

A friend of mine who is a Greek Orthodox seminarian taught me how to make the Sign of the Cross, so I have always done it the Byzantine way - even when I was received into the Roman Church. I tried switching but it never felt right.

When venerating an icon, typically (as I have learned from Ukrainian Catholics and watching Orthodox), one reverences the icon twice, Sign of the Cross, bow, repeat, kiss the icon on the second bow, Sign of the Cross, bow, done.

Ruthenians in the US bow BEFORE making the Sign of the Cross so I don’t even know how that works.

 

[Aramis]

Hello dear brothers in Christ!
I am a Roman Catholic, and I am in Seminary because I want to become a priest, Byzantine Catholic priest. I love Byzantine Catholic church, and I attend Divine Liturgy every Sunday and I receive a Communion there. I am starting to live as a Byzantine Catholic. Now, I have a question for you, two, better said

1. Can I become an altar server in Byzantine Catholic church if I am a Roman Catholic ?
2. I just have a need to cross myself with three fingers when I am in Byzantine Catholic church. I am asking you, can I cross myself Byzantine way if I am baptised Roman Catholic?
   :byzsoc:
3. How much times do I have to cross myself while kissing an icon? Two times, maybe three? :yukonjoe:

Thanks in advance, my dear friends, may Lord be with you!

1. It’s up to the pastor. Most won’t have an issue, but some prefer to keep it to those well established in the parish.
2. Sure.
3. Varies.
   Having watched the clergy during the annual eparchial meeting, some were twice-kiss-third, some were thrice-kiss-fourth. One did more.
   Me, I do 3 at approach, kiss then one more as I ask the saint(s) to pray for me. One of my fellow parishioners does 6 on approach; a sweet Ukrainian babushka. Another does 1-kiss-1; another Ukrainian babuska. See what the norm is in the parish you’re attending, or ask one of the clergy for the local norm. Most people won’t count, and most who do are learning the praxis themselves.

 

[RimoGrkoKatolik]

Thank you, my friends!
I was in the Greek-Catholic church and told the pastor who is also a bishop, and he was very happy! He said that no matter what I’m Roman Catholic, it is important that I am a Catholic, and as Catholic, I can serve in the Greek-Catholic church. In my country, Roman Catholic and Greek-Catholic churches are in great relations, so we have joint liturgy many times in big Roman Catholic cathedral.

I asked him can I cross with three fingers, he said that I can cross myself with three fingers even if I was baptised in Roman Catholic church.

I was looking before the Liturgy, how people, kiss the icon. One priest ( it was morning, only priests and nuns were on liturgy) came to the icon, crossed himself, kissed it, and crossed again, with bows before crossing.

Thank you once more, my friends, I also asked the bishop (we call him vladika) can I become a Greek-Catholic priest. He said that if I will live in celibacy, there are no problems, I can easily change rites. I am really happy right now!!

May Lord be with you!

 

[neokarny]

Thank you, my friends!
Thank you once more, my friends, I also asked the bishop (we call him vladika) can I become a Greek-Catholic priest. He said that if I will live in celibacy, there are no problems, I can easily change rites.

Wait, why would you need to be celibate if you became a Greek Catholic priest?

 

[SonCatcher]

Wait, why would you need to be celibate if you became a Greek Catholic priest?

I suspect because he is coming from a Latin background. It is not justifiable for a man to switch rites just so he can be married and a priest. The bishop probably wants to avoid semblance of impropriety here (the OP is already in seminary).

 

[L_Marshall]

If you are ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, you can’t switch rites without the permission of both your Roman bishop, and the receiving Greek bishop. Sometimes it’s quite a challenge, and it can take several years.

Just be aware of this.

 

[RimoGrkoKatolik]

Yes, I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic family, and I want to become a Greek-Catholic priest. The celibacy is not a problem to me, because I want to give my whole life to the Christ.
It is very complicated to become a married Greek-Catholic priest if you are a Roman Catholic because many Roman Catholics wanted to become a married Byzantine priest.Many times it would be the reason of changing rites. There is only one priest in my country that got a permission to change rites and get married, but his situation was too complicated. :yukonjoe:

However, if a Roman Catholic chooses to live in celibacy and become a Byzantine priest, he can change rites easily. This is because celibacy is the real proof, that a Roman Catholic wants to change rite only because spiritual reasons.

May Lord be with you!