Roman catholic children and the melkite rite

[josigirl]

Hi, I am a baptised melkite and my husband is roman catholic. We have four beautiful children. 2 of which go to catholic school. The children are baptised roman catholic. We practise the roman catholic faith. However, I do still love the divine liturgy in the melkite rite and do occasionally attend the mass with the children. As a family, we go every Sunday to mass at the roman Catholic church near us but when my husband cannot go in the morning, I go to the melkite mass with the kids.

My children have asked to recieve communion and I have said that they cannot yet until they have their first communion. Recently, my mum and the priest have told me to not deny them the holy eucharist and to let them have it because they are baptised. I said that I cannot because they are roman catholic. I do not want to confuse them the children. What can I do? Is it a sin if they recieve it? Am I wrong? Please… any advice?

 

[Jordan_Rizk]

Your children are absolutely allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Melkite rite (ie not in state a of mortal sin) as the Melkite rite is and has been in full communion with Rome and the Holy See. The Melkite Priests are as Catholic as your Roman Catholic Priest. The story would have been different if it was an Orthodox Church.

 

[josigirl]

Hi, I am a baptised melkite and my husband is roman catholic. We have four beautiful children. 2 of which go to catholic school. The children are baptised roman catholic. We practise the roman catholic faith. However, I do still love the divine liturgy in the melkite rite and do occasionally attend the mass with the children. As a family, we go every Sunday to mass at the roman Catholic church near us but when my husband cannot go in the morning, I go to the melkite mass with the kids.

My children have asked to recieve communion and I have said that they cannot yet until they have their first communion. Recently, my mum and the priest have told me to not deny them the holy eucharist and to let them have it because they are baptised. I said that I cannot because they are roman catholic. I do not want to confuse them the children. What can I do? Is it a sin if they recieve it? Am I wrong? Please… any advice?

 

[1ke]

You are correct, they are Latin Rite Catholics and therefore follow Latin canon law and Latin tradition. They should not receive the Eucharist until they meet the criteria established by the Latin code.

 

[agapewolf]

Is it only certain eastern rites/churches that the children are the rite of a specific parent, no matter what church they are baptized in? (chaldean is one)

 

[DJJG]

***I could be wrong; but I thought that if the mother was a member of an Eastern Catholic Church then the children, regardless of weather they were baptized in a Latin or eastern church, would be eastern rite Catholics, automatically. ***

---

Either way, they can receive their sacraments in any Catholic church, Latin, Eastern, or the new Anglican rite.

 

[malphono]

I could be wrong; but I thought that if the mother was a member of an Eastern Catholic Church then the children, regardless of weather they were baptized in a Latin or eastern church, would be eastern rite Catholics, automatically.

Actually, in this case it would seem to be in reverse. From the CIC (emphasis added):

Can. 111 §1. Through the reception of baptism, the child of parents who belong to the Latin Church is enrolled in it, or, if one or the other does not belong to it, both parents have chosen by mutual agreement to have the offspring baptized in the Latin Church. If there is no mutual agreement, however, the child is enrolled in the ritual Church to which the father belongs.

IOW, where both parents are Catholic but of different ritual Churches, any children they may have are automatically enrolled in the Church of the father unless the parents have formally agreed otherwise. In this case, the father is of the Latin Church, and in the OP, the mother states that the children were baptized – and are being raised – in the Latin Church, so the presumption is that there was no agreement to the contrary.

Either way, they can receive their sacraments in any Catholic church, Latin, Eastern, or the new Anglican rite.

Yes, although there is no Anglican “Rite” (it is considered a “usage” of the Roman Rite and is juridically part of the Latin Church):

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.

 

[1ke]

Is it only certain eastern rites/churches that the children are the rite of a specific parent, no matter what church they are baptized in? (chaldean is one)

No. The law of the Church is consistent on this across all rites.

It is possible for the child to be baptized into the Latin Rite if both parents agree. Otherwise the child is to be enrolled in the Rite of the father. In this case, that is one and the same thing.

Latin Code:

Can. 111 §1. Through the reception of baptism, the child of parents who belong to the Latin Church is enrolled in it, or, if one or the other does not belong to it, both parents have chosen by mutual agreement to have the offspring baptized in the Latin Church. If there is no mutual agreement, however, the child is enrolled in the ritual Church to which the father belongs.

1. Anyone to be baptized who has completed the fourteenth year of age can freely choose to be baptized in the Latin Church or in another ritual Church sui iuris; in that case, the person belongs to the Church which he or she has chosen.

Can. 112 §1. After the reception of baptism, the following are enrolled in another ritual Church sui iuris:

1/ a person who has obtained permission from the Apostolic See;

2/ a spouse who, at the time of or during marriage, has declared that he or she is transferring to the ritual Church sui iuris of the other spouse; when the marriage has ended, however, the person can freely return to the Latin Church;

3/ before the completion of the fourteenth year of age, the children of those mentioned in nn. 1 and 2 as well as, in a mixed marriage, the children of the Catholic party who has legitimately transferred to another ritual Church; on completion of their fourteenth year, however, they can return to the Latin Church.

§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.

Eastern Code:

Canon 29

**1. By virtue of baptism, a child who has not yet completed his fourteenth year of age is enrolled in the Church sui iuris of the Catholic father; or the Church sui iuris of the mother if only the mother is Catholic or if both parents by agreement freely request it, with due regard for particular law established by the Apostolic See. **

1. If the child who has not yet completed his fourteenth year is: (1) born of an unwed mother, he is enrolled in the Church sui iuris to which the mother belongs; (2) born of unknown parents, he is to be enrolled in the Church sui iuris of those in whose care he has been legitimately committed are enrolled; if it is a case of an adoptive father and mother, 1 should be applied; (3) born of non-baptized parents, the child is to be a member of the Church sui iuris of the one who is responsible for his education in the Catholic faith.

 

[1ke]

Your children are absolutely allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Melkite rite (ie not in state a of mortal sin) as the Melkite rite is and has been in full communion with Rome and the Holy See. The Melkite Priests are as Catholic as your Roman Catholic Priest. The story would have been different if it was an Orthodox Church.

The question is not whether or not the can but whether or not they should.

The Latin Rite Catholic children have not yet received first reconciliation or first holy communion in their own rite. Therefore, they should not receive in the Melkite Rite. The Latin Rite Catholic children are bound by the Latin code of canon law, which instructs that they not receive.

 

[agapewolf]

There is a priest who was recently ordained last year. His parents are caldean. He was baptized in the latin rite, but because of the fact that he remained the rite of one of his parents (I believe he said his dad, can’t remember) he had to have special paperwork from Rome to get ordained in the Latin rite.

 

[babochka]

Hi, I am a baptised melkite and my husband is roman catholic. We have four beautiful children. 2 of which go to catholic school. The children are baptised roman catholic. We practise the roman catholic faith. However, I do still love the divine liturgy in the melkite rite and do occasionally attend the mass with the children. As a family, we go every Sunday to mass at the roman Catholic church near us but when my husband cannot go in the morning, I go to the melkite mass with the kids.

My children have asked to recieve communion and I have said that they cannot yet until they have their first communion. Recently, my mum and the priest have told me to not deny them the holy eucharist and to let them have it because they are baptised. I said that I cannot because they are roman catholic. I do not want to confuse them the children. What can I do? Is it a sin if they recieve it? Am I wrong? Please… any advice?

Why don’t you ask the priest to chrismate your children first, and then give them Holy Communion? Since they are enrolled in the Latin church, your priest might have to get permission from the Latin priest or Bishop, but given the circumstances, I don’t think it would be denied.

 

[Brendan]

Your children are absolutely allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Melkite rite (ie not in state a of mortal sin) as the Melkite rite is and has been in full communion with Rome and the Holy See. The Melkite Priests are as Catholic as your Roman Catholic Priest. The story would have been different if it was an Orthodox Church.

If they had already been admitted to Holy Communion in their Roman parish, your statement would be correct.

But as they have been formally entered into the Roman sui juris Church, they fall under the Canons of the Roman Church (as opposed to Eastern Canon Law)

As such, they are not normally to be permitted to Holy Communion until they have achieved the age of Reason.

My recommendation is to have the pastor of the Melkite Church discuss the situation with your Roman pastor and discuss the situation. They follow the directives of the child’s Canonical pastor

 

[josigirl]

Thank you all for your information. It was all very helpful! I have decided to stick with my decision and not let the children recieve the Holy Communion yet till they have recieved the necessary sacraments. They are young and it is easy for them to become confused. I want them to become strong Catholics with a soild foundation. In order to achieve this I need to pray and give them consistency. They need to understand their own rite first before ever exploring another. Even though I love my rite, I made a decision with my husband to baptize them Roman Catholic. So thank you for your information and help. God bless you always xx

 

[josigirl]

Thank you all for your information. It was all very helpful! I have decided to stick with my decision and not let the children recieve the Holy Communion yet till they have recieved the necessary sacraments. They are young and it is easy for them to become confused. I want them to become strong Catholics with a soild foundation. In order to achieve this I need to pray and give them consistency. They need to understand their own rite first before ever exploring another. Even though I love my rite, I made a decision with my husband to baptize them Roman Catholic. So thank you for your information and help. God bless you always xx