Roman to Eastern?

[peter_banks]

Hi,
Hypothetically, could a Roman Catholic married man and his family become members of the Eastern Catholic Church so that he could then become a priest since their priests can be married?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Hi,
Hypothetically, could a Roman Catholic married man and his family become members of the Eastern Catholic Church so that he could then become a priest since their priests can be married?

As long as the intent is not to circumvent Canon Law in doing so, which would be hard to prove.

It would take a number of years also, a couple of years practicing as an Eastern Catholic in an Eastern Catholic parish, then you would officially make the change of churches. Then there would be time as a candidate before they would let you enter the seminary.

If at any point you make this known that this is what you wanted to do it would greatly hurt your chances.

My educated guess would be that the answer is a No.

 

[m134e5]

Hi,
Hypothetically, could a Roman Catholic married man and his family become members of the Eastern Catholic Church so that he could then become a priest since their priests can be married?

That is no reason to change rites. There is much more to the uniqueness of each rite than the fact that some allow married men to become priests and others don’t. I don’t think that the bishops (both your Latin bishop and the bishop of the Eastern Rite you want to join would have to approve the change) would approve the change if you were just doing it so you could be a priest. Hypothetically, it *is *possible- but you would be being dishonest with yourself (and possibly others as well) if your only reason for switching rites was to become a priest. I doubt Eastern Catholics in any rite would appreciate a priest who has switched to their rite to become a priest in it, but isn’t necessarily attracted to their spirituality or liturgy. I don’t think you’d make it through the change of rites, and the process of becoming a priest with that motivation.