Stuck? A Roman Catholic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GunnerQuick
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

GunnerQuick

Guest
I converted to Catholicism about 4 years ago and being that the only rite available to me ( and I wasn’t aware of the eastern rites here in northern Minnesota) was the Roman Rite. While I love the Church and particularly the TLM, I have been attending different Eastern Rite Churches when I travel and I believe that my heart really belongs in the East. I instantly feel at home in an eastern parish and I have never felt that in the other parishes I have been to.

My problem is that there are no ECC’s within 5 hours of my home. Is there anything I can do to strengthen or explore more fully this feeling of being home. Or am I stuck in the one parish that’s available to me?

Thanks for the Reponses in advance,

Blake
 
I hate to be the killjoy (:p) but the Church, as it is intended to exist, is that the available Church in one’s area is for the spiritual nourishment of the local. While some Churches might have cooler liturgical particularities, one should really just stick to one ritual Church, even if it is permissible to go to different liturgies. This is one of the fundamental issues with Church relations that deters the Orthodox from coming into communion with Rome - that they are a liturgical peculiarity and that’s about it.

In Mesopotamia 400AD, there were no Coptic churches. Apparently in northern Minnesota, there are so Eastern Churches. We make due with what we can.
 
GunnerQuick said:
I converted to Catholicism about 4 years ago and being that the only rite available to me ( and I wasn’t aware of the eastern rites here in northern Minnesota) was the Roman Rite. While I love the Church and particularly the TLM, I have been attending different Eastern Rite Churches when I travel and I believe that my heart really belongs in the East. I instantly feel at home in an eastern parish and I have never felt that in the other parishes I have been to.

My problem is that there are no ECC’s within 5 hours of my home. Is there anything I can do to strengthen or explore more fully this feeling of being home. Or am I stuck in the one parish that’s available to me?

Thanks for the Reponses in advance,

Blake
Click to expand...
You can switch rights if you want but the Church will only let you do it once so make sure that you are sure you want to do this
 
Find a local Traditional Latin Mass. Many times people that love the Eastern Rites crave the sense of mystery and tradition that has been preserved by those Rites and that we used to have with the 1962 Missal. It looks like there are several in state - ecclesiadei.org/masses.cfm#Minnesota - just avoid any that are associated with groups not fully in communion with Rome (SSPX, SSPV) they do not offer the Mass licitly and cannot offer Confession or Confirmation validly. Any on this list should be fine. God bless.
 
Thank you for the responses! I know that you can switch rites once, however you have to be apart of a ECC parish for at least a year before your allowed to submit a request. Or at least that’s what I have found.
As for a TLM, the nearest is again a few hours away. My local parish priest and I are learning to serve low mass, but with work schedules, kids, and his inability to get any free time from the parish it’s slow going.

I do love the Latin Mass, always will. I just wish there was a way to explore more fully the Eastern Rites so I could determine were the attraction is coming from.
If not I will just have to content myself with visiting once a month when I make it to Minneapolis.
 
Loving_disciple said:
You can switch rights if you want but the Church will only let you do it once so make sure that you are sure you want to do this
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but doesn’t a switch from one to the other require approval from someone very high up in the hierarchy? I’d read somewhere that only the Pope has the authority to grant the switch.
 
I too love the Divine Liturgy, which I was able to attend before we moved to another state. I really missed it… but what I realized is that it is not God’s will for me to change rites at this time. Who knows what will happen in the future? But for now, no.
 
on_the_hill said:
I could be wrong, but doesn’t a switch from one to the other require approval from someone very high up in the hierarchy? I’d read somewhere that only the Pope has the authority to grant the switch.
Click to expand...
Yes you have to get permission from your Bishop and the other rite Bishop I believe
 
on_the_hill said:
I could be wrong, but doesn’t a switch from one to the other require approval from someone very high up in the hierarchy? I’d read somewhere that only the Pope has the authority to grant the switch.
Click to expand...
west to east, papal approval is automatic, and consent of both bishops and the transferee is all that is needed. East to West, Rome’s consent is rare, cannot be presumed, and must be based upon strong reasons.
 
GunnerQuick said:
My problem is that there are no ECC’s within 5 hours of my home. Is there anything I can do to strengthen or explore more fully this feeling of being home. Or am I stuck in the one parish that’s available to me?

Thanks for the Reponses in advance,

Blake
Click to expand...
If there is an Orthodox Church nearer to you then you can go there for Vespers/Vigil Sunday nights and for the 12 Great Feasts and other important Feasts of our Liturgical calendar. You could also go to Divine Liturgy there of course. This is what many of us ECs do when there is no EC parish in our area.
 
MorEphrem said:
I hate to be the killjoy (:p) but the Church, as it is intended to exist, is that the available Church in one’s area is for the spiritual nourishment of the local. While some Churches might have cooler liturgical particularities, one should really just stick to one ritual Church, even if it is permissible to go to different liturgies. This is one of the fundamental issues with Church relations that deters the Orthodox from coming into communion with Rome - that they are a liturgical peculiarity and that’s about it.

In Mesopotamia 400AD, there were no Coptic churches. Apparently in northern Minnesota, there are so Eastern Churches. We make due with what we can.
Click to expand...
Not merely “cooler liturgical peculiarities”, but speaking as a Latin (yes, I am quite familiar with my own rite as it is practiced nowadays), the Latin churches closest to me are scarcely conducive to prayer.

I will say no more on this lest I start running afoul of CAF regulations, but I did want to remark on the “cooler liturgical peculiarities” comment.
 
angelic06 said:
Not merely “cooler liturgical peculiarities”, but speaking as a Latin (yes, I am quite familiar with my own rite as it is practiced nowadays), the Latin churches closest to me are scarcely conducive to prayer.
Click to expand...
Hi again, angelic. Have you moved since becoming Catholic? (Not trying to pry, just to get a better picture of your situation.)
 
Aramis said:
west to east, papal approval is automatic, and consent of both bishops and the transferee is all that is needed. East to West, Rome’s consent is rare, cannot be presumed, and must be based upon strong reasons.
Click to expand...
I’m very surprised to hear about the Rome’s-permission requirement (whether presumed or not). My understanding was that only permission from the two bishops was required.
 
Aramis said:
west to east, papal approval is automatic, and consent of both bishops and the transferee is all that is needed. East to West, Rome’s consent is rare, cannot be presumed, and must be based upon strong reasons.
Click to expand...
To be more concise, when the move is West to East, the USUAL mode is to only contact the Eastern ordinary, and the Eastern ordinary (or his chancery) is expected to take care of any other formalities with the Latin ordinary for the new member (formerly Latin).

In short, the law favors moving from West to East.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
Peter_J said:
I’m very surprised to hear about the Rome’s-permission requirement (whether presumed or not). My understanding was that only permission from the two bishops was required.
Click to expand...
From the CCEO:

Canon 32 - §1. No one can validly transfer to another Church sui iuris without the consent of the Apostolic See.
§2. In the case of Christian faithful of an eparchy of a certain Church sui iuris who petition to transfer to another Church sui iuris which has its own eparchy in the same territory, this consent of the Apostolic See is presumed, provided that the eparchial bishops of both eparchies consent to the transfer in writing.
 
Dear brother Peter,
Peter_J said:
I’m very surprised to hear about the Rome’s-permission requirement (whether presumed or not). My understanding was that only permission from the two bishops was required.
Click to expand...
The rationale for this is the ancient Apostolic Canon 34. Bishops manage everything in their respective jurisdictions.

If, for example, there was such a thing as formal transfer within a sui juris Church when a person moves from one diocese to another within that Patriarchal jurisdiction, since the matter is inter-diocesan, it would necessarily involve the head bishop of that territory, who is the Patriarch.

The same principle applies, except transfer between sui juris Churches is an inter-patriarchal matter, so it would involve the head bishop on the next level, which is the Pope of Rome.

On such matters as this, the assumption of papal approval is merely a recognition that the matter extends beyond the normal jurisdiction of the ordinary.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
angelic06 said:
Not merely “cooler liturgical peculiarities”, but speaking as a Latin (yes, I am quite familiar with my own rite as it is practiced nowadays), the Latin churches closest to me are scarcely conducive to prayer.

I will say no more on this lest I start running afoul of CAF regulations, but I did want to remark on the “cooler liturgical peculiarities” comment.
Click to expand...
Going to a different Church because the liturgy is more conducive to proper worship is a completely good reason, in fact I would think it only makes sense since the point of liturgy is to give God our best. I was referring to the people who create a list of rotations between different rites to “mix things up.”

I made no statement about Latins exclusively attending Eastern churches because of liturgical novelty nor do I think that is the case. And, of course, it goes without saying that Latins are always welcome at our parishes. Methinks some, though, are too quick to become aggravated when no offense is meant :p.
 
Rather than worrying about switching rites or finding an Eastern parish to attend - why not try incorporating some Eastern forms of worship into your daily prayer life? You don’t have to attend an Eastern church to pray the Jesus Prayer, for example.

Here are links to some sites that may help you:

Byzantine Catholic Prayers from EWTN

A Morning Rule of Prayer from Byzcath

Byzantine Catholic Prayer for the Home - this is an ebook you can actually download if you like.

Any of these sites will help you get a “feel” for Eastern spirituality, and praying in this way for a while may help you discern whether this is really something you want to pursue - without having to make any drastic life changes just yet!

Hope this helps!
 
Thank You all for the wonderful responses. I will take a look into getting my hands on some books about eastern spirituality as well as the pages that were linked.
Wish me luck 😉

Blake
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top