Switching from Ukrainian Catholic to Latin Catholic

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postnavaltrauma

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I’m in RCIA, becoming Catholic (from orthodoxy) after about a decade of atheism. Upon accepting Christ again I attended a Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia for about half a year. I was baptized and chrismated in a Ukrainian Orthodox Church and grew up attending the Orthodox Church of America.

I consider myself entirely westernized and really would just prefer to be in the Latin Church. I want to have the same holy days of obligation as everyone at my parish and fast on the same days and just be a Roman Catholic as I have always thought of it. I don’t even know Ukrainian.

I’m in the United States how easy do you think it would be to get the approval of the bishops here to change once I’ve been received into the Catholic church?
 
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postnavaltrauma said:
I’m in RCIA, becoming Catholic (from orthodoxy) after about a decade of atheism. Upon accepting Christ again I attended a Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia for about half a year. I was baptized and chrismated in a Ukrainian Orthodox Church and grew up attending the Orthodox Church of America.

I consider myself entirely westernized and really would just prefer to be in the Latin Church. I want to have the same holy days of obligation as everyone at my parish and fast on the same days and just be a Roman Catholic as I have always thought of it. I don’t even know Ukrainian.

I’m in the United States how easy do you think it would be to get the approval of the bishops here to change once I’ve been received into the Catholic church?
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If you are in a territory where both sui iuris Churches are, then you apply to the receiving bishop (Latin) of the jurisdiction where you live. That bishop, if he agrees to the transfer, will contact the current bishop (Ukrainian Catholic) to see it he agrees. The transfer, if approved, will require witnessed declaration. If there are not two bishops where you live, then the application would be made to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome. In the USA there are bishops of both jurisdictions so you would be able to use the first approach. It is not always approved.

Additional note: I assumed that you were originally baptised in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and it was not a re-baptism.
 
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Any tips for increasing the likelihood of approval?

Also, can you apply more than once? I ask because I’m imagining a situation where I apply after becoming Catholic, and rejected, and perhaps later want to make a vocation in the Latin church, like joining Dominicans or something. I would need to be accepted into the Latin church for that, correct?

I’m hoping to ask my priest about this but it will be some while before I can meet him. He actually mentioned that I would be part of a different church when we met the first time but we didn’t talk about it much.

Regarding your note, yes. My original baptism as a baby was in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Sorry if that was unclear.
 
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has Byzantine versions of Latin orders, e.g. the Ukrainian Catholic Redemptorists as well as Byzantine monastic communities.

And don’t forget - the late Fr. Robert Taft was S.J. 😉 He was Roman Catholic yet was a UGCC archimandrite (which isn’t done anymore).

Full disclosure: I’m a Ukrainian Greek Catholic in the Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
 
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Please talk to someone knowledgeable about Eastern Rites and Orthodoxy. You should be received into the Church straight away, you shouldn’t be in RCIA.

Speak to someone at the diocese about changing rites.
 
I sent an email to my priest about making my confession of faith already (and a general confession). He responded and unfortunately he’s out of town until next week hopefully he’ll get back to me about it soon because I haven’t been able to go to confession or anything for a while I’m kind of in a state of mortal sin. He asked me what times I was free the week he gets back.

Really hoping he just lets me in!
 
Vatican II in Orientalium Ecclesiarium decreed that we had to restore our own traditions. Quite a few UGCC priests/bishops are monsignor. Our Archbishop emeritus Stephen Sulyk is technically Msgr. Stephen Sulyk or Most Reverend Stephen Sulyk if one did a formal introduction. (True trivia tidbit: Archbishop Sulyk is the oldest living Ukrainian Greek Catholic prelate - he’s 95! Mnohaya I blahaya lita!)

To the best of my knowledge, Archbishop emeritus Stefan Soroka was not a monsignor.

Now they use titles like “archpriest” instead of “monsignor” (which technically is bestowed by the pope - a monsignor is usually a papal chaplain).
 
Usually (not always) a person converting from Orthodoxy is encouraged to join the Eastern Catholic Church closest to his/her background. So if you’re Ukrainian Orthodox, ideally you’d become Ukrainian Greek Catholic to make the transition as easy as possible.

Are you in the U.S.?
 
Yes I am in the U.S. My local area is quite Catholic but there is no Ukrainian Greek Catholic church anywhere close.

I didn’t think it was a matter of being encouraged just sort of what has to happen by canon law, that you are technically a part of this church.

I’m attracted to my parish we have Tridentine Latin Mass, Novus Ordo Latin Mass, English, and German masses. It’s a very traditional place with good people and the Latin is nice as I’m learning the language right now. It’s mildly upsetting that when I am received I’m going to have different holy days of obligation (which I won’t be able to fulfill because there is no Ukrainian parish near me) and stuff. Like I went to the All Saints Day service because I thought it was a day of obligation for me but apparently not since I’m not part of the Latin church.

Having moved here at 2 years old I don’t have much of a connection to my heritage and I’m one of the people who wants to escape it anyway and totally assimilate I don’t like things which remind me I’m different.
 
Even though I’m Ukrainian Greek Catholic I’ve occasionally attended the TLM. It helped me to appreciate the Divine Liturgy even more.

Are you in the southern U.S.? I know there’s a few Byzantine/UGCC parishes around but they’re few and far between to the best of my knowledge.
 
1ke said:
Please talk to someone knowledgeable about Eastern Rites and Orthodoxy. You should be received into the Church straight away, you shouldn’t be in RCIA.

Speak to someone at the diocese about changing rites.
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I was wondering the same thing. Why would a convert from Orthodoxy be going through RCIA?
 
I’m in the midwest. I think the closest Ukrainian/Byzantine Catholic churches near me are in Chicago and that’s like a 5 hour drive.

A friend and I actually want to go to the Ukrainian church in Chicago for the Divine Liturgy and I am not opposed to going there occasionally were I to move to the area in the future but that doesn’t mean the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church feels like home to me.
 
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Well I think he just wants me to learn more about the faith. I read that there is still some spiritual/educational training expected before you make your confession of faith.

edit: I still intend to go to all the classes even if I am received into the faith tomorrow because they’re very interesting here.
 
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postnavaltrauma said:
Any tips for increasing the likelihood of approval?

Also, can you apply more than once? I ask because I’m imagining a situation where I apply after becoming Catholic, and rejected, and perhaps later want to make a vocation in the Latin church, like joining Dominicans or something. I would need to be accepted into the Latin church for that, correct?

I’m hoping to ask my priest about this but it will be some while before I can meet him. He actually mentioned that I would be part of a different church when we met the first time but we didn’t talk about it much.

Regarding your note, yes. My original baptism as a baby was in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Sorry if that was unclear.
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Once you make a profession of faith, and id does not matter which Catholic sui iuris church that is done at, you are ascribed to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, because it matches your original baptism. If you want to transfer do a different sui iuris church that is a separate process, but is is subject to approval. The norm is not transfer from east to west in order to preserve the eastern churches memberships and for the benefit of the individual. There can be good reasons to switch however.
 
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OK. Here’s the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma:

stjosaphateparchy.com

Parishes

FLORIDA St. Petersburg (Pinellas County) Epiphany of Our Lord 434 90th Avenue, North St. Petersburg, Florida 33702 (727) 576-1001 (Home) (727) 576-1001 (Office) (727) 576-6821 (Fax) Deanery: Southern Brooksville (Hernando County) Saint Andrew 8064 Weeping Willow Street Brooksville, Florida...
stjosaphateparchy.com stjosaphateparchy.com

The Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago:

http://esnucc.org/ver2/?q=node/57

(N.B. You might have to contact the Eparchy directly since this hasn’t been updated.)

There’s also the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma too.
 
Margaret_Ann said:
OK. Here’s the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma:

Parishes – St. Josaphat Eparchy

The Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago:

http://esnucc.org/ver2/?q=node/57

(N.B. You might have to contact the Eparchy directly since this hasn’t been updated.)

There’s also the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma too.
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@postnavaltrauma

Also:

Philadelphia
Address: 827 North Franklin St., Philadelphia, PA 19123-2097, USA
Phone: +1 (215) 627-0143

Stamford
Address: 14 Peveril Rd., Stamford, CT 06902-3019, USA
Phone: +1 (203) 324-7698
 
So you were baptized in the Ukranian Orthodox church not a Ukranian Catholic
church? @postnavaltrauma
 
Thanks for loving Philadelphia & Stamford (I do too! ❤️❤️) but the OP lives in the Midwest.
 
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