Third Orders

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jmjconder

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**Can an Eastern Rite Catholics belong to Western Rite lay organizations?

Like Knights of Columbus, third oders of religious communities?**
 
Definitely. Our new priest just joined the Knights of Columbus.
 
**I was confused by what you named yourself. Not sure why you would label yourself a “non-practicing” Roman Catholic.

Are not all the Rites w/in the Catholic Church Catholic? **
 
jmjconder said:
**I was confused by what you named yourself. Not sure why you would label yourself a “non-practicing” Roman Catholic.

Are not all the Rites w/in the Catholic Church Catholic? **
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For one thing you got the quote marks in the wrong place
 
jmjconder said:
**I was confused by what you named yourself. Not sure why you would label yourself a “non-practicing” Roman Catholic.

Are not all the Rites w/in the Catholic Church Catholic? **
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There’s a whole story behind that moniker. Constantine, from what I can remember, is an active Eastern Catholic. You can probably be confident that his answer is correct, unless his priest has joined the Knights of Columbus in error.
 
The problem with many 3rd orders is that they are tied to rules of life that bind one to a certain praxis.

For example, Third Order Dominicans are bound by solemn promise to say the office (breviary) daily, and when practical, in community.

So are Secular Franciscans.

Their formation is tied tightly to the Roman praxis (well, Dominicans to the Dominican praxis, which is an archeo-roman one) and to being a dispersed community.

Part of that community is a common rule of prayer.

Groups like the KofC are a different matter. The KofC (which does have a prayer rule, namely, the Rosary, but no solemn promises, only simple promises to pray it “often”) even has some councils which are predominantly Eastern Catholics.
 
TrueLight said:
Constantine,

You really need to remove that. It is provacative and can be a stumbling block for some.

Just sayin’.
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People shouldn’t judge someone’s knowledge by their affiliation. I’m saddened by that fact. Many people who made me a better Catholic are not Catholics, they’re not even Orthodox. Its clear that what it represents stands true. People believed back then I cannot teach Roman Catholics because I’m not Roman Catholic any longer, despite the fact that I’ve been Roman Catholic for 95% of my life and I haven’t even been one for only one year. Even though I am still Catholic, just not Roman. Its sad people would just judge that way. Really sad.
 
There is an Eastern Catholic on here who is also a Carmelite Brother, which seems to be working fine for him. Obviously, this also means that it can be done. I would imagine that the real question is whether it should be done, which probably depends on the individual.

The main thing would whether or not you are called to a particular spirituality which is found in a Western order. If so, then pursuit of a Lay/Third order might be something to consider. If not, then definitely not. Perhaps Brother (aka. ByzCath) will find this thread and share his thoughts.

Peace,
 
I am not aware of any canonical impediment. The best (and in the end only) person to go for for the right answer is your local priest, for both the canonical and spiritual aspects.

Do keep in mind what Aramis said, however.
 
jmjconder said:
**Can an Eastern Rite Catholics belong to Western Rite lay organizations?

Like Knights of Columbus, third oders of religious communities?**
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Why not?

If we can belong to a Western Church (Rite describes Churches) first order, like I do, then why can’t we belong to a lay organization?
 
jwinch2 said:
There is an Eastern Catholic on here who is also a Carmelite Brother, which seems to be working fine for him. Obviously, this also means that it can be done. I would imagine that the real question is whether it should be done, which probably depends on the individual.

The main thing would whether or not you are called to a particular spirituality which is found in a Western order. If so, then pursuit of a Lay/Third order might be something to consider. If not, then definitely not. Perhaps Brother (aka. ByzCath) will find this thread and share his thoughts.

Peace,
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Yes it is a very individual thing. It can be done but as Aramis points out there is s certain praxis that goes along with it.

It is working for me but I can see how it would not work for everyone.

I do pray the LoTH in community and have daily Mass but on Sundays, when I am feeling well, I try to go to a Byzantine Church. My private prayer has Eastern aspects to it. I pray the scriptures with a book that has writings from the Eastern Fathers in it. I pray the Jesus Prayer. I have many icons in my room, still working on getting an icon corner set up. I pray a Compline I have from an Orthodox prayer book for Night Prayer.

I am also studying at a Western Church theologate for the priesthood. I try to keep in my Eastern aspects of theology and many of my professors do bring up the Eastern side of things in class. This is not out of the ordinary though as the Ukrainian Catholic seminarians here in DC attend Catholic University.

I know there are some Eastern Catholics that have issues with what I am doing, but it doesn’t bother me as it is my life and my call to serve God and not theirs.
 
Cavaradossi said:
You can probably be confident that his answer is correct, unless his priest has joined the Knights of Columbus in error.
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As would mine, and another retred priest who covers and concelebrates at themes (ok, he was still RC when he joined the KofC)’ the priest at the other BC church in town, who spent many years as the State Chaplain, and even our bishop . . .

🙂

hawk
 
I am an Orthodox Christian and a Benedictine Oblate.
Subdeacon Lazarus
🙂
 
ConstantineTG said:
People shouldn’t judge someone’s knowledge by their affiliation. I’m saddened by that fact. Many people who made me a better Catholic are not Catholics, they’re not even Orthodox. Its clear that what it represents stands true. People believed back then I cannot teach Roman Catholics because I’m not Roman Catholic any longer, despite the fact that I’ve been Roman Catholic for 95% of my life and I haven’t even been one for only one year. Even though I am still Catholic, just not Roman. Its sad people would just judge that way. Really sad.
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Yup! 😊 Had been teaching for five years in the same place and the day I said I’d translated into the Byzantine Church…I was asked if I thought I could still teach from “our” Catechism. Back then I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I didn’t know enough to get mad…now it doesn’t really matter…🙂

On the subject of the topic here: Why is a prayer rule a problem for Third Order members from eastern Churches?
 
Elijahmaria said:
Yup! 😊 Had been teaching for five years in the same place and the day I said I’d translated into the Byzantine Church…I was asked if I thought I could still teach from “our” Catechism. Back then I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I didn’t know enough to get mad…now it doesn’t really matter…🙂

On the subject of the topic here: Why is a prayer rule a problem for Third Order members from eastern Churches?
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There is a canonical obligation to preserve and practice one’s rite. A member of an order, even a 3rd order, of another rite is usually binding themselves to a praxis of that other rite.

For some, Like Brother David, his superior has made plenty of room for him to have a different praxis from the others in his order.

But that’s not required of them. Which is why it’s such a big deal for an EC to jump through the hoops Rome imposed when joining the 1st and 2nd orders.

Both the individual and their superiors need to be aware of their status and different obligations.
 
jmj:

I’m a practicing Byzantine Rite Catholic, and my mother was raised in the Latin Rite. My uncle (mother’s side, practicing Latin Rite Catholic) and Godfather is a very active member of the KoC - he labors to recruit me all the time.

I also know many other Byzantine Catholics who are members of the KoC. One of the most notable was + Professor Daniel Kafka, the longtime cantor and choir director of the Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic (Ruthenian) Church in Philadelphia. He was a fourth degree knight, and a very active member of his church community. For interest’s sake, his bio is at holyghostphila.byzcath.org/kavka.php

Peace be with you!

P.S. I shall ask my dear Godfather, a member of this forum, to post something more definitive, as I’m certain he could speak more intelligently on KoC membership.
 
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