What does it mean to be catholic for eastern catholics?

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I made some of threads asking what is the difference between eastern catholics and their orthodox sisters beliefs and practices.
I got the answer “eastern catholics should mirror their orthodox sisters beliefs and practices”.

But now I want to ask you why did my and your ancestors convert from orthodox or oriental orthodox to eastern catholics? (Some of my ancestors converted to eastern catholicism in 19/20 century from oriental orthodox).

My point is why did my and your ancestors convert to eastern catholicism if the practices and beliefs are the same? And what does it mean for us to be catholics?
 
Not a popular answer, but many times conversion was more pragmatic than theological.

Sometimes through military conquest treaties i.e. Union of Brest, sometimes for political support of Rome in a precarious situation i.e. Melkites.

Sometimes Jesuits would build schools in the near-East and then require conversion to attend their schools. This particular technique was very effective.

Not making a value judgment either way, it’s just how it was done in many cases.
 
m_p_w said:
I made some of threads asking what is the difference between eastern catholics and their orthodox sisters beliefs and practices.
I got the answer “eastern catholics should mirror their orthodox sisters beliefs and practices”.

But now I want to ask you why did my and your ancestors convert from orthodox or oriental orthodox to eastern catholics? (Some of my ancestors converted to eastern catholicism in 19/20 century from oriental orthodox).

My point is why did my and your ancestors convert to eastern catholicism if the practices and beliefs are the same? And what does it mean for us to be catholics?
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Most folks didn’t even see it as “conversion” - they kept going to the same parish, had the same priest and usually the same bishop, they just began liturgically praying for the Pope, and many times thought from their perspective that the Pope and their bishop/church had simply stopped schism.

Some churches, like my Malankara Syriac Church, reunited to stop being involved in schism and lawsuits between the Indian Catholicos and Syriac Patriarch - a rivalry which continues to this day. By being in Communion with the Pope - who accepted as Catholic, everything within the Praxis of the Malankara Syriac Church - one loses nothing and gains union with the Bishop of Rome and 22 other Eastern Catholic Churches. Unfortunately, many latinisms crept in and we are in constant need of a return to authentic Malankara Syriac practice. It’s easy to get lax when the Latin Church is this behemoth entity, with the Pope belonging to it; it takes a mind and spirit of oneness with one’s own Fathers and Sacred handed down Tradition to keep what was handed down.
 
Geopolitical/historical circumstances as SyroMalankara suggests. It really seems inconsequential to Syriacs, to be honest.
 
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