When is permission needed to go between rites?

[JJ452]

Hi All:

I was under the impression that Latin Catholics didn’t need permission to transfer to an Eastern Rite; but permission was needed for an Eastern Rite Catholic to transfer to the Latin Rite. (It gets so confusing )

 

[MorEphrem]

Hi All:

I was under the impression that Latin Catholics didn’t need permission to transfer to an Eastern Rite; but permission was needed for an Eastern Rite Catholic to transfer to the Latin Rite. (It gets so confusing )

Either situation requires episcopal permission because there’s a certain transfer of authority occurring. However, an Eastern to Latin transfer is apparently systematically discouraged from what I hear.

 

[JJ452]

Thank you for your reply. Well…I guess I broke the rules without knowing. I was baptized according to the Latin Rite. However, I had family members who were Latins and those who belonged to the slav-Byzantine Rite (we’re Russians). For many years now I’ve practiced my faith in the Byzantine Rite. Didn’t get anybody’s permission. However, with what I’ve been reading about Francis it doesn’t make any difference if you go to a store front church. As he put it himself; we’re wrapped up in too many trivials. So a Byzantine I’ll stay.

 

[Oerlikon]

Thank you for your reply. Well…I guess I broke the rules without knowing. I was baptized according to the Latin Rite. However, I had family members who were Latins and those who belonged to the slav-Byzantine Rite (we’re Russians). For many years now I’ve practiced my faith in the Byzantine Rite. Didn’t get anybody’s permission. However, with what I’ve been reading about Francis it doesn’t make any difference if you go to a store front church. As he put it himself; we’re wrapped up in too many trivials. So a Byzantine I’ll stay.

It has nothing to do with Pope Francis. Any baptized Catholic can attend to ANY legitimate Catholic parish or mission in order to practice their faith and satisfy their obligation.

You can officially change church affiliations but it’s not necessary.

 

[5Loaves]

Thank you for your reply. Well…I guess I broke the rules without knowing. I was baptized according to the Latin Rite. However, I had family members who were Latins and those who belonged to the slav-Byzantine Rite (we’re Russians). For many years now I’ve practiced my faith in the Byzantine Rite. Didn’t get anybody’s permission.

No permission is needed for a Catholic to practice their faith in a Catholic Church. It’s not clear what “rules” you think you broke. The only times it matters what Church you belong to is for the Sacraments of Marriage, and of Ordination.

You mention that you have family members who are perhaps canonically members of an Eastern Catholic Church. Church inscription is that of the father regardless in which Church sui uris the Sacrament/Holy Mystery of Baptism and of Chrismation/Confirmation takes place. There are plenty of Catholics Baptized in the Latin Church who are actually members of an Eastern Catholic Church, the Church of their father. Likewise a child whose parents are Latin Catholics, if Baptized and Chrismated in an Eastern Catholic Church, is a Latin Catholic. The Baptismal record in the parish where the Sacraments take place notes the correct Church for the person in the parish records.

 

[JJ452]

No permission is needed for a Catholic to practice their faith in a Catholic Church. It’s not clear what “rules” you think you broke. The only times it matters what Church you belong to is for the Sacraments of Marriage, and of Ordination.

You mention that you have family members who are perhaps canonically members of an Eastern Catholic Church. Church inscription is that of the father regardless in which Church sui uris the Sacrament/Holy Mystery of Baptism and of Chrismation/Confirmation takes place. There are plenty of Catholics Baptized in the Latin Church who are actually members of another Church, the Church of their father. Likewise a child whose parents are Latin Catholics, if Baptized and Chrismated in an Eastern Catholic Church, is a Latin Catholic. The Baptismal record in the parish where the Sacraments take place notes the correct Church for the person in the parish records.

Thank you for your response. I was under the impression that a Latin Rite Catholic could transfer to an Eastern Rite, by choice, with no ecclesiastical permission; but if vice versa, permission was needed. My family is mixed; some Latin, some Eastern. I was baptized & reared in the Latin Rite. When I could no longer deal with the Novus Ordo Mass (I felt like I was at a Protestant service), and all the bickerings of the Latins, I began attending the Byzantine church. But in another response somebody mentioned that I still needed permission. If this is indeed a fact, I’m not gonna get caught up in some medievel rule from 900 hundred years ago. A Byzantine I’ll stay. If, for some reason, the Latin Bishop would insist on some sort of legality or dispensation; then I go to the local Russian Orthodox church.

Thank You

 

[5Loaves]

Thank you for your response. I was under the impression that a Latin Rite Catholic could transfer to an Eastern Rite, by choice, with no ecclesiastical permission; but if vice versa, permission was needed. My family is mixed; some Latin, some Eastern.** I was baptized & reared in the Latin Rite. **When I could no longer deal with the Novus Ordo Mass (I felt like I was at a Protestant service), and all the bickerings of the Latins, I began attending the Byzantine church. But in another response somebody mentioned that I still needed permission. If this is indeed a fact, I’m not gonna get caught up in some medievel rule from 900 hundred years ago. A Byzantine I’ll stay. If, for some reason, the Latin Bishop would insist on some sort of legality or dispensation; then I go to the local Russian Orthodox church.

Thank You

Again, if your father had happened to be canonically Eastern, you mention some of your family is Eastern Catholic, you would be EC even if you were Baptized in the Latin Church. It happens that people discover several generations back the family was EC and then they perhaps moved where there was no EC Church so they began going to the Latin Church and then the next generation also was raised in the Latin Church and everyone thinks they are Latin when canonically they actually are EC. This was the case with a friend here who only discovered it when he went to enter the Dominican order and in getting all his records it turned out his dad is UGCC, tho the father was raised in the Latin Church, as had been our friend.

If your priest wanted to have you tonsured a Reader or Subdeacon, or ordained a Deacon then you would need a transfer of Church.

Occasionally people post that they had problems with the Latin to EC transfer. Generally if your parish priest supports it there isn’t a problem. We’ve had a number of transfers in my parish in the past few years and they were all without difficulty.

If you wished to be married in the ECC you are part of that would need a simple permission but not a transfer of Church. That permission is needed whenever someone marries in a parish that is not the parish where they domicile, which in fact is probably the majority of Latin Catholics because these days most Catholics pick a church because they prefer the Mass at that parish and they do not in fact live within the canonical boundary of that parish. That’s a routine permission to be married by a priest or deacon other than the priest in whose parish you reside, and normally happens easily.

 

[malphono]

Thank you for your response. I was under the impression that a Latin Rite Catholic could transfer to an Eastern Rite, by choice, with no ecclesiastical permission; but if vice versa, permission was needed. My family is mixed; some Latin, some Eastern. I was baptized & reared in the Latin Rite. When I could no longer deal with the Novus Ordo Mass (I felt like I was at a Protestant service), and all the bickerings of the Latins, I began attending the Byzantine church. But in another response somebody mentioned that I still needed permission. If this is indeed a fact, I’m not gonna get caught up in some medievel rule from 900 hundred years ago. A Byzantine I’ll stay. If, for some reason, the Latin Bishop would insist on some sort of legality or dispensation; then I go to the local Russian Orthodox church.

A canonical Latin may indeed participate, and receive most Sacraments, in any Eastern (or Oriental) Church at will. (Matrimony is a special case which, as with most things involving that sacrament, can be complicated. Holy Orders requires one to be canonically inscribed the Church in which he will be ordained, but it is possible for a canonically Latin priest to petition for and receive bi-ritual faculties.) But he will always remain ascribed to the Latin Church.

In order to formally become ascribed to an Eastern or Oriental Church, one must get canonical permission. It’s not a “medieval rule from 900 years ago” but does involve a simple petition to the receiving bishop. In most cases, that’s sufficient. The petitioner must be able to demonstrate familiarity with the Church to which he wishes to transfer, as well as valid reasons for the transfer. For someone who is sincere, it’s not an onerous process. The local Eastern/Oriental pastor will, in most cases, take care of the paperwork and be able to guide the petitioner through it.

 

[Aramis]

No permission is needed for a Catholic to practice their faith in a Catholic Church. It’s not clear what “rules” you think you broke. The only times it matters what Church you belong to is for the Sacraments of Marriage, and of Ordination.

You mention that you have family members who are perhaps canonically members of an Eastern Catholic Church. Church inscription is that of the father regardless in which Church sui uris the Sacrament/Holy Mystery of Baptism and of Chrismation/Confirmation takes place. There are plenty of Catholics Baptized in the Latin Church who are actually members of an Eastern Catholic Church, the Church of their father. Likewise a child whose parents are Latin Catholics, if Baptized and Chrismated in an Eastern Catholic Church, is a Latin Catholic. The Baptismal record in the parish where the Sacraments take place notes the correct Church for the person in the parish records.

Only marriage and ordination require prior permissions; all the recorded ones are to be recorded in the parish of record, and if one has transferred ritual church, that may not remain the parish of baptism.

 

[5Loaves]

And then there is the situation where no permission is required, and can also be reversed :

CIC Code of the Latin Church:
Can. 112 §1 After the reception of baptism, the following become members of another autonomous ritual Church:
1° those who have obtained permission from the Apostolic See;
2° a spouse who, on entering marriage or during its course, has declared that he or she is transferring to the autonomous ritual
Church of the other spouse; on the dissolution of the marriage, however, that person may freely return to the latin Church;
3° the children of those mentioned in nn. 1 and 2 who have not completed their fourteenth year, and likewise in a mixed marriage** the children of a catholic party who has lawfully transferred to another ritual Church; on completion of their fourteenth year, however, they may return to the latin Church. **

CCEO Code of the Eastern Catholic Churches
Canon 33 * A wife* is at liberty to transfer to the Church of the husband at the celebration of or during the marriage; when the marriage has ended, she can freely return to the original Church sui iuris.