Why are you Eastern Catholic

  • Thread starter Thread starter BVMFatima
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

BVMFatima

Guest
Hello,
The question today is why are you Eastern Catholic? Maybe you were born into Eastern Catholicism, maybe you switched rites etc. You can also share your sui juris church!

God Bless,
BVMFatima
 
My husband and I were both born into the Byzantine Rite church, actually the same parish. We both love it and would never change. Our 4 children have also been Baptised and received their first Holy Communion in our parish. However 3 of them have left the church after reaching adulthood and unfortunately dont attend any church now. We just keep praying God will bring them back to any Catholic church. Occasionally we attend the Roman Rite church when weather is bad and we cant get to our Byzantine church.
 
Random question that is related to this topic. If one is born into the Roman Rite (or an Eastern Rite), is is acceptable to switch Rites if one were to like the liturgy better in one of those Rites? Or is it expected that one should stay in the Rite they originally have belonged to?

God bless.
  • Paul
 
Because the Lord called me to be there. lol
I came into the Church in my twenties after a conversion experience and the Lord lead me to a particular church, Eastern Rite, and a particular priest. I’ve heard over the years people remark that ‘that man was a saint’, and I believe it.

Because of schedules and other commitments, I have been to various Latin Rite churches to take advantage of the different times that Mass was offered. The Latin Rite churches here are very modern and they did not suit my religious sensibilities.

The hymnology of the Eastern Rite is beautiful, rich, and filled with catechism. We spent many years attending Vespers on Saturday evenings and that alone increased my knowledge and faith because of the hymnology and because of the reverence of the gathered.
 
PJD1987 said:
Random question that is related to this topic. If one is born into the Roman Rite (or an Eastern Rite), is is acceptable to switch Rites if one were to like the liturgy better in one of those Rites? Or is it expected that one should stay in the Rite they originally have belonged to?

God bless.
  • Paul
Click to expand...
Yes, and you don’t have to ‘notify’ anyone.
My husband, who was Latin Rite, started coming with me when we were dating and loved it.
If you find that you really can connect and pray at one or the other, that’s a Divine Liturgy or Mass well spent.
 
PJD1987 said:
Random question that is related to this topic. If one is born into the Roman Rite (or an Eastern Rite), is is acceptable to switch Rites if one were to like the liturgy better in one of those Rites? Or is it expected that one should stay in the Rite they originally have belonged to?

God bless.
  • Paul
Click to expand...
One can always attend a Catholic Divine Liturgy in any Catholic Rite. However, a mere love of the liturgy is likely not sufficient reason to switch, as you’re always free to attend anyway. To switch you must prove that you have a true love for that church’s spirituality, that you’re willing to obey its laws (for example, the Eastern churches have stricter fasts than the Romans).
 
BVMFatima said:
Hello,
The question today is why are you Eastern Catholic? Maybe you were born into Eastern Catholicism, maybe you switched rites etc. You can also share your sui juris church!

God Bless,
BVMFatima
Click to expand...
Because I would have left the church if forced to remain Roman. The Roman expressions of the Church do no resonate with me, and do not make it easy for me to accept the graces present in the Roman liturgy. I contemplated translating to Russian Orthodoxy.
 
BVMFatima said:
Hello,
The question today is why are you Eastern Catholic? Maybe you were born into Eastern Catholicism, maybe you switched rites etc. You can also share your sui juris church!

God Bless,
BVMFatima
Click to expand...
I was raised Protestant. Largely as a result of my theological studies at Duke Divinity School, I became Orthodox, (OCA). Not long after that, I met my wife, who is a life-long Roman Catholic. She was not willing to become Orthodox, but she agreed that if I would become Catholic, she would agree to worship with me in an Eastern Catholic Church and that our children would be raised as Eastern Catholics. I agreed, and became Ruthenian Catholic.
 
devoutchristian said:
Incorrect. In order to officially switch one must recieve canonical permission.
Click to expand...
A Roman Catholic can receive all the sacraments in the Eastern Churches. If one wishes to be ‘official’ about it, they are free to receive canonical permission. If a Roman Catholic attends a Divine Liturgy on Sunday, they have met their obligation and do not need to attend an RC Church that same weekend too.

If my husband received canonical permission, what in his life in the Church would change? I’m not being confrontational with this question, I’m am asking sincerely. There are also a number of RC’s attending our parish as well and are quite happy with the Eastern Rite.
 
PennyinCanada said:
A Roman Catholic can receive all the sacraments in the Eastern Churches. If one wishes to be ‘official’ about it, they are free to receive canonical permission. If a Roman Catholic attends a Divine Liturgy on Sunday, they have met their obligation and do not need to attend an RC Church that same weekend too.

If my husband received canonical permission, what in his life in the Church would change? I’m not being confrontational with this question, I’m am asking sincerely. There are also a number of RC’s attending our parish as well and are quite happy with the Eastern Rite.
Click to expand...
👍
 
I grew up non-denominational. I was baptized and Chrismated (Confirmed) as a convert in the Antiochian Orthodox Church. After the parish closed down (and studying miaphysite Christology), I was Chrismated as a convert in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Later my studies lead me to communion with Rome. 🙂
 
Zekariya said:
I grew up non-denominational. I was baptized and Chrismated (Confirmed) as a convert in the Antiochian Orthodox Church. After the parish closed down (and studying miaphysite Christology), I was Chrismated as a convert in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Later my studies lead me to communion with Rome. 🙂
Click to expand...
And I practice a mix of Byzantine and Coptic devotions (prayer books, etc). 🙂 I prefer St Cyril (Doctor of the Incarnation) of Alexandria’s teaching on the nature of Christ. 😉
 
I was born Maronite. My family has a very Syriac Orthodox influenced view of theology from where they’re from, but I guess it gives me a normative view into how things should be in the Maronite church. I remain here, instead of becoming Syriac Orthodox, because I have faith that change will come slowly, but surely, to better the church (despite it being seemingly hopeless at times). I enjoy all things Syriac (liturgy, music, language, theology) and hope to spread the love of it in our church (especially since I was told that Ephrem, Jacob of Sarug, etc. should be used supplementarily, at best, to Aquinas because they’re simply antiquated poetry).
 
Was it someone in your church who told you to use Aquinas over the Syriac Fathers? That is unfortunate.
MorEphrem said:
I was born Maronite. My family has a very Syriac Orthodox influenced view of theology from where they’re from, but I guess it gives me a normative view into how things should be in the Maronite church. I remain here, instead of becoming Syriac Orthodox, because I have faith that change will come slowly, but surely, to better the church (despite it being seemingly hopeless at times). I enjoy all things Syriac (liturgy, music, language, theology) and hope to spread the love of it in our church (especially since I was told that Ephrem, Jacob of Sarug, etc. should be used supplementarily, at best, to Aquinas because they’re simply antiquated poetry).
Click to expand...
 
PennyinCanada said:
If my husband received canonical permission, what in his life in the Church would change?
Click to expand...
His obligations regarding fasting, for one. Another thing would be that his canonical pastor would be the pastor of the Eastern Catholic Church that he attends, rather than a Latin rite priest.
 
Aramis said:
Because I would have left the church if forced to remain Roman. The Roman expressions of the Church do no resonate with me, and do not make it easy for me to accept the graces present in the Roman liturgy. I contemplated translating to Russian Orthodoxy.
Click to expand...
It is a different world (East and West)… 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top