www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Visiting an Eastern Catholic Church

As a Roman Catholic, is it OK to attend the Divine Liturgy at a Byzantine Catholic Church in the next town on a Sunday?

Is there a rule that says that a Latin Catholic cannot receive the Eucharist or attend another Church of a different Rite when a Latin Rite Church is available?

From everything I've read and from talking to Priests, this is permissible.

BUT- If a "doubting Thomas" wanted to be shown proof from something "in writing" on this topic, where would he find that?

This is not because of wanting to change Rites, but to simply worship in a different Rite.
Pax tecum,
David
Slidell LA

David,

Welcome to the Forum!

It is completely permissible for Catholics to recieve the Mysteries at any Catholic Church, Byzantine, Latin, Antiochene etc I am sure you will see the Liturgy as "Heaven on Earth"
At an Orthodox Church, you would not be able to receive the Holy Mysteries but would be welcome to receive the blessed bread (we call it antidoron) and to go up after Liturgy to kiss the Cross the priest holds for veneration. May God bless you in your journey of learning about the Easternb Church!

It's perfectly okay to go to divine liturgy at an Eastern Catholic church and to receive the Eucharist there. I'm technically Roman, and I've been attending a Byzantine Catholic church for 2 years. The Eastern Catholic churches ARE Catholic, so there's no problem.

I agree too. My friend wants to know where in Canon Law it says it's permissable Or in the Cathechism.

He's basing his decision on this:
DECREE ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES
OF THE EASTERN RITE
ORIENTALIUM ECCLESIARUM
SOLEMNLY PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESS
POPE PAUL VI
ON NOVEMBER 21, 1964

under paragraph 4 it states the following:

Finally, each and every Catholic, as also the baptized of every non-Catholic church or denomination who enters into the fullness of the Catholic communion, must retain his own rite wherever he is, must cherish it and observe it to the best of his ability (4), without prejudice to the right in special cases of persons. communities or areas, of recourse to the Apostolic See, which, as the supreme judge of interchurch relations, will, acting itself or through other authorities, meet the needs of the occasion in an ecumenical spirit, by the issuance of opportune directives, decrees or rescripts.

(4) Pius XII, Motu proprio Cleri sanctitati, 2 iun. 1957, can. 8: sine licentia Sedis Apostolicae, sequendo praxim saeculorum praecedentium; item quoad baptizatos acatholicos in can. 11 habetur: ritum quem maluerint am plecti possunt; in textu proposito disponitur modo positivo observantia ritus pro omnibus et ubique terrarum.

Given in Rome at St. Peter's, November 21, 1964

http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_...19641121_orientalium-ecclesiarum_en.html

Pope John Paul II draws from this document in ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II TO THE AMERICAN BISHOPS OF THE EASTERN RITE ON THEIR "AD LIMINA" VISIT Thursday 23 November 1978

The variety within brotherhood that is seen in the Catholic Church, far from being detrimental to the Church�s unity, rather manifests it. showing how all peoples and cultures are called to be organically united in the Holy Spirit through the same faith, the same sacraments, and the same government.

Each tradition must value and cherish the others. The eye cannot say to the hand: "I have no need of you"; for, if all were a single organ, where would the body be? The Church is Christ�s body and the various parts of the body are intended to serve the good of the whole and to collaborate with each other for that end.

I would wish every member of the Catholic Church to cherish his or her own tradition. "It is the mind of the Catholic Church that each individual Church or rite retain its traditions whole and entire, while adjusting its way of life to the various needs of time and place". You and the Churches over which you preside should accordingly treasure your heritage and take care to hand it on in its integrity to future generations.

I would also wish each members of the Catholic Church to recognize the equal dignity of the other rites within her unity.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/j...9781123_ad-limina-rito-orientale_en.html



Again, not a question of validity. Latin Rite Catholics should and are required to defend with the same zeal the validity of our Eastern Rite brothers and sisters who are equal to us. However, it is quite clear that just as we have Jesuits, Dominicans, and Benedictines, each cannot for one Sunday become the other even though the celebrate the same Latin Rite. Just as we are Latin Rite, we cannot for one Sunday temporarily become Eastern Rite.


Thanks
David

Yes, yes, yes, and an extra yes. Don't be nervous, the Churches are like family and everyone will be nice and be glad you are there. And don't worry if you don't sit or stand at the right time, nobody seems to mind.

P.S. Holy Week would be a perfect time to experience the Byzantine Catholic Church.

The Communion is giving with spoon, go up and open your mouth and the Priest/Deacon will put the Communion on your tongue.

...but whatever you do, don't stick out your tongue.

Dan L

I attended my first Divine Liturgy last Saturday! It was a little akward at first trying to keep up but no one seemed to care or notice. It was a very small parish, actually in the basement of a Latin Church but the one thing I noticed was everyone was belting out the liturgy! The priest's homily was a little simple but heart felt nonetheless. It was a good experience altogether and I feel blessed that we even have an Eastern Mission here in Oklahoma no matter what size! I probably won't be attending on a regular basis but it will be nice to attend occasionally.

Hi David,

Well, as a Roman Catholic, the law regulating your eclesiastic discipline is the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church.

From that I quote:

<<
Can. 923 Christ's faithful may participate in the eucharistic Sacrifice and receive holy communion in any catholic rite, without prejudice to the provisions of can. 844.
>>

So yes, you can attend any Catholic Divine Liturgy of any rite and receive Holy Communion during the same.

Even more, if you attend a Catholic Divine Liturgy of any rite on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation (or on the vigil of the same), you satisfy your obligation to attend Mass:

<<
Can. 1248 �1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a catholic rite either on a holyday itself or on the evening of the previous day.
>>

So go ahead, and worship with ALL your Catholic brethren.

Shalom,
Memo

Dear Friends,

There was a time, and I have a copy of an old BC prayerbook with the text itself, when Roman Catholics were expressly forbidden to receive the Sacraments in an EC Church.

EC's were always allowed to receive in the Latin Church, but not vice-versa.

This has all now come to an end, thankfully.

Alex

It will not kill you to go to an Eastern Rite Church.

It seens strange at first because the whole thing was sung, but you will learn the Divine Liturgy after a few times.

I went to Saint Michael's in Pittston, PA on Holy Thursday, It was strange to hear the Passion sung or chanted, but it was very nice.

Some of the prayers are slightly different, but don't let it trouble you.

well, a priest won't strike a lightning to you if you enter the orthodox church but,

a chuch is a house of god and we worship and glorify the same god even if they differ in rites.

our faith is one and we are one. the body of christ and children of god! may god bless oyu all! belated pascha!

David,

Welcome to the Forum that I call home.

The issue with which David is wrestling relates not to himself (he has a healthy curiousity about the East and a desire to know us better), but to a friend (convert to Latin Catholicism). His friend acknowledges the validity of Eastern Catholicity within the Catholic Communion, but is fiercely resistent to the idea that it is ok for a Latin Catholic to attend the Divine Liturgy and receive the Holy Mysteries outside of his own sui iuris Church.

I have spent some considerable time exploring this issue with David on the small EC forum of a larger (Latin) site.

Not certain if I pointed David in this direction or not, but I'm glad he landed here. Since knowledgeable Eastern posters at the other site are pretty much limited to Amado, Al/a pilgrim, and myself, it can be difficult to muster a response that is sufficiently concerted to demonstrate that it's more than personal opinion involved. Thanks to all of my brothers and sisters for reiterating the points that I've been trying to convey (especially to Karen, with whom I seem to recollect collaborating on a similar thread back around the time that I first joined this community ).

Many years,

Neil