www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Welcome!

To our newest members, Dr. Kevin Vost, a Latin Rite Catholic, from (Southern) Illinois and Andre/Magicsilence, a Maronite, from London!

And welcome back to Mikey, a long time member of note!

Glad to have you here at Byzcath!

Amado

Now, we have another Maronite in our midst!

(Yuhannon, meet Andre/Magicsilence, a Maronite Londoner!)

Amado

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!!!

Amado and Pani,

Thank you for the welcomes.

I've updated my profile to show that I'm located in Springfield, Illinois -- land of Abraham Lincoln. We are in southern Illinois (compared to Chicago), though we usually refer to our area as "central" Illinois.

And greetings to the Londoners.

Pax et bonum,
(Peace and goodness),

Kevin Vost

Dear Dr. Vost,

You found an icon avatar!

Now you are really one of the 'gang'!

Welcome again,
Alice

How far are you from Joliet?

Thanks Alice. I think the icon avatars are really beautiful, but I don't really know the significance of the one I've chosen. Can anyone give me the scoop on this one?

Also, we're about 2 1/2 hours or so (maybe 125 - 150 miles or so) south of Joliet.

Dear Dr. Vost,

I believe that you have chosen the icon of Sts. Constantine and (his mother) Helen.

Ofcourse, you know who the Emperor Constantine is, but the significance of his mother, as the icon shows, is that she went to the Holy Land and found, through a miracle, the true cross of our Lord.

Also of note is that in the East, St. Constantine is considered 'equal to the apostles' because of his role in legalizing Christianity for the Roman Empire, and for his presiding over the first Ecumenical Council of the one undivided Church.

In Christ,
Alice

Oh, the shame

I just found out today i might not be a Maronite !!

How does one determine their rite?

I thought I had it all figured out!

Oh, and thanks for the welcome.

You are defaulted to the rite of your father if he was Catholic at the time of your baptism. If he was not, you are defaulted to the rite of your mother. If you were not cared for by either, you are defaulted to the rite of your guardian who authorized your baptism. If your parents officially changed rites before you turned 14, you also changed rites with them. If they changed rites after you turned 14, you were free to choose which rite you desired to continue in.

However, it is possible to request the default be suspended and you be brought into the rite of a non-default. (For instance, your father is a Latin and your mother is a Maronite, but they intend to raise you Maronite so you are baptised into the rite of your mother.) In this case, it should be documented on your birth certificate. The default situation might not be documented on your birth certificate, however, particularly if you were baptized outside your rite. If this is the case (your father was Maronite but you were baptized in the Latin church, for example), you are still a Maronite by default. Did you follow that?

I am very curious to know what has occured that our new friend is unsure now, of what rite he belongs to.

It is as you say Wondering very straight forward and if he is in the 'wrong' rite matters can be sorted out.

He might turn out to be not even Catholic at all. Not the first time that has occured.

Wondering,

"Default" hardly seems the appropriate word to employ in these circumstances. Additionally, in the East, persons belong to Churches and Churches to Rites, unlike the West.

Magic,

Welcome to this side of the forum world

To determine your Church sui iuris is this simple:

• An infant and any child below 14 years at time of reception into Catholicism:
  
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• is ordinarily enrolled in the Church sui iuris of his father;
• is enrolled in the Church sui iuris of his mother, if only she is Catholic;
• is enrolled in the Church sui iuris of his mother, if there is disparity of Churches sui iuris between the parents and both freely request it;
• is enrolled in the Church sui iuris of the person legally responsible for him, if a birth parent is not that person;
• is enrolled in the Church sui iuris of the person who will be responsible for his spiritual upbringing as a Catholic, if neither parent is Catholic.

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• A child of 14 years or older:
  
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• whose parents transferred their (and his) enrollment from one Church sui iuris to another, after infancy but before his 14th year, may (on attaining 14 years of age) revert to the Church sui iuris from which he originated, should he choose to do so; or,
• who is entering into the Catholic faith may choose the Church sui iuris in which he will enroll.

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Many years,

Neil

I suppose "West" is OK if one keeps going that way and keeps going across the International dateline to those Latins who are East of the East, like in the far east.

Actually all fun and games aside that was a very helpful way of making the topic clear for our Maronite friend and any others who were wondering. Thanks Neil. (oh dear just realised what I have written...who were wondering..haha!)

"St. Constantine & St. Helen"
Constantine, Emporer of Rome convoked the Council of Nicaea (325) and began the Roman Empire's unofficial sponsorship of Christianity. He founded the 'New Rome', Constantinople, and refounded Byzantium.

His mother, St. Helen, had a dream of the location of the True Cross with the sign, following her dream it found in an old well overgrown by sweet basil. The cross was tested by a dead man being brought to life by it's touch thus verifying it as the Cross of Christ.

Dr. Vost welcome, and Glory to Jesus Christ!

I just ordered your book and look forward to the read.

Some years back, while I was in college devouring Chaucer, I became interested in this very topic. At the time, I picked up "The Book of Memory: A Study of Memory in Medieval Culture" by Mary Carruthers." I found the topic fascinating.

If you ever make it up to Chicago, please be sure to visit www.byzantinecatholic.com. [byzantinecatholic.com.]

In Christ,

John