www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology How can I find out who my Bishop is?

Hello,

I'm Russian Catholic and I read here that my Bishop would be the local Latin rite Bishop, but then I heard that in some cases, the Latin Bishop appoints the Russian Catholics to the care of another Eastern rite, like the Ukrainian rite.

Then I realized I don't know who my Bishop is. I would ask the chancery or Bishop's office but they're really busy. Is there a list somewhere, does anyone know? Or anyone have any information? I live in Canada.

thank you!

I believe, in the U.S. and Canada, that all Russian Catholics are under the care of the local Latin bishop. In certain other countries I know that some Russian Catholics are under the care of the Melkite bishop. Write a short letter to the chancellor of the Roman diocese you live in and simply ask for clarification. A letter will give the chancellor time to research the matter and get back to you - much better than trying to phone him.

Dear sister-
You should return to your spiritual father with this question. Since he is familiar with the many issues you continue to struggle with he is in the best position to advise you.

May the most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos aid you to peace.

http://www.cccb.ca/site/

Above is the link to the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. On the left side of the page there is a map of all the Roman Catholic dioceses in Canada. Below the map is a listing of each diocese. If there is no mention of a bishop in the diocesan listing, such likely reflects that the see is vacant at present. If you have no luck with this, send me an e-mail with the name of your city, town or village and I will let you know what Roman Catholic diocese you reside within.

Thank you for the replies!

I do know which Roman Catholic diocese I would be in, but I'm not sure if my Bishop is the Roman Catholic Bishop, or an Eastern rite Bishop.. because my church, Russian Catholic, doesn't have its own bishops.

The various Eastern Rite Catholic bishops in Canada have no jurisdiction over Russian Rite Catholics. Thus, the Roman Rite Catholic bishop in whose diocese you have a domicile (the place where you usually reside) is your bishop. Unfortunately at present, there are no Russian Rite Catholic parishes in Canada. If you are ever in Brampton, Ontario please join us at St. Elias.

www.saintelias.com [saintelias.com]

Monica,

As Deacon David correctly notes, Russian Greek Catholics in Canada are subject to the Latin ordinary within whose geographic diocesan territory they reside.

The situation that you describe hearing of - the commitment of Russian Greek-Catholics to the spiritual omophor of other Byzantine hierarchs is unique to the US, Australia, and, possibly, Brazil, where there are established RGC parishes. It is the parishes as entities (and their parishioners) that have been committed to the omophor of other Eastern hierarchs.

There is presently no RGC parish in Canada. The sole former Canadian parish, Presentation of the Virgin Russian Greek-Catholic Church in Montreal, was canonically suppressed in 1997 - memory eternal!

Many years,

Neil

Thank you! That definitely helps then my Bishop would be the local Latin Bishop.

I had a related question now but I thought I'd just as this thread, since it's related,-

does this mean that Russian Catholics who are in the care of the local Latin Bishop - follow Eastern Canon law? or Latin rite Canon Law? I'm asking cause I got really conflicting information on this so I thought maybe an Eastern Catholic knows for sure! It's soo hard to find information about these topics!

thank you!!

Eastern Catholics have to follow the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) and Latin Catholics have to follow the Code of Canon Law (CIC) of the Latin Church (CCEO can. 1 [intratext.com]; CIC can. 1 [vatican.va]).

Latin Bishops have to take care of Eastern Catholics who don't have a bishop of their own but live in their dioceses: "If he has faithful of a different rite in his diocese, he is to provide for their spiritual needs either through priests or parishes of the same rite or through an episcopal vicar" (CIC can. 383 § 2 [vatican.va]).

For example, the Latin Bishop of Stockholm has an episcopal vicar for the Eastern Catholic Churches, Father Archimandrite [mariebeb.rkkweb.nu] Matthias (Grahm), [mariebeb.rkkweb.nu] O.S.B. [abtei-niederaltaich.de] (source [katolskakyrkan.se]).

So, Eastern Catholics, even if they don't have a bishop of their own, have to follow the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, and the Latin bishops have to take care of them and support them in this.

When I needed an accommodation from Bishop John Michael (Romanian Eparchy) on entering Holy Resurrection Monstery then located at Newberry Springs (CA), Bishop John Michael had to deal with the Latin bishop of San Bernadino. Because as a Russian Catholic in his diocese I came under his juristiction and required his consent to have the Accommodation.

It does happen here in Brazil, Neil. Their parish priest, one of the legendary jesuits who served Russians, Father Joan Stoisser sj. (eternal memory!) died in 2004 and since then Russian Catholics have been receiving spiritual care from our Melkite Archbishop, Farès Maakaroun, who sends a priest to pray for them on almost all Sundays of the year (when they do not have a Slavic tradition priest around).

Ps.: A photo I posted here of the Liturgy of the 4th death anniversary of Fr. Stoisser: https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/282295

Ignorance can be bliss.

Thanks for the replies, that helps a lot!! so then as a Russian Catholic, I'm under the care of the Latin Bishop but have to follow Eastern Canon Law.

I hope it's correct that I'm a Russian Catholic.. I mean, at first I got really different information. But then I was told I'm Russian Catholic because I was baptized Russian Orthodox, even though I became Catholic at the Roman Catholic parish. I'm assuming all that is correct

Monica - you have been asking these questions for some time now - and on many different Fora too - and each time you have been given the same answers.

To summarise - you came from Russian Orthodoxy so you are Russian Catholic

The Russian Catholics have no hierarchy in North America, and very few parishes and clergy , so this does put you in the care of your local Catholic [ meaning Latin/Roman ] Hierarch.

Yes you should follow the customs [ meaning Fasts Feasts and Calendar] of your EC Church BUT as you have always said you feel more at home in the Latin Church , there is no reason why you should not ask permission to follow the calendar and practices of the Church you actually attend. The logical follow through from this is that it may well be a very good thing if, under the circumstances , you ask if you could be granted a canonical change of enrolment so you actually belong to the Church to which you have believed [ despite everything you have been told many many times ] you belong.

Of course the simple solution is - attend the Latin Catholic Church , follow their Calendar, Fasting practices and be Roman Catholic without actually applying to become that canonically