www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Question about returning to Catholic church from Orthodoxy

The short story is RC wife and children convert to Orthodoxy, husband remains Catholic. Wife has guilt over leaving communion with Rome and is contemplating a return to the Catholic church.

How does the CC treat the sacraments the children received? If they went to a Latin rite parish would they still have to go through FHC and confirmation even though they have been receiving communion in the Orthodox church and have already been chrismated? Would the children be allowed to receive the Eucharist in a Byzantine Catholic parish since they have received all the sacraments of initiation from the Orthodox church? The closest Byzantine Catholic parish is a bit of a drive and the husband has a Latin rite parish/priest that he prefers, so the Latin rite parish would probably be the home parish for the family.

Thanks for any advice you are able to give.

Just go the local Latin priest, he can return you to the Catholic Communion with a simple confession. If you, as a family, choose to be Byzantine, you will need to speak to the Byzantine priest and request a canonical transfer. I would not recommend this unless you plan to practice in your Byzantine Church together as a family.

If the Children are over 14 or were baptized Orthodox, they are technically Byzantine Catholic, if they were received and Chrismated in the Orthodox Church. This can be a canonical problem if they choose to get married or ordained later, but can be rectified.

Just want to confirm that you are correct, Michael. My wife, our child and I came from a similar background, and we were received very simply and easily. Because both child and mother were baptized Orthodox, they were received as Eastern rite. Because I had been baptized Latin rite, I had to keep that canonical identity, but my heart belongs to Orthodox/Greek Catholic.

The children were not baptized into the Orthodox church. They entered via chrismation and have been receiving communion since they became Orthodox.

I wasn't sure how the CC would accept the Orthodox chrismation as valid. And if they would be treated as full members of the CC or if they would still have to go through all the hoop jumping required by many RC priests for FHC and Confirmation.

I am not sure what you mean by this, but I am quite sure that their Chrismation would be deemed valid, and thus there would be no need to repeat this Sacrament. If you go through the canonical procedure of changing rites, I believe your children would follow you into that rite and continue to receive Eucharist in either rite as would you and your wife. Good chance to challenge the Chancery! Love it.

The sacraments would be viewed as valid by the Latin Catholic Church.

What they don't like to see is switching back and forth from RC to EC etc.

I've been told they'll do it for you once or twice ... then no more.

I do not have experience going toward Latin ... the move toward Eastern Catholic was smooth for me and pleasant.

Oh, heavens! I know a lot of clerics and monastics who are in a lot of trouble, then,

I am actually the wife. My husband is not interested in changing rites, he is quite happy being Latin rite. Going East is all my idea and one that I have traveled alone with the children. I have visited the nearest Byzantine Catholic church but it is a bit of a drive (about 45 minutes) and they hold Divine Liturgy on Saturday evenings.

I guess I am wondering if it would be possible to be Latin rite with a Latin rite home parish, but occasionally attend a Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy so that my younger children who are used to receiving the Eucharist don't have to wait until 2nd grade to receive again. (I was told when I attended liturgy there before that as long as my child had received FHC, he could receive communion.) Or would that be too confusing to the children and I should just stick to one or the other?

Well, I am trying to avoid being wishy-washy but failing miserably. My husband is not interested in being Orthodox or EC. Because he is not interested in changing rites or even attending Divine Liturgy, actually switching rites within the Catholic Church is not an option. If we are to all be Catholic it will be Latin rite.

If you and the children are received into the Latin rite which you would be since you were thus baptized, then you can go to the Divine Liturgy at the Byzantine Catholic church as often as you are able. I would explain to the priest there where you had come from and I am quite sure he would accept the children to Communion. In the RC parish of your husband, plead the children's case for receiving Communion there. It is my strong feeling, based on my own experience, that the FHC thing will confuse them more. It will provide some enlightenment to the Latin rite clergy, too.

I second this. I'm technically Latin rite. But, since I've already talked to the vocation director for the Byzantine eparchy governing the Byzantine church I've been attending, I'll eventually make the formal switch of rites. This won't happen, until a few years later, though. Other than this consideration, you can still be canonically Latin, but maintain Byzantine attendance, if that's where you feel at home, spiritually.

FHC?

Hi Capsela. Two questions: how long ago did you convert to Orthodoxy, and how long have you been wanting to convert back to Catholicism?



= First Holy Communion.

Dear Haydukovich,
Unfortunately, not everybody experience a seamless transition from the RC to EC.
I'm still waiting a response from the EC Eparch for my change of rite, 4 years now..... in a canonical void!!

Utroque, if your wife is canonically Eastern, then you can switch at any time without the normal transfer process by virtue of being married to her. Talk to your priest.