www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Canonical change from roman to ugcc whats the point in it?

Well, if a Christmation is necessary, then the priest would have to call the Bishop's office, and get through that, too, and have an appointment set for that. Seems only fair.

Yes the priest would call and it is an easy procedure from there. From my experience it seems like it is completely normal and happens often. We have baptisms and chrismations often and I do not think the families are canonically Byzantine. Seems like our priest has no problem at all.

Ah I see. That is a weight off my mind so far then Nelson. Thanks for that information.

Stephen

I am reminded of an old post of Fr. Serge Keleher:

"Dear me-I've overlooked a potential reason for being bothered to obtain a 'change of rite'. If one seriously hopes to become canonized, or even beatified, it would be well to obtain the otherwise pointless 'change of rite'. Sister Miriam Demianovich has been stuck in this headache for decades-she was born and baptized as a Greek-Catholic, joined a RC community of nuns, led an outstanding Christian life, and died in the fragrance of sanctity.

In her case, honesty compels me to add, there is also the problem of whether she was a 'Slovak' or a 'Rusyn'. Fortunately, from Sister Miriam Teresa's present vantage point, she probably remains blissfully unconcerned for both of these matters.

(And no, I am NOT making this up).

Fr. Serge"

haha. So in other words what Fr.Serge is saying to me is.....stephen relax, it's pointless.

:-)

Does a Latin Catholic child who has received first communion need to be confirmed or chrismated in order to receive communion in an Eastern or Oriental Catholic Church?

That would be the canonical requirement. When I asked for my son to be admitted to Communion, the priest told me that they cannot because he hasn't been confirmed yet (he was baptized in the RC Church). However, he was baptized in the hospital (undergoing surgery at 5 days old) and the priest who did the emergency baptism also gave him Confirmation. So he was admitted to Communion at 1 year old.

Well, the time between I received First Communion and the time I was Confirmed, I had no problem with the Eastern Rite receiving Communion. Although this was, like, between 15 - 20 years ago, so rules were probably different. I wasn't confirmed until I was in the Eighth Grade, as is the case in most Latin Churches, and the Byzantine Rite had no problem with it. Although things may have changed now in terms of those rules, but I'm not sure.

Things have changed for us too. But only recently. Some of our kids haven't even received First Communion yet, while the babies born in the last few years are.

Somewhere in this thread some one talked about the Melikites and that many of their priests were RC, then later became Priests in the Melikite Rite. I remember going to genealogy talk by a priest a long time ago. He talked about forced Latinization and refusal of Latin priests in many diocese that had heavy immigration of Lebanese Catholics to list in the baptismal record the rite of child's father. In the 1930s and 40s Detroit had a large influx of this population group but it was not till the 50s and 60's was there a church for them. This may help explain that anomaly.

In practice, I think it would be hard (if not impossible) to find any parishes that would make an issue of it.

I would say that it's possible to make too much of it, and that it's possible to make too little of it. (Of course, that could be said of most things. )

Ooops, I misread the original question.

Yes, if a Latin child who has received First Communion will be admitted to Communion in an EC parish. The issue only is if the canonically Latin child is below the age in which the Latins would commune. Then the issue of Chrismation will come up.