www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Changing Rites

How does a Byzantine Catholic changes rites to the Latin Church? I love the Eastern Rite, but want to be Roman because I feel more at home with the more modern Mass. I still like Eastern theology and am currently reading St. Basil the Great's Gateway to Paradise. I just feel the Holy Spirit leading me to change Jurisdictions. Could someone help me with some advice and guidance.

Thank you so much.

Slava Isusu Christu!

Dear Joyce:

I believe that Changing Rites, in your circumstances, would possibly be for marriage reasons primarily, although I am not sure about the canons. It is a serious thing to change Rites, you only get one shot at it. I highly recommend that you pray hard to get God's will on the issue.

Sincerely,


Robert, Chief Sinner

You can't change rites if you WANT to be Roman. There's a difference between loving and wanting something. You "love" Eastern rite...but you "want" to be Roman because you feel at "home" with modern Mass, etc. SO stay there, don't bother switching to Byzantine rite simply because you love the writings of St. Basil. Give me a break.

Changing rites is very serious thing and our bishops take it very seriously and I don't think they'll take you seriously.

Dear sir,

I am a Byzantine Catholic who wants to Change Rites and I was just kindly wanting some information regarding it. Were you raised to speak to women like that? you should be ashamed. I find your manner of speaking intolerable; please do not respond to any of my posts or I will complain to the Administrator. I have come to meet other fellow Catholics and talk. That is all. The journey that God has for me is very special as it is for all people and it may not be where we are at this time. Like I said I did not want to become Roman because I think they are superior or because I do not love the Byzantine traditions; I just feel God leading me there. That is all.

Joyce,

When the topic of changing from Latin to Eastern has come up in this forum, the general advice is simply start attending and participating in the parish community you wish to be a part of it. Calling the canonical 'change of rite' a secondardy matter would be generous.

In other words, the practice is for the "de jure' to follow the "de facto".

Nothing would be different in the opposite direction.

K.

Dear Joyce,

Please take my response in the Eastern Catholic mission thread in the right spirit. Your fervour about evangelization is a very good thing.

To answer your question, to legally change Churches you would need to ask your current pastor to help you make the change. He would write letters to the Latin and Byzantine bishops in whose eparchies you live, or help you write them, and each bishop would have to OK the change. (I think such changes used to have to be approved by Rome as well but that may no longer be so.) To respect the discipline and protect the stability of the Churches (and for the person's own good), it's true that one may change Churches only once in one's lifetime.

As for your changing Catholic Churches, I am no Catholic canon lawyer (I am in fact a Russian Orthodox layman) but if I were a chancery priest handling your case, or one of the bishops in question, I'd want to know which community you habitually worship with and for how long. We on the forum are fond of saying paperwork doesn't really matter. For example, there are people on another Web forum I belong to who, though originally Roman and never having gone through the canonical hoops to change, live and breathe Byzantine and, I'm sure in the eyes of God, are Byzantine. I'd say, though we Easterns hate to see you go, if functionally you have been Roman, worshipping at a Roman church, for quite some time, then you are Roman.

But spdundas et al. have a point that Catholicism to its credit officially tries to help the Eastern Churches in its communion fight attrition to the larger Roman Church so it may be harder for a born Byzantine to officially change.

I once read in a library copy of The Sooner Catholic (I have a friend originally from Oklahoma) that there was a Byzantine mission somewhere in the diocese of Oklahoma City, served by a biritual priest attached to the Ruthenian Church. (There is a fine mission of similar type in Tulsa too.) Does it still exist? Have you ever been to it?

http://oldworldrus.com
Which contains, among many other things, my views on the "more modern' Mass

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: Serge ]

Dear Joyce,

I am a Latin Catholic and will keep you in my prayers on your journey. It is not often that this topic comes up here.

Some of the posters have concern for the loss of Byzantine Catholics to the Latin Church. It is a real concern to us, also. Serge points out the care that the Pope and the Western Churches have for the continuation of the Byzantine Churches.

Eastern Catholic Churches, Byzantine and Oriental, have a special role to play among God's Churches. They share the wisdom of the East with the West as members of the same communion. In addition they are pivotal, it seems to me, in the process of healing the break between Catholic and Orthodox Communions.

Many of the changes that came about from Vatican II can be traced to the teaching of the East.
These were made made real to the Latin Council Fathers and the Western Church by Eastern and Oriental Catholic Hierarchs and clergy and from the lived experiences of the Eastern Churches. The communion of Byzantine and Oriental Catholic Churches with the Latin chruch helps us, Orthodox and Catholic, to see, albeit imperfectly, that communion between East and West is possible.

But, even more importantly, they exist simply because God wants them to exist to be His People. His Image is reflected in all of the Churches differently. It appears to me that all of this is what the posters who urge you to stay in the Eastern Church are saying. Perhaps they, like me, hear your love for Eastern theology. Based on this, one might wonder about the wisdom of the change that you propose.

God calls some of us to praise Him in Eastern Liturgical Rites and to understand Him through Eastern doctrines. He calls others of us to praise Him in the Liturgical Rites and to understand Him through Western doctrines. I hear you saying that Eastern doctrines are part of the wisdom of the Whole church and that you find value in them.

That being said, it is important to for all here to take note of your call to join us in the Latin Church. A journey is not one step. If I understand what you say, the journey is not just beginning.

The renewed Liturgy of the Western Church calls to you. I am happy that it attracts you. It speaks to me, also. It is the way in which our part of Christ's Church worships the Trinity.

I think that the advice to find a parish home is great advice. The practice of being part of a believing community and knowing it before one makes a change that is so permanent is a practical way of approaching the issue of changing from one Church to another Church. A spiritual director who is a Latin Catholic could be a great help to you.

I'm not assuming that you have not done the above already. If you have, then the spiritual director might be able to lead you through the steps to make the change formal.

It sounds as though you have known the Byzantine Church and have come to know the Roman Church and want to make the move.

Wherever God is leading you, we are your brothers and sisters in Christ. I join my prayers with those of the others that you might clearly hear His Voice calling and follow where It leads.

Your Latin Brother,
Steve

JOY!

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: Inawe ]

Dear Serge,

Your restraint is a thing of beauty!

As you know, I visit your site and relish it. That is not to say that I agree with your views on all matters. I understand them though and they are your views. I respect you and them.

Steve

JOY!

WOW.
I'm not surprised. Prostestants are becoming catholics, latin catholics become orthodox and eastern catholics and Orthodox become Latin because they prefer the Novus Ordo mass, so the N.O. is convenient for some people.
The universal Church is full of Diversity and I think it's good.

Remie,

Yep!

Man proposes; God disposes! The Novus Ordo might even be Grace bearing.

We watch in wonder!

Steve

JOY!