Hi folks,
My family and I are Catholics but in the Latin Rite (usually known as Roman Catholic Church) and not the Byzantine Rite.
However, something interesting has happended in our diocese (Archdiocese of Perth, Western Australia).
My father, and his family, are Byzantine Catholic. Since comming to Perth (from PA) he has practised as Roman Catholic, as there is no Byzantine church here.
Since my wife Pidor and I have been married we have felt uneasy about the fact that our children are not fully intitiated into the body of Christ. In the latin Rite infants are baptised but do not receive the eucharist until they are about 7 years and confirmation until they are about 12 years. This is so mainly due to historical accident but there is also a distorted theology behind it as well. The idea, sadly, is that you earn the sacraments by reaching the age of reason and adolescence.
We wrote to the Archbishop (His Grace, Barry Hickey) and requested that our daughter Elfine of 3 years and son Roy of 6 months be confirmed and receive the eucahrist. The reason I gave (among others) was the Byzantine connection in the family. It took his Grace around 24 hrs to give permission for this (and on the basis of the Byzantine connection).
So on 4/6/06, in front of the Parish community, Elfine and Roy were confirmed and received their first communion.
Pidor and I are very happy Parents!
