Eastern Rite Churchs QUESTION from Walter Wildes Jr. September 25, 2001 Dear Bro: John-Paul I was reading some posts that was written in this forum and have some big questions to ask.
No.1 in a few posed you said you have to get permision fron the Holy See to Become a Eastern Right Catholic. I find a problem with this. I am An Eastern Right Catholic And a Roman Catholic loyal to the Pope. Eastern Catholics are Loyal to The pope and Rome And are catholics. And all that Iis needed is a Letter to ones Bishop and the Eastern Catholic Bishop stateing that you want a transfer of Rite. And if no problem occures then The pertiction is deposited in the parish records and it is offical. There is no special premition needed fron Roam.
Since there are catholics any way It would be like getting premition fron Rome every time you chang to a different parish . You can still be both Roman And Eastern Catholic And It is not a violation of any sprit given by any church dodument since we are all in the same spirit in christ.
I have documents on my Eastern Catholic website to Back up What I am trying to say. I mean No disrespect but mabe there is a misunderstanding on both our parts I don't know. Maybe we should start a Forum on Eastern Catholics For people to get a more in depth view of the beauity of th Eastern Rites These are also part of our culture as Catholics.
God Bless Walter Wildes Jr.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on September 28, 2001 Dear Mr. Wildes:
I am sorry but you are wrong. Permission is needed for a Latin Rite Catholic to transfer to one of the Eastern Catholic Rites. This does NOT imply that Eastern Rites are not in communion and does not imply that there is ANYTHING wrong with the Eastern Catholic Church. It is merely a rule that the Church has, in its wisdom, to maintain the integrity of the various Rites within the Church.
Here is an EXACT quote from Canon Law:
Canon 112.1: After the reception of baptism, the following are enrolled in another ritual Church sui iuris: a person who have obtained permission from the Apostolic See;
a spouse who, at the time of or during marriage, has declared that he or she is transferring to the ritual Church sui iuris of the other spouse; when the marriage has ended, however, the person can freely return to the Latin Church;
before the completion of the fourteenth year of age, the children of those mentioned in nn. 1 and 2 as well as, in a mixed marriage, the children of the Catholic party who has legitimately transferred to another ritual Church; on completion of their fourteenth year, however, they can return to the Latin Church.
Canon 112.2: The practice, however prolonged, of receiving sacraments according to the rite of another ritual Church sui iuris does not entail enrollment in that Church.
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