From Byzantine to Roman Catholic Over the last twenty-one years as a teacher of liturgy in Roman Catholic theological colleges, as a lecturer to adult education series in Roman Catholic parishes, and simply as a participant in talks about the Catholic Church with other Roman Catholics, it seems that, whenever I ask them to consider Christian churches other than their own, more often than not, they immediately refer to the Reformation churches and the free church traditions of today. Less often do they mention the Orthodox churches, the Oriental churches, the churches of the East, and even less often do they have within their scope the Eastern Catholic churches, those Eastern churches in union with Rome.
The first wave of immigrants to the US came from Western Europe, bringing with them their Roman Cathoic faith. The Eastern Catholic Churches arrived about 100 years ago and set up missions in the large cities that also drew immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. As fraticidal wars continue in the ME, more immigrants have arrived on our shores and they are now establishing their particular rites. The Syro-Malabar (Indian) Church now has a parish in the Bronx, NY.
ALL of these Churches are authentically Catholic - same faith, different flavor. I would strongly encourage our Latin Catholic freepers to follow the recommendations of JPII and discover the rich heritage of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The only recommendation I would add is that when you do, make the effort to attend at least 3 times. The first visit is disorienting; the second more familiar but by the 3rd visit, you can relax with the liturgy and begin to participate.
While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity. In a certain sense, it is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as God is three Persons, yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church.
Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.
To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).
To locate an Eastern Catholic Church in your community, follow the following link:
Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.
A Roman rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his of her obligations at any Eastern Catholic Parish. A Roman rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic Parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest, since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole. I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith at a Maronite Catholic Church. Like the Chaldeans, the Maronites retain Aramaic for the Consecration. It is as close as one comes to being at the Last Supper.
It bears repeating.
I was raised Roman Catholic, and am a practicing Catholic. However, as I've mentioned before, most of my relatives, and most of them immigrants, were Orthodox or Byzantine or 'other'. My mother was raised Byzantine. When it came time for my confirmation, about 25 yrs ago, my Pastor steadfastly refused any of my Byzantine relatives as potential Confirmation sponsors and actually approved, as a special circumstance, my un-confirmed younger sister as my sponsor. We - me, my mother, her former Pastor - could not convince him that they were 'practicing Catholics'. I appreciate in a special way all your postings to help clarify the still lingering occasional misunderstandings. EWTN has a few shows on the Eastern rites as well.