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Apologetics

Expert Answer Forum

by Catherine Frakas 24 Sep 2001

Transfers between Eastern and Latin rites QUESTION from Olga Trimboli November 9, 2000 Greetings, Brother John-Paul,
Thanks so much for the ministry you do in answering questions -- I stumbled upon the site and couldn't stop reading.
My question is in regards to one asked by Walter Wildes Jr., on 6/15/00, titled Can a priest be ordained under eastern and latin rites? which you answered on 7/21/00.
In your response, you state, Transfer from one Rite to another can only been done with Rome's permission and only for VERY limited reasons.
I'm a Ukrainian Catholic, in union with Rome, who married a Roman Catholic and am active as lector, Eucharistic Minister, and altar care coordinator (church laundress) in my husband's RC church. The only thing I remember working on with the Pastor who married us, was to obtain permission for the marriage from the Metropolit/Bishop. I had asked back then if I needed to be converted, and he said it wasn't required (and you do mention that the US is immature in theology, and I believe California, where we live, is more so than the rest).
Am I doing something VERY wrong and should I return to worship in an Eastern Rite church? If I returned there, I would then not be able to share in the communal worship with my husband (he'd then face the problem of going from Latin to Eastern).
If I am doing something wrong, please, if you can, provide some reference on how we'd go about 'converting' to one or the other.
We need to pray together and share our faith journey on the same road, if you will.
Thanks so much, and may our Dearest Lord bless you always,
Olga
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, O.L.S.M. on March 2, 2001 Dear Mrs. Trimboli
So there is no misunderstanding, I believe a priest can be authorized to administer priestly functions in more than one Rite -- as far as I know. The comments about transferring from one Rite to another involves the laity
In that regard, in your case in which you married a man of the Latin Rite, I presume the situation is similar to the Canon Law of the Latin Rite. (I don't have the Canon Law for the Eastern Churches to check this
Canon 112 of the Latin Rite Canon Law states in para 1.2:
After reception of baptism, the following are enrolled in another Church...: (when)...a spouse who, at the time of or during marriage, has declared that he or she is transferring to the ritual Church ... of the other spouse; when marriage has ended, however, the person can freely return to the Latin Church. I presume that that Canon Law of the Eastern Churches have a similar provision. Thus you may transfer to your husband's Rite by simple declaration, that is, by merely making that known, which you have done by your attendance with your husband in a Latin Rite Church.
Bottom line. you are doing fine.... keep going to the Latin Rite Church with your husband.
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