Byzantine Catholicism

BListon · #1 Feb 26, '12, 6:05 pm

I've recently become infatuated with eastern christianity, and I was just wondering if you HAVE to be Greek by race to be a Byzantine Catholic, and if so are they in communion with the Roman rite.

ThatOneGuy92 · #2 Feb 26, '12, 6:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BListon

I've recently become infatuated with eastern christianity, and I was just wondering if you HAVE to be Greek by race to be a Byzantine Catholic, and if so are they in communion with the Roman rite.

No, you do not have to be Greek to be a Byzantine Catholic.

Yes, Byzantine (and by that I mean those whom utilize the Byzantine rite) Catholics are in Communion with Latin Catholics (Roman rite).

Vico · #3 Feb 26, '12, 6:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BListon

I've recently become infatuated with eastern christianity, and I was just wondering if you HAVE to be Greek by race to be a Byzantine Catholic, and if so are they in communion with the Roman rite.

It is not by race, rather by ascription to a Catholic ritual church through baptism. There are 23 of these Catholic ritual churches. This is determined by the father's (or guardian's) church for those that are baptized under age 14, or by choice if baptized later. It is also possible to transfer by making a request to the Apostolic See.

Kielbasi · #4 Feb 26, '12, 6:23 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BListon

I've recently become infatuated with eastern christianity, and I was just wondering if you HAVE to be Greek by race to be a Byzantine Catholic, and if so are they in communion with the Roman rite.

Absolutely not, in fact relatively few Greek Catholics, in America anyhow, are of Greek ancestry at all.

But then the majority of Roman Catholics aren't Roman or Italian either.

And most Missouri Synod Lutherans aren't from the "show me" state.

The term "Greek" refers to the history of the church and the rite, not the ethnic background of the faithful.

DeniseNY · #5 Feb 26, '12, 6:23 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BListon

I've recently become infatuated with eastern christianity, and I was just wondering if you HAVE to be Greek by race to be a Byzantine Catholic, and if so are they in communion with the Roman rite.

No, you do not have to be Greek. Using myself as an example, my family is Slovak and we are Byzantine.

And as others have stated, we are in communion with Rome.