No Perfect Match?

[Madaglan]

I just read over the thread concerning conversion from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, in particular the rule that a person coming to Catholicism from Orthodoxy becomes a member of the respective Eastern Catholic Church (e.g. a Coptic Orthodox becomes Coptic Catholic). This led me to wonder, are there any Orthodox jurisdictions to which there is no EC or OO equivalent? I thought maybe Eritrean Orthodox--but would they be admitted as Ethiopian Catholic? .What about the Orthodox Serbians?

[Formosus]

They can choose to go to the one that lines up closest to their Orthodox Church they are coming from.

[Madaglan]

Originally Posted by Formosus

They can choose to go to the one that lines up closest to their Orthodox Church they are coming from.

That's what I thought might be the case.

[jimmy]

Originally Posted by Madaglan

I just read over the thread concerning conversion from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, in particular the rule that a person coming to Catholicism from Orthodoxy becomes a member of the respective Eastern Catholic Church (e.g. a Coptic Orthodox becomes Coptic Catholic). This led me to wonder, are there any Orthodox jurisdictions to which there is no EC or OO equivalent? I thought maybe Eritrean Orthodox--but would they be admitted as Ethiopian Catholic? .What about the Orthodox Serbians?

There is an Eritrean Catholic Church. I actually know an Eritrean Catholic.

[Aramis]

Originally Posted by jimmy

There is an Eritrean Catholic Church. I actually know an Eritrean Catholic.

It is not, however, a Sui Iuris Church; it is a branch within the Ethiopian Catholic Church.

[Diak]

The Serbs, Bulgarians and Macedonians have often gone to the UGCC. We have several priests from those regions serving in the UGCC in the diaspora. For example in the Eparchy of Stamford alone there are priests from Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Bosnia currently in eparchial ministry.

[SyroMalankara]

Originally Posted by Madaglan

I just read over the thread concerning conversion from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, in particular the rule that a person coming to Catholicism from Orthodoxy becomes a member of the respective Eastern Catholic Church (e.g. a Coptic Orthodox becomes Coptic Catholic). This led me to wonder, are there any Orthodox jurisdictions to which there is no EC or OO equivalent? I thought maybe Eritrean Orthodox--but would they be admitted as Ethiopian Catholic? .What about the Orthodox Serbians?

The beautiful thing is that you don't have to be received via a Latin Parish, any Eastern Parish can receive you as well! If you would mention your city, I will list the local Oriental Catholic Churches in the area, you may feel more at home there, perhaps even worship there until an Eritrean Catholic parish is started.

Welcome home!

[Spirithound]

Originally Posted by Madaglan

I just read over the thread concerning conversion from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, in particular the rule that a person coming to Catholicism from Orthodoxy becomes a member of the respective Eastern Catholic Church (e.g. a Coptic Orthodox becomes Coptic Catholic). This led me to wonder, are there any Orthodox jurisdictions to which there is no EC or OO equivalent?

There is no Russian Catholic Church

[Harpazo]

Originally Posted by Spirithound

There is no Russian Catholic Church

Christ is Risen!

Yes, I believe there is one, but it is so incredibly small. There are only a smattering of parishes in Russia and two in the USA. However, I don't even know if they have a bishop. But there is a Russian Catholic Church.

In Christ,
Andrew

[Friar David, O.Carm]

Originally Posted by Harpazo

Christ is Risen!

Yes, I believe there is one, but it is so incredibly small. There are only a smattering of parishes in Russia and two in the USA. However, I don't even know if they have a bishop. But there is a Russian Catholic Church.

In Christ,
Andrew

The Russian Catholic Church is also not a Sui Iuris Church, at least in the USA. The two Russian Catholic parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the local Latin bishop.

[Formosus]

There once was a Russian Sui Iuris Church but thanks to Lenin and co. such a thing only consists of two parishes (as mentioned above) in the USA and is no longer a sui iuris church.

[Aramis]

Originally Posted by Spirithound

There is no Russian Catholic Church

Wrong. The RuCC has about 12 parishes, no hierarchs, and is in a growth process. It was declared a sui iuris church in 1905 or so. Technically, it should have an exarch or two, but one has not been appointed since the first two died.

All the parishes use the RO liturgikon, etc, adding the papal commemorations in the usual places, and are subject to the local Roman bishop. One parish is subject to another byzantine church's eparch, by arrangement of the Roman bishop.

[Spirithound]

Thank you for the corrections!

[Diak]

Actually there are four parishes in the US; San Francisco (Our Lady of Fatima), Los Angeles (St. Andrew's in El Segundo), Denver, and New York (St. Michael's). There is also a parish in Australia. Since the Russian Catholics have no exarch, their episcopal care falls on the local Latin hierarch. The Latin hierarch often allows another Eastern Catholic hierarch to assist in the pastoral care of the Russian Catholic parish. In three of the U.S. parishes and the Australian parish, the Melkites are involved; the remaining U.S. parish has a relationship with the Romanian eparchy.

The Russian Catholic Church last has a Sobor in 1917 presided over by Blessed Exarch Leonid Feodorov and Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. Currently there are two vacant Exarchates, one of Harbin for the diaspora and one of St. Petersburg-Moscow for within Russia. The pastoral care for the Russian Catholics within the former USSR has largely fallen to the UGCC, while as I mentioned in the diaspora the Melkites have largely helped in this regard.

In most cases the Russian Catholic parishes using English make use of the OCA books. I served as deacon once and used the small St. Tikhon's Liturgy book.