Need Help/Advice: Help Me Figure This Out

[AveChristusRex]

I can't figure out how to make this anonymous...

I am an Eastern Orthodox who has worked tirelessly to mend the division between east and west, but every now and then, I go through these waves of wishing that I was myself Catholic, rather than being [as the Romans would consider] an outsider looking in. I would love to be an Eastern Catholic, but I feel that I plain cannot do so because my family is EO, and they have made it clear that if I were to confess the Catholic faith that it would make them incredibly sad, which would in turn make me spiritually crushed. Second of all, I love my parish, the family I have made there, and especially the priest; everyone [at least to my face] loves me and showers me with compliments, and while I don't necessarily need those compliments, I feel a deep connection to my parish, and to be unable to take communion with them would be incredibly heartbreaking for me. Finally, I love my godfather, and I feel that I would disappoint him if I were to confess the Catholic faith.

I have been a lurker on the ByzCath forum for a while now, and I noticed someone say that they could attend an Antiochian parish because the complementary [to Antiochian Orthodoxy] Uniate was not available in their city. I was wondering, and please God let there be a way, that I could confess the Eastern Catholic faith to a priest, and somehow, some way, possibly continue to take communion with my family at their parish? We have no Uniate Churches in my city, so I would not even have a choice if I did wish to attend an EC liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

From all I have heard, it would take the residing EC bishop and the residing EO bishop to agree to allow me to take communion, but is that even possible? Am I just being hopeful? Please tell me that there is a way that I can please both sides in this situation...

 

[RileyG]

I will pray for you. I have no other answers.

God bless you

 

[JSRG]

This post mentions them being a lurker at the ByzCath forums. Perhaps that would be a better place to ask about this? Members there might understand these things better.

I do not know about other countries, but the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has this to say:

Guidelines for the Reception of Communion

On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. These guidelines re...

www.usccb.org

Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 §4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of Communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 §3).

In other words, while canon law does theoretically allow for an Eastern Orthodox to receive communion at a Catholic Church, they can only do so if their own church allows them to. I do not know if any Eastern Orthodox churches allow for such, but if they do I would assume it would only be in extreme cases such as there not being any Eastern Orthodox churches around at all, which does not seem to be the case in this situation.

 

[AveChristusRex]

This post mentions them being a lurker at the ByzCath forums. Perhaps that would be a better place to ask about this? Members there might understand these things better.

I do not know about other countries, but the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has this to say:

Guidelines for the Reception of Communion

On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. These guidelines re...

www.usccb.org

Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 §4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of Communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 §3).

In other words, while canon law does theoretically allow for an Eastern Orthodox to receive communion at a Catholic Church, they can only do so if their own church allows them to. I do not know if any Eastern Orthodox churches allow for such, but if they do I would assume it would only be in extreme cases such as there not being any Eastern Orthodox churches around at all, which does not seem to be the case in this situation.

I have talked it over with my family, and we have decided to give it lent, though they are fine with me converting to Eastern Catholicism so long as I take eucharist (which I could do at a 7:30 mass) and attend their church (which starts at 10:00), so we can both get along on this. I will give it lent to pray about it though, but I am really excited about all of this!

 

[RileyG]

I have talked it over with my family, and we have decided to give it lent, though they are fine with me converting to Eastern Catholicism so long as I take eucharist (which I could do at a 7:30 mass) and attend their church (which starts at 10:00), so we can both get along on this. I will give it lent to pray about it though, but I am really excited about all of this!

His grace and peace to you!