I'm asking as someone who's canonically Syro-Malabar (2nd generation) but based in the diaspora (US). We are a heavily latinized Church anyway. Devotions such as the rosary, divine mercy chaplet, stations of the cross, and various novenas have been the prayers I've been brought up in as those were the prayers my parents and their parents were taught as well.

So obviously we're spiritually very "Roman Catholic". So due to my own ignorance I just thought of "Syro-Malabar" to mean a place "an ethnic group comes together to do their thing" and that's it. And I've often just gone to my local Latin rite parishes just because of convenience (they would be 5min to 10 mins away from me). There was also a time when I attended the TLM (that was a phase). But lately, the last few years I've been trying to understand what it means to be an "oriental Catholic". 

So ideally as someone who's canonically Syro-Malabar what or how are we supposed to be like? Just a question I've been going through the last several years. Are we to be just "Roman Catholics who have an oriental rite"? Or are we to be "Catholic who are of the Church of the East tradition"? or should we go for a moderate take between the two? I've noticed even many clergy in our church are confused about this topic. 

We all know that the normal stance in the Holy Mass (Divine Liturgy) is versus populum (priest facing the people) in the Latin Church across the world. For the Mass of St Paul VI.

However, many Eastern Cath Churches are still practicing the traditional ad orientem stance (of the priest facing the altar). Especially in the Byzantine rite, Armenian rite, Malankara rite and even for the Syro-Malabar the Eucharist prayers are done ad orientem.

How does one explain this contradiction here in the rubrics? Between the Western (Latin) Church and Eastern churches? What does this mean? Is it like the Latin Church has to be "reformed" because they are a majority while not the eastern churches since they are smaller?

Edit: thank you all for the responses.

Not trying to stir the pot, as these words made me feel uncomfortable and leaves me with some questions. I came across St. Bridget of Sweden’s writings and found these words from the Theotokos:

“For after he instituted in the world this new sacrament of the Eucharist and ascended into heaven, the ancient law was then still kept: namely, that Christian priests lived in carnal matrimony. And, nonetheless, many of them were still friends of God because they believed with simple purity that this was pleasing to God: namely, that Christian priests should have wives and live in wedlock just as, in the ancient times of the Jews, this had pleased him in the case of Jewish priests. And so, this was the observance of Christian priests for many years.

But that observance and ancient custom seemed very abominable and hateful to all the heavenly court and to me, who gave birth to his body: namely, because it was being thus observed by Christian priests who, with their hands, touch and handle this new and immaculate Sacrament of the most holy Body of my Son. For the Jews had, in the ancient law of the Old Testament, a shadow, i.e., a figure, of this Sacrament; but Christians now have the truth itself - namely, him who is true God an man - in that blessed and consecrated bread.

After those earlier Christian priests had observed these practices for a time, God himself, through the infusion of his Holy Spirit, put into the heart of the pope then guiding the Church another law more acceptable and pleasing to him in this matter: namely, by pouring this infusion into the heart of the pope so that he established a statute in the universal Church that Christian priests, who have so holy and so worthy an office, namely, of consecrating this precious Sacrament, should by no means live in the easily contaminated, carnal delight of marriage.

And therefore, through God’s preordinance and his judgment, it has been justly ordained that priests who do not live in chastity and continence of the flesh are cursed and excommunicated before God and deserve to be deprived of their priestly office. But still, if they truthfully amend their lives with the true purpose of not sinning further, they will obtain mercy from God.”

This gave me great concern. I don’t know how to reconcile these words with the married priests I have met and seen. I thought the tradition of the married clergy was beautiful, but if it is true that the Theotokos said this, it makes me wonder…

How does the Church respond to this? If someone aspired to become a priest and is a married man and sees these words, will he be held responsible for sin at his judgement? How does private revelation affect us in relation to how God will judge us?

I was wondering if there was enough off in it that I need to get the 2nd edition from 2024 Is there an Errata for the first edition so I can go through and mark it up with the corrections ? Whats a person to do! I wanted to use the Ruthenian Hours so no saying just get the Melkite one LOL :)

The consecration itself is at about 36:00 the service starts at four minutes in…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KwGisnkzQQY

God Grant Him Many Years!

I’m attending my first Ruthenian Byzantine DL in the US this weekend. Looking for tips as a first timer. I’m nervous about receiving the Eucharist. I’m a Latin Catholic and properly disposed to receive. My concerns are the logistics of it. Will I know when to come up to receive? How does the procession work?

Also, are there typically missals to follow along with? I’m nervous about looking completely out of place. Looking for tips and tricks to navigate the entire liturgy.

Hey all!

I am currently going through RCIA in a Roman Catholic Church to be just confirmed in April of this year! Recently I have dabbled in the eastern church, and I’m falling in love.

This past Sunday, I attended my first divine liturgy at a Ukrainian Catholic Church and was blown away.

as someone who has been adjusted to Roman Catholicism for quite quite some time now, I wanted to ask a few questions for my own clarification. (I apologize if these sound dumb.)

What is some valuable advice you can give to someone like me just starting their journey in eastern Christianity?

Is it common to see eastern Catholics use eastern orthodox resources? (such as study bibles, prayer books, any sort of orthodox books, etc)

What are some books you recommend right off the bat for someone new to Eastern Christianity?

Thank you all.

Hi, I'm a Chaldean Catholic and I live within a latin diocese, outside a Chaldean one. I'm therefore very confused about which liturgical calendar I should follow, which rules for fasting, and etc.

I know that rules vary across dioceses, and because I'm a Chaldean I should follow the Chaldean Rite. So, what do I do?

Before anyone speaks, I know they all glorify God, but I don't think there's any harm in preferring any of them. Maybe you haven't heard them all, so choose what you've heard/know.

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I am just wondering if anyone knows about any eastern catholic monasteries in the Balkans? I'm slightly surprised I can't really find anything on the matter. Are there actually no such monasteries in the entirety of the Balkans?

It’s small but beautiful!

Hi all, pretty much what the title says.

I am a Keralite residing in the US and want to join the Syro-Malabar Catholic. Was hoping y’all could tell me what this conversion entails.

I officially belong to the Malankara Orthodox Church. My dad is Orthodox and my mom was Catholic before marriage. Throughout childhood, I mostly went to Catholic churches because my father wasn’t much of a believer. So I relate more with the rituals/processes of the Catholic Church.

I haven’t been through a Holy Communion because such a concept does not exist in Malankara Orthodox.

Thanks in advance!

What are some beginning texts that would introduce me to the thought of Isaac the Syrian?

Can you receive the eucharist as a catechumin?

https://preview.redd.it/ptws16dj48fe1.png?width=765&format=png&auto=webp&s=97eeee796230485c1274963edb1d6daf5ed6088d

I only see Eastern Catholic prelates wearing them. In the past I thought it indicates they are cardinals or patriarchs, but when I visited a Ruthenian Church in their photos I see a "monsignor" also wore similar clothes.

Hello,

I go to a Ruthenian parish and am under the impression that there was a fairly recent liturgical reform that caused many of the prayers, including the Anaphora, to be sung aloud instead of said silently. Certainly there are a plethora of prayer that are said aloud at the parish I go to.

However, there is another Ruthenian parish fairly close by me; I have yet to go there, but I have watched their live streams. Whenever it gets to the Anaphora in these livestreams that I've seen, the priest goes right into the words of Institution after the "Holy, Holy, Holy." From my limited knowledge of it, at least from this one part of the liturgy that I'm using to gauge it, it looks like he's celebrating a pre-liturgical reform Divine Liturgy.

Can someone enlighten me on what might be going on here? If I remember right, I think I heard one person I know briefly mention that this priest is retired, and so perhaps he has faculties to continue to celebrate the older form of the liturgy, just as I think happened with older priests of the Roman Rite after the introduction of the Novus Ordo. This seems to be the most likely answer, but I'm still wondering: are many of the changes in this recent liturgical reform optional, thus meaning a Ruthenian priest could celebrate a Divine Liturgy very close to the older form while still being in the bounds of the reform? Am I even right in my belief that there was a recent Ruthenian liturgical reform? This is something I don't know a whole lot about.

I am canonically Latin and have only been attending this Ruthenian parish for less than half a year, so some things I'm still less knowledgeable on. As you might be able to tell, I'm trying to approach this situation using my framework of knowledge that I have regarding the liturgical reform of the late '60s in the Latin Rite, but I understand there might be some differences that I am unaware of

Can I receive communion if I’m baptized but not confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church if I’m in the state of grace?

Glory to Jesus Christ! The most famous saint who is the patron saint of unity of the Church is St. Josaphat. Are there any other saints (east or west) whose patronage (official patronage or unofficial patronage) are for unity in the Church? Writing this, I realize maybe if there are a good number, a litany for unification could be established.

How long does it take to join the Byzantine Catholic Church if you where never Catholic or orthodox or Anglican or Lutheran before?

I don’t know if I know enough about it to describe it. But my priest was helping me with daily prayers and he actually gave me a prayer booklet for the day before Divine Liturgy, the morning of, during reception of the Eucharist, and Thanksgiving after. It was kind of long and it would take almost the entire service to pray it to completion. It had like 9 prayers for the day before, but it skipped the second one. And they were accredited to saints such as Saint John Chrysostom. The rest I cannot remember in enough detail to describe it.

If I can find a substitute that would be great. It took him like several weeks to get it for me and I’m a little ashamed I lost it. I don’t know if there are prayer books that would have all those elements. I’m actually a Latin Catholic so I know very little about it and it was quite foreign to me.

I loved that booklet and I prayed it every Saturday before the Divine Liturgy and during. If perhaps there are normal book versions, that are pocket, or close to, size that would be ideal.

Sorry, if it is too vague. I really don’t know much about it. This is a Ruthenian Church, if that helps. But I would take any Byzantine version that is comparable! Thanks to anyone who responds!

I have recently felt an urge to pray the Akathist after hearing about it in passing. I prayed this one today https://www.liturgies.net/Prayers/Orthodox/akathisttheotokos.htm . I understand that it is traditionally a hymn, but is it also practiced as a regular prayer, like The Rosary is in the Latin tradition? I know that singing is a bigger part of the Divine Liturgy than it is in NO or most Latin Mass.

How is it usually practiced?

Does it require a tool, like The Rosary?

How does confession work in the Byzantine church? Is it like in the Latin rite with the whole, “bless me father, for I have sinned?” and then you confess and receive your penance and the prayer of absolution? Or does it look and play out differently?

The "rule of thumb" seems to be around seven, but obviously some kids will be ready sooner or later. I have a son who is going on five, and I have a feeling he'll be ready in the next year or so.

At what age did your kids start confessing? What markers did you look for that they were prepared? How involved was your priest in deciding when they were ready to confess?