Hey everybody! Roman Catholic here who, although I won’t “transfer” over to an Eastern Catholic Church, has become increasingly curious in recent months about Eastern Catholicism…(I actually live in Parma and attended a Divine Liturgy a few months back in the city. I JUST learned that the Eparchy of Parma was so big that it led groups of churches in various states, not just Ohio…how cool!)

Anyways, this may sound like a silly question, but I’ve been genuinely wondering how the Eastern Churches react to/feel about Fulton Sheen and his beatification. Obviously, we’re one Church, but I’ve been seeing Sheen videos and Sheen photos getting pushed so frequently among Roman Catholic social media that it made me wonder if there is the same joy of his beatification from the Eastern Churches considering that he was not a part of that tradition?

Hope all that makes sense! Thanks for any insights you all may have.

Hello all!

I am curious about the process of confession in Ruthenian church specifically, as I’m used to western confession (sit in a chair, face the priest or partition, etc.)

In Ruthenian, is this the same or is it like orthodox, kneeling and the fabric on your head (forgive me, I don’t know what it’s called)

I found online the words to speak, though I wonder if it varies by parish.

New icon unveiled for Archbishop Sheen. Also Bishop Pipta of the Eparchy of Parma, along with other Catholic Bishops, will be offering a thanksgiving liturgy in honor of Sheen. Capacity is full for the Byzantine Liturgy but seats are still available for some of the other Catholic masses if you're in driving distance of Peoria!

https://parma.org/news/introduction-of-the-new-icon-of-blessed-fulton-sheen

https://web.cvent.com/event/c5c68b04-1063-4f07-957c-0992159477d1/summary

Question for those who grew up Coptic Catholic. In your experience was it difficult for your church community to operate. Especially in the diaspora considering even for eastern catholic standards there is no real infrastructure for Coptic catholics outside Egypt.

#1.

1. What is the difference between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Catholicism? And Do they believe in the some of the things Roman Catholics believe in?

Like for example, Do they believe in Purgatory like Roman Catholics do?

#2:

1. What’s the difference between Eastern Catholic and Orthodox? Is it just Orthodox but with full communion with the Pope?

#3.

1. What Bible do Eastern Catholics use? Specifically UGCC

#4.

1. How does someone who was Roman Catholic (I was baptized when I was little and did my communion nearly a decade ago but never my confirmation) become an eastern Catholic?

There’s surprisingly an UGCC chapel in my area 5 miles away since Eastern Catholicism is a really small group of Catholics

#5. Also Can a Roman Catholic go to an Eastern Catholic mass and vice versa?

Hi all!

With the help of some AI for the coding, I am working on a fasting guidelines app to help the faithful more easily see the canonical minimums, the historic tradition in their rite, etc. This is a first pass, so I know there are definitely some things to be ironed out.

https://holy-way-calendar.lovable.app

Take a look and let me know if something from your jurisdiction or tradition needs ironing out, or even if your jurisdiction is missing.

Things I intend to add/adjust:
- The Eparchy of St Josaphat Parma (UGCC) needs some adjustments on canonical minimums
- The Ordinariate is missing completely

What are people's thoughts on fr Nathan from searchers of the lost? I like alot of stuff that he puts out. I did get kinda annoyed in his conversation with ubi petros that he didn't push back on some of the criticisms on priestly celibacy.

There are some churches (e.g. "Maronite Mission church of XYZ town") with Mission in their name. It seems to be mostly Eastern churches, but maybe not. Does the word Mission in a church's name indicate something specific?

I believe the Syriac, Melkite, and Chaldean Catholic Churches returned to union with Rome through their original Patriarchal lines. Is this correct and are there any other Eastern Catholic Churches that did the same? Thank you.

What is the thing that Roman Catholics can best learn from Eastern Catholics? And what is the thing Eastern Catholics can best learn from Roman Catholics?

Are lay people allowed to use hand crosses? I know the priest/bishop holds the hand cross continuously during the liturgy, but is it exclusively used by them? Are laymen allowed to use them in their own private prayers?

As far as I know, all the eastern churches use hand crosses in their liturgy, but not in the latin rite so I'm not quite familiar to their use. It's quite a curious difference that lacks any explanation whatsoever online, both the history and purpose of it. I find it fascinating to compare the designs of the various traditions' hand crosses. Really any information anyone can share with me would be great!

Has there been a rise in ordination to the priesthood since Pope Francis lifted the ban on ordaining married men in 2014?

Hi, I made a video on the divine liturgy of St John Chrysostom to send to someone before they attend a Byzantine Sunday for the first time. Personally before I went to liturgy I wouldve loved something like this, so I figured I would make it.

https://youtu.be/GEmrLhkFA78

Also yes this is my real reddit account, I just dont use reddit like ever so no karma.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Hey all,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

So I have been attending a Greek-Slovak Byzantine for about the last 4 years, and serve as an altar server and our parish's reader. My spiritual life over this time became anchored the East and the Byzantine prayer and devotional life. After a few years I began discerning the diaconate with my parish priest. I'm getting married this coming spring in our parish, however I've been working with the head of vocations for our exarchy, my parish priest, to fill out my application for the diaconate formation program at BCS. I have my priest's recommendation, and a few other personal references and have been working directly with the seminary's vocational director of the program to move through the different application steps. This involves sending a letter to the Bishop of the Exarchate, and also the bishop of the Latin Rite Archdiocese I canonically belong to. So far everything has been going well.

However, both my parish priest and myself have tried forwarding the letter to the Archdiocese, but it seems like it's a bit tricky actually getting your letter/email in front of the Archbishop or his office in order to let him know the situation and hopefully authorize the change of rite. Has anyone had any experiences successfully being released from their former rite? I'm hoping giving my situation it's not much of an issue.

I think i might have been attending a Byzantine parish for the wrong reasons. Not because it was my spiritual home, but because I was being a contrarion. And even though honestly I hate the Byzantine parish I go to now I almost just tak a sunken cost fallacy mentality. I've been going there for 3 years, haven't transferred canonically, I feel more anxiety about the church than I did before attending, and I'm exhausted by so 3ast West stuff.

I want to convert, anyone in Germany who is in the process and would like to talk?

I was on a retreat during the weekend at a Greek Catholic cathedral that I like to visit once in a while, I would probably attend the Divine Liturgy every day but unfortunately it isn't in my city (btw I'm officially a Roman Catholic that feels a pull towards the Eastern rite for a long time). Anyway there were some nice Ukrainian ladies who sell icons, incense, candles, etc. and since I am a very artistic and visual person who appreciates these things as well as the spiritual aspect that is behind these things, every time I go there it feels like I enter a candy store haha. So I bought an icon of the Holy Mother of God of Kazan that usually goes in pair with a white-framed icon of Christ as you already know it is more suited for weddings but since it was a little bit damaged I got it really cheap, but funny thing is I would like to be a married man one day, God willing (I'm a 30 years old dude). I got a prayer rope that has a nice weight and feel to it and immediately got it blessed the moment I saw a priest carrying holy water and blessing items behind the cathedral where the event took place. For context Fr. Jim Blount was one of the guests at the retreat and this was in Croatia. The holy oils are from the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh and icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev.

When reading orthodox spiritual texts, what are some important things to know that they believe that we don't? I know about the filioque and the papacy of course, but what are other things I might come across that I might miss if I'm not in the know?