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Glory to Jesus Christ!

So, I am finally doing it! I am going to change my church from Roman to Melkite. I understand that I need to write a letter to the Bishop of the Eparchy of Newton. Fr. Joseph told me he has a sample letter (I guess there is a certain way I should write the Bishop? or certain things I should say?) and being the good Melkite he is, it's been impossible to get him to give me this sample letter ever since. So, in the meantime, lol, is there anything else I will need for my change in churches? Any suggestions? And from talking with one of the Deacons, I heard it can take about a year (and from talking with some who after a year just recently became officially Melkite.)

Kyrie eleison,

Manuel

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Luvr of East,
That's right all you need is a letter exlpaining why you would like to change Church membership. I would also attach a baptismal certificate in my demand.
Lucky you!!
I've done all this myself. Seemingly it's easier to have a rite change in the U.S than in Canada. I'm still waiting for mine. As far as I know, it sits on the Chancellor desk( UGCC)since July and maybe one day my letter will receive a minute or 2 of attention....
My prayers are with you!
Francois

I thought you had to get permission from Rome,but I could be mistaken.Years ago,I met a man at the Russian Catholic Church in Boston;if I remember correctly,that's what he said he did.Of course,since that Russian Catholic parish is long since defunct,I presume he switched to the Ukrainian or Melkite Churches(Assuming he's still in the Boston are).
Of course,being an Orthodox priest,I'm not the one to ask!

Shlomo Abun Al,

Now days one only has to have a letter from the Eastern Catholic Eparch one is joining and one from the Roman Bishop. It is almost impossible for one to go from Eastern Catholic to Roman though.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Bless, Father Al,

Yes, in the days of Our Lady of Kazan Chapel, of blessed memory, (your age is showing ) . that was required. As Shawn notes, the authority to grant such petitions is now delegated to the receiving and losing hierarchs.

Many years,

Neil

I also did the change the old way via Rome. It's much simpler doing it bishops to bishop these days

You have to be joking. Right?

It does happen. We have had people go the other way for various reasons. Mostly because the family ceased the contact with the nearest Eastern Rite Church and they attended their local Latin church. In many cases people are scattered over the continent and their isolation means they are never going to be able to keep up the contact.

But, if one of the Churches involved hasn't got a local Hierarch of its own (e.g. the Russians in America), the matter still has to go to Rome, doesn't it?

L-C,

Not usually. Firstly, it almost never really 'goes to Rome' - the Apostolic Delegate or the Nuncio acts for Rome in almost all instances (which is really what happened even before the change in Canon Law except in very unusual circumstances).

But, to get back to your question. If I am a Latin, living in some proximity to NYC and want to canonically transfer to the Russian GC Church, the Latin Ordinary of NY can accept me, as he exercises canonical authority over St Michael's RGC in NYC. (If I'm his subject to begin with - I reside w/in the geographic bounds of the NY Archdiocese - he could be both the receiving and losing hierarch.)

If, however, I live in Peoria, IL, near which there is no RGC parish, I might have a problem getting any one of the 4 Latin Ordinaries in the US w/ jurisdiction of an RGC parish to accept my transfer. That might, ... might, necessitate my going through the Nuncio. (Truthfully, if it were me, I'd ask the Melkite or Romanian Eparch to accept me, as each of them exercises a spiritual omophor over various of the RGC parishes in the US.)

Many years,

Neil

I wouldn't go that far - it's a myth as far as I'm concerned, derived from our desire to believe that everyone is prepared to follow, to the fullest, the pronouncements by various and sundry Popes that the Latins are not to poach.

As a practical matter, formal requests to do so are infrequent to the point of being rare. ECs and OCs who are uninterested in participating in their ritual Church don't usually bother - they just go to Latin parishes.

Should one actually desire to formally transfer his/her enrollment, I don't see any of the EC/OC hierarchs in the US standing fast on their right to deny the petition. They certainly could do so - but it's a fruitless and stupid exercise. 'You will remain Byzantine and you will like it, so there!'

I hope none of our hierarchs are that intransigent - or dumb.

Many years,

Neil