Maronite Church

[cmaD2006]

I have a few questions

a) please confirm -- from what I read and gathered the Maronite Church uses a different rite (i.e. not Roman Catholic), and that it is one of the Catholic groups in line with the Pope

b) also from what I understand there is cross-communion (i.e. that a Roman Catholic is allowed to receive at a Maronite Church and vice versa). Are the communion rules different with respect to the fast?

c) in my area, it looks like a new Spanish Maronite rite Mass is being instituted at the new Maronite church (this Church used to be a Roman Catholic Church that used to hold a Spanish Mass). If someone decides to start attending the Maronite Church, if they received the Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church what happens? Does the person have to do something? Or just simply attend?

I'm asking these questions because there are already arguments starting in my area over this new Mass/Liturgy. I just had a discussion with someone who simply said "it is Catholic but people are saying it is not" and I responded "it isn't Roman Catholic -- there's a difference." I just need to make sure that I'm getting my story/info straight and not getting things messed up.

Thanks,

[cappie]

[quote name='cmariadiaz' timestamp='1347162846' post='2480458']
I have a few questions

a) please confirm -- from what I read and gathered the Maronite Church uses a different rite (i.e. not Roman Catholic), and that it is one of the Catholic groups in line with the Pope [color=#ff0000]CORRECT[/color]

b) also from what I understand there is cross-communion (i.e. that a Roman Catholic is allowed to receive at a Maronite Church and vice versa). Are the communion rules different with respect to the fast? [color=#ff0000]CORRECT[/color] [color=#ff0000]The law of fast is the same as for the Latin Rite One hour[/color]

c) in my area, it looks like a new Spanish Maronite rite Mass is being instituted at the new Maronite church (this Church used to be a Roman Catholic Church that used to hold a Spanish Mass). If someone decides to start attending the Maronite Church, if they received the Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church what happens? Does the person have to do something? Or just simply attend? [color=#ff0000]Simply attend[/color]

I'm asking these questions because there are already arguments starting in my area over this new Mass/Liturgy. I just had a discussion with someone who simply said "it is Catholic but people are saying it is not" and I responded "it isn't Roman Catholic -- there's a difference." I just need to make sure that I'm getting my story/info straight and not getting things messed up.

Thanks,
[/quote]

Most people, including many Catholics, think that the only Catholic Church is the Roman Catholic Church. The truth is that the Roman Catholic Church is only one of a family of churches that vary in culture, but are united under the leadership of Christ's vicar, that is, the pope.The different churches in the family of Catholic churches are referred to as rites. It is important for Catholics to realise that they belong to a larger family than just the Roman Church.

The Catechism lists seven rites. These rites so listed: Latin, Byzantine, Alexandrian, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean,2 are actually families of liturgical expression. These rites are the descendants of the liturgical practices that originated in centers of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria.

The one you speak of is the MARONITE. The Maronite rite traces its origins to the work of St. Maron in the 4th century who founded a monastery east of Antioch. Later monks moved to the mountains in what is today Lebanon. This rite never fell into heresy and was only separated from Rome by the political reality of Moslem or Ottoman occupation. The Maronites use a hybrid liturgy based on the Antiochian St. James. Maronites make up 17% of the population of Lebanon and by the law of that country the president of Lebanon is always a Maronite.

As Vicar of the universal Church, the Pope is shepherd of the rites of the West and the East. The eastern rites which have a separate code of canon law, are completely equal in dignity with the rites of the West. All of these eastern ritual churches come under the jurisdiction of the Pope through the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, one of the offices of the Roman Curia.The rites are administered by either a Patriarch, a Major Archbishop, a Metropolitan, or have some other arrangement. Patriarchs are elected by a synod of bishops of their rite, and then request ecclesiastical communion from the Pope. Major Archbishops are also elected by a synod of bishops of their rite, but then are approved by the Pope before they take office. Metropolitans are picked by the Pope from a list given by a synod of bishops.

All the rites of the Catholic Church are of equal dignity and equally valid. Attendance at a different rite fulfills the Sunday obligation. The Catholic Church is truly universal since it unites so many diverse rites, whose members share a common faith.