Folia Canonica 4. (2001)
STUDIES - John D. Faris: A Canonical Examination of the Acquisition, Consequences and Loss of Membership in a Church - A Catholic Perspective
146 JOHN D. FARIS In the case of Eastern non-Catholics, after receiving suitable doctrinal formation, they are obliged to make only a profession of the Catholic faith in order to be received into the Catholic Church.47 Doctrinal formation is often needed inasmuch as persons joining the Catholic Church may lack proper formation in their original religious heritage. In making the profession of faith, the convert could recite the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, with a formula that expresses allegiance to the Catholic Church similar to the one employed in the Latin Church, i.e., “I believe and profess all the truths which the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and announces as revealed by God.”48 Given the doctrinal differences between the Catholic Church and the Western non-Catholic Churches and ecclesial communities, a more adequate doctrinal and spiritual formation is ordinarily necessary with regard to the reception of Western non-Catholics into the Catholic Church. In addition to an act of profession, the Western non-Catholic is to receive the sacraments of reconciliation and confirmation.49 Ascription in a Church sui iuris Enrollment in a Self-Governing Church One does not become a member “at large” of the Catholic Church, but, either by virtue of baptism or the act of reception into the Catholic Church, the new Catholic’s membership is specified since the person is assigned to a specific Catholic Church as determined by the law itself. Ascription status in a church sui iuris is the determinant factor regarding the laws (i.e., either the CCEO or the CIC and relevant particular law)50 One does not become a member “at large” of the Catholic Church, but, either by virtue of baptism or the act of reception into the Catholic Church, the new Catholic’s membership is specified since the person is assigned to a specific 47 CCEO c. 897. 48 See D. Salachas in Implicanze ecumeniche del ‘Codice dei Canoni delle Chiese Orientali’ alla luce del nuovo Direttorio Ecumenico, K. Bharanikulangara (a cura di), II diritto canonico orientale nell’ordinamento ecclesiale (Studi giuridici 34), Città del Vaticano) 1995,96. 49 CCEO c. 901. See also CIC cc. 206, 850, and 883. 50 .CCEO Title II, Chapter I, (cc. 29-38) is devoted to the issues involving ascription in a church sui iuris. The few canons of the CIC (cc. 111-112) treating this topic are located in the context of general norms regarding physical persons. For further information regarding the ascription in or transfer from one church sui iuris to another, refer to D. Salachas, L'cippartenenza giuridica dei fedeli a una Chiesa Orientale sui iuris o alia Cliiesa latina, Periodica de re canonica 83 (1994) 19-55.
