5/3/24 - Fr. Michael Copenhagen - Eastern Rite 101!

Fr. Michael Copenhagen is a Catholic husband, father, and a priest at St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Melkite Catholic Church in Gates, New York. He holds a Bachelors of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.   In Today's Show What are some differences in the liturgical calendar in the Eastern Rite? What is the Eastern Rite and where/how did it originate? Should this be deemed as a separation or split from the Roman Rite, or is there a better way to describe it? I follow the Gregorian calendar! But what's the difference between the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar? As I understand it, Eastern Rite Catholic priests are able to be married and even have children. Can you please explain that concept and why it is approached differently in Eastern Rite churches? How do Eastern Rite priests balance the roles of being a husband, father, and priest all at the same time? Are there any differences in potential roles for women in Eastern Rite churches in comparison to the Roman Rite? I thought I had heard somewhere that Eastern Rite churches are slightly more restrictive in this area. Does one need to be registered as a member of an Eastern Rite church in order to attend Mass there? In other words, if I am a parishioner of another parish, for example, could I just decide in a spur of the moment to attend an Eastern Rite mass on any given Sunday? Would that "get me in trouble" with God in any way? Did you ever, at any point, consider becoming a priest in the Roman rite? Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to the decision of becoming a Melkite Catholic priest? Is there any difference in how the sacraments are administered in a Melkite Catholic church versus, say, an average Roman Catholic parish?   Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!