Eastern Catholic Churches facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern Catholic Churches |
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Clockwise from top:
St. George's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady, Kidane Mehret Eritrean Catholic Cathedral, Armenian Catholic Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory the Illuminator, St. Mary's Syro-Malankara Catholic Cathedral, Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours |
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| Classification | Catholic |
| Orientation | Eastern Christianity |
| Scripture | Bible (Septuagint, Peshitta) |
| Theology | Catholic theology and Eastern theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Structure | Communion |
| Supreme Pontiff | Pope Francis |
| Language | Koine Greek, Syriac, Hebrew, Aramaic, Geʽez, Coptic, Classical Armenian, Church Slavonic, Arabic, and vernaculars (Albanian, Hungarian, Romanian, Georgian, Malayalam, etc.) |
| Liturgy | Eastern Catholic liturgy |
| Separated from | Various autocephalous churches of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Church of the East throughout the centuries |
| Members | 18 million |
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The Eastern Catholic Churches are a group of 23 different Christian churches. They are part of the larger Catholic Church and are in full communion with the Pope in Rome. Even though they are connected to the Pope, they have their own unique ways of worship, beliefs, and history. These churches are different from the main Latin Church, which most Catholics belong to. About 18 million people are members of these Eastern Catholic Churches.
Most Eastern Catholic Churches used to be part of other Christian groups, like the Eastern Orthodox Church. Over many centuries, some of these groups decided to reunite with the Pope. The Maronite Church is special because it has always been in communion with Rome. The Eastern Catholic Churches follow five main ancient Christian traditions for their worship. This means the Catholic Church actually has six main ways of worship, including the Latin way.
Being in full communion with the Pope means that Eastern Catholics and Latin Catholics can share sacraments, like the Eucharist. It also means they recognize the Pope as the leader of the whole Catholic Church. In the past, there was some pressure for Eastern Catholic Churches to become more like the Latin Church. However, a big meeting called the Second Vatican Council (in the 1960s) said that Eastern Catholics should keep their own special traditions. These traditions are very old and important to their faith.
In 1990, a special set of rules called the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches was created for all Eastern Catholic Churches. This code helps them keep their unique practices. For example, many Eastern Catholic Churches allow married men to become priests. This is different from the Latin Church, where priests usually cannot be married.
Contents
Understanding the Names
What do "Rite" and "Church" Mean?
Sometimes, people use the word "rite" to talk about the Eastern Catholic Churches. But it can be a bit confusing! The word "rite" can mean two things:
- It can mean the specific way a church worships, like its prayers and ceremonies.
- It can also sometimes refer to the church itself, as a group of people.
Today, it's more accurate to call them "Churches" instead of just "Rites." This is because each Eastern Catholic Church is its own special group, with its own leaders and traditions.
Why is the term "Uniate" sometimes used?
The term "Uniate" was sometimes used for Eastern Catholic Churches whose leaders used to be part of other Eastern Christian groups. However, this word can sometimes sound disrespectful to these churches. Because of this, official Catholic documents no longer use the term.
A Look at History
Eastern Catholic Churches began in places like the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and India. Over time, many members moved to other parts of the world, like Western Europe and the Americas. This often happened because Christians faced difficulties in their home countries.
Throughout history, different Christian churches sometimes stopped being in communion with each other. This happened because of disagreements about beliefs or church leadership.
Major Splits in Christian History
The Council of Ephesus (AD 431)
In 431 AD, a meeting called the Council of Ephesus took place. Some churches did not agree with the decisions made there. These churches became known as the Church of the East. Today, some groups from the Church of the East, like the Chaldean Catholic Church, are in full communion with the Pope.
The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451)
Another important meeting happened in 451 AD, called the Council of Chalcedon. Churches that did not accept this council's decisions are now often called Oriental Orthodox Churches. They have slightly different beliefs about how Jesus is both human and divine. Some of these churches later reunited with Rome, forming Eastern Catholic Churches.
The Great Split (1054 AD)
The biggest split in Christianity is known as the East–West Schism. This happened in 1054 AD between the churches in the East (like Constantinople) and the church in the West (Rome). They had different cultural ways and disagreed on some beliefs, like the role of the Pope.
Even after 1054, people from both sides often remained friendly. But things got worse, especially after the Fourth Crusade in 1204, when Catholic armies attacked Constantinople. Over time, the Eastern side became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western side as the Catholic Church.
Trying to Reunite
Throughout history, many tried to bring the churches back together. One important meeting was the Council of Florence (1438-1445). During this time, some Eastern churches decided to reunite with Rome. The Pope allowed them to keep their own unique ways of worship and traditions.
How Eastern Catholic Churches Formed
Most Eastern Catholic Churches formed when a group from an ancient church decided to reunite with the Pope.
- The Maronite Church is unique because it has been in communion with the Pope for most of its history, since 1154.
- Other churches, like the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Armenian Catholic Church, formed later, often in the 18th century.
In 1990, the common rules for all Eastern Catholic Churches were put into the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.
The largest Eastern Catholic Churches today are:
- The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
- The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
- The Maronite Church
- The Melkite Greek Catholic Church
- The Chaldean Catholic Church
- The Armenian Catholic Church
These six churches make up about 85% of all Eastern Catholics.
Important Church Documents
In 1894, Pope Leo XIII wrote a document called Orientalium dignitas. In it, he said that the Eastern Churches are very important and deserve great respect. He explained that the Catholic Church is rich because it includes many different ways of worship, not just one. He also said that Latin Church priests should not try to convince Eastern Catholics to switch to the Latin way of worship.
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was a very important meeting for the Catholic Church. It helped Eastern Catholic Churches grow and develop.
- A document called Orientalium Ecclesiarum said that Eastern Catholic Churches should keep their traditions. It encouraged them to improve their practices while staying true to their ancient ways.
- It also said that priests in Eastern Churches could give the sacrament of Confirmation (Chrismation) to infants, right after baptism. This is an old tradition in the East.
Rules for Eastern Catholic Churches
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, created in 1990, is a set of laws for all Eastern Catholic Churches. It helps them keep their unique identity. Each Eastern Catholic Church also has its own specific rules that fit within this larger code.
How Eastern Catholic Churches are Organized
The Pope's Role
The Pope has the highest authority over all Catholic Churches, including the Eastern Catholic ones. He can always use his power to guide them.
Eastern Patriarchs and Major Archbishops
Eastern Catholic Churches are led by their own high-ranking bishops, called patriarchs or major archbishops. These leaders are in charge of their specific Eastern Catholic Church. For example, the leader of the Maronite Church is a Patriarch.
Patriarchs and major archbishops have similar roles within their own churches. However, patriarchs have a higher rank in the overall Catholic Church. Also, a major archbishop's election needs to be confirmed by the Pope, but a patriarch's election does not. Patriarchs just need to ask the Pope for full communion after they are elected.
Different Ways of Organizing
Some larger Eastern Catholic Churches, like the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have a well-developed structure with many bishops and regions. Smaller churches might only have one or two bishops.
Their Special Status
Each Eastern Catholic Church is considered sui iuris, which means "of its own right" or "autonomous." This means they are independent in their daily operations, but they all accept the Pope's spiritual and legal authority. So, a Maronite Catholic usually answers only to a Maronite bishop.
The Second Vatican Council stated that all these particular churches, both Latin and Eastern, have "equal dignity." This means none is better than the others. They all have the same rights and duties, including spreading the Gospel.
Eastern Catholic Churches keep their special ways of worship, laws, customs, and beliefs. Even though they are part of the Catholic Church, their terms for things might be different. For example, a "diocese" in the Latin Church is an "eparchy" in the East.
The Holy See has a special office called the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches that works with these churches.
When Priests Can Use Different Rites
Sometimes, a priest might get permission to celebrate Mass or Divine Liturgy in a rite different from his own. This is called having "biritual faculties." It usually happens when there are not enough priests of a specific rite in an area. For example, a Latin priest might be allowed to celebrate an Eastern rite if there are Eastern Catholics in his area who don't have their own priest. Popes can celebrate any rite to show the universal nature of the Catholic Church.
Married Priests
One big difference between Eastern and Western Christian churches is about whether priests can be married. In general, Eastern Catholic Churches have always allowed married men to become priests and deacons. However, a priest cannot get married after he has been ordained.
Many Eastern Churches have both celibate (unmarried) and married priests. Bishops are usually chosen from the celibate priests.
In the past, when Eastern Catholics moved to Western countries, their married priests sometimes caused problems with the Latin Church leaders there. This led to some rules that limited married Eastern Catholic priests in places like the United States. However, in 2014, Pope Francis changed these rules. Now, Eastern Catholic Churches can ordain married men in traditionally Latin areas, and married Eastern Catholic priests can serve their communities wherever they live.
Some Eastern Catholic Churches, like the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Coptic Catholic Church, have chosen to have only celibate priests, similar to the Latin Church.
List of Eastern Catholic Churches
There are 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Here is a list of them, showing when they reunited with Rome, their main way of worship (rite), where their leader is based, and how many members they have.
| Name | Recognition | Rite | Seat | Polity | Jurisdictions | Bishops | Members | |
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Coptic Catholic Church | 1741 | Alexandrian | Cathedral of Our Lady, Cairo, Egypt | Patriarchate | 8 | 13 | 187,320 |
| Eritrean Catholic Church | 2015 | Kidane Mehret cathedral, Asmara, Eritrea | Metropolitanate | 4 | 4 | 167,722 | ||
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Ethiopian Catholic Church | 1846 | Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Metropolitanate | 4 | 4 | 70,832 | |
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Armenian Catholic Church | 1742 | Armenian | Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory, Beirut, Lebanon | Patriarchate | 18 | 16 | 757,726 |
| Albanian Greek Catholic Church | 1628 | Byzantine | Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Louis, Vlorë, Albania | Apostolic administration (southern Albania) | 1 | 2 | 1,000-4,028 | |
| Belarusian Greek Catholic Church | 1596 | none | Apostolic Visitation | 0 | 0 | 4,000-9,000 | ||
| Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church | 1861 | Cathedral of the Dormition, Sofia, Bulgaria | Eparchy (Sofia) | 1 | 1 | 6,000-10,000 | ||
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Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia | 1611 | several | no unified structure | 2 | 2 | 42,965 | |
| Greek Byzantine Catholic Church | 1911 | several | no unified structure | 2 | 2 | 500-6,016 | ||
| Hungarian Greek Catholic Church | 1912 | Cathedral of Hajdúdorog, Debrecen, Hungary | Metropolitanate (Hajdúdorog) | 3 | 4 | 262,484 | ||
| Italo-Albanian Catholic Church | 1784 | several | no unified structure | 3 | 2 | 60,162 | ||
| Macedonian Greek Catholic Church | 2001 | Cathedral of the Assumption, Strumica, North Macedonia | Eparchy (Strumica-Skopje) | 1 | 1 | 11,374 | ||
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church | 1726 | Cathedral of the Dormition, Damascus, Syria | Patriarchate | 29 | 35 | 1,568,239 | |
| Romanian Greek Catholic Church | 1697 | Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Blaj, Romania | Major archiepiscopate (Făgăraș and Alba Iulia) | 7 | 8 | 150,593 | ||
| Russian Greek Catholic Church | 1905 | none | none | 2 | 0 | 30,000 | ||
| Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church | 1646 | Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Pittsburgh, United States | Metropolitanate | 6 | 8 | 417,795 | ||
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Slovak Greek Catholic Church | 1646 | Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Prešov, Slovakia | Metropolitanate (Prešov) | 4 | 6 | 211,208 | |
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Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church | 1595 | Cathedral of the Resurrection, Kyiv, Ukraine | Major archiepiscopate (Kyiv–Galicia) | 35 | 50 | 4,471,688 | |
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Chaldean Catholic Church | 1552 | East Syriac | Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows, Baghdad, Iraq | Patriarchate | 23 | 23 | 628,405 |
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Syro-Malabar Catholic Church | est. First C., present hierarchy 1923 |
Cathedral of Our Lady, Ernakulam, Kerala, India | Major archiepiscopate | 35 | 63 | 4,251,399 | |
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Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church | est. Seventh C. reentered communion 1154 |
West Syriac | Church of Bkerké, Bkerké, Lebanon | Patriarchate | 29 | 50 | 3,498,707 |
| Syriac Catholic Church | 1781 | Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul, Damascus, Syria | Patriarchate | 16 | 20 | 195,765 | ||
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Syro-Malankara Catholic Church | 1930 | Cathedral of Saint Mary, Pattom, Kerala, India | Major archiepiscopate | 12 | 14 | 458,015 | |
| Other | various | several | Ordinariates | 6 | 6 | 47,830 | ||
| Total | 250 | 320 | 17,836,000 |
Where do Eastern Catholics Live?
Eastern Catholic Churches have about 18 million members worldwide. This is a small part of the total Catholic population, which is over 1.2 billion. The largest groups of Eastern Catholics live in Eastern Europe (like Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia), East Africa (like Egypt, Eritrea), the Middle East (like Iraq, Lebanon, Syria), and India. Many have also moved to other countries, like the United States.
Challenges Faced by Eastern Catholics
Difficulties in Eastern Europe
In the 20th century, Eastern Catholic Churches in places like the Soviet Union faced many hardships. The government often tried to force them to join the Russian Orthodox Church. Priests and bishops were sometimes arrested or even executed. This made it very hard for these churches to continue their work.
Challenges in the Muslim World
Christians in many parts of the Muslim world have faced difficulties for a long time. This includes countries in the Middle East and North Africa. They have sometimes experienced discrimination and persecution.
Experiences in the United States
Eastern Catholic immigrants to the United States also faced challenges. Even though they were not in physical danger, they sometimes met with resistance from the Latin Church clergy. This was especially true for married Eastern Catholic priests, which was uncommon in the Latin Church. Some Eastern Catholics ended up joining the Eastern Orthodox Church because of these difficulties.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesias católicas orientales para niños
- Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
- Eastern Catholic canon law
- Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites
- List of Eastern Catholic seminaries
- Catholic Church and ecumenism
- Eastern Christianity
- Western Rite Orthodoxy
