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The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous particular churches of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope in Rome.
May 7, 2016 · Well, it turns out that this man is what we call an Eastern Catholic, and belongs to one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. This essay will serve as an introduction for those Roman Catholics who are not very familiar with the Eastern Catholic Churches.
The Eastern Catholic Churches, as a vital part of the Catholic Church, offer a unique window into the richness of Christian tradition. Their distinct liturgical practices, theological insights, and cultural heritage not only enrich the Catholic faith but also serve as a bridge between East and West.
The Catholic Church is actually composed of 24 churches — one Latin (Roman), which comprises perhaps 98% of all Catholics worldwide, and 23 "Eastern" or “Oriental” churches. All recognize the authority of the papacy, but within the parameters of a shared creed, each church has its own forms of liturgy, devotions, and traditions.
- A Rich Patrimony
- Fully Catholic Rites
- Pope of The Universal Church
- The Six Rites
- Repairing The Great Schism
- Mutually Complementary Theology in The Rites
- Valid Gifts and Traditions
- Stay Tuned
My father’s side of the family is Latin Catholic, but my cousins on my maternal grandmother’s side of the family are Ukrainian-Greek Catholic. So what exactly are the differences in these rites? What makes one Catholic “Latin,” and another Catholic “Ukrainian,” “Chaldean,” or something else? Before we answer that, let’s get a bit technical to get o...
In his 1894 apostolic letter, Orientalium Dignitas, Pope Leo XIII had this to say: In regards to “the True Faith,” it goes without saying that all 23 Eastern Catholic Churches submit to the doctrines and dogmas defined by the Catholic Church. Dogmas cannot be rejected by Catholics. This includes Eastern or Western. As the Council Fathers during the...
This high praise for the Eastern Catholic Churches was continued in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, specifically in Orientalium Ecclesiarum, promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI in 1964 (emphases added):
We see here that the words “rite” and “Church” pop up quite a few times. What are the differences between these terms? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USSCB) put it pretty succinctly in 1999: The 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churchesclearly defines the difference between “rite” and “church”: Below is a list of the six rites ...
We can see that each of these Churches comes from a distinct cultural background. They come from all corners of the earth, yet each of these 24 Churches all profess the same Catholic Faith. How wonderful that our holy Catholic Church has such a multitude of traditions (small “t”) while keeping the same unbroken Tradition (big “T”) from apostolic ti...
As was mentioned above, many of the Eastern Catholic Churches have traditions (small “t”) that differ from the Latin Catholic Church. Of course, all the Eastern Catholic Churches recognize the timeless Tradition (big “T”) of the Catholic Church. This includes the seven sacraments, the primacy of the pope, and the doctrine and dogmas defined by the ...
Just what are some of these traditions? Briefly, as we’ll go into more detail later, these traditions include a married priesthood, or the use of leavened bread at the celebration of the Eucharist. Some of these Churches that use leavened bread (mostly in the Byzantine Rite) and even some that use unleavened bread as Latin Catholics do (i.e., the S...
Throughout this series, we will explore much more in-depth what “spiritual treasures” these Eastern Catholic Churches gift to the universal Catholic Church. The Church is One. The diversity that we find within it, though, is truly something to be celebrated and cherished by all Catholics. Correction: The original image for this post contained Angli...
Sep 15, 2023 · The Nave: The Community’s Gathering Space. The main area where the congregation sits is called the nave. In this section, pews are arranged to face the altar. The nave isn’t just a random assembly area; it’s a communal space designed to assemble the “People of God.”. The Second Vatican Council teaches that the church is “the People ...
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May 28, 2024 · Eastern Catholic Churches are sui juris, meaning each one retains its own laws, hierarchy, and ecclesiastical disciplines. Here are seven fun facts about the unity in diversity found in the Catholic Church: 1) There are 24 Catholic Churches —only one of them is Western– the Roman Catholic Church!
