Eastern rite church

Eastern rite church, any of a group of Eastern Christian churches that trace their origins to various ancient national or ethnic Christian bodies in the East but have established union (hence, Eastern rite churches were in the past often called Uniates) or canonical communion with the Roman Apostolic See and, thus, with the Roman Catholic Church. In this union they accept the Roman Catholic faith, keep the seven sacraments, and recognize the pope of Rome as supreme earthly head of the church. They retain, however, all other characteristics—e.g., liturgy, spirituality, sacred art, and especially organization—proper to themselves.

The special status of the Catholic churches of the Eastern rite was guaranteed at the time of each rite’s union with Rome and was approved again by the decree of the Second Vatican Council, in Orientalium ecclesiarum (“Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite”), promulgated on Nov. 21, 1964. In the first decade of the 21st century, the number of Eastern Catholics throughout the world numbered more than 12 million.

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History

Eastern Catholics—in contrast to Western, or Latin, Catholics—trace their origins largely to the failure of the ecclesiastical authorities at the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1439 to unite Christians of the East and West. Stimulated by this unsuccessful beginning, however, and encouraged also by the later missionary activities of such monastic orders as the Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Capuchins, the proponents of the goal of the eventual reunion of Eastern and Western Christians began to achieve some elements of success.

The Union of Brest-Litovsk in 1596—under which all but two Ukrainian Orthodox bishops accepted, at the demand of their Polish Catholic king, the primacy of the pope—in a substantial way signaled the effective advent of Eastern rite churches. Other smaller groups had united with Rome in previous centuries, but the Ukrainians who were united with Rome at this time were the largest branch of Eastern Catholics to move in that direction. The Union of Uzhhorod (Uzhgorod) in 1646 brought many Ruthenians (or Rusyns) into the Roman Catholic Church when 63 Ruthenian Orthodox priests, who represented Ruthenians living under Catholic rule, accepted the authority of Rome while being allowed to maintain their liturgical language (Old Church Slavonic) and customs.

Prior to this event, Eastern Catholics had been limited to Italo-Albanians in southern Italy and Sicily, a large number of Maronites (Lebanese Christians of the Syro-Antiochene rite) who became associated with Rome in the 12th century, and some Armenians in the Syria-Lebanon region who also traced their relationship with Rome to the 12th century. A number of Nestorians (followers of Nestorius, the 5th-century patriarch of Constantinople [now Istanbul] who was declared a heretic) were united with Rome in 1551, some Ruthenians in 1595, Romanians of Transylvania in 1698, and Melchites (Syrian Christians of the Byzantine rite) in 1724. Political factors also played a role during the reunion process; Eastern Christians have been greatly influenced by nationalistic loyalties in their respective regions. As these various groups of Eastern Catholics grew in number, Rome encouraged and established ecclesiastical hierarchies.

Relationship to other churches

Eastern Catholic churches correspond in kind to the more numerous Eastern Orthodox churches and also to the Oriental Orthodox churches, which do not accept the decrees of the ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451). Within this fuller context, Eastern Catholics as a group are the smallest segment within Eastern Christianity.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, Eastern Catholics may be looked upon with suspicion, primarily because of the Latinizing influence found in their ranks. Hence, the majority of Orthodox and Eastern independent churches characterize Eastern Catholics as “Uniate” churches. The term Uniate is taken from the Slavic uniya, a term coined by the opponents of the Union of Brest-Litovsk. “Uniatism” implies hybridism, or the tendency for Latinization, and hence a betrayal of one’s ancient and national tradition. Eastern rite churches would prefer to be considered as united churches rather than Uniate, with its negative implications.

Eastern rite churches make manifest the pluralistic composition of the Roman Catholic tradition. Eastern Catholic rites permit a married clergy and the immediate admission of baptized infants to the sacraments of Holy Communion (the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper) and confirmation. In Orientalium ecclesiarum, the Roman pontiff reaffirmed the pledge of his predecessors to preserve the rites of the Eastern churches. “All members of the Eastern Rite should know and be convinced,” states the decree, “that they can and should always preserve their legitimate liturgical rite and their established way of life, and that these may not be altered except to obtain for themselves an organic improvement.” The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1990; it now complements the 1983 Code of Canon Law for the Latin church.

Organization

The pope is the supreme earthly authority of the Eastern rite churches. The central organ of the Holy See for them is the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. The prefect of this congregation is the pope himself, and a cardinal proprefect performs the ordinary functions of chairman. The Congregation is competent for the Eastern churches in all matters (except certain specified cases) and has exclusive jurisdiction in specified countries in eastern Europe and the Middle East. The individual Eastern Catholic churches are organized differently according to their historical and ethnic situation, the number of adherents, the degree of evolution, and so on. The following organizational units are found.

Patriarchates comprise a certain number of dioceses of a single rite, under the jurisdiction of a patriarch. The patriarchs, according to the Eastern canon law, have special rights and privileges; in the general hierarchy they rank with the cardinals according to seniority (following the titular cardinal bishops of the suburban sees of Rome) and before all other bishops. There are six Eastern Catholic patriarchates: the Coptic Catholic Church, which is based in Egypt and is governed by the patriarch of Alexandria; three of Antioch, one each for the Syrians, Maronites, and Greek Melkites; the Chaldean Catholic Church, which is based in Baghdad and is governed by the patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans; and the Armenian Catholic Church, which is based in Lebanon and is governed by the katholikos of Sis, or Cilicia.

Major archiepiscopates are those that govern a certain number of dioceses of their rite but whose territory has not yet been erected into a patriarchate.

Metropolitanates govern ecclesiastical provinces independent of the patriarchates and major archiepiscopates and comprise a number of dioceses. One of them is the metropolis; and its archbishop, the metropolitan, is the head of the whole metropolitanate.

Eparchies correspond to the Latin dioceses. Although they are usually subject to one of the aforementioned higher organizations, a few are immediately subject to the Holy See or to a Latin metropolitan see.

Exarchies correspond to vicariates, and their bishops govern not by ordinary jurisdiction but by delegated authority.

Apostolic administrations concern territories whose administration the Holy See, for certain reasons, has assumed temporarily, entrusting them to the care of a neighbouring bishop or an apostolic administrator.

Ordinariates are the lowest organizational units, found either at an early stage of development, such as a mission, or in small congregations. Usually the head is not a bishop.

The rites

The term rite in the phrase Eastern Catholic rite signifies not only liturgical ceremonies but the whole organization of particular churches. In the early 21st century there were five distinct Eastern rite traditions—the Byzantine, the Alexandrian, the Antiochene, the Chaldean, and the Armenian—each (except the last) with two or more branches.

The Byzantine rite is by far the most widely observed, affecting the most persons and the most territories worldwide (many of the faithful are in the Americas). Its liturgy is based on the rite of St. James of Jerusalem and the churches of Antioch, as reformed by St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. The liturgy is used by the majority of Eastern Catholics and by the Eastern Orthodox Church (which is not in union with Rome). The Byzantine branches include the Albanians, Bulgarians, Belarusians, Georgians, Greeks, Greek Catholic Melkites, Hungarians, Italo-Albanians, Romanians, Russians, Ruthenians, Slovaks, Ukrainians, and the Croatian Greek Catholic Church (also called the Eparchy of Križevci and having jurisdiction over Byzantine Catholics in the former Yugoslavia).

The Alexandrian rite is found among the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. Its Coptic liturgy (known as the Liturgy of St. Mark) is derived from the Greek Liturgy of Alexandria, modified by several elements, including the Byzantine rite of St. Basil. Its two branches are the Copts (of Egypt) and the Ethiopians.

The Antiochene rite can be traced to Book 8 of the Apostolic Constitutions and to the Liturgy of St. James of Jerusalem. Its branches include the Maronites (constituting the largest single group of Eastern Catholics in the Middle East and throughout the world), the Syrians, and the Malankarese (of India).

The Chaldean rite, though derived from the Antiochene rite, is listed as a separate and distinct rite by the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches. Its branches include the Chaldeans (descended from the Nestorians) and the Syro-Malabarese (descended from the St. Thomas Christians of India).

The Armenian rite, using the liturgical language of classical Armenian, is based on the Greek Liturgy of St. Basil, as modified by elements of the Antiochene rite. It consists of one group, the Armenians, found in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Australasia.