It is often said on this board that there are 22 (or is it 23?) particular churches sui iuris comprising the Catholic Church universal. I realize that this number is based upon official Vatican lists - but my question is, is this number really accurate? For example, several of the “churches” on this list have no hierarchy, and in all probability, will not anytime soon. I mean no disrepect to the faithful of these communities whatsoever, but from a theological perspective, is a church a church without a bishop? According to the Fathers and Catholic theology it is not. Also, I also understand that there is no real canonical relationship between the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburg and the jurisdictions in Europe; so when it comes down to it, are there not really two or three distinct Ruthenian churches sui iuris? The two eparchies of the Italo-Albanian Greek Catholic Church are also, as I understand, administratively independent from each other, with neither bishop answering to the other…so are there not, in actuality, two Byzantine Catholic Churches sui iuris native to Italy?
The hierarchy by which the Christian faithful are united does not have to be of their own ritual Church, only it must be a Catholic Church. The hierarch is the link to the Universal Catholic Church. So there are many eparchies (and equivalent) that are neither Metropolitan, Major Archepiscopal, nor Patriarchal in structure. At the very least the Holy See (Congregation for Eastern Churches) is caring for them and a local bishop of a different Church
sui iuris.For example Russian Catholics in the USA are placed in the care of a bishop of a different Church *sui iuris, which by default (in canon law) is the Latin Church. *Some of the smallest are:
Albanian
Ordinary/Hierarch:
vacant see, Hil Kabashi, O.F.M., Apostolic Administrator
**Russian **
Ordinary/Hierarch:
vacant see, Joseph Werth, Apostolic Administrator of Siberia
Belarusian
Ordinary/Hierarch:
vacant see, Alexander Nadson, Apostolic Visitator
There is a definition of a Church
sui iuris (own laws):
CCEO Canon 27
A group of Christian faithful united by a hierarchy according to the norm of law which the supreme authority of the Church expressly or tacitly recognizes as sui iuris is called in this Code a Church sui iuris.
CCEO Canon 174
A Church sui iuris, which is neither patriarchal, major archiepiscopal nor metropolitan is entrusted to a hierarch who presides over it according to the norm of common law and particular law established by the Roman Pontiff.
That is why we have the number of Church sui iuris that we have, as 22 Eastern Churches
sui iuris are officially recognized in the
Annuario Pontifico, the most recent being the Syro-Malankara (1930) and the Macedonian (when Yugoslavia was formed in 1918, later supressed, and revived again).
cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat10.pdf
Some other jurisdictions other than Eparchy or Exarchy are:
Apostolic Vicariates (Latin), Apostolic Eparchy or Exarchy (Eastern),
Apostolic Prefectures, Apostolic Administrations, and Missions sui juris.
Often the prelates of these jurisdictions report directly to the Holy See.
You refer to jurisdictions of the Ruthenian Catholic Church which are six:
Eparchy of Mukacheve (Ukraine)
Apostolic Exarchate of Czech Republic, Faithful of Eastern Rite
Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (USA)
Eparchy of Passaic (USA)
Eparchy of Parma (USA)
Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (USA)
The first three are directly subject to the Holy See (Congregation for Eastern Churches).
Only one Italo-Albanian Church
sui iuris with three jurisdictions, all directly subject to the Holy See:
Eparchy of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi
Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi
Territorial Abbacy of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata
