Byzantine hierarchy

[Greg1021]

OK, I’m new to the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic church (formerly Roman rite) and ex-military so I have to know the hierarchy of the church. This is what I know and hopefully you can fill in the blanks First there’s a Deacon, then my parish Priest, and finally Metropolitan William of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (the equivalent of an Arch Bishop in latin rite). How and where does the Pope fit into this scenario? Thank you!

 

[Peter_J]

How and where does the Pope fit into this scenario? Thank you!

Head of the Lain Church (just as Met. William is head of the Ruthenian Church).

 

[Elizium23]

Head of the Lain Church (just as Met. William is head of the Ruthenian Church).

The Pope is not merely the head of the Latin Church. He holds a unique office with jurisdiction over all 24 sui iuris Churches.

Can. 331 The office uniquely committed by the Lord to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, abides in the Bishop of the Church of Rome. He is the head of the College of Bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the Pastor of the universal Church here on earth. Consequently, by virtue of his office, he has supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church, and he can always freely exercise this power.

The Ruthenian Catholic Church, also known in the USA as the Byzantine Catholic Church, is constituted as a metropolitanate, as opposed to patriarchal or major archepiscopal. It is a sui iuris particular Church, that is, self-governing, with its own head bishop and particular laws. This Church has a rather complicated bifurcated status, as there is an Eparchy in Ukraine which is immediately subject to the Holy See, not part of the Metropolia of Pittsburgh, but still part of the same Church. This status is partly due to the faithful wanting to be part of the Ukrainian Catholic Church instead. The numbers are rather striking: 20,000 faithful in the USA as opposed to 626,000 faithful in Ukraine.

 

[SyroMalankara]

I think Peter’s answer is not regarding canons and universal jurisdiction, but the OP’s question, which seemed to be about direct or regular occurrences. Sure, the Pope can act within the Ruthenian Church, however this would be rare. The Pope would never be seen within the day to day as any deacon, priest or the Metropolitan. Perhaps if there were some appeal to a ruling by the Metropolitan, the Pope might reply.

 

[Elizium23]

I think Peter’s answer is not regarding canons and universal jurisdiction, but the OP’s question, which seemed to be about direct or regular occurrences. Sure, the Pope can act within the Ruthenian Church, however this would be rare. The Pope would never be seen within the day to day as any deacon, priest or the Metropolitan. Perhaps if there were some appeal to a ruling by the Metropolitan, the Pope might reply.

Just yesterday, the Holy Father acted as Supreme Legislator, issuing a motu proprio reforming nullity trials in the Eastern Catholic Churches. It was extremely noticeable that not only does he have jurisdiction but that the Churches have separate Codes of Canon Law, because he actually issued two documents, the other one was for the Latin Church only.

 

[Greg1021]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think I have the picture of where everything fits now. What I gather is Met. William has the ultimate authority of the tradition and practices of the BCC (with the Pope stepping in on rare occasions) but Dogma falls under the Pope.

З Богом,
Greg

 

[Elizium23]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think I have the picture of where everything fits now. What I gather is Met. William has the ultimate authority of the tradition and practices of the BCC (with the Pope stepping in on rare occasions) but Dogma falls under the Pope.

З Богом,
Greg

Dogma is a whole other can of worms. Your bishop is part of the Ordinary Magisterium. The Holy Father can define doctrines ex cathedra, exercising the Extraordinary Magisterium. There are other examples of how the Magisterium operates, but the important thing to remember is that the Deposit of Faith remains the same; doctrines develop over time but are never repudiated.

 

[malphono]

Just yesterday, the Holy Father acted as Supreme Legislator, issuing a motu proprio reforming nullity trials in the Eastern Catholic Churches. It was extremely noticeable that not only does he have jurisdiction but that the Churches have separate Codes of Canon Law, because he actually issued two documents, the other one was for the Latin Church only.

I’m not involving myself in this thread but I will make one comment.

The two documents are pro-forma since Rome created two Codes of Canon Law. The CIC applies to the Latin Church, while the CCEO was imposed on the Eastern and Oriental Churches.

 

[5Loaves]

I’m not involving myself in this thread but I will make one comment.

The two documents are pro-forma since Rome created two Codes of Canon Law. The CIC applies to the Latin Church, while the CCEO was imposed on the Eastern and Oriental Churches.

Amen. And the latest serious issue where this is a problem is reforms of the annulment process which HH Francis has included in the CCEO. He didn’t create the CCEO so it’s not his “fault” but adding into this section especially is just a mess. Those CCEO canons on marriage are already clearly Latinized and make no sense given the Eastern understanding of marriage based on the text of our Service of Betrothal , and Service of the Crowning, and the traditional teaching on marriage, which is so different from that of the Latin Church. I would like to see our hierarchs protest this further entrenchment of a theology of marriage which is not Eastern.

PS The Vatican does say

… in Title 26 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (Chapter 1, article 1). Cases for the declaration of the nullity of marriage, canons 1357-1377) is entirely substituted by the new norms, with effect from 8 December 2015.

Waiting for an English version…

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think I have the picture of where everything fits now. What I gather is Met. William has the ultimate authority of the tradition and practices of the BCC (with the Pope stepping in on rare occasions) but Dogma falls under the Pope.

З Богом,
Greg

Greg:

Glory to Jesus Christ! Metropolitan William is the head of one of the 23 sui juris (self governing) particular autonomous Churches within the Catholic communion. His role and authority is thus a little different than would be the case for a Metropolitan Archbishop in the Latin Church. He is also the head of the Council of Hierarchs of the Byzantine-Ruthenian Metropolitan Church in the U.S., consisting of himself and the bishops of the three suffragan eparchies (Passaic, Parma & Phoenix).

 

[Vico]

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/picture.php?albumid=601&pictureid=17933

OK, I’m new to the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic church (formerly Roman rite) and ex-military so I have to know the hierarchy of the church. This is what I know and hopefully you can fill in the blanks First there’s a Deacon, then my parish Priest, and finally Metropolitan William of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (the equivalent of an Arch Bishop in latin rite). How and where does the Pope fit into this scenario? Thank you!