Eparchial Churches sine episcopi (without hierarchs)
These are Churches “entrusted to hierarchs (not necessarily of the Rite) who preside over (the Church) as
per the norms of common and particular laws” (hierarchs
locum tenens), either because the Church was never formally organized with a hierarchy or its principal See is vacant (
sede vacante). All are of the Byzantine Greek or Slav Traditions.
- Albanian Greek-Catholic Church
His Excellency Bishop Hil Kabashi, OFM, Apostolic Administrator of Albania Meridionale (Southern Albania) for the Albanian Byzantines
- Belarusan Greek-Catholic Church
Apostolic Exarch for the Byzantine Belarusan Catholics sede vacante
- Note: The Apostolic Exarchate for Byzantine Belarusan Catholics, has been vacant since WWII, when the Church was civilly suppressed under Communist rule. The Church’s last hierarch, Bishop Vladimir Tarasevitch, OSB, of blessed memory, reposed in exile. The Church’s rights were restored in 1989 but, to date, the See has not been reconstituted.
The prelates delegated responsibility (but not jurisdiction) for the Church at present are:
- Right Reverend Mitred Archimandrite Sergius Gajek, MIC, Apostolic Visitator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis for Greek-Catholics in Belarus
- Right Reverend Mitred Archpriest Alexander Nadson, Apostolic Visitator for Belarusan Greek- Catholics Outside Belarus
- Georgian Greek-Catholic Church
Apostolic Exarch of Istanbul for the Byzantine Georgian Catholics sede vacante
- Note: The Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul for the Byzantine Georgian Catholics has been vacant since the martyrdom in odium fidei of the Servant of God Father Archimandrite & Exarch Shio Batmanishvili by the Communists in 1937. The single temple has been given over to the use and care of another Church sui iuris, there are less than 200 faithful, and there are no clergy.
- His Excellency Bishop Louis Pelâtre, AA, (Latin) Vicar Apostolic of Istanbul is, effectively, locum tenens
- Russian Greek-Catholic Church
Apostolic Exarch of Moscow for Byzantine Russian Catholics sede vacante[br]Apostolic Exarch of Harbin for Russian Byzantines & All Oriental Rite Catholics in China sede vacante
- Note: This Church has two jurisdictions with no formal canonical relationship between the two, and no one hierarch was ever designated as presiding the Church. Therefore, technically, each is a Church sui iuris, however, the two are a single entity for purposes of counting Eastern Churches.
Both jurisdictions were considered to have been vacant since the martyrdom
in odium fidei of their last known incumbents. Blessed Father Archimandrite & Exarch Kliment Sheptitsky, Apostolic Exarch of Moscow reposed in 1951 and the Servant of God Father Archimandrite & Exarch Fabian Abrantovic, MIC, in 1946, while in custody of the Communist government.
It was long speculated that Moscow’s exarchial line had continued
in peccatore (literally, “in the heart” of the Pope). Such appointments are used to protect individuals named to hierarchal positions and the faithful generally, in lands where the Church is under persecution or otherwise repressed. Those so designated are not publicly identified unless and until the circumstances which necessitated secrecy change; if that does not happen, the secret of the appointment dies, unrevealed, with the Pope involved.
Documents recently reviewed by Father Archimandrite Sergii (Golovanov), Administrator, Apostolic Exarchate of Moscow for Byzantine Russian Catholics, reveal that the Russian Greek-Catholic Church’s last known hierarch, Bishop Andrei Katkov, of blessed memory, was designated Apostolic Exarch of Moscow,
in camera (
i.e., in secret), a subtle distinction based on the appointment having been revealed, albeit not publicly. Previously, Bishop Andrei was only known as an
episcopus ordinans (
i.e., ordaining bishop) without jurisdiction,
In response to action by the presbyterate of the Apostolic Exarchate of Moscow for Byzantine Russian Catholics to appoint an Administrator, Rome designated an Ordinary for Faithful of the Eastern Rites.
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