germys9:
Everyone seems to be using the word “church” with different meanings. There are not 22 “churches” if by church you mean different doctrines or disagreements among the churches. There is only one Church in the sense that Jesus founded only one Church. However, there are 22 different rites or ways of participating in that one Church. The differences are only cultural or traditional (small t) because they are all under the authority of the Pope as the head of the universal Church. You could say there are 22 different “churches” if you mean 22 different physical locations or something to that effect.
Hi, germys9!
Actually, the Catholic Church
does recognize that it is, in fact, an assembly of 23 separate “Churches,” not just rites. Simply put, there is the Western Catholic Church, commonly referred to as the
Roman Catholic Church (far and away the largest of the Catholic Churches) and 22 distinct, individual Eastern Catholic Churches. Now, many of these Churches do, in fact, share the same rite, but each is still officially an independent, self-governing “Church” with its own heierarchy and Code of Canon Law.
Yet all are
Catholic - none more Catholic than the other. In fact,
any Catholic individual is free to worship in
any of these Churches, even though that Church’s particular rite ot liturgical traditions may be very different than his own.
The Catholic Church refers to each of these independent Churches as being
sui iuris, a Latin term that, loosely translated, means
self-governing. This designation allows each of these Catholic Churches to celebrate their
unity without
uniformity. Each has its own leader who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of that particular Church. In some Churches this individual is designated as a Patriarch; in others, an Archbishop or a Metropolitan Archbishop. In the Western Catholic Church this role is filled by the Bishop of Rome, His Holiness, the Pope. Despite the differences in their titles, each of these individuals has the same responsibility - the spiritual leadership of his particular Church.
The Holy Father, John Paul II, has one additional responsibility; in addition to being the Patriarch of the
Roman Catholic Church, he is also, as the successor of Peter, the spiritual pastor of
all Catholics, no matter which of the 23 Churches they are a member of. You might say that his position as the Successor of Peter and Universal Pastor of
all Catholics is the “glue” that binds each of these 23 Churches together into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, of which all Catholics are members.
Here’s an analogy that may help clear up the word “Church” as it is used in this context… when the Apostles first spread across the known world to establish Our Lord’s Church on Earth, they settled into different geographic locations such as Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem and so forth. Each of these geographic areas contributed their own customs and traditions to the way they developed their respective worship practices and, in fact, became known as the Church of Antioch, the Church of Alexandria, the Church of Jerusalem, and so forth. Despite their ritual differences, each of these separate “Churches” remained true to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and each recognized Peter, the leader of the Church of Rome, as their universal pastor.
It’s the same today. Although each of the 23 sui iuris Churches may be very different from one another in rite, tradition and liturgical practice, they are each
Catholic, no more or no less Catholic than any of the others.
a pilgrim
Suffice it to say that regardless of where we worship, we are brothers in the Lord, and that is really what matters.
