To what extent can the Roman Church imposes her rules and regulations on an Eastern Church? When can the Roman Church steps in? Is the Roman Pontiff superior to the Patriarch of a certain rite? Is the word of the Eastern Patriarch more authoritative or the Roman Pontiff’s?
The words “imposes”, “superior to”, and “more authoritative” are all provocative. In order to understand this deeply you need to study the Latin and eastern canon law and Pastor Bonus.
Specifically, you ask about extent and conditions of exercise of the governing power in the Catholic Church. To begin with there are two parallel hierarchies: of orders and of jurisdiction. So the questions can be answered for each.
Ordinary Jurisdiction
“The right to exercise authority when this right is attached to an ecclesiastical office. This is the jurisdiction enjoyed by the Pope over the entire Church, by a bishop over his diocese, and in the internal forum by the pastor over the members of his parish. Jurisdiction can be either personal or vicarious, depending on whether it is exercised by the officeholder or by someone he delegated.” – Modern Catholic Dictionary
Hierarchy
“A man enters the hierarchy by episcopal ordination when he receives the fullness of the priesthood. But he depends on collegial union with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic hierarchy for actually being able to exercise the two other powers of teaching divine truth and of legitimately ruling the believers under his jurisdiction.” – Modern Catholic Dictionary (Note the three are “the office prophet or teacher, the pastoral or royal office of ruler, and the priestly office of sanctifying the faithful.”)
CCEO (eastern canon law)
TITLE 3 - The Supreme Authority of the Church
Canon 42
Just as, by the Lord’s decision, Saint Peter and the other Apostles constitute one college, so in a similar way the Roman Pontiff, successor of Peter, and the bishops, successors of the Apostles, are joined together.
Canon 43
The bishop of the Church of Rome, in whom resides the office (munus) given in special way by the Lord to Peter, first of the Apostles and to be transmitted to his successors, is head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the entire Church on earth; therefore, in virtue of his office (munus) he enjoys supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church which he can always freely exercise.
Canon 44
- The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by means of legitimate election accepted by him together with episcopal consecration; therefore, one who is already a bishop obtains this same power from the moment he accepts his election to the pontificate, but if the one elected lacks the episcopal character, he is to be ordained a bishop immediately.
- If it should happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office (munus), it is required for validity that he makes the resignation freely and that it be duly manifested, but not that it be accepted by anyone.
Canon 45
- The Roman Pontiff, by virtue of his office (munus), not only has power over the entire Church but also possesses a primacy of ordinary power over all the eparchies and groupings of them by which the proper, ordinary and immediate power which bishops possess in the eparchy entrusted to their care is both strengthened and safeguarded.
- The Roman Pontiff, in fulfilling the office (munus) of the supreme pastor of the Church is always united in communion with the other bishops and with the entire Church; however, he has the right, according to the needs of the Church, to determine the manner, either personal or collegial, of exercising this function.
- There is neither appeal nor recourse against a sentence or decree of the Roman Pontiff.
Canon 46
- In exercising his office (munus) the Roman Pontiff is assisted by the bishops who aid him in various ways and among these is the synod of bishops; moreover the cardinals, the Roman curia, pontifical legates and other persons and various institutes assist him according to the needs of the times; all these persons and institutes carry out the task committed to them in his name and by his authority for the good of all the Churches, according to the norm of law established by the Roman Pontiff himself.
- The participation of patriarchs and other hierarchs who preside over Churches sui iuris in the synod of bishops is regulated by special norms established by the Roman Pontiff.
TITLE 4 The Patriarchal Churches
Canon 56
A patriarch is a bishop who enjoys power over all bishops including metropolitans and other Christian faithful of the Church over which he presides according to the norm of law approved by the supreme authority of the Church.
Canon 78
- The power which, according to the norm of the canons and legitimate customs, the patriarch has over bishops and other Christian faithful of the Church over which he presides is ordinary and proper, but personal. Thus, the patriarch cannot constitute a vicar for the entire patriarchal Church nor can he delegate his power to someone for all cases.
- The power of the patriarch is exercised validly only inside the territorial boundaries of the patriarchal Church unless the nature of the matter or the common or particular law approved by the Roman Pontiff establishes otherwise.
Hahaha!
Get ready for a round of proper correction here in the ECF, brother.
) These churches, of which the Roman Church is but one, possess the fullness of what it means to be the Church - mainly the Holy Mysteries. [Also, the fullness of the Church exists within a Diocese or Eparchy - as the Bishop’s relationship with his priests and faithful represents the essential expression of the Catholic Faith.]