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robert_w
Guest
Sorry this may be obvious but should they not be under the control of the Pope and also do they follow the Byzantine Rite?
Thanks in advance,
Robert
Thanks in advance,
Robert
Why are the Eastern Catholic Churches under their own jurisidiction?
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D
Deacon_Ed
Guest
Robert,
In order to answer your question we need to establish a little commonality. The Catholic Church is composed of 23 independent Churches. That is, the Catholic Church is a communion of Churches. Some of those Churches have patriarchs, some have major archbishops, some have no hierarchy. This is based upon the historical reality.
Now, those Churches that are “in communion” with Rome agree to allow the pope to have authority over them – although that authority is usually administered collegially rather than by edict. This means that Eastern Churches consider themselves are "in communion with rather than “under” the pope.
Of the 22 churches that form the Eastern Catholic Churches 14 of them follow the Byzantine Rite. There is also the Armenian, Chaldean, Coptic, and Syrian Rites.
Hope this helps.
Deacon Ed
In order to answer your question we need to establish a little commonality. The Catholic Church is composed of 23 independent Churches. That is, the Catholic Church is a communion of Churches. Some of those Churches have patriarchs, some have major archbishops, some have no hierarchy. This is based upon the historical reality.
Now, those Churches that are “in communion” with Rome agree to allow the pope to have authority over them – although that authority is usually administered collegially rather than by edict. This means that Eastern Churches consider themselves are "in communion with rather than “under” the pope.
Of the 22 churches that form the Eastern Catholic Churches 14 of them follow the Byzantine Rite. There is also the Armenian, Chaldean, Coptic, and Syrian Rites.
Hope this helps.
Deacon Ed
G
Ghosty
Guest
The Eastern Catholic Churches are with the Pope, they’re just distinct from the Latin hierarchy. I wouldn’t use the term “under” the Pope, however, though the Pope does have jurisdiction over them. In practice it’s better to say “with” the Pope, since the Pope serves as the centerpoint of ecclesial unity, not as a monarch at the top of the hierarchy.
As for Rites, most Eastern Churches follow the Byzantine Rite, but not all. There are several different Rites used by Churches that are not related to the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The Maronites, Copts, Syro-Malabar, and Chaldeans are all examples of non-Byzantine Eastern Catholics.
Peace and God bless!
M
malphono
Guest
Of course that is correct, both officially and in theory. In practice, though … well, let’s leave the rest of that thought unsaid.
The non-Byzantines are most often referred to as “Oriental” rather than “Eastern” Churches, even by the Orthodox.
C
Cluny
Guest
Sorry this may be obvious but should they not be under the control of the Pope and also do they follow the Byzantine Rite?
What rite did you think most of them followed?
Of course, not all Eastern Catholics use the Byzantine liturgy.
At one time, in the USA, most Eastern Catholics were under the local Latin bishop, with very bad spiritual results. Many of them were run out of the Church into Orthodoxy.
Now most have their own Bishops here.
What rite did you think most of them followed?
Of course, not all Eastern Catholics use the Byzantine liturgy.
At one time, in the USA, most Eastern Catholics were under the local Latin bishop, with very bad spiritual results. Many of them were run out of the Church into Orthodoxy.
Now most have their own Bishops here.
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Ignatius
Guest
No, the Sui Juris Catholic Churches are under their own Patriarchs, who are the successors of the Apostles. As such, they are in full communion with the Pope who is successor of Peter. The Pope is the successor of Peter who presides in love, The terminology of being ‘under’ reveals a misunderstanding of the role of the Pope.
In answer to your second question, only Byzantine Catholic Churches follow the Byzantine Rite. For example, those who have the Patriarch of Antioch as their spiritual Shepherd follow that Rite.
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Deacon_Ed
Guest
Not all Eastern Catholic churches have patriarchs. Patriarchs are found in the Armenian, Chaldean, Coptic, Maronite, Melkite and Syrian churches. The Romanian, Ukrainian, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara churches all have Major Archbishops as their heads. The Ethiopian and American Ruthenian Chuches have Metropolitan Bishops as their heads. Other Eastern Catholic Churches either have no specific head bishop or, in fact, have no heirarchy at all and are directly under the Holy Father (but may be administered by the local Latin Rite bishop).
Um, this isn’t precisely accurate either. There are actually FIVE patriarchs who claim Antioch. Three of those are Catholic: the Melkite, Maronite and Syriac Churches but, of those three, only the Melkites follow the Byzantine tradition.
Deacon Ed
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Patchunky
Guest
The Byzantine Catholic Church in Slovakia also has it’s own Metropolitan Archbishop, Jan Babjak.
http://www.magnificat.sk/htm02/zv4m_8.jpg
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robert_w
Guest
Thanks all.
Sorry about the terminology which a lot of you picked up on and thanks for correcting me, I’ll avoid using it in future.
Sorry about the terminology which a lot of you picked up on and thanks for correcting me, I’ll avoid using it in future.
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robert_w
Guest
Would the correct terminology be that the Pope guides the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit?
J
JPUSC
Guest
That sounds about right.
M
mardukm
Guest
Yes and no.
Yes, if you mean the Pope guides the Church along with his brother bishops.
No, if you mean the Pope is the only one who guides the Church.
Yes, if you mean the special guidance of the Holy Spirit which the Pope has (i.e., infallibility) is the selfsame guidance that the Holy Spirit gives to the Church.
No, if you mean the Pope’s infallibility is something separate from the infallibility of the Church or belongs personally to the Pope alone.
Bishops are truly the full, ordinary and immediate shepherds of the flocks they serve. They are not vicars of the Pope. This has been the self-understanding of the ecclesiology of the Catholic Church since post-apostolic times.
Blessings,
Marduk
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