Eastern Catholic Churches
In 431, the Council of Ephesus condemned the views of Nestorius, creating a fracture that would eventually birth the Chaldean Catholic Church. This ancient council marked the beginning of centuries where churches accused one another of heresy or schism. The Church of the East, operating under the Sassanid Empire, never accepted these council statements and later expanded across Asia before collapsing after the Mongol invasion in the 14th century. Monuments to their presence still exist in China today, though they remain few in number.
The Great Schism of 1054 began when Patriarch Michael I Cerularius and Papal Legate Humbert of Silva Candida issued mutual excommunications between Constantinople and Rome. These excommunications were not revoked until 1965, yet hostility had already taken root by the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1190, Theodore Balsamon wrote that no Latin should receive Communion unless he declared his separation from Eastern doctrines. By 1204, Catholic armies sacked Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, cementing an open enmity between the two sides.
Attempts to restore communion gained momentum at the Council of Florence between 1438 and 1445. Several eastern churches associated themselves with Rome, forming what are now known as Eastern Catholic Churches. The See of Rome accepted them without requiring adoption of Western customs, allowing each church to maintain its own liturgical heritage. Most of these churches arose when groups within ancient churches returned to full communion with the Bishop of Rome.
The five historic liturgical traditions of Eastern Christianity include the Alexandrian Rite, the Armenian Rite, the Byzantine Rite, the East Syriac Rite, and the West Syriac Rite. All five are represented within the current Eastern Catholic liturgy. Some jurisdictions admit members of non-Catholic churches to the Eucharist and other sacraments on occasion. This creates a unique situation where the word rite refers both to the liturgical patrimony and sometimes to the particular church itself.
In 1996, the Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions brought together developments from previous texts. It emphasized preservation of Eastern traditions and return to those usages whenever possible. Past interventions by the Holy See were deemed defective in some ways but served as safeguards against aggressive initiatives. The instruction stated that principles affecting other rites should be applied in preference to Latin Church usages only when necessary.
Infants baptized and chrismated receive the Eucharist immediately according to ancient tradition. Baptism and chrismation are generally administered one after another without delay. This practice differs significantly from the Latin Church, which typically separates these sacraments over time. The mysteries of baptism and confirmation are celebrated differently across the various rites.
Eastern Catholic Churches have always allowed ordination of married men as priests and deacons. Within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, 90% of diocesan priests are married. Most Eastern Churches distinguish between monastic and non-monastic clergy. Monastics spend part of training in monasteries and vow celibate chastity. Bishops are normally selected from monastic clergy while many parish priests remain married.
In territories where Eastern traditions prevail, married clergy caused little controversy. Opposition arose inside traditionally Latin Church territories to which Eastern Catholics migrated. This was particularly true in the United States. In response, the Congregation for the Propagation of Faith set out rules in an 1890 letter applied on the 1st of May 1897. Only celibates or widowed priests coming without children were permitted entry into the country.
A the 1st of March 1929 decree restated this mandate for Ruthenians, renewed in 1939. Dissatisfaction led some to join the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese. The mandate was removed by a June 2014 decree allowing married Eastern Catholic priests to follow their faithful wherever they immigrate. Pope Francis approved new norms through canon 758 §3 in 2014.
By 1936, the Byzantine Catholic Church of Georgia had two communities served by one bishop and four priests with 8,000 believers. Shio Batmalashvili, identified as either exarch or bishop, was executed by Soviet authorities in 1937 after captivity in Solovki prison and northern gulags from 1923. Stalinist purges in the 1920s and 1930s essentially eradicated ecclesiastical independence of the community. Remaining members lived only until the late 1950s.
Until 1994, the United States annual publication Catholic Almanac listed Georgian among Greek Catholic churches before correcting the error in 1995. A short-lived movement existed among ethnic Estonians during the interwar period but was liquidated by the Soviet regime. Today Catholics in Georgia adhere to Latin and Armenian rites instead of the Byzantine one composed mostly of Georgians and Armenians.
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Common questions
What are the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches and how did they originate?
The 23 Eastern Catholic Churches originated when groups within ancient churches returned to full communion with the Bishop of Rome. The Council of Florence between 1438 and 1445 marked a period where several eastern churches associated themselves with Rome while maintaining their own liturgical heritage.
When was the Great Schism of 1054 initiated and what were its consequences for Eastern Catholic Churches?
The Great Schism of 1054 began when Patriarch Michael I Cerularius and Papal Legate Humbert of Silva Candida issued mutual excommunications between Constantinople and Rome. These excommunications remained unrevoked until 1965, yet hostility had already taken root by the 12th and 13th centuries.
Which five historic liturgical traditions are represented in the current Eastern Catholic liturgy?
The five historic liturgical traditions include the Alexandrian Rite, the Armenian Rite, the Byzantine Rite, the East Syriac Rite, and the West Syriac Rite. All five rites are represented within the current Eastern Catholic liturgy as defined by the Church.
What is the significance of the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches for Eastern Catholic Churches?
The 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches became the first codified body of canon law governing all Eastern Catholic Churches collectively and took effect in 1991. It serves as a framework document containing canons derived from common Eastern patrimony while each individual church maintains its own internal laws.
How does the ordination of married men function within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church compared to other rites?
Eastern Catholic Churches have always allowed ordination of married men as priests and deacons, with 90% of diocesan priests being married within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Most Eastern Churches distinguish between monastic and non-monastic clergy, where bishops are normally selected from monastic clergy while many parish priests remain married.