Eastern Catholics are a minority within the Catholic Church; of the 1.3 billion Catholics in communion with the pope, approximately 18 million are members of the eastern churches. The largest numbers of Eastern Catholics are found in Eastern Europe, Eastern Africa, …

So who are these “other” Catholics? They have their own hierarchies and liturgies, as well as their own distinct apostolic lineages. They may look and act like Eastern Orthodox churches, but they recognize the pope of Rome as the head of the visible Church on earth and have suffered for the cause of that unity. Meet the Catholic Churches.

Apr 18, 2025 · Byzantine Catholics (also known as "Greek Catholics") are canonically organized into eparchies (dioceses) and exarchates (mission dioceses). Historically, such jurisdictions had been defined geographically and this is still the norm and the goal.

Apr 2, 2025 · The Eastern Catholic churches are an active branch of Catholicism but are distinct from the Roman Catholic Church. In other words, the Eastern Catholic churches are Catholic, but they are not Roman Catholic.

According to the new Eastern Code, the Eastern Catholic churches fall into four categories: (1) Patriarchal (the Chaldean, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian, Maronite, and Melkite churches), (2) Major Archepiscopal (Ukrainian, Syro-Malabar, Romanian and Syro-Malankara churches), (3) Metropolitan sui iuris (the Ethiopian, American Ruthenian, Hungarian ...

Sep 22, 2024 · Eastern Catholic Churches typically perform baptism, confirmation, and first Holy Communion together for infants. This practice, known as Christian initiation, is seen as fully welcoming the child into the Church. Western Catholics traditionally abstain …

The Eastern Catholic Churches are a group of autonomous, self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope of Rome while preserving their distinct liturgical, theological, and spiritual traditions.

Aug 20, 2024 · Msgr. Pope explains the history of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and the reasons why they had to reunite with the Roman Catholic Church.

All recognize the authority of the papacy, but within the parameters of a shared creed, each church has its own forms of liturgy, devotions, and traditions. Each has its own hierarchy under a patriarch or archbishop, and distinctive Eastern legal canons. Liturgy is a defining aspect of these churches’ identity.

One country, Eritrea, has only an Eastern Catholic hierarchy, with no Latin structure. Eastern Catholics are in full communion with the Roman Pontiff, and in this sense are members of the Catholic Church. [2] They should not be confused with the Eastern Orthodox Church or Oriental Orthodoxy, which are themselves distinct forms of Christianity.