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Jim

In the Eastern Churches, both Orthodox and Catholic, what the Latin Church calls holydays of obligation are generally referred to as Great Feasts. There are 13 which are commonly acknowledged:

1. Nativity of the Theotokos
2. Elevation of the Holy Cross
3. Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple
4. Nativity of Christ
5. Theophany (Epiphany)
6. Presentation of Christ in the Temple
7. Annunciation
8. Transfiguration of the Lord
9. Dormition of the Theotokos
10. Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem
11. Ascension of our Lord
12. Pentecost
13. Pascha.


Many years,

Neil

Quote:

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I have a question about that diagram posted above. How many rites are there in the Catholic Church? From what I can see from that diagram, there are possibly 17( I think). This morning, I heard on the radio that there are 22.

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Jimmy,

Had to count twice before I came up with 17 (that excludes the Roman Church) - I can see why you qualified the number with "possibly" and "I think". The diagram apparently originated in a document published in 1987 by the Eparchy of Parma, but the info it contains is incomplete.

The number of Eastern Catholic Churches (22) was no less in 1987 than it is now, so I had to wonder why the author only listed 17. The title at the bottom of the page, "Eastern Catholic Churches in America" suggests that those listed were represented in the U.S. in 1987 and those not listed had no U.S. presence; cross-checking shows no such logic involved. So, "Others" at the end of the Byzantine line was seemingly intended to cover the omissions. Not sure why.

Churches sui iuris

To answer your question, let me provide a bit of historical background. It used to be that each of the various Eastern Catholic entities was referred to as a "Rite" (e.g., Melkite Rite, Ukrainian Rite); that was inaccurate since it misused the meaning of the word. For instance, in the examples I just cited, the Melkites and Ukrainians actually use the same Rite - the Byzantine Rite. In more recent times, the Holy See has given recognition to each of the Eastern Catholic bodies as a Church sui iuris (literally, "a Church of its own law" or a self-governing Church. Together, the Churches sui iuris, including the Latin or Roman Church, constitute the Catholic Church.

Rites

The term "Rite" is now used appropriately to describe the form which characterizes the complex of liturgical services of any Church or group of Churches sui iuris. Thus, each Church sui iuris belongs to a Rite.

Traditions

Some Rites are further delineated by the Tradition from which they derive, e.g., otherwise generally similar ceremonies or rituals may be distinguished by particular prayers, linguistic variants, or cultural variations expressed in things such as style of vestments, chant, or other externals.

Usages

Usages, generally, only apply to the Latin Church; the sole exception is the Knanya Catholics of the Syro-Malabarese Catholic Church.

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That said, the "22" you heard on the radio is a more accurate count of the Eastern Churches sui iuris than "17", although you will also see sites (including some noted ones) that post "21" or "23" as the number. I count 22 presently. I'll offer a few reasons/arguments, why the number may or should soon increase by as much as 6.

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If you research how many Rites are extant in the Catholic Church, you will find various experts citing a range of numbers, from 4 to 8. It really depends on where you draw the line between "Rite" and "Tradition". At the most basic level, there are only 4 Rites - 1 Latin (or Roman) Rite and 3 Eastern (or Oriental) Rites (i.e., Alexandrean, Antiochene, and Byzantine); that line of thought reflects the fact that all Rites developed from the customs and style of worship practiced in what were the 4 most important centers of Christian development - at a time when achievement of uniformity was hampered by the limitations geography and communication imposed. In time, the Rites which originated from those 4 sites were either modified by those who carried them back to other cities or were developed further in those new regions. Some of the variations that arose came to be considered Rites unto themselves. Thus, in some lists of Rites, you will find 'Maronite'; in others, it is deemed a "Tradition" within the West Syrian - Antiochene Rite, which is where its origins are. The Armenian Rite had its origins in the Byzantine Rite, but developed in a state of isolation similar to what happened with the Maronites; accordingly, you can find it listed as a "Rite" or as a "Tradition", depending on the author's perspective. (Melkite ritual practice had its origins in the Antiochene Rite, but eventually became 'byzantined'.

These are the Rites and the Traditions associated with each:

1. Alexandrean Rite
        Coptic Tradition
        Ge'ez Tradition
2. Antiochene Rite
        East Syrian Tradition
        West Syrian Tradition
3. Armenian Rite
4. Byzantine Rite
        Byzantine-Greek Tradition
        Byzantine-Slav Tradition
5. Maronite Rite



One of the ways in which Churches sui iuris can be grouped is by 'hierarchical type', a grouping that describes a Church by the rank of its presiding or primary hierarch. The generally cited hierarchical types are:

1. Patriarchal Churches sui iuris
2. Major Arch-Episcopal Churches sui iuris
3. Metropolitan Arch-Episcopal or Arch-Eparchial Churches sui iuris
4. Episcopal Churches sui iuris
5. Churches sui iuris sine episcopi

To those 5 types, for reasons that I explain below, I've added 3 additional groupings:

6. Eastern Catholic communities with hierarchy, but not of a Church sui iuris
7. Eastern Catholic communities without hierarchy and not of a Church sui i
8. Eastern Catholic Ordinariates



Here's your list of Churches sui iuris, grouped by hierarchical type (I have indicated the Rite and Tradition in brackets below the Church name). I have added some brief explanation as to each hierarchical type.





Those whose Patriarchal Sees are styled "The Ancient Sees, i.e., Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem.

Coptic Catholic Church
[Alexandrean - Coptic]

Maronite Catholic Church
[Maronite or Antiochene - West Syrian]

Byzantine Melkite Greek-Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]

Syriac Catholic Church
[Antiochene Rite - West Syrian]



Those Patriarchal Sees which are not among those styled "the Ancient Sees".

Armenian Catholic Church
[Armenian]

Chaldean Catholic Church
[Antiochene - East Syrian]



Large Eastern Catholic Churches not of Patriarchal rank; each is headed by a Major Archbishop.

Syro-Malabarese Catholic Church
[Antiochene - East Syrian]

The Syro-Malabarese are unique among the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris in that, within their Church, there is what amounts to a "Usage", although it hasn't been formally designated as such. The Knanaya Catholics of the Syro-Malabarese Catholic Church are members of an ethnic minority (i.e., the Knanaites). They are descendents of 72 Jewish Christian families who emigrated to Kerala (India) in A.D. 345, under the leadership of Knai Thomman (Thomas the Canaanite). They form an endogamous community within the Church, retain certain liturgical practices unique to their "ritual sub-Church", and have their own Eparchy (Kottayam), a non-exempt diocese of personal jurisdiction, canonically erected by the Holy See solely on the basis of the ethno-cultural identity of its faithful.

Byzantine Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]



These are certain large Eastern Catholic Churches which are of neither Patriarchal nor Major Arch-Episcopal rank; each is led by a Metropolitan Archbishop or Metropolitan Arch-Eparch

Ethiopian Catholic Church
[Alexandrean - Ge'ez]

Romanian Greek Catholic Church United with Rome
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]

Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

There are two distinct Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church jurisdictions, one in the diaspora and one in the lands of its origin. Neither hierarch has been singularly designated as the presiding hierarch of the Church and there is no formal relationship between the two jurisdictions, analagous to that which exists in other Churches sui iuris. Thus, each of the two is, theoretically, a Church sui iuris, although the hierarch with the precedential title is situated in the diaspora (USA). (See the list of Episcopal Churches sui iuris for the other jurisdiction. For purposes of counting, consider the two as one.)

Syro-Malankarese Catholic Church
[Antiochene - West Syrian]



Those Oriental churches "entrusted to hierarchs who preside over [the Church] as per the norms of common and particular laws; all such Churches are of the Byzantine Rite.

The presiding or primary hierarchs of such Churches are all of the Order of Bishop, but are variously styled: Abbott vere nullius dioecesis ("subject to no diocese"); Apostolic Administrator; Apostolic Exarch; Bishop; Eparch; or Vicar Apostolic.

Byzantine Albanian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]

Byzantine Bulgarian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

Byzantine Greek Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]

Byzantine Hungarian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

Byzantine Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
(Eparchy of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi in Calabria)
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]
Byzantine Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
(Eparchy of Piana [Sicily] degli Albenisi)
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]
Byzantine Italo-Greek Catholic Church
(Exarchic Abbey & Territorial Monastery of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata degli Italo-Grieco)
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]

For all intents and purposes, the Byzantine Italo-Albanian and Italo-Greek Catholic Churches now constitute a single Church sui iuris, which is variously referred to by either name. There are two distinct Byzantine Italo-Albanian and one Byzantine Italo-Greek Catholic Church jurisdictions. None of the hierarchs has been singularly designated as the presiding hierarch of the Church and there is no formal relationship among the three jurisdictions, analagous to that which exists in other Churches sui iuris (although the three hierarchs maintain an informal relationship to assure uniformity of liturgical practice). Thus, each of the three is, theoretically, a Church sui iuris. For purposes of counting, consider the three as one.)

Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church
(Eparchy of Mukaevo (Ukraine) for the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics)
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

The Eparchy of Mukaevo is an exempt jurisdiction with no canonical relationship to the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Metropolitan Church sui iuris [see above].

Byzantine Slovakian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

Churches sui iuris without

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These Churches are those entrusted to hierarchs (not of the Rite) who preside over (the Church) as per the norms of common and particular laws (hierarchs in locum tenens). All such Churches are of the Byzantine Rite.

Byzantine Belarussian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

The canonical jurisdiction is extant, but sede vacante since being suppressed during unrest in Belarus. There is presently an Apostolic Visitator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis.

Byzantine Georgian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Greek]

This Church has never been formally organized under its own hierarchy, due to the small number of faithful served by it.

Byzantine Russian Catholic Church
Apostolic Exarchate of Moscow for the Russian Byzantines
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]
Byzantine Russian Catholic Church
Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin for Russian Byzantines and All Oriental Rite Catholics in China
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

Both canonical jurisdictions of the Byzantine Russian Catholic Church are extant, but sede vacante since being suppressed during unrest in their homelands. The Church's last hierarch was an ordaining bishop who entered into rest in 1996. As neither See was singularly designated as precedential, each is, theoretically, a Church sui iuris. The two should be counted as one.

Eastern Catholic communities with hierarchy, but not of a Church sui iuris

This grouping consists of three communities which have hierarchy of their own, but have not been identified as Churches sui iuris, although they have the potential for such given their separation from the larger religious community of which they were a part prior to the political restructuring of Eastern Europe.

Byzantine Czech Catholics
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

The Byzantine Czech See was officially categorized as Ruthenian when it was canonically erected after separation of the former Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovack Republics. However, there is a decidedly non-Ruthenian cast to the See, in that the first and second (incumbent) Eparchs were priests of the Byzantine Slovack Catholic Church sui iuris prior to their episcopal ordinations (although both are ethnic Rusyn rather than Slovack). Some sites already list this jurisdiction as a Church sui iuris, but Annuario Pontificio 2003 does not do accord it that status.

Byzantine Montenegran Catholics
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

A See was recently erected for Byzantine Serbian and Montenegran Catholics. There are reasons to surmise that a Church sui iuris might be designated for Byzantine Serbian Catholics. If that occurs, it is unclear whether Byzantine Montenegrens would be best served by inclusion in such, or whether their traditions and numbers would merit establishment of a separate Church sui iuris.

Byzantine Serbian Catholics
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

A See was recently erected for Byzantine Serbian and Montenegran Catholics. Prior to the break-up of the former Republics of Yugoslavia, the Byzantine Church sui iuris for Catholics in the Republics was designated as the Byzantine Serbian Catholic Church. Subsequent to the break-up, it was re-designated as the Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church; it remains to be seen whether the small Serbian Catholic community will be considered to merit sui iuris status.

Eastern Catholic communities without hierarchy and not of a Church sui iuris

This grouping consists of: one community which formerly was routinely listed as a Church sui iuris, but is not reported as such in the current edition of Annuario Pontificio; an Ordinariate - a canonical jurisdiction usually erected to encompass faithful of divers Churches sui iuris who reside within a geographic territory, but are unserved by hierarchy peculiar to their individual religious heritages; and, one community which has no hierarchy and has not been identified as a Church sui iuris, although it has the potential for such, given its separation from the larger religious community of which it was a part prior to the political restructuring of Eastern Europe; and,

Byzantine Macedonian Catholic Church
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

This Church, which previously was routinely listed as a Church sui iuris, is presently without hierarchy of its own, likely as a consequence of the recent geo-political changes in what were previously the Republics of Yugoslavia. It is not accorded sui iuris status in the present edition of Annuario Pontificio.

Byzantine Polish Catholics
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

The Byzantine Catholic faithful in Poland are a diverse community which includes ethnic Poles and others, including Ruthenian, Slovak, and Ukrainian Byzantines. Only the Ukrainians have a hierarchy. Ordinariates are generally erected for just such communities of mixed heritage, since they lack the cohesiveness of tradition and practice that would persuasively argue for establishment of a Church sui iuris; however, the situation in Poland differs in that it has historical roots in Byzantine Catholicity. This, and the existence of a counterpart Orthodox Church, argue persuasively for erection of a Church sui iuris.

Byzantine Slovenian Catholics
[Byzantine - Byzantine-Slav]

Slovenia, like many Slavic nations, had its Christian origins in the Byzantine tradition, but was latinized in the era of the Crusades. In the breakout of Eastern Europe nations, Byzantine Slovene Catholics have become separated from the Eastern canonical jurisdictions into which they had been assimilated. It remains to be seen whether they are sufficient in number to merit establishment of a Church sui iuris.

Eastern Catholic Ordinariates

An Ordinariate is a canonical jurisdiction erected to encompass faithful of divers Churches sui iuris who reside within a geographic territory, but are unserved by hierarchy peculiar to their individual Churches sui iuris. There are five such jurisdictions; four are listed here (the fifth, Poland, is discussed above as an 'Eastern Catholic community without hierarchy and not of a Church' sui iuris). None of these four has the potential to be designated as a Church sui iuris.

Ordinariate of Argentina, Faithful of the Oriental Rites

Ordinariate of Austria, Faithful of the Eastern Rites (Byzantine)

Ordinariate of Brazil, Faithful of the Oriental Rites

Ordinariate of France, Faithful of the Eastern Rites

You may want to look at this site for more detail on the individual Churches:

www.cnewa.org/ecc-catholiceastern.htm

If there are particular Churches on which you want more info, I have a list of informative links on each on them.

Hope this helps.

Many years,

Neil