Home  ›  Eastern Catholic Churches

Eastern Catholic Churches

The Eastern Catholic Churches are a branch of the Eastern Christian churches. They are characterized by being in communion with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope ), they recognize the primacy , and use the ritual liturgical East ( Coptic , Syriac-West , Maronite , Syriac-Eastern , Byzantine , Armenian , Geez ), more or less Latinized Terminology

Eastern Catholic churches are also known by other names:

The term Uniate

The term "Uniate" has long served to designate the Eastern Catholic Churches. Strictly speaking, it is used to denote the fractions of those Eastern churches that have broken with their church "mother" and orthodox entered into communion with the Roman Catholic Church. It is demonstrated for the first time at the Synod of Brest-Litovsk in 1596, giving birth to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church . Strictly speaking, "Uniate Churches" and "Eastern Catholic Churches" are not synonymous: Rome united in their entirety in the thirteenth century, the Lebanese Maronite Christians belong to the second category but not the first.

These churches were often romanized. Keeping appearances Oriental ( liturgy , paramenter , liturgical language , discipline of clerical celibacy, music), they adopted the theology and ecclesiology Catholic. They often think themselves as a bridge between Catholicism and Orthodoxy , as were the interventions show Maximos IV, Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1947 to 1967, during the Council Vatican II .

History

Background

The separation between the Church of Rome and the Byzantine churches, the First Church of Constantinople, was symbolized by the spectacular excommunications of mutual Ecumenical Patriarch Michael I Cerularius and the papal legate Humbert Moyenmoutier in 1054. This separation will become permanent in the minds in the East after the Crusades and the sacking of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204. Attempts at unity of Second Council of Lyons in 1274 , then at the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1438 - 1442 , were unsuccessful.

The Church of Rome, then developed an ecclesiology that insisted on authority and the direct jurisdiction of the Pope over all local churches. Therefore, the churches that were not under papal jurisdiction could be subject to the activity missionary in order to bring them into communion with Rome.

This missionary activity was undertaken towards all the Eastern Churches, often with support from Catholic powers (in particular France , which will recognize a kind of religious protectorate over Eastern Christians of the Ottoman Empire ). The result was, firstly, the establishment of hierarchies and the development of Latin communities ( Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem , the Latin Patriarchate of Antioch , then a little later, the Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople ), on the other hand, establishment of the Eastern Churches "united" to Rome, by rallying from a part of the clergy and faithful of the Church "separated". Thus, over time, "while Catholic, united to Rome" was set up next to each of the Eastern Churches .

Elements of chronology

Churches of the Middle East

Maronite Patriarch and bishops in Rome in 1906

1182 Union in Rome of the Maronite Church of Antioch (Patriarchate of Antioch independent set in the eighth century) at the time of the Crusades .

1553 Establishment of the Chaldean Catholic Church split from the Church of the East (definitively established only in 1830).

1662 Establishment of the Syriac Catholic church split by the Syrian Church of Antioch (definitively established only in 1783).

1724 Establishment of the Melkite Catholic Church split from the Church of Antioch Melkite.

1740 Establishment of the Armenian Catholic Church by splitting the Catholicosate Armenian Cilicia (after a formal union at the time of the Crusades).

Churches of Central and Eastern Europe

1595 - one thousand five hundred and ninety-six , Union of Brest : Decision of the Metropolitan of Kiev-Galicia and All Russia to sever its relations with the Church of Constantinople to be placed under the jurisdiction of Rome. The Ruthenia was part of the Republic of Two Nations (Poland Catholic). / Establishment of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. An Orthodox hierarchy was quickly restored.

1646 , Union of Uzhhorod : Decision of 63 Orthodox priests Carpatho placing themselves under the jurisdiction of Rome. Carpathian Ruthenia was part of the kingdom of Hungary. / Establishment of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church.

1698 , Synod of Alba Iulia : Union of Romanians in Rome Orthodox Transylvania while under the direct rule of the Habsburgs. / Establishment of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church.

1946 Attachment forced Greek Catholic Churches Ukrainian and Ruthenian Orthodox Church in Russian (USSR). The Church continues to exist in the diaspora (and clandestine in Ukraine).

1948 Attachment forced the Greek Catholic Church Romanian Orthodox Church Romanian (Romania). The Uniate Church continued to exist in the diaspora (and clandestine in Romania).

1989 Recovery of Greek Catholic Churches Ukrainian and Romanian, but authorities in both countries predominantly Orthodox refuse to return their confiscated property (monasteries, churches, schools) and attributed to the Orthodox churches.

Churches in India

Christianity took root very early in India, particularly in the south-west India (now the state of Kerala ). Local tradition traces the origin of the Church of Malabar to the Apostle Thomas. The early Church was placed under the jurisdiction of the Church of Persia , which it adopted the East Syriac rite and customs, and who sent his bishops.

The first contacts with the Portuguese in the early sixteenth century went by smoothly. However, in 1599 , Alexis de Menezes, Archbishop of Portuguese Goa (Latin Rite), brings together a local synod Diamper. The Christians of St. Thomas were forcibly placed under the jurisdiction of the Church of Rome. A Jesuit, Francisco Roz, was appointed bishop, who latinized strongly rite. In response, a large proportion of the local Christians followed the priest Thomas Palakomatta that in 1653 became consecrated bishop and Metropolitan, placing a few years later under the jurisdiction of the Syriac Orthodox Church (in West Syrian rite ).

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church refers to the line which remained in the court after the synod of Roman Diamper. It was not until the late nineteenth century to see the establishment of specific courts and the appointment of bishops of local origin and ritual.

In 1930 , Archbishop Mar Ivanios Bethany and Theophilus Suffragan Bishop of Tiruvalla in March left the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Syriac Orthodox Church in India) to be placed under the jurisdiction of Rome. In 1932 , Rome created a metropolis Syro-Malankara, establishing the existence of a second Catholic church in eastern India, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (Western Rite Syriac).

Churches of North East Africa

1895 Establishment of the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate at the initiative of Pope Leo XIII.

1961 Statute of Metropolitan Church for the Ethiopian Catholic Church (first contacts in the XVII century).

Administration-Relations with the Holy See

Congregation for the Oriental Churches

The Congregation for Eastern Churches was founded in 1862 as part of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith Propaganda Fide (who oversaw the missionary activities of the Catholic Church). It became independent in 1917 during the papacy of Benedict XV.

It is by this Congregation that are relations between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Roman Curia in the Holy See.

Pontifical Oriental Institute

The Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome was established on 15 October 1917 by Benedict XV by the motu proprio Orientis Catholic. It forms by cycles of two-year course students in all languages of the East Church. It is run by the Jesuits since 1922.

Pontifical Colleges

Many colleges papal have been established in Rome to train clergy of the various Eastern Catholic Churches:

  • Greek College (1576)
  • Maronite College (1584)
  • Armenian college or college Leone (1883)
  • College Josaphat (Ukrainian-Ruthenian) (1897)
  • Ethiopian College (1919, as an experiment; 1930, elevation to the pontifical college)
  • College Russicum (Russian) (1929)
  • Romanian College (1937)
  • Malabar College (1958, experimental)

Different Churches

The Patriarchal Churches

Patriarchal churches have the right to choose their own patriarch. He is elected by the Synod of Bishops and is proclaimed and immediately inducted. He then asked the ecclesiastical communion with the Pope.

The major archiepiscopal Churches

Jn Babjak, current primate of the Greek Catholic Church Slovak celebrating in Preov , bringing the sakkos

The Major Archbishop is elected in the same manner as a patriarch. However, his election must be confirmed by the Pope for him to be inducted.

Churches Metropolitan

The Metropolitan is appointed by the Pope from a list of three candidates submitted by the Synod of Bishops.

Other churches and communities

The primate is appointed by the pope.

Relations with the Latin Church

  • The Chaldean Catholic Church has claimed until the late nineteenth century the jurisdiction of India (patriarch Joseph Audo).
  • The Melkite Catholic Church called the Second Vatican Council until the abolition of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was restored in 1847 (with the Italians at its head until 1987).
  • There are several churches in the demands for change of status (the patriarchal for Ukrainians , catholicossal for Syro-Malankar ).
  • There are several churches in the claims on their development outside their own traditional territory (willingness to full court, Syro-Malabar, Melkite Church).
  • There are several churches in the demands for compliance or restoration of their traditions (the romanization cons).
  • Several Eastern Catholic communities of origin have broken with Rome to preserve or restore their traditions (Rusyns and Ukrainians in America - in opposition to the Catholic Church - Latin: Establishment of the Orthodox Church Carpatho-Rusyn American , the Orthodox Church U.S. Ukraine , the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada with the Orthodox from the same regions of St. Thomas Christians in India: Establishment of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India and the Malabar Orthodox Church ).
  • In the Eastern Catholic Churches (Coptic Catholic Church in particular), it is common for married men ordained priests (the marriage of priests is not possible). The bishops in turn are chosen from the monks and were never married.

Relations avec les autres glises orientales

Relations with the Assyrian Apostolic Church of the East

  • Order Synod together for the promotion of unity among the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church (15 August 1997)
  • Guidelines for admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and Assyrian Church of the East (July 20, 2001)
  • In 1994, attempted admission of the Assyrian Apostolic Church of the East Council of Churches of the Middle East in the group of Catholic Churches (failure because of the hostility of the Orthodox Coptic Church)

Relations with Eastern Orthodox Churches

Relations with the Orthodox Churches

  • Conflictual relations in contemporary Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania): liquidation of Eastern Catholic Churches following the installation of communist power, restoration of churches after the fall of those regimes, conflict on the surrender of the confiscated property (churches, monasteries, schools) ...
  • Middle East Council of Churches of the Middle East
  • Appeal by the Melkite Catholic patriarch of holding a council among the five Antiochian churches claiming to Antioch .

Debates

Criticism of Unia

The word is sometimes used uniatism in a derogatory sense for the Greek Catholics. Uniatism is regarded by the Orthodox Churches as ecclesiological incorrect and as a form of proselytizing in contradiction with the canonical tradition and official discourse of the Church of Rome on inter-church and ecumenical dialogue.

Eastern Catholic Churches and ecumenical dialogue

In 1993 , during the Seventh Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has been signed the Declaration of Balamand , which states that "Unia can not be a model of unity ". However the text was an agreement of experts (periti incompetence!) That did not correspond to reality. It was never signed by the Catholic authorities in Rome (the Pope or the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) unlike other ecumenical texts.

Official documents of the Church on the Eastern Catholic Churches

Besides the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches or CCEO (promulgated by the Pope in 1990), the Catholic Church published in 1964, the conciliar decree "Orientalium Ecclesiarum" here are the first sentences:
Preamble
1. The Catholic Church holds in high esteem the institutions, liturgical rites, ecclesiastical traditions and discipline of Christian life of the Eastern Churches. Indeed, because of the age in which these venerable churches pride themselves, they shone in the tradition that comes from the Apostles through the Fathers and part of the undivided heritage of the whole Church and revealed by God. In his solicitude for the Oriental Churches, who are living witnesses of this tradition, the ecumenical council wishes them to be successful and accomplish with apostolic vigor the task entrusted to them. Therefore, further actions concerning the universal church, he decided to establish a few main points, leaving it for the rest of caution synods of Eastern and Apostolic.

The particular Churches or rites
2. The Holy Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, is composed of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same sacraments and the same government, which, based on various communities whose cohesion is provided by the hierarchy, are of particular Churches or rites. Among these churches is a wonderful communion, so that diversity in the Church, far from harming her unity, highlights. This is indeed the intention of the Catholic Church to safeguard their integrity and traditions of each particular Church or rite. She also wants to adapt his lifestyle to the diverse needs of the times and places.

3. These particular Churches, both of East and West, to some extent differ from each other by their rites, that is to say, their liturgy, ecclesiastical discipline and spiritual heritage, but they are all assigned to Similarly to the pastoral government of the Roman Pontiff, which by divine will, succeeded St. Peter in primacy over the universal Church. They are equal in dignity, so that none of them wins on others because of his rite. They enjoy the same rights and are held to the same obligations, also as regards the duty to preach the Gospel throughout the world (cf. Mk 16, 15) led by the Roman Pontiff.
(End quote)
It appears from these various texts that the Eastern Catholic Churches are regarded with respect, as a treasure, and a gender perspective; we also note the importance attributed to "the Roman Pontiff" (that is to say the Pope , bishop of Rome). So that members of the Eastern Churches are also, in their own right, the "Roman Catholic" (this expression is a tautology for Catholics).

See also

Internal Links

External Links

Bibliography

  • Ghislain Brunel (ed.), The Latin presence in the East during the Middle Ages, Historical Center of the National Archives / Champion (col. unpublished documents from the National Archives), Paris , 2000 ( ISBN 2745304097 )
  • Olivier Chaline , The Catholic reconquest of Central Europe, sixteenth-eighteenth century, Ed. Cerf, Paris 1998 ( ISBN 2204058386 )
  • Raymond Janin, Churches and the Eastern rites, Letouzey & Ane, Paris , 1997 ( ISBN 2706302062 ) (5th ed. with additional bibliographic, 1st ed. 1922)
  • Bernard Heyberger, Christians in the Middle East at the time of the Reformation, French School of Rome, Rome , 1994 ( ISBN 2728303096 )
  • Jean Richard, The Papacy and the missions of the East in the Middle Ages (XIII - XV centuries), French School of Rome, Rome , 1998 ( ISBN 2728305196 )
  • Jean-Claude Robert, The Uniate, Cerf (col. short), Paris , 1992 ( ISBN 2204045551 )
  • Jean-Pierre Valognes Life and Death of the Christian Orient, Fayard, Paris , 1994 ( ISBN 2213030642 )

References

  1. C. CANNUYER article "Uniatism" in Catholicism Encyclopedia, vol 15, cols 455-483, 2000 Letouzet & Ane, Paris
  2. John Paul II, Ukraine, Greek Catholics, Kairos
  3. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen'',''May 2, 1995
  4. [1]
  5. Jean-Pierre Valognes Life and Death of the Christian Orient, Fayard, Paris, 1994 49-54
  6. Jean-Pierre Valognes Life and Death of the Christian Orient, Fayard, Paris, 1994 373
  7. Small Dictionary of the Christian East ( Pontifical Colleges), Brepols, Turnhout, 1991, p. 105
  8. Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada - Regarding The assertion Of The Patriarchal system for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic, 2004
  9. Church Malankara Catholic Church sui iuris: Juridical Status and Power of Governance
  10. WikiSyr - Foundations Relations Inter-Church Syriac
  11. L'Orient-Le Jour - Gregory III Laham called for holding a council Antiochian
  12. Letter of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to the Pope of Rome John Paul II on the proposed establishment of a Uniate Patriarchate in Ukraine Religioscope, May 7, 2004
The Eastern Catholic Churches
Alexandrian tradition / Abyssinian
Coptic Catholic Church Ethiopian Catholic Church
Syriac Tradition
Syriac Catholic Church Maronite Church Chaldean Catholic Church Catholic Church Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Syro-Malankara
Armenian tradition
Armenian Catholic Church
Byzantine tradition
Chur. gr.-Melkite Catholic EGL. gr.-Ukrainian Catholic EGL. gr.-Catholic Romanian EGL. gr.-Ruthenian Catholic EGL. Byzantine Catholic EGL. gr.-Catholic Slovak EGL. gr.-Catholic Czech EGL. gr.-Hungarian Catholic EGL. gr.-Bulgarian Catholic EGL. gr.-Croatian Catholic EGL. gr.-cath. Serbo-Montenegrin EGL. gr.-Catholic Macedonian EGL. gr.-Catholic Russian EGL. gr.-Belarusian Catholic EGL. gr.-Albanian Catholic EGL. gr. Italo-Albanian Catholic EGL. gr.-Catholic Hellenic Comm. gr.-Georgian Catholic
See also: two councils of churches - churches of three councils - councils of the seven churches


Leave a Reply

0 vote, average: 0.00 out of 50 vote, average: 0.00 out of 50 vote, average: 0.00 out of 51 vote, average: 0.00 out of 50 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5 (0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5, rated)
Loading ... Loading ...
Help us improve the wiki Send Your Comments