Michael Brooks
Catholicism in Greece has a long history, with the Catholic Church in the country being part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks numbered about 50,000-70,000 in 2022, and they are considered a religious minority rather than an ethnic one. The term Greek Catholic can be confusing as it typically refers to Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite, such as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which is different from the Catholic Church in Greece. Most indigenous Greek Catholics are remnants of Venetian and Genoese rule in southern Greece and the Greek islands, with many being descendants of Bavarians who came to Greece in the 1830s. Today, the majority of Catholics in Greece live in Athens, with smaller communities spread across the country, especially in the Cyclades and Ionian Islands.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholics in Greece | 200,000+ (2022) |
| Percentage of Catholics in Greece | <1% (2015) |
| Number of Indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks | 50,000-70,000 (2022) |
| Catholic Greeks of Byzantine Rite | 6,000 (2022) |
| Catholic Greeks and Greek Consciousness | Speak Greek, celebrate Greek feast days, fly the Greek flag |
| Catholic Greeks and Greek Identity | Considered a religious minority, not an ethnic minority |
| Catholic Church in Greece | Under spiritual leadership of Pope in Rome |
| Catholic Greeks and Greek History | Descendants of Venetians, Genoese, Bavarians, and Greek converts from Medieval times |
| Greek Catholics and Greek Orthodox | In communion with Rome, retain Orthodox liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholics in Greece are a religious minority, not an ethnic one
- Greek-Catholics are in communion with Rome, retaining Orthodox liturgy and theology
- Catholic Greeks of the Byzantine Rite are called Uniates or Unites
- Greek Catholics are mostly immigrants from Eastern Europe or the Philippines
- The Catholic Church in Greece is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome
Catholics in Greece are a religious minority, not an ethnic one
Catholicism is a minority religion in Greece, with an estimated less than 1% of the population identifying as Catholic in 2015 and 2022. The Catholic community in Greece has grown in recent years due to immigration, increasing from 200,000 in 2002 to likely more than that in 2022.
Indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks, who number about 50,000-70,000, are a religious minority but not an ethnic one. They are descendants of Greeks who converted to Catholicism during Venetian and Genoese rule in southern Greece and the Greek islands from the early 13th century to the late 18th century. They are also descendants of the thousands of Bavarians who came to Greece in the 1830s as soldiers and civil administrators, accompanying King Otto.
The term "Franks" or "Φράγκοι" in Greek has been used since the times of the Byzantine Empire to refer to Catholics. The majority of Catholics in Greece today live in Athens, with the rest scattered throughout the country, especially in the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands. There are also entirely Catholic villages and parishes in Syros and Tinos.
Greek-Catholics are in communion with Rome and are fully Catholic, but they stem from former Orthodox Churches that united with Rome, which is why they retain Orthodox liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline. The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, also known as the Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church, was formed in Constantinople in 1856 and is the basis of the Eastern Orthodox Communion, which has been accorded the status of the "prevailing religion" in Greece's constitution.
In summary, while Catholicism is a minority religion in Greece, indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks are considered a religious minority, not an ethnic one, as they share a common ethnic identity with their Greek Orthodox counterparts.
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Greek-Catholics are in communion with Rome, retaining Orthodox liturgy and theology
Greek-Catholics, also known as Byzantine Catholics, are in communion with Rome and the Pope, but they originate from former Orthodox Churches that united with Rome at some point in history. This is why they retain Orthodox liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline. They are considered fully Catholic. The term "Greek Catholic" refers to Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine rite, also used in Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church was formed in 1856 when a community of Greek Eastern Catholics was established in Constantinople. The Eastern Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous churches that are in full communion with the Pope in Rome. They are distinct theologically, liturgically, and historically from the Latin Church, but they are all in communion with each other. Eastern Catholics are a minority within the Catholic Church, with approximately 18 million members out of 1.3 billion Catholics in communion with the Pope.
The Eastern Catholic Churches emerged from a movement that sought to unite with the Pope while retaining elements of their traditional liturgical practices and canons. The Council of Florence in 1438 featured a strong dialogue focused on understanding the theological differences between the East and West, with the aim of reuniting the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Several eastern churches associated themselves with Rome, forming Eastern Catholic churches. The See of Rome accepted them without requiring that they adopt the customs of the Latin Church, allowing them to retain their "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary heritage, differentiated by peoples' culture and historical circumstances". Most Eastern Catholic churches arose when a group within an ancient church that disagreed with the See of Rome returned to full communion with it.
The Maronite Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Syro-Malabar Church, and the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church also claim perpetual communion. The Albanian Greek Catholic Church and Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, unlike the Maronite Church, use the same liturgical rite as the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the largest Eastern Catholic Church and is found mostly in Ukraine and North America.
In recent decades, there have been efforts to restore full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras mutually lifted their respective excommunications in the Catholic-Orthodox Joint Declaration. The Vatican II Decree on Ecumenism has driven Catholic outreach to the Orthodox, and there has been ongoing dialogue and cooperation between the two churches.
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Catholic Greeks of the Byzantine Rite are called Uniates or Unites
The Catholic Church in Greece is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks numbered about 50,000-70,000 in 2022 and were a religious minority. They are the remnants of Venetian and Genoese rule in southern Greece and the Greek islands from the 13th century until the 18th century. Greek Catholics are in communion with Rome, but they stem from former Orthodox Churches that united with Rome at some point in history. Greek Catholics retain Orthodox liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline. They are fully Catholic.
The term "Greek Catholic" refers to Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, also used in Eastern Orthodoxy. The Byzantine Rite is distinct from other Eastern Catholic liturgies, which use the Aramaic-Syriac, Armenian, and Coptic liturgies of the Oriental Orthodox churches. The Byzantine Rite Catholic Church resulted from efforts by the Roman Catholic Church to convert Eastern Orthodox Christians in the old Austro-Hungarian Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries. A new institution was preferred over direct absorption into Roman Catholicism, which was unacceptable to many Eastern Orthodox Christians. The Byzantine Rite Catholic Church retained various practices of the Eastern Church while acknowledging the supreme leadership of the Pope.
The term "Uniate" or "Unite" was initially used to designate the union of the two faiths. The Catholic Encyclopedia consistently used the term "Uniate" to refer to Eastern Catholics, stating: "The 'Uniate Church' is therefore really synonymous with 'Eastern Churches united to Rome', and 'Uniats' is synonymous with 'Eastern Christians united with Rome'". The term "Uniate" was also used historically to refer to the Ruthenian Uniate Church, which was set up to accommodate local Christians and their ecclesiastic leadership under the Catholic umbrella. The Union of Brest in 1595 finalized the shift of the Orthodox leadership of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine to Uniate status.
Today, the largest Eastern Catholic Church is the Syro-Malabar Church, followed by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The Byzantine Rite is used by several Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church.
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Greek Catholics are mostly immigrants from Eastern Europe or the Philippines
The presence of Catholics in Greece dates back to the early 13th century, when Venetian and Genoese rule in southern Greece and the Greek islands led to the conversion of many Greeks to Catholicism. In addition, thousands of Bavarians arrived in Greece in the 1830s as soldiers and civil administrators, further contributing to the Catholic population. The term "Franks" was commonly used by medieval Greeks to describe all Catholics during the Byzantine Empire.
Since the early 1990s, the number of Catholic permanent residents in Greece has significantly increased. As of 2002, the Catholic population in Greece was estimated to be at least 200,000, including immigrants from Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, and the Philippines. Western European immigrants also make up a significant portion of the Catholic community in Athens, Thessaloniki, and the Greek islands, such as Crete, Syros, Rhodes, and Corfu.
The majority of Catholics in Greece today reside in Athens, with the rest scattered throughout the country. Indigenous Catholics are mainly found in the islands, especially the Cyclades, where villages and parishes are entirely Catholic. These include Syros, Tinos, Corfu, Naxos, Santorini, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Rhodes, Kos, Crete, Samos, Lesbos, and Chios. On the mainland, smaller Catholic communities exist in cities like Patras, Thessaloniki, Kavala, and Volos.
In addition to the Roman Catholics, there are also members of the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, with approximately 5,000 followers, and a few hundred Armenian Catholics in Greece. The Catholic Church in Greece operates Catholic schools and is recognized by the Greek government.
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The Catholic Church in Greece is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome
In the 19th century, a gradual restoration of the Church hierarchy in Greece began. Pope Gregory XVI established the first Catholic Church hierarchy in 1830, appointing Bishop Blancis as the apostolic delegate in 1834. The Holy See entrusted Bishop Blancis with the care of Roman Catholics living in Greece. In 1875, Pope Pius IX established the archdiocese of Athens and the Peloponnese.
The majority of Catholics in Greece live in Athens, with the rest scattered throughout the country, particularly in the islands. Indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks number around 50,000-70,000 and are considered a religious minority. They are mostly descendants of Venetian and Genoese rule in southern Greece and the Greek islands, as well as Greeks who converted to Catholicism during that period. There has been an increase in the number of Catholic permanent residents in Greece since the early 1990s, with at least 200,000 reported in 2002.
Greek-Catholics are in communion with Rome, but they originate from former Orthodox Churches that united with Rome historically. As a result, they retain Orthodox liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline while being fully Catholic. The Greek Catholic Church is also known as the Byzantine Catholic Church and is in full communion with the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church.
The term "Greek Church" is often used to refer to churches that use the Byzantine Rite, regardless of whether they are in communion with Rome or separated from it. This term is considered inappropriate by some as it does not accurately reflect the nationality of the believers or the specific rite used.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics in Greece are considered Greeks. The Catholic Church in Greece is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Indigenous Roman Catholic Greeks numbered about 50,000-70,000 in 2022.
Greek Catholics are in communion with Rome, but they stem from former Orthodox Churches that united with Rome at some point in history. Greek Catholics retain Orthodox liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline. Greek Catholics are also known as Byzantine Catholics.
In 2022, less than 1% of the total population of Greece identified as Catholic. In 2015, Catholics made up less than 1% of the population. The Catholic community has grown in recent years due to immigration, and today there are over 200,000 Catholics in Greece.
Most Catholics live in Athens, with smaller Catholic communities in Patras, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Volos, and other cities. Many Catholics also live in the Greek islands, especially the Cyclades, where there are some entirely Catholic villages and parishes.
The presence of Catholics in the Greek islands is mostly a heritage from the time of Venetian domination in the Middle Ages. From the early 13th century until the late 18th century, many Greeks converted to Catholicism under Venetian and Genoese rule in southern Greece and the Greek islands. In 1830, Pope Gregory XVI established the first Catholic Church hierarchy in Greece, called the apostolic delegate.
