Michael Brooks
The Byzantine Catholic Church is a branch of the Catholic Church that is in full communion with the Pope or Bishop of Rome. Byzantine Catholics are similar to Orthodox Catholics, except that they are in communion with the Pope, while Orthodox Catholics are not. Byzantine Catholics hold the same beliefs as Roman Catholics but have a different emphasis and a different code of canon law. Byzantine Catholics also have a different liturgical year with some unique feasts and saints. They also have different customs, such as administering communion with a spoon and using icons instead of statues.
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What You'll Learn
Byzantine Catholics recognise the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic churches worldwide. Byzantine Catholics recognise the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church and are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. They hold the same beliefs as Roman Catholics but have different liturgical practices and customs. For instance, the liturgy is almost entirely chanted and is different from the Roman Mass. Communion is distributed to standing communicants, who receive both the Body and Blood of Christ, using leavened bread rather than wafers. Icons are used instead of statues, and incense is used throughout the liturgy.
The Byzantine Catholic Church traces its foundation to the 12 Apostles of Christ, the companions of Jesus. After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Apostles began to proclaim the Gospel, first to Jerusalem and then to the Gentiles. The first mission to the Greek-speaking Gentiles was to Antioch, where "the disciples were first called Christians". Similar missionary journeys were undertaken throughout the Hellenized Eastern Mediterranean, resulting in the foundation of Greek-speaking Christian communities in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) and Greece.
The Byzantine Catholic Church shares in the inheritance of these early Christian communities. It is the spiritual descendant of Christians in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, tracing its spiritual heritage to the Great Church of Constantinople, known as Hagia Sophia (The Church of Holy Wisdom).
While Byzantine Catholics recognise the Pope as their spiritual leader, they operate under a different code of canon law and celebrate a somewhat different liturgical year with unique feasts and saints. They also observe additional fasting periods before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption, in addition to Lenten fasting before Easter.
The Byzantine Catholic Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic Church in terms of liturgy and customs, but both share the same faith and recognise the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church.
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Byzantine Catholics are in communion with the Pope of Rome
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic churches worldwide. Byzantine Catholics are in full communion with the Pope of Rome, recognising him as the visible head of the Catholic Church. The Byzantine Catholic Church traces its foundation to the 12 Apostles of Christ, who were the companions of Jesus. After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Apostles began to proclaim the Gospel, first to Jerusalem and then to the Gentiles. The first mission to the Greek-speaking Gentiles of the Levant was to Antioch, in the Roman province of Syria, where "the disciples were first called Christians".
The Byzantine Catholic Church shares in the inheritance of the first Greek-speaking Christian communities of the Eastern Mediterranean world, founded by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. The Eastern Roman or "Byzantine" Empire, centred on Constantinople, was a Christian Empire that flourished for over 1,000 years and engendered a unique culture infused with Christianity. The Church based in Constantinople gradually came to have a pre-eminent influence in the Christian East, spreading a religious culture that was a synthesis and dynamic restatement of the existing strands of Eastern Christian culture that had been cultivated in the Greek-speaking world – the "Byzantine" religious culture.
Byzantine Catholics operate under a different code of canon law and celebrate a somewhat different liturgical year with some unique feasts and saints. They fast not only before Easter but also before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption. They also practice Chrismation, or the confirmation of infants at the time of their baptism, along with the Eucharist. While Byzantine Catholics are in communion with the Pope, they do not consider themselves "Roman Catholics", as they have a different way of expressing their faith in terms of Liturgy and customs. For instance, the Liturgy (Mass) is almost completely chanted and is different from the Roman Mass. Communion is given to standing communicants, who receive both the Body and Blood of Christ, and icons are used instead of statues.
Any Catholic, Eastern or Roman, can attend any other Catholic church and receive communion, thereby fulfilling their Sunday obligation.
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Byzantine Catholics have a different code of canon law
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic churches worldwide and is in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, recognising the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church. Byzantine Catholics share the same faith and have the same seven sacraments as Roman Catholics, but they have a different way of expressing their faith in Liturgy and customs. For instance, the Liturgy (Mass) is almost entirely chanted and is different from the Roman Mass. Communion is given to standing communicants, who receive both the precious Body and Blood, and icons are used instead of statues. Byzantine priests in Europe can also be married, which is not the case in the USA or Canada.
In addition to these differences, Byzantine Catholics operate under a different code of canon law. This means that they celebrate a somewhat different liturgical year with some unique feasts and saints. They also fast before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption, in addition to Lenten fasting before Easter.
The Code of Canon Law is an official compilation of ecclesiastical law, which was promulgated in 1917 and revised in 1983, for Roman Catholics of the Latin rite. It consists of 1,752 canons, or norms, that are organised under topical headings in seven books. The Code obliges Roman Catholics of Eastern rites only when it specifically refers to them or clearly applies to all Roman Catholics.
Therefore, while Byzantine Catholics are under the Pope, they have a different code of canon law and distinctive practices.
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Byzantine Catholics have a different liturgical year
The Byzantine Catholic Church is a branch of the Catholic Church that is in full communion with the Pope or Rome. Byzantine Catholics hold the same beliefs as Roman Catholics but have a different way of expressing their faith in terms of liturgy and customs. Byzantine Catholics operate under a different code of canon law and celebrate a somewhat different liturgical year with unique feasts and saints.
The liturgical year in the Byzantine Rite is centred around Pascha, or Easter, which is referred to as the "feast of feasts" and is considered the most important day of the year. The liturgical year recounts the creation of the world, the fall of Man, the coming judgment, the Incarnation, the life, sufferings, death, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, the lives of the Mother of God and of the saints. It is a source of God's grace and a means of union with Christ.
The Byzantine Rite is distinct from other Eastern Catholic liturgies, which use the Aramaic-Syriac, Armenian, and Coptic liturgies of the Oriental Orthodox churches. It is characterised by its high esteem and veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The liturgical year begins with the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God on September 8th, and ends with the Feast of the Dormition, known in the Western Church as the Assumption, on August 15th.
The Byzantine liturgical year includes two cycles of feasts: the Paschal cycle of moveable feasts and the sanctoral cycle of fixed feasts. The rules for combining the hymns, readings and prayers on a given day are found in the liturgical book called the Typikon. The Byzantine Rite also includes several minor feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, such as the Feast of the Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple on November 21st.
In addition to Lenten fasting before Easter, Byzantine Catholics also fast before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption. They celebrate the divine liturgy on most days, with exceptions known as aliturgical days, which fall during or near Great Lent.
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Byzantine Catholics are Eastern Catholics
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic churches worldwide. Byzantine Catholics are Eastern Catholics who share the same faith and seven sacraments as Roman Catholics, but with a different emphasis and rite of expressing their faith in Liturgy and customs.
The Byzantine Catholic Church is in full communion with the Bishop of Rome and recognises the Pope as the visible head of the Catholic Church. The Byzantine Catholic Church traces its foundation to the 12 Apostles of Christ, the companions of Jesus, and the first Greek-speaking Christian communities of the Eastern Mediterranean world. The Byzantine Empire, or the Eastern Roman Empire, was a Christian empire centred on Constantinople that flourished for over 1,000 years and influenced the growth of the Church. The Church in Constantinople gradually gained pre-eminent influence in the Christian East, spreading a religious culture that was a synthesis and dynamic restatement of the existing strands of Eastern Christian culture in the Greek-speaking world.
The Byzantine Catholic Church shares in the inheritance of the first Greek-speaking Christian communities of the Eastern Mediterranean world, founded by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Byzantine Catholics in America are the spiritual descendants of Christians in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, who are the heirs of this Byzantine religious culture. They trace their spiritual heritage to the Great Church of Constantinople, known as Hagia Sophia (The Church of Holy Wisdom).
The Byzantine Catholic Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic Church in several ways. Byzantine Catholics operate under a different code of canon law and celebrate a somewhat different liturgical year with unique feasts and saints. They fast not only before Easter but also before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption. Communion is distributed under both kinds and administered by the priest from a spoon. The Liturgy (Mass) is almost completely chanted and is different from the Roman Mass. Byzantine Churches are elaborately adorned with artwork, particularly figures of the saints, and the sanctuary is separated from the congregation by an "iconostasis," a wall or screen covered with icons.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Byzantine Catholic Church is in full communion with the Pope or Bishop of Rome. Byzantine Catholics recognize the Pope as the visible Head of the Catholic Church.
The Byzantine Catholic Church is a branch of the Catholic Church. While Roman Catholics and Byzantine Catholics share the same faith and have the same seven sacraments, they differ in their Liturgy and customs. For example, Byzantine Catholics have a unique liturgical year with some distinct feasts and saints. They also fast before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption, in addition to Lenten fasting before Easter.
If you are already a Catholic, you don't need to do anything special to attend a Byzantine Catholic Church. Simply go. If you want to be officially recognized as a Byzantine Catholic, you can change rites. After discussing this with your priest, you write a letter to your Roman Catholic Bishop and the Byzantine Catholic Bishop, stating your spiritual reasons for wanting to change rites.
Yes, any Catholic can receive communion in any Catholic Church, whether it is Eastern or Western.
