Sarah Mitchell
Catholicism is one of the largest Christian denominations in the world, with a history spanning over two thousand years. The word Catholic comes from the Greek term katholikos, meaning universal, reflecting the Church's belief in its worldwide mission. While there is one Catholic Church, there are several different types of Catholics. These include Roman Catholics, Latin Rite Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Catholics, Byzantine Catholics, Chaldean Catholics, Coptic Catholics, Syriac Catholics, Armenian Catholics, Maronite Catholics, and Traditionalist Catholics. These different types of Catholics vary in their liturgical traditions, practices, and theological expressions, but they all share the same core Catholic faith.
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What You'll Learn
Latin Rite Catholics
The Latin Rite is the most widely used liturgical rite within the Catholic Church, and it is believed to have been founded by St. Peter in Rome around 42 A.D. The Eucharistic liturgy has been handed down more or less intact since at least the 4th century. The Latin Rite includes the Roman Rite, which is the most commonly used rite. The language used in the Latin Rite is Ecclesiastical Latin, although the language used to vary depending on the location and the time period. For example, the Indian Mass used by Catholic missions to the Indigenous peoples of North America integrated vernacular portions while retaining the use of Latin in certain parts of the Mass.
The Latin Rite includes several other liturgical rites, such as the Premonstratensian Rite or Norbertine Rite, which is specific to the Premonstratensian Order of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Cistercian Rite, which is specific to the Cistercian Order of the Catholic Church. The Dominican Rite is the unique liturgical rite of the Dominican Order in the Catholic Church. The Liberal Rite is the most widely used liturgical rite within the Liberal Catholic movement, a movement within Independent Catholicism. The Ambrosian Rite is celebrated most often in the Archdiocese of Milan, Italy, and in parts of some neighboring dioceses in Italy and Switzerland, although the language used is now usually Italian rather than Latin. The Mozarabic Rite, which was once prevalent throughout Spain in Visigothic times, is now celebrated only in limited locations, principally the cathedral of Toledo.
The Latin Rite also includes the Rite of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly called the Carmelite Rite, which was used by the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, Hospitallers, Templars, Carmelites, and other orders founded within the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Bragan Rite from Portugal, and the order liturgies of the Dominican, Carmelite, and Carthusian orders also fall under the Latin Rite.
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Eastern Orthodox Catholics
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially known as the Orthodox Catholic Church, is one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of Christianity, with approximately 230 million baptised members. It is also referred to as the Greek Orthodox Church. The church operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods.
Eastern Orthodox theology is based on the Scriptures and holy tradition, incorporating the dogmatic decrees of the seven ecumenical councils and the teachings of the Church Fathers. It maintains that it practices the original Christian faith, as passed down by holy tradition. The church recognises seven major sacraments, including the Eucharist, which is the principal one.
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not accept the authority of the Pope, unlike Catholics. They also do not believe in Purgatory, whereas Catholics do. The split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church was primarily political in origin, with growing linguistic, cultural, and political divides between the Pontiff of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople. This eventually led to a schism in 1054, where the Pope excommunicated the Bishop of Constantinople and his followers, and vice versa.
While the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have much in common, they are distinct groups with some key differences.
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Diocesan Roman Catholic parishes
The term "diocese" refers to an ecclesiastical jurisdiction led by a bishop. It originates from the Latin "dioecesis," meaning "administration." Dioceses are present in both the Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches. In the Catholic Church, a diocese is the lowest ecclesiastical subdivision, and each diocese is typically led by a bishop.
The diocese is further divided into parishes, which are stable communities of the faithful within a particular church. Each parish is served by a parish priest, also known as a pastor or provost, who is responsible for the spiritual care of the community under the authority of the diocesan bishop. Parishes can be territorial, comprising all the Christian faithful within a defined geographic area, or non-territorial/personal, established for Catholics of a particular rite, language, or nationality.
The establishment, suppression, or alteration of parishes within a diocese is the sole prerogative of the diocesan bishop, who consults with the Presbyteral Council. Parishes play a vital role in the Catholic Church, providing spiritual guidance and education to their members. They often operate schools and offer moral and religious instruction alongside the standard curriculum.
While there is a diversity of liturgical traditions within Catholicism, Diocesan Roman Catholic parishes represent the most prevalent form of Catholic worship in the United States, characterized by their use of the local language and a focus on community within a particular geographic area.
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Traditionalist Catholics
There are several traditionalist organisations that have been started since the Second Vatican Council, some of which have obtained approval from the Catholic Church. One such organisation is the Catholic Traditionalist Movement, purportedly founded by Father Gommar DePauw in New York State in 1965, with the support of Cardinal Francis Spellman, Archbishop of New York.
A minority of traditionalist Catholics reject the current papacy of the Catholic Church and follow positions of sedevacantism, sedeprivationism, or conclavism. Sedevacantists believe that the Vatican II popes have forfeited their position through their acceptance of heretical teachings connected with the Second Vatican Council and, therefore, that there is no true pope. This constitutes an act of schism and can result in excommunication. One sedevacantist group is the Society of Saint Pius V (SSPV), which broke off from the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in 1983 due to liturgical disputes. The SSPX is the foremost global traditionalist Catholic organisation, preaching that contemporary Jews are responsible for deicide and endorsing the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. In recent years, the SSPX has moderated its position and expelled one of its bishops, the well-known Holocaust denier, Richard Williamson.
Conclavists, on the other hand, believe that all recent occupants of the papal see are not true popes, so they elect someone else and propose him as the true pope. They are often classified as sedevacantists because they reject the official papal succession for the same reasons. One example of a conclavist group is the "True Catholic Church", founded by Lucian Pulvermacher ("Pope Pius XIII").
It is important to note that traditionalist Catholics who adhere to current papal authority but prefer traditional practices are distinguished from those who reject the current papacy.
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Eastern Catholic Churches
The Eastern Catholic Churches are 23 of the 24 Catholic Churches that recognise the authority of the Papacy. They are autonomous and have their own hierarchies, liturgies, apostolic lineages, and traditions. They are also referred to as Oriental Churches.
The Eastern Catholic Churches are distinct from the Latin Church or Roman Catholic Church, which is the largest Catholic Church, comprising 98%- 99.99% of all Catholics worldwide. The Latin Church is directly under the jurisdiction of Rome and the bishop of Rome, who is also known as the pope and patriarch of the West.
The Eastern Catholic Churches were formerly part of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox churches, or the Church of the East. They underwent various schisms throughout history, and some still look and act like Eastern Orthodox churches. However, they are in full communion with Rome and recognise the pope as the head of the Church on earth.
The Second Vatican Council's decree on the Eastern Catholic churches, known as Orientalium Ecclesiarum, affirmed the right of Eastern Catholics to maintain their distinct practices. The decree states that the "variety" within the church "in no way harms its unity; rather it manifests it."
The Eastern Catholic Churches are grouped into five liturgical traditions:
- Alexandrian liturgical tradition, originating in Egypt
- Antiochian liturgical tradition, originating in Antioch and West Syria
- Armenian liturgical tradition
- Chaldean or East Syrian liturgical tradition, originating in Mesopotamia
- Byzantine or Constantinopolitan liturgical tradition, originating in Constantinople
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Frequently asked questions
There are 23-24 different types of Catholic Christians. The majority of Catholics belong to the Patriarchal Latin Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church. However, there are also Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with Rome, such as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which have their own liturgies and customs. There are also several rites within these rites, such as the Latin rite, which includes the Roman rite, the Ambrosian rite, and the Mozarabic rite.
Eastern Catholics share the same core beliefs and teachings as Roman Catholics, including the recognition of the Pope as the head of the Church. However, Eastern Catholics have distinct liturgical practices, theological emphases, and cultural expressions that are rooted in Eastern Christian traditions.
Opus Dei is a Catholic lay organization founded in Spain in 1928 by St. Josemaría Escrivá. Its name means "Work of God" in Latin, reflecting its focus on finding holiness in everyday life, particularly through work and professional activities. Opus Dei provides spiritual formation and guidance to its members through spiritual direction, retreats, and regular spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and reading scripture.
