Ethan Walker
Catholicism is a broad church, with a variety of different types of Catholics and Catholic churches. While there is only one Catholic Church, with one set of central beliefs, there are many different ways of expressing and celebrating the Catholic faith. These differences are referred to as rites, which are categories that arise from history and affect the ways that different groups celebrate the sacraments and worship God. There are several different rites, including Latin, Byzantine, Chaldean, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian and Maronite, and within these rites, there are even more subdivisions. For example, the Latin rite includes the Roman rite, the Ambrosian rite and the Mozarabic rite. These rites are spread across the world, with different liturgical traditions arising from particular communities in Europe, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Near East, India and more.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Types of Catholic parishes | Diocesan Roman Catholic parishes, "Traditional" or Extraordinary form parishes |
| Rites | Latin, Byzantine, Chaldean, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, Ambrosian, Mozarabic, Ukrainian |
| Number of Churches within the Catholic Church | 24 |
| Number of dioceses globally | 3,171 |
| Number of parishes worldwide | 221,700 |
| Number of ordained clergy | 463,859 |
| Number of bishops | 5,430 |
| Number of priests | 406,996 |
| Number of deacons | 51,433 |
| Number of non-ordained ministers | 3,296,610 |
| Number of male religious | 49,414 |
| Number of women religious | 589,423 |
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What You'll Learn
Diocesan Roman Catholic
The word "diocese" refers to the sphere of a bishop's jurisdiction. In the Catholic Church, some dioceses are suffragans of a metropolitan see or are directly subject to the Holy See. The term "archdiocese" is not found in Catholic canon law, with the terms "diocese" and "episcopal see" being applicable to the area under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of any bishop. If the title of archbishop is granted on personal grounds to a diocesan bishop, his diocese does not become an archdiocese. Dioceses ruled by an archbishop are commonly referred to as archdioceses, and most are metropolitan sees, being placed at the head of an ecclesiastical province.
In the United States, the Catholic Church hierarchy is represented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The USCCB covers the Archdioceses and Dioceses of the United States, which are divided into 14 geographic regions. These regions typically include two or more Metropolitan Archdioceses and several Dioceses across one or more states. For example, the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona, is led by the Most Rev. John P. Dolan, and is home to more than 2 million Catholics.
The Eastern Catholic Churches constitute their own membership region for the purposes of USCCB proceedings. There are 23 Eastern Catholic Churches that are in communion with Rome, but have their own unique histories and liturgies. Examples include the Maronite, Ukrainian Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, and Syrian Catholic Churches. These churches have their origins in Eastern Europe, the Near East, the Middle East, or India.
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Traditional or Extraordinary form
The "Traditional" or "Extraordinary form" is a term used to describe more traditional Catholic parishes. These parishes are often denoted by women wearing veils, the Mass being in Latin, and the priest facing the same direction as the congregation. This is also known as the Tridentine Mass, the Missal of 1962, or the Traditional Latin Mass.
The Tridentine Mass is the form of Mass found in the Roman Missal of the Catholic Church, which was codified in 1570 and published with amendments up to 1962. It was the most widely used Eucharistic liturgy globally from 1570 until its replacement by the Mass of Paul VI in 1969. The language used for the Tridentine Mass is mostly Latin, though there have been some exceptions, such as in missionary areas or for ancient churches with established sacred language traditions.
In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic letter called Summorum Pontificum, in which he stated that the older form of the Roman rite was never abrogated and that it "must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage". He preferred the terms "Ordinary Form" for the newer liturgy and "Extraordinary Form" for the older liturgy, rather than "new rite" and "old rite". The Extraordinary Form operates according to a one-year cycle of scriptural readings, while the Ordinary Form uses a three-year cycle.
The Extraordinary Form is characterised by a significant amount of silence, which is considered important by some priests as it allows individuals to listen to God's voice within them and recognise that the Mass is not fabricated by man but is instead the work of God.
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Eastern Catholic
The Eastern Catholic Churches are groups that, at different points in the past, used to belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox churches, or the Church of the East. They underwent various schisms throughout history, and their reunion with the Orthodox Churches was incomplete, as many bishops and faithful of the Orthodox mother churches held back or later rejected union with Rome. The five historic liturgical traditions of Eastern Christianity—the Alexandrian Rite, the Armenian Rite, the Byzantine Rite, the East Syriac Rite, and the West Syriac Rite—are all represented within Eastern Catholic liturgy.
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Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-Catholics are Anglicans who emphasise the Catholic nature of Anglicanism. They argue that the Anglican Church is a Catholic Church because it holds to the canonical scriptures, creeds, councils, sacraments, and apostolic succession that united the original Catholic Church (the church pre-1054).
The growth of Anglo-Catholicism is strongly associated with the Oxford Movement of the 19th century. Two of its leading figures, John Henry Newman and Henry Edward Manning, both priests, ended up joining the Roman Catholic Church, becoming cardinals. Others, like John Keble, Edward Bouverie Pusey, and Charles Gore, became influential figures in Anglicanism.
Anglo-Catholics approach theological identity, liturgy, and devotion in distinct ways. Many Anglo-Catholics practice Marian devotion, recite the rosary and the angelus, practice eucharistic adoration, and seek the intercession of saints. Some Anglo-Catholics interpret the 39 Articles to mean that there are a total of Seven Sacraments.
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Eastern-rite Catholics
Eastern Catholic Churches have their own unique histories and liturgies, with names like Maronite, Ukrainian Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, and 20 others. They have their origins in Eastern Europe, the Near East, Middle East, or India. These churches are in communion with Rome and recognize the authority of the papacy, but they are not members of the Latin Church, which uses the Latin liturgical rites. The Latin Church comprises about 98% of all Catholics worldwide.
Eastern Catholic Churches were formerly part of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox churches, or the Church of the East, and they underwent various schisms throughout history. The five historic liturgical traditions of Eastern Christianity—the Alexandrian Rite, the Armenian Rite, the Byzantine Rite, the East Syriac Rite, and the West Syriac Rite—are all represented within Eastern Catholic liturgy. The special status of the Eastern-rite Catholic Churches was guaranteed at the time of each rite's union with Rome and was approved by the Second Vatican Council's decree, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, in 1964.
Eastern Catholic Churches have their own internal canons and laws, in addition to the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, which collectively governs them. They are encouraged to preserve and develop their liturgy and "way of life." Many Eastern Catholic Churches allow the ordination of married men to the priesthood, in contrast to the Latin Church's stricter clerical celibacy.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several different types of Catholics, including:
- Diocesan Roman Catholics
- "Traditional" or Extraordinary form Catholics
- Anglo-Catholics
- Eastern-rite Catholics
- Roman Catholics
The differences between these types of Catholics lie in their liturgical traditions and the geographical and cultural areas in which they are practiced. For example, Extraordinary form parishes are more traditional and may be denoted by women wearing veils, Mass in Latin, and the priest facing the same direction as the congregation.
While there are different types of Catholics, there is only one Catholic Church that is led by the bishop of Rome, known as the Pope.
Catholicity is a concept pertaining to beliefs and practices that are widely accepted by numerous Christian denominations. The word "Catholic" means "general" or "universal", reflecting the belief that the Church proclaims the wholeness of the Christian faith to all people without excluding any part of it.
