Grace Thompson
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of many Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Byzantine Rite was drawn into the Great Schism of Constantinople and Rome in 1054, and for a while, was part of the Orthodox Church. However, the self-governing church of Mukachevo-Uzhorod sought reunion with the Church of Rome, re-establishing Catholic faith while maintaining the spirituality, ceremonies, and discipline of the Eastern Church. On April 24, 1646, a group of priests and faithful proclaimed their reunion with the Catholic Church, re-establishing unity between the two churches.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Byzantine Catholics are also known as | Orthodox Christians |
| Communion with Rome means | Byzantine Catholics are not in full communion with their mother Orthodox Church |
| Byzantine Catholics are witnesses to | The reality of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ |
| The Byzantine Rite | Got drawn into the Great Schism of Constantinople and Rome in 1054 and were part of the Orthodox Church |
| Ecclesia sui iuris (self-governing church) of Mukachevo-Uzhorod | Reunited with the Church of Rome, re-establishing Catholic faith while maintaining the spirituality, ceremonies, and discipline of the Eastern Church |
| Date of reunion with the Catholic Church | 24 April 1646 |
| Location of reunion with the Catholic Church | Saint George Castle Garden in Uzhorod |
| Byzantine Catholics are in communion with | The Bishop of Rome |
| Byzantine Catholics are in full communion with | The Roman Catholic Church |
| Byzantine Catholics are also known as | Eastern Catholics |
| Eastern Catholic Churches | 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 |
| Byzantine Catholics use the term | Divine Liturgy instead of Mass |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Schism of 1054
The schism was caused by a number of ecclesiastical differences and theological disputes between the Greek East and Latin West. These included the procession of the Holy Spirit (Filioque), whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the Eucharist, iconoclasm, the coronation of Charlemagne as emperor of the Romans in 800, the pope's claim to universal jurisdiction, and the place of the See of Constantinople in relation to the pentarchy. The first action that led to the formal schism occurred in 1053 when Patriarch Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople ordered the closure of all Latin churches in Constantinople.
On July 16, 1054, Cardinal Humbert, legate of Pope Leo IX, entered the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia and placed a parchment on the main altar excommunicating the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius. He then left the church and the city. A week later, the patriarch solemnly condemned the cardinal. The mutual excommunications by the pope and the patriarch became a watershed in church history.
The validity of the Western legates' act was questionable because Pope Leo had died, and Cerularius' excommunication only applied to the legates personally. However, the Church still split along doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political, and geographical lines, and the fundamental breach has never been fully healed. While there have been several attempts at reconciliation, including the nullification of the anathemas of 1054 in 1965 by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I, they have only been gestures of goodwill and have not led to a full reunion.
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Byzantine Catholics retain distinctive features
The Byzantine Rite Catholic Church is the result of efforts by the Roman Catholic Church to convert Eastern Orthodox Christians in the old Austro-Hungarian Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries. While the Byzantine Rite Catholic Church acknowledges the supreme leadership of the Pope, it retains various practices of the Eastern Church.
The Byzantine Rite did get drawn into the Great Schism of Constantinople and Rome in 1054 and was, for a while, part of the Orthodox Church. However, the self-governing church of Mukachevo-Uzhorod sought reunion with the Church of Rome, re-establishing its Catholic faith while maintaining the spirituality, ceremonies, and discipline of the Eastern Church.
On April 24, 1646, in Saint George Castle Garden in Uzhorod, a group of priests and faithful proclaimed their reunion with the Catholic Church, re-establishing unity between the two churches.
Despite this reunion, the Byzantine Rite retains several distinctive features that set it apart from the Roman Catholic Church. Byzantine churches are adorned with icons, and the sanctuary is separated from the congregation by an iconostasis, a screen covered with icons. The veneration of icons is a form of showing respect to saints, and for Byzantine Catholics, this usually involves bowing and kissing the icons. The Divine Liturgy, or Eucharistic Liturgy, is the principal liturgical service of the Byzantine Church, and Byzantine Catholics do not refer to it as the "Mass" as Roman Catholics do. During the liturgy, leavened bread is used for the consecration of the body of Christ, and communion is received from a spoon.
Byzantine Catholics also operate under a different code of canon law and celebrate a somewhat different liturgical year with unique feasts and saints. They observe fasting periods before Christmas, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Assumption, in addition to Lenten fasting before Easter. Furthermore, Byzantine Catholic priests are permitted to be married, although this caused controversy among Latin Catholics in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century.
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Communion with the Bishop of Rome
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of many churches in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Byzantine Catholics are Orthodox Christians who embrace full communion with the Church of Rome and its primate, Pope Francis, the successor of St. Peter, the first among the Apostles. The Byzantine rite did get drawn into the Great Schism of Constantinople and Rome in 1054 and were for a while part of the Orthodox church. However, the ecclesia sui iuris (self-governing church) of Mukachevo-Uzhorod in time sought reunion with the Church of Rome, re-establishing its Catholic faith while maintaining the spirituality, ceremonies, and discipline of the Eastern Church.
On April 24, 1646, in Saint George Castle Garden in Uzhorod, a number of priests and faithful proclaimed vocally their reunion with the Catholic Church, re-establishing the unity that Christ so ardently prayed for. The Maronite Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, and the Armenian Catholic Church are also in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
The term "Roman Catholic Church" is repeatedly used to refer to the whole Church in communion with the see of Rome, including Eastern Catholics, in official documents concerning dialogue between the Church as a whole (not just the Western part) and groups outside her fold. Examples of such documents can be found on the Vatican website under the heading Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The Holy See presently does not use "Roman Catholic Church" to refer only to the Western or Latin Church.
In 1993, the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church submitted the document Uniatism, method of union of the past, and the present search for full communion, also known as the Balamand declaration, "to the authorities of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches for approval and application." The Byzantine Catholic worship joyfully celebrates the presence of the Kingdom of God on Earth in and through its divine services and liturgical life. Byzantine Catholics are witnesses to the reality of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, and they follow Christ, in and with Him, to His heavenly Kingdom in the Divine Liturgy, the principal liturgical service of the Byzantine Church.
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The Maronite Church
The church is named after Saint Maron, a Syrian hermit who lived in the 4th century and gathered a community of followers around him. Maron's disciples established a monastic community in the mountains of modern-day Lebanon, which became the center of the Maronite Church.
The Maronites have maintained their unique identity and cultural heritage over the centuries, even amidst periods of persecution and exile. They have played a significant role in the religious and cultural life of the Middle East and are particularly prominent in Lebanon, where they constitute the largest Christian community.
Throughout its history, the Maronite Church has maintained a close relationship with the Catholic Church in Rome. While firmly rooted in their Eastern Christian traditions and heritage, Maronites have always been in full communion with the Pope, recognizing his authority as the successor of Saint Peter. This unique synthesis of Eastern and Western Christian influences has shaped the Maronite Church into a vibrant and diverse community within the Catholic Church.
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The Balamand declaration
The Declaration was signed by representatives of several Orthodox churches, including the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Church of Russia, the Church of Romania, the Church of Cyprus, the Church of Poland, the Church of Albania, and the Church of Finland. However, it is important to note that the Declaration was not without its critics, with some Orthodox traditionalists and clergy expressing outrage and embarrassment. The Eastern Catholics rejected the report because it implied that they should not have existed in the first place, while the Eastern Orthodox rejected it because it did not call for the abolition of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
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Frequently asked questions
Byzantine Catholics returned to communion with the Roman Catholic Church in 1646. On April 24, 1646, in Saint George Castle Garden in Uzhorod, a group of priests and faithful proclaimed their reunion with the Catholic Church, re-establishing the unity that Christ prayed for.
The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of many churches in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Byzantine rite retains distinctive features, such as the onion-like dome on the outside of the church and the iconic screen separating the altar from the congregation. Communion is also received under both species (Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine) and is administered by the priest from a spoon.
The break in communion between the Orthodox East and the Catholic West in 1054 still affects the Byzantine Catholics today. Their communion with Rome means they are not in full communion with their mother Orthodox Church.
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