CHURCHES RITES & COMMUNION

2. CHURCHES RITES &COMMUNION Catholicity: Unity in DiversityEcumenism: Internal & External

3. What is “Church”? • “Church” = temple, the actual building • “Church” = diocese (particular or local church): basic unit • “Church” = the universal Church • (the Catholic Church in whole world) • “Church” = (Ecclesia Suri Iuris) • an Autonomous self-governing Catholic Church • within the Catholic Communion

4. Communion, Church, Rite: • 1 Catholic “Communion” (Universal Catholic “Church”) • 22 autonomous Catholic Churches • Ecclesia sui Iuris (self-governing Churches within the Cath. Communion) -- eg: Roman Catholic Church = 1 of the 22 Autonomous Cath. Churches --eg; Chaldean Catholic Church (Persia, China) = 1 of the 22 also • 7 Rites used by the 22 Catholic Churches • Each of the 22 Autonomous Churches uses a Rite • Each rite has it’s own: • 1. theology: • 2. spirituality: • 3. liturgical ceremonies: • 3. Church discipline (law, structure, administration, functioning, etc.)

5. “Rite” “Church”, common misconceptions • No Eastern Rite: 6 Rites used by Churches originating in East • --each as different from 1 another as from the Latin Church (the R.C.C.) • No Eastern Church: 21 Eastern Churches: • Between them, they use 6 Eastern Rites • eg: UGCC = 1 Autonomous Church in the Catholic Communion • Self – governing (own head & governing structure: Synod, Metrop. • Autonomous but not Autocephalous (not independent) • We are part of / act together with the universal Catholic Ch/Comm. • We are the UGCC and we use the Byzantine Rite • Roman Catholic Church = also 1 Autonomous Catholic Church • Self – governing (own head & governing structure: Vatican, Cardnl. • Autonomous but not Autocephalous (not independent) • 1 of the 22 within the the universal Catholic Ch/Comm. • The Universal Catholic Church: not just the RCC: only 1/22 • The Catholic Communion = the 22 Autonomous Catholic Churches

6. 2 Groups: Eastern Churches: • Eastern Catholic Churches: 21 within the Catholic Communion • Ancient Apostolic Churches, • Apostolic Succession • Valid Sacraments • Orthodox Theologies as per their Church & Rite • “Orthodox in Communion with Rome” • Eastern Orthodox Churches • Ancient Apostolic Churches • Apostolic Succession • Valid Sacraments • Eastern Theologies as per their Church & Rite • but NOT in communion with the Catholic Churches

7. Rites used in the Catholic Communion • 1. Byzantine rite • used by Churches evangelized from Byzantium: (13 Catholic Churches) • 2. Syrian rite • used in Churches evangelized from Antioch: (3 Catholic Churches) • 3. Chaldean rite • used in Churches evangelized frpm Persia: 2 Catholic Churches+ China • 4. Ethiopian rite • Churches from Ethiopia & Eritrea: (1 Catholic Church) • 5. Coptic rite • Churches from Egypt: (1 Catholic Church) • 6. Armenian rite • Churches from Armenia: (1 Catholic Church) • 7. Latin rite: (presently, the predominant “Western rite”) • 1 Catholic Church • “Roman Catholic” Church (canonically, the “Latin Church”)

8. e.g. Churches using the Byzantine rite • Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Ukraine, etc.) • Romanian Greek Catholic Church (Romania, etc.) • Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Middle East, etc.) • Rusyn Greek Catholic Church (United States, etc.) • Russian Greek Catholic Church (Russia, etc.) • Greek Greek Catholic Church (Greece, etc.) • Bilo-Rusyn Greek Catholic Church (Bilo-Rus, etc.) • Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church (Bulgaria, etc.) • Italo-Albanian Greek Catholic Church (Italy, etc.) • Albanian Greek Catholic Church (Albania, etc.) • Slovak Greek Catholic Church (Slovakia, etc.) • Hungarian Greek Catholic Church (Hungary, etc.) • Krizevci Greek Catholic Church (former Yugoslavia, etc.)

9. Assyrian Church & Malabar Church

10. Antioch: Syrian, Malankara, Maronite

11. Egypt (Alexandria): the Coptic Church

12. Ethiopian Church: Ethiopian rite

13. Armenian Church: Armenian rite

14. Byzantine Churches

15. The 3 levels of Church Structure • Bishop: head of his Diocese • Patriarch: head of his Autonomous Catholic Church • Pope: serves the unity of the Catholic Communion, • keeps the 22 Catholic Churches together & coordinates them • e.g.: • Pope: 3 jobs • Bishop of Rome • Patriarch/head of the Roman Catholic Church • (1 of 22 “patriarchs”) • Most of Pope’s work is as Patriarch of the Latin Church • Pope of the entire Catholic “Communion” of 22 Churches • (Patriarchs: 2 jobs, Bishop: 1)

16. Internal Ecumenism:within CatholicismDifferent Churches using diff. ritesbut all equally Catholic • Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Vat.II) • Variety, in no way harms, but rather manifests the unity • Each Church should preserve their rite whole & entire • Each Church should take steps to return to their ancestral traditions • Unitatis Redintegratio (Vat.II) • Lawful variety of theological expressions • Different understandings and confessions of God’s truth • Mutually complementary, not conflicting • (the more different {legitimately}, the more Catholic)

17. Byzantine/Latin Differences • Church Discipline: • Married priesthood // Celibacy • Democratic Synodal Administration // Latin Church monarchialism • Theology: • Filioque in Symbol of Faith • Marriage: Contract (Rom/Germ) // Mystery of Crowning in God • Infant Communion • Confessional Absolution: May God absolve… // I absolve • Liturgy (Mass v. Divine Services) • Epiclesis // Words of Institution • Information // Transfiguration, learning // contemplation • Spirituality • Icons // Statues • Mt Tabour Transfiguration Light // Stigmata

18. Eastern Churches: What’s it to me? • Catholic Communion = 22 Churches • Shows it’s Catholicity • Ecumenical Reunion with Orthodox • A Church priority: “realize it’s universality” • Important because: • 1. Pope says • 2. should know the full reality of our Church (not just 5%) • 3. Christianity: not foreign, European, late import to China • Eastern Christianity established in Tang Dynasty (600s) • Christianity at the heart of Chinese Culture: Jesus Sutras

20. Pope St. Pius X Nec Plus Nec Minus Nec Aliter Nothing More Nothing Less Nothing Different Pope Benedict XVI • The current Successor of Peter • feels himself to be personally implicated in this question • and is disposed to do all in his power • to promote the fundamental cause of ecumenism

21. Churches using Rites1 universal Catholic Church/Communion: 22 autonomous Churches Assyrian Church (Iran, Iraq, etc.): uses: Chaldean rite daughter--Malabar Church (India): uses: Chaldean rite Syrian Church (Syria, Turkey, etc.): uses: Syrian daughters: --Malankar Church (India, etc.): uses: Syrian --Maronite Church (Lebanon, etc.): uses: Maronite/Syrian Coptic Church (Egypt, etc.): uses: Coptic Rite (200,000)  Ethiopian Church (Eritrea, Ethiopia, etc.): uses: Ethiopian Rite (222,000) Armenian Church (Armenia, Israel, etc.): uses: Armenian Rite (400,000) Latin Church (Western Europe, etc.): uses: Latin Rite (extinct Western rites/Churches): Ambrosian, Mozarabic, Celtic, Gallican etc.

22. Pope Benedict XVI • Reunion with Eastern Orthodox, How? • "Rome must not require more from the Orthodox Churches with respect to the doctrine of primacy than had been formulated and was lived in the first millennium. • When the Patriarch Athenagoras…designated him as • as the most esteemed among us, • as one also presides in charity, • the doctrine of primacy in the first millennium. • Rome need not ask for more. • Reunion could take place in this context