Eastern Catholic Churches
Eastern Catholic churches are divided into five main traditions. They are:
Alexandrean, Antiochean, Armenian, Chaldean and
Byzantine (Constantinopolitan). Each of these main traditions are
again subdivided into individaul churches which are ranked as Metropolitan
Churches, Major Archiepiscopal Churches or Patriarchal Churches. The names of
these churches and the number of catholics belonging to each church are given
below:
I.Alexandrean
1.Coptic-166,953
2.Ethopian-132,697
II. Antiochean
3.Syrian - 185,870
4.Maronite-2,176,152
5.Syro-Malankara -295,467
III.Armenian
6.Armenian - 142,853
IV.Chaldean
7.Chaldean - 628,250
8.Syro-Malabar -2,939,521
9.Byelorussian - 30,000
10. Bulgarian - 15,000
11. Greek - 2300
12. Hungarian - 252,840
13. Italio-Albanian- 61,597
14. Melkite - 1,146,778
15. Romanian- 1,562,979
16. Ruthenian- 461,555
17. Slovak- 400,00
18. Ukranian-
4,194,900
19. Krizevei- 48,770
20. Albanian- **
21. Russian- **
**No information is available about Albanian and Russian Catholic Churches
because of the previous communist rule. Ukranian Church with more than four
million faithful is the largest Eastern Cathollic Church. The Syro-Ma1abar
Church is the second largest Eastern Catholic Church with nearly 3
million faithful. The Latin Church or Roman Church has a following of 880
million.
PATRIARCHATES
Patriarch is the head of a patriarchal church. Patriarchates have existed
from ancient times. Pope, the head of the Universal Church is also the Patriarch
of the Roman Church. Six of the 21 Eastern Churches are Patriarchal now. They
are: Coptic, Syrian, Maronite, Armenian, Chaldean and Melkite.
MAJOR ARCHIEPISCOPAL CHURCH
Major Archbishop is the head of a Major Archiepiscopal Church, which has the
same structure and autonomy as a Patriarchal Church. The main difference is that
the election of a Major Archbishop needs confirmation by the Pope, while that of
a Patriarch has only to be notified to the Pope and other Patriarchs. Two of the
Eastern Churches are Major Archiepiscopal Churches. They are: Ukranian and
Syro-Malabar.
Metropolitan Churches
The remaining thirteen are Metropolitan Churches.
Syro-Malabar Church was elevated to the status of a
Major Archiepiscopal Church on May 20, 1993 with His Eminence Cardinal Antony
Padiyara as the First Major Archbishop
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