What are Byzantine Catholic churches?

Many Christian traditions follow an established pattern of worship, called a liturgy, that includes music, prayer, and preaching. The Byzantine Catholic Church is unique among these traditions. It is fully united with the pope in Rome, yet it follows the Byzantine Rite, the traditional liturgy of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Byzantine Catholic churches share the same core beliefs as the Roman Catholic Church, but they maintain their own pattern of worship as part of the Byzantine tradition.

The origin of Byzantine Catholic churches can be traced to the Byzantine Empire (AD 330—1453). At its peak, the empire covered parts of southern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East. The empire included regions in modern Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Italy, and the Balkans. Greek culture, Eastern theology, and major church councils, such as the Council of Nicaea, influenced their beliefs and traditions.

Byzantine Catholicism shares many core beliefs with the Roman Catholic Church. These include the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the seven sacraments, and the authority of both Scripture and tradition. At the same time, while they accept the authority of the pope, Byzantine Catholic churches have their own leadership. For example, in some regions, leadership is entrusted to a patriarch rather than directly to the pope.

Byzantine Catholic congregations are mostly located in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. However, their churches exist all around the world. It is typical for each church to adopt a name that reflects its region. For instance, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church belongs to the Byzantine Catholic tradition. Each local church maintains its own language, music, and traditions while remaining faithful to Catholic teaching.

Byzantine Catholic liturgies have unique features. These include the extensive use of incense, solemn processions, and the veneration of icons. They burn incense to honor God and to symbolize prayers rising to Him. They walk in formal processions to mark holy moments, such as carrying Scripture into the sanctuary. They honor icons, i.e., images of prominent Christian figures, to show devotion to Jesus and the saints, who they believe are made present through the icons. These practices distinguish Byzantine Catholic worship from the Roman Catholic Mass, where similar elements appear but in different forms or with less emphasis.

Historically, many Byzantine Catholic churches began in regions where Eastern Christianity first spread, such as Ukraine, Lebanon, and Slovakia. In the last two centuries, war and poverty drove people from these countries to North and South America and Australia. In new locations, Byzantine Catholic churches use their liturgical language, such as Greek, but often incorporate the local language as well. Thus, they merge their traditions with modern cultural factors.

Furthermore, Byzantine Catholic churches celebrate the Eucharist, the central sacrament in the Roman Catholic Mass. Byzantine and Roman Catholics both believe that in the Eucharist the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus. Yet they differ in how they explain its nature. Roman Catholicism stresses the words of Jesus, and Byzantine Catholicism highlights the prayer of the Holy Spirit.

The spiritual life of Byzantine Catholics extends beyond Sunday mornings. Many members of the church pray and fast regularly. Doing works of service for others is also crucial to their practice. Families often meet for morning and evening prayers. Sacred days like Easter and Christmas are central to the church calendar. In addition, members consider feasts and fasts to be important days in the year. Certain days are unique to the Byzantine Catholic tradition, such as the Feast of the Dormition. Its name taken from the Latin word for “falling asleep,” the feast remembers Mary’s death and ascension into heaven.

In summary, Byzantine Catholic churches blend Eastern Christian worship practices with Roman Catholic doctrine. Their approach allows them to maintain their culture of origin yet allows them to retain fellowship with the pope. Members of these churches believe they experience the best of both traditions.