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Note: The Eastern Catholic Churches and Rites trace their roots back to the original four patriarchates of the ancient Church: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople. Together with the Church of Rome, the fifth original patriarchate, they form the universal Catholic Church. Eastern Catholics are members of the Catholic Church, under the authority of the Vatican and the Pope, but worshipping within a different organizational structure. These Churches are in communion with Rome and yet retain their distinctive traditions of liturgy, devotion and prayer. Roman Catholics are welcome at Eastern Catholic Churches and may receive communion at their sacred liturgies.
Eastern Churches
An in-depth look from The Catholic Encyclopedia. For good overviews and background, see also:
- Rites
- The Eastern Rites Today
- Catholic Eastern Churches
- The Five Eastern Rites
- The Formation of the Eastern Rites
- The Four Liturgies Celebrated in the Byzantine Rite
- Eastern Rite Catholic Churches (Listing by Patriarchate)
- Eastern Rites: A Family Tree
- Rites in the United States
- Eastern Catholics in American (U.S. Bishops)
Antiochian Tradition
Antioch is where believers were first called "Christians" (see Acts 11:26) and St. Ignatius, the bishop-martyr of Antioch was credited with first using the term "Catholic" to describe the Church in 110 A.D. The Liturgy in this tradition is based on the ancient Liturgy of St. James.
Eastern Catholic Churches in the Antiochian tradition include:
- Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
- Maronite Catholic Church
- Syrian Catholic Church
For the liturgical tradition of the Antiochean Catholic Churches:
- Liturgy of Jerusalem (St. James)
- The Divine Liturgy of St. James
- Liturgy of St. James (Modern)
- West Syrian Rite (Antioch)
Alexandrian Tradition
The liturgical tradition of Egypt, which tradition holds was first evangelized by St. Mark who became the first bishop of Alexandria. The Liturgy of St. Mark is still the basis for the modern liturgies of the Churches of the Alexandrian tradition.
Eastern Catholic Churches in the Alexandrian tradition include:
- Coptic Catholic Church
- Ge'ez Ethiopian Catholic Church
For the liturgical tradition of the Alexandrian Catholic Churches:
- The Divine Liturgy of St. Mark
- Liturgy of St. Mark (Modern)
Armenian Tradition
The Armenian liturgical tradition draws on elements of the Syriac, Jerusalem and Byzantine rites. It uses a liturgy attributed to St. Basil.
For the liturgical tradition of the Armenian Catholic Churches:
- The Liturgy of St. Basil
- Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil
- Liturgy of St. Basil (Modern)
- Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church (Modern)
Chaldean Tradition
Also called East Syrian Catholics, this liturgical tradition descends from the ancient rites used in Persia and Syria.
Eastern Catholic Churches in the Chaldean tradition include:
- Chaldean Catholic Church
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
For the liturgical tradition of the Chaldean Catholic Churches:
- Chaldean Mass (Modern)
- East Syrian Rite (Chaldean)
- St. Thomas or Malabar Christians
- Selections from the Assyrian Liturgy
Byzantine Tradition
The largest of the Eastern rites, the Byzantine tradition descends from the ancient Church of Constantinople. Its Liturgy is based on the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople.
Eastern Catholic Churches in the Byzantine tradition include:
- Albanian Catholic Church
- Bulgarian Catholic Church
- Belarusan Catholic Church
- Croatian Catholic Church
- Georgian Church
- Greek Catholic Church
- Hungarian Catholic Church
- Ito-Albanian Catholic Church
- Melkite Greek Catholic Church
- Romanian Greek Catholic Church
- Russian Catholic Church
- Ruthenian Catholic Church
- Slovak Catholic Church
- Ukranian Greek Catholic Church
For the liturgical tradition of the Byzantine Catholic Churches:
- Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Modern)
- Greek Rites
- Ruthenian Rite
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Byzantine Catholic)
A description of the modern order of the Mass as celebrated in the Byzantine Rite of the Catholic Church. See also, the Byzantine services for these special feasts:
- The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (explanation and history)
- Epiphany and the Blessing of Water (explanation and history)
- Palm Sunday (explanation and history)
- Holy Thursday and About Holy and Great Thursday
- Good Friday and Veneration of the Holy Shroud
- Holy and Great Saturday
- Resurrection Matins and Resurrection Services
- Pentectost and Our Baptism by the Holy Spirit (explanation and history)
- All Soul's Saturday (Explains practice of Praying for the Dead)
- The Liturgy of the Presanctified and Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
A Walk Through the Liturgy (Byzantine Catholic)
A good introduction to the Mass from a Byzantine Catholic perpsective. See also:
- Comments on the Divine Liturgy
A Commentary on the Holy Mysteries (Maronite Catholic)
- The Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer)
- The Maronite Liturgy: An Explanation
Eastern Catholic Liturgical Music
The divine liturgies and hymns of the five Eastern Catholic rites in MIDI form.
