Rites of the Catholic Church

Part 2: Eastern Catholic Church

• Byzantine Rites

  After the Roman Rite, the most common rite in the Catholic Church; liturgy based on the Rite of Saint James of Jerusalem (reformed by Saints Basil and John Chrysostom); the following ethnic divisions are listed in approximate order of world-wide membership.

  • Ukrainians (Galican Ruthenians)

    Located throughout the world, particularly Europe and the Americas; returned to Catholic unity in 1595; liturgical languages are Old Slavonic and Ukrainian.

  • Melkites (Greek-Catholic Melkites)

    Located throughout the world, primarily in the Middle East and the U.S.; returned to Catholic unity during the Crusades, but definitive reunion came about in the 18th century; liturgical languages are Greek, Arabic, English, Portuguese and Spanish.

  • Hungarians

    Situated in Europe, primarily Hungary, and the Americas; returned to Catholic unity in 1646 (descendants of Ruthenians); liturgical languages are Greek, Hungarian and English.

  • Italo-Albanians

    Situated in Italy, Sicily and the Americas; have never been separated from Rome; liturgical languages are Greek and Italo-Albanian.

  • Yugoslavs, Serbs, Croatians

    Situated in Serbia and Montenegro and the Americas; returned to Catholic unity in 1611; liturgical language is Old Slavonic.

  • Greeks

    Situated in Greece, Asia Minor and Europe; returned to Catholic unity in 1829; liturgical language is Greek.

  • Romanians

    Situated in Europe, particularly Romania, and the Americas; returned to Catholic unity in 1697; liturgical language is Modern Romanian.

  • Ruthenians (Carpatho-Russians)

    Situated in Europe, particularly Hungary and the Czech Republic, the Americas and Australia; returned to Catholic unity in 1596 (Union of Brest-Litovek) and 1646 (Union of Uzhorod); liturgical languages are Old Slavonic and English.

  • Russians

    Situated in Europe, the Americas, Australia and China; returned to Catholic unity in 1905; liturgical language is Old Slavonic.

  • Albanians

    Situated in Albania; returned to Catholic unity in 1628; liturgical language is Albanian.

  • Bulgarians

    Situated in Bulgaria; returned to Catholic unity in 1861; liturgical language is Old Slavonic.

  • Byelorussians (White Russians)

    Situated in Europe, the Americas and Australia; returned to Catholic unity in the 17th century; liturgical language is Old Slavonic.

  • Georgians

    Situated in Georgia (southern Russia) and France; returned to Catholic unity in 1861; liturgical language is Georgian.

  • Slovaks

    Situated in Slovakia; liturgical languages are Old Slovanic, Slovak and English.

• Chaldean Rites

  The Liturgy of Saint James of Jerusalem (derived from the Antiochene Rite).

  • Syro-Malabarese

    Descended from the Saint Thomas Christians of India; located in the Malabar region of India; a Westernized and Latinized form of the Chaldean Rite; liturgical languages are Syriac and Malayalm.

  • Chaldeans

    Descendents of the Nestorians, located primarily in the Middle East, but also in Europe, Africa and the Americas; returned to Catholic unity in 1692; liturgical languages are Syriac and Arabic.

• Antiochene Rites

  The Liturgy of Saint James of Jerusalem.

  • Maronites

    Located throughout the world, particularly in Lebanon, the Middle East, the U.S., Brazil and Australia; united to the Holy See since the time of their founder, Saint Maron (d.410); liturgical languages are Syriac and Arabic.

  • Malankarese

    Located in India; returned to Catholic unity in 1930; liturgical languages are Syriac and Malayalam.

  • Syrians

    Located throughout the world, but particularly the Middle East; returned to Catholic unity in 1781; liturgical languages are Syriac and Arabic.

• Alexandrian Rites

  The Liturgy of Saint Mark (derived from the Byzantine Rite of Saint Basil and the Liturgies of Saint Mark and Saint Cyril and Saint Gregory Nazianzen).

  • Copts (Egyptian)

    Generally located in Egypt and the Middle East; returned to Catholic unity in 1741; liturgical languages are Coptic and Arabic.

  • Ethiopians (Abyssinian)

    Generally located in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Jerusalem and Somalia; returned to Catholic unity in 1846; liturgical language is Geez.

• Armenian Rite

  Derived from the Greek Liturgy of Saint Basil (an old form of Byzantine Rite with modifications from the Antiochene Rite).

  • Armenians

    Located throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East and Europe; returned to Catholic unity during the time of the Crusades; liturgical language is Classical Armenian.