THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH
OVERVIEW
The Byzantine Catholic Church is a self-governing Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Along with 22 other self-governing Eastern Churches, we profess the same faith, doctrines, and dogmas as the Roman Catholic Church and practice the same seven Holy Mysteries (Sacraments).
Despite being One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church in union with the Pope of Rome, we have received our own particular liturgical and theological traditions from the apostolic age.
Those familiar with the Eastern Orthodox Churches will notice that their worship is nearly identical with ours. This is because our Churches share a common ancestor – namely the undivided Church of the first millennium, when all Western and Eastern Christians were united in one communion of faith.
The Byzantine Catholic Church’s preservation of unity with the Roman Pontiff bears witness that the Catholic Church is the fulfillment of Christ’s prayer “that they may be one” (John 17).
THE DIVINE LITURGY & HOLY COMMUNION
In the Byzantine Rite, the Mass or Eucharistic Service is called “Divine Liturgy”. All Catholics who are properly disposed (having fasted and not conscious of any grave sin) may partake of Holy Communion in any Eastern Catholic Church, even if they are Roman Catholics. Attending a Byzantine Catholic or other Eastern Catholic Church also fulfills any Catholic’s Sunday or Holy Day obligation.
The Divine Liturgy is celebrated with great solemnity and is chanted or sung in its entirety, even on ordinary weekdays. Incense is always used. It is customary to stand throughout the Divine Liturgy, except during the Epistle and Homily. Those familiar with the Roman Mass will notice that we do not kneel on Sundays, as kneeling is considered penitential in our tradition, rather than reverential. We do, however, kneel and prostrate throughout the weekdays of the Great Lent.
If you would like to receive the Divine Eucharist, please come forward with the congregation. When you approach the chalice, please cross your arms, tilt your head back, and open your mouth without sticking out your tongue. The priest will drop a particle of Our Lord’s most pure Body soaked in his precious Blood into your mouth. There is no need to say “Amen.” Please note: the priest may ask your name. We do not administer Holy Communion in the communicant’s hand.
Coming to a Byzantine Catholic Church for the first time may seem daunting and overwhelming. If you are having trouble following along, please ask for assistance or simply listen and let the beauty of our Liturgy wash over you.
Many of our parishes have a potluck or coffee hour after Liturgy. Please stick around to have fellowship with us!
OUR HISTORY
The Slavic peoples were evangelized by the holy Equals to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius, two brothers who began translating the Holy Gospel and liturgical books into the Old Slavonic language. A little over a century after St. Methodius’s death, the Grand Prince Vladimir converted to Christianity and adopted the Greek Rite of Constantinople (formerly known as Byzantium) as the official religion of Kievan Rus’. After the Great Schism between the Latin and Greek Churches in 1054, the Churches of the Rus’ gradually drifted out of communion with Rome.
Multiple attempts at reunion were made between the two communions. After the Union of Florence (1445) dissolved, the Holy See began to seek reunion with smaller groups of Orthodox Christians to bring them back into the fold of the true faith.
Thanks to the efforts of the holy Martyr Josaphat, bishop of Polotsk, the Orthodox bishops of Ruthenia re-entered union with Rome at the Unions of Brest and Užhorod (1595, 1646), proclaiming themselves one in faith with the Catholic Church while retaining their ancient and apostolic traditions, liturgy, and theology. This newly formed Eastern Catholic Church was known as the Ruthenian Uniate Church (this term Uniate is generally seen as offensive today), from which are descended the Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Slovak, Hungarian, and Belorussian Greek-Catholic Churches.
In the United States, the Rusyn branch of the Ruthenian Greek-Catholic Church began calling itself the Byzantine Catholic Church in order to indicate that is it a Catholic Church for all peoples, not just those of Rusyn background. The modern Ruthenian Church includes the Byzantine Catholic Eparchies of Passaic, Parma, and Phoenix, the Metropolitan Archeparhcy of Pittsburgh, the Greek-Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo, the Exarchate of the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Exarchate of Sts. Cyril & Methodius of Toronto.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The Byzantine Catholic Church professes the same faith as the Roman Catholic Church and the other Catholic Eastern Churches. However, in accordance with Apostolic tradition, we express that faith in our own unique way. Some differences in theology and practice between us and the Latin Church include:
- we do not recite “and the Son” in the Nicene Creed.
- we use leavened bread in the Eucharist, and always received under both species, body and blood.
- we make the Sign of the Cross from right to left, with our first three fingers held together to symbolize the Holy Trinity.
- infants are chrismated (confirmed) and communed when they are baptized, and continue receiving Holy Communion throughout their childhood (no First Communion).
- rather than the Dominican Rosary, many of us pray the “Prayer Rule of the Theotokos” as taught by St. Seraphim of Sarov, though primarily we pray the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” on our knotted prayer ropes.
- we have our own Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II in 1990.
- married men may be ordained to the holy priesthood and diaconate, though they may not marry after ordination.
- the Holy Mystery of Anointing is administered at least once-a-year to all the Christian faithful (specifically on Holy Wednesday).
- our ecclesial structure is local and synodal, under the personal and ordinary authority of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh and subject to the authority of the Roman Pontiff.
- together with both the Latin and Greek fathers, we profess that Our most-holy Lady, the Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary, experienced a painless, sleep-like death before her Assumption, body and soul, into Heaven. We call this her “Dormition” and celebrate both her Dormition and Assumption on August 15th.
- the Great Fast, or Lent, begins on Pure Monday rather than Ash Wednesday, and traditional fasting and abstinence are kept more strictly than in the modern Latin Church.
And many more! If you have any questions about the authentic unity and diversity of the Catholic Church, please reach out to one of our clergy for assistance.
BECOMING CATHOLIC
Are you searching for a new spiritual home? Are you convinced of the Orthodox faith? Are you a non-Catholic (or even non-Christian?) wishing to join the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church? The Byzantine Catholic Church welcomes you with open arms and invites you to make us your new spiritual family.
Membership in the Byzantine Catholic Church is open to anyone who is interested in seeking the Lord Jesus through His Word, the teachings of the Apostles, and the Sacred Mysteries; who accepts the teachings of the Catholic Church; who acknowledges the legitimate authority of the Pope, Bishop, and Pastor; and who will attend liturgical services on Sundays and great holy days.
The Church generally receives converts through the Catechumenate, culminating in the Mysteries of Initiation (Baptism, Chrismation, and Holy Communion) on the eve of Pascha (Easter). If you have an interest in becoming Catholic, please reach out to your local Byzantine Catholic Parish or priest, or contact one of our four eparchies (Pittsburgh, Passaic, Parma, and Phoenix).
Thank you for visiting, and may God grant you many happy and blessed years in health and happiness!