Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church (Greek
: Ελληνόρρυθμη Καθολική Εκκλησία) is a sui iuris
particular Church
in full union with the Roman Catholic Church
which uses the Byzantine liturgical rite
in the Koine Greek
and modern Greek
languages. Its membership includes inhabitants of Greece
and Turkey
.
in 1274 and by the Council of Florence
in 1439 to repair the breach of the East-West Schism
between Greek and Latin Christians
, many individual Greeks
, then under Ottoman
rule, embraced communion with Rome
, it was not until the 1880s that a sui juris church specifically for Greek Catholics who followed the Byzantine Rite
was built in the village of Malgara
in Thrace
. Before the end of the nineteenth century two more such churches were built, one in Constantinople
, the other in Chalcedon
.
In 1907 a native Greek
priest
, Isaias Papadopoulos, the priest who had built the church in Thrace, was appointed vicar
general for the Greek Catholics within the Apostolic Delegation of Constantinople, and in 1911 he received episcopal consecration
and was put in charge of the newly established ordinariate for Greek Byzantine Rite Catholics, which later became an exarchate. Thus was founded the particular Church
of Byzantine Rite Greek Catholics. Much more numerous were the Greek Catholics of Latin Rite, who formed the majority of the population in some Aegean
islands.
As a result of the conflict between Greece and Turkey after the First World War, the Greek Catholics of Malgara and of the neighbouring village of Daudeli moved to Yannitsa in Macedonia
, and many of those who lived in Constantinople
(now Istanbul, Turkey) emigrated or fled to Athens
, among them the bishop
who had succeeded to the position of Exarch
and the religious institute of the Sisters of the Pammakaristos, founded in 1920.
In 1932 the territory of the Exarchate for Byzantine-Rite Greek Catholics was limited to that of the Greek state
, and a separate Exarchate of Constantinople
was established for those resident in Turkey. Due to continued emigration and anti-Greek nationalist incidents by Turks, among them the Istanbul Pogrom
, the Greek Catholics of the latter exarchate have become reduced to extremely few. The last resident Greek-Catholic priest in Constantinople
died in 1997 and has not since been replaced, and the only regular services in the Greek-Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity there are held by exiled Chaldean Catholics
living in the city.
Vocations to the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church are largely drawn from the Greek islands of Syros
and Tinos
, which both have sizable Catholic populations.
Bishop Dimitrios Salachas
(titular
bishop of Carcabia) is current Apostolic Exarch
of the Byzantine Rite Catholics in Greece
.
Byzantine Rite Catholic Greeks in Greece number approximately 5,000.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Ελληνόρρυθμη Καθολική Εκκλησία) is a sui iuris
Sui iuris
Sui iuris, commonly also spelled sui juris, is a Latin phrase that literally means “of one’s own laws”.-Secular law:In civil law the phrase sui juris indicates legal competence, the capacity to manage one’s own affairs...
particular Church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
in full union with the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
which uses the Byzantine liturgical rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
in the Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
and modern Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
languages. Its membership includes inhabitants of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
History
Although, after the failure of the attempts by the Council of LyonCouncil of Lyon
The Council of Lyon refers to either the 13th or 14th ecumenical councils of the Roman Catholic Church, both held in Lyon, France during the 13th century:*First Council of Lyon...
in 1274 and by the Council of Florence
Council of Florence
The Council of Florence was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It began in 1431 in Basel, Switzerland, and became known as the Council of Ferrara after its transfer to Ferrara was decreed by Pope Eugene IV, to convene in 1438...
in 1439 to repair the breach of the East-West Schism
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
between Greek and Latin Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, many individual Greeks
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, then under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule, embraced communion with Rome
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, it was not until the 1880s that a sui juris church specifically for Greek Catholics who followed the Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
was built in the village of Malgara
Malkara
Malkara is a town and district of Tekirdağ Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. It is located at 55 km west of Tekirdağ and 190 km from Istanbul. It covers an area of 1,225 km², which makes the district the largest in Tekirdağ. Population of the town is 25,000 with another...
in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. Before the end of the nineteenth century two more such churches were built, one in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, the other in Chalcedon
Chalcedon
Chalcedon , sometimes transliterated as Chalkedon) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari . It is now a district of the city of Istanbul named Kadıköy...
.
In 1907 a native Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, Isaias Papadopoulos, the priest who had built the church in Thrace, was appointed vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
general for the Greek Catholics within the Apostolic Delegation of Constantinople, and in 1911 he received episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
and was put in charge of the newly established ordinariate for Greek Byzantine Rite Catholics, which later became an exarchate. Thus was founded the particular Church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
of Byzantine Rite Greek Catholics. Much more numerous were the Greek Catholics of Latin Rite, who formed the majority of the population in some Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
islands.
As a result of the conflict between Greece and Turkey after the First World War, the Greek Catholics of Malgara and of the neighbouring village of Daudeli moved to Yannitsa in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, and many of those who lived in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(now Istanbul, Turkey) emigrated or fled to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, among them the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
who had succeeded to the position of Exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
and the religious institute of the Sisters of the Pammakaristos, founded in 1920.
In 1932 the territory of the Exarchate for Byzantine-Rite Greek Catholics was limited to that of the Greek state
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and a separate Exarchate of Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
was established for those resident in Turkey. Due to continued emigration and anti-Greek nationalist incidents by Turks, among them the Istanbul Pogrom
Istanbul Pogrom
The Istanbul riots , were mob attacks directed primarily at Istanbul's Greek minority on 6–7 September 1955. The riots were orchestrated by the Turkish government under Adnan Menderes. The events were triggered by the false news that the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki, north Greece—the...
, the Greek Catholics of the latter exarchate have become reduced to extremely few. The last resident Greek-Catholic priest in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
died in 1997 and has not since been replaced, and the only regular services in the Greek-Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity there are held by exiled Chaldean Catholics
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
living in the city.
Vocations to the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church are largely drawn from the Greek islands of Syros
Syros
Syros , or Siros or Syra is a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. It is located south-east of Athens. The area of the island is . The largest towns are Ermoupoli, Ano Syros, and Vari. Ermoupoli is the capital of the island and the Cyclades...
and Tinos
Tinos
Tinos is a Greek island situated in the Aegean Sea. It is located in the Cyclades archipelago. In antiquity, Tinos was also known as Ophiussa and Hydroessa . The closest islands are Andros, Delos, and Mykonos...
, which both have sizable Catholic populations.
Bishop Dimitrios Salachas
Dimitri Salachas
Bishop Dimitri Salachas, titular bishop of Carcabia, is the current Apostolic Exarch of the Byzantine Rite Catholics in Greece. Salachas was ordained priest in 1964 and on the 23 April 2008 was appointed Apostolic Exarch of the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church and titular bishop; and was ordained...
(titular
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
bishop of Carcabia) is current Apostolic Exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
of the Byzantine Rite Catholics in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Byzantine Rite Catholic Greeks in Greece number approximately 5,000.
See also
- Church of GreeceChurch of GreeceThe Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
- Eastern Catholic Churches
- Italo-Greek Catholic ChurchItalo-Greek Catholic ChurchThe Italo-Greek Catholic Church is one of the 22 Eastern Catholic Churches which, together with the Latin Church, comprise the Catholic Church...
(the Byzantine Catholic church of the Greek minority in Italy) - Roman Catholicism in GreeceRoman Catholicism in GreeceThe Catholic Church in Greece is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.Indigenous Catholic Greeks number about 50,000 and are a religious and not an ethnic minority...
Sources
- Oriente Cattolico (Vatican City: The Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches, 1974)
- Annuario PontificioAnnuario PontificioThe Annuario Pontificio is the annual directory of the Holy See. It lists all the popes to date and all officials of the Holy See's departments...
.
External links
- Greek Catholic Exarchate
- Video of a Greek Byzantine Catholic liturgy
- Unofficial website of the Society of St John Chrisostom of the Holy Trinity Greek Catholic Church in Istanbul
- A Greek Catholic church in Cargèse, Corsica
- A Greek Catholic church in Rome
- Article on the Greek Catholic Exarchate by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA website.