glorious beyond compare than the seraphim.

" regards rite, and they enjoy the same rights Byzantine Catholics
• Historically the Byzantine Catholic Church and are under the same obligations, also in
used to be known as the Greek Catholic Church. respect of preaching the Gospel to the whole
• The usage of the word Byzantine became world (cf. Mark 16:15) under the guidance
popular in the U.S., because it helped of the Roman Pontiff.”
distinguished the church from the other Greeks.
was associated with the term "Greek."
• In Europe, the term Greek Catholic is still the • The main difference is their ethnicities. These
norm. sub-branches of the Byzantine Catholic Church
are known as Jurisdictions. In the USA, the
Ukrainian church is the largest Byzantine
What are some of the differences between
Jurisdiction, and has become a melting pot of
Byzantines and Roman Catholics?
different nationalities.
• The Liturgy (Mass) is almost completely
chanted (song) and is different from the Roman I'm currently a Roman Catholic, how do I
Mass. become a Byzantine Catholic?
• Communion is given out to standing
communicants, who receive both the precious • To attend a Byzantine Catholic Church on a
Body and Blood. (The priest uses a gold spoon regular basis, you don't have to do anything
special if you are already a Catholic. Simply go.
to drop the bread/wine into their mouth.)
• Some people find that they are spiritually
• Icons are used and venerated instead of statues.
fulfilled at a Byzantine Church, and in order to
• Incense is used throughout the Liturgy. Jesus Christ Pantocrator
• Byzantine Churches have large Icon Screens, bring closure to their spiritual journey, they (Detail from deesis mosaic) from Hagia Sophia
would like to be officially recognized as a
which separate the Altar area (sanctuary or Holy
Place) from the rest of the church, much as the Byzantine Catholic. This process is known as What is the Byzantine Catholic Church?
communion rail did in the Roman Rite. . changing rites.
• Basically, the process is simple: After • The Byzantine Catholic Church is a branch of
• It is proper to stand during the Byzantine
Liturgy as opposed to kneeling in the Roman discussing this with your priest, you write a the Catholic Church.
Mass. letter to your Roman Catholic Bishop and the • The Byzantine Catholic Church is in full
• The Liturgy of is from St. John Chrysostom, Byzantine Catholic Bishop. In the letter, you communion with the Pope of Rome, whom is
state spiritual reasons why you want to change recognized as the visible Head of the Catholic
which dates back to the 300's.
rites. At that point, they will begin to process the Church.
paperwork and will reply to your request. • Byzantine Catholics are recognized as being
There is little difference between Melkite
• Note that you are not converting. You are "Catholic" by the local Roman Catholic Bishops
Byzantine, Ruthenian Byzantine, and
simply changing rites. and the Bishops of the United States of America
Ukrainian Byzantine Catholics.
and the whole world. However, Byzantine
The Evangelization Station Catholics are NOT Roman Catholics, but
• Theologically, all the particular Churches Hudson, Florida, USA
can be viewed as "sister Churches". Catholics who are identified as being Eastern
E-mail: evangelization@earthlink.net Catholics.
According to the Second Vatican Council www.evangelizationstation.com • As Catholics, Byzantine Catholics and Roman
these Eastern Churches, along with the Catholics share the same faith and have the same
larger Latin Church share "equal dignity, so seven sacraments. The difference is that
Pamphlet 656
that none of them is superior to the others as
Byzantine Catholics have different customs and • During communion, both the Body and Blood to the breast, to the right
traditions that date back to the early centuries of of Christ are given to the person. shoulder and then the left
the church. • Rather than wafers, the Byzantine Catholics shoulder.
At the Last Supper, after Jesus changed use little portions of bread cut from a loaf, which • The three fingers held
bread and wine into His own Body and Blood, is usually baked by parishioners. together are an act of faith
He told His disciples to "Do this in Memory of • The consecrated bread is put in the chalice. in the Holy Trinity, while
me." This they did. As the disciples brought the The Holy Gifts are distributed under the forms the two remaining fingers
Gospel to different parts of the world, they of Bread and Wine by means of a small golden signify the human and
adapted ceremonies of the Liturgy to the spoon. When receiving the Blessed Sacrament, divine natures of Christ.
customs and music of that people. one approaches the priest with hands folded This way of blessing
In the end, four great centers of Christianity right over left on the breast, and tilts his/her oneself is very ancient
emerged with distinctive Christian customs, but head back and opens his/her mouth. The priest and was in use in both the
the same faith. These centers were located in the then drops the Blessed Sacrament into the mouth east and the west until the middle ages.
great cities of Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome and of the recipient. The recipient should not touch Before he became pope, Innocent III (1198-
Alexandria. A couple of centuries later when the the spoon with their mouth or tongue. • Unlike 1216) wrote in The Sacred Mystery of the Altar,
capital of the Roman Empire was moved to the Roman/Latin Catholic Churches, Byzantine “The Sign of the Cross is made with three
Eastern city of Byzantium and renamed Catholics do not say, “Amen” after receiving fingers, because it is imprinted under invocation
Constantinople, an adaptation of the Antioch Communion. of the Trinity… so that it descends from the
way of celebrating Liturgy was made. Thus, a upper part to the lower, and crosses over from
new center of Christianity arose in Veneration the right hand to the left because Christ came
Constantinople and her ritual became known as down from the heaven to the Earth and crossed
the Byzantine Rite. From Constantinople the • A genuflection is not made upon entering a over from the Jews to the Gentiles.” Another
Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe were Byzantine Church. Instead, a “metania” is made rationale for touching the right shoulder first is
converted by Sts. Cyril and Methodius and by bowing and making the sign of the cross as a that “Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father”.
naturally followed the Byzantine Rite. sign of reverence.
• Metania (or metany) comes from the word The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to as
Are Roman/Latin Catholics of the Byzantine metanoia (Greek μετάνοια). It is performed by "Theotokos".
Rite? first making the Sign of the Cross. Then, one
bends from the waist, reaches toward the floor • The Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that
• No, Byzantines are their own separate church. with the right hand open and facing outward, Mary is Theotokos because her son Jesus is both
"sui iuris” is often the term used to describe this and touches the ground. The metania is often God and man: one Divine Person with two
state. The Eastern Catholic Churches are used when venerating an icon and when natures (Divine and human) intimately,
autonomous, self-governing particular churches approaching a hierarch or a priest for his hypostatically united. "Theotokos" is a Greek
in full communion with the Pope. Together with blessing. word meaning "God-bearer." A title commonly
the Latin Church, they make up the Catholic translated into English as "the Mother of God."
Church as a whole. Sign of the Cross • Because of Mary’s unique role and unique
• In the Byzantine Catholic Rite, the Sign of the relationship with her Divine Son, she has a
Roman Catholics may attend a Byzantine Cross is made by holding the thumb and first special place of honor in the Church.
Church to fulfill their Sunday obligation. two fingers of the right hand together, while the • The Church is awed by the mystery that her
other fingers are tucked into the palm, them womb contained the uncontainable God, and the
Holy Communion in a Byzantine Church. making the sign of the cross from the forehead hymns of the church proclaim Mary to be
"higher in honor than the cherubim and more