Eastern Catholic Churches

Many Roman (Latin) Catholics are not aware of the existence of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Indeed, the Catholic Church is “actually a communion of churches.” In 1995 Pope John Paul II published the apostolic letter Orientale Lumen (“The Light of the East”). In this  document Pope John Paul II wrote, “Since we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each."

“Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters are very conscious of being the living bearers of this tradition, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. The members of the Catholic Church of the Latin tradition must also be fully acquainted with this treasure and thus feel, with the pope, a passionate longing that the full manifestation of the church’s catholicity be restored to the church and to the world, expressed not by a single tradition, and still less by one community in opposition to the other; and that we too may be granted a full taste of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal church which is preserved and grows in the life of the churches of the East as in those of the West.”

There are 22 Churches that makeup the Catholic Church, the Latin Catholic Church and 21 Eastern Catholics Churches. All Catholics may receive Holy Communion at the hands of any Catholic bishop or priest, whether that bishop or priest belongs to the Western Catholic Church or to one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. For additional information about the Eastern Catholic Churches click on the Eastern Churches button below.