www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Eight Rites in Catholic church?

recently while on the web on the EWTN site, I noticed a topic--DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EASTERN &WESTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES, and it was answered by Anthony Dragani(10-29-03). Besides there being 22 churches in the Catholic church, there are EIGHT RITES(Canon 28). Can someone tell me by name & tradition, what are these rites? thank you. John.

I think the 22 "churches" are subcategories of the 8 "rites" - e.g., "Byzantine" is a "rite" and within that "rite" are the Melkite church, Ukrainian church, Ruthenian church, etc. But I don't have a list of them handy. I think I have it in a book at home, will look it up and post it, if someone doesn't beat me to it!

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

Listed here are ALL of the Churches of the Catholic Communion grouped by Tradition.

ALEXANDRIAN
1. Coptic Catholic Church;
2. Ethiopian Catholic Church;

ANTIOCHENE
WESTERN ARAMAIC
3. Maronite Church;
4. Syriac Catholic Church;
5. Malankara Catholic Church;

EASTERN ARAMAIC
5. Chaldean/Assyrian Catholic Church;
6. Malabar Catholic Church;

ARMENIAN
7. Armenian Catholic Church;

BYZANTINE
8. Albanian Greek Catholic Church;
9. Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church;
10. Byelorussian Greek Catholic Church;
11. Croatian Greek Catholic Church;
12. Georgian Greek Catholic Church (No Heirarchy, maybe a few hundred members);
13. Greek Catholic Church;
14. Hungarian Greek Catholic Church;
15. Italo-Albanian Greek Catholic Church;
16. Macedonian Greek Catholic Church (No Heirarchy, under the Roman Bishop of Skopje. No considered an "offical Church");
17. Melkite Greek Catholic Church;
18. Romanian Greek Catholic Church;
19. Russian Greek Catholic Church (No Heirarchy, parishes under local Roman Bishops);
20. Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church;
21. Slovak Greek Catholic Church;
22. Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church;

ROMAN
23. Roman (Latin) Catholic Church.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Don't forget Roman[post-Latin] Catholic Church.

Yuhannon posted what I was about to post, but left me baffled by coming up with 23 using an almost identical list to mine, which I totaled as 24. Took me a while to realize he used #5 twice - very tricky - great way to include Macedonians but still get 23 as a total!

I would add to his comments that the Macedonians are canonically subject to the Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church (Diocese of Krizevci), although the Latin Bishop of Skopje is secondarily designated as their Apostolic Exarch.

In addition to the Macedonians, other Eastern Catholic communities, not now designated as Churches sui iuris, that could merit consideration in that regard at some subsequent time:

Byzantine Czech Catholics:

The Byzantine Czech See was categorized as Ruthenian when it was canonically erected after separation of the former Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovack Republics. However, there is a decidedly non-Ruthenian cast to the See, in that the first and second (incumbent) Eparchs were priests of the Byzantine Slovack Catholic Church sui iuris prior to episcopal ordination (although an informed source tells me that both are ethnic Rusyn rather than Slovack). Some sites already list this jurisdiction as a Church sui iuris, but Annuario Pontificio 2003 does not accord it that status.

Byzantine Serbian Catholics:

A See was recently erected for Byzantine Serbian and Montenegran Catholics. Prior to the break-up of the former Republics of Yugoslavia, the Byzantine Church sui iuris for Catholics in the Republics was, for a time, designated the Byzantine Serbian Catholic Church. Subsequent to the break-up, it was re-designated the Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church; it remains to be seen whether the small Serbian Catholic community will be considered to merit sui iuris status.

Byzantine Montenegren Catholics:

And, if a Serbian Church sui iuris is established, it is unclear whether Byzantine Montenegrens would be best served by inclusion in such, or whether their traditions and numbers would merit establishment of a separate Church sui iuris.

Byzantine Polish Catholics:

The Byzantine Catholic faithful in Poland are a diverse community which includes ethnic Poles and others, including Ruthenian, Slovak, and Ukrainian Byzantines. Only the Ukrainians have a hierarchy of their own. Ordinariates are generally erected for just such communities of mixed heritage, since they lack the cohesiveness of tradition and practice that would persuasively argue for establishment of a Church sui iuris; however, the situation in Poland differs in that it has historical roots in Byzantine Catholicity. This, and the existence of a counterpart Orthodox Church, argue persuasively for erection of a Church sui iuris.

Byzantine Slovenian Catholics:

Slovenia, like many Slavic nations, had its Christian origins in the Byzantine tradition, but was latinized in the era of the Crusades. In the breakout of Eastern Europe nations, Byzantine Slovene Catholics have become separated from the Eastern canonical jurisdictions into which they had been assimilated. It remains to be seen whether they are sufficient in number to merit establishment of their own Church sui iuris.

Many years,

Neil

On 08-23-03, I posed a question of the names ofthe Eastern rites of the Catholic church. I received an answer(of which I thought to sound correct) on 08-23-03 from Member #1414. Now my question of the churches of the Catholic faith(since I had found out from EWTN(A.Dragnani) that whatI requested before for the Rites should have read churches. Now the new response of Member #1414, is different than what was provided the first time-- so now what is right --the first one or this one? Now my question still is how many RITES are there. Thank you to Neil for the break down of even more. I wantto learn, and thank you, all. John.

John:

Researching my reference books, I can only find Five rites of the Eastern church. They are as follows, Byzantine,Alexandrian,Antiochene,Armenian,and Chaldean rites. The rites of the Western church are of course the main Roman rite, with these smaller rites within the Western church. They include the Ambrosian,Mozarabic,Lyonnais,Braga, and Monastic rites. The Ambrosian Rite is peculiar to the Archdiocese of Milan. Mozarabic Rite is peculiar to The Achdiocese of Toledo,Spain. Lyonnais Rite is a diocesan rite centered in Lyons,France. Braga Rite is a rite fixed in the Archdiocese of Braga,Portugal. And the Monastic rites are rites associated wutg religous orders of the Dominicans,Carthusians and Carmelites. Also, in a way, the Tridentine (traditional) Mass is a quasi rite in it own. At least, that is my belief what will happen in the future.

I heard there is or was a Celtic Rite within the Western Church that was "swallowed up" by the Roman Rite. Anybody got any info on that?

Yeah, there is the Celtic and Sarum Rites too, but they have basicly not been restored, due to those Bishops the orginating dioceses (Ireland & England)

John,

Yuhannon changed terminology, thus your confusion. Let's start from scratch. This info is modified from my website and is a variation of a post I recently did on another board, in response to a similar query.

Churches sui iuris

To answer your question, let me provide a bit of historical background. It used to be that each of the various Eastern Catholic entities was referred to as a "Rite" (e.g., Melkite Rite, Ukrainian Rite); that was inaccurate since it misused the meaning of the word. (It also had the unfortunate effect of relegating us to the status of being just a child of the larger Roman Church, not entities onto ourselves.) For instance, in the examples I just cited, the Melkites and Ukrainians actually use the same Rite - the Byzantine Rite. In more recent times, the Holy See has given recognition to each of the Eastern Catholic bodies as a Church sui iuris (literally, "a Church of its own law" or a self-governing Church. Together, the Churches sui iuris, including the Roman Church, constitute the Catholic Church.

Rites

The term "Rite" is now used appropriately to describe the form which characterizes the complex of liturgical services of any Church or group of Churches sui iuris. Thus, each Church sui iuris belongs to a Rite or, maybe more accurately, utilizes a Rite.

Traditions

Some Rites are further delineated by the Tradition from which they derive, e.g., otherwise generally similar ceremonies, rubrics, or rituals performed within 2 different Churches sui iuris of the same Rite may be distinguished by particular prayers, linguistic variants, or cultural variations expressed in things such as style of vestments, chant, or other externals, relective of the particular Tradition through which each developed.

Usages

Usages, generally, only apply to the Roman Church; the sole exception is the Knanya Catholics of the Syro-Malabarese Catholic Church.

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Accurately, there are 22 Eastern Churches sui iuris, although you will also see sites (including some noted ones) that post "21" or "23" as the number. In my previous post, I offered some reasons/arguments, why the number may or should soon increase by as much as 6; I'll repeat those here simply to offer as complete and logical a reply as possible.

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Rites

If you research how many Rites are extant in the Catholic Church, you will find various experts citing a range of numbers, from 4 to 8. It depends in part on where you draw the line between "Rite" and "Tradition". At the most basic level, there are only 4 Rites - 1 Latin (or Roman) Rite and 3 Eastern (or Oriental) Rites (i.e., Alexandrean, Antiochene, and Byzantine); that line of thought reflects the fact that all Rites developed from the customs and style of worship practiced in what were the 4 most important centers of Christian development - at a time when achievement of uniformity was hampered by the limitations that geography and communication imposed in ancient times.

Eventually, the Rites which originated from those 4 sites were either modified by those who carried them back to other cities or were developed further in those new regions. Some of the variations that arose came to be considered Rites unto themselves. Thus, in some lists of Rites, you will find 'Maronite'; in others, it is deemed a "Tradition" within the Antiochene Rite, which is where its origins were. Similarly, the Armenian Rite had its origins in the Byzantine Rite, but afterward - because of the geography involved - it developed in a state of isolation that resulted in it being so unique that it came to be considered a Rite onto itself (which is similar to what happened with the Maronites, although with the latter, you may find it listed as a "Rite" or as a "Tradition", depending on the author's perspective). (The only other cross-over of which I am aware is that the Melkites originated in the Antiochene Rite, but eventually became 'byzantined' and are today considered as of the Byzantine Rite).

These are the Rites and the Traditions associated with each:

1. Alexandrean Rite
Coptic Tradition
Ge'ez Tradition
2. Antiochene Rite
East Syrian Tradition
West Syrian Tradition
3. Armenian Rite
4. Byzantine Rite
Byzantine-Greek Tradition
Byzantine-Slav Tradition
5. Maronite Rite

You will often see East Syrian-Antiochene and West-Syrian Antiochene listed separately as two distinct Rites. I think that deeming them traditions within the Antiochene Rite is a more logical and less confusing practice.

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Hierarchical Types

One of the ways in which Churches sui iuris can be grouped is by 'hierarchical type', a grouping that describes a Church by the rank of its presiding or primary hierarch. The generally cited hierarchical types are:

1. Patriarchal Churches sui iuris
2. Major Arch-Episcopal Churches sui iuris
3. Metropolitan Arch-Episcopal or Arch-Eparchial Churches sui iuris
4. Episcopal Churches sui iuris
5. Churches sui iuris sine episcopi

To those 5 types, for reasons that I explain below, I've added 3 additional groupings:

6. Eastern Catholic communities with hierarchy, but not of a Church sui iuris
7. Eastern Catholic communities without hierarchy and not of a Church sui iuris
8. Eastern Catholic Ordinariates

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Churches sui iuris

The following is a list of the Churches sui iuris, grouped by hierarchical type (I have indicated the Rite and Tradition in brackets below the Church name). I have added some brief explanation as to each hierarchical type. In instances where there are particular considerations of note pertinent to that Church, I have added those as well.


Patriarchal Churches sui iuris

Major Patriarchal Churches sui iuris

Those whose Patriarchal Sees are styled "The Ancient Sees”, i.e., Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem.

Coptic Catholic Church
[Alexandrean Rite - Coptic Tradition]

Maronite Catholic Church
[Maronite Rite] [Antiochene-West Syrian Tradition in terms of origin]

Byzantine Melkite Greek-Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]

Syriac Catholic Church
[Antiochene Rite - Antiochene-West Syrian Tradition]

Minor Patriarchal Churches sui iuris

Those Patriarchal Sees which are not among those styled "the Ancient Sees".

Armenian Catholic Church
[Armenian Rite][Byzantine-Greek Tradition in terms of origin]

Chaldean Catholic Church
[Antiochene Rite - East Syrian Tradition]

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Major Arch-Episcopal Churches sui iuris

Large Eastern Catholic Churches not of Patriarchal rank; each is headed by a Major Archbishop, who has many, but not all, of the perogatives of a Patriarch.

Syro-Malabarese Catholic Church
[Antiochene Rite - Antiochene-East Syrian Tradition]

The Syro-Malabarese are unique among the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris in that, within their Church, there is what amounts to a "Usage", although I've never seen the term formally applied to it. The Knanaya Catholics of the Syro-Malabarese Catholic Church are members of an ethnic minority (i.e., the Knanaites). They are descendents of 72 Jewish Christian families who emigrated to Kerala (India) in A.D. 345, under the leadership of Knai Thomman (Thomas the Canaanite). They form an endogamous community within the Church, retain certain liturgical practices unique to their "ritual sub-Church" or Usage, and have their own Eparchy (Kottayam), a non-exempt diocese of personal jurisdiction, canonically erected by the Holy See solely on the basis of the ethno-cultural identity of its faithful.

Byzantine Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

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Metropolitan Arch-Episcopal and Arch-Eparchial Churches sui iuris

These are certain large Eastern Catholic Churches which are of neither Patriarchal nor Major Arch-Episcopal rank; each is led by a Metropolitan Archbishop or Metropolitan Arch-Eparch

Ethiopian Catholic Church
[Alexandrean Rite - Ge'ez Tradition]

Romanian Greek Catholic Church United with Rome
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]

Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church
(Byzantine Metropolitan Arch-Eparchy of Pittsburgh (USA))
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

There are two distinct Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church jurisdictions, one in the diaspora and one in the lands of its origin. Neither hierarch has been singularly designated as the presiding hierarch of the Church and there is no formal relationship between the two jurisdictions, analagous to that which exists in other Churches sui iuris. Thus, each of the two is, theoretically, a Church sui iuris, although the hierarch with the precedential title is situated in the diaspora (USA). (See the list of Episcopal Churches sui iuris for the other jurisdiction. For purposes of counting, consider the two Churches sui iuris as one.)

Syro-Malankarese Catholic Church
[Antiochene Rite - Antiochene West Syrian Tradition]

There are a small number of Knanya Catholics within the Syro-Malankar Church sui iuris, but they are not sufficient in number to justify a personal jurisdiction such as they enjoy within the Syro-Malabar Church sui iuris.

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Episcopal Churches sui iuris

Those Oriental churches "entrusted to hierarchs who preside over [the Church] as per the norms of common and particular laws”; all such Churches are of the Byzantine Rite.

The presiding or primary hierarchs of such Churches are all of the Order of Bishop, but are variously styled: Abbott vere nullius dioecesis ("subject to no diocese"); Apostolic Administrator; Apostolic Exarch; Bishop; Eparch; or Vicar Apostolic.

Byzantine Albanian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]

Byzantine Bulgarian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

This Church is sometimes referred to as the Byzantine Catholic Church of the Former Republics of Yugoslavia, an awkward name to say the least, and less accurate now that there is a separate jurisdiction (though not yet a separate Church sui iuris) for the Byzantine Serbian and Montenegren Catholics. In listings of Churches sui iuris prior to the break-up of the Yugoslav Republics, this Church was styled the "Byzantine Yugoslav Catholic Church" or the "Byzantine Serbian Catholic Church", although Croatian Yugoslavs probably always constituted the majority of its faithful.

Byzantine Greek Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]

Byzantine Hungarian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

Byzantine Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
(Eparchy of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi in Calabria)
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]
Byzantine Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
(Eparchy of Piana [Sicily] degli Albenisi)
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]
Byzantine Italo-Greek Catholic Church
(Exarchic Abbey & Territorial Monastery of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata degli Italo-Grieco)
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]

For all intents and purposes, the Byzantine Italo-Albanian and Italo-Greek Catholic Churches now constitute a single Church sui iuris, which is variously referred to by either name, and occasionally by the combined form of Byzantine Italo-Albanian-Greek Catholic Church. There are two distinct Byzantine Italo-Albanian Catholic and one Byzantine Italo-Greek Catholic Church jurisdictions. None of the three hierarchs has been singularly designated as the presiding hierarch of the Church and there is no formal relationship among the jurisdictions, analagous to that which exists in other Churches sui iuris (although the three hierarchs maintain an informal relationship to assure uniformity of liturgical practice). Thus, each of the three is, theoretically, a Church sui iuris. For purposes of counting, consider the three Churches sui iuris as one.

Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church
(Eparchy of Muka�evo (Ukraine) for the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics)
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

The Eparchy of Muka�evo is an exempt jurisdiction with no formal canonical relationship to the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Metropolitan Arch-Eparchial Church sui iuris [see above].

Byzantine Slovakian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

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Churches sui iuris sine episcopi

These Churches are those “entrusted to hierarchs (not of the Rite) who preside over (the Church) as per the norms of common and particular laws” (hierarchs in locum tenens). All such Churches are of the Byzantine Rite.

Byzantine Belarussian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

The canonical jurisdiction is extant, but sede vacante since being suppressed during the decades of Communist domination in Belarus. There is presently an Apostolic Visitator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis.

Byzantine Georgian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Greek Tradition]

This Church sui iuris has never been formally organized under its own hierarchy, due to the small number of faithful served by it.

Byzantine Russian Orthodox Church in Communion with Rome
Apostolic Exarchate of Moscow for the Russian Byzantines
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]
Byzantine Russian Catholic Church
Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin for Russian Byzantines and All Oriental Rite Catholics in China
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

Both canonical jurisdictions of the Byzantine Russian Catholic Church are extant, but sede vacante since being suppressed under Communist rule. The Church's last hierarch was an ordaining bishop who entered into rest in 1996. As neither See was singularly designated as precedential, each is, theoretically, a Church sui iuris, although it is likely that the Moscow hierarch would be so designated when and if the Sees were canonically re-erected. For purposes of counting, consider the two Churches sui iuris as one.

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The following are strictly my opinions, unsubstantiated by anything official.

Eastern Catholic communities with hierarchy, but not of a Church sui iuris

This grouping consists of three communities which have hierarchy of their own, but have not been identified as Churches sui iuris, although they have the potential for such given their separation from the larger religious community of which they were a part prior to the political restructuring of Eastern Europe.

Byzantine Czech Catholics
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

The Byzantine Czech See was officially categorized as Ruthenian when it was canonically erected after separation of the former Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovack Republics. However, there is a decidedly non-Ruthenian cast to the See, in that the first and second (incumbent) Eparchs were priests of the Byzantine Slovack Catholic Church sui iuris prior to their episcopal ordinations (although both are ethnic Rusyn rather than Slovack, according to information provided to me by a knowledgeable source). Some sites already list this jurisdiction as a Church sui iuris, but Annuario Pontificio 2003 does not accord it that status.

Byzantine Montenegran Catholics
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

A See was recently erected for Byzantine Serbian and Montenegran Catholics. There are reasons to surmise that a Church sui iuris might be designated for Byzantine Serbian Catholics, despite their admittedly small numbers. If that occurs, it is unclear whether Byzantine Montenegrens would be best served by inclusion in such, or whether their traditions and numbers would merit establishment of a separate Church sui iuris.

Byzantine Serbian Catholics
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

As noted immediately above, a See was recently erected for Byzantine Serbian and Montenegran Catholics; it is apparently presently subject to the Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church. Prior to the break-up of the former Republics of Yugoslavia, the Byzantine Church sui iuris for Catholics in the Republics was designated as the Byzantine Serbian Catholic Church. Subsequent to the break-up, it was re-designated as the Byzantine Croatian Catholic Church; it remains to be seen whether the small Serbian Catholic community will be considered to merit sui iuris status, a possibility that would be supported by the traditional ethnic animosity between Serbians and Croatians.

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Eastern Catholic communities without hierarchy and not of a Church sui iuris

This grouping consists of: one community which formerly was regularly listed as a Church sui iuris, but is not reported as such in the current edition of Annuario Pontificio; an Ordinariate - a canonical jurisdiction usually erected to encompass faithful of divers Churches sui iuris who reside within a geographic territory, but are unserved by hierarchy peculiar to their individual religious heritages; and, one community which has no hierarchy and has not been identified as a Church sui iuris, although it has the potential for such, given its separation from the larger religious community of which it was a part prior to the political restructuring of Eastern Europe; and,

Byzantine Macedonian Catholic Church
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

This Church, which previously was often listed as a Church sui iuris, is presently without hierarchy of its own, likely as a consequence of the recent geo-political changes in what were previously the Republics of Yugoslavia. It is not accorded sui iuris status in the present edition of Annuario Pontificio.

Byzantine Polish Catholics
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

The Byzantine Catholic faithful in Poland are a diverse community which include ethnic Poles and others, including Ruthenian, Slovak, and Ukrainian Byzantines. Only the Ukrainians have a hierarchy of their own. Ordinariates are generally erected for just such communities of mixed heritage, since they lack the cohesiveness of tradition and practice that would persuasively argue for establishment of a Church sui iuris; however, the situation in Poland differs in that it has historical roots in Byzantine Catholicity. This, and the existence of a counterpart Orthodox Church, argue persuasively for erection of a Church sui iuris.

Byzantine Slovenian Catholics
[Byzantine Rite - Byzantine-Slav Tradition]

Slovenia, like many Slavic nations, had its Christian origins in the Byzantine tradition, but was latinized in the era of the Crusades. In the breakout of Eastern Europe nations, Byzantine Slovene Catholics have become separated from the Eastern canonical jurisdictions into which they had been assimilated. It remains to be seen whether they are sufficient in number to merit establishment of a Church sui iuris.

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Eastern Catholic Ordinariates

An Ordinariate is a canonical jurisdiction erected to encompass faithful of divers Churches sui iuris who reside within a geographic territory, but are unserved by hierarchy peculiar to their individual Churches sui iuris. There are five such jurisdictions; four are listed here (the fifth, Poland, is discussed above as an 'Eastern Catholic community without hierarchy and not of a Church' sui iuris). None of these four has the potential to be designated as a Church sui iuris.

Ordinariate of Argentina, Faithful of the Oriental Rites

Ordinariate of Austria, Faithful of the Eastern Rites (Byzantine)

Ordinariate of Brazil, Faithful of the Oriental Rites

Ordinariate of France, Faithful of the Eastern Rites

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You may want to look at this site for more detail on the individual Churches:

http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-catholiceastern.htm

If there are particular Churches on which you want more info, you may want to look at a list of informative links on each on them which I posted in an earlier thread on this board, not sure which forum, but here is the link:

https://www.byzcath.org/bboard/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=002323


I'd elaborate a bit on Learner's discussion of the Latin and other Rites within the Roman Church sui iuris, especially on the fact that - given current terminology - I think that the Ambrosian, etc. Rites might be better termed Usages, but time prevents me doing so right now. Will try and attack it tonight.

Hope this helps.

Many years,

Neil

Thanks for all the info, Neil

To Neil and all others who responded to my question, I thank you very much. I am sure it will not only help me, but the multitude of others coming to this great site. Neil, you overdid yourself with such a terrific detailed response( WOW !!!)-- but THANK YOU VERY MUCH.The last response given by Yuhannon, I will print as I come across various Roman rite's, and I email them a list of Eastern Catholic churches to educate them about the Eastern lung of the Catholic church. Neil your detailed report is for my personal use(and others of course). As to RITES, I'll leavethat be right now as to how many? As a Senior--learner-- called and asked my Pastor what "sui iuris" meant and got an answer.