About the 23 Sui Iuris Churches

Did you know that in the Catholic Church consists of 24 Autonomous Churches? They are the so-called "sui iuris" Churches (i.e., "independent"). This is because the Second Vatican Council in 1964 approved the decree "Orientalium Ecclesiarium", that is, "On the Eastern Catholic Churches".

The Council understood that the Church is not limited only to the Roman rite, it communions with 24 churches, one western, hence the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church (based in Rome) and 23 Eastern Churches. But the relationship between the two was not always like this, to understand we need to go back a little in history:

In 1054 A.C, the East Cism occurred in the Christian Church, Rome represented the capital Roman Empire of the West, while Constantinople represented the Eastern Roman Empire. Over the centuries these two sides of the world have created enormous divergences, especially cultural, political and religious(these differences were accentuated with the division of the Roman Empire in 375 D.C by Theodosius).

While the Church situated in the East had strong Greek influence, the West was gradually being influenced by the Germanic peoples, linked to the Hellenistic tradition. One of the differences between the two Churches was the West's opposition to the cesaropapism advocated in the East in which the Head of State regulated the doctrine, the discipline of Christian society, that is, subordination of the Church to the State.

It also had iconoclasm, which lasted between the 8th and 9th centuries in the Byzantine Empire, this movement forbade the veneration of images, frescoes, mosaics and paintings. In addition, they had disagreements on the question of "Filioque" (the Holy Spirit for the Byzantines came from the Father and not from the Son), and there was the advent of heresy called nestorianism, created by Nestorio, Patriarch of Constantinople (428-431), who defended the radical distinction between the two natures of Christ. These and other Cristological and Trinitarian heresies (such as apollinarism and Arianism) were discussed and condemned in some Councils such as Niceia I (325), Constantinople I(381), Ephesus(431), Chalcedony(451), among others.

However, the height of disagreement occurred when Pope Leo IX sent Cardinal Humberto to Constantinople in 1054 to resolve the theological impasses that the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Celulário had with the Latin Churches, but the Cardinal eventually ordered the excommunication of the Patriarch. However, this act was seen as the excommunication of the entire Eastern Church, from there the situation between the two Churches worsened, causing mutual excommunication between the two sides, uniting them.

In the course of the centuries, there have been numerous attempts at rapprochement, reaching the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The excommins were only raised by Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras in the rapprochement promoted by the Second Vatican Council in November 1964. Culminating in the recognition of unity among the Churches, and the dignity and right of the Eastern rites. In July 1967, Paul VI made a series of trips to Istanbul, Ephesus and Smyrna, seeking to express the desire for reconciliation with the Church of the East.

They are called "sui iuris" because they have autonomy and can legislate independently (and they do so through synods, presided over by the respective patriarchs, Archbishop Major, etc.), about their rite, discipline and liturgy. However, they are not autonomous to stipulate dogmatic changes, for they are common and guarantee unity, all of which are obedient to the Pope, who leads all this communion in the Catholic Church.

It is important to emphasize that not every Eastern Church is in communion with us, such as the Nestooan church; the monophistic or non-Chalcedonic churches. Only these 23 are in communion with us (see image below):

Let us now look at some differences (some of these differences are not present in the Eastern Catholic Church, but those that are not in communion with the Holy See):

• There is no maximum authority in the Church. Its highest hierarchy is a collegiate of bishops, presided over by the Patriarch of Constantinople.
• Celibacy for priests is mandatory. However, a married man can become a priest, this rule does not apply to bishops.
• They use the Julian calendar, which has a difference of 13 days compared to the Gregorian.
• Unlike the traditional cross, the Orthodox cross has 3 bars.
• They don't use statues, just two-dimensional images.Emperors had power above the patriarch and bishops, acting in close relationship with the church.
• They usually pray standing up and don't believe in purgatory.

NOTE: It is important to emphasize that the Eastern Churches have different rites and traditions, such as Byzantine, Armenian, among others.

NOTE: The Roman Catholic Apostolic Church has several rites, not exclusively the Roman, but also uses tridentine, Ambrosian and among other Eastern rites.

Deepening:

See Codex Iuris Canonici Ecclesiae Orientalis, promulgated on 8 October 1990, by Pope John Paul II: https://t.co/6yO3N9ySR6

See Decree Orientalium Ecclesiarium: https://t.co/j8EqKbgRWx

See the concept and sinodal structure of the Eastern Catholic Churches (in Portuguese): https://t.co/wKRzgoGov4

See the sources of the Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Catholic Churches (in Portuguese): https://t.co/VUn3Z4M1Yh

Sources:

https://t.co/Bm42QRiara

https://t.co/9HKBc0Jx7z

https://t.co/ZdOxcgu5PE

https://t.co/Mb8xJxWyUA

https://t.co/UgHCSd4X5o

https://t.co/e7p2HMwzfe

https://t.co/sZ0KAD0dqL

https://t.co/pYdJGth1PT

https://t.co/n9a8JPIoRw

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