The Holy Land
Christianity
was established by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in Israel in the 1st
Century A.D. Jesus established His Holy
Catholic Church on earth and appointed Peter to lead it. The number of Christians in the Holy Land
today varies according to the source, but most agree that the number is
declining.
Catholics
in the Holy Land are divided among six liturgical rites—Roman, Armenian,
Chaldean, Greek Melkite, Maronite, and Syriac.
Therefore, it is appropriate to discuss Catholic liturgical rites. (Also see my blog of April 19, 2017.)
The
Catholic Church has different liturgical rites.
“Rite” refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and
spiritual heritage—which differ among the various rites. They all share the same essential beliefs,
including the acknowledgement of the Pope as leader of the Universal Church. However, the mass prayers and other
liturgical rituals differ.
Almost
all Catholics in the United States and in most of the world belong to the Roman
or Latin Rite. This is one of a handful
of Western rites that also include the Milanese or Ambrosian rite used in
Milan, Italy, the Mozarabic rite used in Toledo, Spain, and the Bragan rite
used in Braga, Portugal. Also, the
Dominicans, Carmelites and Carthusians have unique rites. Pope Benedict XVI created an Anglican rite as
well.
There
are several Eastern rite churches.
Eastern Catholic churches date back to the early days of
Christianity. After the Roman Empire
split in the 4th Century into Eastern and Western halves, churches
in the West were aligned with the Roman patriarch (the Pope) and churches in
the East (mostly modern day Eastern Europe and the Middle East) to the
patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem—while still
acknowledging the special position of the Pope as successor to St. Peter. Over time, most of the Eastern churches split
from Rome. Some left the Church and have
never returned, such as the Nestorians after the Council of Ephesus in 431
A.D. Others left after the Council of
Chalcedon in 451. Both of these councils
dealt with the divine and human natures of Jesus. The largest schism came in 1054, when many of
the Eastern churches split with Rome to become the various Orthodox
churches.
Today’s
Eastern Catholic Churches have different histories of reunification with
Rome. Some never left the Catholic
Church, others asked for reunification, and others came back due to the
missionary activities of the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Jesuits. Eastern Catholic Churches today are divided
into five major rites, each of which has one or more minor rites. The major rites are: Byzantine (mostly Eastern Europe), Chaldean
(Middle East and India), Antiochene (Middle East and India), Armenian (Eastern
Europe), and Alexandrian (Africa). It
should be noted that many Eastern rite Catholics have left their homelands due
to war and now live in the United States or other western nations. Some eastern churches refer to a diocese as
an eparchy (pronounced epar-key). An
exarchy is a missionary diocese. The
bishop is sometimes referred to as an eparch (or an exarch).
The
Church of Constantinople became the political and religious center of the
eastern Roman Empire after the Emperor Constantine built a new capital there
(324–330) on the site of the ancient town of Byzantium. Constantinople
developed its own liturgical rite from the Liturgy of St. James, in one form as
modified by St. Basil, and in a more commonly used form, as modified by St.
John Chrysostom. After 1054, except for brief periods of reunion, most
Byzantine Christians have not been in communion with Rome. But over the last several centuries, many
Byzantine Catholics have returned to the Church. They make up the Byzantine Rite. Byzantine Catholics are subdivided into
numerous sub-rites. The largest of these
is the Ukrainian rite with 4.4 million members, mostly in the Ukraine. Greek Melkites number 1.5 million and have
traditionally come from the Middle East.
Ruthenians number 600,000 and traditionally lived in the area near
Slovakia. Romanians number about
500,000. A dozen other Byzantine rites
have a total of a half million members.
Chaldean
Catholics trace their origins to the Church in Antioch founded by St.
Peter. The rite uses the ancient Syriac
language (the Semitic dialect used in Jesus' time and better known as Aramaic).
Its Liturgy is attributed to St. James and the Church of Jerusalem. Chaldeans number about 600,000 and were
traditionally in the Middle East and Syro-Malabar Catholics number 4.1 million
and are mostly in India.
Antiochian
Catholics have the same origins and similar liturgical practices as the
Chaldeans. Maronite Catholics,
traditionally in Lebanon, number 3.4 million; Syriac or Syrian Catholics,
traditionally in Syria, number 200,000; and Malankar Catholics number 400,000,
mostly in India.
Armenian
Catholics were the first to convert as a nation to Christianity. Today they
number 700,000.
The
Church of Alexandria in Egypt was one of the original centers of Christianity,
since like Rome and Antioch it had a large Jewish population which was the
initial object of apostolic evangelization. Its Liturgy is attributed to St.
Mark the Evangelist. Coptic Catholics in
Egypt (not to be confused with the much larger Orthodox Coptic Church) number
less than 200,000. Ethiopian Catholics
number less than 100,000 and Eritrean Catholics less than 200,000.
Israel’s
8.3 million people are mostly Jewish—75 percent. Muslims account for about 18 percent of the
total and Christians only 2 percent or about 175,000. Most of these Christians are Catholic of one
Rite or another.
Palestine’s
4.5 million people are mostly Muslim.
Christians total about 75,000 or less than 2 percent. Most of these Christians are Greek Orthodox,
but some are Catholic.
Jordan’s
10.2 million people are almost all Muslims, but there are about 225,000
Christians. Most of the Christians are
Greek Orthodox or other Orthodox Christians, but there may be about 40,000
Catholics. Most of the Catholics belong to the Greek Melkite rite.
Roman-Rite
There are 70,000 Roman-rite Catholics in Israel,
Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus and are served by the Patriarch of
Jerusalem. The Diocese of Jerusalem
dates to Apostolic times and became the Patriarchal See of Jerusalem in 451. When Jerusalem fell to Saladin in 1187, the
Patriarchate was moved to Acre, then to Cyprus, and finally to Rome. Pope Pius
IX restored the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem in 1847. The Patriarch has two cathedrals in Jerusalem: the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher and the
Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
The Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher is Christianity’s most sacred
site as the locations of Jesus’ death and resurrection are contained within its
walls. There has been a church on this
site since 335, but the current church dates to the 11th
Century. The church is co-owned by the
Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and four other Orthodox
churches. These groups have not always
gotten along and the keys to the church have been controlled by two Muslim
families since the 12th Century.
This may be an official website:
churchoftheholysepulchre.net.
All are from Wikipedia.
The neo-Gothic Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus was
built in 1872. Its four stained glass
windows depict the Risen Christ, the Crucifixion, the Adoration of the Magi,
and the Four Evangelists.
Both are from Wikipedia.
Armenian-Rite
The Armenian Patriarchal Exarchy of Jerusalem and Amman
serves 500 Armenian-rite Catholics in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. The Exarchy was established in 1991 and is
immediately subject to the Armenian Patriarch in Lebanon. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows, also
known as Our Lady of the Spasm, is located in Jerusalem. The Cathedral was built in 1881 and is
located near the Fourth Station of the Cross (Jesus meets his Mother) on the
Via Dolorosa.
Chaldean-Rite
Chaldeans living in Israel and Palestine are served by
the Chaldean Territory Dependency of Jerusalem is immediately subject to the
Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq. The
Territory began as a patriarchal vicariate in 1970, became a patriarchal
exarchate in 1991, before being demoted to its present status in 1997.
The 4,000 Chaldeans living in Jordan are served by the Chaldean
Territory Dependency of Jordan, which is immediately subject to the Chaldean
Patriarch in Iraq. The Territory was
established in 2004.
Greek Melkite-Rite
There are more than 100,000 Greek Melkite Catholics in
Israel, Palestine, and Jordan and they are served by four ecclesiastical
jurisdictions, all of which are immediately subject to the Greek Melkite
Patriarch in Syria.
The Archdiocese of Akka, Israel, serves 70,000 Greek
Melkite Catholics. The Archdiocese was
established as a diocese in 1753 and became an archdiocese in 1964. The Archbishop’s cathedral is dedicated to
St. Elijah and is located in Haifa. St.
Elijah Cathedral was built in 1939. The
Cathedral’s door portrays the story of the Prophet Elijah.
Both are from Wikipedia.
The Titular Patriarchal See of Jerusalem was established
in 1838.
The Cathedral of the
Annunciation of the Virgin in Jerusalem is the Jerusalem cathedral for the
Greek Melkite patriarch in Damascus, Syria.
Both are from Wikipedia.
The Territory Dependency of Jerusalem serves 3,000
Greek-Melkite Catholics. The Territory was
established as a patriarchal vicariate in 1838.
It became a patriarchal exarchy in 1992 before being demoted to its
current status in 1998. The Territory is
administered by the Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia.
The Archdiocese of Petra and Philadelphia serves 30,000
Greek Melkite Catholics in Jordan. The
Archdiocese was established in 1932. The
Archbishop’s cathedral is dedicated to St. George and is located in Amman.
Maronite-Rite
There are 11,000 Maronite-rite Catholics in Israel,
Palestine and Jordan and they are under three jurisdictions, all of which are
immediately subject to the Maronite Patriarch in Lebanon.
The Maronite Archdiocese of Haifa and the Holy Land
serves 10,000 Catholics, mostly in Israel.
The Archdiocese was established in 1996.
The Cathedral of St. Louis the King is in Haifa and was constructed between 1883
and 1889.
Both are from Wikipedia.
The Maronite Patriarchal Exarchy of Jerusalem and
Palestine serves 500 Catholics in Palestine. The Maronite Patriarchal Exarchy of Jordan serves 700
Catholics in Jordan. Both were established
in 1996 and are administered by the Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land.
Syriac-Rite
There are 5,000 Syriac-rite Catholics in Israel,
Palestine and Jordan. They are under the
jurisdiction of the Syriac Patriarchal Exarchy of Jerusalem, which itself is
immediately subject to the Syriac Patriarch in Lebanon. The Exarchy was established in 1892 and St.
Thomas Church in Jerusalem serves as the Cathedral. It was built in 1986. There is a website for the Syriac guest house
at the cathedral:
guesthousejerusalem.com.
Definitions
The Catholic Church is mostly
divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese
and one or more dioceses. The province and the archdiocese are led by an
archbishop. Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led
by a bishop. Archbishops have some
responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the
Pope. There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese. In the Holy Land, there are some
jurisdictions called territorial dependencies, which are under the direct
control of the patriarch of the particular rite. This type of jurisdiction seems only to exist
in the Middle East.
