Traditions
E

Tradition · Catholic

Eastern Catholic Churches

Followersabout 18 millionfaithful of the 23 churches (2017)How countedUnion with RomeVarious datesEach church entered or affirmed communion with Rome separately; the Union of Brest (1595–96) is one example.Read the historyCompare with another tradition

Eastern churches in full communion with Rome that keep their own liturgies and traditions.

Relationships with other traditions

How it took shape

Key timeline

View full timeline (4)
  1. 1595–1596

    Union of Brest

    Orthodox bishops of the Kyivan metropolitanate in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth accept union with Rome.

  2. 1724

    Melkite division in Antioch

    A disputed patriarchal election produces a Catholic (Melkite) patriarchate alongside the Orthodox one.

  3. 1964

    Orientalium Ecclesiarum

    The Second Vatican Council affirms the equal dignity of the Eastern churches and their traditions.

The workbook calls these “23 Rites”. Catholic usage distinguishes rites (liturgical traditions: Byzantine, Alexandrian, Antiochene, Armenian, Chaldean) from churches sui iuris, which the workbook appears to be counting.
Source
Some of these churches, such as the Maronites, maintain that they never broke communion with Rome. Others came from unions with parts of Orthodox churches; Orthodox churches have often criticised those unions, and the 1993 Balamand statement of the Catholic–Orthodox dialogue rejected “uniatism” as a model for future unity.
2 sources
Classification
Catholic. Self-governing Eastern churches (churches sui iuris) in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, keeping Eastern liturgies and canon law.
What this entry covers
A group of churches within the Catholic Church. The 23 Eastern churches sui iuris within the Catholic Church, which follow five liturgical traditions. Part of Catholic Church.
Union with Rome
Various dates. Each church entered or affirmed communion with Rome separately; the Union of Brest (1595–96) is one example.

Relationships with other traditions

Ecclesial unionVarious, 16th–20th centuriesA gradual process

Unions with Rome

Eastern Catholic ChurchesCatholic ChurchEastern Orthodox churches (churches from which several unions drew)Oriental Orthodox churches (churches from which several unions drew)

Ecclesial union: Part of one church enters communion with another while keeping its own liturgy, hierarchy and law.

The 23 Eastern Catholic churches did not form through one event. Several came from unions of parts of Eastern churches with Rome (the Union of Brest, 1596; Uzhhorod, 1646; the Melkite patriarchate, 1724; the Syro-Malankara Church, 1930); the Maronites and Italo-Albanians describe themselves as never having broken communion.
Source
What changed
Later developments
Today as of September 2026

Parts of one church

Part of the Catholic Church, which comprises 24 churches sui iuris: the Latin Church and 23 Eastern churches.
Source

Compare Eastern Catholic Churches and Catholic ChurchCompare Eastern Catholic Churches and Eastern Orthodox ChurchCompare Eastern Catholic Churches and Coptic Orthodox ChurchCompare Eastern Catholic Churches and Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Explained on other pages

Full timeline

  1. 1595–1596

    Union of Brest

    Orthodox bishops of the Kyivan metropolitanate in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth accept union with Rome.

    Explained below: Unions with Rome

  2. 1646

    Union of Uzhhorod

    Ruthenian clergy in the Carpathian region enter union with Rome.

    Explained below: Unions with Rome

  3. 1724

    Melkite division in Antioch

    A disputed patriarchal election produces a Catholic (Melkite) patriarchate alongside the Orthodox one.

    Explained below: Unions with Rome

  4. 1964

    Orientalium Ecclesiarum

    The Second Vatican Council affirms the equal dignity of the Eastern churches and their traditions.

Positions used in comparisons

Short, sourced statements that the Atlas compares across traditions. Where a tradition has no single teaching authority, the record says whose statement it follows.

God
The Catholic faith in the Trinity, often expressed in Eastern theological language.
2 sources

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Christ
The Catholic faith in Christ, true God and true man.
Source

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Creeds and councils
Confesses the Nicene Creed and receives the councils the Catholic Church holds as ecumenical. Practice on reciting the Filioque differs between churches and is not recorded here.
2 sources

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Scripture and authority
The Catholic understanding of Scripture and Tradition, with Eastern liturgical and patristic traditions.
2 sources

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Sacraments and ordinances
Seven sacraments (holy mysteries) in Eastern liturgical forms; infants are baptised.
2 sources

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Church and ministry
Twenty-three churches sui iuris, with their own hierarchies and canon law, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome.
3 sources
Mary and the saints
Mary as Theotokos and the saints are venerated and invoked, as in other Catholic and Eastern churches.
Source

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Day of worship
Sunday is the Lord's Day.
Source

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Compare these positions with another tradition

The follower figure

about 18 million faithful of the 23 churches (2017)

What is counted
Baptised members recorded by the church
As of
2017
Reported by
Annuario Pontificio 2017, compiled by Ronald G. Roberson for CNEWA
Type
Recorded by the reporting body
Coverage
All 23 Eastern Catholic churches; the largest are the Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Syro-Malabar and Maronite churches.
Do not add
Counted within the Catholic Church's total. Do not add the two figures.
This entry is
A group of churches within the Catholic Church. The 23 Eastern churches sui iuris within the Catholic Church, which follow five liturgical traditions.
Church-by-church figures from the Annuario Pontificio 2017 sum to about 17.8 million Eastern Catholic faithful. This is the most recent itemised count the Atlas has checked.
Source

Replaces the starting figure. Workbook: 18,000,000 (no source or date).

Figures from different traditions measure different things and must not be added together or ranked against each other.

About the image · Editorial placeholder

Editorial initial. These churches use several forms of the cross; no single shared emblem.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    vatican.va

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Christian Denominations”, row 10). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Christian Denominations”, row 10. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

Denomination / Tradition
Eastern Catholic Churches (23 Rites)
Broader Tradition
Catholicism
Date Established / Split
1596 AD (Union of Brest & others)
Origin / Location
Eastern Europe, Middle East
Forming Event / Schism
Re-union with Rome
Approx. Practitioners
18,000,000
Broke Away From
Eastern Orthodox & Oriental Orthodox
Primary Reason for Split / Core Doctrine
Restoration of full communion with the Pope of Rome while retaining traditional Eastern rites, liturgy, and canon law.
Reference / Information Link
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/orientchurch/

Editorial notes on this record

  • Denomination / Tradition: “23 Rites” conflates rites and churches sui iuris; the count of Eastern Catholic churches should be checked against the current Annuario Pontificio.
  • Forming Event / Schism: “Re-union with Rome” is a Catholic framing that Orthodox churches dispute; shown as “Union with Rome” with various dates.
  • Broke Away From: Workbook lists “Eastern Orthodox & Oriental Orthodox”; not every Eastern Catholic church originated by separating from these (e.g. Maronite self-understanding).

Research sources for this entry

Every relationship, position and figure above cites these. Each links to the Atlas’s single source register, which shows what each source supports and whether it was read.