What is the Byzantine Catholic Church?
The Byzantine Catholic Church is part of a larger Catholic Church. Historically, the Christian Church was divided into two halves, the Western Church and the Eastern Church. Politically and culturally, these divisions reflected the early divisions of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine Catholic Church is part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Byzantine Catholics consist of seven different groups and follow the ceremony or religious practices of the Catholic Orthodox Church.
As citizens, the Byzantine Catholics were dominated by the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. They are spiritually followed by their patriarch sitting in Constantinople. Patriarch is the father of the Church and one of her recognized spiritual authorities. The Pope is honored as the patriarch of Rome, one of the same, but not superior to the other patriarchs of the Catholic Church.
Historically, the Western Church was concentrated on Rome, both in language and in culture. Latin was a liturgical or public worship and religious ceremonies. The Byzantine Orthodox Church was concentrated in ConstantinopOli and Greek was a liturgical language. Due to its long distance from Rome, the Byzantine Catholic Church was more influenced by Greek, Syrian and oriental cultures. The liturgy consists of seven different groups, performed in the languages of group members.
For example, Melkit stays in Syria and Egypt use a mixture of Arabic and Greek liturgically. Romanian Byzantine Catholics, mostly living in Transylvania, use their own language for all liturgical functions. All seven groups use a Byzantine ceremony concerning the divine office. These are the duties of fulfillment for God. They include recitation of certain prayers in solid hours by priests, spirit and religious. The importance of the Orthodox is the "right believer" and any Catholic Christian follv due to the Byzantine ceremony is considered orthodox.
Roman Emperor Constantine for whom Constantinople, now Istanbul, wanted to find“New Rome”. One heritage he left was the split in the Catholic Church that still exists. The past Popes did not recognize the patriarch of Constantinople. Constantine, however, was very strong and I always managed to keep there. Today, the Byzantine Catholic Church does not recognize the Pope as the supreme religious authority, but instead as the patriarch of the Church among the Eques.
The Byzantine Catholic Church, under its rich and diverse cultural influences, was very different from the Roman Catholic Church. Byzantine art of mixed church and oriental influences to create religious proposals that have not yet been seen. Animals were used symbolically in religious art. Dragons and birds with human heads decorated with stained glass. They gathered winged lions and read sacred books decorated with arches and walls.
Difference has evolved between Eastern and Western churches on religious dogma. One Catholic doctrine remains consistent. Neither of the half is one church and each is the sum ofpart of the whole.