Eastern Catholic Christianity

Eastern Catholic Christianity comprises self-governing Eastern churches in communion with the Bishop of Rome while preserving their own liturgical, theological, spiritual, and canonical traditions.

Its churches arose in different historical circumstances and belong to Byzantine, Alexandrian, Antiochene, Armenian, and East Syriac liturgical families.

They share Catholic communion while retaining traditions that should not be reduced to Latin Catholic forms.

Their worship follows their own Eastern rites, calendars, languages, devotional customs, and sacramental disciplines.

Each church has its own hierarchy and canonical status within the wider Catholic communion.