Eastern Catholic Churches represent a small percentage of
overall Catholic Church compared to Latin rite
The three most important churches are Eastern Byzantine Ukrainian Greek
Catholic Church with 4.3 million (25%), Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with 3.9 million (23%), and
Maronite Catholic Church with 3.3 million (20%).
As we have discussed, Catholicism consists of different churches in various
regions, keeping all of them a “sacred link” based on communion of faith, the Sacraments as well
as Leadership of the Church of Rome.
Therefore, it is said that Bishops of these churches “maintains hierarchical communion” with the Bishop of Rome
That is, these churches retain their hierarchy, organization, and rituals but also recognized as the highest spiritual authority of the Pope of Rome
Canonically, each Eastern Catholic Church is “sui iuris” or autonomous to other Catholic Churches
Theologically, all these churches are considered “Sister Churches,” according to the Vatican Decree on the Eastern Catholic Churches
The CNEWA estimated that Syriac Christians make up 47% of Eastern Catholics, and Byzantine Christians make up 46%.
Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine belongs to Eastern Catholic churches and thus is in full communion with the Holy See. The primate is the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych
and all Russia. In her liturgy used Ukrainian language. Currently, Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine has between three and five million followers in Ukraine. Globally, there are between 6 and 10 million followers
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (India)
is one of the twenty-two Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome.
It is the second-largest Eastern Catholic Church after Ukrainian church with about 4.6 million believers. It is a church's right (“sui juris”) governed by a synod of bishops, headed by Archbishop
Major
Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See.
There are about 1.6
million followers. Traditional language of worship is Arabic and Greek