Roman Catholic Church
Author: Jobi Varghese Date: September 11, 2005
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The Roman Catholic Church is the Church with its headquarters at Rome in Italy. The Roman Catholic Church is commonly referred to by the name Catholic Church.
Every Catholic person anywhere in the world - everyone who is a member of a Catholic Church that has allegiance to the Church of Rome and thus to the Pope - belongs to the Roman Catholic Church and is therefore Roman Catholic.
The Catholic Church is the communion of 22 individual or sui juris Churches. There is one Latin Church, and there are 21 Oriental (Eastern Rite) Churches. All these Churches are in full communion with the Church of Rome, forming the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
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Each of these 21 Oriental churches (rites) has its own hierarchy, traditions, and practices. There are six major rites in the Catholic Church. These are: Roman (Latin), Alexandrian, Armenian, Antiochene (Antiochian), Byzantine, and Chaldean. Excepting the Roman (Latin) Church, all other churches are called Oriental Churches or Eastern Churches. Each of these five major Eastern rite (Oriental) churches has sister churches, taking the total number of Oriental or Eastern Churches to 21.
The Syro-Malabar Church, an Oriental (Eastern Rite) Church and the second largest of the 21 Oriental Churches, is a sister church of the Chaldean church, and follows the Chaldean (East Syrian) tradition, the liturgy of the Chaldean Church having been derived from the Antiochean tradition.
The Syro-Malankara Church is also an Oriental (Eastern Rite) Church. It is a sister church of the Antiochene (Antiochian) Church, and follows the Antiochean (West Syrian) tradition.
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The most significant point, however, is that the Catholic Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic and is known as the "Roman Catholic Church".
Terms & Meanings
catholic = universal
apostolic = conforming to the teachings of the apostles, related to the succession of spiritual authority from the apostles
communion = unity, fellowship, rapport
sui juris = autonomous, self-governing, capable of managing one's own affairs
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church
The Catholic Church is apostolic in the succession of the Pope and Bishops, and owns the authority that Jesus gave the apostles.
The Catholic Church is One because all the churches are in communion with the Pope who is the Bishop of Rome.
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