What Is the Byzantine Rite?
Born in Antioch, shaped in Constantinople, and shared by about fourteen Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome: what the Byzantine Rite is.
What is the Byzantine Catholic Rite? Why do they take communion with a spoon and why does their liturgy look so different? Well, the Byzantine Catholic Rite is a family of Eastern Churches that share the Byzantine tradition. They include Ruthenians, Melkites, Ukrainian Catholics and many more. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s get a basic introduction to the Byzantine Catholic Rite with this lesson. I’m your host Shalone Cason and let’s begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
It began in Antioch
it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
— Acts 11:26
Antioch was one of the great cities of the Roman Empire, and its people spoke Greek. Saint Paul made it the starting point of his missionary journeys, and Saint Peter himself lived there for a time. From churches like Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria grew the Eastern traditions of Christianity, with their own languages, prayers and customs. The Byzantine tradition is one of them, and its roots run back to these first Greek-speaking believers.
Its worship grew from Antioch’s
It is derived from that of Antioch.
— Catholic Encyclopedia, “The Rite of Constantinople”
A rite is a Church’s whole way of worship: its prayers, its music, the way it celebrates the sacraments. The Byzantine Rite took its shape in Constantinople, but it follows the pattern of the ancient liturgy of Antioch. Its two main liturgies carry the names of two great bishops of the fourth century, Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom. Byzantine Catholics still pray these same liturgies today.
One faith, more than one tradition
Churches of the same geographical and cultural area came to celebrate the mystery of Christ through particular expressions characterized by the culture
— Catechism 1202
A Byzantine Catholic and a Roman Catholic share the same faith, the same seven sacraments, and the same Eucharist. What differs is how they pray. Byzantine churches are filled with icons, the liturgy is sung from beginning to end, and its prayers come from the Greek Fathers of the Church. The Catechism counts the Byzantine Rite among the rites in use in the Church today, alongside the Latin, Alexandrian, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean rites.
A family of self-governing Churches
It is in these, and formed out of them, that the one and unique Catholic Church exists.
— Christ – Our Pascha 285
“These” are the self-governing Churches. The Catholic Church is not only the Roman Church. It is a communion of Churches, Eastern and Western, each with its own bishops, laws and tradition. The Latin Church is the largest. Among the Eastern Catholic Churches, several share the Byzantine tradition, such as the Ruthenian, Ukrainian and Melkite Churches. A Byzantine Catholic belongs to one of these, and so belongs fully to the one Catholic Church.
In communion with Rome
The first among self-governing Churches is the Church of Rome, because its presider is the Pope of Rome, the successor of the apostle Peter.
— Christ – Our Pascha 291
So what is the Byzantine Rite? It is the prayers, icons and customs that grew in Antioch and took their shape in Constantinople. About fourteen Eastern Catholic Churches share it, each in full communion with the Pope, just like the Latin Church. In America, “Byzantine Catholic Church” usually refers to the Ruthenian Church specifically. Because all of these churches are one Catholic Church, a Byzantine Catholic can receive Communion at a Roman Catholic Mass, and a Roman Catholic can receive at a Byzantine Divine Liturgy.
And that is your intro to the Byzantine Catholic Rite in a nutshell. It started in Antioch and grew into a family of self-governing Churches in communion with Rome. Even though their worship is somewhat different than Roman Catholics, we share the same faith and follow the Pope. Thanks for learning with us and until next time, I’ve been your host, Shalone Cason, please stay holy my friends.
Check your understanding
Your answers stay on your device.
- "It was in ____ that the disciples were first called Christians."
- The Byzantine Rite follows the pattern of the ancient liturgy of Antioch.
- What do Byzantine Catholics and Roman Catholics share?
- The Catholic Church is made up only of the Roman, or Latin, Church.
- What makes the Churches of the Byzantine Rite Catholic?
Sources
- Acts 11:19–26 (NABRE)
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1908): The Rite of Constantinople
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1200–1206
- Christ – Our Pascha: Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, 285, 291
Written and narrated by Shalone Cason, who chose the topic, selected the points, and reviewed every line. Researched and drafted with AI assistance (Claude) from the sources above. Every quotation is checked word for word against its source.
