Whats the difference between Roman Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, etc....?

Question

Is Byzantine (or eastern) Catholic the same as Orthodox? Is there a difference there between Greek Orthodox? Or is it all just country names based on where you live?

Answer 1

+++ Catholic Churches +++

Actually there are over 20 different Catholic Churches that make up the worldwide Catholic Church.

In addition to the Latin Rite (Roman) Catholic Church, the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Pope, and are part of the same worldwide Catholic Church.

Eastern Rite Catholic Churches include:

Alexandrian liturgical tradition
+ Coptic Catholic Church
+ Ethiopic Catholic Church

Antiochian (Antiochene or West-Syrian) liturgical tradition
+ Maronite Church
+ Syrian Catholic Church
+ Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Armenian liturgical tradition:
+ Armenian Catholic Church

Chaldean or East Syrian liturgical tradition:
+ Chaldean Catholic Church
+ Syro-Malabar Church

Byzantine (Constantinopolitan) liturgical tradition:
+ Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church
+ Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
+ Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
+ Byzantine Church of the Eparchy of Križevci
+ Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
+ Hungarian Greek Catholic Church
+ Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
+ Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
+ Melkite Greek Catholic Church
+ Romanian Church
+ Russian Byzantine Catholic Church
+ Ruthenian Catholic Church
+ Slovak Greek Catholic Church
+ Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13121a.htm

+++ Eastern Orthodox Churches +++

Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics separated from one another in 1054. There are very few theological differences. The main difference is that the Eastern Orthodox Churches (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11329a.htm) use the Byzantine Rite (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04312d.htm) and the Roman Catholic Church use the Roman or Latin Rite.

Pope John Paul II said of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Orientale Lumen, "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common." (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_02051995_orientale-lumen_en.html )

The Orthodox Churches are even more numerous and complicated than the Catholic Churches.

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
+ Finnish Orthodox Church
+ Estonian Orthodox Church
+ Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America
+ Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA
+ Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+ Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
+ Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western + Europe
. + Episcopal Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland
+ Mount Athos
+ Belorussian Council of Orthodox Churches in North America
+ Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
+ Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
+ Archdiocese in Italy and Malta
+ Archdiocese in Australia
+ 13 other small metropolises outside its canonical territory: Austria, Belgium, Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Korean Orthodox Church, Mexico and Central America, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal, and Switzerland

Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
+ African Orthodox groups in Kenya and Uganda

Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
+ Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
+ Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand, and All Oceania

Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
+ Church of Mount Sinai
+ Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in North and South America

Russian Orthodox Church
+ Ukrainian Orthodox Church
+ Moldovan Orthodox Church
+ Metropolis of Western Europe
+ Japanese Orthodox Church
+ Belarusian exarchate
+ Estonian exarchate
+ Latvian Orthodox Church
+ Hungarian exarchate
+ Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

Serbian Orthodox Church
+ Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric
+ Metropolitanate of Zagreb, Ljubljana and All Italy
+ Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
+ Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosna
+ Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada
+ Bishopric in Australia and New Zealand
+ Bishopric in Britain and Scandinavia
+ Bishopric of Buda
+ Bishopric in Central Europe
+ Bishopric in Timişoara
+ Bishopric in Western Europe

Romanian Orthodox Church
+ Metropolis of Bessarabia
+ Metropolis in France, Western and Southern Europe
+ Metropolis in Germany and Central Europe
+ Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada
+ Romanian Orthodox Bishopric Dacia Felix (in Serbia)

Bulgarian Orthodox Church
+ Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church Diocese of America, Canada and Australia
+ Diocese in Central and Western Europe

Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
Cypriot Orthodox Church
Church of Greece
Polish Orthodox Church
Albanian Orthodox Church
Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church in America
+ Orthodox Church in America Albanian Archdiocese
+ Orthodox Church in America Bulgarian Diocese
+ Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America
+ Orthodox Church in America Parishes in Australia

Orthodox Churches and communities not in communion with others (Schismatics)
+ Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
+ Bulgarian Alternative Synod
+ Orthodox Church in Italy
+ Macedonian Orthodox Church
+ Montenegrin Orthodox Church
+ Russian Orthodox Church in Exile
+ Russian True Orthodox Church
+ Karamanli Turkish Orthodox Church
+ Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate)
+ Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
+ Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05230a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church#Orthodox_churches_.28churches_in_full_communion.29

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

All have a genuine priesthood, rooted in the succession of the Apostles. Roman (or Latin) Rite Catholics and Byzantine (or Eastern) Catholics are all Catholic and under the authority of the Pope. There are something like 17 Rites listed under the Byzantine Catholic. Most of the Byzantine Catholics have an Orthodox "counter-part" who are not in union with the Pope. An example would be Ukranian Catholic and Orthodox Catholic. If you went to their Divine Liturgies, the main thing that would stand out is a prayer that includes the Pope in the Ukranian Catholic church. There is a whole history here that is way too much for this forum!

Answer 3

The main difference involves the primacy of the Pope.

There are some other differences. The Orthodox Bible contains a few minor books that are not included in the Catholic Bible (just as the Catholic Bible contains books that the Protestants decided to take out). Orthodox priests can marry, etc.

But their beliefs are very similar -- much more similar than either is to Protestant religions (other than those that are derivative of the Catholic Church -- like the Anglican Church).

Answer 4

The most important thing would be... although there are some minor differences...all of these are in communion with one another and can and do worship together in given circumstances.

Here in the United States there are examples of "Eastern" Churches, such as Maronite, being attached to a Roman Catholic Diocese.

The differences between the "Eastern" or Orthodox Church and the "Western" Roman Rite Church are really very small in the big picture. One thing would be that Orthodox Eastern Priests are permitted to marry.

Answer 5

Byzantine Catholics are Roman Catholics, one of several rites of the Catholic Church, which are all unified under the headship of the Pope. The Orthodox Churches are not under the Pope and are not Catholic.

Answer 6

A lot of disagreement over what we see as little things now and what they saw as big things then.

Answer 7

They all need the TRinity or they are false.