"Non-Roman" Catholics who answer to the Pope?

[derby378]

When you hear the word "Catholic," you probably automatically think of Roman Catholics. However, there are some churches out there that maintain their own rituals, sacraments, and clergy that set them apart from the Roman tradition - but they still profess allegiance to the Bishop of Rome, now Pope Benedict XVI.

I know of a few such churches - the Byzantine Catholic Church, the Melkite Catholic Church, and the Maronite Church - but how many of these are there? And how much leeway do they have to stray from the Roman model before they're threatened with excommunication?

Just curious - thanks for any info!

[Montauk6]

1. Then there's the African American Catholic Congregation

Founded by then-Bishop, now-Archbishop George Stallings. Don't know the allegiance link to the Vatican though; though given the rancorous split at the beginning, I wouldn't count on so much.

[Coastie for Truth]

2. Are they the "Catholic Churches" with married priests

There was a girl in my HS class whose father was a Priest of an "Eastern Church." As she explained it, her Church professed allegiance to the Pope/Bishop of Rome, but had married Priests. Also had Cyrillic prayer books and Bibles, the gold onion dome churches, etc.

In my home town there were Ukrainian, Russian, Greek, and Central/Eastern European Catholic Churches that did not profess allegiance to the Pope/Bishop of Rome, but to Patriarchs in the East.

[Igel]

5. These might be Uniates.

I remember hearing about them in history class, but beyond that ... zilch.

[cmkramer]

3. I don't know too much about them

But to me, one of the most fascinating things about watching the late John Paul II's funeral was seeing the non Latin Rites Catholic clergy participating. I'm sure they've done so at all papal funerals, but I had never seen it.

I know the Eastern Rites Catholic churches allow priests to marry and have families.

[Inland]

4. Add a few.

Assyrians, chaldeans.

The deal, as I understand it, is that they can largely keep their rituals, internal disciplines, etc., as long as they accept the supremacy of the Pope in dogmatic matters and conform in some relatively important aspects of doctrine. How much leeway they get, I don't know. I suspect there is a HUGE contract somewhere.

The most noticeable aspect is the eastern rite priests get married. Eastern rites who switch to Roman rites keep them.

[Igel]

6. I thought the rule was basically one of the Pauline admonitions:

if you're married, don't seek to be loosed; if you're not married, don't seek to be bound.

[Inland]

7. I'm not familiar with any scriptural basis.

But the fact is that the Eastern Rite Catholics got a different set of rules from the Roman Rite Catholics, and they have married priests.

[James T. Kirk]

8. Useful link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Church#Particular_Churches_or_Rites

[dryan]

9. Byzantine Rite...

allows for a married clergy but the man must be married first before he becomes ordained or he cannot be married after he is ordained. They recognize the Holy See but they also have their own tradition, i.e., don't use music in their liturgy, for one. The Maronites are primarily in the Middle East, i.e. Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq. The former Vice-President of Iraq was a Maronite Catholic.