Grand Archbishop
A major archbishop ( Latin archiepiscopus maior ) is the head of an Eastern Catholic Church who exercises the same jurisdiction over his autonomous ( sui iuris ) particular Church as an Eastern Church patriarch in community with the Roman Pope .
The fact that the Vatican does not grant the patriarchal title to heads of churches who did not already operate as patriarchates in the old church should take into account the sensitivities of their non-Catholic counterparts. This is done in our own ranks z. In some cases, however, perceived as inappropriate and covered over in everyday life by unofficial use of the more prestigious title "Patriarch". Indeed, the differences between a Major Archbishop and a Patriarch are largely ceremonial:
- The major archbishop ranks below the patriarchs in the protocol of honor, but above the Catholic primates .
- When major archbishops are appointed cardinals , they belong to the class of cardinal priests , while patriarchs belong to the class of cardinal bishops .
Like Eastern Church patriarchs, major archbishops are also elected by the synod of bishops of their respective church, while the former only ask the Pope for the ecclesiastica communio (ecclesiastical community) after their enthronement, the latter must be confirmed by the Pope before their enthronement. Comparable with the Catholic "major archbishops" are those heads of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches called "archbishops" who, for various reasons, do not bear the title of patriarch. B. the Archbishop of Athens and the Archbishop of Cyprus.
There are currently four major archbishop's seats within the Catholic Church, which preside over the autonomous particular churches of an Eastern rite:
| Bishopric | sui-iuris church | bishop | Elevation to the Grand Archbishopric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiev-Halych ( Ukraine ) | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church | Svyatoslav Shevchuk | 2005 (1963) |
| Ernakulam-Angamaly ( Kerala , India ) | Syro-Malabar Church | George Cardinal Alencherry | 1993 |
| Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala, India) | Syro Malankar Church | Isaac Cleemis Cardinal Thottunkal | February 2005 |
| Alba Iulia-Făgăraș ( Romania ) | Romanian Greek Catholic Church | Lucian Cardinal Mureșan | December 2005 |
Remarks:
- ↑ Between 1963 and 2005, the Grand Archbishopric of Lviv ( Lviv ). The aim is to have its own patriarchy in Kiev . The designation of the major archbishop as "patriarch" has long been customary on site.
- ↑ The Grand Archbishop of the Syro-Malankar Church has the minor title of " Catholicos ".
literature
- Peter Hünermann, Bernd Jochen Hilberath: Herder's theological commentary on the Second Vatican Council . 2nd edition Herder, 2005, ISBN 978-3-451-28561-5 .