Slovak Greek Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The Slovak Greek Catholic Church, or Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite
particular Church
in full union with the Roman Catholic Church
. L'Osservatore Romano
of January 31, 2008 reported that, in Slovakia
alone, it had some 350,000 faithful, 374 priests and 254 parishes. In addition, the 2007 Annuario Pontificio
gave its Canadian
Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto as having 25,000 faithful, 6 priests and 7 parishes. The Slovak Greek Catholic Church is in full communion
with Holy See
.
in 1646 was unanimously accepted on the territory that includes present day eastern Slovakia
, the history of Slovak Greek Catholic Church was for centuries intertwined with that of the Ruthenian Catholic Church
. At the end of World War I
, most Greek Catholic Ruthenians and Slovaks were included within the territory of Czechoslovakia
, including two eparchies
, Prešov
and Mukačevo
. The eparchy of Prešov, created on September 22, 1818, was removed in 1937 from the jurisdiction of the Hungarian
primate and subjected directly to the Holy See
, while the 21 parishes of the eparchy of Prešov that were in Hungary were formed into the new exarchate of Miskolc
.
After World War II
, the eparchy of Mukačevo in Transcarpathia
was annexed by the Soviet Union
, thus the eparchy of Prešov included all the Greek Catholics that remained in Czechoslovakia. After communists seized the country in April 1950, a "synod" was convoked at Prešov, at which five priests and a number of laymen signed a document declaring that the union with Rome was disbanded and asking to be received into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, later the Orthodox Church of Czechoslovakia. Greek Catholic bishop Blessed Pavel Petro Gojdič of Prešov along with his auxiliary, Blessed Basil Hopko
, were imprisoned and bishop Gojdič died in prison in 1960.
During the Prague Spring
in 1968, the former Greek Catholic parishes were allowed to restore communion with Rome. Of the 292 parishes involved, 205 voted in favor. This was one of the few reforms by Dubček
that survived the Soviet invasion the same year. However, most of their church buildings remained in the hands of Orthodox Church.
After communism was overthrown in the 1989 Velvet Revolution
, most of the Church property was returned to the Slovak Greek Catholic Church by 1993, the year after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
. For Greek Catholics in the Czech Republic, a separate Apostolic Vicariate
was created, elevated in 1996 to an Exarchate (now considered part of Ruthenian Catholic Church
); the 2007 Annuario Pontificio indicated that it had by then grown to having 177,704 faithful, 37 priests and 25 parishes.
In Slovakia itself, Pope John Paul II
created an Apostolic Exarchate of Košice
in 1997. Pope Benedict XVI
raised this to the level of an Eparchy
on January 30, 2008 and at the same time erected the new Byzantine-rite Eparchy of Bratislava
. He also raised Prešov to the level of a metropolitan see, constituting the Slovak Greek Catholic Church as a sui iuris metropolitan Church. At that date there were only two other sui iuris metropolitan Eastern Catholic Churches: the Ethiopian Catholic Church
and the Ruthenian Metropolia of Pittsburgh.
Canada:
, the Slovak Greek Catholics are not distinguished from the Ruthenians
. Nonetheless, they have an eparchy in Canada
, the Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto
.
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
particular Church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
in full union with the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano is the "semi-official" newspaper of the Holy See. It covers all the Pope's public activities, publishes editorials by important churchmen, and runs official documents after being released...
of January 31, 2008 reported that, in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
alone, it had some 350,000 faithful, 374 priests and 254 parishes. In addition, the 2007 Annuario Pontificio
Annuario Pontificio
The Annuario Pontificio is the annual directory of the Holy See. It lists all the popes to date and all officials of the Holy See's departments...
gave its Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto as having 25,000 faithful, 6 priests and 7 parishes. The Slovak Greek Catholic Church is in full communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
History
Since the Union of UzhhorodUnion of Uzhhorod
The Union of Uzhhorod, also referred to as Union of Ungvár, was the 1646 decision of 63 Ruthenian Orthodox priests from the south slopes of the Carpathian Mountains, then within the Kingdom of Hungary, to join the Catholic Church on terms similar to the Union of Brest from 1596 in the lands of the...
in 1646 was unanimously accepted on the territory that includes present day eastern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, the history of Slovak Greek Catholic Church was for centuries intertwined with that of the Ruthenian Catholic Church
Ruthenian Catholic Church
The Ruthenian Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church , which uses the Divine Liturgy of the Constantinopolitan Byzantine Eastern Rite. Its roots are among the Rusyns who lived in the region called Carpathian Ruthenia, in and around the Carpathian Mountains...
. At the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, most Greek Catholic Ruthenians and Slovaks were included within the territory of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, including two eparchies
Eparchy
Eparchy is an anglicized Greek word , authentically Latinized as eparchia and loosely translating as 'rule over something,' like province, prefecture, or territory, to have the jurisdiction over, it has specific meanings both in politics, history and in the hierarchy of the Eastern Christian...
, Prešov
Archeparchy of Prešov
The Archeparchy of Prešov is an archeparchy of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church which covers the territory of the Prešov Region. It has the suffragans of: Eparchy of Košice and Eparchy of Bratislava. As of 2004 it had 136,593 Greek Catholic faithful. and its seat is in Prešov.-History:The eparchy...
and Mukačevo
Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Mukacheve
The Eparchy of Mukacheve is an eparchy of the Ruthenian Catholic Church, with territory located in the west of Ukraine.The eparchy, like the entire Ruthenian Catholic Church, is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church...
. The eparchy of Prešov, created on September 22, 1818, was removed in 1937 from the jurisdiction of the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
primate and subjected directly to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, while the 21 parishes of the eparchy of Prešov that were in Hungary were formed into the new exarchate of Miskolc
Miskolc
Miskolc is a city in northeastern Hungary, mainly with heavy industrial background. With a population close to 170,000 Miskolc is the fourth largest city of Hungary It is also the county capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and the regional centre of Northern Hungary.- Geography :Miskolc is located...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the eparchy of Mukačevo in Transcarpathia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
was annexed by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, thus the eparchy of Prešov included all the Greek Catholics that remained in Czechoslovakia. After communists seized the country in April 1950, a "synod" was convoked at Prešov, at which five priests and a number of laymen signed a document declaring that the union with Rome was disbanded and asking to be received into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, later the Orthodox Church of Czechoslovakia. Greek Catholic bishop Blessed Pavel Petro Gojdič of Prešov along with his auxiliary, Blessed Basil Hopko
Basil Hopko
Basil or Vasiľ Hopko was a priest and bishop of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II for his martyrdom under Communist occupation.-Life:...
, were imprisoned and bishop Gojdič died in prison in 1960.
During the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
in 1968, the former Greek Catholic parishes were allowed to restore communion with Rome. Of the 292 parishes involved, 205 voted in favor. This was one of the few reforms by Dubček
Alexander Dubcek
Alexander Dubček , also known as Dikita, was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia , famous for his attempt to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring...
that survived the Soviet invasion the same year. However, most of their church buildings remained in the hands of Orthodox Church.
After communism was overthrown in the 1989 Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
, most of the Church property was returned to the Slovak Greek Catholic Church by 1993, the year after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. For Greek Catholics in the Czech Republic, a separate Apostolic Vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
was created, elevated in 1996 to an Exarchate (now considered part of Ruthenian Catholic Church
Ruthenian Catholic Church
The Ruthenian Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church , which uses the Divine Liturgy of the Constantinopolitan Byzantine Eastern Rite. Its roots are among the Rusyns who lived in the region called Carpathian Ruthenia, in and around the Carpathian Mountains...
); the 2007 Annuario Pontificio indicated that it had by then grown to having 177,704 faithful, 37 priests and 25 parishes.
In Slovakia itself, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
created an Apostolic Exarchate of Košice
Eparchy of Košice
The Eparchy of Košice is an eparchy of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church which covers the territory of the Košice Region in Slovakia. The eparchy is suffragan to the metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov. It was established on 30 January 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI on the basis of the Apostolic Exarchate...
in 1997. Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
raised this to the level of an Eparchy
Eparchy
Eparchy is an anglicized Greek word , authentically Latinized as eparchia and loosely translating as 'rule over something,' like province, prefecture, or territory, to have the jurisdiction over, it has specific meanings both in politics, history and in the hierarchy of the Eastern Christian...
on January 30, 2008 and at the same time erected the new Byzantine-rite Eparchy of Bratislava
Eparchy of Bratislava
The Eparchy of Bratislava is an eparchy of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church which covers the territory of western and central Slovakia, i.e., Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra, Trenčín, Žilina and Banská Bystrica regions . The eparchy is a suffragan to the metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov...
. He also raised Prešov to the level of a metropolitan see, constituting the Slovak Greek Catholic Church as a sui iuris metropolitan Church. At that date there were only two other sui iuris metropolitan Eastern Catholic Churches: the Ethiopian Catholic Church
Ethiopian Catholic Church
The Ethiopian Catholic Church is a Metropolitan sui iuris Eastern particular Church within the Catholic Church. Established in 1930, its membership includes inhabitants of Ethiopia and Eritrea....
and the Ruthenian Metropolia of Pittsburgh.
Structure
Slovakia:- Archeparchy of PrešovArcheparchy of PrešovThe Archeparchy of Prešov is an archeparchy of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church which covers the territory of the Prešov Region. It has the suffragans of: Eparchy of Košice and Eparchy of Bratislava. As of 2004 it had 136,593 Greek Catholic faithful. and its seat is in Prešov.-History:The eparchy...
with the following suffragans:- Eparchy of BratislavaEparchy of BratislavaThe Eparchy of Bratislava is an eparchy of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church which covers the territory of western and central Slovakia, i.e., Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra, Trenčín, Žilina and Banská Bystrica regions . The eparchy is a suffragan to the metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov...
- Eparchy of KošiceEparchy of KošiceThe Eparchy of Košice is an eparchy of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church which covers the territory of the Košice Region in Slovakia. The eparchy is suffragan to the metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov. It was established on 30 January 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI on the basis of the Apostolic Exarchate...
- Eparchy of Bratislava
Canada:
- Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Abroad
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Slovak Greek Catholics are not distinguished from the Ruthenians
Ruthenians
The name Ruthenian |Rus']]) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially, it was the ethnonym used for the East Slavic peoples who lived in Rus'. Later it was used predominantly for Ukrainians...
. Nonetheless, they have an eparchy in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
External links
- Byzantine Catholic Church in Slovakia - unofficial website Gréckokatolícke arcibiskupstvo Prešov Gréckokatolícka eparchia Košice Gréckokatolícka eparchia Bratislava
- Eparchy of Ss. Cyril and Methodius for Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite in Canada Apoštolský exarchát řeckokatolické církve v České republice Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Prešov
- Slovak Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God (Toronto) Gréckokatolícka farnosť a protopresbyterát Medzilaborce