Ruthenian Catholic Church
The Ruthenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome, making it part of the larger Catholic Church, which includes twenty-two distinct churches. Its origins trace back to the ninth century in an area between present-day Slovakia and Ukraine, where it was influenced by the missionary work of Saints Cyril and Methodius. After initially aligning with the Orthodox Church during the Great Schism of 1054, the Ruthenian Church restored ties with Rome in 1646, officially becoming part of the Catholic Church by establishing its own eparchy in 1771.
Today, the church primarily operates in Ukraine, the United States, and the Czech Republic, emphasizing its unique liturgical language and style, which differentiates it from the Ukrainian Catholic Church. While the church recognizes the Pope as its leader, its organizational structure includes a bishop in Mukačevo, who oversees the eparchy but not its branches abroad. The Ruthenian Catholic Church subscribes to core Catholic beliefs, including the doctrine of the Trinity and the significance of Jesus' sacrifice. With a membership of approximately 598,000 as of 2012, it remains one of the smaller churches within the Catholic communion.
Ruthenian Catholic Church
The Ruthenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church and is in communion with the pope in Rome, which means the pope is the leader of the church. The overall Catholic Church is made up of twenty-two churches, including the Ruthenian Catholic Church. The Ruthenian Catholic Church is made up of several jurisdictions, but the relationship among these jurisdictions is not totally clear.
The Ruthenian Catholic Church has its origins in an area located between modern-day Slovakia and Ukraine in Central Europe. It has its own unique language and liturgical style, which separates it from other Catholic churches in the area, such as the Ukrainian Catholic Church. It is one of the smaller churches within the overall Catholic Church. Into the mid-2020s, it had over 415,000 members, mostly in Ukraine, the United States, and the Czech Republic (Czechia), according to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
History
Christianity was first brought to an area between modern Slovakia and Ukraine (alternatively called Carpathian Rus’, Carpatho-Ruthenia, Transcarpathia, and other names) during the ninth century CE by Cyril and Methodius, who were Christian missionaries and brothers born circa 826. The Ruthenian Catholic Church can trace its history back to this time. Because of its location, the church aligned closely with the Christian Church in Constantinople. During the Great Schism of 1054, the Ruthenian Church broke with the church in Rome and became an Orthodox church.
A number of centuries later, however, the leadership within the Ruthenian Church decided to restore its relationship with the Catholic Church in Rome. In 1646, the Ruthenian Church announced its repaired relationship with the Catholic Church. This event helped create what Empress Maria Theresa of Austro-Hungary called the Greek Catholic Church, which included the Ruthenian Catholic Church and the other Eastern Catholic Churches. Although the Ruthenian Catholics had mended ties with Rome more than a century earlier, the group did not have its own distinct church until 1771. At that time, Pope Clement XIV created the Ruthenian eparchy, a diocese or bishop's jurisdiction, in Mukačevo.
After World War II, part of Transcarpathia became part of the Soviet Union. The Soviets persecuted the Ruthenian Catholic Church, and they attempted to make the Ruthenians part of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Soviets also tried to wipe out the Rusyn identity by claiming all people in the region were Orthodox and Ukrainian.
By the late 1980s, the deterioration of the Soviet Union was evident, and the Ruthenian Catholic Church benefited from its decline. Members of the church began worshiping more freely, and in 1991, the pope ordained a bishop for the eparchy in Mukačevo.
The Ruthenian Catholic Church operates mostly in Ukraine, which means it operates in the same country as the Ukrainian Catholic Church. The Ruthenian Catholic Church has declared a number of times that it does not want to become part of the Ukrainian Catholic Church because it wants to keep its unique style of worship and its language. However, the Ruthenian Catholic Church has sent bishops to the Ukrainian Catholic Church's synod (which is a meeting of bishops) and remains close with the church.
Even the relationship among the Ruthenian Catholic Church jurisdictions is unclear. The eparchy of Mukačevo is under the direct leadership of the pope. However, the Ruthenian Catholic Church also has members and churches in the United States, the Czech Republic, and other countries. Often, the Ruthenian Catholic churches in the United States are referred to as simply Byzantine Catholic, and their services are often held in English. In other parts of the world, such as Canada and Australia, the Ruthenian Catholic Church does not distinguish itself from the Ukrainian Catholic Church. A major difference between the two has been in their respective reactions to the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the Ukrainian Catholic Church was vocal in its opposition to Russia, the Ruthenian Catholic Church declined to make a public statement, suggesting the church had become even further geographically distributed.
Beliefs
The Ruthenian Catholic Church holds many of the same beliefs as other Catholic churches. Members believe that God is a Trinity comprising three beings: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They also believe that Jesus, the Son, died to forgive humanity’s sins. The Ruthenian Catholic Church believes that the Universal Catholic Church is the one true church passed down from Jesus through his apostles.
Churches within the overall Catholic Church use different rites to celebrate the liturgy, or mass. The Ruthenian Catholic Church uses the Byzantine rite, which is also used by the Ukrainian Catholic Church and various other Eastern Catholic churches. However, the Ruthenian Catholic Church in Ukraine often conducts the liturgy in members' native language. Also, the Ruthenians have made some other changes to the rite (e.g., a change to the wording of the creed).
Organization
The pope is the leader of the Ruthenian Catholic Church. The bishops are the next most powerful figures in the church's hierarchy. The bishop in the eparchy of Mukačevo heads the church, but he has no jurisdiction over the branches of the Ruthenian Catholic Church in the United States and in the Czech Republic. Some other Eastern Catholic churches hold synods, which are meetings of a church's bishops. While some Ruthenian Catholic bishops have attended Ukrainian Catholic synods, the Ruthenian Church does not have a synod of its own. The next level of the hierarchy includes priests and deacons. Members of the church who are not part of the hierarchy are the laity.
Bibliography
“Eastern Catholic Churches Worldwide 2017.” CNEWA, cnewa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2017-Statistics-Worldwide-pie-chart.pdf. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
"History." Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, www.eparchyofpassaic.com/history.htm. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Shipman, Andrew. "Ruthenian Rite." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, www.newadvent.org/cathen/13277a.htm. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Yurkus, Kevin R. "The Other Catholics: A Short Guide to the Eastern Catholic Churches." Catholic Education Resource Center, 2005, www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-other-catholics-a-short-guide-to-the-eastern-catholic-churches.html. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.