God
133-695: Schools Relations with: The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches , also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches , Eastern Rite Catholicism , or simply the Eastern Churches , are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ( sui iuris ) particular churches of the Catholic Church , in full communion with the pope in Rome . Although they are distinct theologically, liturgically, and historically from
266-753: A Catholic minister, are permitted to participate and to receive Holy Communion in an Assyrian celebration of the Holy Eucharist". The Oriental Orthodox Churches have a similar understanding of communion as the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church . There is no leader of all the Oriental Orthodox Churches. All churches within the Oriental Orthodox Churches are autocephalous and operate and function on their own. All Oriental Orthodox Churches are in full communion with each other. They can take part in all
399-667: A bishop or equivalent, and this can include both local dioceses as well as autonomous (or sui juris ) particular churches, which include other rites such as the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches . A 1992 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) letter to Catholic bishops expressed this idea as: " ' the universal Church cannot be conceived as the sum of the particular Churches, or as
532-853: A distinct theology and dogma , include the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox communion, the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East. In most Eastern churches, parish priests administer the sacrament of chrismation to infants after baptism , and priests are allowed to marry before ordination. The Eastern Catholic Churches recognize the authority of the Pope of Rome , but some of them who have originally been part of
665-839: A federation of particular Churches '. It is not the result of the communion of the Churches, but, in its essential mystery, it is a reality ontologically and temporally prior to every individual particular Church". The autonomous Catholic churches in full communion with the Holy See are: Jus novum ( c. 1140 -1563) Jus novissimum ( c. 1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of
798-475: A high number of graduate (68%) and post-graduate (28%) degrees per capita. Scholars and intellectuals agree Christians have made significant contributions to Arab and Islamic civilization since the introduction of Islam , and they have had a significant impact contributing the culture of the Middle East and North Africa and other areas. Byzantine science played an important and crucial role in
931-795: A member of the Anglican Communion , is in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Moravian Church (Northern and Southern Provinces), Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India , Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, Philippine Independent Church , and the Church of Sweden . They are not, currently, in full communion with the Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, or
1064-567: A safeguard against aggressive initiatives. These interventions felt the effects of the mentality and convictions of the times, according to which a certain subordination of the non-Latin liturgies was perceived toward the Latin-Rite liturgy which was considered " ritus praestantior ". This attitude may have led to interventions in the Eastern liturgical texts which today, in light of theological studies and progress, have need of revision, in
1197-720: A specific rite" (canon 476), etc. The Second Vatican Council spoke of Eastern Catholic Churches as "particular Churches or rites". In 1999, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated: "We have been accustomed to speaking of the Latin (Roman or Western) Rite or the Eastern Rites to designate these different Churches. However, the Church's contemporary legislation as contained in the Code of Canon Law and
1330-533: A top-down hierarchy (see primus inter pares ). The Eastern Orthodox reject the Filioque clause as contrast to Catholics. The Catholic Church was once in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church, but the two split after the East–West Schism and are no longer in communion. It is estimated that there are approximately 240 million Eastern Orthodox Christians in the world. Today, many adherents shun
1463-526: A witness to the Apostolicity of the Catholic Church, that their diversity, consistent with unity of the faith, is itself a witness to the unity of the Church, that they add to her dignity and honour. He says that the Catholic Church does not possess one rite only, but that she embraces all the ancient rites of Christendom; her unity consists not in a mechanical uniformity of all her parts, but on
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#17327733573121596-502: Is "an expository expansion based upon the canons, with constant emphasis upon the preservation of Eastern liturgical traditions and a return to those usages whenever possible—certainly in preference to the usages of the Latin Church , however much some principles and norms of the conciliar constitution on the Roman rite, "in the very nature of things, affect other rites as well." The Instruction states: The liturgical laws valid for all
1729-593: Is impossible to translate in most other languages, and is not universally accepted even in English. These churches are also referred to as pre-Chalcedonian or now more rarely as non-Chalcedonian or anti-Chalcedonian . In languages other than English other means are used to distinguish the two families of Churches. Some reserve the term "Orthodox" for those that are here called "Eastern Orthodox" Churches, but members of what are called " Oriental Orthodox " Churches consider this illicit. The East–West Schism came about in
1862-614: Is lacking. Accordingly, they see the Church as in partial communion with Protestants and in much closer, but still incomplete, communion with Orthodox Churches. It has expressed this distinction in documents such as Unitatis redintegratio , the Second Vatican Council 's decree on ecumenism , which states: "quite large communities came to be separated from full communion with the Catholic Church. [...] Men who believe in Christ and have been truly baptized are in communion with
1995-619: Is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of their faithful, while seeking to live in peace with their neighbours. Orthodox and Greek Catholics are in need of reconciliation and of mutually acceptable forms of co–existence.' The 1996 Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches brought together, in one place, the developments that took place in previous texts, and
2128-795: Is not a utopia. At a meeting in Balamand , Lebanon , in June 1993, the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church declared that these initiatives that "led to the union of certain communities with the See of Rome and brought with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion with their Mother Churches of the East … took place not without
2261-400: Is sometimes considered derogatory by such people, though it was used by some Latin and Eastern Catholics prior to the Second Vatican Council of 1962–1965. Official Catholic documents no longer use the term due to its perceived negative overtones. Eastern Catholic Churches have their origins in the Middle East , North Africa , East Africa , Eastern Europe and South India . However, since
2394-886: Is the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches , which by law includes as members all Eastern Catholic patriarchs and major archbishops. The largest six churches based on membership are, in order, the Syro-Malabar Church (East Syriac Rite), the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC; Byzantine Rite), the Maronite Church (West Syriac Rite), the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite), the Chaldean Catholic Church (East Syriac Rite), and
2527-645: Is the largest Eastern Catholic Church, followed by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church . With the exception of the Maronite Church , the Eastern Catholic Churches are groups that, at different points in the past, used to belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church , the Oriental Orthodox churches, or the Church of the East ; these churches underwent various schisms throughout history. Eastern Catholic Churches formerly part of other communions have been points of controversy in ecumenical relations with
2660-432: Is thus made up of fourteen or sixteen autocephalous bodies. Smaller churches are autonomous and each have a mother church that is autocephalous. All Eastern Orthodox are united in doctrinal agreement with each other, though a few are not in communion at present, for non-doctrinal reasons. This is in contrast to the Catholic Church and its various churches. Members of the latter are all in communion with each other, parts of
2793-610: Is very similar to that of the Catholic Church. Though they have no figure corresponding to that of the Roman Catholic Pope, performing a function like that of the Pope's Petrine Office for the whole of their respective communions, they see each of their autocephalous churches as embodiments of, respectively, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. They too consider full communion an essential condition for common sharing in
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#17327733573122926-643: The 7 sacraments from each other's churches. The Oriental Orthodox churches are: The Oriental Orthodox Churches have a relationship with the Roman Catholic Church , and is working on a relationship with the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Christian Churches. The Oriental Orthodox Churches believe in Apostolic Succession, the concept that Jesus Christ gave spiritual authority to the 12 Apostles and 72 Disciples, and that authority has been passed on till this day. For example,
3059-640: The Apostolic See , is to help them fully realize their own identity. The authoritative general directive of this Instruction, formulated to be implemented in Eastern celebrations and liturgical life, articulates itself in propositions of a juridical-pastoral nature, constantly taking initiative from a theological perspective. Past interventions by the Holy See, the Instruction said, were in some ways defective and needed revision, but often served also as
3192-550: The Armenian Catholic Church (Armenian Rite). These six churches account for about 85% of the membership of the Eastern Catholic Churches. On 30 November 1894, Pope Leo XIII issued the apostolic constitution Orientalium dignitas , in which he stated: The Churches of the East are worthy of the glory and reverence that they hold throughout the whole of Christendom in virtue of those extremely ancient, singular memorials that they have bequeathed to us. For it
3325-679: The Augsburg Confession which says that "the true unity of the church" is present where "the gospel is rightly preached and sacraments rightly administered." They believe that full communion between two denominations is not a merger, but rather is when two denominations develop a relationship based on a mutual understanding, respect and recognition of Baptism and sharing of the Lord's Supper. They may worship together, exchange clergy, and share commitments to evangelism and service. For example, groups recognized as being in full communion with
3458-619: The Balkans and the Caucasus ( Georgia , Abkhazia , Ossetia etc.), with a growing presence in the Western world . Eastern Orthodox Christians accept the decisions of the first seven ecumenical councils . Eastern Orthodox Christianity identifies itself as the original Christian church (see early centers of Christianity ) founded by Christ and the Apostles, and traces its lineage back to
3591-499: The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches makes it clear that we ought to speak, not of rites, but of Churches. Canon 112 of the Code of Canon Law uses the phrase 'autonomous ritual Churches' to designate the various Churches." And a writer in a periodical of January 2006 declared: "The Eastern Churches are still mistakenly called 'Eastern-Rite' Churches, a reference to their various liturgical histories. They are most properly called Eastern Churches, or Eastern Catholic Churches." However,
3724-643: The Council of Florence (1431–1445), these controversies about Western theological elaborations and usages were identified as, chiefly, the insertion of " Filioque " into the Nicene Creed , the use of unleavened bread for the Eucharist , purgatory , and the authority of the pope. The schism is generally considered to have started in 1054, when the Patriarch of Constantinople , Michael I Cerularius , and
3857-752: The Council of Florence convened, which featured a strong dialogue focused on understanding the theological differences between the East and West, with the hope of reuniting the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Several eastern churches associated themselves with Rome, forming Eastern Catholic churches. The See of Rome accepted them without requiring that they adopt the customs of the Latin Church, so that they all have their own "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary heritage, differentiated by peoples' culture and historical circumstances, that finds expression in each sui iuris Church's own way of living
3990-481: The Eastern Mediterranean region or locations further east, south or north. The term does not describe a single communion or religious denomination . Eastern Christianity is a category distinguished from Western Christianity , which is composed of those Christian traditions and churches that originally developed further west. Major Eastern Christian bodies include the Eastern Orthodox Church and
4123-424: The Eucharist and the other sacraments. Full communion with the bishop of Rome constitutes mutual sacramental sharing between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Church and the recognition of papal supremacy . Provisions within the 1983 Latin canon law and the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches govern the relationship between the Eastern and Latin Churches. Historically, pressure to conform to
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4256-450: The Eucharist , to be shared among congregants or clergy of any of them with the full approval of each. Full communion is an ecclesiological term for an established relationship between Christian denominations that may be constituted by shared eucharist , doctrine , and ecclesiology. Different denominations emphasize different aspects or define the term differently. Several Protestant denominations base their idea of full communion on
4389-816: The Evangelical Lutheran Church , on this basis, include the Presbyterian Church (USA) , Reformed Church in America , United Church of Christ , the Episcopal Church (United States) , the Moravian Church , and the United Methodist Church . These churches are not necessarily in full communion with each other, however; each denomination is free to develop its own relationships with other churches. For example, The Episcopal Church, in addition to being
4522-824: The Four Marks of the Church listed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 AD): "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic" ( Greek : μία, ἁγία, καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία ). Eastern churches (excepting the non-liturgical dissenting bodies) utilize several liturgical rites : the Alexandrian Rite , the Armenian Rite , the Byzantine Rite , the East Syriac Rite (also known as Persian or Assyrian Rite), and
4655-709: The Hellenistic East and the Latin West , and the political divide of 395 AD between the Western and Eastern Roman Empires . Since the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the term "Eastern Christianity" may be used in contrast with " Western Christianity ", which contains not only the Latin Church but also forms of Protestantism and Independent Catholicism . Some Eastern churches have more in common historically and theologically with Western Christianity than with one another. Because
4788-604: The Holy See at the Vatican whilst being rooted in the theological and liturgical traditions of Eastern Christianity. Most of these churches were originally part of the Orthodox East, but have since been reconciled to the Latin Church. Many of these churches were originally part of one of the above families and so are closely related to them by way of ethos and liturgical practice . As in the other Eastern churches, married men may become priests, and parish priests administer
4921-516: The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church submitted the document Uniatism, method of union of the past, and the present search for full communion , also known as the Balamand declaration , "to the authorities of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches for approval and application," which stated that initiatives that "led to the union of certain communities with
5054-484: The Latin Church , they are all in full communion with it and with each other. Eastern Catholics are a minority within the Catholic Church; of the 1.3 billion Catholics in communion with the pope, approximately 18 million are members of the eastern churches. The largest numbers of Eastern Catholics may be found in Eastern Europe , Eastern Africa , the Middle East , and India . As of 2022, the Syro-Malabar Church
5187-512: The Latin liturgical rites , among which the Roman Rite is the most widespread. The Eastern Catholic churches are instead distinct particular churches sui iuris , although they maintain full and equal, mutual sacramental exchange with members of the Latin Church. There are different meanings of the word rite . Apart from its reference to the liturgical patrimony of a particular church ,
5320-509: The Middle Ages and coincided with Western Europe's re-emergence from the collapse of the Western Roman Empire . The Ukrainian Lutheran Church developed within Galicia around 1926, with its rites being based on the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom , rather than on the Western Formula Missae . The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body whose adherents are largely based in Western Asia (particularly Syria , Lebanon , Jordan , Israel , and Palestine ) and Turkey , Eastern Europe ,
5453-476: The Montenegrin Orthodox Church ; both are domiciles of the Serbian Orthodox Church . There are also some Reformed Churches which share characteristics of Eastern Christianity, to varying extents. Starting in the 1920s, parallel hierarchies formed in opposition to local Orthodox churches over ecumenism and other matters. These jurisdictions sometimes refer to themselves as being "True Orthodox". In Russia, underground churches formed and maintained solidarity with
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5586-415: The Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 7th century, the term Eastern Church increasingly came to be used for the Greek Church centered in Constantinople , in contrast with the ( Western ) Latin Church , centered on Rome , which uses the Latin liturgical rites . The terms "Eastern" and "Western" in this regard originated with geographical divisions in Christianity mirroring the cultural divide between
5719-420: The Oriental Orthodox Churches , along with those groups descended from the historic Church of the East (also called the Assyrian Church ), as well as the Eastern Catholic Churches (which are in communion with Rome while maintaining Eastern liturgies ), and the Eastern Protestant churches . Most Eastern churches do not normally refer to themselves as "Eastern", with the exception of the Assyrian Church of
5852-447: The Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church could in the future unite into a united church around the Kyiv throne. In 2019, the primate of the UGCC, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Galicia Sviatoslav , stated that every effort should be made to restore the original unity of the Kyivan Church in its Orthodox and Catholic branches, saying that the restoration of Eucharistic communion between Rome and Constantinople
5985-407: The Papal Legate , Humbert of Silva Candida , issued mutual excommunications ; in 1965, these excommunications were revoked by both Rome and Constantinople. In spite of that event, for many years both churches continued to maintain friendly relations and seemed to be unaware of any formal or final rupture. However, estrangement continued. In 1190, Eastern Orthodox theologian Theodore Balsamon , who
6118-422: The Ukrainian Lutheran Church and Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church have under a million members. The Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East, descendant churches of the Assyria-based Church of the East, have a combined membership of approximately 400,000. Historically, Eastern Christianity was centered in the Middle East and surrounding areas, where Christianity originated. However, after
6251-576: The West Syriac Rite (also called the Antiochian Rite). Eastern Christians do not all share the same religious traditions, but many do share cultural traditions. Christianity divided itself in the East during its early centuries both within and outside of the Roman Empire in disputes about Christology and fundamental theology, as well as through national divisions (Roman, Persian, etc.). It would be many centuries later that Western Christianity fully split from these traditions as its own communion. Major branches or families of Eastern Christianity, each holding
6384-423: The dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon (451). Hence, these churches are also called the Old Oriental churches . They comprise the Coptic Orthodox Church , the Malankara Orthodox Church (India), the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church , the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church , the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church . Oriental Orthodoxy developed in reaction to Chalcedon on
6517-474: The early Church through the process of apostolic succession and unchanged theology and practice. Characteristics of the Eastern Orthodox Church include the Byzantine Rite (shared with some Eastern Catholic Churches) and an emphasis on the continuation of Holy Tradition , which it holds to be apostolic in nature. The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized into self-governing jurisdictions along geographical, national, ethnic or linguistic lines. Eastern Orthodoxy
6650-406: The mystery of confirmation to newborn infants immediately after baptism, via the rite of chrismation; the infants are then administered Holy Communion . The Syro-Malabar Church, which is part of the Saint Thomas Christian community in India, follows East Syriac traditions and liturgy. Other Saint Thomas Christians of India, who were originally of the same East Syriac tradition, passed instead to
6783-429: The ordination of married men to the priesthood (although not as bishops to the episcopacy ), in contrast to the stricter clerical celibacy of Latin Church. Both Latin and Eastern Catholics may freely attend a Catholic liturgy celebrated in any rite. Although Eastern Catholics are in full communion with the pope and members of the worldwide Catholic Church , they are not members of the Latin Church , which uses
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#17327733573126916-484: The transmission of classical knowledge to the Islamic world . Christians, especially Nestorians, contributed to the Arab Islamic Civilization during the Umayyads and the Abbasids by translating works of Greek philosophers to Syriac and afterwards to Arabic . They also excelled in philosophy, science (such as Hunayn ibn Ishaq , Qusta ibn Luqa , Masawaiyh , Patriarch Eutychius , Jabril ibn Bukhtishu etc.) and theology (such as Tatian , Bar Daisan , Babai
7049-504: The 12th–13th centuries, the two sides had become openly hostile, each considering that the other no longer belonged to the church that was orthodox and catholic. Over time, it became customary to refer to the Eastern side as the Orthodox Church and the Western as the Catholic Church, without either side thereby renouncing its claim of being the truly orthodox or the truly catholic church. Parties within many non-Latin churches repeatedly sought to organize efforts to restore communion. In 1438,
7182-436: The 14th century, when the church was nearly destroyed by the collapse of the Mongol Empire and the conquests of Timur . By the 16th century it was largely confined to Iraq, northeast Syria, southeast Turkey, northwest Iran and the Malabar Coast of India ( Kerala ). The split of the 15th century, which saw the emergence of separate Assyrian and Chaldean Churches, left only the former as an independent sect. Additional splits into
7315-457: The 19th century, diaspora has spread to Western Europe , the Americas and Oceania in part because of persecution , where eparchies have been established to serve adherents alongside those of Latin Church dioceses . Latin Catholics in the Middle East , on the other hand, are traditionally cared for by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem . Communion between Christian churches has been broken over matters of faith, whereby each side accused
7448-400: The 2016 Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill , which stated that 'It is today clear that the past method of “uniatism”, understood as the union of one community to the other, separating it from its Church, is not the way to re–establish unity. Nonetheless, the ecclesial communities which emerged in these historical circumstances have the right to exist and to undertake all that
7581-445: The 20th century further affected the history of the Assyrian Church of the East. The Saint Thomas Syrian Christians are an ancient body of Syrian Christians in Kerala, Malabar coast of India who trace their origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Many Assyrian and Jewish communities like the Knanaya and the Cochin Jews assimilated into the Saint Thomas Syrian Christian community. By
7714-400: The 5th century the Saint Thomas Syrian Christians were part of the Church of the East ( Nestorian Church ). Until the middle of the 17th century and the arrival of the Portuguese , the Thomas Christians were all one in faith and rite. Thereafter, divisions arose among them, and consequently they are today of several different rites. The East Syriac Chaldean Rite (Edessan Rite) Churches among
7847-485: The Assyrian Church of the East. The followers of these two churches are almost exclusively ethnic Assyrians. In India, the local Church of the East community, known as the Saint Thomas Christians, experienced its own rifts as a result of Portuguese influence. The Assyrian Church of the East emerged from the historical Church of the East, which was centered in Mesopotamia/Assyria, then part of the Persian Empire , and spread widely throughout Asia. The modern Assyrian Church of
7980-503: The Catholic Church a specific profession of the faith of the Catholic Church is required even of those who have been members of a separate church whose sacraments the Catholic Church considers to be valid. Being "in full communion with the Catholic Church" requires that they "firmly accept" its teaching on faith and morals. Intercommunion usually means an agreement between churches by which all members of each church (clergy with clergy, or laity with laity, respectively) may participate in
8113-430: The Catholic Church even though this communion is imperfect". Nonetheless, the Second Vatican Council used the word "communion" in a sense other than communio in sacris when speaking of Christians separated from the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church , citing the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI , states: "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honoured by
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#17327733573128246-401: The Chaldean Catholic Church—an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with Rome—and two Assyrian churches which are not in communion with either Rome or each other. The Chaldean Catholic Church is the largest of the three. The groups of Assyrians who did not reunify with Rome remained and are known as the Assyrian Church of the East , which experienced an internal schism in 1968 which led to
8379-540: The Church, Lumen gentium , deals with Eastern Catholic Churches in paragraph 23, stating: By divine Providence it has come about that various churches, established in various places by the apostles and their successors, have in the course of time coalesced into several groups, organically united, which, preserving the unity of faith and the unique divine constitution of the universal Church, enjoy their own discipline, their own liturgical usage, and their own theological and spiritual heritage. Some of these churches, notably
8512-400: The Council of Ephesus in 431, leading to the Nestorian Schism in which churches supporting Nestorius split from the rest of Christianity. Many followers relocated to Persia and became affiliated with the local Christian community there. This community adopted an increasingly Nestorian theology and was thereafter often known as the Nestorian Church. As such, the Church of the East accepts only
8645-431: The East and its offshoot, the Ancient Church of the East . The Eastern Orthodox are the largest body within Eastern Christianity with a worldwide population of 220 million, followed by the Oriental Orthodox at 60 million. The Eastern Catholic Churches consist of about 16–18 million and are a small minority within the Catholic Church. Eastern Protestant Christian churches do not form a single communion; churches like
8778-409: The East explicitly apply these rules, which hold also for the Ancient Church of the East and all Eastern Orthodox churches, to the Assyrian Church of the East. "When necessity requires, Assyrian faithful are permitted to participate and to receive Holy Communion in a Chaldean celebration of the Holy Eucharist; in the same way, Chaldean faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach
8911-415: The East declared independence from the churches of the Roman Empire at its general council in 424, which was before the Council of Ephesus in 431, and so had nothing to do with the theology declared at that council. Oriental Orthodoxy separated after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 but did not immediately form separate patriarchates until 518 (in the case of the Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch) and 536 (in
9044-423: The East emerged in the 16th century following a split with the Chaldean Church, which later entered into communion with Rome as an Eastern Catholic Church. The Church of the East was associated with the doctrine of Nestorianism, advanced by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428 to 431, which emphasized the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus . Nestorius and his doctrine were condemned at
9177-418: The Eastern Churches are important because they provide the general orientation. However, being distributed among various texts, they risk remaining ignored, poorly coordinated and poorly interpreted. It seemed opportune, therefore, to gather them in a systematic whole, completing them with further clarification: thus, the intent of the Instruction, presented to the Eastern Churches which are in full communion with
9310-505: The Eastern Orthodox and other non-Catholic churches. The five historic liturgical traditions of Eastern Christianity, comprising the Alexandrian Rite , the Armenian Rite , the Byzantine Rite , the East Syriac Rite , and the West Syriac Rite , are all represented within Eastern Catholic liturgy . On occasion, this leads to a conflation of the liturgical word "rite" and the institutional word "church". Some Eastern Catholic jurisdictions admit members of churches not in communion with Rome to
9443-402: The Episcopal bodies of today are in a position to render a manifold and fruitful assistance, so that this collegiate feeling may be put into practical application. The 1964 decree Unitatis redintegratio deals with Eastern Catholic Churches in paragraphs 14–17. The First Vatican Council discussed the need for a common code for the Eastern churches, but no concrete action was taken. Only after
9576-639: The Eucharist in the other Church. Restrictions in this matter were already in force in the second century as witnessed to by Justin Martyr in his First Apology : "No one is allowed to partake (of the Eucharist) but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined." For acceptance into full communion with
9709-485: The Eucharist to members of Eastern churches who seek it on their own accord and are properly disposed, and it allows its faithful who cannot approach a Catholic minister to receive the Eucharist, when necessary or spiritually advantageous, from ministers of non-Catholic churches that have a recognised Eucharist. The Guidelines for Admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of
9842-472: The Eucharist. For the autocephalous churches that form the Eastern Orthodox Church, see Eastern Orthodox Church organization . Their number is somewhat in dispute. The Church of the East is currently divided into churches that are not in full communion with one another. The Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East divided in the 20th century over the former's limitation of
9975-676: The Great , Nestorius , Toma bar Yacoub , etc.) and the personal physicians of the Abbasid Caliphs were often Assyrian Christians such as the long serving Bukhtishus . Many scholars of the House of Wisdom were of Christian background. A hospital and medical training center existed at Gundeshapur . The city of Gundeshapur was founded in AD 271 by the Sassanid king Shapur I . It was one of
10108-468: The Maronite Church, it resembles the liturgical rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church . In addition to these four mainstream branches, there are a number of much smaller groups which originated from disputes with the dominant tradition of their original areas. Most of these are either part of the more traditional Old Believer movement, which arose from a schism within Russian Orthodoxy, or
10241-683: The Mediterranean, India, and China. Originally the only Christian church recognized by Zoroastrian -led Sassanid Persia (through its alliance with the Lakhmids, the regional rivals to the Byzantines and its Ghassanid vassal), the Church of the East declared itself independent of other churches in 424 and over the next century became affiliated with Nestorianism, a Christological doctrine advanced by Nestorius , Patriarch of Constantinople from 428 to 431, which had been declared heretical in
10374-481: The Orthodox Church or Oriental Orthodox churches closely follow the traditions of Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy, including the tradition of allowing married men to become priests. The Eastern churches' differences from Western Christianity have to do with theology , as well as liturgy , culture, language, and politics. For the non-Catholic Eastern churches, a definitive date for the commencement of schism cannot usually be given (see East–West Schism ). The Church of
10507-636: The Paul VI and Athenagoras I meeting in Jerusalem there have been other significant meetings between Popes and Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople. One of the most recent meetings was between Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I, who jointly signed the Common Declaration . It states that "We give thanks to the Author of all that is good, who allows us once again, in prayer and in dialogue, to express
10640-763: The Roman Empire. Thereafter it was often known in the West, possibly inaccurately, as the Nestorian Church. Surviving a period of persecution within Persia, the Church of the East flourished under the Abbasid Caliphate and branched out, establishing dioceses throughout Asia. After another period of expansion under the Mongol Empire , the church went into decline starting in the 14th century, and
10773-566: The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia until the late 1970s. There are now traditionalist Orthodox in every area, though in Asia and Egypt their presence is negligible. Eastern Protestant Christianity comprises a collection of heterogeneous Protestant denominations which are mostly the result of Protestant Churches adopting Reformation variants of Orthodox Christian liturgy and worship. Some others are
10906-1036: The Saint Thomas Syrian Christians are the Syro Malabar Church and the Chaldean Syrian Church . The West Syriac Antiochian Rite Churches among the Saint Thomas Syrian Christians are the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church , the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church , the Mar Thoma Syrian Church , the Syro Malankara Church and the Thozhiyur Church . The twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches are in communion with
11039-495: The See of Rome and brought with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion with their Mother Churches of the East ;... took place not without the interference of extra-ecclesial interests". Likewise the commission acknowledged that "certain civil authorities [who] made attempts" to force Eastern Catholics to return to the Orthodox Church used "unacceptable means". The missionary outlook and proselytism that accompanied
11172-470: The Unia was judged incompatible with the rediscovery by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches of each other as Sister Churches. Thus the commission concluded that the "missionary apostolate, ... which has been called 'uniatism', can no longer be accepted either as a method to be followed or as a model of the unity our Churches are seeking." At the same time, the commission stated: These principles were repeated in
11305-597: The United Church of Christ, though they are currently in dialogue with other churches; including the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and Roman Catholic Church . The Catholic Church makes a distinction between full and partial communion: where full communion exists, there is but the one Church; partial communion, on the other hand, exists where some elements of Christian faith are held in common, but complete unity on essentials
11438-694: The West Syriac tradition and now form part of Oriental Orthodoxy (some from the Oriental Orthodox in India united with the Catholic Church in 1930 and became the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church ). The Maronite Church claims never to have been separated from Rome, and has no counterpart Orthodox Church out of communion with the Pope. It is therefore inaccurate to refer to it as a "Uniate" Church. The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church has also never been out of communion with Rome, but, unlike
11571-551: The West, despite firm and repeated papal confirmation of these Churches' universal character. The Second Vatican Council brought the reform impulse to visible fruition. Several documents, from both during and after the Second Vatican Council, have led to significant reform and development within Eastern Catholic Churches. The Second Vatican Council directed, in Orientalium Ecclesiarum , that
11704-583: The ancient discipline of the sacraments existing in the Eastern churches, and the ritual practices connected with their celebration and administration, and declared its ardent desire that this should be re-established, if circumstances warranted (n. 12). It applied this in particular to administration of sacrament of Confirmation by priests (n. 13). It expressed the wish that, where the permanent diaconate (ordination as deacons of men who are not intended afterwards to become priests) had fallen into disuse, it should be restored (n. 17). Paragraphs 7–11 are devoted to
11837-419: The ancient patriarchal churches, as parent-stocks of the Faith, so to speak, have begotten others as daughter churches, with which they are connected down to our own time by a close bond of charity in their sacramental life and in their mutual respect for their rights and duties. This variety of local churches with one common aspiration is splendid evidence of the catholicity of the undivided Church. In like manner
11970-587: The benefits of the Latin Church's 1917 Code of Canon Law were appreciated was a serious effort made to codify the Eastern Catholic Churches' canon laws. This came to fruition with the promulgation of the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches , which took effect in 1991. It is a framework document that contains canons that are a consequence of the common patrimony of the churches of the East: each individual sui iuris church also has its own canons, its own particular law, layered on top of this code. In 1993
12103-659: The case of the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria). Since the time of the historian Edward Gibbon , the split between the Church of Rome and the Orthodox Church has been conveniently dated to 1054, though the reality is more complex. This split is sometimes referred to as the Great Schism , but is now more usually called the East–West Schism . This final schism reflected a larger cultural and political division which had developed in Europe and Southwest Asia during
12236-447: The closing of the academy by Emperor Justinian. They were engaged in medical sciences and initiated the first translation projects of medical texts. The arrival of these medical practitioners from Edessa marks the beginning of the hospital and medical center at Gundeshapur. It included a medical school and hospital (bimaristan), a pharmacology laboratory, a translation house, a library and an observatory. Indian doctors also contributed to
12369-661: The context of cultural differences between the Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West, and of rivalry between the Churches in Rome—which claimed a primacy not merely of honour but also of authority—and in Constantinople , which claimed parity with Rome. The rivalry and lack of comprehension gave rise to controversies, some of which appear already in the acts of the Quinisext Council of 692. At
12502-713: The contrary, in their variety, according in one principle and vivified by it." Leo XIII declared still in force Pope Benedict XIV 's encyclical Demandatam , addressed to the Patriarch and the Bishops of the Melkite Catholic Church , in which Benedict XIV forbade Latin Church clergy to induce Melkite Catholics to transfer to the Roman Rite, and he broadened this prohibition to cover all Eastern Catholics, declaring: "Any Latin rite missionary, whether of
12635-544: The creation of the Ancient Church of the East . The Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara churches are the two Eastern Catholic descendants of the Church of the East in the Indian subcontinent. In 451, those who accepted the Council of Chalcedon similarly classified those who rejected it as Monophysite heretics. The Churches that refused to accept the Council considered instead that it was they who were orthodox; they reject
12768-757: The creation of the still active special Commission for the liturgy within the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in 1931, and above all after the Second Vatican Council and the Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen by John Paul II, respect for the Eastern liturgies is an indisputable attitude and the Apostolic See can offer a more complete service to the Churches. Eastern Christian Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in
12901-409: The description Monophysite (meaning only-nature ) preferring instead Miaphysite (meaning one-nature ). The difference in terms may appear subtle, but it is theologically very important. "Monophysite" implies a single divine nature alone with no real human nature—a heretical belief according to Chalcedonian Christianity —whereas "Miaphysite" can be understood to mean one nature as God, existing in
13034-579: The eastern limit of the Byzantine Empire and in Egypt , Syria and Mesopotamia . In those locations, there are also Eastern Orthodox patriarchs , but the rivalry between the two has largely vanished in the centuries since the schism. Historically, the Church of the East was the widest reaching branch of Eastern Christianity, at its height spreading from its heartland in Persian -ruled Assyria to
13167-853: The educated upper and bourgeois classes, they have had a significant impact in politics, business and culture, and most important figures of the Nahda movement were Christian Arabs. Today Arab Christians still play important roles in the Arab world, and Christians are relatively wealthy, well educated, and politically moderate. Full communion Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations or Christian individuals that share certain essential principles of Christian theology . Views vary among denominations on exactly what constitutes full communion, but typically when two or more denominations are in full communion it enables services and celebrations, such as
13300-546: The faith". Most Eastern Catholic churches arose when a group within an ancient church in disagreement with the See of Rome returned to full communion with that see. The following churches have been in communion with the Bishop of Rome for a large part of their history: The canon law shared by all Eastern Catholic churches, CCEO , was codified in 1990. The dicastery that works with the Eastern Catholic churches
13433-536: The faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of the Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life As a practical matter for most Catholics, full communion means that a member of one Church may partake of the Eucharist celebrated in another, and for priests, that they are accepted as celebrants of
13566-419: The first codified body of canon law governing the Eastern Catholic Churches collectively, although each church also has its own internal canons and laws on top of this. Members of Eastern Catholic churches are obliged to follow the norms of their particular church regarding celebration of church feasts, marriage, and other customs. Notable distinct norms include many Eastern Catholic Churches regularly allowing
13699-546: The first two ecumenical councils of the undivided Church—the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople—as defining its faith tradition, and rapidly took a different course from other Eastern Christians. The Church of the East spread widely through Persia and into Asia, being introduced to India by the 6th century and to the Mongols and China in the 7th century. It experienced periodic expansion until
13832-603: The fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist Full communion thus involves completeness of "those bonds of communion – faith, sacraments and pastoral governance – that permit the Faithful to receive the life of grace within the Church." In Catholicism, the "universal Church" means Catholicism itself, from the Greek adjective καθολικός ( katholikos ), meaning "universal". The term particular church denotes an ecclesiastical community headed by
13965-644: The interference of extra-ecclesial interests"; and that what has been called " uniatism " "can no longer be accepted either as a method to be followed nor as a model of the unity our Churches are seeking" (section 12). At the same time, the Commission stated: There has been a significant Christian migration in the 20th century from the Near East. Fifteen hundred years ago Christians were the majority population in today's Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt. In 1914 Christians constituted 25% of
14098-488: The joy we feel as brothers and to renew our commitment to move towards full communion ". In 2013 Patriarch Bartholomew I attended the installation ceremony of the new Catholic Pope, Francis , which was the first time any Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople had ever attended such an installation. In 2019, Primate of the OCU Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius stated that "theoretically"
14231-438: The largest church in the East is the body currently known as the Eastern Orthodox Church , the term "Orthodox" is often used in a similar fashion to "Eastern", to refer to specific historical Christian communions. However, strictly speaking, most Christian denominations, whether Eastern or Western, regard themselves as " orthodox " (meaning "following correct beliefs") as well as " catholic " (meaning "universal"), and as sharing in
14364-493: The law by a hierarchy and expressly or tacitly recognized by the supreme authority of the Church as autonomous is in this Code called an autonomous Church (canon 27). When speaking of Eastern Catholic Churches, the Latin Church's 1983 Code of Canon Law (1983 CIC) uses the terms "ritual Church" or "ritual Church sui iuris " (canons 111 and 112), and also speaks of "a subject of an Eastern rite" (canon 1015 §2), "Ordinaries of another rite" (canon 450 §1), "the faithful of
14497-648: The major cities in Khuzestan province of the Persian empire in what is today Iran. A large percentage of the population was Syriacs, most of whom were Christians. Under the rule of Khusraw I , refuge was granted to Greek Nestorian Christian philosophers including the scholars of the Persian School of Edessa ( Urfa ), also called the academy of Athens , a Christian theological and medical university. These scholars made their way to Gundeshapur in 529 following
14630-579: The more radical Spiritual Christianity movement. The latter includes a number of diverse " low-church " groups, from the Bible-centered Molokans to the anarchic Doukhobors to the self-mutilating Skoptsy . None of these groups are in communion with the mainstream churches listed above. There are also national dissidents, where ethnic groups want their own nation-church, such as the Macedonian Orthodox Church and
14763-495: The name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter" ( Lumen gentium 15). Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church" ( Unitatis redintegratio 3). With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound that it lacks little to attain
14896-473: The norms of the Western Christianity practiced by the majority Latin Church led to a degree of encroachment ( Latinization ) on some of the Eastern Catholic traditions. The Second Vatican Council document, Orientalium Ecclesiarum , built on previous reforms to reaffirm the right of Eastern Catholics to maintain their distinct practices. The 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches was
15029-399: The other of heresy or departure from the true faith ( orthodoxy ). Communion has been broken also because of disagreement about questions of authority or the legitimacy of the election of a particular bishop. In these latter cases each side accused the other of schism , but not of heresy. The following ecumenical councils are major breaches of communion: In 431, the churches that accepted
15162-581: The other peoples of the world, no matter how far-flung. When blessed Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, intended to cast down the manifold wickedness of error and vice, in accord with the will of Heaven, he brought the light of divine Truth, the Gospel of peace, freedom in Christ to the metropolis of the Gentiles. Adrian Fortescue wrote that Leo XIII "begins by explaining again that the ancient Eastern rites are
15295-645: The other's Eucharistic celebrations or may hold joint celebrations. The Catholic Church has entered into no such agreement: it allows no Eucharistic concelebration by its clergy with clergy of churches not in full communion with it. The Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism indicates the limited circumstances in which Catholics may receive the Eucharist from clergy of churches not in full communion (never if those churches are judged not to have valid apostolic succession and thus valid Eucharist), and in which Catholic clergy may administer
15428-479: The person of Jesus who is both human and divine—an idea more easily reconciled to Chalcedonian doctrine. They are often called, in English, Oriental Orthodox Churches , to distinguish them from the Eastern Orthodox Churches . This distinction, by which the words oriental and eastern that in themselves have exactly the same meaning but are used as labels to describe two different realities,
15561-957: The population of the Ottoman Empire. At the beginning of the 21st century Christians constituted 6–7% of the region's population: less than 1% in Turkey, 3% in Iraq, 12% in Syria, 39% in Lebanon, 6% in Jordan, 2.5% in Israel/Palestine and 15–20% in Egypt. As of 2011 Eastern Orthodox Christians are among the wealthiest Christians in the United States. They also tend to be better educated than most other religious groups in America, having
15694-474: The post of patriarch to members of a single family and due to the adoption of the New Calendar by the former. There is movement towards reunity, but they are not in full communion with one another at present. The Chaldean Catholic Church shares a similar history with both, but is currently in full communion with neither. The Catholic Church, of which the Chaldean Church is part, allows its ministers to give
15827-463: The powers of the patriarchs and major archbishops of the Eastern Churches, whose rights and privileges, it says, should be re-established in accordance with the ancient tradition of each of the Churches and the decrees of the ecumenical councils , adapted somewhat to modern conditions. Where there is need, new patriarchates should be established either by an ecumenical council or by the Bishop of Rome. The Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on
15960-523: The region of Galicia and its rites are based on the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom . The church suffered persecution under the Communist régime , which implemented a policy of state atheism . Ecumenical dialogue since the 1964 meeting between Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I has awoken the nearly 1,000-year hopes for Christian unity. Since the lifting of excommunications during
16093-593: The result of reformations of Orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, inspired by the teachings of Western Protestant missionaries. Denominations of this category include the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church , Ukrainian Lutheran Church , St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India , Evangelical Orthodox Church , etc. Byzantine Rite Lutheranism arose in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church around 1926. It sprung up in
16226-486: The sacraments to members of other churches. The norms there indicated for the giving of the Eucharist to other Christians ( communicatio in sacris ) are summarized in canon 844 of the Latin Church 's 1983 Code of Canon Law . The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) indicates that the norms of the Directory apply also to the clergy and laity of the Eastern Catholic Churches . Eastern Orthodox have an understanding of what full communion means that
16359-436: The school at Gundeshapur, most notably the medical researcher Mankah. Later after Islamic invasion, the writings of Mankah and of the Indian doctor Sustura were translated into Arabic at Baghdad . Daud al-Antaki was one of the last generation of influential Arab Christian writers. Arab Christians and Arabic-speaking Christians, especially Maronites , played important roles in the Nahda , and because Arab Christians formed
16492-480: The secular or religious clergy, who induces with his advice or assistance any Eastern rite faithful to transfer to the Latin rite, will be deposed and excluded from his benefice in addition to the ipso facto suspension a divinis and other punishments that he will incur as imposed in the aforesaid Constitution Demandatam ." There had been confusion on the part of Western clergy about the legitimate presence of Eastern Catholic Churches in countries seen as belonging to
16625-459: The sense of a return to ancestral traditions. The work of the commissions, nevertheless, availing themselves of the best experts of the times, succeeded in safeguarding a major part of the Eastern heritage, often defending it against aggressive initiatives and publishing precious editions of liturgical texts for numerous Eastern Churches. Today, particularly after the solemn declarations of the Apostolic Letter Orientalium dignitas by Leo XIII, after
16758-530: The teaching of the Council of Ephesus (which condemned the views of Nestorius ) classified as heretics those who rejected the council's statements. The Church of the East , which was mainly under the Sassanid Empire , never accepted the council's views. It later experienced a period of great expansion in Asia before collapsing after the Mongol invasion of the Middle East in the 14th century. Monuments of their presence still exist in China. Now they are relatively few in number and have divided into three churches:
16891-438: The term "Eastern" as denying the church's universal character. They refer to Eastern Orthodoxy simply as the Orthodox Church . Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian tradition that keep the faith of the first three ecumenical councils of the undivided Christian Church : the First Council of Nicaea (AD 325), the First Council of Constantinople (381) and the Council of Ephesus (431), while rejecting
17024-481: The term "rite" continues to be used. The 1983 CIC forbids a Latin bishop to ordain, without permission of the Holy See, a subject of his who is "of an Eastern rite " (not "who uses an Eastern rite ", the faculty for which is sometimes granted to Latin clergy). The term Uniat or Uniate has been applied to Eastern Catholic churches and individual members whose church hierarchies were previously part of Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox churches. The term
17157-547: The traditions of Eastern Catholic Churches should be maintained. It declared that "it is the mind of the Catholic Church that each individual Church or Rite should retain its traditions whole and entire and likewise that it should adapt its way of life to the different needs of time and place" (n. 2), and that they should all "preserve their legitimate liturgical rite and their established way of life, and ... these may not be altered except to obtain for themselves an organic improvement" (n. 6; cf. n. 22). It confirmed and approved
17290-484: The word has been and is still sometimes, even if rarely, officially used of the particular church itself. Thus the term Latin rite can refer either to the Latin Church or to one or more of the Latin liturgical rites , which include the Roman Rite , Ambrosian Rite , Mozarabic Rite , and others. In the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO), the terms autonomous Church and rite are thus defined: A group of Christian faithful linked in accordance with
17423-401: Was patriarch of Antioch , wrote that "no Latin should be given Communion unless he first declares that he will abstain from the doctrines and customs that separate him from us". Later in 1204, Constantinople was sacked by the Catholic armies of the Fourth Crusade , whereas two decades previously the Massacre of the Latins (i.e., Catholics) had occurred in Constantinople in 1182. Thus, by
17556-401: Was eventually largely confined to its founding Assyrian adherent's heartland in the Assyrian homeland , although another remnant survived on the Malabar Coast of India. In the 16th century, dynastic struggles sent the church into schism, resulting in the formation of two rival churches: The Chaldean Catholic Church , which entered into communion with Rome as an Eastern Catholic Church, and
17689-421: Was in that part of the world that the first actions for the redemption of the human race began, in accord with the all-kind plan of God. They swiftly gave forth their yield: there flowered in first blush the glories of preaching the True Faith to the nations, of martyrdom, and of holiness. They gave us the first joys of the fruits of salvation. From them has come a wondrously grand and powerful flood of benefits upon
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