The Catholic Church of the
Byzantine-Slavonic rite (in Slovakia it is called the Greek Catholic Church) is
in full communion with the Catholic Church. Each member of the Catholic
Church (of any rite) can actively and permissibly receive the sacraments (the
sacred mysteries) and attend the divine services.
Byzantine Catholics and
members of the Orthodox Church are originally one community of the Byzantine
rite, but divided by “schism”. Rite and spirituality are identical, in fact
only their attitude towards Roman Pope, whose executive authority as a head of
the whole Church is not accepted by the Orthodox Church, makes them disunited.
The Byzantine Catholic Church in Slovakia (or
Slovak Catholic Church sui iuris) compounds
of 2 bishoprics: the Apostolic
Exarchate in Kosice and the Eparchy
of Presov (both located in the Eastern Slovakia). The Eparchy of Presov was
established in 1818 by the separation from the Eparchy of Mucachevo, vladyka Jan
Hirka is its residing bishop. The 21st February 1997 is the official
date of the establishment of the Apostolic Exarchate in Kosice, Milan Chautur
CSsR was appointed its Exarch. The bishoprics are subordinated directly to the
Congregation of Eastern Churches (in Rome), and are mutually independent. The
Catholics of the Byzantine-Slavonic rite residing at the territory of Kosice
region belong to the Apostolic Exarchate in Kosice. The remaining areas of
Slovakia are controlled by the Eparchy of Presov. There are only insignificant
number of parishes in middle and western Slovakia: (Bratislava,
Nitra, Zilina, Martin, Zvolen,
Banska Bystrica, Telgart, Sumiac). The Prague Exarchate was established on 13th March
1996 after a peaceful split of the Czecho-Slovak Republic. 219 831 worshippers
listed themselves as the members of the Byzantine Catholic Church in the 2001
census (4.1% of population of the Slovak Republic). However, a real number reflecting the actual number of Byzantine
Catholics in Slovakia is approximately 500 000 (in 1948: 305 645
worshippers, in 241 parishes with 1059 branches; taking into account the growth
of population and atheisation). During a totality period many
of them belonged to the Roman Catholic Church (The Byzantine Catholic Church was
officially non-existing) and many of them still wrongly believe that they are
Roman Catholics.
The Byzantine Catholic Church in Slovakia (or
Slovak Catholic Church sui iuris) compounds
of 2 bishoprics: the 