Remember to Keep Holy the Lord's Day

Special Questions on Sundays and Holy days of obligations are provided below together with its pertinent sources:

Why did God “bless the Sabbath day and declare it sacred” (Exodus 20:11)?

God did so because on the Sabbath day one remembers God’s rest on the seventh day of creation, and also the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt and the Covenant which God sealed with his people.

[Source: 2168-2172, 2189]

For what reason has the Sabbath been changed to Sunday for Christians?

The reason is because Sunday is the day of the Resurrection of Christ. As “the first day of the week” (Mark 16:2) it recalls the first creation; and as the “eighth day”, which follows the sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by the Resurrection of Christ. Thus, it has become for Christians the first of all days and of all feasts. It is the day of the Lord in which he with his Passover fulfilled the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath and proclaimed man’s eternal rest in God.

[Source: 2174-2176, 2190-2191 ]

How does one keep the Lord's Day holy?

Christians keep Sunday and other days of obligation holy by participating in the Eucharist of the Lord and by refraining from those activities which impede the worship of God and disturb the joy proper to the day of the Lord or the necessary relaxation of mind and body. Activities are allowed on the Sabbath which are bound up with family needs or with important social service, provided that they do not lead to habits prejudicial to the holiness of Sunday, to family life and to health.

[Source: 2177-2185, 2192-2193 ]

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.

Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

The charity of truth seeks holy leisure- the necessity of charity accepts just work.

[Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2185]

What are the Holy Days apart from Sunday?

Placed in the order of the civil calendar, the ten days (apart from Sundays) that this canon mentions are:

1 January: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

6 January: the Epiphany

19 March: Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday of the sixth week of Easter: the Ascension

Thursday after Trinity Sunday: the Body and Blood of Christ

29 June: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

15 August: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1 November: All Saints

8 December: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

25 December: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)

However, the Episcopal Conference may, with the prior approval of the Apostolic See, suppress certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

[Source: Code of Canon Law, 1246]

Traditional Rite of Blessing of Water [Latin and English]

DE BENEDICTIONIBUS
ORDO AD FACIENDAM
AQUAM BENEDICTAM

Diebus Dominicis, et quandocumque opus sit, præparato sale et aqua munda benedicenda in ecclesia, vel in sacristia, Sacerdos, superpelliceo et stola violacea indutus, primo dicit:

V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. 

R. Qui fecit cælum et terram.

Deinde absolute incipit exorcismum salis:

E xorcizo te, creatura salis, per Deum + vivum, per Deum + verum, per Deum + sanctum, per Deum, qui te per Eliseum Prophetam in aquam mitti jussit, ut sanaretur sterilitas aquæ: ut efficiaris sal exorcizatum in salutem credentium; et sis omnibus sumentibus te sanitas animæ et corporis; et effigiat, atque discedat a loco, in quo aspersum fueris, omnis phantasia, et nequitia, vel versutia diabolicæ fraudis, omnisque spiritus immundus, adjuratus per eum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et sæculum per ignem. R. Amen.

Oremus.

Oratio

I mmensam clementiam tuam, omnipoten æterne Deus, humiliter imploramus, ut hanc creaturam salis, quam in usum generis humani tribuisti, bene + dicere et sancti +ficare tua pietate digneris: ut sit omnibus sumentibus salus mentis et corporis; et quidquid ex eo tactum vel respersum fuerit, careat omni immunditia, omnique impugnatione spiritalis nequitiæ. Per Dominum. R. Amen.

Exorcismus aquæ: et dicitur absolute:

E xorcizo te, creatura aquæ, in nomine Dei + Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu + Christi Filii ejus Domini nostri, et in virtute Spiritus + Sancti: ut fias aqua exorcizata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici, et ipsum inimicum eradicare et explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostaticis, per virtutem ajusdem Domini nostri Jesu Christi: qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et sæculum per ignem. R. Amen.

Oremus.

Oratio

D eus, qui ad salutem humani generis, maxima quæque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti: adesto propitius invocationibus nostris, et elemento huic multìmodis purificationibus præparato, virtutem tuæ bene + dictionis infunde: ut creatura tua, mysteriis tuis serviens, ad abigendos dæmones, morbosque pellendos, divinæ gratiæ sumat effectum; ut quidquid in domibus, vel in locis fidelium, hæc unda resperserit, careat omni immunditia, liberetur a noxa: non illic resideat spiritus pestilens, non aura corrumpens: discedant omnes insidiæ latentis inimici; et si quid est, quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet, aut quieti, aspersione hujus aquæ effugiat: ut salubritas, per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita, ab omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia sæcula sæculorum. R. Amen.

Hic ter mittat sal in aquam in modum crucis, dicendo semel:

C ommixtio salis et aquæ pariter fiat, in nomine Pa+tris, et Fi+lii, et Spiritus + Sancti. R. Amen.

V. Dominus vobiscum.

R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus.

Oratio

D eus, invictæ virtutis auctor, et insuperabilis imperii Rex, ac semper magnificus triumphator: qui adversæ dominationis vires reprimis: qui inimici rugientis sævitiam superas: qui hostiles nequitias potenter expugnas: te, Domine, trementes et supplices deprecamur, ac petimus: ut hanc creaturam salis et aquæ dignanter aspicias, benignus illustres, pietatis tuæ rore sanctifices; ut, ubicumque fuerit aspersa, per invocationem sancti nominis tui, omnis infestatio immundi spiritus abigatur: terrorque venenosi serpentis procul pellatur: et præsentia Santi Spiritus nobis, misericordiam tuam poscentibus, ubique adesse dignetur. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia sæcula sæculorum. R. Amen.

Post benedictionem aquæ, Sacerdos Dominicis diebus, antequam incipiat Missam, aspergit Altare, deinde se, et Ministros, ac populum, prout in Missali præscribitur, et Asperges suo loco habetur.

Christifideles autem possunt de ista aqua benedicta in vasculis accipere, et secum deferre ad aspergendos ægros, domos, agros, vineas, et alia, et ad habendam in habitaculis suis, ut ea quotidie et sæpius aspergi possint.

_____________________________________

1. On Sundays, or whenever this blessing takes place, salt and fresh water are prepared in the church or in the sacristy. The priest, 

vested in surplice and purple stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.     All: Who made heaven and earth.

2. The exorcism of salt follows: 

God's creature, salt, I cast out the demon from you by the living  God, by the true  God, by the holy  God, by God who 

ordered you to be thrown into the water-spring by Eliseus to heal it of its barrenness. May you be a purified salt, a means of health for 

those who believe, a medicine for body and soul for all who make use of you. May all evil fancies of the foul fiend, his malice and cunning, be driven afar from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every unclean spirit be repulsed by Him who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.   All: Amen.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we humbly appeal to your mercy and goodness to graciously bless  this creature, salt, which you have given for mankind's use. May all who use it find in it a remedy for body and mind. And may everything that it touches or sprinkles be freed from uncleanness and any influence of the evil spirit; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Exorcism of the water:

God's creature, water, I cast out the demon from you in the name of God  the Father almighty, in the name of Jesus  Christ, His 

Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy  Spirit. May you be a purified water, empowered to drive afar all power of the enemy, 

in fact, to root out and banish the enemy himself, along with his fallen angels. We ask this through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.    All: Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, who for man's welfare established the most wonderful mysteries in the substance of water, hearken to our prayer, and pour 

forth your blessing  on this element now being prepared with various purifying rites. May this creature of yours, used in your mysteries and endowed with your grace, serve to cast out demons and to banish disease. May everything that this water sprinkles in the homes and gatherings of the faithful be delivered from all that is unclean and hurtful; let no breath of contagion hover there, no taint of corruption; let all the wiles of the lurking enemy come to nothing. By the sprinkling of this water may everything opposed to the safety and peace of the occupants of these homes be banished, so that in calling on your holy name they may know the well-being they desire, and be protected from every peril; through Christ our Lord.    All: Amen.

3. Now the priest pours the salt into the water in the form of a cross, saying:

May this salt and water be mixed together; in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Spirit.     All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you. All: And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

God, source of irresistible might and king of an invincible realm, the ever-glorious conqueror; who restrain the force of the adversary, silencing the uproar of his rage, and valiantly subduing his wickedness; in awe and humility we beg you, Lord, to regard with favor  this creature thing of salt and water, to let the light of your kindness shine upon it, and to hallow it with the dew of your mercy; so that  wherever it is sprinkled and your holy name is invoked, every assault of the unclean spirit may be baffled, and all dread of the serpent's venom be cast out. To us who entreat your mercy grant that the Holy Spirit may be with us wherever we may be, through 

Christ our Lord.  All: Amen.

4. On Sundays after the water is blessed and before Mass begins the celebrant sprinkles the altar, himself, the ministers, and the people as prescribed in the Missal and in the ceremony of the Ritual.

5. Christ's faithful are permitted to take holy water home with them to sprinkle the sick, their homes, fields, vineyards, and the like. It is recommended too that they put it in fonts in the various rooms, so that they may use it to bless themselves daily and frequently.

Holy Water during Lent

Q: Do we need to remove Holy Water during Lent? 

Some parishes remove the holy water from the font during the season of Lent replacing them with sand, stones or even cacti which are symbolic of the Lenten “desert experience”. Some simply cover the font with a purple cloth while others put ashes or simply leave it empty.

One parish church in the U.S. provided the following reason:

"As was customary in the past there is no Holy Water in the Church receptacles until Easter. May the sand remind us of our Lenten journey in the desert as we prepare to celebrate the joy of Easter. As we await the blessing of water at the Easter Vigil, may we prepare to renew our Baptismal promises from our hearts!"

In reality, such innovation is praeter legem ("outside of the law") which means that it is not regulated by liturgical law. Although technically not illegal, such innovation is contrary to the Theology of Lent which is not just a season of penance, but also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism. Lent is a preparation for Baptism and for renewing our baptismal promise. The restoration of the Catechumenate and its Lenten rituals since the Second Vatican Council reemphasized the baptismal character of Lent. 

We cannot just interpret something on the basis of praeter legem. The right properly belongs to the Apostolic See, who alone has authority over it (SC 22, canon 838). The Congregation of Divine worship and Discipline of Sacraments wrote a letter (Prot. N. 569/00/L) dated 3/14/03 to clarify matters: 

_________________________________

Prot. N. 569/00/L 

March 14, 2000 

Dear Father: 

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent. 

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is NOT permitted, in particular, for two reasons: 

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts. 

2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The “fast” and “abstinence” which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday). 

Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am, 

Sincerely yours in Christ, 

[signed] 

Mons. Mario Marini

Undersecretary

Note: Sic — generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses/brackets, (sic)—when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates that the passage is just as it appears from its original source. The usual purpose is to inform readers that any errors or apparent errors in the copied material are not from transcription.

_________________________________

Lent is a period of spiritual discipline and battle. It is logical that we don’t remove one of our spiritual weapons, the holy water. Remember that Holy water is a sacramental that when piously used, may prepare us for grace. The first use of holy water is spiritual cleansing (ie Baptism; Sacrament). The second use is for protection against evil (ie Sacramental)[1] Furthermore, the rite of the blessing of water is accompanied by prayers of exorcism in both the traditional and revised rites:

_________________________________

Traditional Rite

The exorcism of salt follows: 

God's creature, salt, I cast out the demon from you by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by God who ordered you to be thrown into the water-spring by Eliseus to heal it of its barrenness. May you be a purified salt, a means of health for those who believe, a medicine for body and soul for all who make use of you. May all evil fancies of the foul fiend, his malice and cunning, be driven afar from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every unclean spirit be repulsed by Him who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire. 

All: Amen 

Revised Rite (1984) 

(Where it is customary, salt may be mixed with the holy water. The priest blesses the salt, saying: 

Almighty God, we ask you to bless this salt as once you blessed the salt scattered over the water by the prophet Elisha. 

Wherever this salt and water are sprinkled, drive away the power of evil, and protect us always by the presence of your Holy Spirit. 

Then he pours the salt into the water in silence.) 

_________________________________

Q: When do we remove the Holy Water? 

The letter clearly states that the holy water fonts are emptied after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday until they are refilled with fresh water blessed at the Easter Vigil. That period is already the Easter Triduum and the end of Lent which are the days when there is no Eucharistic celebration (ie Good Friday, Black Saturday). The fonts should not be emptied prior to Holy Thursday.  

CONCLUSION

Holy water is not like meat which we renounce during the season of penance. It actually further enhances our Lenten liturgy and underscores the baptismal character of the Lenten season.

If your parish is still practicing the removal of holy water during Lent, you may present the above letter to your Pastor in the hope of correcting the matter. If this practice was authorized by your local Bishop, you will need to contact him and politely inform him that this practice opposes the liturgical legislation that is approved by the Vatican. You may then ask him to reinstate the Holy Water in the font during Lent.

[1] Henry Theiler, 2003 Holy Water and Its Significance for Catholics ISBN 0766175537 pp 13-15

The Rites of the Catholic Church

source: The Catholic News Agency

________________________________________________

It may surprise most people to know that there are many different rites within the Catholic Church. Before discussing these rites it is important to note that different sources disagree on exactly what constitutes a rite and exactly how many there are.

A rite represents an ecclesiastical tradition about how the sacraments are to be celebrated. As the early Church grew and spread, it celebrated the sacraments as would be best understood and received in the context of individual cultures, without ever changing their essential form and matter. The early Church sought to evangelize in the major cultural centers of the first centuries A.D. These centers were Rome, Antioch (Syria), and Alexandria (Egypt). All the rites in use today evolved from the liturgical practices and ecclesiastical organization used by the churches in these cities.

The Church of Christ represented in these ecclesiastical traditions is known as a ritual church. The church in a certain territory is known as a particular church.

The Catholic Encyclopedia describes the situation this way: "Within the Catholic Church ... Canonical rites, which are of equal dignity, enjoy the same rights, and are under the same obligations. Although the particular churches possess their own hierarchy, differ in liturgical and ecclesiastical discipline, and possess their own spiritual heritage, they are all entrusted to the pastoral government of the Roman pontiff, the divinely appointed successor of St. Peter in the Primacy.

The Catechism lists seven rites. These rites so listed: Latin, Byzantine, Alexandrian, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean,2 are actually families of liturgical expression. These rites are the descendants of the liturgical practices that originated in centers of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria. Each will be discussed in turn.

LATIN. The Pope has several titles. He is the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of the universal Church, Primate of Italy; hmong others. As the Bishop of Rome he is the head of the Latin or Roman rite. This is by far the largest rite in the Church. It was founded by St. Peter in Rome around 42 A.D. The current Eucharistic liturgy was handed down more or less intact from at least the 4th century. This was the liturgy used in Rome. There were other liturgies used in the West up to the Council of Trent (1526-1570). After the Council of Trent only the Roman liturgy could be used. The only exceptions were liturgical practices that were more than 200 years old.

The Pope is also vicar of these other liturgical rites that date from before the Council of Trent. These rites include the Mozarabic rite from Spain, the Ambrosian rite from Milan, Italy, named after St. Ambrose (340-397), the Bragan rite from Portugal, and the order liturgies of the Dominican, Carmelite, and Carthusian orders.

As Vicar of the universal Church, the Pope is shepherd of the rites of the West and the East. The eastern rites which have a separate code of canon law, are completely equal in dignity with the rites of the West. All of these eastern ritual churches come under the jurisdiction of the Pope through the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, one of the offices of the Roman Curia. The rites are administered by either a Patriarch, a Major Archbishop, a Metropolitan, or have some other arrangement. Patriarchs are elected by a synod of bishops of their rite, and then request ecclesiastical communion from the Pope. Major Archbishops are also elected by a synod of bishops of their rite, but then are approved by the Pope before they take office. Metropolitans are picked by the Pope from a list given by a synod of bishops.

BYZANTINE. The largest of these eastern rites is the Byzantine. The Byzantine liturgy is based on liturgy developed by St. James for the Antiochaian church, but modified by St. Basil (329-379) and St. John Chrysostom (344-407). This liturgy is similar if not identical to the liturgy used by the Orthodox churches. After the schism between the churches in Rome and Constantinople in 1054, many particular churches remained separated from Rome. Over the years some of these churches came back into union. These churches after they returned to the fold have generally been treated as separate rites based on their particular location, even though they have similar if not identical liturgy. The churches using the Byzantine liturgy include the Albanian, Belarussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Italo-Albanian, Melkite, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, Slovak, and Ukrainian.

ALEXANDRIAN. The liturgy used by the church in Alexandria in Egypt is attributed to St. Mark the evangelist. This church became known as the Coptic church because Copt is the Arabic and Greek word for Egyptian. Before the Moslem invasion in 641 the Copts fell into heresy due to their rejection of the Council of Chalcedon (451). Through missionary work, some of these were brought back into union in recent years. Today there exists in Egypt the Coptic rite which is Orthodox and the Coptic rite that is loyal to the Bishop of Rome.

The Ge'ez rite based in Ethiopia is closely associated with the Coptic rite. Missionaries from Alexandria spread the faith in Ethiopia in the 4th century. The native language (Ge'ez) was used instead of Greek in the liturgy. The church in Ethiopia also fell into heresy after the Council of Chalcedon but was brought back through missionary efforts in the past few centuries. This is a very recently defined rite since the Metropolitan See was only established in 1961.

SYRIAC. The liturgy of the Syriac rite is attributed to St. James the Apostle. This liturgy was used by the church in Antioch in present day Syria. Many bishops in this area also broke away after the Council of Chalcedon. They stopped using Greek and used the Syriac language in their liturgy. The Syriac language is similar to Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. Through the work of Jesuit and Capuchin missionaries many members of this rite returned to union with Rome, including the Patriarch of this rite in 1781.

The Malankarese rite developed in India. They trace their Christian lineage to St. Thomas the Apostle who traveled to South India and founded a church. This rite was in union with the Assyrian (Chaldean) church which had fallen into the Nestorian heresy after the Council of Ephesus in 431. This church was "discovered" by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. After attempts to "latinize" the rite, many broke away to form their own rite under the control of the Syrian Patriarch. In the 1920's and 30's four bishops of this rite were reunited with Rome, and many members of their rite followed. This rite is located in Kerala State, India.

ARMENIAN. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. They used the Antiochine liturgy of St. James said in the Armenian language. At that time Armenia was located in eastern Turkey. After it was destroyed in the 11th century it moved to Cilicia (southern Turkey). That is why to this day the Patriarch of this rite is known as the Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians. The Armenians also fell into heresy after the Council of Chalcedon. The Council of Florence in 1439 declared reunion with the Armenians, and Pope Benedict XIV confirmed the first Patriarch in 1742. The Turks massacred roughly two million Armenians at the end of World War I. Most members of this rite live in Lebanon.

MARONITE. The Maronite rite traces its origins to the work of St. Maron in the 4th century who founded a monastery east of Antioch. Later monks moved to the mountains in what is today Lebanon. This rite never fell into heresy and was only separated from Rome by the political reality of Moslem or Ottoman occupation. The Maronites use a hybrid liturgy based on the Antiochian St. James. Maronites make up 17% of the population of Lebanon and by the law of that country the president of Lebanon is always a Maronite.

CHALDEAN. The people in modern day Iran and Iraq were once known as the Assyrians. The church established itself there very early but the people in this area fell into the heresy of Nestorianism in the 5th century. After missionary efforts many returned to union with Rome, and in 1553 Pope Julius III proclaimed the first Patriarch of the Chaldeans. Chaldean is the biblical term used for those from Babylon. Today the Patriarch of this rite located in Bagdad, Iraq where most of the members of this rite live.

SYRO-MALABAR: The Malabar rite is based in India. Its members are descendants of the Thomas Christians and could be called a brother rite to the Malankarese. The Malabar rite never broke with Rome despite the conflict with the Portuguese in the 16th century. They are generally grouped with the Chaldean family of rites because the Assyrian (later called Chaldean) church provided their bishops until the Portuguese took over that task. Also their liturgy was originally in the Syriac language which the Chaldean church used. Although an ancient rite, it had no single administrator until Pope John Paul II appointed a Major Archbishop in 1992.

All the rites of the Catholic Church are of equal dignity and equally valid. Attendance at a different rite fulfills the Sunday obligation. The Catholic Church is truly universal since it unites so many diverse rites, whose members share a common faith.

Rite	Churches that use this rite	Original liturgical language	Patriarch	Point of  origin
1.ROMAN	All Roman Catholics	Latin	Bishop of Rome	Rome
MOZARABIC	Archdiocese of Toledo Spain	Latin	Bishop of Rome	Spain
AMBROSIAN	Archdiocese of Milan, Italy	Latin	Bishop of Rome	Milan
BRAGAN	Archdiocese of Braga, Portugal	Latin	Bishop of Rome	Braga
DOMINICAN	Dominican Priests	Latin	Bishop of Rome	St. Dominic
CARMELITE	Carmelite Priests	Latin	Bishop of Rome	St. Berthold
CARTHUSIANS	Carthusian Priests	Latin	Bishop of Rome	St. Bruno
2. BYZANTINE	Belarussian	Old Slavonic		Belarussia
	Bulgarian	Old Slavonic	Apostolic Exarch for Catholics of the Byzantine-Slav rite  in Bulgaria	Bulgaria
	Croatian	Old Slavonic	Bishop of Kricevci	Croatia
	Greek	Greek	Apostolic Exarch for Catholics of the Byzantine rite in  Greece	Greece
	Hungarian	Greek	Bishop of Hajdudorog, Apostolic Administrator of Miskolc	Hungary
	Italo-Albanian	Greek	Local Latin Bishop	Italy
	Melkite	Greek	Melkite Greek Patriarch of Damascus	Syria/Lebanon/Israel
	Romanian	Romanian	Archbishop of Fagaras and Alba Julia	Romania
	Russian	Old Slavonic	Apostolic Exarch in Russia	Russia
	Ruthenian	Old Slavonic	Bishop of Mukacevo of the Byzantines	Ukrania
	Slovakian	Old Slavonic	Bishop of Presov of Catholics of the Byzantine rite	Slovakia
	Ukrainian	Old Slavonic	Major Archbishop of Lviv of the Ukranians	Ukrania
3. ALEXANDRIAN	Coptic	Coptic	Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts	Egypt
	Ethiopian	Ge'ez	Archbishop of Addis Ababa of the Ethiopians	Ethiopia/Somalia
4. SYRIAC	Syriac		Syriac Patriarch of Antioch	Syria
	Malankarese	West Syriac	Metropolitan of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankarese	India
5. ARMENIAN	Armenian	Classical Armenian	Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians	Armenia
6. MARONITE	Maronite	Aramaic	Maronite Patriarch of Antioch	Lebanon
7. CHALDEAN	Chaldean	Syriac	Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans	Iraq
	Malabar	Syriac	Major Archbishop of the Malabar rite	India