Liturgical Expressions of Ecclesiology and Communion: The Commemoration of the Hierarchy in Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches

The way the Church lives, functions, and orders itself is expressed in her liturgy. In turn, the liturgical expression of ecclesiology provides a vision of communion which is of particular importance when examining the relationship between the Bishop of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church, on the one hand, and the Heads of the Eastern Churches in Communion with Rome, on the other hand. This brief paper presents an overview of the commemoration of the hierarchy, including the bishop of Rome, in the Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches, focusing particularly on the practice of the largest such Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, tracing its development from a simple prayer for the hierarch and the communion of bishops to its elaborate form that subordinates one sui iuris Church to another. The paper concludes with comments on the ecclesiological problems manifested in the liturgy as it is celebrated today, and possible solutions for the current state of affairs.