Not All Catholic Priests Are Roman Catholic Priests!

Wait—Did You Know? Not All Catholic Priests Are Roman Catholic Priests!

Sounds wild, right? But it’s true!

Most of the time when people hear “Catholic priest,” they think of a man in black with a Roman collar, probably under the Pope’s leadership in Rome. That’s the Roman Catholic priest. But here’s the catch:

There are Catholic priests who aren’t Roman Catholic. And they’re just as Catholic!

So, who are these “other” Catholic priests?

They belong to what's called the Eastern Catholic Churches—these are Catholic Churches with different traditions, different styles of Mass, and even… wait for it… some married priests!

These churches include:

• Maronite Catholic

• Byzantine Catholic

• Chaldean Catholic

• Melkite Catholic, and more!

They are fully united with the Pope in Rome, believe in the same core teachings, and receive the same Eucharist—but they don’t always follow the Roman (Latin) way of doing things.

How Did This Happen?

It goes all the way back to a church breakup in 1054 AD, called the Great Schism. The Church in the West (Rome) and the Church in the East (Constantinople) had some major disagreements:

• Who’s in charge? (Rome or Constantinople?)

• Can priests marry?

• What’s the correct wording in the Creed?

• And how much authority should the Pope really have?

So, the Church split—some went the Roman way, and others the Eastern way. Over time, some Eastern groups came back into unity with Rome, but they kept their unique styles, including their own Catholic priests who are not Roman Catholic.

So, What Should We Remember?

• All Roman Catholic priests are Catholic.

• But not all Catholic priests are Roman Catholic.

• And that’s okay! The Church is one big family with many rooms—same faith, different expressions!

Now you can impress your friends at Bible study or catechism class:

“Hey, did you know Catholic priests aren’t all Roman?”

©Rev Fr Prince Chidi Philip