| Italo-Albanian Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 Byzantine Catholic mosaic of Christ Pantocrator in the Italo-Albanian Parish in Palermo, Sicily (Italy) | |
| Classification | Eastern Catholic |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | Synod |
| Structure | Tri-ordinariate[1] |
| Pope | Francis |
| Leader | |
| Associations | Congregation for the Oriental Churches |
| Region | Southern Italy, Sicily, Lazio; United States (diaspora) |
| Liturgy | Byzantine Rite |
| Origin | 10 June 1732: Ordinariate of the Italo-Albanians of the Byzantine rite of Calabria appointed[2] |
| Branched from | Catholic Church |
| Congregations | 45 |
| Ministers | 82 priests, 5 deacons[3] |
| Other name(s) |
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The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church[a] or Italo-Albanian Byzantine-Catholic Church[5] is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches which, together with the Latin Church, compose the Catholic Church. It is an autonomous (sui juris) particular church in full communion with the Pope of Rome, directly subject to the Roman Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, but which follows the Byzantine Rite, the ritual and spiritual traditions that are common in most of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It uses two liturgical languages: Koine Greek, the traditional language of the Eastern Churches, and Albanian, the native language of most of its adherents.
The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church extends its jurisdiction over the Italo-Albanian people, who are the descendants of the exiled Albanians that fled to Italy in the 15th century under the pressure of the Turkish persecutions in Albania, Epirus and the Morea (Peloponnese). For over five centuries, they have managed, as a diaspora, to retain their language, culture, customs and beliefs. Nowadays, they reside primarily in Southern Italy (Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria) and in Sicily, as well as in Central Italy, where they are present only in the Monastery of Grottaferrata in the Lazio region. The Church also operates among the Italo-Albanian diaspora in North and South America. It has about 80,000 faithful. It does not have a metropolitan, but is instead led by two eparchs and a territorial abbot.
The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church considers itself the heir of the traditional Illyricum Church[specify] and is closely linked to the Albanian Greek-Catholic Church, with which it shares a common history and traditions.[6] The fact that the Church has never broken away from the Apostolic See of Rome is a rare testimony - another example being the Maronites - of the persistent unity of the Church despite its diversity of traditions.[7][8]
- ^ Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Horawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
cnewawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Italo-Albanese Catholic Church of the Byzantine Tradition". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ^ "Italo-Albanese Church. Eastern-Rite sui juris Catholic Church. Italy : Lungro, Piana degli Albanesi, Santa Maria di Grottaferrata". gcatholic.org. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ^ G. Cimbalo, Conference “Cultural bridges between Himara and the Arbëresh diaspora during the 16th and 18th centuries”, Vlora (Albania), 10-11 November, 2015.
- ^ Centro Internazionale di Studi sul Mito (Delegazione Sicilia), Tavola Rotonda sugli Arbëreshë: "Shqiptarë nga gjuha Bizantinë nga riti kishtar Italjanë nga adoptimi: Arbëreshët - Albanesi per lingua Bizantini per rito Italiani per adozione: gli Arbëreshë", Palermo 2015.
- ^ Considerations of the visits of the Orthodox Church of Albania (1940), of Greece (1973) and of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (2019) to the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church.
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