d. In European Turkey and in Greece, Catholics of the Byzan tine rite are only found in small and scattered communities, who are under prelates known as "Ordinaries." In Bulgaria they are now under the Latin hierarchy, though formerly they had two vicars apostolic of their own.
e. In Italy, Southern Italy and in Sicily there are considerable numbers of Catholics who belong to the Byzantine rite, the descendants of a more numerous body who have been there since the 8th century. At the present time they number altogether between 50,000 and 6o,000. They have no bishop of their own with territorial jurisdiction, but are under the Latin hierarchy. For the purpose of ordination however a titular archbishop resi dent in Naples is appointed by the Pope to ordain their priests. They have also a college of their own in Rome for the education of the clergy, St. Atanasio dei Greci, in the Via Babuino.
2. Catholics of the Armenian Rite.—These have never been very numerous. Before the war their numbers were estimated at i,000,000; but in common with the rest of their nation they suffered much from Turkish persecution during the war and in the years which immediately followed. Their patriarch has the title of the patriarch of Cilicia. He has under him two archbishops, of Mardin in Iraq and of Sebaste and some twelve suffragan bishops. He has also jurisdiction over the archbishoprics of his own rite of Ispahan, and of Aleppo and the bishopric of Alexandria in Egypt. There is a well known Catholic Armenian monastery belonging to the Mechitarist monks at Venice, and another at Vienna, from both of which a great deal of good literary work has been done.
3. Catholics of the Coptic Rite.—There is a Catholic Coptic patriarch at Alexandria, with two suffragan sees at Hermopolis and Thebes. The number of Catholic Copts is not large, but is increasing. The patriarchate was founded by Leo XIII. in 1895. The Coptic liturgy is used.
4. The Four Uniate Patriarchates of Antioch. a. The Ifelchite Patriarchate.—The patriarch has jurisdiction over all the Uniates of Greek nationality in the Turkish empire. Under him are six archbishoprics and seven bishoprics. They are of the Byzantine rite, and the liturgical language is Arabic. There is a large seminary for the priests of this rite at Jerusalem in the Church of St. Anne, under the charge of the White Fathers of
Cardinal Lavigerie. The patriarch draws his title from Antioch, but his residence is at the monastery of Ain-Traz in the Lebanon.
b. The Maronite Patriarchate.—The Maronites have their centre in the Lebanon. They are some 300,00o in number of whom only about 70,000 reside outside of the mountainous dis tricts of Syria. The exact origins of this body are a matter of much controversy, but they are certainly the oldest of the Uniate Churches, even if their claim never to have been in schism or heresy cannot be substantiated. The Patriarch resides in the Lebanon and has under him ten bishops. The rite is Syrian, and Syriac is the liturgical language. But the original rite has been conformed to the Western practices much more than is the case with other Eastern Uniate rites.
c. The Syrian Patriarchate.—The patriarch resides at Mardin in Iraq, and has nothing directly to do with Antioch. He has jurisdiction over about 200,000 people, a secession from the Jacobite heresy. They suffered very much from Turkish perse cution in the war and are consequently less numerous than they were. There are 3 bishoprics in Syria, and four in Iraq.
d. The Latin Patriarchate of Antioch is purely titular, and the patriarch, who is generally an Italian, resides at Rome.
5. Catholics of the Chaldean Rite.—These are under a patri arch, whose title is drawn from Babylon. He resides at Mosul, which is his own diocese, and has eight suffragan bishops in Iraq besides three in Persia, which last are under the archbishop of Urmia. This body also suffered very much from the Turkish per secution. Its numbers were formerly estimated at 50,000.
6. Christians of St. Thomas (Malabar coast).—For these Christians the claim is made that they come down directly from the mission of the apostle St. Thomas, and his tomb is venerated at Mylapur. In any case they are an extremely ancient body, whose history goes back to the early centuries. They are of the Syrian rite, and are governed, since 1895, by four bishops. Before that date they were under two Latin vicars apostolic. They num ber about 250,000 in all. (A. S. BA.) For bibliography referring to Catholic organization see PAPACY, and CANON LAW.