Katolickie Kościoły wschodnie nie mające własnej hierarchii (wybrane zagadnienia)
The Eastern Catholic Churches that do not Have Their Own Hierarchy (selected issues)

Summary/Abstract: The article studies those Churches that do not possess a hierarchy. When looking at the Code norms, it cannot escape notice that practically only three Canons directly relate to the abovementioned issue, namely Canons 174, 175, and 176 (CCEO). Hence the author, being doubtful, asks the fundamental question: has the legislator not forgotten about the remaining sui iuris Churches? Is this scarcity of laws in any way justified? This author deals with four Byzantine communities only: Albanian, Georgian, Russian, and Byelorussian. On closer inspection, it seems that one can hardly provide an unequivocal answer to the question whether the four communities can be regarded as sui iuris church communities. Yet, all these Churches have a unique canon structure recognised by the Apostolic See, with the exception of the Georgian community. It seems obvious that for various reasons – be it historical, political, social, or legal ones – these communities did not fulfil necessary conditions to be regarded as sui iuris Churches. It must be noted that the recreation of those structures may necessitate the use of an exception to the rule. One thing remains certain though. The highest authority in Church, the Pope or the General Council, is the only authority that is empowered to delimit the lines along which the creation or recreation of a sui iuris Church may proceed.

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