Eritrean Catholic Church
| Eritrean Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Eastern Catholic |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | Metropolitanate |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Metropolitan | Menghesteab Tesfamariam |
| Liturgy | Alexandrian Rite |
| Headquarters | Asmara |
| Founder | Saint Frumentius in 328AD Axum (according to Catholic tradition); Abune Menghesteab in 2015AD Asmara |
| Members | 167,722 (2017) |
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| Particular churches sui iuris of the Catholic Church |
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| Alexandrian Rite |
| Armenian Rite |
| Byzantine Rite |
| East Syriac Rite |
| Latin liturgical rites |
| West Syriac Rite |
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The Eritrean Catholic Church is a sui iuris (autonomous) Eastern Catholic Church based in Eritrea. As a Local Church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Apostolic See. It was established in 2015 when its territory was separated from the Ethiopian Catholic Church. The Church is organized under a metropolitan bishop who exercises oversight of a number of suffragan dioceses. In its liturgical services, it uses the Alexandrian Rite in the Geʽez language.
Within the Tewahedo tradition, the principal distinction is ecclesial: the Eritrean Catholic Tewahedo Church is in full communion with the Pope of Rome, whereas the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is not; both preserve Cyrillian Miaphysitism, the Geʽez Rite, and the historic Tewahedo liturgical-theological heritage.