The Byzantine Taraskovyan Catholic Church is an Eastern rite church in communion with the Holy See and Pope Leo XIV. This church, claiming a rough 1,5% of the Grand Ducal population, is not to be confused with the Latin rite Catholic dioceses existing in the southern regions of Tarasovka, namely the Fiefdoms of Southern Cardinia and Uthar, nor with the Taraskovyan Orthodox Church.

History

The roots of the Byzantine Taraskovyan Catholic Church go back to the times of the schism in the Christian Church between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. Tarasovka, which at the time was symbolically under the authority of Constantinople, decided to become Eastern Orthodox. However, a small community of Taraskovyan faithful was reluctant to abandon the ties with Rome and chose to form a Church apart that would be in communion with Rome whilst keeping its autonomy.

Organisation

The Byzantine Taraskovyan Catholic Church is a Major Archiepiscopal Church led by a Major Archbishop, equal in rights to a Patriarch, but in the traditional ranking of hierarchs standing directly after a Patriarch. The Major Archbishop is elected by the Synod of Bishops of the Byzantine Taraskovyan Catholic Church, the election needing to be confirmed by the Pope. His seat is located in the Archeparchy of Yekaterinburg.

The Byzantine Taraskovyan Catholic Church retains the Byzantine rite and Church Slavonic for liturgical language.