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Are the patriarchs of the EC churches the heads of autonomous or autocephalous churches?

Are the terms "autonomous" and/or "autocephalous" even appropriate when discussing the other 20 sui juris churches?

I would say Autocephalous is appropriate for the patriarchal churches as the Synod elects the patriarch freely without input from Rome. For the other Churches, as Rome has varying degrees of input into the selection of the hierarchs from confirmation to appointment, Autonomous would seem appropriate and in fact and this would be the proper Greek translation Sui Iuris.

Fr. Deacon Lance

I agree with Fr. Deacon Lance.

Technically the latin term "sui iuris" literally translated = automonous, i.e. auto (self/sui) = nomos (law/iuris). And autonomous, in the ecclesiology of Eastern Christianity means internally self governing.

We are not there yet (but we're getting there).

I suppose, at the present stage of our development, ideally, all the EC Churches should work to be fully autonomous in the fullest sense of the word within the Catholic Communion.

But in the big picture, what I think we should be working toward is an intercommunion between all Churches (Orthodox and Latin) wherein each individual Church would be autocephalous, but exist within a really viable and functioning "Communion".

Then the ECCs would find their place in that, either as autonomous Churches in their own right (e.g. the Maronites) or re-integrate into their "mother Churches" e.g. the UGCC and the Melkites.

But for right now as the first step, let's work toward being fully autonomous.

Happy Postfeast!

Herb

The late Archimandrite Fr. Alexis Floridi, SJ (Memory Eternal) of Our Lady of Kazan in Boston would say that within the Catholic Church, the Eastern Churches can be Autonomous, but not Autocephalous.
To understand this, one must understand what Autocephlous means in the Byzantine context (as opposed to the concept of Sui Juris, which is a Latin one applied to Eastern Churches). In the true concept of an Autocephalous Church, that particular Church is self governing in every way possible. No other Church has anything at all to say about its affairs. The are only in communion with it, and it is listed in its order by the EC in the diptychs (although some are in dispute and the Slavic Churches may question the ordering, e.g. the OCA). Patriarchates are always listed first, followed by the Autocephalous Churches whose Primate does not carry the Title of Patriarch (e.g. Cyprus, Greece and Albania). But regardless of whether or not they carry the Title of Patriarch of Moscow, or Archbishop of Athens or Tirana and Durres, they are functionally the same. Conversely, the Archbishop of All Finland and the Finnish Church is internally self-governing, but Autonomous under the EC. Such is Orthodoxy.
In Catholic Theology, everyone is under the jurisdiction of the Pope. Thus, the best comparison of the Latin Sui Juris to the Greek is Autonomous. But Orthodox are reluctant to even concede that. In the Latin Vatican II Sui Juris concept, the Patriarchs and Major Archbishops were granted jurisdiction over other Bishops in their respective Synods that is very alien to the Eastern concept of a Bishop. In Orthodoxy, a Bishop within his own Diocese together with his clergy and faithful are the Ecclesia or Church in its sacramental totality.

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