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Hi Pavel,

I'm glad you pointed that out. (It's always nice when making a mistake becomes an opportunity to learn something.)

There are also some Syro-Malabarese and Syro-Malankarese eparchies which are suffragans of Latin Metropolitans (other than the pope). (See e.g. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbjsm.html ) I think the Hungarian example is even more interesting, however, because it appears to be an exception to Canon 175 of the CCEO:

174. A Church sui iuris, which is neither patriarchal, major archiepiscopal nor metropolitan is entrusted to a hierarch who presides over it according to the norm of common law and particular law established by the Roman Pontiff.
175. These Churches immediately depend on the Apostolic See; however, the hierarch exercises the rights and obligations mentioned in can. 159, nn. 3-8, as a delegate of the Apostolic See.

I wonder, then, if Rome might be willing to let, for example, the Slovak Catholic Church become a suffragan of their local Latin metropolitan (if they wanted to). More to the point, I wonder if the Eparchy of Mukacevo could (if they wanted to) become a suffragan of a UGCC metropolitan without becoming part of the UGCC.

Just a thought.
God bless,
Peter.

The Ukrainian Eparchy of Melbourne is is suffragan to the Archbishop of Melbourne, in Australia. There being suffragan to Latin Metropolitans does not affect them internally.

The Malankara Major Archdiocese internet site spells that out in regards to other of their diocese in India, that are not included in the actual territory of the Major Archdiocese. I would feel sure the same applies to the Prince-Primate of Hungary. Not to be linked to him is probabaly unpatriotic as the spiritual father of the nation. The same would be with Poland.

Actually I did not realise until yesterday just how many diocese in western Europe are directly under the Pope. All the Swiss diocese for example. Life goes on and no one cares. However change something and it unsettles people. The Popes prefer quiet to unsettled every time.

By the way, I did a little more checking and it seems it is also the case that the Eparchy of Kri�evci, Croatia (Greek Catholics in Fomer Yugoslavia) is a suffragan of the Latin Bishop of Zagreb, Croatia. (See http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dzagr.html or http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dkrby.html )

Another exception, I guess, to the canon quoted above.

God bless,
Peter.

What is said there applies to all bishop all over the world regardless of Rite. The Croatian Byzantines are their own Particular Church. Their bishop runs his own diocese as normal and he is part of the national conference of Croatian Bishops. Nothing strange or out of order there. Nothing to worry about either. Remember some of these diocese were created a very long time ago and politcal and church structures were different. Also Metropolitans can't interfere in a diocese in their province the canons are very clear what is expected of a bishop to provide good government. Metropolitan are also very limited in what they do outside their own diocese and what these are related to. so it does not matter if they are directly under the Pope or part of a provence already in place. Rome is easy and will go either way. Either way the bishops are part of the National Episcopal Conference (almost all have them). Ultimately all Catholic bishops give an account of their stewardship to the Pope.