In Catholic canon law and secular law, (), also spelled , refers to legal self-rule. The term church is used in the Catholic Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) to denote the autonomous churches in Catholic communion.
The Latin (the individual words meaning 'self' and 'law') corresponds to the Greek 'ñá½ÂÃÂÃÂýÿüÿÃÂ', from which the English word autonomy is derived.
A church is an aggregation of particular churches with distinct liturgical, spiritual, theological and canonical traditions that is recognized as a particular church within the Catholic Church. The term denotes the relative autonomy of the Eastern Catholic Churches to keep up their patrimonial autonomous nature. The autonomy of these churches is relative in the sense that it is under the supreme authority of the Roman Pontiff.
By far the largest of the churches is the Latin Church. Over that particular church, the pope exercises his papal authority, and the authority that in other particular churches belongs to a patriarch. He has, therefore, been referred to also as Patriarch of the West.
A patriarchal church is a full-grown form of an Eastern Catholic church. It is 'a community of the Christian faithful joined together by' a Patriarchal hierarchy. The Patriarch together with the synod of bishops has the legislative, judicial and administrative powers within jurisdictional territory of the patriarchal church, without prejudice to those powers reserved, in the common law, to the Roman pontiff (CCEO 55-150). Among the Eastern Catholic Churches the following churches are of patriarchal status:
Major archiepiscopal churches are the oriental churches, governed by the major archbishops being assisted by the respective synod of bishops. These churches also have almost the same rights and obligations of Patriarchal Churches. A major archbishop is the metropolitan of a see determined or recognized by the Supreme authority of the Church, who presides over an entire Eastern Church that is not distinguished with the patriarchal title. What is stated in common law concerning patriarchal Churches or patriarchs is understood to be applicable to major archiepiscopal churches or major archbishops, unless the common law expressly provides otherwise or it is evident from the nature of the matter" (CCEO.151, 152). Following are the Major Archiepiscopal Churches:
A church which is governed by a Metropolitan (Bishop) is called a metropolitan church . "A Metropolitan Church is presided over by the Metropolitan of a determined see who has been appointed by the Roman Pontiff and is assisted by a council of hierarchs according to the norm of law" (CCEO. 155ç1). The Catholic metropolitan churches are the following:
Other than the above-mentioned three forms of churches there are some other ecclesiastical communities. It is "a Church which is neither patriarchal nor major archiepiscopal nor Metropolitan, and is entrusted to a hierarch who presides over it in accordance with the norm of common law and the particular law established by the Roman Pontiff" (CCEO. 174). The following churches are of this juridical status:
In civil law, the phrase indicates legal competence, and refers to an adult who has the capacity to manage his or her own affairs. It is opposed to , meaning one such as a minor or mentally disabled person who is legally incompetent and under the control of another. It also indicates a person capable of suing and/or being sued in a legal proceeding in his own name () without the need of an , that is, a court appointed representative, acting on behalf of a defendant, who is deemed to be incapable of representing themselves.