There are many hundreds of thousands of people in the United States-- Ukrainians, Rumanians, Syrians, Albanians and others--who call themselves "Greek Catholics." It is well that other Catholics should know that these people are our fellow Catholics. They are called "Greek Catholics" because they use the ancient Greek liturgy, although these rites are not usually performed in the Greek language. Some of them use Cyrillic (ancient liturgical Slavic), others Rumanian, but in every instance it is with the full approval of Rome. These Catholics are no different from any others; all of us adhere to the same religion, with the Holy Father as our head. There is no difference in belief between us. All Catholics believe alike, whatever may be their liturgy. Greek Catholics are such because they use the Greek liturgy, just as we are Roman Catholics because we use the Latin liturgy--but we are all Catholics. These are our fellow Catholics. Let us, therefore, extend them the hand of friendship.

There is a still larger number of people living in the United States--Russians, Ukrainians, Rumanians, Greeks, Syrians and others--who belong to the Orthodox Eastern church, which is, next to the Catholic church, the largest Christian denomination in the world. Their church has valid orders and has preserved the deposit of faith in a much larger measure than has any other dissident denomination; however, they are not Catholics and do not call themselves such; they refer to themselves colloquially as "Greek Orthodox". Although both the Greek Catholics and the Greek Orthodox use the Greek liturgy and share many customs and characteristics, they are, in religion, poles apart. The former are our fellow Catholics, the latter are not.

There exists in the United States, unfortunately, a widespread popular misconception as to the meaning of the designation "Greek Catholics." Many people imagine erroneously that members of the Orthodox Eastern Church are called "Greek Catholics"--they are not and they make no claim to the name. In Eastern Europe and Western Asia, from whence these people come, the 3distinction is understood. Of those who use the Greek liturgy, the Catholics are called "Greek Catholics", and the others are universally called "Greek Orthodox" or simply "Orthodox"--never "Greek Catholics." So widespread is this error in the United States, even among otherwise well-informed Catholics, that there is the danger of our forcing the name "Greek Catholics" upon the members of the Orthodox Eastern church, who heretofore have never made claim to it.