Eastern Catholicism

The following is a list of legally free ebooks concerning, or written within the traditions of, Eastern Catholicism. This includes works by and on the Eastern Fathers; by and on sui juris Eastern churches in full communion with the Pope; on Eastern Rites (some of which are observed by Catholics under Latin jurisdiction); on customs and laws associated with the Eastern churches and rites; and by writers from the Eastern churches and Rites.

1. About Sin, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, Pastoral Letter by Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia (2012). Available in PDF format at UAE Malankara (the Syro Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church at the United Arab Emirates) in English and in Malankara.
2. Ad Tuendam Fidem: Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio, by which certain norms are inserted into the Code of Canon Law and into the Code of Canon of the Eastern Churches, by Pope John Paul II, May 28, 1998. From L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, 15 July 1998, 1. May be read online at the EWTN Library. [N.B. The Letter promulgates “new norms which expressly impose the obligation of upholding truths proposed in a definitive way by the Magisterium of the Church, and which also establish related canonical sanctions.”]
3. Against Heresies, or Refutation and Overthrow of Knowledge falsely so-called [or, Adversus Haereses], by St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c.180 AD), trans. Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut; from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, eds. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885). May be read online at New Advent (rev. and ed. Kevin Knight), with active links to relevant Catholic Encyclopedia articles and Scripture passages; and on The Augustine Club. On Apologetics, Salvation, Heresy, Cosmology, Gnosticism, Divine Revelation, Bishops, Roman Primacy, Tradition, Sacraments, etc. [NB, A defense of Christianity against Gnosticism, which also shows that the early Church had a Catholic view of sacramental grace, the Roman primacy, the bishops as successors of the apostles, etc. Books I and II are somewhat difficult summaries of Gnostic beliefs tio be refuted, so it may be better to start with Book III, which begins the summary of Christian teaching.]
4. Byzantine Catholic Prayer For the Home. Available in PDF, Full Text and DJVU formats at Internet Archive, which describes its contents as “Prayers used by Byzantine Catholics. Includes Common Prayers, Devotional Prayers, Evening and Morning Prayers, The Office of Hours (Matins, Vespers, Compline, Hours, Propers), the Menaion, Akathists, Molebens, and Divine Liturgy. Texts are public domain religious texts used by members.”
5. The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness, by the Synod of Bishops, Special Assembly for the Middle East (2010). May be read online at the Holy See. Available in PDF format at the Holy See and the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch.
6. Christ and the Church, by Pope Benedict XVI (General Audiences 2006 to 2011). May be read online at the EWTN Library. This provides a collection of the teaching addresses of Pope Benedict on Christ and the Church, Apostolic Tradition, and the lives and works of Catholic teachers from the founding of the Church to modern times, including the Apostles, the Eastern and Western Fathers, and the Scholastics.
7. Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches (or the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches), promulgated by Pope John Paul II on October 18, 1990. Available in English at JGray.org and at IntraText. [N.B., Wikipedia states that the translation at IntraText is defective.]
8. Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on October 18, 1990. Latin text available at the Holy See and at IntraText.
9. Contra Errores Graecorum [Against the Errors of the Greeks], by St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P., translated by Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., re-edited and missing chapters supplied by Joseph Kenny, O.P. May be read online at DHS Priory of the Immaculate Conception. [Shows, in response to leaders of the schism, that the teachings of the Eastern Fathers are consistent with Catholic teaching, and that therefore genuine Orthodoxy is Catholic.]
10. Dukranathirunal: Liturgical Celebrations for the Memorial Day (July 03) of Mar Toma Sliha, the Apostle of India. In the Malayalam language. Available in PDF format through the Nasrani Foundation, which also provides meditations by CMI (Carmelite) Fathers for this great feast.
11. The Early Church Fathers, by Pope Benedict XVI (General Audiences 2007-2009). May be read online through Catechesis of the Popes. [It may also be purchased in book form at Our Sunday Visitor and Ignatius Press.]
12. Ecclesiology, by the Rev.Dr.Thomas Paniker. Available in DOC format at Internet Archive and Internet Archive (2nd copy), which describe it as “Theology of the Church with special reference to Syriac Tradition”. [N.B., In four parts that discuss the unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolic character of the Church]
13. The Education of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Clergy (1882-1946), by Ivan Kaszczak (Lviv: Svichado Publishers, 2005). 187 pages. Available in PDF format on this page of the Saint Basil Seminary.
14. Eucharist, by Rev. Dr. Thomas Paniker. Available in DOC format at Internet Archive and Internet Archive (2nd copy). [N.B. Described as “Theology of Eucharist with special reference to Syriac Tradition”. Divided into 3 sections: “The Real Presence of the Glorified Christ”, “The Eucharistic Banquet”, and “The Sacramental Meal”.]
15. FILIOQUE: A Response to Eastern Orthodox Concerns, by Mark J. Bonocore. May be read online on this page and available in PDF format at Catholic Bridge. [N.B., This tract/article, which reaches 50 pages in PDF, is a thorough explanation of the authentic Christian teaching on the “Filioque” and why it poses no barrier to the reunion of separated Eastern churches with the Catholic Church.]
16. Grande Munus: Encyclical on Ss. Cyril and Methodius, by Pope Leo XIII  (September 30, 1880. May be read online atthe Holy See, at Papal Encyclicals.net, and at Catholic Culture.org.
17. Guidelines for Admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, July 20, 2001. Available at the Holy See.
18. A History of the Mass and its Ceremonies in the Eastern and Western Church, by John O’Brien (New York: Benziger, c1879). With Imprimatur. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Kelly Library, University of Toronto). History, Sacraments, Liturgy.
19. Holy Qurbono in the Syro-Malankara Church: A Liturgical Study, by Fr.Givergis Paniker Karichal, revised and edited by Rev. Dr. Thomas Paniker, P.G. (Trivandrum: SB Press, 1991). Includes “The Theological Significance of Epiclesis in the Malankara Qurbono”, by Rev. Dr. Thomas Paniker. With Imprimatur. Available at Internet Archive, which describes it as a “Liturgical and Theological Study of the Eucharist according to Malankara Church”.
20. The Life of Saint Anthony, by St. Athanasius, newly translated and annotated by Robert T. Mayer (Westminster, Maryland: Newman Press, 1950). Ancient Christian Writers: Works of the Fathers in Translation (edited by Johannes Quasten and Joseph C. Plumpe), No. 10. With Imprimatur. Available at Internet Archive.
21. India and the Apostle Thomas: An Inquiry, with a Critical Analysis of the Acta Thomae, by Dr. A. E. Medlycott, Bishop of Triconia (London: David Nutt, 1905). Available at Internet Archive (which appears to have the better copy) and Internet Archive (2nd copy). [N.B., F.A. D’Cruz in his St. Thomas, the Apostle, in India (1905) notes that Dr. Medlycott was at one time Vicar Apostolic of Trichur in Cochin State.]
22. Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches (January 6, 1996). Available in PDF format at the Holy See. May be read online at Catholic Culture, and at EWTN Library.
23. Liturgikon. Available at Internet Archive, which describes it as the “Missal printed in Rome in 1950 for the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great in use in the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris”.
24. Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, with Commentary and Reflections [in Ukrainian], by Fr. Pavlo Hayda. Available at Internet Archive.
25. The Lives of the Saints: Catechesis on the great Christian writers of both East and West, by Pope Benedict XVI (General Audiences 2007-2011). May be read online through Catechesis of the Popes. This provides a collection of the teaching addresses of Pope Benedict on the Early Church Fathers (Ante-Nicene and Nicene, Post-Nicene), the Medieval Church Fathers, the Great Women of the Middle Ages, and the Modern Doctors of the Church. Some of the addresses on the Early Church Fathers may be found at Position Papers.ie.
26. The Melkite Greek Church at the Council: Discourses and Memoranda of Patriarch Maximos IV and of the Hierarchs of His Church at the Second Vatican Council, with Introduction by Fr. [Archimandrite] Robert S. Taft, S.J., Pontifical Oriental Institute, and Preface by Maximos IV [Cardinal Sayegh], Patriarch of Antioch and of All-the-East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem. May be read at the Melkite Eparchy of Newton. [First published asL’Eglise Grecque Melkite au Councile: discours et notes du Patriarche Maximos IV et des prélats de son Eglise au Concile oecuménique Vatican II (Beyrouth: Dar Al-Kalima, 1967).]
27. On the Incarnation of the Word, by St. Athanasius. Available at New Advent.
28. Orientale Lumen: Apostolic Letter to Mark the Centenary of Orientalium Dignitas of Pope Leo XIII, by Pope John Paul II, May 2, 1995. Available at the Holy See.
29. Our Faith: A Byzantine Catechism for Adults, by Fr. Casimir Kucharek (Allendale, N.J.; Combermere, Ontario, Canada: Alleluia Press, 1983). Available in PDF, Full Text and Daisy formats at Internet Archive. (Creative Commons license: Public Domain Mark 1.0. The index page states “This is a Ukrainian Catholic Catechism, bearing the imprimatur of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in union with the Pope of Rome. Not to be confused with the new Ukrainian Catholic Catechism “Christ our Pascha” which is due to be released in Ukrainian in June 2011. Permission to share on Internet given February 12, 2010.”)
30. Pastoral Letter by the Shepherd, Hierarchs, and Priests of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese [Eparchy] of Saint Peter the Apostle (January 6, 2012). May be read online and downloaded in PDF format at Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle. [N.B. The Pastoral Letter concerns the liturgy, ecumenism, and the historic heritage of the Chaldaean Catholic sui iurus church.]
31. Pastoral Letter to Priests, Seventh Pastoral Letter by the Council of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs, August 15, 2004. Concerning the formation and ministry of priests. Available at Melkite Eparchy of Newton.
32. Patres Apostolici, Volume I, edited by Francis Xavier Funk (Tubingae: H. Laupp, 1901). In Latin and Ancient Greek. With Imprimatur. A collection of works by the Apostolic Fathers (Christian writers immediately after the Apostles), including Pope St. Clement I, Bishop Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop St. Papias of Hierapolis, Quadratus, Bishop St. Irenaeus of Lyon, and Hermas. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive.
33. The Rite of Divine Mysteries, according to the practice of the Church of the East of the Chaldeans and Assyrians: Approved Text of the Liturgical Renewal [in English]. Available at Internet Archive, which describes it as “The Rite of Divine Mistery [sic] [of the] Chaldean Catholic Church”
34. The Rite of the Divine Mysteries of the Church of the East of the Chaldaeans and Assyrians: Approved Text of the Liturgical Renewal (2007). Available at Internet Archive [Provides the Ordinary of the Mass in the Chaldaean Catholic Rite, in English and Syriac]
35. The Rule of the Mother of God: Praying the Rosary in Eastern Catholic Churches, by Michael Plishka. Available in PDF format on this page.
36. Sacri Canones: Apostolic Constitution by Pope John Paul II, October 18, 1990. Available at Internet Archive (Creative Commons license: Public Domain Mark 1.0), which states: “The Apostolic Constitution “Sacri Canones”, issued October 18, 1990 by Pope John Paul II as he promulgated the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO), the canon law in force for Eastern Catholics… Also included is an English translation of the Latin preface to the Eastern Code of Canons”.
37. Saint Athanasius: The Father of Orthodoxy, by Frances Alice Forbes (London: R. & T. Washbourne, Limited, 1919). With Imprimatur. Part of the series Standard-bearers of the Faith: A Series of Lives of the Saints for Young and Old. Available in many formats at Manybooks , in fewer formats at Project Gutenberg , and in epub, fulltext and kindle formats at Internet Archive.
38. Select treatises of St. Athanasius in controversy with the Arians, by Saint Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, d. 373; John Henry Newman, 1801-1890 (London: Pickering, 1881). Available on Internet Archive and Open Library (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: University of California Libraries).
39. Slavorum Apostoli: Encyclical Epistle in Commemoration of the Eleventh Centenary of the Evangelizing Work of Saints Cyril and Methodius, by Pope John Paul II (2 June 1985). May be read online atthe Holy See, which has a second copy at this page, at IntraText.com, at the John Paul II Foundation, and at the Catholic Information Network.
40. Slavorum Apostoli: Encyklika w tysiąc setną rocznicę dzieła ewangelizacji świętych Cyryla i Metodego, przez Papiez Jan Paweł II (02 Czerwca 1985). W języku Polskim. Dostępne na Opoka.org. [N.B., If the translation from English is wrong, please correct me. Thanks.]
41. Slavorum Apostoli: Epistola Enciclica nel Ricordo dell’opera Evangelizzatrice dei Santi Cirillo e Metodio dopo Undici Secoli, da Papa Giovanni Paolo II (2 Giugnio 1985). Disponibile presso Maranatha.it [N.B., If the translation from English is wrong, please correct me. Thanks.]
42. Sluzebnik 1952. Available at Internet Archive, which describes it as the “Catholic Slavonic Divine Liturgy”.·
43. Some Lies and Errors of History, by Reuben Parsons (Notre Dame, Ind., Office of the “Ave Maria”, 1893). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library [N.B.–This is a collection of articles refuting the various “Black Legends” used to calumniate Catholics: the civilization of Latin (Medieval) Europe, the Eastern schisms, the case of Galileo, the Inquisition, holy wars, St. Bartolomew’s Day, the career of Pope Alexander VI and Cardinal Richelieu, and “the man in the iron mask”.]
44. St. Thomas, the Apostle, in India: an investigation based on the latest researches in connection with the time-honoured tradition regarding the martyrdom of St. Thomas in southern India, by F.A. D’Cruz, K.S.G. (Madras: Hoe and Co., 1922). With an Introduction by A.M. Teixeira, Vicar-General and Administrator of the Diocese of Mylapore. Available in various formats at Open Library and Internet Archive.
45. Study Guide for “The Fathers” by Pope Benedict XVI, compiled by Amy Welborn (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008). Available in PDF format at Our Sunday Visitor as linked by Catechesis of the Popes, which states that it may be purchased through this page of Our Sunday Visitor. The Study Guide complements the teaching addresses of Pope Benedict on the Early Church Fathers, which may be read online at Catechesis of the Popes.
46. Die Theologische Bedeutung der Epiklese in der syro-antiochenischen bzw. malankarischen Liturgie, von P.G. Thomas Paniker (Wurzburg: Augustinus-Verlag, 1993). Available at Internet Archive. [N.B., The index page states that it was translated into German by Prof. Dr. John Madey. The text in English, “The Theological Significance of Epiclesis in the Malankara Qurbono”, is available as appendix II on page 83 of Holy Qurbono in the Syro-Malankara Church: A Liturgical Study, by Fr.Givergis Paniker Karichal, available at Internet Archive.]
47. The Tradition of the Syriac Church of Antioch, Concerning the Primacy and the Prerogatives of St. Peter and of his Successors the Roman Pontiffs, by the Most Rev. Cyril Benham Benni, Syriac Archbishop of Mossul (Nineveh), translated under the direction of the author by Joseph Gagliardi  (London: Burns, Oates, & Co., 1871). Available in various formats at Internet Archive and Open Library, with a second copy at Internet Archive and Open Library.