Historicko-právní vývoj albánské katolické církve

All Eastern Catholic churches sui iuris express the diversity of the universal Catholic Church, which unites all these particular church communities. The Albanian Church holds a special position among the existing 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Christianity spread into the territory of what is now Albania in two streams – Latin (Western) and Greek (Eastern); however, the Islamic oppression, first, and later the difficult cohabitation with Orthodox followers resulted in the local Eastern Catholic Church never having developed into a state in which at least one eparchy could be established. It is interesting that the Albanian Church sui iuris is at present one of the few churches that exist more in spe than in esse – it has been assumed that among the Catholics of the Latin rite are descendants of Catholics of the Byzantine rite who will claim their Eastern roots.