Although this might not be known well, there are 23 “Churches of their own right”within the Catholic Church, that are represented by groups of local Churches or Dioceses of the same rite. In addition to the Latin Church, which is the largest, since almost 90 percent of Catholics belong to it, there are other Churches, such as Armenian, Coptic, Ukrainian, Syrian-Malabar, Melkite, Maronite, etc., – they are all Catholic.

The smallest among these Eastern Rite Catholic churches is the so-called Russian Byzantine Rite Catholic Church. The Sanctuary of the Mother of God of Fatima in Russia will serve at the same time as a church for Catholics of that rite, although it will obviously be open to all Catholics with the opportunity for the liturgies of any Catholic rite to be celebrated.