Abstract
Ruthenian Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern Churches sui iuris. Historically, it is closely tied to the Ruthenian ethnic group (Rusyns) that never had an independent state, and in most territories, where its members live today, their number is falling rapidly.
A similar trend can be observed in the Ruthenian Church: while all Slavic Greek Catholics living on territory of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy formed a single church, after the collapse of the monarchy Slovak, Ukrainian and Hungarian Church began to gradually separate from the Ruthenian Church. The only European country where there is a separate Ruthenian eparchy (Mukachevo), is Ukraine today.
Greek Catholics in the Czech Republic and both Americas have a special status within the Ruthenian Church. Even in this case, a formation of a Czech, or American churches can be expected in the future.
But it will then pose a threat - most likely - to the existence of the original Ruthenian Church.