The schism of the East left the Church with few members who practised the Eastern rites, but-as I mentioned before, there were always some. Gradually during the centuries their number has been increased by individuals and groups of Orthodox who have returned to the unity of the Church; as they did the Popes insisted they should retain their Eastern rites and discipline unchanged, This is the origin of those 8,500,000 Catholics who now use the Eastern rites. The fact that in the Catholic Church there are these 8,500,000 representatives of all the Oriental rites is in itself one sign that She is the true Church of Christ.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.