www.byzcath.org Forums Active Threads

AnnaG,

Christ is Risen!

“Theotokos” is a Greek word that means “Birthgiver of God.” Our Church Slavonic translation is “Bohorodice.” Some of the very earliest translations used “Birthgiver of God” but this term was found to be inelegant, so most Greek Catholics started using the term “Mother of God.” It is not a literal translation, but it was perfectly understandable and allowed most English speakers to find that relationship with her. Others seemed to consider the use of the term “Mother of God” as a translation for “Theotokos” unacceptable. It seems they fall into two camps. Some consider the use of the term “Mother of God” to be unacceptable because it is a non-literal translation. Others simply think that using the Greek word “Theotokos” to be somehow more Eastern. There seems to be no consideration that Americans simply do not know this Greek word. No official reason was given for the change. And no education was given at all about the revisions to the Divine Liturgy.

Kneeling in the Christian East is more an act of penance than it is humility. In the Christian West it is more an act of humility than it is penance. So in the Roman Catholic Church they kneel on Sundays during the Eucharistic Prayer as an act of humility before God. But since in the Christian East kneeling was more an act of penance and Sundays were day on which we celebrate the resurrection, kneeling was not done since it was a time to replace penance with joy. Byzantine Catholics were caught between both worlds and adopted kneeling as a sign of humility. Today the trend is towards standing on Sundays. miloslav_jc provided some good links to read.

The changes to the music are much more complicated to explain. The revised texts for the Divine Liturgy meant new music books. A cantor from Philadelphia (now deceased) updated the existing settings from 1965 that you probably remember just enough to accommodate the revised texts, but he left any hymn where the texts did not change alone. However, the bishops (through the seminary) instead chose to hire someone to “restore” them to a standard from 1906. The problem with this is that Ruthenians in the United States brought with them slightly different melodies that became the norm here in our parishes. And the process for this new setting of liturgy text placed the preservation of the 1906 melodies over modern American English accentuation. Plus, if you compare any two pieces (from the 1965 and 2007 settings) where the melody and text have not changed, you can find change for change’s sake. This has resulted in clunky music that is no longer as fun to sing. The 2007 settings come across as if English is not our native language. That's really a shame.

TR COLLAPSE ▲

This is a crack pot theory promoted by people that don't like Vatican 2, Pope Francis, and it means nothing for the Byzantine Catholics because every Pope since 1958. Sedevacantism is an insane theory that has no logical backing to it. The church would cease to exist...this idea that the CIA has any control over the Catholic church's leadership is also silly. COLLAPSE ▲