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George Weigel, NBC News analyst, writes in his guide to the Holy Father's funeral Mass and burial rites (found on the MSNBC website, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7418805/page/4/) that during the Final Commendation portion of the Mass, following "The Prayer of the Church of Rome," there will be the "Prayer of the Oriental [Eastern Rite Catholic] Churches:"

"This is an innovation, emphasizing the unity of the Catholic Church, which is primarily Latin-rite but includes those eastern-rite Churches in communion with Rome (the largest of which is the Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine). This will be led by the colorfully clad eastern Catholic patriarchs, and takes the form of a lengthy series of intercessions, chanted in Greek by a deacon, to which the "choir" of eastern Church leaders responds, "Lord, have mercy." The eastern Church leaders then incense the coffin and offer more prayers."

Can anyone provide more insight about this rite?

Martin

Weigel's comments don't really tell us what to expect - but it is traditional that a small service from one or another of the Eastern Catholic traditions is incorporated into the papal funeral. When John Paul I died, Patriarch Maximos V, at the end of the funeral Mass, served a Litany for the Dead (known to Ukrainians and Ruthenians as a Panychyda) with the choir of the Greek College chanting; it was quite pleasant but the TV commentator, who had no idea of what was going on, instead of shutting his mouth and allowing us to enjoy the chanting, fantasized sheer nonsense in an attempt to impress the audience.

Incognitus

It's almost 2:20 Wichita time.

I just NOW saw the entrance of many Orthodox prelates, including His Holiness, Bartholmelow I. What an impressive entrance!

I got goosebumps all over.

The dignitaries are slowly taking seats...even if the funeral is at least 45 min away (they started about 20 to 25 min. ago).

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Martin,

Christ is Risen!

I believe what will happen is that the Coptic Catholic Partiarch Stephanos II will after Communion lead a Byzantine Panahida service. The prayers, litany and responses will be in Greek, with a Greek chorus leading the responses.

It appeared that Patriarch Stephanos also participated in the Eucharistic Prayer. (Of course, all priests participate in the Consecration). It looked like he was given a portion of it to lead.

May the Lord God grant to his newly departed and priestly servant +Pope John Paul, blessed repose, where there is no pain sorrow or mourning, but only light and life everlasting! May his memory be eternal! Christ is Risen!

Deacon El

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has a very good website: http://www.ugcc.org.ua/eng/

Thanks, Deacon El. That's what I was wondering: Which litany or service of which Eastern church would be used. I find it interesting that the Coptic Catholic Partiarch would lead a Byzantine Catholic Panahida service. Very ecumenical....

Martin

Parenthetically: I should have been clearer in my initial post. When I said "rite," I was referring to "service" or "litany," not "Rite" as in "Ritual Church."

The Byzantine chanting at the Litany for the Dead (aka Panikhyda) was provided by the choir of the Pontifical Greek College. They're significantly better than the Sistine Choir.

Incognitus

Goosebumps all over again when the Panahida service was held after the Latin Liturgy.

Goodness!

A Coptic Patriarch leading a Byzantine Panahida service? WOW! Never heard of a thing like that.

It shows that this funeral is very remarkable and I don't see anything similar to that would occur again! WOW.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Martin,

My supposition is that His Beatitude Stephanos performed the incensation because, as Patriarch of Alexandria, he holds the Catholic Patriarchal See next in precedence after that of Rome and that leading of the prayers fell then to His Beatitude Gregorios, as the next in Patriarchal precedence (by virtue of being holding title, albeit joined ad personam, to Alexandria, as well as to Antioch).

Many years,

Neil

My dear Irish Melkite,

You are completely right. His Beatitude Stephanos II Cardinal Gattas performed the incensation as Patriarch of Alexandria (Senior Eastern Catholic patriarch)and His Beatitude Gregorios red the prayer "O God of all spirits and flesh". The troparia (the Christ is risen included as the Church of Rome is celebrating the Paschal period) and the ektenis for the dead were sung in Greek by the Choir of Saint Athanasios and a deacon from Grottaferrata Abbey.

We had today some negative reaction in the Greek press but in general the Greeks were very proud of hearing thir language and liturgical tradition at the funeral of the pope of Rome (Saint Peter is the Patriarchal Basilica of Constantinople after all). I do not know about the official reaction of the Orthodox leaders (the participation of the Eastern Catholic hierarchy in the funeral was known since the whole ritual was aviable in the web site of the Vatican). Personally the participation of the Easter Catholics makes me very proud but also problematizes me very much. The presence of the Eastern Catholic can be seen by our Western brothers like something colorful and exotic, another exotic pearl in the tiara of the pope of Rome (I know that the pope of Rome does not wear tiara anymore)wereas our Eastern brothers (specially the Orthodox) do not receive a clear message (Does Rome insit now in Unia whereas some months ago did deny the right of the Russian Byzantine Catholics to have a bishop of their sama rite? ). I do not know.

The fact that two of the patriarchs are also cardinals of the Roman Church (Archbishop Lybomir can be both Archbishop and cardinal since the bishop of Rome is his patriarch till the reunion with the see of Constantinople or the final cration of an Ukranian Catholic Patriarchate) and that the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites red part of the Eucharistic prayer (Roman Canon)in Latin wearing Latin style ornaments (Latin mitra, Latin stole, Latin cope)also problematizes me very much.

The funeral was beautiful. I was glad to see my Patriarch, Bartholomew of Constantinople, in attendance. Someday I hope to see Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs participate and concelebrate with their Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic brethren...I pray daily to see full intercommunion in my lifetime. Pope John Paul the Great (I think he totally deserves that title) would have liked that...

Francisco,

You state:"and that the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites read part of the Eucharistic prayer (Roman Canon)in Latin wearing Latin style ornaments (Latin mitra, Latin stole, Latin cope)also problematizes me very much."

The Maronites have been using the miter for a long time now, much like the Armenians. It is now part of their vesture. He is not wearing a Latin cope but the Syriac phaino which does look like a cope. I cannot tell what kind of stole he wore for the funeral Mass but everytime I have seen the Maronite Patriarch he was wearing the proper eastern style stole.

Fr. Deacon Lance

I enjoyed watching that part of the funeral Mass despite some of the inaccurate remarks of the commentator.

Question: when Patriarch Gregory led the prayers what language was he using? Was it Greek? Was it Italian?

I believe the spoken part of the priest's prayer, "O God of spirits and all flesh..." was taken in Greek. Then at the sung conclusion of this prayer "For you are the resurrection, the life, and the repose..." he broke (perhaps more an inspiration, than planned) into Arabic.

I thought of this moment, when earlier, the news channel had shown that the funeral was being shown on many Arabic stations, including "Al Jazeera". What a surprise it must have been for Arabic speakers watching, to hear this prayer, and the name of the Trinity, in their language!