www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Ringing of bells on Great Friday

I was looking the the wonderful website www.patronagechurch.com [patronagechurch.com] and read with interest the Treaty of Brest.

For those not familiar, it was the Union of Brest which brought the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in union with Rome Byzantine in 1595. There were numerous provisions which would preserve the Eastern rites and customs and protect it from latinization.

The one in particular that caught my attention was article 15: That the Romans should not forbid us to ring bells in our churches on Good Friday, both in the cities and everywhere else.

I assume that the custom was of "tolling" the bell. I've been told that we are not permitted ring the bells; is this a Latinization? I expect that the customs of the Rusyns and Ukrainians were the same. How did we loose our tradition?

This forum has very knowledgeable people who post here. I'd really like to hear your comments and any background that you could provide regarding the bells on Great Friday.

Father Deacon Paul

The Typicon does indeed mention that the bells are not rung on Good Friday. There is a custom in many places of tolling one bell, mournfully, during the Good Friday procession. The question then becomes a bit more complicated:

How would a custom contrary to the Typicon arise?

Is there in fact a contradiction between the custom of tolling the one bell and the prohibition of the Typicon?

What should be done in practice?


Bell-ringing is an art unto itself; those familiar with, for example, Russian bell-ringing are aware that the pattern of bell-ringing for various occasions becomes quite complicated and beautiful (there are a few recordings available). During the Soviet period, there were several prohibitions against bell-ringing; before and during World War II the Soviet state often confiscated the actual bells (the Old Rite Holy Protection Cathedral in Moscow only recently regained their great bell; the Soviets had taken it and then hidden it; when it was discovered getting it out of its hiding place proved to be a difficult operation, but it was accomplished successfully and the bell is back in the bell-tower where it belongs).

In the Moslem countries, Christians were entirely forbidden to ring the bells or to have outdoor processions.

With all this interference, the art of bell-ringing naturally suffered, as did the awareness of the fine points of bell-ringing.

In the United States, there are a few places with outstandingly good sets of bells, played by professional carilloneurs and well worth hearing. Some of these (at universities, for example) are not specifically religious, but are still worth hearing. Those able to go, for example, to Holy Trinity Monastery at Jordanville for a feast will be able to enjoy the magnificent bells of the bell tower which was built to celebrate the Milennium of the Baptism of Rus' - It's worth the trip. Unfortunately, a new problem has arisen in the twentieth century: the use of fake electronic "bells" which anyone with a good pair of ears can distinguish from the real thing. This also has inflicted damage on the art of bell-ringing.

There is no reason to assume that the intention of the Typicon is to prohibit the mournful tolling of one bell on Good Friday; the prohibition refers to one or another style of joyful pealing of the bells.

For the time being, my practical suggestion would be to introduce any changes in these matters slowly, patiently, and carefully, with the ultimate goal of having, as is proper, a good set of well-made church bells in a bell tower to match the church edifice, and forming people who are properly educated in the artistic ringing of the church bells in accordance with our proper tradition. That cannot be accomplished overnight. Good bells are costly and require expert tuning.

We can, however, establish a moratorium on the purchase and installation of those horrid fake bells - the Church does not permit any fakery in connection with our divine worship. If we can only afford one bell, let us have the one bell, bless it properly (the blessing of a bell is beautiful, and involves giving the bell a name), rejoice in that bell, and look forward to having more bells when that becomes possible.

Catherine Doherty, of holy memory, never forgot the "forty times forty" bells of Moscow, and every year on Pascha she was convinced that she could hear them, even far away in Canada.

Fr. Serge

Father Deacon--I've asked this question EVERY year around this time and have never received a real answer. All the Orthodox parishes in my area that I have been to of Slavic origin ring their bell(s) at the start of EVERY service of Holy Week and also during the procession of the Shroud at (Holy Saturday) Matins on Good Friday night. Yet Greek Catholic churches in my area don't and make a deal about saying that we should not. Mine still has the RC wooden "clappers" though we don't use them now and have not for the last two pastorates.

Yes, there is a distinction between Greek and Slavic practice, and even within Slavic practice.

The Ustav published in Moscow specifically for bell-ringers suggests that at Vespers of Great Friday, before the bringing out of the holy Shroud, ring a slow perezvon, striking each bell a single time and with one stroke simultaneously on all together at the end; and when the holy Shroud is placed, a short trezvon of one or three movements, or as the Superior instructs.

This slow perezvon as I recall is only used on Great and Holy Friday and Saturday.

Do not ask for whom the bell tolls . . . it tolls for thee . . .

Alex

Brat' Alex, is it really your birthday???

Hey - a new Avatar for your B-day

The old saying "moderation in all things" seems appropriate here. A pealing of bells is totally inappropriate on Great Friday. But a toll during the procession with the Shroud appeals to our tradition of worshipping with the five senses. When I hear a slow funeral toll there brings a somberness that one would have if he were at a funeral procession with Christ being removed from the cross and taken to the tomb. Even though historically this did not occur, this is what we do at Great Friday vespers.

It is somewhat sad that part of the honor (the tolling of bells) is withheld at the funeral of Christ because of a misunderstanding of the rubrics, and then mistakenly say with full authority that "it is our custom not to "ring" the bells.

I thank you all for your responses, especially Father Serge.

I won't rock the boat, but instead hope that this will abate the absolute prohibition against tolling and may inform our brethern that our faith has a common sense component. And what a wonderful evangelization tool our bells can serve. Total rigidity and what one thinks is "our tradition" may indeed take away from solemnity and worship with body and soul that our eastern Christianity actually nurtures.

May you all have a blessed and joyful Easter.

Father Deacon Paul

Sputnik Trezvonik, Moscow, 1727 calls for a descending 5 note slow peal ending in a simultaneous 5 bell single peal for Vespers Great Friday and again once the Plaschenitsa is placed in the tomb. The bells fall silent then, along with all mortal flesh, until Christ gloriously resurrects!

Alexandr