www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Marionite Liturgy Video

oh yes, the singing was lovely. visually quite quite hideous.

what's up with the flag of lebanon as an altar hanging?

Cedars of Lebanon? I thought those were arrows showing the sacristan which way to put the altar cloth on...

Dave

Father, blessings,

Shortly after the Council of Trent, a Jesuit legate was sent by the current Pope to Lebanon to (a) enforce the decisions of Trent and (b) remove those things from the Maronite Church that were considered false doctrine and teaching. With the legate came a very scrutinizing Jesuit priest who burned many books of Syriac Theology that did not agree with current Roman belief and a Roman Catechism authorized in Trent. Also with the legate came a collection of Western vestments, chalices, Roman art, wafer plates (I do not know what they are called) all in an attempt to Latinize. This was also the time that the Latin tradition began slowly replacing with the leavened bread. Shortly afterwards, the Rosary was to be enforced in the monasteries, knowing full well that the monasteries were the source of spiritual life and education for the Monastic based faith of the Maronites, and consequently the Latin practice was then carried down to the masses. This was one of the darkest times of Latinization in the history of the Maronite Church, and tragically, many of it's own leadrs did nothing to stop it. This entire process was over a period of time, of course.

For detailed information about the history I would recommend searching for Maronite Chorbishop Beggiani's work on Google.

I hope this helps

I am painfully aware of the history of the horrible romanization of the Maronites. But I am also aware that the Instruction on the Implementation of the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches mandates (=requires) the restoration of leavened bread for Eucharist of all the Eastern Churches except the Armenians.

So the question: why do the Maronites persist in using unleavened wafers? remains very much to the point. One could add the question "why are the Maronite Patriarch, hierarchs and clergy facing in the wrong direction during the Anaphora?" That was certainly not imposed on them by Rome!

Fr. Serge

Fr. Serge,

In my experience, none of the other Eastern Catholic Churches take seriously that requirement as I have never seen anything but unleavened hosts used in Maronite or Chaldean liturgies and I suspect the same is true for the others. As to why, I suspect attachment to the practice they are used to coupled with convenience, as shown by our friend's priest's reluctance to use leavened bread for fear of problems with reservation as discussed on another thread.

Deacon Lance

Dear Father Deacon,

As you and I both know, there are no drastic problems involved in reserving the Eucharist in the form of leavened bread.

From my experience in Cairo, the Coptic Catholics normally use leavened bread, and I would trustingly assume that the Ethiopian Catholics do the same. The Syro-Malankara Catholics used leavened bread; one would hope that the Syrian Catholics do the same (but since I have never attended a Syrian Catholic Eucharist I have no firm opinion). I regret to confirm your report that the Chaldeans seem to use wafers (or perhaps "leavened" bread made to look like wafers - such a travesty certainly exists). Oddly enough, at least some Romanian Greek-Catholics took to using unleavened bread during the persecution; I can only hope that this has been stopped. The Italo-Greeks used unleavened bread for a rather long time, but that has certainly been stopped.

At the end of the video of Bishop Gregory's consecration and related activities, he asserts that the Maronite Church is a marvelous witness to the Orthodox of what Church unity can mean. "Marvelous" is perhaps a poor choice of words.

Fr. Serge

I can answer your question but it is pure opinion on my part: I believe the Maronites use unleavened bread because they see no reason to do otherwise. The practice was forced on them in the 17-18th centuries, there are no Maronites alive that are used to the traditional practice, nor would most even consider their unleavened practice as not tradition. As far as they are concerned, they are following their church tradition, when in fact, they are sadly misinformed. The Maronite Church here in the West, IMHO, has embraced certain Latinizations in order to create a self identity of being "Catholic." This in part due to many communities sprouting from the Latin prelates who ministered to the Maronites in the Diaspora and the reinforcement of Latin-leaning Bishops that currently head the Eparchies. I do not see any embrace of Syriac heritage, except for a pronouncement of certain liturgical practices; Syriac theology and spiritually is sadly missing in the Church here in the West.

As for facing the congregation, if I remember correctly, His Holiness Patriarch Cardinal Mar Sfeir, in conjunction with the Maronite Synod, left the decision to eparchy discretion until a further consensus could be drawn.

My bad,

thank you all for imput. This is a wonderful forum. I liked the other videos as well.

I'm currently RC. Left to be EO for 1.5 years and came back to RC. I have to agree. The Byzantine Catholic parish in Raleigh NC celebrates divine liturgy pretty much just like EO - THAT was beautiful. The maronite video... ugh.

There are also two Maronite parishes in NC--Raleigh and Fayetteville. I've been been to St. Sharbel in Raleigh many times--meets at Cardinal Gibbons the RC high school. While I'm a big admirer of their former priest, Abuna Joe Thomas, his Liturgy was very Latin. But I could tell that this is what his congregation, largely made of of Lebanese immigrants, were used to. Oddly enough, he had bi-ritual faculties and occasionally subbed at St. Cyril and Methodius in Cary where his liturgy was very Byzantine Eastern. Man did he have a great voice. I miss him (he's retired from regular parish duties and moved to Boston last I knew.)