www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Election of Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, January 17-23

The pictures bear witness to a very Latinized Syriac Catholic Church.

Granted that these are beautiful, but that lace alb, the miters and the style of the cope-like chasuble are very far away from Syriac Orthodox, Malankar Orthodox and Malankar Catholic usage.

Speaking of lace albs... why do the Syriac and Chaldean Catholics have such a liking for these?

the syriac(antiochian) tradition is very interesting. I am very curious about it's history. But no offense, I do see much modernization such as female altar servers, besides the common obvious "Latinization"

Probably because the Latin Church hasn't been rid of them for that many years. They used to be regular clergy vestments.

But if you check out this website for the Syriac Orthodox Church you'll find them, too.

http://sor.cua.edu/Vestments/index.html

Why does anyone like them???

Well, yes, the Syriac Orthodox priest here does have lace on his alb, but the lace is quite plain and doesn't amount to much. However, in Chaldean and Syriac Catholic pictures I've seen the all-lace skirt (complete with red trim) is quite common.

The lace alb goes very well with the Tridentine Mass, although even there the genuine Roman tradition is one of great restraint.

I suppose we cannot judge the Estern Spirituality of a Church measuring how large are the laces on the albs...

In the pics of the cerymony all the bishops lay the hands on the newly appointed patriarch.
- What is the meaning of such a gesture?
- The liturgy of the appointment as patriach is similar in structure to the liturgy of bishop consecration?
- The liturgy of the appointment as patriach is considered a sacrament?
- In the Syrian liturgy of bishop consecration, all the bishops who lay the hands consecrate the new bishop (as in the modern Latin rite) or only the Principal Consecrator (as in the Byzantine rite) ?

Thanks for the difficoult answers

As far as I'm aware, the consecrator is Patriarch Moran Mor Ignace Moussa I Cardinal Daoud.

The only things I found Latinized here were the crucifixes, (traditionally the Syriac Churches should have the Cross without the Corpus) on both the processional and the pectoral crosses. The mitres were obviously latin, and the eskimo (skull cap) only has one star on it (the Syriac/Malankara Orthodox and Syro-Malankara Catholic have 13).

Also, the "veil" that the Patriarch has his head covered with is properly the Shushafo - representing the Holy Spirit, and normally has a Dove embroidered on it. I didn't see many pictures with the Patriarch or any bishops actually wearing the maşnaphto, except when the Patriarch had his pectoral cross put on (perhaps he did and we don't have pictures).

As to the Holy Qurbono, obviously the lack of altar curtain and facing away from the altar are non-traditional latinizations.

They also wear mitres ontop of the hood. So the hood that Syrian Orthodox Bishops wear is always down.

Michael,

Do you know whether the consecration of the Patriarch precedes the Holy Qurbono or is integrated into it? I ask because I thought the maşnaphto was only worn by the principal celebrant - who, in this case, would be the newly-consecrated Patriarch.

Ignore that - because I just found that my thoughts were wrong. A story on the ceremonies is at New Syrian Catholic patriarch installed in Lebanon [yalibnan.com].

Many years,

Neil

The Syriac/Malankara Orthodox (nor Syro-Malankara Catholic) bishop do not wear mitres during the Holy Qurbono, they will during Morning and Evening prayers. The masanaphto goes on during parts of the Holy Qurbono.

Examples:

Syriac Knanaya Orthodox:
http://sor.cua.edu/SOCNews/2007/20070202MGregoriosKuriakoseCConsec.jpg

Syriac Malankara Orthodox:
http://www.socdigest.org/images/jul06b.jpg

Malankara Orthodox Syrian:
http://www.theorthodoxchurch.info/blogs/news/uploaded_images/4-718197.JPG

Syro-Malankara Catholic:
http://aycu26.webshots.com/image/42425/2001740169750615185_rs.jpg