www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News First Corpus Christi procession in St. Petersburg since 1918.

The last Corpus Christi procession in 1918 included the participation of Blessed Leonid Feodorov [2.bp.blogspot.com].

In the Aegean islands and throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, where Latins and Orthodox lived side by side for centuries, it was not unusual for Orthodox bishops to participate in Corpus Christi processions led by their Latin counterparts.

Wasn't one of the conditions for the "Union" of Uzhorod that the Greek Catholics would not be required to participate in Corpus Christi processions sisnce their understanding of the Eucharist was different?

At least certainly it was of the Union of Brest, and therefore by extension of the Union of Uzhorod.

Here "Corpus Christi" (Poklonénije Prečístym Tájnam Plóti i Króve Isúsa Christá / Slávnostná poklona prečistým tajomstvám tela a krvi nášho Pána Ježiša Krista / Feast of the most pure mystical body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ) is also celebrated by Greek Catholics, and at the Liturgy I was at on Thursday, was followed by a sort of Adoration & Benediction (Čin Blahoslovenija Najsvjaťijšeju Eucharistijeju / Eucharistická Pobožnosť / Eucharistic Piety) with the Chalice.

The English title of the feast is my attempt at translating from Slovak, which is particularly bad in this case because Slovak-English dictionaries don't give the sometimes obscure words used in describing the mysteries of the Faith. Sometimes even when I ask my wife what a word from the Liturgy means she has trouble translating...

Who's forcing participation? This is the Latins, anyway!

Alexis

Correction: this is the first Corpus Christi procession along Nevsky Prospekt since 1918. There have been processions in St. Petersburg since the mid '90s.

Well, to be fair, in 1918 Blessed Leonid Feodorov and the priests of the Russian Byzantine Catholic Exarchate participated in the Corpus Christi Procession. I know because I possess a photograph of Blessed Exarch Leonid in his full vestments during the procession.

Are you referring to this photograph [2.bp.blogspot.com]? It's been available on the web and has been published in magazines in years past.

My grandfather Rev. Gleb Verkhovsky is in that photograph. Does anyone know of another photo of that procession?

Also, does anyone know of a photo of Blessed Leonid Feodorov in which he is wearing his pectoral cross? I have seen many photos but none with his pectoral cross. Thanks!

Fr. Paul Mailleux has the above photo in his book. I would have to look again and see if there are any other photos of Blessed Leonid that show the pectoral cross.