www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology early Church canons and kneeling on Sundays

Stuart, Thank you. I was wondering if something with the Old Believers is what you were referring to.

Thank you everyone! It's much more clear to me now.

I've always followed local custom even in terms of crossing myself etc (hope that's okay), mostly because I don't really understand why people cross themselves differently. Is there any significance in this at all? (I mean crossing yourself right to left, or left to right)

I say the Filioque during Latin rite Mass, and don't say it when I go to Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy... I don't mean to pray different things though. The history of the Filioque seems very complicated. Is it true that in Latin, it doesn't imply what it does in the Greek?

Right to Left was the original way the big cross was done. (Although it wasn't the first way the sign of the cross was done). It is explained that right is first because the Son is at the Right hand of the Father.

The left to right developed later in the Catholic church probably because the parishoners were following the same direction the priest was crossing when he was facing the laity. The Catholics theologically explain it now as passing from "death" (the left) to "life" (the right).

More info from Wiki [en.wikipedia.org]


I would say do what everybody else does at the Church you are visiting.