|
0 members (),
402
guests, and
114
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums26
Topics35,525
Posts417,642
Members6,178
| |
Most Online4,112
Mar 25th, 2025
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2
Junior Member
|
|
Junior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2 |
I'm a Roman Rite Catholic and I'm here on this website to learn more about the Byzantine Rite since I know so much about the Maronites, Syriac etc.
Now my question is, do Byzantine Catholics pray the Rosary? I know many eastern rites do like the Maronites, Syriac Catholics, Chaldean Rite, Syro Malabar etc. Pray the rosary often.
God Bless You All!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,208
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,208 |
I know of at least one Greek Catholic who prays (or at least ATTEMPTS) to pray the rosary: me. As distracted as I so often am all I can do is attempt prayer of any kind.
I try, however, to "byzantinise" it by commencing with the "usual beginning" prayers and by interspersing, between decades, troparia and other short Byzantine liturgical texts I have memorised.
Usually at the end I conclude by praying one of the "dostoyno jest'" texts we sing after the consecration of the Eucharist in our Liturgy, instead of the beautiful "Hail, holy Queen".
I don't know if this practice does me any good but it don't hurt nothin', either.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 147 Likes: 2
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 147 Likes: 2 |
There is actually a Byzantine "rosary" that predates the "Latin" (more properly "Dominican") rosary by several centuries. It is typically called the "Prayer Rule of the Theotokos," and there are a number of variations on it. I did a series of "articles" about this Rule on my blog. Check them out: http://themasterbeadsman.blogspot.com/2012/05/prayer-rule-of-theotokos-i.html . It is unfortunate that most Eastern Catholics and Orthodox know little to nothing about this very important prayer rule. Not only was it strongly urged by St. Seraphim of Sarov, supposedly the Theotokos revealed that this Rule is more pleasing to her than Akathists and Paraklesis. ICXC + NIKA, Phillip
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 384 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 384 Likes: 1 |
There are undoubtedly many Eastern Catholics who pray the rosary, but no, it is not a part of Eastern tradition. Indeed, I was appalled to learn, when visiting the website of a Ukrainian church in Canada, that they actually have a scheduled rosary in the parish. I'm sure they are not alone.
For all that, on a corporate basis at least, praying the rosary is explicitly discouraged by Rome, insofar as it is yet one more remnant of the Latinised past. And that is what you are testifying to (above) when you mention all of those Eastern Churches that pray it.
If an Eastern Christian wants to pray it as an individual, there is no real problem. It may well be good for them. But no, the rosary is NOT something that finds a place in Eastern Catholic tradition.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 640 Likes: 12
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 640 Likes: 12 |
I am another.
I suppose one could really Byzantinize it by:
Through the prayers...
Glory to Thee...
Heavenly King, Comforter
Trisagion (&c)
after the Our Father, Lord, have mercy (12x)
Come, let us worship. (3x)
Psalm 44
Creed
(Our Father, Theotokos, Virgin, rejoice (3x). Glory. Now.)
Each Mystery could then begin with the Troparion of the corresponding Feast. I have an old GC prayer book that has variable part of each Hail Mary/Theotokos Virgin that relates to the Mystery in question. One could end with the kontakion or hypakoi for the feast. Also you could replace "O my Jesus" with "With the saints", and "Come Holy Spirit" with one of the numerous stichera, troparia or the kontakion for Pentacost. "Heavenly King" would be good.
End with "It is truly proper" "Lord, have mercy" (40x), prayer and small dismissal.
Basically, you could make it like a full moleben, replacing the canon with the mysteries.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,760
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,760 |
Roman,
The Rosary is not officially a part of any Eastern rites (as in "accepted ritual"), but it is a well-known and acceptable intercessory prayer for ANYONE, eastern, western, or none of the above.
Because of Anglosation of our people, they have generally accepted and embraced the western Hail Mary....the second part which goes "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death."
The second part of the eastern Angelic Salutation goes like this....."For you have borne Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer (some translations say 'Deliverer') of our souls."
It always strikes me as odd that the people speak of the need to shed latinizations never mention this.
Christ is amongst us!
Fr Deacon Paul
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 147 Likes: 2
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 147 Likes: 2 |
Seeing how this thread is going I believe it bears repeating that there IS in fact an authentically Byzantine "rosary" that originated some time in the 8th Century and is prayed on Mt. Athos to this day. The Russian "Encyclopedia of Orthodoxy" says that at one point this "rosary" (aka the "Prayer Rule of the Theotokos") was prayed throughout the Christian world. Sadly it fell into general disuse in the East, with the exception of Mt. Athos where, I've been told, the monks are required to pray it daily. St. Seraphim of Sarov is reported to have encouraged those who came to him for direction to pray this Rule daily, and it is said that he himself prayed it daily as well. He also gave it as a Rule to the sisters of the Diveyevo Convent, and had them recite it communally while walking around the convent grounds. On my blog I've provided three versions of this "Prayer Rule of the Theotokos:" one from St. Seraphim Zvezdinsky, one from St. Seraphim of Sarov, and one a reconstruction of the Rule as outlined in the "Encyclopedia of Orthodoxy." Variations of this Rule abound, and I've heard that during the Baroque period a popular "variation" among the Orthodox in both Greece and Ukraine was to simply pray the Roman/Dominican rosary. Again, check out my little series on the Prayer Rule of the Theotokos on my blog: http://themasterbeadsman.blogspot.com/2012/05/prayer-rule-of-theotokos-i.html .
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,760
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,760 |
Phillip,
Perhaps my "ritual" comment was wrong. Do you know if the Prayer Rule of the Theotokos was/is prayed "publicly" that is, as a scheduled group prayer?
I strongly agree that it is a good prayer, and should not be discouraged as a private prayer.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 147 Likes: 2
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 147 Likes: 2 |
Hi Fr. Deacon Paul, I know that St. Seraphim of Sarov gave it as a Rule to the sisters of the Diveyevo Convent, and that they prayed this rule communally while walking around the convent grounds. This itself shows some precedent for a communal recitation of the Rule. But, that recitation ought not to replace the celebration of the Hours or the other para-liturgical celebrations of our Church(es). I've heard that there are some Churches of the Byzantine tradition where the rosary is recited before the Divine Liturgy instead of Matins/Orthros or Third Hour. This, I would say, would be an inappropriate communal recitation of the rosary/Rule of the Theotokos since it is replacing our liturgical life. The only prayer prescribed in the East to be prayed in place of the Liturgy of the Hours is the Jesus Prayer. So if a parish is simply unable to celebrate the Hours, it may be better to encourage them to pray the prescribed number of Jesus Prayers communally prior to the Divine Liturgy instead of the rosary. But those are just my opinions and aren't really worth the cyber space they take up. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,208
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,208 |
At St. Basil's in Irving, TX., every Sunday we have third hour at 9:30, right before Divine Liturgy at 10. If our pastor ever replaced it with the rosary I'd think he'd have gone off his rocker.
It ain't gonna happen.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 324
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 324 |
On this topic, I know a Roman Catholic priest who will not say the Rosary citing an injunction against "vain repetition" as his reason. How do Christians of the East look upon repeating a prayer over and over again while focusing on something else, entirely?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,520 Likes: 10
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,520 Likes: 10 |
I know of at least one Greek Catholic who prays (or at least ATTEMPTS) to pray the rosary: me. As distracted as I so often am all I can do is attempt prayer of any kind.
I try, however, to "byzantinise" it by commencing with the "usual beginning" prayers and by interspersing, between decades, troparia and other short Byzantine liturgical texts I have memorised.
Usually at the end I conclude by praying one of the "dostoyno jest'" texts we sing after the consecration of the Eucharist in our Liturgy, instead of the beautiful "Hail, holy Queen".
I don't know if this practice does me any good but it don't hurt nothin', either. Here is a page [ angelfire.com] --it has been on the web for years--which explains how to pray a "Byzantine rosary", "a version devised by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian Order in the 1950s".
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,520 Likes: 10
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,520 Likes: 10 |
There are undoubtedly many Eastern Catholics who pray the rosary, but no, it is not a part of Eastern tradition. Indeed, I was appalled to learn, when visiting the website of a Ukrainian church in Canada, that they actually have a scheduled rosary in the parish. I'm sure they are not alone.
For all that, on a corporate basis at least, praying the rosary is explicitly discouraged by Rome, insofar as it is yet one more remnant of the Latinised past. And that is what you are testifying to (above) when you mention all of those Eastern Churches that pray it.
If an Eastern Christian wants to pray it as an individual, there is no real problem. It may well be good for them. But no, the rosary is NOT something that finds a place in Eastern Catholic tradition. Yet, it cannot be denied that praying the rosary has been a spiritual benefit for many, many, many Eastern Catholics. Especially after reading the following from the the oral history project of the Institute of Church History, who am I to discourage any Byzantine Catholic from praying the rosary? "You'll freeze to death!"from an interview with Maria Bashynska When I was in Siberia, once they told us this story : there were three sisters there in the prison, and they were bitterly persecuted because they prayed. And the commandant who was in charge there, well, he was something awful. He wanted them to stop praying, and he wanted them to renounce their faith. Let me tell you, it wasn't going to happen! So, he separated them and put each one in a different room for a few days. But they didn't stop. Then he said to them: "It'll be 60 degrees below zero, you'll go out in the cold and you'll freeze to death!" One day the temperature dropped to 60 below. The soldiers were bundled up in heavy leather coats and boots and winter hats. They brought the sisters out into the barracks yard, barefoot and in shirt-sleeves and ordered all the prisoners out to watch the nuns freeze to death. The prisoners came out to watch. There were dogs near the soldiers, three dogs. The commandant swore that in half an hour they would freeze to death. The sisters knelt down to pray the rosary. Half an hour passed. They didn't freeze. They continued kneeling and all three prayed loudly. Then he set the dogs on them to devour them. The dogs rushed up to them, circling around the sisters. But then they lay down in the snow and wagged their tails. They didn't do anything bad to the sisters; they cuddled up to the sisters. Everyone could see that the dogs weren't going to do anything to them, and the prisoners started to shout and sing "Praise be to God!" When the prisoners began to sing, the guards told the sisters: "Go back to your cell." The sisters went back, and they never had any more trouble, and from that day on they prayed with the people as much as they wanted. Maria Bashynska (Sr. Markiya, SSMI) was born in 1917 in the village of Hutysko, Zhovka District, Lviv Region. (File P-1-1-215) Source: http://www.ugcc.org.ua/33.0.html?&L=2
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,208
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,208 |
Discouraging an EC/OC from praying the rosary would be like discouraging a Latin Catholic from praying an akathist.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 384 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 384 Likes: 1 |
Just to be clear:
The OP asked if ECs prayed the rosary, and then specified entire church communities by way of example, such as the Maronites, etc.
On that basis, I have said that if the OP is asking about ECs on a corporate basis, then the answer has to be NO. They do NOT (if they are being faithful to Eastern tradition) pray the rosary.
As many of you have shown, however, there are clearly innumerable ECs that, as individuals, pray the rosary - which I don't necessarily think there is anything more wrong with than a Latin Catholic praying the Jesus Prayer. In other words, on an individual basis, no problem at all, and possibly immense benefit.
|
|
|
|
|
