www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy Brief questions

Hello all.

Does the Romanian Greek Catholic Church use the same chants as the Romanian Orthodox Church? Are there videos or audio files of Romanian Greek Catholic Divine Liturgies? And do you know if there is printed music for their chants available online?

Also,
I have the Byzantine Catholic Prayer for the Home book. It's in print and online for free at: https://archive.org/details/ByzantineCatholicPrayerForTheHome
I was curious about the Ukrainian book Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship. How do the daily prayer and menaion sections of that book compare to the BCPftH? More, less, about the same?

Thank you!

Hello everyone.

I am new to this website, and I have a question. I am Roman Catholic. Can a Roman Catholic receive communion in the Byzantine Catholic church.

Welcome, Leo and Brother Monastic, to The Byzantine Forum!

Leo: Generally, yes. It is my understanding that the Romanian Greek Catholics and Orthodox generally use the same chants. But like everywhere else, sometimes they sing things a bit differently and there are several different versions of everything. So one parish will never be identical to another. And, of course, there are parishes that have choirs that use Russian and other choral chants. I've not visited Romania but a few people I know who have said you actually need to listen to the name of the bishops that are commemorated to tell if the liturgy is Greek Catholic or Orthodox.

Monastic Brother: Yes, any Catholic may receive the Eucharist in any other Catholic Church. This assumes the communicant is not in the state of serious sin that needs confession.

John,
Thank you sir. I shall have to find some audio of Romanian Orthodox chant online and listen to it. I have heard Greek, Ruthenian, and Ukrainian - I think it is wonderful to have so many chant settings of the same Divine Liturgy - my favourite setting so far is the Ruthenian.

As for my second question, does anyone have the Ukrainian GC Church's book 'Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship', and can you compare the daily prayer section with the book I linked above in the first post?

Thank you and blessings!

Dear Leo!

I do have the Anthology, in fact that's what we use here in Stockholm to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in English (albeit once a month but what joy it is to be able to do that!!). Unfortunately I was not able to download the Prayer for the Home book since the homepage seems to be undergoing some maintenance. Anyway, I think that, compared to that Prayer book, the focus and aim of the Anthology is somewhat different. It does have a section dedicated to daily private prayers (9 pages) and the Hours (~40 pages) but the main content is on (primarily Sunday) Divine Liturgies: it has musical notation for all non-priestly chants for the Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chyrsostom and Basil the Great. Both the usual parts and the propers for all possible Sundays and Feasts are provided (i.e. Resurrectional Tones, propers for Movable and Immovable Feasts, etc.). This main part of the book is nearing 600 pages.
In terms of the menaion it has a short selection (<25 pages) for the propers for the Divine Liturgy, i.e. nothing from the more extended liturgical material (such as aposticha, etc.).
So all in all it is a great, praiseworthy book but perhaps intended for another application than what you may have in mind.
I hope this help.

God bless!

Dear Monastic Brother,

Just to expand on the answer provided to you. Indeed you can receive at Byzantine Divine Liturgy as stated but I would highlight the differences as to the actual manner of receiving. Perhaps you are fully knowledgeable in this regard but if not please get some info on that.
As I wrote in my answer to Leo: here in Stockholm we have now the fortune to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in English once a month. Only few of us is actually a Byzantine-rite Catholic (of various particular Churches) and most dear participant who join us are from the Latin Church. And the priest did have (has) sometimes a bit of a challenge to distribute Communion to them...

What about if a Roman Catholic, or a bi-ritualist, wants to receive at the Byzantine Rite during Great Lent but has not fasted from meat and dairy on the Monday after Cheesefare Sunday, nor fasted from meat Wednesdays? In my case, probably in violation of cannon law, I am a registered member of a Byzantine and a Roman parish at the same time.

Dear Roman Refugee,

You wouldn't receive anything at the "Byzantine Rite" but you could receive at a Byzantine Catholic parish.

You should follow the Latin Church's fasting laws for the Great FAST .

(Does the Latin Church have any such laws remaining? ).

As for the Byzantine fasts, you should consult the regulations laid down in your eparchy.

Alex

Dear Orthodox Catholic,

My Byzantine Catholic Parish is in the Eparchy of Passaic. I sometimes attend a couple Ukrainian Catholic churches, Eparchy of Stamford.

The Ukrainian Catholic fasting rules I believe are Fridays, abstinence from meat only.

The Byznatine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic rules are abstain from meat and dairy the Monday that begins the Great Fast, abstain from meat (dairy allowed) all Wednesdays and Fridays, and abstain from meat and dairy Great and Holy Friday.

Where I live most of the time, there are no Catholic Churches of any Eastern Rite within 75 miles. There is a "Tridentine Mass" community nearby, which I go to. When I visit in Connecticut, there are many more choices, Roman and Eastern, and I expect to be in Connecticut Holy Week.

The only remaining days of abstinence remaining in the Novus Ordo Church are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. As one who does not trust the validity of any particular Novus Ordo service, I only attend Liturgies of the pre-Conciliar Roman rite. I personally abstain from meat all Fridays, Ash Wednesday, and a couple Vigils. Being over 59 years of age I am not obliged to "fast," in the Roman sense.

I guess, when I cross that bridge, I will ask the priest, unless a priest of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Eparchy of Passaic can advise me on this forum.

Charlie

Charlie:

Christ is in our midst!!

I use the traditional Latin fasting rules, though I have more years beyond the time of exemption of 59. These are only traditional, I should add, from the time of the 1950s because the fasting rules have been modified over the course of the 20th century at various periods.

Abstain from meat on all Fridays of Lent (and throughout the year); use meat only once per day for all Lenten weekdays; take only two small meals that do not equal one full evening meal on all weekdays of Lent; nothing between meals including water: from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday at noon. Sundays are fast free and there are no restrictions about size of meals. My family's ethnic tradition also adds no desserts or sweets of any kind throughout Lent.

On a related note, I had a conversation with a woman over the weekend whose family did not qualify for the 1895 indult for the United States exempting most families from the Wednesday fast. She told me that it has continued to be her family's custom to abstain from meat on both wednesday and Friday throughout most of the year.

Bob