www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy Syro-Malabar Communion Practices

Good morning!

Recently, I attended my second Syro-Malabar Qurbana and found the liturgical customs and practices to be quite fascinating. Many of the traditions seemed familiar to me, having seen ad populum worship from the Latins, vestments & certain gestures from the Malankara Church, etc.

Yet, when it came time for communion, I was a bit stunned to see that each communicant was given the host in the hand and then guided to approach a nun with a chalice. Each person then was responsible to perform the intinction him or herself.

Has anyone else seen this before? Is this normative throughout the Syro-Malabar Church? What are the origins of this practice?

Thank you for your help!

Messdiener

P.S. While this isn't strictly a "Byzantine" query, I hope that our resident Oriental Orthodox/Catholic friends might shed some light on this matter. Thanks again!

The nun holding the chalice is a bit of NovusOrdo imitation, as is the versus populum. The Reception and self-intimation is the Traditional practice of the Syro-Malabar Church, along with their sister Chaldean and Assyrian Churches

Thanks for the response! I rather suspected that the nun holding the chalice and the versus populum were modern Roman practices but am surprised to hear that the other practice is traditional. I would have thought it also to be Novus Ordo-inspired.

If it is indeed traditional, how should the practice look? The priest would give the communicant the host and then let him or her dip it into the chalice, which he himself (the priest) is holding?

There should be a second priest, deacon, or authorized subdeacon (subdeacon is an extraordinary minister) holding the chalice.