www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology ancient Byzantine church liturgy

i read in the book "Fatith in the Byzantine World" by Mary Cunningham that between the 6th and 9th centuries in the Byzantine Church, there existed two seperate rites which was for cathedral and monastic rite liturgies. The book describes the cathedral rite being more splendid and the monastic being repetitive, with the monastic supplanting the cathedral in popularity. I do not understand what rites this book is refering to, is it a eucharistic liturgy or something else maybe?

also there were "stational liturgies" from church to church but this ceased as the church building became more prominent, and the liturgy moved indoors from the 8th century onward. which is rather interesting.

This mostly refers to the Liturgy of the Hours. The Cathedral offices died out because of the large number of people required to conduct them.

The Coptic service of the Raising of Incense is an example of a Cathedral office still in use.

Fr. Serge

oh i see ! thank you for the incite. then there was no variance of the divine liturgies between cathedral and monastic use, is my originaly question. this book was refering to prayer rites not liturgal then, thanks.

I don't know is this might be helpful but the Liturgy of the Hours is part of the litugical life of the Church.

Fr. Jim is quite right - and there was no impenetrable wall dividing the Eucharistic Liturgy from the Liturgy of the Hours. In fact, there still isn't such a wall.

Fr. Serge