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Dear Amado,

I have a hard time believing your last remark, only because it goes against my experience in Roman Catholic parishes over the past ten years.

Usually, the Penitential Rite as done here is according to the "C" option (if it is done by letters and not by numbers, my recollection of the revised Missal is a bit foggy). "You were sent to heal the contrite" is how it starts, and usually priests will improvise on the words. I have never been in a Mass where the "B" option was taken (the one that ends with "Lord, show us your mercy, and grant us your salvation" or words to that effect). In those few Masses where I've seen the "A" option taken, with the Confiteor in English, the Kyrie has always been taken in English, whether it is recited or sung. The only time I've ever heard the Kyrie done in Greek is during the Latin Novus Ordo Mass or the Tridentine Mass. Of course, this is only my experience with Masses I've attended, since the EWTN Mass and some of the Masses from other places that they broadcast on special occasions do use Greek and Latin.

Perhaps in your area things are different (and I would applaud that), but you will excuse me if I, based on my experiences over the past ten years or so, find it very hard to believe that "most, if not all" Roman Catholic parishes, at least in the US, sing the Kyrie in Greek. Prove it. :p

Hello Amado,

It is rare at my parish to have the Kyrie sung in Greek. I hope singing the Kyrie in Greek is a trend in the Latin Church.

One in a while at Mass our pastor will make the sign of the cross in Latin or bless someone or something in Latin.

Peace,

Paul

Dear Mor and Paul:

In our neck of the woods at West Suburbian Chicago, my family has been attending, alternately, Masses in 4 other parishes located within a mile from our own parish of registry for the past 15 years or so.

And, the Kyrie is always sung in Greek (like in most of the parishes back in the Philippines.)

We are talking about Sunday Masses, right?

Because we use substantially the same missal throughout the world, I projected that this must be so.

I cannot prove if is actually happening. But such a sampling from my own personal experience is indicative of the current practice in my area.

AmdG

Dear Mor Ephrem:


BTW, I forgot to express my deep appreciation for your attending Roman Masses for the past 10 years or so. (You must have started going to Mass when you were around 12 or 13?)

As an Oriental Orthodox, you put me and other Roman Catholics to shame!

I know you stated somewhere that you NEARLY converted to Catholicism, and I say why not? :p


AmdG

Dear Amado,

I know that the call has come down in my diocese that the Greek Kyrie should be used more frequently. I am hoping that spreads throughout the U.S. One more happy sign announced recently by our pastor is that the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are not to stand around, and behind, the priest after the consecration. They are to stand apart and away from the altar while he communicates and not approach until it is time to distribute Communion. Hooray!! I think this is a directive that has come down from the USCCB and will help to reemphasize the sacramental ministry of the priest as presider.

Khrystyna

In my area the parishes I've attended usually use Penitential Rite A and sometimes Rite C when the Mass is in english. At my home parish the Kyrie varies between english and greek, and spoken and sung. There is one priest who usually sings it in greek, even at weekday masses.

The spanish masses at my home parish almost always use Rite A and the Kyrie is almost always sung, but in spanish (Senor ten piedad, Cristo ten piedad, Senor ten piedad)*. I wouldn't mind praying it in greek at those masses either

I guess this is one of those things that vary from parish to parish and I think Christine is right about the bishop recomendations. I hope the litany Dr. John mentioned is restored too.

peace,
Manuel.

*p.s. could someone tell me how to make the ~ appear over the 'n' in 'Senor'? Thanks!

This may or may not be a help Manuel

I have a Mac and can set up different keyboards to be accessed from the menubar at the top of my screen - I normally have and use British, French, Portugese, Spanish and [ssh] US.

To get � on the Spanish one I hit the key to the right of my L key. By using the Shift Key I can get �

Hope this helps

Anhelyna

Manuel,

You can go to any Spanish-English translation page and find it there.

Kyrie Eleison,
Logos Teen

We are talking about Sunday Masses, right?

Yes, Amado, Sunday Masses are what I had in mind.

Because we use substantially the same missal throughout the world, I projected that this must be so.

Yes, and I have a copy of that Missal, but it offers quite a few options, and I have never seen the Kyrie done in Greek in any parish in New York at a Sunday Mass other than the Masses I've gone to which were celebrated in Latin. I am glad to know that your experience in the Philippines and in Illinois is different, but it is not that way in New York, at least.

BTW, I forgot to express my deep appreciation for your attending Roman Masses for the past 10 years or so. (You must have started going to Mass when you were around 12 or 13?)

Perhaps I didn't get my point across well enough. :p

I haven't gone to Roman Masses every Sunday for the past ten years or so, but in the past ten years or so, my experience with the Roman Mass has been as I said (I started going when I started attending Catholic school, which actually would mean I was exposed to Roman Liturgy from the tender age of nine). I used to go to daily Mass, with Sunday Masses added in addition to the Holy Qurbana when such was convenient, not to mention my daily-for-two-years use of the revised Liturgy of the Hours. Nowadays, all that has lessened in favour of a more Eastern liturgical regimen, but I am still known to frequent Latin parishes on a somewhat regular basis for Mass and other services. I love it when I can find Roman Liturgy done right.

Back to Scott's original question, in the Byzantine Churches the Kyrie eleison is in most cases a response to a petition, similar to the "Lord hear our prayer" frequently used in the Roman Liturgy. Therefore just as there is not a corresponding "Christ hear our prayer," we do not have a Christe eleison.

Does anyone know, in the original litany from which the Kyrie remains in the Latin Liturgy, would the Christe response be similar to the To You, O Lord of the Byzantine Liturgy?

Thus saith Phil: "I have never been in a Mass where the "B" option was taken."

The "B" option is popular for daily Masses here in Mo. and Western Ill. "Lord, have mercy" is not said at Mass in Greek here, save for the concert hall. In fact, around here, it tends to be "Lard, have mercy." I suppose there are just regional preferences.