Melkite Greek Catholic Church

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Letter on the Liturgy
Of His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III,
Of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
For the Melkite Greek Catholic Church

 

To all of you, dear brothers and sisters,
Your Graces the bishops,
Superiors General, Mothers General,
priests, deacons, monks, nuns
and all the sons and daughters
of our Melkite Greek Catholic parishes
in Arab countries, countries of emigration
and throughout the world.

 

Chapter Two
The Canonical Principles of Liturgical Legislation

1. The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, which appeared in 1990, contains the basic canons that serve as canon law, binding on the faithful of our Church, bishops, priests, deacons, monks and nuns and laypersons. These canons were explained and presented in an Instruction called APPLYING THE LITURGICAL PRESCRIPTIONS OF THE CODE OF CANONS OF THE EASTERN CHURCHES, published by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in 1996. In order to observe the discipline and unity of the Church in liturgical matters, we report here the canons that oblige conscientiously with the force of law.

2. Canon 3 “The Code, although it often refers to the prescriptions of liturgical books , does not for the most part legislate on liturgical matters ; therefore, these norms are to be diligently observed , unless they are contrary to the canons of the Code .” It should be noted that the expression “norms” means the rubrics that are to be found in the liturgical books concerning the order of celebration.

3. Canon 15 no. 1 “The Christian faithful , conscious of their own responsibility, are bound by Christian obedience to follow what the pastors of the Church, as representatives of Christ , declare as teachers of the faith or determine as leaders of the Church .”

4. Canon 28 no. 1 “A rite is the liturgical, theological , spiritual and disciplinary patrimony, culture and circumstances of history of a distinct people , by which its own manner of living the faith is manifested in each Church sui iuris.”

5. Canon 39 “The rites of the Eastern Churches, as the patrimony of the entire Church of Christ , in which there is clearly evident the tradition which has come from the Apostles through the Fathers and which affirm the divine unity in diversity of the Catholic faith , are to be religiously preserved and fostered .”

6. Canon 40: 1, “Hierarchs who preside over Churches suiiuris and all other hierarchs are to see most carefully to the faithful protection and accurate observance of their own rite , and not admit changes in it except by reason of its organic progress , keeping in mind, however, mutual goodwill and the unity of Christians . 2 . Other clerics and members of institutes of consecrated life are bound to observe their own rite faithfully and daily to acquire a greater understanding and a more perfect practice of it. 3 .  Other Christian faithful are also to foster an understanding and appreciation of their own rite , and are held to observe it everywhere unless something is excused by the law .”

7.  We find in this above-mentioned Instruction an echo and affirmation of the    explanation of those canons. In fact, we read in Chapter II, no. 12, “The Council specifies that changes in the rites and disciplines of these Churches are not admitted except by reason of their own organic progress and adds that whenever they have fallen short, due to circumstances of time or persons, they are to strive to return to their ancestral traditions.”

8. We read in no. 14, with the title The eminence of Liturgy, “Ever since its origins, the entire liturgical setting has played an absolutely central role: the vivid sense that all new faith life culminates in the great act of worship of Christ and of the Church united to him is, in fact, a founding element already beginning in the apostolic period. ‘The holy liturgy, the place in which proclamations and adorations and the communion and fellowship among the believers are manifested, is the true former of the Christian life and the most complete synthesis of its various aspects.’  In fact, the liturgy is the ‘summit and font’ of Christian life and expresses it as in a synthesis; evokes and actualizes the mystery of Christ and the Church, presents it to the contemplation of the faithful and sings it, rendering thanks to the Lord ‘for eternal is his love.’ (Psalm 136)”

In no. 15, The special pre-eminence of the liturgy in the Eastern Churches, “The pre-eminence of the liturgical patrimony is even greater in the Eastern Churches because they have maintained in a special way the primacy of the liturgy as the summit of Christian life... The whole life of the Church was, therefore, summarized in the liturgy...”

9- In No. 16, The liturgical heritage in the Eastern Catholic Churches as a source of identity, we read“It is precisely their liturgies, restored to greater authenticity and vitality by eliminating that which has altered them, that could be the best starting point for a growth of their specific identity, from which could be drawn words and gestures capable of touching the hearts and illuminating the minds of their faithful in the present time.”

10- No. 18 with the title Liturgical Reform and Renewal, “The first requirement of every Eastern liturgical renewal, as is also the case for liturgical reform in the West, is that of rediscovering full fidelity to their own liturgical traditions, benefiting from their riches and eliminating that which has altered their authenticity.”

11- In Chapter IV of the Instruction there is the matter of Competencies and Components of Liturgical Legislation, and we read in no. 22, Competencies for regulating worship, “Reference to canon 657, canon 668 § 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches indicates the competent authority for the regulation of public divine worship. In the patriarchal Churches, this is the Patriarch with the consent of the Synod of Bishops ...”

12- No. 23 speaks of The role of the bishop in this sense: “The coordination of the liturgical roles, entrusted to the authority of the Church, is made explicit by the current legislation in canon 199 § 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches ...

The task of the Bishop is to be vigilant that the liturgical life ‘be fostered as much as possible and ordered according to the prescriptions and legitimate customs of his own Church sui iuris.’ (canon 199 § 1) The Bishop, therefore, does not act solely based on its own judgment nor based on the local customs, but refers to the specific heritage of his own Church sui iuris. In this way, the authority of the individual Bishops becomes participation in a greater authority which regulates the liturgical life of their own Church sui iuris.
In exercising his mandate as moderator of the liturgical life, the Bishop should neither act arbitrarily nor give way to the behaviour of groups or factions, but, together with his clergy, let him be an attentive guardian of the liturgical awareness present and operating in the living memory of the people of God entrusted to him. Just as the determinant of the comprehension of the faith believed, so is it in the sensus fidelium is safeguarding of the faith celebrated. The people, from their part, must be faithful to the indications of the pastor and endeavour to understand them in depth and realize his mandate. To promote a better understanding and celebration of the liturgy, eparchial liturgical commissions of experts should be formed. Of great importance in the liturgical maturation of the people of God will be authentic communities of Eastern monks and nuns, places where, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Mystery daily celebrated in faith is lived in fullness.”

13- The Instruction, No. 56 The Liturgy celebrated by the Bishop, affirms strongly the importance of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy around the bishop in the cathedral and in monasteries. “A text of the Sacrosanctum Concilium, inspired by the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch(1) , affirms that ‘the pre-eminent manifestation of the Church consists in the full active participation of all God's holy people in these liturgical celebrations, especially in the same Eucharist, in a single prayer, at one altar, at which there presides the bishop surrounded by his college of priests and by his ministers.’ (no. 41) This requires that great care be taken of the eparchial liturgical life around the Bishop, such that the cathedral is the true ‘sanctuary’ of every particular Church: thus, the liturgy at the cathedral should be celebrated in an exemplary way. It is marvellously coupled with the exemplary nature of the liturgical celebrations in monasteries which have always maintained, in the tradition of the Eastern Churches, a true osmosis with the liturgical celebrations of the cathedrals.”

14- Liturgical legislation emphasises the importance of liturgical training in the lives of consecrated persons and the importance of celebrating the liturgical celebration well in an exemplary fashion. We read in no. 71 of the Instruction, “In the formation of sacred ministers, care should be taken to promote progressive growth of the interior participation in the holy Mysteries and in Him who operates in them. In order to be mystagogues of the people, they must live in an exemplary way the same mystagogy. Their role in the liturgy is to be the font, food and model for a life of fullness received by the grace of the Lord. Moreover, they are to be perfectly formed toward a precise, in-depth and well-founded knowledge of the holy liturgy, in its theological, spiritual and ceremonial aspects.

The importance of the liturgical life is also emphasized in the canons that address seminaries. These affirm that the liturgy is to be the font and culmination of life (canon 346 § 2, 2); that it is to be taught in virtue of its special importance as a necessary source of doctrine and of a truly Christian spirit (canon 350 § 3); and that the candidates of priesthood are to nourish their spiritual life from it (canon 346 § 2, 3). It is, therefore, necessary that the liturgical life be celebrated with great care and always in its integral form in Eastern seminaries and in formation institutes of Eastern monks and religious, such that the candidates may be shaped by it and learn it in all its richness and completeness, giving due space not only to the Eucharist but also to the Divine Office. The liturgy is to be the true font of spirituality by which the candidates are formed, the element that unifies all that they learn, and the place in which doctrine becomes celebration of praise and thanksgiving and life is transformed by grace...”

15- The Instruction also mentions the importance of celebrating the Liturgy in the community according to the liturgical books. We read in no. 98 of the Instruction,

“The Eastern Catholic Churches have often run the risk of omitting the communal and solemn celebration of the Divine Praises, substituting it with individual recitation of the Divine Office, on the part of the clergy, while the daily celebration of the Eucharist has remained often almost the only form of communal liturgy. Where such practice of celebrating the Divine Praises with the people has diminished, if not completely disappeared, the ancient tradition should be restored without delay, so as not to deprive the faithful of a privileged source of prayer, nourished by treasures of authentic doctrine.
It is desired that a renewal of monasticism in the Eastern Catholic Churches, felt as urgent in many places, allow monasteries to once again become the place in which the Divine Praises resound in a privileged and solemn way. Calling upon the time when the Divine Praises were upheld with special care in the East, not only by the monastic communities, but also by the parishes, the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches reminds us of the obligation—often easily forgotten or abandoned—to celebrate them in the cathedrals, parishes, rectoral churches, religious communities and seminaries. It is necessary to observe the prescriptions of the liturgical books (canon 309), but a superficial observance is not sufficient: those responsible must do their best for the faithful to understand the meaning and value of this prayer, love it, take part and find spiritual nourishment in it. They ought to thus formed through a true mystagogical programme, which allows them to attain nourishment for their own spiritual life from the celebration of the various moments of the liturgical year.”

16- Liturgical legislation mentions important recommendations and guidance on Sacred places, gestures and objects. We refer to no. 100, Liturgical prayer involves the total person, “...Soul, spirit, heart, mind and body come together to form the spiritual building raised for the Lord. The person, priest of creation, takes everything into his or her being, giving voice to all inanimate reality for the praise of the Creator. In a particular way, with the Incarnation of the Son of God, humanity is assumed by the Word, and the divine sanctifies and consecrates the universe. Here lies the Christian meaning of the space, gestures, and objects which interact with the believer in divine worship.”

17- The Instruction recommends the use of incense and we read in no. 101, para. 3, “The Eastern Catholic Churches are to jealously maintain and practice as much as possible the use of incense in the celebrations, even daily, because it belongs in a special way to their own tradition. Every custom to the contrary is to be modified.”

18- The Instruction places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of explaining some principles to the people about the meaning of the altar, the place of the sacrifice, the ambon or ambo and the baptistery. The importance of baptism is explained in no. 106, “...The baptistery should normally be placed outside the church proper, because it is only after the Baptism and Chrismation with holy Myron that the neophyte becomes fully part of the Church and thus can enter the temple of which it is a symbol. Where it is impossible to place the baptistery outside, because of the structure of the old buildings, then it should at least be located near the entrance of the church.”

19- The Instruction mentions the importance of Praying towards the East in No. 107, “Ever since ancient times, it has been customary in the prayer of the Eastern Churches to prostrate oneself to the ground, turning toward the east; the buildings themselves were constructed such that the altar would face the east. Saint John of Damascus explains the meaning of this tradition: ‘It is not for simplicity nor by chance that we pray turned toward the regions of the east .... Since God is intelligible light (1 John 1: 5), and in the Scripture, Christ is called the Sun of justice (Malachi 3: 20) and the East (Zechariah 3: 8 of the LXX), it is necessary to dedicate the east to him in order to render him worship. The Scripture says: 'Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed' (Genesis 2: 8). ... In search of the ancient homeland and tending toward it, we worship God. ...Waiting for him, we prostrate ourselves toward the east. It is an unwritten tradition, deriving from the Apostles.’

This rich and fascinating interpretation also explains the reason for which the celebrant who presides in the liturgical celebration prays facing the east, just as the people who participate. It is not a question, as is often claimed, of presiding the celebration with the back turned to the people, but rather of guiding the people in pilgrimage toward the Kingdom, invoked in prayer until the return of the Lord.
Such practice, threatened in numerous Eastern Catholic Churches by a new and recent Latin influence, is thus of profound value and should be safeguarded as truly coherent with the Eastern liturgical spirituality.”

20- The Instruction mentions the importance of icons, or Sacred Images in no. 108, “...The specific meaning of the icons, with respect to other images, consists in evoking and representing not the daily, human aspects as seen by the earthly eye, but the absolute Christian newness of ‘what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart,’ and that the Lord has prepared ‘for those who love him’ (1 Corinthians 2: 9), making them be reborn from above and showing them the Kingdom of God (cf. John 3: 2). ...

Through the centuries, the Eastern Churches as well as the Western ones have elaborated techniques, forms and coherent systems of sacred representation to express their faith and bring it near to mankind. ...The Eastern Churches have remained more faithful to the ancient way of evoking and representing the heavenly realities...
Many Eastern Catholic Churches have often been subjected in this field to Western ways which are sometimes not of high quality, perhaps more simple but foreign to the requirements and significance of their own traditions. An organic recuperation of the proper usages is essential in order to avoid hybridisms and contradictions within the celebrations: the dispositions of the space, images, liturgical vestments, and furnishings are not left to the taste of each individual or group but must correspond to the intrinsic requirements of the celebrations and should be coherent with respect to each other.”

21- The Instruction emphasises the importance of faithfulness to the tradition. We read in no. 109, “It cannot be denied that the Eastern Catholic Churches have been exposed, in rather recent times, to the influence of sacred art styles completely foreign to their heritage, concerning both the external form of sacred buildings and the arrangement of the interior space and sacred images. Yet, from the preceding observations emerges a harmonious unity of words, gestures, space, and objects proper and specific to each of the Eastern liturgies. Continuous reference must be made to this aspect when planning new places of worship. To do so naturally requires on the part of the clergy an in-depth knowledge of their own tradition and a constant, well established, and systematic formation of the faithful so that they may be able to fully perceive the richness of the signs entrusted to them. Fidelity does not imply anachronistic fixation, as the evolution of sacred art—even in the East—demonstrates, but rather, development that is fully coherent with the profound and immutable meaning of how it is celebrated in the liturgy.”

22- The Instruction requires us to set up patriarchal, synodal or eparchial commissions on sacred art, as we have need in the church. We read in no. 110, “The various Churches sui iuris will have to find and form their own experts in this field, and where necessary institute without further delay commissions of sacred art, where they do not already exist, with the precise task of ensuring that the projects for new churches or chapels and the associated furnishings, as well as restorations of older ones, correspond to the criteria and meanings of their own liturgical tradition.

In addition, it will be their responsibility to examine the existing sacred buildings, suggesting improvements or proposing possible interventions.”

23- The Instruction ends with advice on applying liturgical legislation, as mentioned in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. We find these considerations in no. 112, “The scope of the present Instruction is to assist the Eastern Churches which are in full communion with the Church of Rome with their work directed toward giving the liturgical celebrations the central place due them in ecclesial life, in full fidelity to the specific features of their own traditions.

The insistence on the full recuperation of Tradition does not mean to function to the detriment of changes necessary for the sensibility of the contemporary culture...
Meanwhile, it seemed of primary importance to underscore some general criteria aimed, above all, at recovering a full celebrative coherence in the liturgy in the Eastern Catholic Churches, in such a way that the whole Church is enriched by their specific heritages.
The indications contained here can be completed by the reflection and contribution of the individual Churches sui iuris, dedicating the necessary attention to them by studying how they should be applied in the various individual traditions and conditions....”

24- On the basis of all that, the fact of being obliged to implement these liturgical canons has nothing to do with convenience or choice, but is a canonical and ecclesial obligation. That is why all the liturgical and synodal work is binding on the Patriarch to implement it. But many bishops, priests, deacons, monks and nuns do not comply with the requirements of the holy canons (though these have themselves been formed by priests) and the higher authority of Patriarch and Holy Synod, and do not consider themselves bound by the decisions they made themselves. All that has an impact on the parishes, on Church unity, its bonds, its vitality and the success of its mission.

25- Some fifty years ago the Synod authorised certain liturgical texts and yet we have found that there are here and there people who do not scruple to use earlier versions. That is a cause for scandal among the faithful and diminishes the Church’s authority, not only as far as the rite is concerned, but also in other sectors of the Church’s life. If our predecessors had begun using the new texts earlier, we would be, as Patriarch, bishops, priests, deacons, monks, nuns, singers and choirs, all using the same text together in all our eparchies and monasteries, instead of remaining as we are, differing in reading and singing in our churches and parishes, even in the same town and same parish: this, despite the fact that we know that the unity of the texts helps to animate the liturgy and prayer, both in publicity and propagation and in its significantly popular character.