Aramaic for Iraqi Mass

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blessed_wife

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Last night on EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch, my husband I learned an interesting fact that we were not aware of before. Many of the Chaldean Catholic Christians in the Middle East, particularly Iraq (that is the homeland of the guest speaker who share this information) pray the Mass in Aramaic! I just thought it was interesting!
 
Yes, all of the liturgies of the Syrian/Antiochene tradition, whether of Eastern or Western Syrian provenance, continue to use Syriac (or Aramaic) in various amounts.
 
Since Jesus spoke Aramaic in Judah / Israel, does anyone know if it was a widely spoken language back then around the middle east or whether it has migrated to places like Iraq in its history ?

Thanks.
 
Actually, Aramaic was the Lingua Franca of the Ancient Near East from about 500 BC to well into the Christian Era until it was replaced by Arabic when Islam converted the region by the sword.
 
blessed_wife,

If you live in the USA nearby a Chaldean Catholic Church, you can attend an Aramaic liturgy. Many Chaldean people are “fresh off the boat” when they come to the US and continue to celebrate what is familiar to them: the Aramaic liturgy. Some prefer the Arabic liturgy, and the Church accommodates them as well. English liturgies are a recent phenomenon in the the US, and are urgently needed to help the young Chaldeans integrate fully into the life of the Church.

Aramaic (specifically, the “East Syriac” dialect) is the traditional language of the Chaldean people, and official language of the Chaldean Church.

abucs,

Aramaic has always been the ancient language of Iraq and Syria, it is the language of the Aramaean people (Chladeans, Assyrians, Syriacs). The reason why Jesus spoke Aramaic is because it was the common daily language of the Near East at the time.

God bless,

Rony
 
Would that liturgy (Chaldean) be in the same words Jesus used, or would it be like comparing Latin to Italian?
 
I would like to ask a question. Is going to the divine liturgy said in Aramaic similar (for those living in Middle East) as going to a Latin mass for us, Western Catholics?

Also, if it is, do people find any problems with it? Is it a standard way or do people generally get the option of going to the divine liturgy in vernacular?

Thank you! 🙂
 
Would that liturgy (Chaldean) be in the same words Jesus used, or would it be like comparing Latin to Italian?
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mschrank,

As far as the Aramaic of the Chaldean liturgical text, it is not exactly the same as how Jesus would have talked, but it is very close. As far as the everyday Aramaic language among the Chaldean people, it is even more developed and known as “modern Aramaic”. So, in the Chaldean liturgy, you have both an Aramaic language in the texts that is very close to the Aramaic of Jesus, as well as, a modern version of it that is given in the homily to the people.

God bless,

Rony
 
I would like to ask a question. Is going to the divine liturgy said in Aramaic similar (for those living in Middle East) as going to a Latin mass for us, Western Catholics?
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GandalfTheWhite,

Not the same. The Aramaic liturgy is still the liturgy of the Chaldean people despite the dominance of Arabic in the cultures of the Middle East.
Also, if it is, do people find any problems with it? Is it a standard way or do people generally get the option of going to the divine liturgy in vernacular?
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There are liturgies in Arabic to accommodate the people who prefer it. Aramaic liturgy is still the standard. Other language liturgies are always based on the Aramaic liturgy.

God bless,

Rony
 
ronyodish said:
mschrank,

As far as the Aramaic of the Chaldean liturgical text, it is not exactly the same as how Jesus would have talked, but it is very close. As far as the everyday Aramaic language among the Chaldean people, it is even more developed and known as “modern Aramaic”. So, in the Chaldean liturgy, you have both an Aramaic language in the texts that is very close to the Aramaic of Jesus, as well as, a modern version of it that is given in the homily to the people.

God bless,

Rony
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thanks! 👍
 
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