Bema within Maronite churches?

[Yasouna]

I have been doing abit of study into my Maronite history. As many may know we were heavily latinised during the last thousand years (which almost all Maronite priest that I know speak of in a very negative way) I myself understand the Latinisation, that it was encouraged by our Maronite clergy back in the day as a sign of our unity with Rome.

Through the expressed views of both the late Pope Mar John Paul II (may his prayers be with us) and the current Pope Mar Benedict XVI that the Maronites as well as all other Eastern Catholic Churches get back to thier roots.

In response to this we have seen some major changes within the Maronite church some good and others not so good. In my study i have found that prior to these reforms there were certain things done within our liturgy and also certain vertments that were worn that were removed for being “latin” but these such items I was later to find out after speaking with several Latin priests who were experts of the liturgy as well as researching several book that these socalled “latin” items that were removed were not in any way shape or form were found within the Latin tradition.

Getting to the point, I found that if we were to truly get back to our Maronite roots observations had to be made of all the Eastern Churches (Catholic & Orthodox) but more to the point a study of all the Syriac Churches.

One item (name removed by moderator)aticular that caught my interest is the Bema, this is were the Liturgy of the word is to be proclaimedn and is mentioned in eairly syriac writings such as this poem books.google.com.au/books?id=ymJtCxzIvSkC&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&dq=west+syrian+bema&source=web&ots=cumvVtzgpe&sig=BKu1M1C506b8d_dKmbn7ereNmDw&hl=en#PPA164,M1

It is located in the center of the church and is spoken of being a symbol of Golgatha as it was raised above the people but not as high as the altar, the bishops see is also said to be located on in.

If anyone has any infomation on this please I would greatly apreciate this.

God bless

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I don’t know about the Maronite Church. However, I have heard the same term used in Jewish synagogues to refer to the location from which scripture is read. I wonder if it is copied from there.

 

[yeshua]

I have been doing abit of study into my Maronite history.

Peace and God Bless Yasouna! It is a great and wonderful thing that you have taken interest in the further study of our people. Please let me know if after this you need any further assistance.

In response to this we have seen some major changes within the Maronite church some good and others not so good.

Civil war in the homeland and a lack of leadership in the diaspora has led to particular anomalies in our tradition, be it mistaken scholarship or downright ignorance. This is still a further problem, for while new liturgics are coming out of Bkerke (issue 2007) many Maronite hierarchs in the diaspora are refusing to adopt them unless the Patriarchate reviews it’s findings of them, that is, that they have in fact restored liturgical Latinizations instead or further removing or preventing them.

Getting to the point, I found that if we were to truly get back to our Maronite roots observations had to be made of all the Eastern Churches (Catholic & Orthodox) but more to the point a study of all the Syriac Churches.

Yes, this is exactly what is needed. A few years ago there was a Pan-Syriac church conference with all Western Syriac representatives in attendance; it was hosted by us Maronites. The effort was to find a common ground to build on and what further means were necessary to reclaim Syriac tradition for all West Syriacs in the diaspora. The fruits of this conference have yet to be realized unilaterally.

One item (name removed by moderator)aticular that caught my interest is the Bema, this is were the Liturgy of the word is to be proclaimedn and is mentioned in eairly syriac writings such as this poem books.google.com.au/books?id=ymJtCxzIvSkC&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&dq=west+syrian+bema&source=web&ots=cumvVtzgpe&sig=BKu1M1C506b8d_dKmbn7ereNmDw&hl=en#PPA164,M1

If anyone has any infomation on this please I would greatly apreciate this.

Little has been done to deduce early Maronite church architecture, mainly because we have so little to go on due to the destruction of most of our texts. The excerpt below is from one of the most affluent Maronite Scholars in the United States, Chorbishop Seely Beggiani. Unfortunately, his citations regarding the discussion about the bema are almost entirely from Robert Tafts’ article on the use of the bema in the East-Syriac liturgy, so we have little to go on in reference to the West Syriac bema. You can purchase the entire text here and is the eighth book from the heading “Theology and Spirituality.”
Chirbishop Seely Beggiani:

The bema was often a u-shaped structure found in the naves of some churches in the Syriac region extending from Antioch to Mesopotamia. The open side of the “u” faces east. On the “U” was a curved bench, and in the center was often a small alter meant to hold the gospel and cross, and called “Golgatha.” At the east ed were two pulpits for the scriptural readings. The origins of the beam can be traced to the synagogue, which had a platform for the reading of the scriptures. The term bema has various meanings in different places and traditions…

(in the respect of space and practically, I’ve skipped to the summary)

…The meaning of the bema is liturgically significant. It serves to distinguish clearly the Liturgy of the Word from the Liturgy of the Eucharist. By having the clergy in the center of the nave among the people, it signified that all Christians are equal before the reading and preaching of the Word. Robert Taft adds that it is the Wrod of God and not an minister, who is the protagonist of the Liturgy of the Word. Special function of the bishop is to preside and, as representative fo the gathering, to sum up in prayer their petitions. The bema also served to stress that the assembly was a full participation in the celebration of the liturgy.

In summary, evidence of bemas of different types have been found in both the Eastern and Western regions of the Syriac world. However, only some churches and not all had bemas, and there is no consensus as to how widespread the use of the bema was among Maronite churches. However, in the introduction to the Maronite Missal (Book of Qurbono) of 1992, Archbishop Boutros Gemayel observes that in the past the Service of the Word took place at the bema. When one considers the profound liturgical meaning of the bema, its restoration should be given serious consideration

Let me know if you require anything else, I have quite the resources for this sort of thing and far be it for me to keep it to myself.

Peace and God Bless!

 

[ASimpleSinner]

I have been doing abit of study into my Maronite history. As many may know we were heavily latinised during the last thousand years (which almost all Maronite priest that I know speak of in a very negative way) I myself understand the Latinisation, that it was encouraged by our Maronite clergy back in the day as a sign of our unity with Rome.

One item (name removed by moderator)aticular that caught my interest is the Bema, this is were the Liturgy of the word is to be proclaimedn and is mentioned in eairly syriac writings such as this poem books.google.com.au/books?id=ymJtCxzIvSkC&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&dq=west+syrian+bema&source=web&ots=cumvVtzgpe&sig=BKu1M1C506b8d_dKmbn7ereNmDw&hl=en#PPA164,M1

A fascinating question!

I would be intersted to know if this is in the living tradition of any existing church of Syriac heritage at this time… Looking in their direction (if they are out there) would be an interesting learning experience.

Apropos the “Latinizations”… That is a difficult and touchy subject as it opens up so very many cans of worms about when something legitimately becomes part of the praxis due to influence from another tradition, versus understanding some things in terms of couching it as “forced on us” (not a term you used or imply, it can be seen here from time to time though)… From there questions arise about what is legitimate in light of the fact that something already has been done for generations…

And then one has to think about and consider the implications of “antiquarianism” - going back for the sack of going back, holding a particular period aloft as sacrosanct or pristine…That can be a real temptation that I am not convinced isn’t as bad or worse than unquestionally accepting current standards without more fully considering the often complicated reasons those standards came to be… From a pastoral standpoint, continuity with what people remember is rather important as well. Effort to restore a tradition otherwise unknown and forgotten “Becuase we did it 50 generations ago before we were ‘contaminated’” can equally be a recipe for a pastoral disaster. The 70s in the Latin Church comes to mind. (I am convinced of the wisdom or antiquity of the motivations behind the Pauline rite on a number of levels. How it was presented and implemented in many places was an unqualified mess.)

Sorry to go so far afield… Will be curious about what you turn up!

 

[Peter_J]

Are Catholic churches of the West Syriac tradition, such as the Maronite Church, typically more “latinized” than those of the East Syriac tradition, like the Chaldean and Syro-Malabar Churches? Or less? Or about the same?

Does anyone happen to know? I’m just curious.

God bless,
Peter.

 

[jimmy]

Are Catholic churches of the West Syriac tradition, such as the Maronite Church, typically more “latinized” than those of the East Syriac tradition, like the Chaldean and Syro-Malabar Churches? Or less? Or about the same?

Does anyone happen to know? I’m just curious.

God bless,
Peter.

I think that both the Maronites and the Chaldeans have been heavily latinized. I can’t speak for the others.

 

[Harpazo]

I would love to see a Bema be a part of Church architecture in the Maronite Church. It would be so neat to have that. I think it would be hard adding them in at present, to the point where they would have to remove the pews. I don’t think it would be bad to remove the pews but I don’t see that happening on a grand scale right away.

Alaha minokhoun,
Andrew

 

[Peter_J]

I think that both the Maronites and the Chaldeans have been heavily latinized. I can’t speak for the others.

A second question I should have asked along with that one: does the degree of latinization vary a great deal from one Maronite parish to another?

 

[Yasouna]

yes there was alot of Latinisation but what people seem to forget is that it was not all forced upon rather us Maronites made the coice to take on these traditions as a sign of our unity with the holy father.

the Syro-Malabar Church was heavily latinised and there was a group of priests bishops and layity who split away from the Syro-Malabar and formed a seperate Orthodox church called the Syro-Mar Thouma Church (Mar Thouma meaning Saint Thomas)

Back on topic of the Bema, one thing I had always found interesting was at the start of both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist within the Divine Liturgy of the Maronite Tradition was an entrace prayer,

the priest chants before the Sanctury: l-baitokh aloho 'elet,…

Cel: I have entered your house, O God and have worshipped in your temple. O KIng of Glory, forgive all my sins

then the people chant in response

Cong: O King of Glory, forgive all our sins.

Then the priest either turns to the people or bows both to the left and the right to acknowledge them and say to them

Cel: Pray for me for the honour of God.

then the people respond

Cong: God accept your offering and had mercy on us through your prayers.

After the Creed he then retturns to the same spot and says: Itewot mad-bHeh daloho…

Cel: I come to the altar of God who is the joy of my youth. By your grace, I enter your house and I worship in your temple.

then the people chant in response

Cong: By your love, O Lord, guide me. By your righteousness, teach me.

Then the priest again either turns to the people or bows both to the left and the right to acknowledge them and say to them

Cel: Pray for me for the honour of God.

then again the people respond

Cong: God accept your offering and had mercy on us through your prayers.

Then the Priest would walk up to the Altar and kiss it

all this got me thinking prior to my research of the Bema that why would there be two entrance hymns if they are already there then when I found this infomation about a Bema being seperate to the Sanctury of the Altar it made alot of sence to have two entrance chants.

 

[DL82]

“The meaning of the bema is liturgically significant. It serves to distinguish clearly the Liturgy of the Word from the Liturgy of the Eucharist. By having the clergy in the center of the nave among the people, it signified that all Christians are equal before the reading and preaching of the Word. Robert Taft adds that it is the Wrod of God and not an minister, who is the protagonist of the Liturgy of the Word. Special function of the bishop is to preside and, as representative fo the gathering, to sum up in prayer their petitions. The bema also served to stress that the assembly was a full participation in the celebration of the liturgy.”

That’s really interesting about the bema being in the middle of the people. In the Sarum Rite, the ancient British Catholic rite for mass, the gospel is often processed to the back/middle of the church and proclaimed from there. You can still see this layout in many old High Anglican churches, where the whole church is laid out like a choir, with the seats facing the aisle, and the lectern at the back or middle of the church. Clearly this is not only an Eastern tradition.