Can Roman Catholics receive communion in Maronite Church?

[Michaela1]

I recently visited a local Maronite Church and really loved the people and the mass! I felt the spirituality that has been sorely missing from my regular Novus Ordo Roman Catholic mass.
Question: Can a Roman Catholic receive communion at a Maronite mass? Can a Roman Catholic simply decide to join a Maronite church or does some requirement have to be fulfilled first? Felt like a taste of heaven!

 

[Filii_Dei]

I am glad that you have discovered a place that has inspired you spiritually.

Yes, you may receive communion from the Maronite Church or any other church that is in communion with Rome. However, like Roman Catholics in at a Latin-rite mass, it is important that you understand their Divine Liturgy to help you further in growing closer to God.

If you wish to take the leap and transfer to the sui iuris Maronite Church (which is not required if you’re just going to attend the Divine Liturgy to receive communion), you will have to write to your Diocesan bishop.

 

[Michaela1]

Thank you for your kind response.

One more question: What is the recommended attire at Maronite Mass? Is it best for women to wear a head covering? Should their arms be fully covered? Are slacks or pantsuits OK for women or not? Should men wear suits?

Thanks for responding!

 

[LumenGent]

No there isn’t a specific dress code. You only have to be neat and dress to respect the Lord. If that means a suit (male) or a dress (female), go ahead with it. Woman don’t have to wear a heal veil or cover their hands. Maronites are not muslims.

BTW, Divine Liturgy is not the name of the Maronite Liturgical Service. Either Mass or Qurbono would suffice.

 

[5Loaves]

Thank you for your kind response.

One more question: What is the recommended attire at Maronite Mass? Is it best for women to wear a head covering? Should their arms be fully covered? Are slacks or pantsuits OK for women or not? Should men wear suits?

Thanks for responding!

In my experiences with other Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches this can vary depending on the individual parish. As a visitor I would ere on the side of being more conservative, and if you’re a female bring something to cover your head if it turns out this parish does that. I visited a Chaldean-Assyrian parish where about half the woman had some form of head covering… until time for reception of Eucharist. Then scarves appeared from pockets and purses and EVERY woman had her head covered. Once back in the pews many removed their head coverings. This was interesting and new to me.

You might want to fast from the evening before to respect the Eucharistic fasting tradition of the East and Orient although many have latinized the Eucharistic fast to a much shorter time before receiving Eucharist. I think it’s typical in the Maronite Church that Eucharist uses dry disks like the hosts used in the Latin Church, not the leavened bread we use in other ECCs, which the priest intincts and places in your mouth.

Also, you can look here at Find-A-Parish → By Location for possible other Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches near you.

 

[AnthonyJ]

I’ve seen some women at one parish cover their heads to receive the Eucharist, while others were covered during the whole DL.

In my experiences with other Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches this can vary depending on the individual parish. As a visitor I would ere on the side of being more conservative, and if you’re a female bring something to cover your head if it turns out this parish does that. I visited a Chaldean-Assyrian parish where about half the woman had some form of head covering… until time for reception of Eucharist. Then scarves appeared from pockets and purses and EVERY woman had her head covered. Once back in the pews many removed their head coverings. This was interesting and new to me.

You might want to fast from the evening before to respect the Eucharistic fasting tradition of the East and Orient although many have latinized the Eucharistic fast to a much shorter time before receiving Eucharist. I think it’s typical in the Maronite Church that Eucharist uses dry disks like the hosts used in the Latin Church, not the leavened bread we use in other ECCs, which the priest intincts and places in your mouth.

Also, you can look here at Find-A-Parish → By Location for possible other Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches near you.

 

[Filii_Dei]

BTW, Divine Liturgy is not the name of the Maronite Liturgical Service. Either Mass or Qurbono would suffice.

I apologise. I should not think to paint all Eastern Churches with the same brush.

 

[LumenGent]

No need to apologise. It happens that some people make a big deal out of it, if you pay close attention, you will know who they are. .

 

[Michaela1]

Thanks to all of you for your kind responses! I asked about head coverings because I have heard that at traditional Latin Mass head coverings are required (or suggested) for women and thought that Eastern Catholic Masses, also being conservative and traditional, might require them. My feeling is that I will be conservative in dress and wear a modest head covering to Maronite Mass (which I actually think is a good thing since it prevents others at Mass from being potentially distracted by my hair and it takes the pressure off hairstyle preparation).

Regarding what the Mass is called, I have some confusion: On the Maronite Church website, they list it as “Divine Liturgy.” Do Maronites usually pray the Divine Office at home? Is the Holy Rosary traditionally prayed before each Mass?

Is it true that Jesus spoke Aramaic? If so, was that his primary language? That would be exciting, if true, since it would mean no translation of Maronite Holy Writings would be required (except to English or other native tongue) and little meaning would be potentially lost in translation. When I think of Roman Catholic writings going from Aramaic or Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English I see lots of room for error.

 

[malphono]

Regarding what the Mass is called, I have some confusion: On the Maronite Church website, they list it as “Divine Liturgy.”

In this post-conciliar era, i.e. the past 40 or so years, there has been a tendency by some Maronites in the US to adopt the Byzantine nomenclature “Divine Liturgy.” Most people, including a large number of clergy, however, continue to refer to it simply as Mass.

Do Maronites usually pray the Divine Office at home?

No, not any more so than do the faithful of the Roman Church.

Is the Holy Rosary traditionally prayed before each Mass?

It depends on the particular parish.

Is it true that Jesus spoke Aramaic? If so, was that his primary language?

Yes, to both.

 

[Michaela1]

Thanks, Malphono, for the clarification and information. That’s exciting news to me!

 

[Kielbasi]

No problemo with that.

Latin Church Brookline folks I know were known to attend Maronite liturgy in their community until the Maronites moved their church out of town several years ago.

 

[Michaela1]

Sorry to belabor this, but I have 3 more questions about the Maronite Mass:

At the Maronite service I attended, I noticed that one of the men leading the Mass, possibly a deacon, came over to me around the time of the “give the sign of peace” part of the Mass and shook hands with me: Is that a tradition so that I would then spread the “peace” to the next person and the peace would thus flow from the front of the church to the back? Are we, therefore, supposed to only shake hands with one person?

Also, this particular Maronite Church prays the Rosary just before Mass. Is the Rosary the Maronites pray exactly the same as the Rosary prayed by the Latins?

Lastly, how long should the fast be before receiving communion? Is it from after dinner until communion the next day?

I’m glad I found this Maronite Church! It is the only Eastern Catholic church in our state!

 

[LumenGent]

At the Maronite service I attended, I noticed that one of the men leading the Mass, possibly a deacon, came over to me around the time of the “give the sign of peace” part of the Mass and shook hands with me: Is that a tradition so that I would then spread the “peace” to the next person and the peace would thus flow from the front of the church to the back? Are we, therefore, supposed to only shake hands with one person?

The sign of peace is normally passed from the Priest to the Deacon (if he is present) and then to the Altar servers who will go up the aisle giving the sign of peace to the first person of every pew, who then passes it onto the next person etc. The practice is not shaking hands as happens in the Latins Church. The sign is exchanged with two people, the person you recieve it from, and the person you pass it onto.

Also, this particular Maronite Church prays the Rosary just before Mass. Is the Rosary the Maronites pray exactly the same as the Rosary prayed by the Latins?

Yes it is the same, the Rosary is uniform everywhere.

Lastly, how long should the fast be before receiving communion? Is it from after dinner until communion the next day?

I’m not sure about this (Malphono is the Maronite expert on CAF), but from what I know, I tend to think that it is the same as the one hour fast in the Latin Church. Traditionally, it would have been from midnight. Whether that practice still holds, I don’t know for certain.

 

[malphono]

Michaela1;8743945:

Lastly, how long should the fast be before receiving communion? Is it from after dinner until communion the next day?

I’m not sure about this (Malphono is the Maronite expert on CAF), but from what I know, I tend to think that it is the same as the one hour fast in the Latin Church. Traditionally, it would have been from midnight. Whether that practice still holds, I don’t know for certain.

Traditionally it would have really been from the evening meal but yes, the fast is now 1 hour, same as in the Roman Church.

 

[couponfit]

Thank you for your kind response.

One more question: What is the recommended attire at Maronite Mass? Is it best for women to wear a head covering? Should their arms be fully covered? Are slacks or pantsuits OK for women or not? Should men wear suits?

Thanks for responding!

When going to a new church rite try to make a pre-run so to speak, preferably on a less busy day like a feast day. That will give you a better chance to get the lay of the land so to speak.

 

[Michaela1]

LumenGent & Malphono,

Thanks for the clarifications! I especially am glad to learn that during the giving of the “sign of peace” we only shake hands with two people! At the Maronite service, after I had passed the handshake on to the person next to me, I turned to the people behind me to shake hands with them but no one wanted to shake hands with me. I thought that must mean they have a different custom regarding handshaking. Now I understand they do! I much prefer this meaningful Maronite custom of passing the handshake from the front to the back of the church, shaking hands with only two people, to what I have experienced among Latins.

 

[malphono]

LumenGent & Malphono,

Thanks for the clarifications! I especially am glad to learn that during the giving of the “sign of peace” we only shake hands with two people! At the Maronite service, after I had passed the handshake on to the person next to me, I turned to the people behind me to shake hands with them but no one wanted to shake hands with me. I thought that must mean they have a different custom regarding handshaking. Now I understand they do! I much prefer this meaningful Maronite custom of passing the handshake from the front to the back of the church, shaking hands with only two people, to what I have experienced among Latins.

Actually, the custom is not a handshake. The person passing the peace holds his/her hands together in the “prayer position” and the recipient puts both hand over, thus taking the peace. And yes, the peace is passed to the nearest person so, for example, if you’re sitting at the end of a row, you would receive the peace from the deacon/server/usher and then pass it to the person next to you who, in turn, passes it to the next, etc.

Sorry if that description is a bit lacking, but it’s the best I can do remotely. Best to watch and follow. BTW, the same custom is employed by the Chaldean and Syriac Churches. I’m not sure about the Armenians or Alexandrenes.

 

[MaroniteRosary]

Simple answer. Yes

 

[ProVobis]

Actually, the custom is not a handshake. The person passing the peace holds his/her hands together in the “prayer position” and the recipient puts both hand over, thus taking the peace. And yes, the peace is passed to the nearest person so, for example, if you’re sitting at the end of a row, you would receive the peace from the deacon/server/usher and then pass it to the person next to you who, in turn, passes it to the next, etc.

Sorry if that description is a bit lacking, but it’s the best I can do remotely. Best to watch and follow. BTW, the same custom is employed by the Chaldean and Syriac Churches. I’m not sure about the Armenians or Alexandrenes.

I noticed that tonight at my first Maronite liturgy. And it’s done after the Creed.