That explains it. When I went to my father’s church, bishop Basil was present.
I wonder why the Melkite rubrics make no mention of the pope while several other Eastern Catholic rubrics do, according to the posters here. All of these tiny liturgical variances are rather headache inducing.
I’m sorry, I did not give the full picture. There are five possible places for the litany. The
Melkites do mention the Pope, etc., after the Irmos (Irmos occurs just after the Anaphora = Consecration):
The Priest proclaims the commemoration of the ecclesiastical hierarchy:
Priest: First, Lord, remember our Father N. Pope of Rome, our Most Blessed Patriarch N., our Father and (Arch)bishop N. Graciously bestow them to Your holy Churches in peace, safety, honor, health, long life, rightly dispensing the word
of Your truth.
melkite.org/PDF/LITURGY2009.pdf
In the Byzantine USA, Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:
- Prothesis - Fourth Phosphora
Remember, O loving and kind Master, our holy father (Name), Pope of Rome, our most reverend Metropolitan (Name), our God-loving Bishop (Name), and the entire episcopate of the true believers, the honorable presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and all others in holy orders; [if in a monastery: our most venerable hieromonks, our proto-archimandrite (Name), our archimandrite (Name), our protohegumen (Name), and our hegumen (Name)] our concelebrating brother priests and deacons, and all our brothers and sisters, whom you, in your loving kindness, have called to communion with you, O most gracious Lord.
- Litany of Peace:
-For our holy father (Name), Pope of Rome, let us pray to the Lord.
-For our most reverend Metropolitan (Name), for our God-loving Bishop (Name), for the venerable presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
- Litany of Fervent Supplication:
- Again we pray for our holy father (Name), Pope of Rome, and for our most reverend Metropolitan (Name), for our God-loving Bishop (Name), [if in a monastery: our most venerable hieromonks, our Protoarchimandrite (Name), our Archimandrite (Name), our Protohegumen (Name), and our Hegumen (Name),] for those who serve and have served in this holy church, for our spiritual fathers, and for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Great Entrance:
CELEBRANT: May the Lord God remember in his kingdom our holy father (Name), Pope of Rome, our most reverend Metropolitan (Name), and our God-loving Bishop (Name), [if in a monastery: our most venerable hieromonks, our Proto-archimandrite (Name), our Archimandrite (Name), our Protohegumen (Name), and our Hegumen (Name),] the entire priestly, diaconal, and monastic order, our government and all in the service of our country, and the ever-memorable founders and benefactors of this holy church [or: monastery]. May the Lord God remember all you Christians of the true faith, always, now and ever and forever.
- After the Irmos:
CELEBRANT OR CONCELEBRANT: Among the first, O Lord, remember our holy father (Name), Pope of Rome, our most reverend Metropolitan (Name), our God-loving Bishop (Name). Preserve them for your holy churches in peace, safety, honor, and health for many years as they faithfully impart the word of your truth.