Could Someone Create a New Liturgy?

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This question came to mind as I looked over the texts of the various Divine Liturgies. Could someone, like Saint Basil or Saint John Chysostom did, come up with a new form of the Divine Liturgy?

If someone did, how would it spread? What would it take to be recognised as legitimate?

Of course, why anyone would want to is beyond me 🤷.
 
I suppose technically they could. It wouldn’t be anything completely new, as St. Basil’s and St. John Chrysostom’s weren’t new (theirs were built on the liturgical traditions they received from the Church when they arrived just as we receive them at our arrival - they didn’t appear in the world and formulate new liturgies from nothing). Also, the Church would need to accept such a liturgy through the people over time - St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom didn’t “impose” their liturgies on anyone; instead, the Church in Time found those men’s liturgies worthy of the worship of GOD and adopted them. Similar to sainthood, a liturgy is taken unto the Church as She deems appropriate. Nothing stops a modern saint from collecting texts, reviewing modern liturgical practice, reviewing the Church in its modern condition and ultimately compiling a new Liturgy. But the Church will only (rightly or wrongly) adopt that new Liturgy in a couple or a few centuries from now if that Liturgy proves itself in the Church as a whole, proving itself worthy of the worship of GOD, much as saints are only canonized formally centuries after their repose though they resided in Heavenly Grace the whole time. Such is the weakness of having a Church on Earth, where Time has hold.
 
Hellenised said:
This question came to mind as I looked over the texts of the various Divine Liturgies. Could someone, like Saint Basil or Saint John Chysostom did, come up with a new form of the Divine Liturgy?

If someone did, how would it spread? What would it take to be recognised as legitimate?

Of course, why anyone would want to is beyond me 🤷.
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They did not come up with a new form, they came up with a revision of the existing form. The Divine Liturgy is still experiencing some organic developments as it is a living Liturgy (like the Church and Christ). But I doubt anyone will be given credit for it as was given to St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great.
 
Saint John Chrysostom was of course the bishop of Byzantium (although I don’t know if he imposed the liturgy), so he had the authority at the time to adjust the Byzantine liturgy. Similarly, the bishop of Rome seriously adjusted the Roman liturgy after Vatican II.
 
Would you consider the “Anglican Use” liturgy a new one?
 
pewpew said:
Saint John Chrysostom was of course the bishop of Byzantium (although I don’t know if he imposed the liturgy), so he had the authority at the time to adjust the Byzantine liturgy. Similarly, the bishop of Rome seriously adjusted the Roman liturgy after Vatican II.
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Exactly. Not new, strictly speaking, but only altered.
 
Rolltide said:
Would you consider the “Anglican Use” liturgy a new one?
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No, as it shouldn’t be. It’s based on the BCP, which is based on the Sarum use of the Roman rite (close to the tridentine), and also on the Roman missal of Paul VI.
 
And the Anglican Liturgy eventually made it into Orthodoxy as the Divine Liturgy of St. Tikhon. Though its acceptance isn’t widespread.
 
ConstantineTG said:
And the Anglican Liturgy eventually made it into Orthodoxy as the Divine Liturgy of St. Tikhon.
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Well, it’s the basis for the Divine Liturgy of St. Tikhon at any rate (just as the Tridentine mass is the basis for the other WRO liturgy, the Liturgy of St. Gregory).
 
Peter_J said:
Well, it’s the basis for the Divine Liturgy of St. Tikhon at any rate (just as the Tridentine mass is the basis for the other WRO liturgy, the Liturgy of St. Gregory).
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Especially since they interpolated the epiklesis into it.
 
There is a Zaire Use within the Latin Rite that was developed in the 70s. It’s a Latin Rite that accommodates elements of African culture.
 
LouisvilleCards said:
There is a Zaire Use within the Latin Rite that was developed in the 70s. It’s a Latin Rite that accommodates elements of African culture.
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youtube.com/watch?v=2BdM6Z5_GzU

youtube.com/watch?v=FSwzTaizDWc

In the Congo:

What are the characteristics of Zairean rite?
  • The “Zairean rite” emphasizes the active participation of the assembly, the commitment of the faithful. Eg dance, there are not a few faithful dancing but the whole assembly. We do not dance like a nightclub, but we dance because dance is part of our culture. It is an expression of our faith.
    • A second feature is the invocation of saints and ancestors who holds a very important place in the liturgy Zaire. It is an affirmation of the eschatological Christian assembly. This evocation is essential because it is part of the culture. Congo has a culture based on oral tradition that gives fathers a great place.
    • A third characteristic is the role of the reader in liturgical celebrations. This role is upgraded because they assume a great responsibility. They are mandated by the priest and receive from him a blessing before going read. Another feature is the style that is original insofar prayers are formulated according to specific stylistic speech
 
Vico said:
youtube.com/watch?v=2BdM6Z5_GzU

youtube.com/watch?v=FSwzTaizDWc

In the Congo:

What are the characteristics of Zairean rite?
  • The “Zairean rite” emphasizes the active participation of the assembly, the commitment of the faithful. Eg dance, there are not a few faithful dancing but the whole assembly. We do not dance like a nightclub, but we dance because dance is part of our culture. It is an expression of our faith.
    • A second feature is the invocation of saints and ancestors who holds a very important place in the liturgy Zaire. It is an affirmation of the eschatological Christian assembly. This evocation is essential because it is part of the culture. Congo has a culture based on oral tradition that gives fathers a great place.
    • A third characteristic is the role of the reader in liturgical celebrations. This role is upgraded because they assume a great responsibility. They are mandated by the priest and receive from him a blessing before going read. Another feature is the style that is original insofar prayers are formulated according to specific stylistic speech
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so much better than the weird, interpretive “liturgical dance” over here.

So who in the world can use this rite? Could we use it here? Or only in Congo?
 
anp1215 said:
so much better than the weird, interpretive “liturgical dance” over here.

So who in the world can use this rite? Could we use it here? Or only in Congo?
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I think it is used only where the bishop approves it, which would likely only be where such expression is natural to the culture.
 
Whe Zairean Use is technically Western… priests trained primarily in it could, like other western usages/subrites (Dominican, Bragan, Mozarabic, Ambrosian, Anglican, Tridentine) be used for private masses where ever such a priest happens to be. Public use is generally not permitted outside the traditional areas. (For the Tridentine, with the local Bishop’s permission.)

I recall hearing that a Canadian Roman parish has permission to use a specific african use missal.

In a more Eastern context - the Church hasn’t said the Western Rite Orthodox liturgies are invalid - and they’re innovations of the late 19th through mid 20th centuries - syncretic hybrids of Anglican or Tridentine uses and the Byzantine Rite. Pretty, too.
 
Vico said:
I think it is used only where the bishop approves it, which would likely only be where such expression is natural to the culture.
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I wonder if it could get approved for maybe a group of immigrants or refugees here. Just wondering hypothetically.
 
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