Eastern Catholic/Orthodox traditions and customs

[dvdjs]

For Eastern Catholics to kneel on Sundays most certainly is a Latinization.

It depends upon what you mean by Latinization, and about which Eastern Catholics you are talking. Moreover, taking kneeling prayers into account, it also depends on what you mean by Sunday. The “most certainly” is thus a stretch, on its face.

I am glad that, after my post, you write more carefully than the post that provoked it. Kneeling at the Divine Liturgy is not proscribed in general and is not against tradition to the best of my knowledge. I have participated in kneeling during EO liturgies with everyone else in the parish. Moreover, as I noted above, there is kneeling during the Sunday divine liturgy in various EO jurisdictions - a practice adopted for pastoral reasons, but not to Latinize.

In fact, kneeling on Sundays was forbidden by the First Council of Nicea, because in that particular historical context, kneeling was understand not as a matter of reverence, but as a penitential gesture, and therefore, inconsistent with the celebration of the Resurrection . On the other hand, in the same historical context of the First Council of Nicea, standing was recognized as a gesture of reverence. Over time, the East retained the notions of standing as a posture of reverence and kneeling as a penitential posture, while in the West, kneeling came to be viewed as a gesture of reverence. Kneeling during Mass is certainly appropriate for Roman Catholics.

The canon that you refer to is, itself, historical; the rest sounds dubious. What are your sources for these rationales, and sociological and historical claims. I can tell you that while I have seen/done much kneeling at Eastern liturgies over the years, the spirit was, in general, humble adoration, not penance. Do EO’s kneel for confession? For the St. Andrew canon?

Kneeling during Divine Liturgy is a Latinization that is inconsistent with the liturgical traditions of Eastern Christians.

Oops. Now you’ve gotten careless and gone completely off the tracks. This sentence is wrong on every count.

 

[RyanBlack]

It depends upon what you mean by Latinization, and about which Eastern Catholics you are talking. Moreover, taking kneeling prayers into account, it also depends on what you mean by Sunday. The “most certainly” is thus a stretch, on its face.

I am glad that, after my post, you write more carefully than the post that provoked it. Kneeling at the Divine Liturgy is not proscribed in general and is not against tradition to the best of my knowledge. I have participated in kneeling during EO liturgies with everyone else in the parish. Moreover, as I noted above, there is kneeling during the Sunday divine liturgy in various EO jurisdictions - a practice adopted for pastoral reasons, but not to Latinize.

The canon that you refer to is, itself, historical; the rest sounds dubious. What are your sources for these rationales, and sociological and historical claims. I can tell you that while I have seen/done much kneeling at Eastern liturgies over the years, the spirit was, in general, humble adoration, not penance. Do EO’s kneel for confession? For the St. Andrew canon?

Oops. Now you’ve gotten careless and gone completely off the tracks. This sentence is wrong on every count.

I stand by everything I have written. I make my claims based on my theological education (M.Div. and Th.M) and what I’ve been taught in the parish. As to the the kneeling prayers you mentioned, are you referring to the kneeling prayers on Pentecost? If so, they are not traditionally part of the Divine Liturgy. Also, from what I was taught by my liturgy professor (who has traveled to all six continents and who is currently one of the most respected liturgical scholar in the world), as well as by others, kneeling by the Orthodox during Divine Liturgy is largely a New World phenomenon. Also, my pastor, who holds the Sacred Licentiate in Eastern Liturgy, teaches that standing is the traditional posture of Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians for the Divine Liturgy.

I do not doubt that you have experienced kneeling on Sundays in Eastern liturgies as one of adoration and not of penance. I have also experienced it in the same way. However, if we are to be truly authentic to our own liturgical traditions, we ought to stand during Divine Liturgy.

Finally, what does kneeling for confession or kneeling for the Canon of St. Andrew have to do with whether we ought to kneel during Divine Liturgy?

 

[Fr_Kyrillos]

I stand by everything I have written. I make my claims based on my theological education (M.Div. and Th.M) and what I’ve been taught in the parish. As to the the kneeling prayers you mentioned, are you referring to the kneeling prayers on Pentecost? If so, they are not traditionally part of the Divine Liturgy. Also, from what I was taught by my liturgy professor (who has traveled to all six continents and who is currently one of the most respected liturgical scholar in the world), as well as by others, kneeling by the Orthodox during Divine Liturgy is largely a New World phenomenon. Also, my pastor, who holds the Sacred Licentiate in Eastern Liturgy, teaches that standing is the traditional posture of Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians for the Divine Liturgy.

I do not doubt that you have experienced kneeling on Sundays in Eastern liturgies as one of adoration and not of penance. I have also experienced it in the same way. However, if we are to be truly authentic to our own liturgical traditions, we ought to stand during Divine Liturgy.

Finally, what does kneeling for confession or kneeling for the Canon of St. Andrew have to do with whether we ought to kneel during Divine Liturgy?

This subject is one I have not studied so I apologize for the simplicity of the question, but when one says no kneeling on Sundays, does that mean kneeling as an attitude of prayer or does it mean never prostrating at all on a Sunday?

The reason I ask…in our Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil, there are times in the liturgy when the Deacon calls out “Worship God in fear and trembling” and all the people fall prostrate to the ground (except those prevented by the pews). There are other times when the Deacon calls out “Bow your heads to the Lord” and similarly some prostrate and some make a half-bow.

I have also read some ascetic/monastic literature from our Church which distinguishes between different kinds of metanias (prostrations). There is one of worship which is never forbidden, even on Sundays or during the Holy Fifty Days after Easter. There is one of repentance which is forbidden on Sundays and the Holy Fifty Days. And there is one of honoring a bishop/patriarch which I see some do and some don’t on Sundays and the Holy Fifty Days.

I find it confusing!

God bless,
Fr. Kyrillos

 

[RyanBlack]

Fr. Kyrillos:

Thank you for the blessing.

Concerning all that I have discussed concerning the reasons not to kneel on Sundays, it was my intention that it apply only to those Churches with whose traditions kneeling on Sundays is inconsistent. For example, many Roman Catholics kneel during certain portions of the Mass as a sign of reverence/adoration towards our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. From what you have described to me, the prostrations done during the Coptic Divine Liturgy are also done as a sign of reverence/adoration. In my opinion (unlike some Eastern Orthodox who believe that there are no exceptions to the prohibition against kneeling during the the celebration of the Eucharist), there is nothing wrong with kneeling/prostrations during the Divine Liturgy or Mass where kneeling is part of that particular Church’s traditional way of showing reverence). During my experiences in both the Eastern Orthodox Church and as an Eastern Catholic, it is our tradition to bow to icons as a sign of reverence upon entering the Church and at certain parts of the Divine Liturgy (at the deacon’s admonition “Bow your heads to the Lord” and at the Words of Institution and the epiclesis), but not to kneel or to prostrate. But just so no one will misunderstand, I reiterate that I see no problem with the kneeling/prostrations done during the Eucharistic liturgy of any Church for which kneeling/prostration is part of its traditional ways of showing reverence for God.

 

[Vico]

Rome made the liturgical recensions mid 20th century for the various eastern Catholic churches at their request. The Ruthenenian version removed the Latinizations and the changes made at Synod of Zamość (1720) back to 1438, the time of Metropolitan Isidore of Kiev. This recension has been partially implemented.

In the year 2000 Bishop George Kuzma, of the Byzantine Eparchy of Van Nuys, removed the filioque and kneeling on Sunday for public prayers and the restoration of the profound bow (from the waist) three times during the anaphora (twice in the consecration and once after the epiklesis). Bishop George wrote “the faithful are to stand—not kneel—for all public prayers from Vespers on Saturday evenings until Sunday evening Vespers in celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.”

See: Ancient Practices Restored below:
eparchy-of-van-nuys.org/docs/newsletter_0006.html

The Byzantine Divine Liturgy book was revised in 2006 including these changes.

 

[dvdjs]

I stand by everything I have written. I make my claims based on my theological education (M.Div. and Th.M) and what I’ve been taught in the parish. As to the the kneeling prayers you mentioned, are you referring to the kneeling prayers on Pentecost? If so, they are not traditionally part of the Divine Liturgy. Also, from what I was taught by my liturgy professor (who has traveled to all six continents and who is currently one of the most respected liturgical scholar in the world), as well as by others, kneeling by the Orthodox during Divine Liturgy is largely a New World phenomenon. Also, my pastor, who holds the Sacred Licentiate in Eastern Liturgy, teaches that standing is the traditional posture of Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians for the Divine Liturgy.

I do not doubt that you have experienced kneeling on Sundays in Eastern liturgies as one of adoration and not of penance. I have also experienced it in the same way. However, if we are to be truly authentic to our own liturgical traditions, we ought to stand during Divine Liturgy.

Finally, what does kneeling for confession or kneeling for the Canon of St. Andrew have to do with whether we ought to kneel during Divine Liturgy?

I applaud you on your degrees, but they aren’t of probative value - even less are those of people that you have spoken to. With your education you might find it easy to supply some facts to accompany your most certain opinions: what were the practices and how did they evolve throughout time, as evidences in historical writings. I’d love to learn something substantial on these matters that are so often discussed.

From an OCA site:

Church history and Orthodox tradition tell us that at the beginning of Christianity everyone participated in the Liturgy daily, not on Sundays only. During the daily Liturgies they knelt, but not on Sundays. The First Ecumenical Council in 325 A.D. decreed that Sunday is the great day dedicated to the Resurrection of Our Lord, and Christians should pray standing and not kneeling. However, the general practice during the following centuries was for participants at Liturgy to kneel at least during the consecration of the Holy Gifts, when the choir sings: We praise You…" and during the Lord’s Prayer. The church especially prohibits kneeling from Easter to Pentecost; this is a season of great joy and happiness.

stlukeorthodox.com/html/orthodoxy/liturgicaltexts.cfm

You are careless about distinguishing “Sunday Divine Liturgy” from “Divine Liturgy”. Sometimes you apply canons and ostensible traditions to “Divine Liturgy” that apply only to “Sunday Divine Liturgy”. [Or does in fact the canon apply generally to praying, not just the liturgy, on Sunday? Are the kneeling prayers liturgical Sunday or Monday?] Or are you claiming that the canon was traditionally applied to weekday and Saturday liturgies.

The strictness or economy with which one might apply Canon XX of Nicea I (IIRC the number correctly), should not be done in vacuo, but should be considered in the context of other traditions: standing on Sundays has a different significance to those who have been kneeling during the week, and rise on Sunday, than it does to those who only attend services on Sunday and never kneel.

The L word is dynamite, and IMO, should be applied when there is compelling evidence. Particularly when one is talking about practices that are also present in EOC’s, where a claim of Latinization really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Kneeling in EO a new world phenomenon? Well, how about that: that’s where we live. And I wonder about accuracy and completeness of these observations: what about the Carpathian regions of Slovakia, Zakarpatskaja, Maramures - were these places part of the world tour? Apart from these regions, I actually don’t care all that much much about other places: we have a particular church with our own particular traditions.

I am very much interested in restoring traditional practices. There are important steps to take in cultivating organic development, and pruning rank growth. But I am not keen on grafts from other cultures within our overall tradition.

Moreover, I think we have big things to worry about, rather than getting doctrinaire on small things. And will always find it easier to add than subtract or change. So most importantly, getting back to a full liturgical schedule - not just for the Sabbath. If you are not doing the services, then not-kneeling is on Sunday is more affectation, than orthopraxis IMO.

djs

ps
My reference to confession and St. Andrew pertain to your story about the “penitential” posture of kneeling. Sounds urban legend to me.

 

[RyanBlack]

I think you will find that the article linked below supports my assertions that kneeling was historically understand as a posture of penitence, while standing a posture of praise and thanksgiving.

newadvent.org/cathen/06423a.htm

 

[JohnVIII]

Just to expand on this, the byzantine tradition is to hold your thumb, index finger, & middle finger together while your ring finger and pinkie finger are together touching your palm. The three fingers together represents the Trinity and the two fingers touching the palm represent the two natures of Christ.

But what if you are miaphysite, do you only touch the palm with one finger?

 

[dvdjs]

I think you will find that the article linked below supports my assertions that kneeling was historically understand as a posture of penitence, while standing a posture of praise and thanksgiving.

newadvent.org/cathen/06423a.htm

Thanks. This is a nice article with great detail. And I need to read it more thoroughly after work. After a quick read, however, I get the sense idea of public prayer standing for joy was common to both East and West, with a greater tendency in private prayer toward kneeling or prostration out of humility - and for penance. I did not know that some at liturgy were on their knees while the others stood: that is penitential and no urban legend!

The article doesn’t trace the the adherence and development in the Byzantine (or Alexandrine) tradition. (That would be great reading). But it makes two points that I think are interesting about the Latin tradition. The first is a conjecture that kneeling in liturgy was not done on weekdays either, but just during Lent in the earlier times. This is not stated so definitively (or clearly), or a global generality. But it is interesting, and not what I had expected from Orthodox practice that I am familiar with - or, for example from the quote from St. Luke’s.

The second is that the adoption of liturgical kneeling in the West followed two currents - the praying of private devotions during the liturgy (and hence adopting the posture of private devotions), and the development of kneeling as a public posture for adoration - neither trend seemed to increase liturgical kneeling to increase the penitential character of the liturgy, rather, as kneeling became less associated penance and more associated with adoration, it became more prevalent in the liturgy. And that is the sense of the practice that I have in these times - when there is precious little sense of penance left.

We are asking people in our parishes to comply with a change of practice that is, IMO, no longer informed by the ancient sense of the meaning of the postures, but of the current sense, which developed over time. This is the sense that informed the practice of the heros of the underground church. This is living tradition not rank growth; if it needs to be pruned, that pruning needs to be done with great care. Not by the calling out the law, or telling people what the posture really means, or by going nuclear with the L word. But with great care.

just my $0.02

 

[Aramis]

This subject is one I have not studied so I apologize for the simplicity of the question, but when one says no kneeling on Sundays, does that mean kneeling as an attitude of prayer or does it mean never prostrating at all on a Sunday?

God bless,
Fr. Kyrillos

Reverend Father, Bless!

In the Byzantine Tradition, kneeling and prostrations are not the same thing.

Kneeling is a sign of remorse or loss.

Prostration is a sign of adoration (and the Metania is an abbreviation of the full prostration).

Keep in mind the conciliar definition is stated in the assertive, rather than the prohibitive, about sundays and from Pascha to Pentecost: “… prayers to the Lord should be offered standing.”

The entirety of the liturgy is one continuous prayer made of smaller prayers. Even when the faithful are silent, they are to be offering prayers.

A prostration is an interruption for a sign of reverence, not a prayer itself, and thus not a violation of that conciliar canon.

Kneeling during the Anaphora (like the Ruthenians used to do in the US), however, is, since prayers were sung, and it was also a clear latinization.

Only from Pascha to Ascension is kneeling prohibited (and that, as taught by 5 different Ruthenian priests I’ve heard speak on it) is an absolute bar. During that time, no kneeling at all.

 

[Fr_Kyrillos]

Fr. Kyrillos:

Thank you for the blessing.

Concerning all that I have discussed concerning the reasons not to kneel on Sundays, it was my intention that it apply only to those Churches with whose traditions kneeling on Sundays is inconsistent. For example, many Roman Catholics kneel during certain portions of the Mass as a sign of reverence/adoration towards our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. From what you have described to me, the prostrations done during the Coptic Divine Liturgy are also done as a sign of reverence/adoration. In my opinion (unlike some Eastern Orthodox who believe that there are no exceptions to the prohibition against kneeling during the the celebration of the Eucharist), there is nothing wrong with kneeling/prostrations during the Divine Liturgy or Mass where kneeling is part of that particular Church’s traditional way of showing reverence). During my experiences in both the Eastern Orthodox Church and as an Eastern Catholic, it is our tradition to bow to icons as a sign of reverence upon entering the Church and at certain parts of the Divine Liturgy (at the deacon’s admonition “Bow your heads to the Lord” and at the Words of Institution and the epiclesis), but not to kneel or to prostrate. But just so no one will misunderstand, I reiterate that I see no problem with the kneeling/prostrations done during the Eucharistic liturgy of any Church for which kneeling/prostration is part of its traditional ways of showing reverence for God.

Thank you…may the Lord bless you.

Below is a link to an article that describes the types of prostrations in the Coptic Church:

lacopts.org/articles/prostrations-according-to-the-coptic-orthodox-church-rite

It is not real clear from the article what is prohibited on Sundays except for this comment:

“The Church does not allow prostration on Saturdays and Sundays or during the fifty days of Pentecost or after having Holy Communion.”

Though again, I have never seen a Coptic liturgy where the people did not prostrate at the epeclesis.

In Christ,
Fr. Kyrillos

 

[RyanBlack]

Thanks. This is a nice article with great detail. And I need to read it more thoroughly after work. After a quick read, however, I get the sense idea of public prayer standing for joy was common to both East and West, with a greater tendency in private prayer toward kneeling or prostration out of humility - and for penance. I did not know that some at liturgy were on their knees while the others stood: that is penitential and no urban legend!

The article doesn’t trace the the adherence and development in the Byzantine (or Alexandrine) tradition. (That would be great reading). But it makes two points that I think are interesting about the Latin tradition. The first is a conjecture that kneeling in liturgy was not done on weekdays either, but just during Lent in the earlier times. This is not stated so definitively (or clearly), or a global generality. But it is interesting, and not what I had expected from Orthodox practice that I am familiar with - or, for example from the quote from St. Luke’s.

The second is that the adoption of liturgical kneeling in the West followed two currents - the praying of private devotions during the liturgy (and hence adopting the posture of private devotions), and the development of kneeling as a public posture for adoration - neither trend seemed to increase liturgical kneeling to increase the penitential character of the liturgy, rather, as kneeling became less associated penance and more associated with adoration, it became more prevalent in the liturgy. And that is the sense of the practice that I have in these times - when there is precious little sense of penance left.

We are asking people in our parishes to comply with a change of practice that is, IMO, no longer informed by the ancient sense of the meaning of the postures, but of the current sense, which developed over time. This is the sense that informed the practice of the heros of the underground church. This is living tradition not rank growth; if it needs to be pruned, that pruning needs to be done with great care. Not by the calling out the law, or telling people what the posture really means, or by going nuclear with the L word. But with great care.

just my $0.02

I still think that when Byzantine Christians kneel during the Sunday Divine Liturgy, it is the result of Latinization. On the other hand, I agree with what you say about pruning needing to be done with great care. I also agree with you that when Catholic Christians (Eastern or Western) kneel on Sundays, that they do so not being informed by ancient ideas about the meanings of postures. I condemn no one who kneels on Sundays. However, it is my personal opinion that a recovery of our ancient liturgical traditions is desirable. I realize that not everyone will agree with me on this point, and I’m OK with that. Indeed, there are more urgent matters at hand. Finally, when I use the term Latinization, it is not my intent “to go nuclear,” although it is often the case that when the term is used, it certainly is with the intent of “going nuclear.” Rather, I’m simply making an observation. However, I do understand that some people do use it with the intent of “going nuclear.”

 

[dvdjs]

I still think that when Byzantine Christians kneel during the Sunday Divine Liturgy, it is the result of Latinization. On the other hand, I agree with what you say about pruning needing to be done with great care. I also agree with you that when Catholic Christians (Eastern or Western) kneel on Sundays, that they do so not being informed by ancient ideas about the meanings of postures. I condemn no one who kneels on Sundays. However, it is my personal opinion that a recovery of our ancient liturgical traditions is desirable. I realize that not everyone will agree with me on this point, and I’m OK with that. Indeed, there are more urgent matters at hand. Finally, when I use the term Latinization, it is not my intent “to go nuclear,” although it is often the case that when the term is used, it certainly is with the intent of “going nuclear.” Rather, I’m simply making an observation. However, I do understand that some people do use it with the intent of “going nuclear.”

Well I am happy with “I think” replacing “most certainly”.

As to the deeper truth: I think that we face the same fundamental problem as Eastern Orthodox in America: how do we as Westerners living in a Western culture approach Eastern Christianity?

Apart from a few interesting characters, who among us is trying to adopt real Eastern (not an anti-Western) cultural sensibilites? In this light, it is what kneeling means to us that is significant for sorting out issues of practice: kneeling, to us, means something very different than it does/did in the middle east or in the Byzantine Empire.

This understanding is crucial IMO in discerning the difference between Westernization - however pastorally sensitive and prudent (or not) - versus Latinization. I don’t discount the possibility of Latinization. I would not be at all surprised to find that in some places kneeling at the anaphora was forced by law. But more, solid facts (as in the CEC article) are needed: what parishes in what years? how did it start - was there a mandate? from where? how did it spread? This information is necessary to differentiate organic development from inorganic accretions. And that is why L is inherently nuclear, even though that might not be the intent. It forecloses on discovery of facts, and we wind up knowing less. We have lots of work to do. It needs to be done right with the proper discernment. I suppose that I am preaching to the choir, here. But it is message that bears repeating.

 

[Vico]

Latinizations given at www.melkite.org/latin.htm are listed below.

The Oriental Congregation decided that the liturgical uses of the eparchies of Lviv, Peremyshyl, Stanislaviv, Mukachevo, Presov, Hadudorog, and Krizevci use a Byzantine Liturgy prior to the Niconian Synodal use of the Moscow Patriarchate and also different than the Old Rite. (I heard that the curtain behind the royal doors may not be a Latinization in all eparchies, historically.)

1. Unmarried priesthood (Still generally true of Melkite clergy)
2. Statues
3. Altar rails
4. Confessional boxes
5. Stations of the Cross hanging on walls
6. 3-D Crucifixes on walls
7. Western-style paintings
8. Suppression of liturgical hours
9. Suppression of Presanctified in favour of Divine Liturgy
10. Use of Western style Mass instead of the Liturgies of St. John Crystsostom or St. Basil
11. Introduction of Western prayers: the Rosary, etc.
12. Introduction of Western music and songs
13. Use of musical instruments
14. Emphasizing the words of Institution and silencing the Epiklesis prayers
15. Truncation of prayers, esp. psalms in liturgies
16. Reduction of prostrations and reverences
17. Use of Genuflections, Kneeling
18. Combining Divine Liturgy with other services: marriage, funeral
19. Not distributing the antidoron
20. Elimination of using hot water during Consecration
21. Not having a curtain behind the Royal Doors
22. First Communion and Chrismation separated from Baptism

Latinizations made at the Synod of Zamosc (1720):

1. forbade use of the sponge
2. forbade use of zeon (hot water)
3. forbade infant Eucharist
4. introduced the filioque

 

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[merlindayana]

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[mardukm]

I imagine someone reading the list will automatically presume these were all mandated by “Rome.”

I’d be interested to know which ones were imposed by the Pope, which ones imposed by the Curia, which ones were self-imposed through pressure from the surrounding Latin Catholic culture, and which ones were self-imposed just because there was really nothing disagreeable about that practice.

Latinizations given at www.melkite.org/latin.htm are listed below.

The Oriental Congregation decided that the liturgical uses of the eparchies of Lviv, Peremyshyl, Stanislaviv, Mukachevo, Presov, Hadudorog, and Krizevci use a Byzantine Liturgy prior to the Niconian Synodal use of the Moscow Patriarchate and also different than the Old Rite. (I heard that the curtain behind the royal doors may not be a Latinization in all eparchies, historically.)

1. Unmarried priesthood (Still generally true of Melkite clergy)
2. Statues
3. Altar rails
4. Confessional boxes
5. Stations of the Cross hanging on walls
6. 3-D Crucifixes on walls
7. Western-style paintings
8. Suppression of liturgical hours
9. Suppression of Presanctified in favour of Divine Liturgy
10. Use of Western style Mass instead of the Liturgies of St. John Crystsostom or St. Basil
11. Introduction of Western prayers: the Rosary, etc.
12. Introduction of Western music and songs
13. Use of musical instruments
14. Emphasizing the words of Institution and silencing the Epiklesis prayers
15. Truncation of prayers, esp. psalms in liturgies
16. Reduction of prostrations and reverences
17. Use of Genuflections, Kneeling
18. Combining Divine Liturgy with other services: marriage, funeral
19. Not distributing the antidoron
20. Elimination of using hot water during Consecration
21. Not having a curtain behind the Royal Doors
22. First Communion and Chrismation separated from Baptism

Latinizations made at the Synod of Zamosc (1720):

1. forbade use of the sponge
2. forbade use of zeon (hot water)
3. forbade infant Eucharist
4. introduced the filioque

 

[mardukm]

But what if you are miaphysite, do you only touch the palm with one finger?

Good one!

Blessings,
Marduk

 

[ConstantineTG]

Do all non-Byzantine Eastern priest also can be married?

 

[dvdjs]

I imagine someone reading the list will automatically presume these were all mandated by “Rome.”

I’d be interested to know which ones were imposed by the Pope, which ones imposed by the Curia, which ones were self-imposed through pressure from the surrounding Latin Catholic culture, and which ones were self-imposed just because there was really nothing disagreeable about that practice.

Good questions that should always be asked. One approach to sorting them out is to look at analogous conduct within the EO churches - where one would expect no influence from the Pope or Latin Catholic culture or perhaps even a reaction against it. Consider items 7,12-15, 21 among the clearest examples. One might also add the usual issues of clergy wearing western clothing, and shaving or trimming beards.

Another question: for those who value antiquity over continuity, does serving divine liturgy with the rite of Holy Matrimony represent a Latinization or a restoration?