Intercommunion between the Assyrian Church and the R.C. Chaldean Eastern Rite

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Any thoughts on this from you Byzantines??

This article is from The Tablet, the English Roman Catholic journal.

thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/register.cgi/citw-#Rome

Theologians question Vatican decision on intercommunion. In a highly unusual move, a theological journal published by the Vatican Press has opened its pages to a debate in which noted theologians question a decision taken by three Vatican offices.

At issue is the approval given on 26 October 2001 to intercommunion between the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Eastern Rite Catholic Church of Iraq.

The Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith and for the Eastern Church and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity accepted the validity of the Assyrians’ Eucharistic prayer, the “Anaphora of Addai and Mari”.

This was a significant move because the prayer does not include a so-called institution narrative quoting Christ’s words at the Last Supper, “Take this, all of you…”. The Vatican offices, in effect, allowed intention and ecumenical sensitivity to outweigh strict adherence to a verbal formula. The Vatican journal, Divinitas, published four articles questioning the decision and six sympathetic to it.

Among the critics are Mgr Brunero Gherardini, the editor-in-chief of Divinitas. A professor of ecclesiology and ecumenism at the Lateran University and secretary of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, he was postulator for the beatification of Pope Pius IX. He argues that the consecration of the bread and wine happens only when the celebrant pronounces Christ’s words. “Silencing or modifying the words is not an act of devotion to Christ, but rather its contrary.”

Carmelite Fr Bonifacio Honings, professor emeritus at the Lateran and Urban universities, said "when the Assyrian and Chaldean churches “celebrate the Eucharist, both are convinced they are obeying the command of the Lord: ‘Do this in memory of me’.”
Peggy Polk, Rome
 
I have no issues with this.

The Anaphora of Addai and Mari is ancient and can be traced back to the very early Church.

This is why the Vatican ruled as it did, not because of “ecumenical sensitivity”.

If the words are so important, as some hold to, then they should be said in the exact way that Jesus said them (which we do not know) and in the exact language. Which I think the Maronites are the only ones to do this.

So by expanding the logic used by some who are against this (the acceptance of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari) the Maronites are the only ones doing it right.

Again, this is a non-issue.

Some of the Traditionalist crowd bring this up as they see that it could be used some day by some to attempt to remove these words from the Anaphora (Eucharistic prayer) used in the Latin Catholic Church.

Some seem to have issues understanding that things differ in the theological approach, in traditions, and in disciplies between the different Churches that make up the universal Catholic Church.

This ruleing affected one Church, or two really the Catholic one and the Orthodox one, and has nothing to do with the other Churches.

Again this was done due to the fact that the Anaphora in question is ancient and can be traced back to the early Church.
 
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ByzCath:
The Anaphora of Addai and Mari is ancient and can be traced back to the very early Church.
Thanks, David

What are the crucial words that are in “dispute?”

Are they found here? cired.org/liturgy/apostles.html

Thanks, Ray
 
Ray,
I believe the issue that some have is the words of institution…

Take, eat; this is may body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.

and

Likewise, the chalice after He had supped, saying; Drink of this, all of you, this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins.

These are taken from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

In the Mass they are…

Take this, all of you, and eat it:
this is my body which will be given up for you.

and

Take this all of you and drink from it:
this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.

So as you can see, the words of institution differ depending on the Rite.

These words are not found in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari.
 
These words are not found in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari.
but it may have an epiclesis
And may there come, O my Lord, your Holy Spirit, and may he rest upon this oblation of your servants. May he bless it and hallow it, and may it be for us, O my Lord, for the pardon of debts, the forgiveness of sins, the great hope of resurrection from the dead, and for new life in the kingdom of heaven with all who have been well-pleasing before you. And for all this great and marvelous dispensation towards us we will give thanks to you and praise you without ceasing in your church, which is saved by the precious blood of your Christ - with unclosed mouth and open face, repeat,
cired.org/liturgy/apostles.html

the other anaphora used do have the words of institution and epiclesis.
 
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ByzCath:
Ray,
I believe the issue that some have is the words of institution…

Take, eat; this is may body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.

and

Likewise, the chalice after He had supped, saying; Drink of this, all of you, this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins.

These are taken from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
Well, I’m no graduate theologian, but it would seem to me that after a couple thousand years, innumerable translations into an unknown number of languages and centuries apart for reasons unknown in many cases, that this is not a big deal.

I skimmed through the Assyrian service as I referenced in an earlier message. And I didn’t see anything that I couldn’t use as my prayer. You definitely can see the “Roman” Mass there.

Only it is about 63 times as long! 😃

Thanks, David
 
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