Maronite Liturgy

[dcointin]

I attended a Maronite service yesterday, and was hoping people could answer a few questions about the experience. I’m Antiochian Orthodox, which I believe is the equivalent Orthodox church to the Maronite, is that correct? I assumed the liturgy would be very similar to the liturgy which we use in my church, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, but found that it was quite different. My impression was that it was almost like a combination between the Novus Ordo and Divine Liturgy. On the one hand, the building was very contemporary, the priest officiated from behind the altar facing the congregation, the vestements appeared western, an organ was used, etc. On the other, I could recognize many similar prayers and elements of the liturgy, chanting was used instead of western hymnody, the tones were eastern, the consecration was done in Aramaic (or was it something else?), etc. I found the chanting in particular very beautiful, and could deeply sense that this was an ancient and beautiful tradition. The priest talked in the homily about the need for outreach by all the congregation, not just the clergy, and seemed like a genuinely loving man. Again, I was just surprised at some of the things that struck me as western, and was curious if my interpretation was correct. I’ve read that the Maronites have adopted more Latin customs than most Eastern Catholic churches, but it was difficult for me to discern which belonged to which tradition. Would I be likely to find something similar at other eastern churches? For my next visit I plan to attend a Ruthenian liturgy. Is there such a thing as a truly Orthodox liturgy in a Catholic church? I’m in St. Louis btw, if anyone happens to live here as well. Thanks!

 

[ciero]

I attended a Maronite service yesterday, and was hoping people could answer a few questions about the experience. I’m Antiochian Orthodox, which I believe is the equivalent Orthodox church to the Maronite, is that correct? I assumed the liturgy would be very similar to the liturgy which we use in my church, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, but found that it was quite different. My impression was that it was almost like a combination between the Novus Ordo and Divine Liturgy. On the one hand, the building was very contemporary, the priest officiated from behind the altar facing the congregation, the vestements appeared western, an organ was used, etc. On the other, I could recognize many similar prayers and elements of the liturgy, chanting was used instead of western hymnody, the tones were eastern, the consecration was done in Aramaic (or was it something else?), etc. I found the chanting in particular very beautiful, and could deeply sense that this was an ancient and beautiful tradition. The priest talked in the homily about the need for outreach by all the congregation, not just the clergy, and seemed like a genuinely loving man. Again, I was just surprised at some of the things that struck me as western, and was curious if my interpretation was correct. I’ve read that the Maronites have adopted more Latin customs than most Eastern Catholic churches, but it was difficult for me to discern which belonged to which tradition. Would I be likely to find something similar at other eastern churches? For my next visit I plan to attend a Ruthenian liturgy. Is there such a thing as a truly Orthodox liturgy in a Catholic church? I’m in St. Louis btw, if anyone happens to live here as well. Thanks!

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church would be the equivalent to the Antiochean Orthodox Church. The Maronite Church is the only Eastern Catholic Church with no Orthodox counterpart. Unfortunately the Maronites have been VERY Latinized. Facing the people has actually been mandated by their bishops.

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Greetings in Christ,

As you surmised, the Maronites, while Eastern, are very different from the Antiochian Orthodox. If you would like to see a “Catholic equivalent” to the Antiochian Orthodox Church you should check out the Melkites. We used to be one and the same Church until there was a split in the Patriarchate of Antioch in 1724 A.D. It’s a long, sad, but very interesting story.

There is actually no Orthodox equivalent to the Maronites. They are a Syrian (I believe) Church and celebrate their own unique Liturgy. Also, as you correctly surmised, they are highly Latinized. I will defer to our Maronite brethren on this forum to give you the rest of the story (Malphono, I hope your out there).

As far as whether or not there are any real Eastern Churches in the Catholic Church; there are indeed. We have many Churches of the Byzantine Tradition. Pretty much all of the Orthodox national Churches (Romanian, Ukrainian, Russian, etc.) have a “Catholic equivalent.” There are also Catholic Coptics, Armenians, Ethiopians, etc.

 

[Aramis]

The Marionites are Syriac Rite; no EO church is Syriac Rite.

 

[malphono]

Unfortunately the Maronites have been VERY Latinized.

Yes, sadly that’s true. Some insist that the “old” latinizations (16th century) are to blame, and while there were indeed some latinizations from that period, they were mainly in externals (certain rubrics, vestments, para-liturgical services and devotions, etc). The fact of the matter is that the liturgy was essentially intact despite the so-called latinizations. Not so these days: despite all the conciliar platitudes, the dreaded “spirit of Vatican II” is at work. The current (and unending) wave of Novus Ordo-inspired neo-latinization is a major problem. As I mentioned in another thread, we’ve survived a lot over many centuries, but if left unchecked, I am quite sure that those same Novus Ordo-inspired neo-latinizations will be the death-knell of the Maronite Church.

Facing the people has actually been mandated by their bishops.

Yes and no. The Synod has left the matter to the local bishop. I suppose that’s better than mandating versus populum, and of course with their Novus Ordo mind-set, pigs will fly before they mandate ad orientem. In the US, the bishops are both fans (one more so than the other, but that’s another matter) of versus populum. I’m not sure what’s done elsewhere in the diaspora, but in the Patriarchal Territories, one can find ad orientem, albeit that one has to search it out.

 

[dcointin]

Thank you all for the clarifications. Unfortunately there are no Melkite parishes near me, so I won’t have the opportunity to experience their liturgy

 

[angelic06]

I go from time to time to St. George’s Maronite Catholic Church here in San Antonio; they use some of the same modern Latin church hymns, and not the best ones, in my own opinion, at that. Quite strangely, they actually sound better here in the Maronite Church than they do in the Novus Ordo. Maybe it’s because of the surroundings (the Maronite chanting—in most Latin churches today, there is no chanting)----I graduated with a degree in psychology; I know that the surroundings, if you will, can often influence what you see or hear or how you feel about what you see or hear. The priests (there are two of them here for a sung Divine Liturgy on Sunday and a spoken one on Saturday) face the people, but there is a crucifix on the altar so that both the people and the priests face the Lord.

The Maronite priests sing/recite the anaphora in Syriac. As noted above, they do not have an Orthodox equivalent.

For any who visit San Antonio, St. George Church offers the sung Mass (and yes, it is referred to either the Mass or the Divine Liturgy, also the Qurbono) on Sunday at 11:00 am. Also, on Saturday, the spoken Mass with sung anaphora is offered at 5 pm, and on Sunday, also the spoken Mass with sung anaphora at 8 am (and for that matter, with canned music the last time I went to this one, which was Pentecost Sunday). I highly encourage all to visit this beautiful church; their sung liturgy is likewise beaufitul for the most part.

There are also variations of the Mass throughout the year, namely the Rite of the Lamp with Anaphora during Holy Week (that is, the Holy Mass with the Rite of the Lamp substituting for the part that would normally precede the anaphora). Since there is the anaphora as part of the liturgy, it is a true Mass/Divine Liturgy, as opposed to a Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

As far as the Maronite Church is concerned, we are currently in the Season of the Glorious Pentecost (which began with Pentecost Sunday) as opposed to the Latin Season after Pentecost (which began with the following Monday), otherwise known as Ordinary Time, which is a continuation of the season after Epiphany (also Ordinary Time) in the Latin Church. After the Season of Pentecost follows the Season of the Glorious Cross in the Maronite Church.

 

[malphono]

The Maronite priests sing/recite the anaphora in Syriac.

In theory, yes, it’s possible. In practice, one is lucky that the Institution Narrative is sung in Syriac.

I could comment further on other things, but that is all I will say.

 

[5Loaves]

I attended a Maronite service yesterday… I’m Antiochian Orthodox…My impression was that it was almost like a combination between the Novus Ordo and Divine Liturgy… ** Is there such a thing as a truly Orthodox liturgy in a Catholic church? **I’m in St. Louis btw, if anyone happens to live here as well. Thanks!

How nice that you’re interested in knowing more about liturgies of the Catholic Churches. I’m a Russian EC. I go somewhat frequently to a Russian Orthodox Church (OCA), typically on days when my tiny parish does not have festal vigil services, or some feast days we do not have services. So I have not often been at the Russian Orthodox Church for Divine Liturgy itself. When I have been I cannot distinguish the difference in the DL from that at my parish. Both of these parishes celebrate predominately in English but with Church Slavonic, here and there, in both the Hours and in the Liturgy. Of course we pray for the Pope and they pray for their Patriarch etc. We use the same calendar, and the same translations of the DL etc.

For various reasons we Russian Catholics have tended to have ties with the Melkites/Antiocheans. My priest not infrequently will include in DL some Antiochean melodies and whatever the liturgical Arabic language is. He ministered for years to a Melkite mission which sadly closed.