Moving from Roman Rite to Eastern Rite

[malphono]

Can we all go back to giving the Eastern Particular Churches in union w/Rome their dignity and refrain from saying “the Eastern Rites”?

U-C

Well … personally I use “CHURCH” (e.g., Melkite Church, Chaldean Church, etc.). When I need to express the difference with an Orthodox counterpart, I will add CC (e.g. Syriac CC vs Syriac OC).

As a “cradle Oriental” I have to say that I find the “politically correct” expressions “Particular Churches” and “Churches sui juris” both to be more patronizing (not to mention (unnecessarily cumbersome) than the well-intentioned use of the various older terms. One doesn’t often (if ever) hear the Latin Rite referred to as a “Particular Church” or “Church sui juris” does one? (NB: In cases where I encounter someone who uses “Eastern Rite” in an obviously ignorant way, I will try to correct and explain, but even then I don’t deviate from my own conventions.)

I find being patronized offensive. It’s rather like the very existence of the so-called Oriental Congregation. Of course there is no “Occidental Congregation” …

 

[Brian777]

I don’t know why it was decreed, but the way it has been explained to me by an Eastern Rite priest is this: In the West, kneeling is seen as a posture of reverence, whereas in the East, standing is a posture of reverence. Hence, the reason we stand throughout most or all of our liturgy.

In the East, kneeling is seen as a posture of penitence, which is not neccessary on Sundays, when the Resurrection is celebrated and our sins are washed clean through the blood of Christ. There is more kneeling (actually, prostration) in the Eastern Rites during Lent, but still not on Sundays.

That is interesting thank you very much.

 

[Aramis]

U-C: both the terms Eastern Rites and Eastern Churches overlap in their use. Eastern Rites specifically includes all 22 eastern churches…

 

[gloria97000]

The Maronites kneel during the Liturgy only during a special Rite on Pentecost. There is absolutely a consecration at the other Liturgies, during which the congregation stands. My understanding of the difference in posture is rooted in the culture from which each Rite stems – for instance, in Western Europe, one would kneel before a king…and in the Middle East, one would bow to show profound respect. Hence, Maronites bow to the tabernacle rather than genuflecting and do not regularly kneel during the Liturgy; the postures just have different meanings to different groups. Please correct or clarify if anyone knows differently or can explain better.