Pope Francis and the Armenian Rite

[twf]

According to a secular news article I came across, the Holy Father presided at an “Armenian Rite mass”. Did the Pope actually celebrate an Armenian liturgy at St Peter’s recently, or was he simply present in choir? Anyone know?

 

[phil19034]

Not sure if he did or didn’t. But as Pope, he has the ability to celebrate all the Rites of the Catholic Church. Not just the Roman Rite.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

He celebrated an Armenian Rite Mass today at St. Peter’s.

 

[Elizium23]

Here is the YouTube video, so we can judge for ourselves.

Just skipping around a bit, I can see that he’s definitely presiding, but I don’t know Armenian liturgy, so I can’t say if this is Roman or Armenian. The blurb says “Holy Mass”…

 

[malphono]

It looks to have been something of a hybrid, but still Roman Rite with a few “Armenianisms” mixed in. A few observations:
the processional was Armenian
the Introit was Latin
he’s wearing Latin vestments
the opening rites were Novus Ordo
the Gospel and its procession were Armenian
the Canon was accrding to the Novus Ordo
a number of hymns were Armenian

 

[janeway529]

I was listening on the commentary of Vatican Radio during the Mass and it said that the hymns were all in Armenian Psalmody.

 

[Nelka]

The inside of that cathedral looked lovely.

 

[Elizium23]

The inside of that cathedral looked lovely.

It’s not actually a cathedral, that is St. Peter’s Basilica.

 

[lmelahn]

According to a secular news article I came across, the Holy Father presided at an “Armenian Rite mass”. Did the Pope actually celebrate an Armenian liturgy at St Peter’s recently, or was he simply present in choir? Anyone know?

Looking at the video, the Pope was certainly the celebrant, and he used the Roman Rite. (If you fast-forward to the Eucharistic Prayer, he is using Eucharistic Prayer III.) As is customary, the concelebrants (most or all of them bishops, presumably of the Armenian Church), as well as the deacons, used the vestments proper to their own Church.