Usage of Flabella in the Various Rites

[AustinGM]

Does anyone know of a Mass celebrated with a liturgical fan other than it just being carried in a procession or sitting behind an altar in certain Byzantine churches? If so then how are they used?

 

[CRV]

Some articles you may find interesting:-

The Flabellum - according to this article “Among these denominations are the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the Flabellum is still in use today.”

Dominican Rite Use of Flabella article from 2008.

A brief history of flabellum - Liturgical Arts Journal

Pontifical Masses - each side of the Sedia Gestatoria. Think was last used in 1978 by Pope John Paul I as after that time the Sedia Gestatoria was replaced with the Pope Mobile.

 

[Dovekin]

From the first of CRV’s sites:

The flabellum is a metal disk fixed on a long handle which was used in the Catholic Church in order to keep flies and other insects away from the priest and the consecrated body and blood of Christ. The flabellum was mainly used during Catholic ceremonies and its provisions were contained in the Apostolic Constitutions which stated that two deacons on each side of the altar were to hold a fan made of feathers or thin membranes and drive away small animals that may attempt to come close to the cups. The flabellum was widely used for ceremonies in ancient Egypt and later in the Catholic Church. However, its usage in the church was terminated during the fourteenth century.

 

[dochawk]

Does anyone know of a Mass celebrated with a liturgical fan other than it just being carried in a procession or sitting behind an altar in certain Byzantine churches? If so then how are they used?

The origin of the fan (cherubikon) was actually keeping the flys and such off the Gifts! Some byzantine traditions still fan the alter with the (wow golden) fans, while others simply carry them around.

 

[ziapueblo]

I love how in the East we keep liturgical traditions that at one time were meant for practical purposes. The way the Deacon motions to the congregation as a sign for what is coming next for example or “the doors the doors. In Wisdom let us attend.”

ZP

 

[Diaconia]

Theoretically they are still used in the Divine Liturgy.

The Liturgikon instructs the deacon to use the ripidion to fan the gifts.

And a bit later it says to use one of the small veils to do the same.

Apparently our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, thinks deacons have three or four arms … book, censer, fan, orarion.

Deacon Christopher

P.S. the ripidia in our temple look like they have NEVER left their patina-ed metal holders.

 

[Dovekin]

Apparently our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, thinks deacons have three or four arms … book, censer, fan, orarion

You are to be like the six winged seraphs!

 

[jimXroberts]

In our Parish we use an electric fan to keep the priest cool and we keep the flies away using incense. I’m hoping our senior curate doesn’t read this thread or I’ll find myself having to fan him next Sunday.

 

[dochawk]

Theoretically they are still used in the Divine Liturgy.

And I hadn’t even realized it was the deacons rather than the subdeacons doing that . . .

Apparently our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, thinks deacons have three or four arms … book, censer, fan, orarion.

Perhaps you’re part seraphim?

:crazy_face:

P.S. the ripidia in our temple look like they have NEVER left their patina-ed metal holders.

??

You don’t process with them?

btw, which church?

 

[Casilda]

At our Maronite Divine Liturgy, altar servers on either side of the altar hold the ripidia and shake them during the consecration.

 

[ReaderT]

We use our Ripidia in our Orthodox church. The altar servers arc them over the Gifts during the Great Entrance and above the Deacon/Priest when he reads the Gospel.

 

[AustinGM]

Thank you for your response but I was looking for something more like a rubric or rubrics for the usage of the fans and I specifically typed “other than it just being carried in a procession or sitting behind an altar”. I was also implying other than them just being still as in a procession or during certain points during the liturgy.

 

[AustinGM]

Why was the usage of them terminated in the fourteenth century?

 

[Diaconia]

Theoretically they are still used in the Divine Liturgy.

If you have any servers send them our way!

 

[dochawk]

We have actually reached the point where we don’t all have to serve every week. We have a practical limit of six, given the physical size of our Holy Place . . .

(someday we’ll build the next church, but I think the third and fourth school buildings, one of which will have a hall to use for the parish as well, will come first. While we like having Pascha outside (we actually have a second consecrated altar), it’s a practical matter, as we all wouldn’t fit inside that day . . . [we have some coming from 100 miles that day, iirc . . .])

 

[Diaconia]

We could use two, for sure.

And a subdeacon would be great!

And, don’t forget, anywhere you place the antimension can be a Holy Table. Even in your soon to be cafe-gym-atorium. That’s what we always called multi-use places like that.

Fr. Deacon Christopher

 

[dochawk]

I understand that eastern bishops actually provided a number of antimension to the US army during WWII . . . which had a practical advantage of the Roman issued altar stones that needed a jeep . . .

I put it as, “I’m not a subdeacon, but I play one on Sunday.”

I do think that we should drop the celibacy vow and start ordaining subdeacons.

Many years ago with our former priest, I volunteered once when he only had one man up there. After that, he’d come out and get me if I didn’t come and vest. Eventually, I grabbed a couple more, and they eventually brought in a couple more.

I’m sure that I’ll be the only server again at some time in the future, and it’ sure happened before, but we usually have four to six.

You are the deacon: just grab someone And after he’s trained a bit, grab another . . .

And, don’t forget, anywhere you place the antimension can be a Holy Table. Even in your soon to be cafe-gym-atorium . That’s what we always called multi-use places like that.

Hopefully, it exists in time. We’ve pulled this off for a decade, now, but March can have bitterly cold strong winds here. It just hasn’t happened.

We even had our bishop here for one of them. When he handed me his staff, I had no idea what to, so I held it and followed him–which turned out to be the correct answer. Eventually, he took it back . . .

 

[AustinGM]

There used to be a certain welfare association for Catholics in the Middle East that would sent antimension to the member priests of the organisation so that they could celebrate Mass more conveniently. Father Edward McNamara who is often published on the Zenit website wrote an article in response to one of his many liturgical questions a while back. I wish that more Western priests would be more in tune with East that way we would not have to do all of this arguing as to whether or not the elements on the edge of the corporal are consecrated or not or if the contents of the chalices that did not fit onto the corporal are also consecrated.

 

[CRV]

Does anyone know of a Mass celebrated with a liturgical fan other than it just being carried in a procession or sitting behind an altar

Forgive me as the above I understood to mean you were enquiring about it being used in a Mass, not the rubrics for them. I thought my first link may have covered Byzantine Church.
Duties have prevented me from replying until now, and this for the same reasons have to be brief.
I think others have been more helpful to you which I am glad has been the case.

 

[dochawk]

all of this arguing as to whether or not the elements on the edge of the corporal

well, it doesn’t help that the answer as to what gets consecrated is different for Ruthenians than all other byzantines . . .