Proper West Syriac Rite being practiced in a Malankara church in USA

coorilose · Mar 7, 2023

The proper way of the Procession of the Eucharist is:
1. Proceed to the west
2. Distribute it
3. Return to the altar

In most Syriac Orthodox churches, the priest proceeds to the west, says three prayers, puts the Eucharist back on the altar and then proceeds to distribute it. This is improper as the Eucharist should not be put back on the altar without distributing it.

In most Malankara churches using the West Syriac Rite, the Eucharist is distributed either before Step 1 or after Step 3.

I recently saw it being done in the proper way at a Malankara church:

Please watch from 2:10:55. A "Eucharist Table" is placed in front of the sanctuary before the Procession starts. The priest proceeds to the west and says the prayers, places the Eucharist on the table and begins the distribution.

The Liturgist · Mar 20, 2023

coorilose said:
The proper way of the Procession of the Eucharist is:
1. Proceed to the west
2. Distribute it
3. Return to the altar

In most Syriac Orthodox churches, the priest proceeds to the west, says three prayers, puts the Eucharist back on the altar and then proceeds to distribute it. This is improper as the Eucharist should not be put back on the altar without distributing it.

In most Malankara churches using the West Syriac Rite, the Eucharist is distributed either before Step 1 or after Step 3.

I recently saw it being done in the proper way at a Malankara church:

Please watch from 2:10:55. A "Eucharist Table" is placed in front of the sanctuary before the Procession starts. The priest proceeds to the west and says the prayers, places the Eucharist on the table and begins the distribution.

It always struck me that this fact is actually a subtle difference between the
Suroye and Malankara uses of the West Syriac liturgical rite, which are much more closely related in terms of text, hymns, etc, then say the Maronite use or the Syriac Catholic use, but they are still distinct uses, like the subtle differences between the various uses of the traditional Roman Rite, such as between a Tridentine Mass and a Dominican Mass. Both can have the same hymns, in Gregorian chant, and are extremely similiar, but there are subtle differences. And some variations of the Roman Rite, such as the Lutheran mass, because of a denominational difference, are much more divergent, such as that between the Maronites and Syriac Orthodox, or between the Malankara Orthodox such as yourself and the Protestant Mar Thoma Syrian Church, which is still technically using a recension of the West Syriac Rite.

Another minor difference between the Malankara use and the Suroye use is that the Syriac Orthodox of the Middle East mostly pronounce Syriac using the Western accent, with five vowells, so instead of Qurbana they say Qurbono, instead of Mar, they say Mor, and instead of Alaha, Aloho (the consonantal A is retained, although confusing called an Olep rather than an Alep).

Regarding the way the Suroye distribute the Eucharist, I myself like it, as it makes it very easy for those who are taking Communion to do so, while those who aren’t exit the other way and receive the antidoron. However, I also like the Malankara approach, which is more reminiscent of the Coptic, Assyrian, Byzantine and Western liturgical praxis.

coorilose · Mar 20, 2023

The Liturgist said:
It always struck me that this fact is actually a subtle difference between the
Suroye and Malankara uses of the West Syriac liturgical rite, which are much more closely related in terms of text, hymns, etc, then say the Maronite use or the Syriac Catholic use, but they are still distinct uses, like the subtle differences between the various uses of the traditional Roman Rite, such as between a Tridentine Mass and a Dominican Mass. Both can have the same hymns, in Gregorian chant, and are extremely similiar, but there are subtle differences. And some variations of the Roman Rite, such as the Lutheran mass, because of a denominational difference, are much more divergent, such as that between the Maronites and Syriac Orthodox, or between the Malankara Orthodox such as yourself and the Protestant Mar Thoma Syrian Church, which is still technically using a recension of the West Syriac Rite.

Another minor difference between the Malankara use and the Suroye use is that the Syriac Orthodox of the Middle East mostly pronounce Syriac using the Western accent, with five vowells, so instead of Qurbana they say Qurbono, instead of Mar, they say Mor, and instead of Alaha, Aloho (the consonantal A is retained, although confusing called an Olep rather than an Alep).

Regarding the way the Suroye distribute the Eucharist, I myself like it, as it makes it very easy for those who are taking Communion to do so, while those who aren’t exit the other way and receive the antidoron. However, I also like the Malankara approach, which is more reminiscent of the Coptic, Assyrian, Byzantine and Western liturgical praxis.

The reason why this is not done in the traditional way in Malankara is given on page 65 of this liturgy book in the footnotes:

https://www.mgocbhilai.org/admin/downloads/ServiceBookSuriyani.pdf

"According to tradition, the Holy Mysteries are offered during the Procession of the Holy Mysteries; this continues to be the practice in the churches in the Near East and its diaspora. In 1877, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV in an encyclical to the churches in Malankara forbade the practice to discourage the faithful from partaking in the Holy Mysteries without adequate preparation. Today, in Malankara the Holy Mysteries are offered after the conclusion of the Holy Qurbono, except on Holy Thursday."

Why did the Patriarch forbade it only in Malankara? Remember, this is the Patriarch who the Malankara Orthodox church claims is responsible for causing the schism. Was it one of his ways to show that he had authority over the church?

The Liturgist · Mar 20, 2023

coorilose said:
The reason why this is not done in the traditional way in Malankara is given on page 65 of this liturgy book in the footnotes:

https://www.mgocbhilai.org/admin/downloads/ServiceBookSuriyani.pdf

"According to tradition, the Holy Mysteries are offered during the Procession of the Holy Mysteries; this continues to be the practice in the churches in the Near East and its diaspora. In 1877, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV in an encyclical to the churches in Malankara forbade the practice to discourage the faithful from partaking in the Holy Mysteries without adequate preparation. Today, in Malankara the Holy Mysteries are offered after the conclusion of the Holy Qurbono, except on Holy Thursday."

Why did the Patriarch forbade it only in Malankara? Remember, this is the Patriarch who the Malankara Orthodox church claims is responsible for causing the schism. Was it one of his ways to show that he had authority over the church?

Well I can tell you the practice in the Middle Eastern diaspora involves serving the Eucharist at the end of the liturgy, while the communion hymn Haw Nurone by St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung.

coorilose · Mar 20, 2023

The Liturgist said:
Well I can tell you the practice in the Middle Eastern diaspora involves serving the Eucharist at the end of the liturgy, while the communion hymn Haw Nurone by St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung.

The current Patriarch himself does it the traditional way.

Here is a recent celebration in Istanbul (at around 1:29:00) : https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=126111640183428
But when he recently visited a Malankara Jacobite church in Texas, he did it the way as prescribed by Peter IV. The video is on YouTube but I can't find the link as of now.

Proper West Syriac Rite being practiced in a Malankara church in USA

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