Although Slavonic use has taken a downturn in recent months (we used to do the Trisagion and the Lord's Prayer in Slavonic), just this past Sunday we did sing "Holy God" in Slavonic.

We also usually sing the last refrain of whatever post-Liturgy Marian hymn in Slavonic.

Glad to hear that your parish is still singing the Marian paraliturgical hymns. Most parishes have stopped because the Marian hymnal and Levkulic books (with the Marian songs in back of the book) were thrown out.

Ung

O Marije maty Boze...Probably the best Marian hymn in Slavonic.

We still have the blue Marian books.

We also manage to sing paraliturgical songs during communion even though the old books are gone. The cantors just start and people join in. The older folks know them and us younger ones just need some help to remember them. I'm actually surprised how much of the Slavonic I can remember by trying to sing along.

Yes, it is a shame that the Sui Juris Metropolitan Byzantine Church is trying to purge all types of para-liturgical singing!

Ung

For a while there the cantors just sang the Communion Pslam with all the verses and things really did not seem right (everything else notwithstanding). I can't remember when, exactly, but definitely by the end of summer we were singing the old hymns again.

Has this thread been locked? Replys aren't being enabled for some technical reason.

Ung

Dear Ung,

The Cantor's Companion specifically encourages hymn singing. For that matter, the Marian Hymnal is still available from the Byzantine Seminary Press. On what basis do you make your claim that all hymns are being "purged"?

Jeff

Jeff,

Without the paraliturgical songs being in the new pewbooks, and because parishes have thrown out their Levkulic books and Marian booklets, visitors can't sing along with those parishioners who already know them by heart. It definitely makes it impossible to sing them in Slavonic. Again, I ask, why singing the Eucharistic paraliturgical hymns has been deemed un-Eastern and a form of a Latinization? Isn't that the reason they are not found in the new RDL books?

Ung

A Reminder

The Revised Divine Liturgy Forum is for the discussion of the Pittsburgh Revised Divine Liturgy, including both the principles on which the Revision has been based and the specifics of the Revision itself. It is not for the promotion of unofficial books and materials.

I can agree that the promulgation is unclear as to whether additional / alternate materials may be used in parishes; and it is still rather unclear as to whether there is an official policy on the use of Church Slavonic. Still, the specifics of the promulgation should be followed by those in the Pittsburgh Metropolia until the bishops choose to give further official direction. The bishops know there are outstanding questions and can provide guidance if and when they choose. Ultimately what is sung or not sung is done under the direction of pastors, who (hopefully) have some official directive from the Council of Hierarchs. If they do not, they need to ask.

So, discuss the good and bad of the Revision. But do not promote any material that has not been officially promulgated by the Council of Hierarchs.

PS to ByzKat: Please see our earlier exchange of PMs for the answers to the questions you are re-posting here. I have no answers to your questions here that I have not already answered via PM. I recommend that anyone seeking guidance ask their pastor.

PPS: Since this topic has wandered from its original topic I am closing it.