www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy The Revised Divine Liturgy Some questions about liturgical reforms

Blessed be Jesus Christ!

I am an Italian latin seminarian and I am interested in Ukrainian divine liturgy. In the last times, I am focusing my attention on liturgical changes from 1940s until today. As I don't have too much time to spend on internet, I would like to ask you some information about this. You don't have to write a new answer, just give me a link where I can find what I am looking for. You can use technical language, for I have read some books on Oriental liturgies. Sorry for my poor english and thank you for your help. May the Mother of God bless you.

Daniele


1. A short history of the reform and her application from 1940s until today. I am particularly interested in the following points:

a) What are the main differences introduced by the quasi-typical editions of 1940s and 1950s?

b) Were these reforms compulsory? When did Ukrainian churches begin to apply them?

c) How many reforms took place during and after Vatican II? When do these reforms have been applied?

d) Do you have had any general reform, like in the roman rite during the 1960s?

e) When do liturgy in vernacular language have been introduced?

f) Which rite is today actually used? Are there some important differences between the various branches of the Ukrainian Churh? Which are the main differences with the rite in use before Vatican II?

g) Which are the main differences between the rite used by Catholics and the rite used by Orthodoxes?

2. Is it possible to have the latin text (or, at least, the english translation) of the Ordo celebrationis of 1944? And of the rite which is used nowadays?

toscano:

Glory be to Jesus Christ!!

Welcome to the forum.

I don't know the answer to many of the questions you pose, but there are other members who can give you those answers. You might also try the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome for the answers to these questions.

As for #2, I would doubt if the text would be issued in Latin; most likely in Slavonic.

Bob
Moderator

I am sure that the Ordo celebrationis, that is an extrat from the Liturgikon of 1942, was published in latin. I have also seen a post on this forum with a link to the latin edition. Unfortunately this link doesn't work:

https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/365103/Re:_Rubrics

toscano:

Glory be to Jesus Christ!!

I copied the link and pasted it into my browser and here is what I found. Our Administrator posted the link. I stand corrected. It is in Latin.


"Ordo Celebrationis Vesperarum, Matutini et Divinae Liturgiae Iuxta Recensionem Ruthenorum”, Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church, Rome, 1944 (Imprimatur from Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, available in translation from Eastern Christian Publications, 1996). [This is the official book for the Ruthenian Recension. It was promulgated for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church by their synod in 2004. It was rejected by Ruthenians in America in 2007.]

You may link to Eastern Christian Publications and probably find this book on their website.

(emphases mine)

Bob

Toscano, I am no expert, but I am a Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic lay person in America who has learned a little about the Ruthenian Liturgy from all my book publishing experience, and I will try to answer your questions as best I can:

1a) What do you mean by "quasi typical"? I only know of the typical editions published by the Holy See from the Liturgicon of the 1940's to the Archieraticon of the 1970's.

1b) I'm not familiar with any of these.

1c) I don't believe there were "reforms." But maybe there were localized exceptions or customs that differed from the typical editions.

1d) No, I don't believe there were any reforms of the typical editions after Vatican II, except perhaps the differences found in the English translation promulgated in the US for the Ruthenians about 10 years ago (see an entire thread on the Forum about that, known as the "Revised Divine Liturgy - RDL.")

1e) In America, English was introduced with the 1964 edition. I don't know when Hungarian or modern Slovak were introduced in those countries. I believe the Ukrainian translation was formally first formally approved in 1988 for the anniversary of the Baptism of Kyiv in 988.

1f and 1g) I don't think you'll find significant differences among the various Catholic Churches that follow the Slav versus Greek usages, just translation, a few rubrics and localized customs approved by local bishops.

2. I published a parallel Latin and English translation of the Ordo Celebrationis referenced above. The stand-alone English translation that I first published with Fr. Serge Keleher in 1996 has MANY footnotes (more than 400) with his comments and explanation. Both are on our website at:

http://ecpubs.com/product-category/liturgical-theology/page/2/

You might also find the black covered book "The Leiturgikon" useful -- it is a parallel Church Slavonic, Ukrainian and English edition published in Stamford, CT by the Ukrainian bishop in the 1950's.

Jack Figel, Publisher
Eastern Christian Publications
Fairfax, VA

Thank you everybody for your answers. I have read them only in the last days, since I was on holidays.

I have taken a look to Eastern Christian Publications, and I have found something interesting. I think I will bye some books.

I have spoken of quasi-typical editions, because this is the name they were called in an official publication of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church: Oriente cattolico. Cenni storici e statistiche, Città del Vaticano, 1962. I have thought that “quasi” may mean these editions were not imposed as compulsory by Rome, at least in the 1960s, but this is nothing but a supposition.

Anyway, I would like to know which modification were introduced in the liturgy by the reforms of 1940s up to 1970s, in comparison with the liturgy celebrated in Ukraine and in the United States before. This question concerns the problem of “Latinisms” or “Latinisations”.

Although no general reform has been done after the Second Vatican Council, I would like to know if, at least, some minor reform or modification (of words, of gestures, of ceremonies) has been introduced, in order to adapt your liturgy to the principles expressed by the Council and by the Popes (Benedict XVI, for example, spoke about a reform of the eastern rites in his document "Ecclesia in medio oriente").

Thank you again and may God bless you.

Don Daniele.

That word "reform" is never used in that document regarding the Eastern Churches; neither is "development" used regarding Liturgy or Rites.

What do you see there that suggests anything more than pastoral activities and a "rediscovery" of the riches of the East?

http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedi..._20120914_ecclesia-in-medio-oriente.html

I have spoken about "reform" in a very general meaning, referring not only to general reforms, as those which took place in the Roman Rite just after the Council, but also to smaller modifications. The Pope speaks about a "renewal" and I don't think he only means a ridiscovery of the riches of the East, because such a renewal "must be based (also) upon the new insights of Christian theology and anthropology".

After all, the fact of eliminating "latinisations" and of coming back to pure Eastern tradition can be called in some way a reform: it is a modification of the rite previously used. In this sense, the new liturgical books of 1940s up to 1970s are a "reform". The introduction of vernacular language in 1964 is also a "reform".

I would like to know if more "small" reforms, like those I have spoken about, have been introduced in the Byzantine Ukrainian rite after the Council untill today.