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Can anyone on this Forum explain the result of Latinizations on the Chaldean Church (in Communion with Rome)? Are they many any wide-spread? Are they the result of Western European colonialism (i.e. French RCC) or of a more recent
historic event?

Ung-Certez??

Well, the Chaldean Church is probably the most Latinized (maybe with the exception of the maronites). It is my understanding that the influences of the Latin Church already existed among the Chaldeans, such as the use of Azyma, French vestments, etc. but the new fashion of priests facing the congregation is undoubtedly recent, as wel as other changes such as abreviated litanies, and musical instruments in the liturgy. The presence of statues is also an important latinization, but this is understandable, because if I'm not mistaken there is not a traditional iconography in the Assyrian tradition, the Assyrians do not have icons in their Churches. I'm explained that the old tradition had a curtain veil with Christ and the Virgin, but now this is not present among the Chaldeans and the priests face the congregation in some parts of the liturgy.

I was recently talking with a neighbor of mine who is of the Chaldean Rite, and she told me that her church has both icons and statues, and that they make the sign of the cross the same way Latin Rite Catholics do.

The Copts also dont bless themselves the Byzantine way.

ICXC
NIKA

Dear Friends,

Just a note to let everyone know that ALL Oriental Orthodox and their Catholic counterparts of the East do indeed make the Sign of the Cross from LEFT TO RIGHT.

AND that is NOT a Latinization!

The fact that Latin Catholics go from left to right is due to another historical reason.

The Copts, Ethiopians, Syriacs etc. go from left to right because, as many of their priests have explained to me over the years, this symbolizes Christ bringing us from the darkness of sin to the Light of His Grace.

Also, the Oriental Christians, Orthodox and Catholic (i.e. not of the Byzantine tradition) do not cross themselves with their whole hand, as the Latins do.

In Coptic Egypt, they tend to use one finger to underscore ST Cyril's "One Divine Nature of God the Word Incarnate." In Ethiopia, they join in the form of a Greek Cross the index finger to the thumb and slightly bend the remaining three fingers (similar to the Old Rite form).

Roman Catholics also cross themselves with one finger for the "little Sign of the Cross" on their brows, mouth and heart before the Gospel reading.

(Formerly, Christians made the Sign of the Cross with the index finger from the head to the chin and then from eye to eye - "making the Sign of the Cross on one's face" as some Fathers referred to it).

Two fingers were later introduced to counter in the Byzantine Church what was assumed to be the "monophysite" heresy - and later three fingers that Pope Innocent III defended in a separate letter.

The "Roman" Church, that is, the Churches of Elder Rome and New Rome - Constantinople, went from right to left in making the Sign of the Cross.

But the Latin Church people began to study how their priests would bless them during the Liturgy and saw they went from left to right (they were following the direction the laity went when they went from right to left) and so the laity began copying this and went from left to right as well.

Another "Latinization" of the Chaldeans is something that has become increasingly so in the era of ecumenical rapprochement - their use of the title "Theotokos" rather than "Christotokos."

The latter term was considered "heretical" but today Rome itself acknowledges it as a legitimate and alternative title for the Theotokos.

Alex

http://www.kaldu.org/WeeklyNews.html

Click on Resurrection, Good Friday, Holy Thurday or Palm Sunday and one can see various parts of the Chaldean Liturgy.

As to some of the Latinizations mentioned, I have not seen Latin vestemnts used by them. The Chaldean stole is seperated like the Latin stole. The phelon is like the Maronites and Syrians but they do not use cuffs. The bishops wear miters and use the crozier. Assyrian only use the crozier.

St. Peters Cathedral has a curtain. If you go to the Palm Sunday page a go to the bottom you can see it closed.

They appear to celebrating facing East.

Whatever latinizations are present they must not be to objectionable as the Assyrian Church allows its members to commune and their priests and bishop have not been unknown to concelebrate.

A video of the Assyrian Liturgy is here:
http://www.marbawai.com