www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Liturgy name in Latin Rite

As we all know, the Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite is the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.
Is there a proper name for the Liturgy in the Latin Rite.
I'm guesssing that it not just called a Mass.

Brad

Dear Brad,

I think it is just called the "Mass" since the Novus Ordo is the same liturgy everywhere in the Latin Church, for the most part.

Prior to Vatican II, there were other Latin variants and rites, as you know. Even certain cities, like Aquileia and Braga in Portugal, had their ritual variants.

Five religious orders, such as the Carmelites, the Dominicans and the Premonstratensians had (still have?) their variants. The Brigittine Nuns have their own particular Breviary that is specific to their Order (it is NOT a 'Little Office') and they continue to use it.

In the Byzantine Churches, there are four Divine Liturgies: That of St John Chrysostom which is used regularly, that of St Basil the Great which has longer priestly prayers that is used on special feasts and during Lent, that of St Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome, which is that of the Presanctified used during the weeks of Lent and that of St James the Brother of the Lord which is used by some Churches on his feastday, and on the Sunday after Christmas (he is commemorated then too with King David and St Joseph) and sometimes, with ecclesial permission, on the feast of Pentecost.

The Old Believers of Russia also have the Divine Liturgy of St Mark which they use in May on his feast day.

Finally, and most interestingly, they have the Divine Liturgy of St Peter, which is the Byzantine liturgy with the old Roman Canon of St Peter's Liturgy from the West!

It is to be found on this site: www.odox.net [odox.net]

Again, the East would see the Western Mass as the Liturgy of St Peter.

There was also the once widely used "Divine Liturgy of St Clement" that was used in both East and West.

I hope they bring this beautiful liturgy back in the East or allow its occasional use (perhaps on St Clement's feastday?).

Alex

My understanding it that the Latins call it the "Mass" because of the dismissal, Ite, Missa est - the mass is ended, you are dismissed, that's all folks, or something similar depending on how you translate Latin. I have no idea what they called it before the term "Mass," from Missa, came into common use.

The term Mass comes from Lt (Missio) sending off, letting go,releasing, cessation, discharge, termination.
Ite missa est. Go it is finished.
Stephanos I

The eucharistic liturgy is called "Ordo Missae" (Order of Mass) in the Roman Missal.

Prior to its being called simply as the "Mass," the eucharistic service instituted by Christ during the Last Supper was called and performed during the first 2 centuries of the Church as "Eucharistia," the Greek descriptive of "giving thanks," as Greek was the language of the Roman Empire then.

When Latin became the imperial language in the 3rd century, the West gradually translated the eucharistic services from Greek to Latin until the dimunitive "Missa" took hold from the dismissal "Ite Missa est!"

The on-line CE gives a brief history of the "Mass" at:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09790b.htm

Amado

Thinking about your question, it would seem like the Western liturgies are often named after a place (often a Cathedral City from whence the liturgy originates or is celebrated), or after a religious order rather than a particular saint. Hence, the proper title for the liturgy in use in the majority the Western church would seem to be "the Roman liturgy" or "The Liturgy of the Church of Rome".

In the West there are rites and there are uses. My understanding of this is that a "use" is not a rite properly speaking, but rather some kind of variation on another liturgical rite -- namely the Roman rite in these cases. For example, the Sarum "rite" is actually a "use" of the Roman rite. Here's an example of how it differs:

"Very striking in the Sarum Use is the elaborate splendour of the accompanying ceremonial, which contrasts vividly with the comparative simplicity of Roman practice. Three, five, seven deacons and as many subdeacons, two or more thurifers, three cross-bearers and so on are often prescribed or at least contemplated. Two or four priests vested in copes, termed Rectores Chori or Rulers of the Choir, presided over the sacred chants. There was censing of many altars, and even during the reading of the Lections at Matins priests in their vestments offered incense at the high altar. Processions were frequent, and that preceding the High Mass on Sundays was specially magnificent. On the altar itself rarely more than two or at the most four candlesticks were placed, but standing round or suspended from the roof were many other lights. An ornament used at Sarum, which at present survives only at papal functions, was the ritual fan. It was made of rich materials and was waved by a deacon over the priest during his celebration of the Holy Mysteries."

The missals of Hereford and York are also uses I believe, as are the missals of the religious orders already mentioned by another writer (I believe anyway). If we look at these uses, this also confirms the patterns of missals/liturgies being named after the Cathedral church location where it originates, or the religious order from whence it originated.

One interesting exception I can think of in the West is that of the "Ambrosian rite" which is properly a rite, and not merely a use in my understanding -- this rite is named after St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan and celebrated in the Cathedral Church of Milan at least on occasions to this day.

Older Western liturgies I hear referred to as well are the Celtic liturgy, the Gallican Liturgy, which, again, are named after a place/locale.

I know that some call the pre-Vatican II Roman rite (sometimes referred to as the Tridentine rite, which is a bit deceiving since it wasn't a new liturgy instituted by the Council of Trent, but rather a reform) the "Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great." I've only heard this reference in traditional Latin rite circles, and only minimally. I believe the idea behind this title is that idea that the basics/essentials of the old Roman liturgy, despite undergoing an organic development down the centuries, was mainly codified and solified by Pope St. Gregory the Great (or St. Gregory the Dialogist as he is referred to in the Eastern churches). Whether that is a fair title, I am not certain; nor am I certain that this title has been used before.

Sorry for the long winded message.

I think that in the case of the Mozarabic Rite it was named after a people rather than a place or an individual. The Mozarabes were the Christians who lived under Moslem rule in Spain.

Dear Manuel,

When I was in Spain, I saw some of the churches there display long chains on their walls.

What are those all about?

Also, some of them had two-bar Crosses on their cupolas. In other words, like an Orthodox three bar Cross, but without the lower "subpedalion" or foot-rest.

Is that a traditional Spanish Cross?

Finally, what about the miraculous Cross many Hispanic people wear that is two bar, but that is flanked by two Angels at the bottom?

(You have to earn your keep here, you know! )

Alex

Dear Shawn,

Yes, there is a Western Orthodox Rite in the Antiochian Orthodox Church for Roman Catholic converts to Orthodoxy who wish to maintain their Latin Rite.

This is called the "Rite of St Gregory."

Alex

Dear Alex,
Sorry but I can't answer your questions. I've travelled in Mexico but I've never been to Spain. I don't remember ever seeing chains in Mexican churches so I wouldn't know the purpose of the ones you saw.

Same goes for two-barred crosses. I don't know if there is such a thing as a traditional Spanish cross.

As for the Cross you mention that "many Hispanic people wear", I don't recognize the description. I've seen crucifixes flanked by angels, but without the second bar.

Where have you seen these crosses? Are many Hispanics in your area from a particular country or region? There are devotions that are particular to certain countries or regions and wouldn't necessarily be known across Latin America or widely known in a given country.

This could be one of them. Perhaps it's a "miraculous Christs" that is highly venerated in the place from which these people come. Next time you see one, try to ask. I'm curious myself.

Manuel, who is trying to earn his keep

one minute later.....

Alex, I just realized when you wrote "two-bar" cross you meant a second bar above the arms of the cross and not below like an Eastern cross. If that's the case, then my guess is that it represents the sign written with "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" that was hung above Our Lord. But that's just my guess.

Dear Alex

The three bar cross is quite common in certain parts of France and Spain and its origin is most likely Eastern (Syrian).

The French variant is called "Lorraine Cross" present in some coats of arms of a few local villages. It got fame when rebel French General Charles de Gaule adopted it as a symbol of the sabotage Ressistance during WWII.

The Spanish variant you describe is known as "Cross of Caravaca". According to a Medieval legend, an Arab prince who was interested in Christianity asked a priest to celebrate the Divine Liturgy before him, and as there was no cross he could not office, but then two angels came with the cross and he was able to celebrate.

Dear ByzanTN: you wrote: "My understanding is that the Latins call it the "Mass" because of the dismissal, Ite, Missa est - the mass is ended, you are dismissed, that's all folks, or something similar depending on how you translate Latin."
Some years ago I was at a Mass where the celebrant concluded the Mass with these profound words: "Go in peace; the world has ended".
Blessings, unworthy monk Silouan

Dear Mexican and Manuel,

Yes, that's it!

The miraculous Cross of Caravaca!

A friend from Spain told me that the chains were put up as a symbol of liberation from Muslim control and some churches maintain chains as an ongoing tradition.

I remember seeing a book in the library on miraculous Madonnas of Mexico - very beautiful!

Joan Carroll Cruz writes about miraculous Images of Christ and there is that sorrowful Crucifix of our Lord that is popular in Hispanic countries that one cannot look at for long without feeling heart-reading compunction in one's heart - to the point of tears.

Tammy Kelly made me a Mexican rosary of "los muertos" that is just beautiful and richly meaningful for praying for the dead.

You might want to have a look at her site at:

www.chotkis.com [chotkis.com] and comment on them.

Some shrines in the U.S. have an "Hispano-American Day."

I was wondering if Hispanic traditions have developed a kind of "Rite" within the American Catholic Church?

Could you comment on that?

Alex

The one that really gets to me is, "have a nice day." You have to wonder if anyone is really in charge, or if the priests are just doing as they please.