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APPLYING THE LITURGICAL PRESCRIPTIONS OF THE CODE
OF CANONS OF THE EASTERN CHURCHES
Congregation for the Eastern Churches
Vatican City, Vatican

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Table of Contents

Introduction
I. Meaning and Nature of Instruction
II. Inalienable Value of Particular Heritage of Eastern Churches
III. Richness of Liturgical Heritage
IV. Competencies and Components of Liturgical Legislation
V. Liturgical Celebration as Icon of Church
VI. General Considerations on Divine Worship and Sacraments
VII. Sacraments of Christian Initiation
VIII. Divine Liturgy
IX. Sacred Ordination
X. Marriage
XI. Penance
XII. Anointing of Sick
XIII. Divine Praises
XIV. Sacred Places, Gestures And Objects

Conclusion
Endnot

Introduction

1. The Mystery of salvation in history and in liturgy

The Father, incomprehensible and unchangeable, has revealed to humanity his mystery, his
plan of love, realized through the Son in the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of mankind. In
creation, he called the cosmos into existence and rendered it beautiful for man, made in the
image and likeness (cf. Gen. 1:26) of God. And when man knew the bitter experience of
sin, the Father did not abandon him, but bandaged his wounds with his mercy, offering his
salvation and reconciling to himself the ancestors, patriarchs, the just, and the entire lineage
of the elect and forming an alliance with his people.

In the fullness of time, by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Word made himself flesh of the
Virgin Mary, assuming unto himself and espousing human nature in the virgin's womb.
After having dwelt among men and having announced, with words and signs, the Gospel of
the Kingdom, he so loved the Church, his spouse, that he offered himself in the supreme
oblation on the Cross to remove her every stain and re-clothe her with beauty and
splendor. In the Pascal Mystery of his death and resurrection, he, the new Passover,
holocaust and priest, poured out blood and water on the Church, a symbol of the
sacraments, and poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit upon her. Having entered the
sanctuary of heaven, he intercedes for mankind (cf. Heb. 7:25). Since then, the Church,
which is his Spouse and Body, walks in time and space, always united with heaven and
oriented toward the eternal wedding in the communion of saints, without ever ceasing to
acclaim and invoke him until he returns.

Out of the baptismal font, the Lord Christ generates children, who bear the image of the
Resurrected, to the Church. These, united to Christ in the Holy Spirit, are rendered fit to
celebrate with Christ the sacred liturgy, spiritual worship.

The liturgy of the Church is first of all celebration, by means of the Holy Spirit, of the
mystery of our salvation, accomplished in the Passover of the Lord Jesus, in obedience to
the eternal will of the heavenly Father. In the sacramental mystery, the risen Christ offers
himself, rendering us fully conformed to his image through the gift of his Spirit, so that for
us "life means Christ" (Phil. 1:21).

The Lord makes himself present when the Word of God is proclaimed in the assembly and
welcomed with a pure heart. In Christian Initiation, the children of the Church receive the
gift to die with, be buried with, and be raised with Christ the Lord (cf. Rom. 6:1-11; Col.
2:20; 3:1-4). In being conformed to Christ the Priest, it has been given to some of his
children, chosen for the ministry of priesthood, to serve his priestly, prophetic, and royal
people, and to pronounce the epiclesis so that the Spirit may place them in the presence of
the divine majesty, to render him glory and praise, and to express thanksgiving. In the
wedding Feast of the Eucharist, the Spouse offers her his Body and Blood, the beginning
of the promised and invoked kingdom, rendered ardent by the fire of the Spirit. In
Marriage, the Church unites herself to the Spouse in the fecundity of new children and in
the commitment of witness and evangelization. In the sacrament of Forgiveness, the son
that was lost but has been found (cf. Lk. 15:11-32) is re-admitted to the presence of the
Father. In the holy Oil for the sick, the Church invokes her Lord for healing and the
remission of sins. United to Christ praying, to whom the monk in particular aspires his
whole existence, she offers up praise, thanksgiving, and epicletic supplication to the Father
continuously in the Holy Spirit. Her liturgy extends itself in the "time of salvation," the
scansions of which are laden with grace.

In the complexity of these mysteries, the terrestrial liturgy already unites the earth to
heaven, and thus to the divine and perfect liturgy celebrated there, until the time when,
upon the return of her Lord, humanity will be allowed to see God as he is and to
unceasingly adore the most holy Trinity.

2. Liturgy in the Eastern Churches

In the Apostolic Letter <Orientale Lumen>, John Paul II invites one to listen to the
Churches of the East, "living interpreters of the treasure of tradition they preserve,"
inasmuch as—says the Pope—"in contemplating it, before my eyes appear elements of
great significance for a fuller and more thorough understanding of the Christian experience.
These elements are capable of giving a more complete Christian response to the
expectations of the men and women of today. Indeed, in comparison to any other culture,
the Christian East has a unique and privileged role as the original setting where the Church
was born."[1] In this perspective, remembering "with what love the Eastern Christians
celebrate the sacred liturgy,"[2] he underscores that in the liturgical celebration the sense of
mystery "is so strongly felt by all the faithful of the Christian East"[3] and that "liturgical
prayer in the East shows a great aptitude for involving the human person in his or her
totality: the mystery is sung in the loftiness of its content, but also in the warmth of the
sentiments it awakens in the heart of redeemed humanity. In the sacred act, even bodiliness
is summoned to praise, and beauty, which in the East is one of the best loved names
expressing the divine harmony and the model of transfigured humanity,[4] appears
everywhere: in the shape of the church, in the sounds, in the colours, in the lights, in the
scents. The lengthy duration of the celebrations, the repeated invocations, everything
expresses gradual identification with the mystery celebrated with one's whole person. Thus
the prayer of the Church already becomes participation in the heavenly liturgy, an
anticipation of the final beatitude."[5]

This confirms even more the invaluable affirmation of the conciliar Decree on ecumenism:
"Everyone should realize that it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve
and foster the rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern Churches in order faithfully
to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition, and to bring about reconciliation between
Eastern and Western Christians."[6]



CHAPTER I

The Meaning and Nature of the Instruction

3. The Second Vatican Council and the liturgy

"Every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a
household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old" (Mt. 13:52). This
expression summarizes the disposition of the Fathers assembled in the Second Vatican
Council. The Constitutions and Decrees approved by the Council itself, as well as the
interpretive and applicative documents for the implementation of the decisions made during
the Council, aspire to this gospel verse.

It is not by chance that the first document published by Vatican Council II was that of the
holy liturgy. The same Council emphasized the importance of such a choice, noting that to
revive and restore the liturgy must be considered "a sign of the providential dispositions of
God in our time, and as a movement of the Holy Spirit in his Church,"[7] because the
liturgy daily builds up those who are in the Church, making of them a holy temple of the
Lord, a dwelling place for God in the Spirit (cf. Eph 2:21-22), to the mature measure of
the fullness of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). At the same time it marvelously increases their power
to preach Christ.[8]

Prepared by decades of reflection elaborated in particular by the then-called liturgical
movement, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy was followed by intense collegiate
activity which sought to clarify and gradually introduce it in the life of the Western Church,
spreading its spirit, codifying some of the rules and inserting them in the liturgical books.

4. Conciliar and post-conciliar principles and norms for the Eastern Churches

All the Christian Churches are founded on the one message of Christ and necessarily share
a common heritage. Therefore, quite a number of principles of the conciliar Constitution on
the sacred liturgy universally provide valid elements for the liturgies of all the Churches and
should be applied even in the celebrations of Churches that do not follow the Roman
rite.[9] The practical norms of the Constitution and those of the Code of Canon Law
promulgated in 1983 must be understood as affecting only the Latin Church.[10] The
principles and norms of liturgical nature which directly concern the Eastern Churches are
found instead in various conciliar documents, such as in <Lumen Gentium> (n. 23),
<Unitatis Redintegratio> (nn. 14-17) and even more importantly in <Orientalium
Ecclesiarum>. These exalt the inalienable value of the specific, and thus diversified,
traditions of the Eastern Churches. After the Second Vatican Council, the most important
collection of norms for the Eastern Churches is constituted by the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches.

The quoted documents disclose general principles and practical norms regarding several
aspects of ecclesial life. Some legislate in liturgical matters, indicating obligatory norms for
all Catholic Eastern Churches. Obviously, these do not pretend to exhaust the totality of
the indications regulating the liturgical celebrations for every single Church <sui iuris>. Such
prescriptions belong, in fact, to the particular laws of each Church.

5. The present Instruction for the application of the liturgical prescriptions of the
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches

The liturgical laws valid for all the Eastern Churches are important because they provide
the general orientation. However, being distributed among various texts, they risk
remaining ignored, poorly coordinated and poorly interpreted. It seemed opportune,
therefore, to gather them in a systematic whole, completing them with further clarification:
thus, the intent of the Instruction, presented to the Eastern Churches which are in full
communion with the Apostolic See, is to help them fully realize their own identity. The
authoritative general directive of this Instruction, formulated to be implemented in Eastern
celebrations and liturgical life, articulates itself in propositions of a juridical-pastoral nature,
constantly taking initiative from a theological perspective.

The Instruction poses the following objectives:

—to lead to a more profound understanding of the immense richness of the authentic
Eastern traditions, which are to be scrupulously maintained and communicated to all the
faithful;

—to arrange the liturgical norms valid for all the Catholic Eastern Churches in an organic
summary and to introduce recovery, where necessary of the Eastern liturgical authenticity,
according to the Tradition which each Eastern Church has inherited from the Apostles
through the Fathers;

—to exhort a permanent liturgical formation to be organized on a solid basis, for both the
clergy—beginning with seminarians and formation institutes -, and the people of God
through schools of mystagogical catechesis;

—to list the principles in common for the elaboration of Liturgical Directories for the
individual Churches <sui iuris.>

The frequent comparison with the Roman liturgy is intended to highlight the Eastern
uniqueness, which risks being compromised or even eliminated in the contact with the Latin
Church, her institutions, her doctrinal elaboration, her liturgical practices, and her internal
organization which is often more developed also because of more favorable historical
vicissitudes.

6. Elaboration of the local Liturgical Directories

The present Instruction, compiled on the basis of the indications of the Holy See and of the
Eastern liturgical traditions, limits itself to the formulation of principles and rules valid for all
the Catholic Eastern Churches. The authorities of the individual Churches <sui iuris>,
according to the indications of the Apostolic Constitution <Sacri Canones,>[11] are
invited to receive them with full open-mindedness and insert them into the prescriptions of
their own liturgical laws.

For communities of Churches <sui iuris> belonging to the same liturgical family, such as the
Churches of Constantinopolitan or of Syro-Chaldean traditions, the Holy See will provide
for the formulation of more detailed indications in collaboration with the Churches
concerned. Every single Church <sui iuris> belonging to such families will provide,
according to methods that will be specified, for the elaboration of a <corpus> of norms
which adapt the present document and the one that will be elaborated for her entire
liturgical family to her own specific situation.

The Churches <sui iuris>, rather, which do not belong to a broader liturgical family should
elaborate as soon as possible their own particular norms based on the present Instruction.
The Holy See is available to provide experts to collaborate with the individual Churches
<sui iuris> for the elaboration of such particular norms, if the Churches believe they have
the need and request it. At the end of the process, the Liturgical Directory of each
individual Church <sui iuris> will be presented to the Holy See.



CHAPTER II

The Inalienable Value of the Particular Heritage of the Eastern
Churches and the Urgency of its Flourishing

7. The heritage of the Eastern Churches

The conciliar documents, the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches and the repeated
authoritative declarations of the Magisterium affirm the inalienable value of the particular
heritage of the Eastern Churches. <Lumen Gentium> n. 23 declares that these, by divine
Providence, whilst safeguarding the unity of the faith and the unique divine structure of the
universal Church, enjoy their own theological and spiritual heritage, their own discipline,
and their own liturgical usage. <Orientalium Ecclesiarum> n. 1 specifies that in these shines
the Tradition derived from the Apostles through the Fathers, which constitutes part of the
divinely revealed, undivided heritage of the Universal Church.

Within the unity of the Catholic faith, each one of these heritages expresses the variety of
its manifestations.[12] The fullness of the Mystery of God reveals itself progressively
according to the historical and cultural circumstances of peoples and expresses itself in
each of the Eastern Churches' manner of living the faith.[13]

8. Articulations of the Eastern Churches

Addressing the various groups of Churches organically united, <Lumen Gentium> n. 23
affirms that "some of these, notably the ancient patriarchal Churches, as mothers in the
faith, gave birth to other daughter-Churches, as it were, and down to our own days they
are linked with these by bonds of a more intimate charity...." The Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches makes the same affirmation when it speaks of the Churches <sui iuris>
as a community of the Christian faithful united by a Hierarchy (can. 27); it recalls the rites
that constitute their own heritage (can. 28 § 1); and it specifies that these rites trace their
origins to the Alexandrian, Antiochene, Armenian, Chaldean and Constantinopolitan
traditions (can. 28 § 2).

9. Particular aspects of the heritage of the Eastern Churches

These Churches have jealously retained the symbolic biblical theology, explained at great
length by the Fathers. They preserve the sense of the awesome and inexpressible Mystery
which surrounds and connotes the celebrative act. In the texts and in their whole spirit,
they maintain the sense of liturgy with formulas that are both rich and meaningful as
unceasing doxology, as a petition for forgiveness and as uninterrupted epiclesis. These
Churches boast of a spirituality drawing directly from Sacred Scripture and, consequently,
a theology less subjected to strictly rational categories. For historical and cultural reasons,
they have maintained a more direct continuity with the spiritual atmosphere of Christian
origins, a prerogative that is ever more frequently considered even by the Occident not as
a sign of stagnancy and backwardness but of precious fidelity to the sources of salvation.

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, in can. 28 § 1 which refers to <Lumen
Gentium> n. 23 and <Orientalium Ecclesiarum> n. 3, elucidates the important areas which
articulate the heritage of each of the Churches <sui iuris>: liturgy, theology, spirituality and
discipline. It is necessary to note that these particular fields penetrate and condition one
another in turn inside a global vision of divine revelation which pervades all life and which
culminates in the praise of the most holy Trinity.

Such articulations imply the idea of a history, of a culture, of conceptions and uses specific
to each Church, and likewise constitute the rays originating in the one Lord, the sun of
justice which illumines every man (cf. Jn 1:9) and brings him to live in communion with him.
Every one of these rays, received by each individual Church <sui iuris>, has value and
infinite dynamism and constitutes a part of the universal heritage of the Church.

10. The duty to protect the Eastern heritage

Desiring that these treasures flourish and contribute ever more efficiently to the
evangelization of the world, <Orientalium Ecclesiarum> affirms, as do successive
documents, that the members of Eastern Churches have the right and the duty to preserve
them, to know them, and to live them.[14] Such affirmation contains a clear condemnation
of any attempt to distance the Eastern faithful from their Churches, whether in an explicit
and irreversible manner, with its juridical consequences, inducing them to pass from one
Church <sui iuris> to another,[15] or whether in a less explicit manner, favoring the
acquisition of forms of thought, spirituality, and devotions that are not coherent with their
own ecclesial heritage, and thus contrary to the indications so often emphasized by Roman
Pontiffs and expressed, with particular force, already in the Apostolic Letter <Orientalium
Dignitas> of Leo XIII.

The danger of losing the Eastern identity manifests itself particularly in a time like the
present, characterized by great migrations from the East toward lands believed to be more
hospitable, which are prevalently of Latin tradition. These host countries are enriched by
the heritage of the Eastern faithful who establish themselves there, and the preservation of
such heritage is to be sustained and encouraged not only by the Eastern pastors but also
by the Latin ones of the immigration territories, because it wonderfully expresses the
multicolored richness of the Church of Christ.

11. The progress of Tradition

The Apostolic Letter <Orientale Lumen> particularly emphasizes the irreplaceable role of
the Catholic Eastern faithful, "living bearers, together with our Orthodox brothers and
sisters," of the "venerable

and ancient tradition of the Eastern churches" (n. 1). It refers to an expression already
formulated in the Decree <Orientalium Ecclesiarum> (n. 1), where it is moreover wished
for the Eastern Catholic Churches that they might fulfill their mission with new apostolic
strength. This does not exclude new development and, in fact, no Church, Eastern or
Western, has ever been able to survive without adapting itself continuously to the changing
conditions of life. Rather, the Church guards against every undue and inopportune
precipitation, requiring that any eventual modification be not only well prepared, but also
inspired and conforming to the genuine traditions.

12. Criteria for the interpretation of organic progress

The Council specifies that changes in the rites and disciplines of these Churches are not
admitted except by reason of their own organic progress[16] and adds that whenever they
have fallen short, due to circumstances of time or persons, they are to strive to return to
their ancestral traditions.[17] The Holy Father John Paul II sees in this a "symbol of the
firm attitude held by the Apostolic See, that the Council so efficiently expressed by asking
the Eastern Churches in full communion with it to have the courage to rediscover the
authentic traditions of their own identity, restoring the original purity where necessary."[18]

The organic progress, in every Church <sui iuris>, implies taking into account first of all the
roots from which the heritage of these Churches was initially developed, mainly in
Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Armenia, and in the ancient empire of
Persia; and secondly, the manner in which such traditions were transmitted, adapting to the
various circumstances and places but maintained in a coherent, organic continuity.

To explain this principle it serves to mention an exhortation of Pope Paul VI to the
members of the Commissions encharged with preparing the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches. Evoking the double scope of the future Code (faithful to the traditions
and in view of the demands of our world), he observed how in presenting new things it is
necessary to pay attention to take sufficiently into account the system of the transmitted
heritage. Any renewal, in fact, should be coherent and agree with sound tradition, in such a
way that the new norms do not appear as an extraneous body forced into an ecclesiastical
composite, but blossoming as though spontaneously from already existing norms.[19]



CHAPTER III

The Richness of the Liturgical Heritage

13. The Eastern heritage is more than just liturgy

Certainly, the tendency to reduce the specific heritage of the Eastern Churches to just its
liturgical dimension should not be encouraged. The attraction exerted by the sacredness of
the rites, the intense emotion arising from the poetic dimension of the texts, has possibly led
to an excessive emphasis of the exterior or emotional aspect, an easy place of refuge for
those who deny the liturgy its necessary link with life. This is what has sometimes led the
same Eastern Catholics to perceive only the liturgical patrimony as being specifically their
own, conforming themselves instead, for the other aspects of spirituality, to the Western
sensibility considered as common to the Universal Church. Rather, the value of Eastern
theologies and spiritualities, understood as part of the undivided heritage of the Universal
Church, is a fairly recent discovery, as is the emergence of the importance of particular
disciplines.

The practice of the Eastern liturgy without its entire heritage flowing into it, as into its
highest expression, would risk reducing it to pure superficiality.

14. The eminence of liturgy

Ever since its origins, the entire liturgical setting has played an absolutely central role: the
vivid sense that all new faith life culminates in the great act of worship of Christ and of the
Church united to him is, in fact, a founding element already beginning in the apostolic
period.

"The holy liturgy, the place in which proclamations and adorations and the communion and
fellowship among the believers are manifested, is the true former of the Christian life and
the most complete synthesis of its various aspects."[20] In fact, the liturgy is the "summit
and font"[21] of Christian life and expresses it as in a synthesis; evokes and actualizes the
mystery of Christ and the Church, presents it to the contemplation of the faithful and sings
it, rendering thanks to the Lord "for eternal is his love" (Ps. 136).

15. The special pre-eminence of the liturgy in the Eastern Churches

The pre-eminence of the liturgical patrimony is even greater in the Eastern Churches
because they have maintained in a special way the primacy of the liturgy as the summit of
Christian life, remaining thus completely faithful to the spirit of the Church of the Fathers,
when the liturgy was the place where catechesis and religious teaching occurred; the
Scripture was proclaimed and commented;—the catechumens and penitents were
prepared for Baptism and Reconciliation accordingly, in the period preceding Easter, in a
perfect synthesis of instructions and symbols; even the diakonia found its place there. The
whole life of the Church was, therefore, summarized in the liturgy. Even today, it is this
model which inspires the Eastern Churches and which constitutes their force. This model
should be the inspiration especially for the necessary revaluation of the "mystagogical"
method for the formation of the faithful: from the liturgy, understood and assimilated,
progress in the life of Christ is born.

The contemplation of the divine mysteries and participation in them are realized through
expressive forms which are also spiritual attitudes: doxology, which is grateful praise and
pleasing adoration and which extols the Lord "wondrous among his saints" (Ps. 67[68], 36
LXX); anamnesis of the wonders of the economy of salvation and the action of
thanksgiving which spontaneously arises from it; epiclesis, the invocation of the Spirit who
brings to completion the whole reality of the Church and the Kingdom; and finally, the
apophatic dimension, more notably Eastern, which expresses the sense of unworthiness
and finiteness before the inexpressible nature of the divine realities which presents itself to
mankind as the "mysterium tremendum," surrounded by the veil of awe, by a sense of
inadequacy and thus out of humble adoration: all this is expressed in the numerous
apophatic linguistic formulas, but also by surrounding the sanctuary with respect,
separating and veiling it.

In the liturgy of the Eastern Churches, the experience of the incarnation of the faith is
realized in the culture of the peoples, so that such culture is both the inspiration and fruit of
faith and especially of the liturgy. This multiformity of the Eastern liturgies does not harm
the unity of the Church at all, but rather reinforces it, allowing it to sink its roots in the
concrete reality of a determined time and space.

The prayer of the Churches of the East is strongly communitarian: their liturgy leads the
faithful not only to seek refuge and protection in the Lord, but also to be united to his
flock[22] and thus to be integrated in the assembly, to take an active part there, according
to their appropriate rank, to feel the presence of the whole communion of saints, who are
themselves summoned for songs of praise and invocation.

In addition, the liturgical life remains more essentially in the center of ecclesial concerns,
expresses the faith and its content and at the same time guides the spiritual life of the
believers. This has been made especially evident when many Eastern Churches, oppressed
by persecutory regimes, were able to survive and even strengthen themselves despite
having to limit the extent of their own spiritual and pastoral action only to liturgical
celebration, from which the people in a certain sense drew upon the life-giving substance
of their faith.

16. The liturgical heritage in the Eastern Catholic Churches as a source of identity

The Eastern Catholic Churches, although having been influenced by the weight of Western
tradition, have maintained in the field of liturgy a more faithful conformity to their true
traditions. It is precisely their liturgies, restored to greater authenticity and vitality by
eliminating that which has altered them, that could be the best starting point for a growth of
their specific identity, from which could be drawn words and gestures capable of touching
the hearts and illuminating the minds of their faithful in the present time.

The preservation of the liturgical riches will be more fruitful the more they are determined
not only by normative intervention by the Hierarchy, but also by the spontaneous and
faithful adhesion of the Christian people, so educated by their pastors. It is important to
recall that in these times pastors should be, also in this field, true models of the flock, so
that its traditional fidelity may be maintained. Also of great significance will be the desirable
presence of monastic communities, alive and attentive to relish and present the
unfathomable riches of the heritage received from the traditions of their respective
Churches: "In fact, in the East an intrinsic link exists between liturgical prayer, spiritual
tradition and monastic life. For this reason precisely, a well-trained and motivated renewal
of monastic life could mean true ecclesial fruitfulness for them as well. Nor should it be
thought that this would diminish the effectiveness of the pastoral ministry which in fact will
be strengthened by such a vigorous spirituality, and thus will find once more its ideal
place."[23]

17. The importance of Tradition in the liturgy

Such a heritage of faith is received through Tradition, which guarantees its continuity and
authenticity throughout time, ever since antiquity and especially since the testimony of the
Apostles. It is received with open heart, maintained, transmitted, taught, confirmed, and
clarified by the Holy Spirit. It is an intangible divine deposit, whose explication is dynamic,
in a fraternal exchange with the other Churches, where universality is established through
diversification and adaptability. Applied to liturgy, Tradition has shown an extraordinary
vitality in the Eastern Churches: the prayer of the Church has journeyed constantly, even if
imperceptibly, not only on the basis of reforms from above—which have occurred very
seldomly—but precisely on the basis of this living Tradition.

18. Liturgical reform and renewal

The first requirement of every Eastern liturgical renewal, as is also the case for liturgical
reform in the West, is that of rediscovering full fidelity to their own liturgical traditions,
benefiting from their riches and eliminating that which has altered their authenticity. Such
heedfulness is not subordinate to but precedes so-called updating. Although a delicate task
that must be executed with care so as not to disturb souls, it must be coherently and
constantly pursued if the Eastern Catholic Churches want to remain faithful to the mandate
received. It is once again John Paul II who declares: "If, therefore, you must trim
extraneous forms and developments, deriving from various influences that come from
liturgical and paraliturgical traditions foreign to your tradition, it is possible that, so doing,
you will have to also correct some popular habits."[24]

We are witness today to the diffusion of a mentality that tends to overvalue efficiency,
excessive activism, and the attainment of results with minimum effort and without deep
personal involvement. This attitude can also negatively influence the approach towards
liturgy, even in the East. The liturgy, rather, continues to be a demanding school which
requires an assimilation that is progressive, laborious, and never completely accomplished.
Monastic communities are particularly sensitive to this dimension and, therefore, can make
an important contribution to the full comprehension and progress of the liturgical heritage.
From this arises the opportunity to involve in this common responsibility, wherever
possible, masculine and feminine monastic communities belonging to the same tradition.

These considerations do not take away from the rightful exigency to express, as much as
possible, the Gospel in a plain and clear way for the contemporary man and woman. Every
formula necessitates, therefore, unceasing vigilance to remain alive under the breath of the
Spirit. But Tradition, even in its literal expression—as is the case for Scriptures—contains
unrenouncable treasures; its strengths are received, assimilated, and utilized to transmit to
mankind the fullness of the Mystery of God. Indeed, it is about words of fire, just like the
Word of God which is sharper than a two-edged sword and penetrates to the division of
soul and spirit (cf. Heb. 4:12). The fact that they are constantly repeated in the liturgy
should not take anything away from their vigor and perennial timeliness.

19. Study and profundity prior to every modification

It is indispensable to remember the exhortation in n. 23 of the Constitution on the Sacred
Liturgy: "In order that sound tradition be retained, and yet the way remain open to
legitimate progress, the revision of any part of the liturgy should occur only after careful
investigation -theological, historical, and pastoral." Indeed, the liturgical reform desired by
the Second Vatican Council was able to be carried out precisely because it was preceded,
and successfully followed, by lengthy experimentation, intense historical studies, critical
textual analyses, theological studies, biblical studies, and pastoral studies, culminating in the
work of individual and committee research, both at the local and international level.
Without all this, the references, frameworks, and precise contents necessary for a valid
endeavor would not have been obtained.

20. Criteria for liturgical renewal

In modifying ancient liturgical practice, it must be determined if the element to be
introduced is coherent with the contextual meaning in which it is placed. Such a context
should be understood beginning with eventual references to Sacred Scripture,
interpretations of the Holy Fathers, liturgical reforms previously made, and mystagogical
catechesis. Here it must be verified that the new change is homogeneous with the symbolic
language, with the images and the style specific to the liturgy of the particular Church. The
new element will have its place if, required for serious pastoral reasons, it blends within the
celebration without contrast but with coherence, almost as if it had naturally derived from
it. In addition, it should be ensured that it is not already present, perhaps in another form,
in a different moment of the celebration or in another part of the liturgical <corpus> of that
Church.

Every renewal initiative should be careful not to be conditioned by other systems, which
may appear to be more efficient. From time to time, addressing the faithful of various
Eastern Catholic Churches, John Paul II's vibrant and repeated exhortations refer to such
caution: "Do not adhere with excessive improvisation to the imitation of cultures and
traditions which are not your own, thus betraying the sensibility of your own people. (...)
This means it is necessary that every eventual adaptation of your liturgy be founded on an
attentive study of the sources, objective knowledge of the specific features of your culture,
and maintenance of the tradition common to all Coptic Christianity."[25]

21. The ecumenical value of the common liturgical heritage

Among the important missions entrusted especially to the Eastern Catholic Churches,
<Orientalium Ecclesiarum> (n. 24) and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (can.
903), as well as the Ecumenical Directory (n. 39), underscore the need to promote union
with the Eastern Churches that are not yet in full communion with the See of Peter,
indicating the conditions: religious fidelity to the ancient traditions of the Eastern Churches,
better knowledge of one another, and collaboration and fraternal respect of persons and
things. These are important principles for the orientation of the ecclesiastical life of every
single Eastern Catholic community and are of eminent value in the celebrations of divine
worship, because it is precisely thus that the Eastern Catholic and the Orthodox Churches
have more integrally maintained the same heritage.

In every effort of liturgical renewal, therefore, the practice of the Orthodox brethren should
be taken into account, knowing it, respecting it and distancing from it as little as possible so
as not to increase the existing separation, but rather intensifying efforts in view of eventual
adaptations, maturing and working together. Thus will be manifested the unity that already
subsists in daily receiving the same spiritual nourishment from practicing the same common
heritage.[26]



CHAPTER IV

Competencies and Components of Liturgical Legislation

22. Competencies for regulating worship

Reference to can. 657, can. 668 § 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
indicates the competent authority for the regulation of public divine worship. In the
patriarchal Churches, this is the Patriarch with the consent of the Synod of Bishops (which
should occur in collaboration with the liturgical Commission of the patriarchal Church[27]).
Be it noted that which is established concerning patriarchal Churches is also applicable,
from can. 152 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, to the major
archiepiscopal Churches. In the metropolitan Churches <sui iuris>, the competent authority
is the Metropolitan with the consent of the Council of Hierarchs. Both cases require prior
review by the Apostolic See. In all the other Churches, the competent authority is
exclusively the Apostolic See and, within the limits established by it, the Bishops and their
legitimately constituted <coetus> (can. 657 § 1). Other canons of the Code of Canons of
the Eastern Churches indicate the framework of the common norms which regulate the
entire liturgical life in the Eastern Churches.

23. The role of the Bishop

The coordination of the liturgical roles, entrusted to the authority of the Church, is made
explicit by the current legislation in can. 199 § 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern
Churches, which indicates the role of "the eparchial Bishop as the moderator, promoter
and guardian of the entire liturgical life of the eparchy." Similar commitment is asked, in
other canons, of his collaborators: protopresbyters (can. 278 § 1), parish priests (can. 289
§ 2), and church rectors (can. 309).

The task of the Bishop is to be vigilant that the liturgical life "be fostered as much as
possible and ordered according to the prescriptions and legitimate customs of his own
Church <sui iuris>" (can. 199 § 1). The Bishop, therefore, does not act solely based on its
own judgment nor based on the local customs, but refers to the specific heritage of his own
Church <sui iuris>. In this way, the authority of the individual Bishops becomes
participation in a greater authority which regulates the liturgical life of their own Church
<sui iuris>.

In exercising his mandate as moderator of the liturgical life, the Bishop should neither act
arbitrarily nor give way to the behavior of groups or factions, but, together with his clergy,
let him be an attentive guardian of the liturgical awareness present and operating in the
living memory of the people of God entrusted to him. Just as the <sensus fidelium> is
determinant of the comprehension of the faith believed, so is it in the safeguarding of the
faith celebrated. The people, from their part, must be faithful to the indications of the
pastor and endeavor to understand them in depth and realize his mandate. To promote a
better understanding and celebration of the liturgy, eparchial liturgical commissions of
experts should be formed. Of great importance in the liturgical maturation of the people of
God will be authentic communities of Eastern monks and nuns, places where, by the grace
of the Holy Spirit, the Mystery daily celebrated in faith is lived in fullness.

24. The role of the Apostolic See

The Apostolic See has intended to exercise an important role in the preservation and
harmonious development of the liturgical practices in the Eastern Catholic Churches. This
has been realized in the various ways which have progressively flowed together in the
activity of the Commission, created in 1717 and operational in the heart of the
Congregation for the Propagation of Faith (<Propaganda Fide>) until 1862, for the
correction of the liturgical books of the Church of the East. These interventions felt the
effects of the mentality and convictions of the times, according to which a certain
subordination of the non-Latin liturgies was perceived toward the Latin-rite liturgy which
was considered "ritus praestantior." This attitude may have led to interventions in the
Eastern liturgical texts which today, in light of theological studies and progress, have need
of revision, in the sense of a return to ancestral traditions.[28] The work of the
commissions, nevertheless, availing themselves of the best experts of the times, succeeded
in safeguarding a major part of the Eastern heritage, often defending it against aggressive
initiatives and publishing precious editions of liturgical texts for numerous Eastern
Churches. Today, particularly after the solemn declarations of the Apostolic Letter
<Orientalium Dignitas> by Leo XIII, after the creation of the still active special
Commission for the liturgy within the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in 1931, and
above all after the Second Vatican Council and the Apostolic Letter <Orientale Lumen>
by John Paul II, respect for the Eastern liturgies is an indisputable attitude and the
Apostolic See can offer a more complete service to the Churches.

If the solicitude of the Apostolic See for the liturgical life of the Eastern Churches has often
been revealed beneficial in the past, it appears likewise indispensable in the precarious
situations in which not a few of the Eastern Churches also find themselves today. The
fundamental importance of the liturgy as divine-human action which realizes salvation <hic
et nunc and its nature as the privileged place which preserves and expresses the depositum
fidei> are precisely that which motivates the function of guardianship and protection, even
of Eastern liturgical practices, which the Apostolic See continues to perform: it is a
question of guaranteeing and defending the faith in one of its most important expressions.
Such conviction motivated the formulation of can. 657 § 1 of the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches which reserves the approval of liturgical texts to the Apostolic See for
non-patriarchal and non-metropolitan Churches <sui iuris> and requires a prior review by
it for the patriarchal and metropolitan Churches. Such revision obviously applies to all that
concerns liturgical celebrations.

25. Competencies for the approval of the translations of liturgical books

Through the centuries various circumstances have provoked important changes in the area
of language. Within the Eastern territories themselves, the original languages have been
slowly but profoundly transformed, sometimes having even disappeared and been replaced
by others. In other cases, many of the faithful of the Eastern Churches have left their land
of origin and established themselves elsewhere, living next to Christians educated in
different traditions; with the passing of time, they have been inserted in the cultural context
of the place where they were located. They have often lost the knowledge and use of their
original languages, rendering the participation in the liturgy of their own Church more
difficult. Therefore, to prevent this difficulty, ever since ancient times the Eastern Churches
have often taken measures to translate their own liturgical texts into languages understood
by the faithful.

Can. 657 § 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches specifies that the right to
approve the versions of the books is up to the competent authority for the approval of the
liturgical books themselves, after having sent a report to the Apostolic See in the case of
patriarchal and metropolitan Churches <sui iuris>.

The multiplication of eparchies or churches <sui iuris> of the same liturgical families that
use the same language, sometimes within the same territory, normally requires that
standard translations be used. The competent authorities should agree among themselves
to obtain this uniformity.

26. Components of liturgical legislation

Referring to liturgical legislation, can. 3 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
concerns the prescriptions of liturgical books. Besides these, the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches mentions other norms of liturgical nature emanating from the competent
authority of the Churches <sui iuris> and not included in the liturgical books, such as
regulations (can. 668), prescriptions of the Churches <sui iuris> (can. 199), and liturgical
laws (can. 150 § 2). All these prescriptions, those of universal as well as particular
legislation, have the force of law. Regarding the latter, can. 3 of the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches insists on the obligation to diligently observe them.

27. The complexity of particular liturgical legislation

For a wise and realistic interpretation of the particular prescriptions, it is necessary to take
into account the fact that, except for the organic whole in which they are inserted, they do
not always constitute a totality that is entirely homogeneous. In fact, various norms, as
much those about liturgical books as others, have been diversified, being adapted to the
specific requirements of the different environments and contexts. The result has been that,
in view of the different situations, diverse and even contradictory orientations can result.
The competent authorities for regulating liturgical life have the duty to examine them closely
in light of the above-mentioned general principles, at the same time accounting for
coherence with the original traditions and the new demands of the current context. It is a
delicate task for which research and studies should be encouraged to discover theological
as well as pastoral significance.

28. Custom

Can. 1508 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, similar to can. 27 of the Code
of Canon Law, affirms that custom is the best interpreter of laws, while can. 1507 and
1509 explain the rules for applying it. As can. 1507 specifies, custom is the fruit of the
continuous and uncontested practice of the local community, precious because it is rooted
in the life of the people. Also concerning this subject, a wise discernment will be necessary
to preserve that which is most valid and stimulating for a true Christian flourishing and to
intervene in that which is superfluous or less suitable to the particular genuine traditions.

29. Liturgical books and ecumenism

Can. 656 § 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches affirms that the only books
to be used in liturgical celebrations are those which have received ecclesiastical approval.
Although an obvious principle, some practical difficulties are encountered. In fact, some
Eastern Catholic Churches lack their own editions of liturgical books, or at least some, and
must use editions, which objectively speaking are sometimes very well done, used by the
corresponding Orthodox Churches. Such use occurs with the tacit approval of the
Apostolic See or the local Authority. This necessity, each case being examined with
prudence, may prove itself a valuable custom, as a manifestation of the partial but deep
and extensive communion existing till today between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches
which come from a common trunk, and may serve as a dynamic seed for the recovery of
full communion. On the other hand, quite a number of editions of liturgical books published
in Rome are sometimes appreciated and used by Orthodox brethren. Nonetheless, any
unnecessary differentiation between the liturgical books of the Eastern Catholic Churches
and those of the Orthodox should be avoided. Rather, common editions, in the measure in
which it is possible, are encouraged. Pope John Paul II affirms, in the occasion of his
address to the Catholics of the Armenian Church, "It is particularly dear to me to wish that
the common study of the liturgy and its necessary adaptations be a privileged field of
collaboration between Armenian Catholics and Orthodox."[29]

Such a wish is repeated anew in the general terms of the Ecumenical Directory n. 187
which exhorts the use of liturgical texts in common with other Churches or ecclesial
Communities, because "when Christians pray together, with one voice, their common
testimony reaches the heavens and is understood also on earth."

30. Catechetical directories and liturgy: catechesis and mystagogy

Can. 621 §§ 1 and 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches addresses the
catechetical Directories that need to be elaborated in the patriarchal and metropolitan
Churches: it requires that the special character of the Eastern Churches be taken into
account in such a way that the catechetical teaching emphasizes the importance of the
Bible and the liturgy as well as the traditions of each Church <sui iuris> in petrology,
hagiography, and iconography. It is reiterated that in the East, as is also recommended in
the Western Church today, catechesis cannot be separated from liturgy, since the former
takes inspiration from the latter, as the mystery of Christ celebrated <in actu.> Such is the
method adopted by numerous Fathers of the Church in the formation of the faithful. It is
expressed as "catechesis" for the catechumens and "mystagogy" or "catechetical
mystagogy" for the initiates in the divine Mysteries. In this way the faithful are continuously
guided toward the joyful rediscovery of the Word and of the death and resurrection of
their Lord to whom the Spirit of the Father introduced them. By understanding what they
celebrate and from the full assimilation of what they have celebrated, they draw a plan for
life: mystagogy is thus the content of their existence, redeemed, sanctified, and on the path
of divinization and, as such, is the foundation of spirituality and morals. Therefore, it is
urged that the catechetical process of the individual Eastern Catholic Churches concretely
have as a starting point their own specific liturgical celebrations.



CHAPTER V

The Liturgical Celebration as an Icon of the Church

31. The Church, assembly at prayer

The book of the Acts of the Apostles describes the life of the first Christians: "They
devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the
breaking of the bread and to prayers (...). All who believed were together and had all
things in common (...). Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the
temple" (Acts 2:42,44,46). In these passages can be recognized characteristic traits of
liturgical worship, reaching out to listen to the Word of God announced by the Apostles
and to sing divine praises in the midst of the assembly (cf. Heb. 2:12), especially forming
the Body of Christ, the "one Bread" out of many, through the communal participation in the
breaking of the Bread and in the Cup of blessing (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16-17), the supreme
sacramental sign until the consummation of time.

From this emerges the communal aspect of an assembly gathered around the Apostles,
ministers of the New Alliance, who reveal the fulfillment of the promises in the person of
Christ crucified and risen. In the post-apostolic period, Ignatius of Antioch presents the
same vision of the Church at prayer: "As the Lord did nothing without the Father, wither
by himself or through the Apostles (for he was united with him), so you must do nothing
without the bishop and the presbyters... run together as to one temple of God, as to one
altar, to one Jesus Christ, who came forth from one Father and remained with the One and
returned to the One."[30]

Even if in the East, eremitical monasticism has flourished and continues to flourish, the
communitarian nature of prayer is nonetheless a fundamental aspect of Eastern spirituality:
the faithful situates their spiritual lives in the liturgical activity. This characteristic should be
maintained and revived in the heart of Christians, also to avoid the infiltration in the faithful
of the search for spirituality which is often foreign to their own traditions and sometimes
even to the Christian faith.

32. The Eucharist makes the Church

Liturgical prayer certainly conforms and perfectly expresses the authentic deposit of faith,
according to the ancient expression of the <Indiculus: legem credendi lex statuat
supplicandi,[31] commonly synthesized as lex orandi lex credendi.> The Church,
therefore, understands herself in depth precisely starting from her nature as a celebrating
assembly. In this sense, it should not be forgotten that, if the Church makes the Eucharist,
the Eucharist makes the Church to the point of becoming the criterion of conformity for the
same right doctrine, as Iraeneus of Lyon reminds us: "Our thought is in full accord with the
Eucharist and Eucharist, in its turn, confirms our thought."[32]

33. The active participation of the faithful

The apostle Paul exhorts the Romans to direct spiritual worship to God, offering
themselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (cf. Rom. 12:1). The apostle Peter
makes the same admonition when he writes that we are "living stones for the construction
of a spiritual house, for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ" ( 1 Pt 2:5). To offer together worship that is pleasing to God through
the Son in the Holy Spirit is, therefore, at the same time both a right and a duty of the
baptized. Thus, awareness must be formed in the faithful and the method and necessary
space must be arranged in order that this participation be complete and thus active, full,
devout, intelligent and fruitful. Care must be taken to ensure that, after an attentive
historical examination of the rites, the parts which in the course of time have been
inappropriately taken from the people are restored to them. Those who are entrusted with
a ministry (presbyters, deacons, rectors, cantors, commentators, the choir, etc.) should
not, in fact, substitute but rather guide the whole assembly, in such a way that it can also
externally express its participation as it should. However, giving to the people parts which
are specifically the competencies of the holy ministries is to be avoided.

34. The liturgical assemblies are hierarchically ordered

Liturgical assemblies must be ordered. This was a precise norm of the Old Testament, as
had already been delineated especially in Leviticus and in the book of Numbers, and
raised to an apostolic precept by St. Paul: "Everything must be done properly and in
order" (1 Cor. 14:40) when the assembly gathers for celebration. Just as the first
Christians listened to the Apostles, so their successors the Bishops guided the gatherings of
prayer, personally or through presbyters or deacons. As to the content of the celebrations,
it was determined in part by the formulas and rites inherited from the past—from the Old
Testament and from the Judaic tradition -, understood in light of Christian Revelation; and
in part by subsequent creations compiled by either the authors of the New Testament, or
by successive authors, but always verified by authority and by the <sensus fidei> of the
Christian people.

Can. 7 § 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches reminds us that all the
Christian faithful participate in the priestly function of Christ, and are all, therefore, deputed
for the celebration of divine worship. In addition, can. 17 affirms: "The Christian faithful
have the right to worship God according to the prescriptions of their own Church <sui
iuris>, and to follow their own form of spiritual life consonant with the teaching of the
Church." However, each of the faithful participates in the divine worship in a way proper
to each: assemblies of worship are thus composed of different parts just as the body is
composed of different members which constitute, all together, a single living being (cf. 1
Cor. 12:12-31). In this way the entire body of the liturgical assembly, well coordinated
and connected through the collaboration of every joint, according to the particular power
of each member, can grow and attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of Christ,
avoiding the risk of being carried here and there by every wind of doctrine (cf. Eph.
4:13-16).



CHAPTER VI

General Considerations on Divine Worship and the Sacraments

35. Elements of liturgical life

Every day, in more ways and in different moments, the liturgy "daily builds up those who
are in the Church, making of them a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling-place for God in
the Spirit."[33] The sacraments are fundamental moments in the liturgical life. However,
they are not isolated, but rather are inserted in the context which prepares for them and
extends their action and efficiency. Prayer, which illumines the various parts of the day and
the cycles of the year, is very important. In the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, it
assumes the name of "Divine Praises" and entails supplication and listening to the Word of
God, in addition to praise. The daily Divine Praises have the function of making divine
grace, which flows from the Pascal Mystery celebrated <par excellence> in the Eucharist,
shine in every moment of the day. Other elements include the sacred buildings, with the
architectural arrangement, fixtures, furnishings, sacred icons, and also how the ceremonies
of the various functions occur.

36. The liturgical year

The cycle of the annual feasts, the one that revolves around Easter as the center and the
one which articulates itself in the monthly feasts, the weekly and daily cycle, and the same
cycle of the events of life marked by the sacraments penetrate and sustain each other,
constituting a marvelous plan which renders the various moments of the history of salvation
present and permeates the entire spiritual life of the faithful. The calendar of the various
Eastern Churches is thus articulated, characterized by a wise, spiritual harmony.

In addition to Sundays and the annual feast of Easter, other feasts are celebrated with
more emphasis in all Eastern Churches. Can. 880 § 1 of the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches specifies that their constitution, their transferal or their suppression
depends only on the supreme authority of the Church. To constitute, transfer or suppress
feast days belongs to the respective authority which is competent to establish particular
laws, always taking into account the obligation to guard the proper patrimony and not
allow changes to be made except by reason of its organic progress.[34]

There are more important feasts which are considered holy days of obligation, some of
which are common to all the Eastern Churches.[35] On these feasts, the Christian faithful
are bound by obligation to participate in the divine worship and to abstain from the
activities which might impede such participation.[36]

In addition to feast days, and usually in preparation for their celebration, days of penance
must also be observed,[37] during which the Christian faithful are obliged to observe the
fast and abstinence in the manner established by the particular law of their Church <sui
iuris.>[38]

If in recent times, feasts or fasts coming from the Latin liturgy or from other incongruous
liturgies have been introduced in the calendars of the Eastern Catholic Churches, necessary
steps should be taken, with pastoral prudence, to restore the calendar to its traditional
structure, eliminating the elements incompatible with the spirit and features of the Eastern
heritage.

Until the time in which all Christians reach the desired agreement of fixing one day for the
common celebration of the Easter feast, the practice, already in use among some Catholic
communities living in countries of Orthodox majority, will be encouraged to celebrate
Easter on the day in which it is celebrated by the Orthodox, in conformity with the
indications formulated by Vatican Council II in the appendix of the <Sacrosanctum
Concilium> and in <Orientalium Ecclesiarum> n. 20. In addition to being a sign of
ecumenical fraternity, this practice allows the Catholic faithful to enter harmoniously in the
common spiritual climate, which often also marks civilian life, avoiding inappropriate
dissonance.

37. Directed toward relation with the Lord Jesus

In the study and mystagogy of the people about the sacraments, as in all liturgical
celebrations of the Church, the principal norm is always to find the functional and
indispensable connection with Christ the Lord. In the various moments of the liturgical
year, the principal events of the history of salvation are evoked: those of the Old
Testament which find their fulfillment in him, those of the New Testament which cover the
whole life of Christ while he lived among mankind, giving the commandments of salvation
to them and guiding them to the knowledge of the true God,[39] and those of the time of
the Church during which the Lord continues to accomplish marvels in his saints. This is
valid in a particular way for the sacraments in which, in various ways, he purifies us in
water, sanctifies us in the Spirit and, in the mystery of his Body and his Blood, has left us a
memorial of his passion for our salvation.

38. The relation between liturgy and devotions

The Eastern Churches have traditionally always known how to integrate into their liturgies
various elements which respond to the sensibility of the spirit of the peoples. They have
their own devotional forms and formulas, less precise, more individual and probably easier,
such as exclamatory prayers, celebration of the divine office with their own particular
content, veneration of the most Holy Cross, of icons, of relics, of sanctuaries, the use of
candles, incensing, and sometimes even the offering of animals; but these manifestations of
piety have usually remained linked with the liturgical life, finding their inspiration there and,
to a certain extent, their context in it. This is probably the reason for which other devotions
have generally not been developed in parallel to the official worship, as in the West. The
Eastern Catholic Churches, nevertheless, have received quite a number of devotions
specific to the Latin Church, thus not belonging to the traditional structure of Eastern
worship. It is not good that the particular devotions, which contribute to the spiritual life of
the faithful, turn out to be extraneous to the heritage of each Church: if, therefore, they
develop independently from this patrimony, they could give rise to "parallel" forms of
spirituality. But since these devotions are by now much diffused in the Eastern Catholic
Churches and, in fact, feed and comfort their faithful, it would be seriously imprudent and a
sign of pastoral insensitivity to believe that they must simply be eradicated. The authorities
of the Churches <sui iuris> are to concretely promote an authentic mystagogical formation
of the faithful and, in the first place, of the ministers, toward a spirituality that flows from
their own liturgical traditions. Enriched by a better formation, the faithful will gradually
become more capable of living and rediscovering the riches of their own liturgy. Such
pastoral action should take inspiration from the recommendation in n. 13 of the conciliar
Constitution on the sacred liturgy: "Popular devotions of the Christian people (...) should
be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred
liturgy, are in some way derived from it, and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy
by its very nature is far superior to any of them."

In any event, it should be kept in mind that which has been established by can. 656 § 2:
"Books of prayers or devotions, intended for either the public or the private use of the
Christian faithful, are to have ecclesiastical permission."

39. Conciliar prescriptions on the sacraments

Concerned for the safekeeping and flourishing of the precious Eastern traditions, "the holy
ecumenical council confirms and approves the ancient discipline concerning the sacraments
which exist in the Eastern Churches, and also the ritual observed in their celebration and
administration, and wishes this to be restored where such a case arises."[40] Numbers
13-18 of the <Orientalium Ecclesiarum> specify more urgent prescriptions which can and
must serve as the model for the criteria to use in other cases. This has been realized at least
partially in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches on the level of universal law, but
must still be clarified, especially on the particular level, by the authorities of the different
Churches <sui iuris.>

The Council, in particular, is not satisfied to just confirm and praise the ancient discipline
enforced by the Eastern Churches but desires it to be re-established in the places where it
has weakened or fallen away. Therefore, in reviewing their own law, the different
Churches <sui iuris> must take into account this desire and courageously undertake, even
if cautiously and gradually, the recuperation of the elements that have been lost, changing, if
necessary, the most recent practice and laws, in such places where these may be in
dissonance with the principles established, even if it means modifying decisions made by
Synods or taking distance from indications given, in other times and for various reasons, by
the Congregations of the Apostolic See.

40. The sacraments, actions of the Church

The Church in which God reveals himself constitutes, in some way, the sacrament from
which the individual sacraments are derived. According to can. 673, the celebration of the
sacraments is an action of the Church, that is, of the assembly of all the members of the
people of God, of the Body of Christ "joined and held together by every supporting
ligament, with the proper functioning of each part" (Eph. 4:16). This entails an active
participation in the celebration by all the faithful. It is important that this participation of all
the members of the people of God in the dynamic of the celebration be accomplished and
manifested always in the celebration of the sacraments, which are the culminating actions of
the life of the Church.

41. The creation as sacrament

Can. 667 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches affirms that the Church has the
obligation to dispense the sacraments "so that the mystery of Christ is communicated under
a visible sign," for in them "our Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies people by the power of the
Holy Spirit, so that they become in a unique way true worshipers of God the Father and
by which they are inserted into the Church, His Body." The sacraments thus communicate,
above all, the mysteries of Christ, which means all that he accomplished on earth to carry
out the plan hidden from ages past in God who created the universe (cf. Eph. 3:9-11) "to
sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth" (Eph. 1:10), and render us "holy and
without blemish before him in love" (Eph. 1:4-5). The mysteries of Christ are
communicated to us through visible signs. The sacraments are, therefore, the place in
which created things are assumed in order to give thanks to God and thus reach the
fullness of their meaning. The economy of divine grace dispensed to mankind is
accomplished by deeds and words (cf. Acts 1:1), increasing the value of the "cosmic
elements:" the human body above all; then water, oil, bread, and wine; the instruments such
as the Eucharistic cup; the sacred building with all that it represents and encloses within it,
especially the cross and the holy icons; sacred places and times. Such elements are taken
up by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, recapitulated by him and entrusted to the
Church as instruments of salvific sacramentality. In fact, the grace of the Holy Spirit makes
use of these for the redemption and sanctification of mankind and the cosmos (cf. Rom.
8:16-25) and for rendering the Father worship that is worthy. It is in this context that the
liturgical gestures and benedictions acquire all their meaning. In the theology of the liturgy,
and thus in the mystagogy of the people, all these are necessarily important material for
reflection and explanation.



CHAPTER VII

The Sacraments of Christian Initiation

42. The link between the sacraments of Initiation

An indication given by the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches that differs from the
frequent use and even from the particular legislation of the last centuries is the affirmation of
the strict link existing between the three sacraments of Christian Initiation, which also must
result in the way of celebrating them. Initiation is, in reality, the one and indivisible
celebration of the entrance into the life of Christ, into the community that lives in him. This
entrance, initiated with the first call to the faith, reaches its culminating point in the Pascal
Mystery of Christ, in whose death we are immersed to be raised in his resurrection which
renders us children of God and the temple of the Spirit. "Anointed" by the Spirit for the
work of the Kingdom, we are thus rendered fit to participate in the banquet of the
Kingdom. This is the motivating factor in the composition of can. 695 and 697 which
prescribe the administration of the three sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation with the holy
Myron, and Holy Communion in conjunction with or at least one not long after another.

According to the doctrine and practice of the ancient Church, inspired by the New
Testament, the faithful who received the eschatological gift of the Spirit of the Risen
accepted that the same Spirit operate in his or her person the assimilation to Christ the
Lord. The baptismal rebirth as children of God, inheritors of the Kingdom, justified,
redeemed and sanctified, entailed the full entrance into the people of God. The ultimate
"sign" of this event was the admission to the banquet of the Kingdom. That indivisible
sacrament was, therefore, necessarily conferred, with the most coherence, in a single
celebrative context.

From this moment, the faithful were thus inserted into the people of God, with all the titles
and functions that their new life in Christ and in the Spirit entailed, without exclusion. One
celebration, therefore, because it was one, indivisible work of the Spirit of the Father and
of the Son.

Such usage was practiced in the life of all the Churches in the first centuries.[41]

For historical and cultural reasons, such practices were abandoned by the Western
Church, and the baptismal initiation was conferred to children in various successive
moments. However, the ancient use was maintained intact and uninterruptedly in the East.
This link is so strong that, in quite a number of contexts, the term "Baptism" usually implies
all three of the phases of Christian Initiation: this is the title attributed to them in many
manuscript or printed euchologies.

This practice was changed during the last centuries in different Eastern Catholic Churches
under external pressure, based on spiritual and pastoral meanings altered by Latins,
comprehendible but extraneous to the organic progress and not in line with the dynamism
of the Eastern patrimony. In places where the traditional practice has been lost, the
application of the norms prescribed in the content of the Code will require a true reform,
analogous to that which the conciliar Constitution on the sacred liturgy required for the
Latin liturgy. Though without acting hastily, an in-depth study of the ancient practice,
obtained from related manuscripts and printed texts which have been published by Eastern
Catholics and also by Orthodox, should first be prepared. The practice still in use by the
Orthodox should also be taken into account. The necessary instruction should be provided
so that the motivations can be understood by all: clergy, theologians, and the Christian
people. While the restored practice is being introduced, care should be taken to not
interrupt the necessary, progressive catechesis of newly initiated children, as soon as they
are ready to approach the comprehension of the mysteries of the faith, and to continue until
they reach maturity. The participation by children in the brief but regular moments of the
liturgical celebrations is already in itself a precious element of catechesis, because it
introduces them concretely into the life of the Church, with an initiation that is not so much
notionalistic nor rational but efficient, inserting them in a celebrative climate where the
gestures introduce them into the invisible reality. The whole process will also require a
creative effort to adequately connect the new practice in the context of the current life.
Though not an easy intervention, it is indispensable in order to truly revitalize one's own
heritage, to the benefit of the universal Church.

43. The theological meaning of the sacraments of Initiation

In Baptism, the person is freed from sin, reborn to new life, re-clothed in Christ and
incorporated in the Church.[42] In Chrismation with the holy Myron, he or she is signed
with the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.[43] The full initiation is made final by the
reception of the Eucharist, a sacrament not only of the communion of the individual with
Christ, Head of the Mystical Body, but also of the communion among all the faithful,
members of the Body who live the new life in Him. The nourishment of the Body and the
Blood of the incarnated Word brings the Christian to perfection, in such a way that it is no
longer he that lives but Christ who lives in him (cf. Gal. 2:20). The sacramental celebration
of Christian Initiation is

the visible gesture which confers the gift of benevolence offered by the heavenly Father to
mankind in his incarnated Son, and communicates eternal life to whoever listens to the
word of Christ and believes in Him who sent him (cf. Jn. 5:24).

44. The importance of the preparation for Baptism and the role of the sponsor

Baptism is a sacrament granted to those who believe and want to adhere to Christ. All
Christian rituals, Eastern as well as Western, prescribe that prior to administering it, a
preparation is required in which both the journey of the candidate toward the Lord
and—immediately before the Baptism—his or her adhesion to Christ and corresponding
renunciation of Satan and forces of evil are expressed. Of prime example are the baptismal
homilies of Saint John Chrysostom or of his contemporary, Mar Theodore of Mopsuestia,
which emphasize the urgency of this dimension of initiation into the mysteries