Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari
Encyclopedia
The Holy Qurbana
of Addai and Mari belongs to the East Syrian liturgical family (see Syriac Christianity
) and is in regular use in the Assyrian Church of the East
, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
and the Chaldean Catholic Church
. Saint Addai (disciple
of Saint Thomas the Apostle) and Saint Mari
(a disciple of Saint Addai) are credited with having written it. The Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari is one of the oldest Eucharistic prayers
in the Christianity, possibly dating back to 3rd-century Edessa.
The Eucharistic Liturgy has three forms: the most solemn form known as the Raza, the solemn and the simple form.
One of the special features of the Eucharist Prayer is the presence of four long prayers known as the Gehantha
, which are, according to many Eucharistic scholars, the closest forms of prayer to the Jewish Prayers over the meals.
, and the outline of the current form can be traced as far back as the time of the Patriarch Mar Isho-yab III in the 7th century. It is disputed whether the words of institution had been in the original version, cut out, perhaps, by Isho'yab III. Mar Aprem Mooken
of India indicates that many priests follow the old practice of not including the words of institution. In the course of the anaphora, prayers of praise known as "Ghanatha" (from the verb "ghan", bow) are said in a low voice by the celebrant. Hymns by Saint Ephrem and others are often sung during the communion. A piece of dough from the eucharistic bread is saved from week to week, not as reserve sacrament but as leaven for the next week's bread. Authors from Theodore of Mopsuestia
ca.400, through Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII
in the mid-20th century and Mar Aprem Mooken of India in the early 21st century have identified the Epiclesis
, beginning with the words Neethi Mar Rukhakha Qaddisha... (May the Holy Spirit come...) as the high point of the Holy Qurbana.
does not include the Words of Institution
, a matter that raised ecumenical concerns, because, since the time of Peter Lombard
, the prevailing theology in the West considered the Words of Institution to be essential to the validity of the sacred mystery. Nevertheless, the Holy See
declared on 20 July 2001 that the Anaphora of Addai and Mari can be considered valid. Three reasons were given for this judgment. First, the Anaphora of Addai and Mari dates back to the early Church. Secondly, the Church of the East
has otherwise preserved the orthodox faith in regard to the Eucharist
and Holy Orders
. And finally, though the Words of Institution are not spoken expressly, their meaning is present: "The words of Eucharistic Institution are indeed present in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, not in a coherent narrative way and ad litteram, but rather in a dispersed euchological way, that is, integrated in successive prayers of thanksgiving, praise and intercession". The anaphora contains, for instance, the declaration: "The body of Christ and his precious blood are on the holy altar." This has been compared to the Eastern Orthodox Church declaratory formula for absolution: "The servant of God N. is absolved", in contrast to the Western "I absolve thee". A similar contrast is found in the Eastern and Western formulas for baptism.
Though this decision by the Catholic Church is arguably not irreformable, it is of undoubted ecumenical
importance.
Chaldean Catholics, who also use this anaphora, have traditionally inserted the Words of Institution into it; they are now beginning to cease adding this interpolation.
s denounced this decision. They argue that it completely overthrows the sacramental theology
ratified by the Council of Trent
: according to their understanding, of the three elements necessary for a sacrament
- the matter, the form, and the intention of the priest to do what the Church does - the form, which in this case is the words of institution, "For this is my Body" recited over the bread, and "For this is the cup of my Blood" over the wine, is wanting. They reject the statement by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity that the words of the institution of the Eucharist are in fact present in a euchological and disseminated manner.
Holy Qurbana
Holy Qurbana or Qurbana Qadisha , the "Holy Offering" or "Holy Sacrifice", refers to the Eucharist as celebrated according to the East Syrian and West Syrian traditions of Syriac Christianity...
of Addai and Mari belongs to the East Syrian liturgical family (see Syriac Christianity
Syriac Christianity
Syriac or Syrian Christianity , the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India....
) and is in regular use in the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India is an East Syrian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal Church in full communion with the Catholic Church. It is one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is the largest of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations with more than 3.6...
and the Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
. Saint Addai (disciple
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
of Saint Thomas the Apostle) and Saint Mari
Saint Mari
Saint Mari was converted by Saint Addai. He is said to have had Mar Aggai as his spiritual director. He is also believed to have done missionary work around Nineveh, Nisibis, and along the Euphrates, and is said to have been one of the great apostles to Syria and Persia. He and Addai are credited...
(a disciple of Saint Addai) are credited with having written it. The Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari is one of the oldest Eucharistic prayers
Anaphora (liturgy)
The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine liturgy, Mass, or other Christian Communion rite where the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. This is the usual name for this part of the Liturgy in Eastern Christianity, but it is more often called the...
in the Christianity, possibly dating back to 3rd-century Edessa.
The Eucharistic Liturgy has three forms: the most solemn form known as the Raza, the solemn and the simple form.
One of the special features of the Eucharist Prayer is the presence of four long prayers known as the Gehantha
Gehantha
The Gehantha are four long prayers that are part of the Eucharist prayer of Addai and Mari. They are considered by many Eucharistic scholars to be the closest forms of prayer to the Jewish prayers over the meals....
, which are, according to many Eucharistic scholars, the closest forms of prayer to the Jewish Prayers over the meals.
Church of the East's Practice
The anaphora of Addai and Mari has been in continuous use in the Church of the East since at least the 7th century without the words of institution. The rite seems to have derived from EdessaEdessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
, and the outline of the current form can be traced as far back as the time of the Patriarch Mar Isho-yab III in the 7th century. It is disputed whether the words of institution had been in the original version, cut out, perhaps, by Isho'yab III. Mar Aprem Mooken
Mar Aprem Mooken
Mar Aprem Mooken is the Assyrian Church of the East Metropolitan of India. Mar Aprem was born in Thrissur, Kerala, India, on 13 June 1940. Educated in India, England and America, he specialised in Church History...
of India indicates that many priests follow the old practice of not including the words of institution. In the course of the anaphora, prayers of praise known as "Ghanatha" (from the verb "ghan", bow) are said in a low voice by the celebrant. Hymns by Saint Ephrem and others are often sung during the communion. A piece of dough from the eucharistic bread is saved from week to week, not as reserve sacrament but as leaven for the next week's bread. Authors from Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore the Interpreter was bishop of Mopsuestia from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate...
ca.400, through Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII
Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII
Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII , sometimes known as Mar Shimun XXI Ishaya, Mar Shimun Ishai, or Simon Jesse, was Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East from 1920, when he was a youth, until his assassination on 6 November 1975...
in the mid-20th century and Mar Aprem Mooken of India in the early 21st century have identified the Epiclesis
Epiclesis
The epiclesis is that part of the Anaphora by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit upon the Eucharistic bread and wine in some Christian churches.In most Eastern Christian traditions, the Epiclesis comes after the Anamnesis The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from "invocation" or...
, beginning with the words Neethi Mar Rukhakha Qaddisha... (May the Holy Spirit come...) as the high point of the Holy Qurbana.
Current Catholic Position
In its pure form, this anaphoraAnaphora (liturgy)
The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine liturgy, Mass, or other Christian Communion rite where the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. This is the usual name for this part of the Liturgy in Eastern Christianity, but it is more often called the...
does not include the Words of Institution
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event...
, a matter that raised ecumenical concerns, because, since the time of Peter Lombard
Peter Lombard
Peter Lombard was a scholastic theologian and bishop and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum-Biography:Peter Lombard was born in Lumellogno , in...
, the prevailing theology in the West considered the Words of Institution to be essential to the validity of the sacred mystery. Nevertheless, the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
declared on 20 July 2001 that the Anaphora of Addai and Mari can be considered valid. Three reasons were given for this judgment. First, the Anaphora of Addai and Mari dates back to the early Church. Secondly, the Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
has otherwise preserved the orthodox faith in regard to the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
. And finally, though the Words of Institution are not spoken expressly, their meaning is present: "The words of Eucharistic Institution are indeed present in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, not in a coherent narrative way and ad litteram, but rather in a dispersed euchological way, that is, integrated in successive prayers of thanksgiving, praise and intercession". The anaphora contains, for instance, the declaration: "The body of Christ and his precious blood are on the holy altar." This has been compared to the Eastern Orthodox Church declaratory formula for absolution: "The servant of God N. is absolved", in contrast to the Western "I absolve thee". A similar contrast is found in the Eastern and Western formulas for baptism.
Though this decision by the Catholic Church is arguably not irreformable, it is of undoubted ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
importance.
Chaldean Catholics, who also use this anaphora, have traditionally inserted the Words of Institution into it; they are now beginning to cease adding this interpolation.
Traditionalist Catholic reaction
Some traditionalist CatholicTraditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
s denounced this decision. They argue that it completely overthrows the sacramental theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
ratified by the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
: according to their understanding, of the three elements necessary for a sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
- the matter, the form, and the intention of the priest to do what the Church does - the form, which in this case is the words of institution, "For this is my Body" recited over the bread, and "For this is the cup of my Blood" over the wine, is wanting. They reject the statement by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity that the words of the institution of the Eucharist are in fact present in a euchological and disseminated manner.
External links
- The Order of the Hallowing of the Apostles Archived liturgical text
- Guidelines For Admission To The Eucharist Between The Chaldean Church And The Assyrian Church Of The East Document of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
- Robert F. Taft, SJ, Professor Emeritus of Oriental Liturgy, Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome: Mass Without the Consecration? The Historic Agreement on the Eucharist between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East promulgated 26 October 2001
- Liturgy of Addeus and Maris article from Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...