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Ship of Fools: St Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

The Mystery WorshipperThe Mystery Worshipper Shipmate
edited March 31 in The Mystery Worshipper

imageShip of Fools: St Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Palm Sunday procession, divine liturgy, incense galore, and communion delivered on a spoon

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Comments

  • Gamma GamalielGamma Gamaliel Shipmate
    Sounds lovely. 'When in Constantinople ...?' The liturgy may be Byzantine but the Eastern Rite Catholics are in communion with Rome not Constantinople - as your report indicates.

    It's interesting that neither Rome nor the Orthodox officially practice 'open communion' but this church does - so in effect it is not following the 'when in Rome' or 'when in Constantinople' model in that respect.

    There are all sorts of anomalies around that. Rome will offer communion to Orthodox Christians but Orthodox Christians are not supposed to accept. I'd love it if we could all get round a table and sort these things out. The schism with the Oriental Orthodox too.

    Some Eastern Orthodox will admit Orientals to communion. Practice seems to vary across the various jurisdictions.

    As indeed, so it does also within churches in communion with Rome.
  • Alan29Alan29 Shipmate
    There was an agreement between Rome and the Syria Church permitting intercommunion when one's own church wasn't available. I hope it still applies.
  • Amanda B ReckondwythAmanda B Reckondwyth Shipmate
    Gamma Gamaliel wrote: »
    The liturgy may be Byzantine but the Eastern Rite Catholics are in communion with Rome not Constantinople. . . . It's interesting that neither Rome nor the Orthodox officially practice 'open communion' but this church does - so in effect it is not following the 'when in Rome' or 'when in Constantinople' model in that respect.
    I only meant my remark to pertain to the choice of green vestments for Palm Sunday.
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Amanda B Reckondwyth wrote: »
    Gamma Gamaliel wrote: »
    The liturgy may be Byzantine but the Eastern Rite Catholics are in communion with Rome not Constantinople. . . . It's interesting that neither Rome nor the Orthodox officially practice 'open communion' but this church does - so in effect it is not following the 'when in Rome' or 'when in Constantinople' model in that respect.
    I only meant my remark to pertain to the choice of green vestments for Palm Sunday.
    My understanding is that the use in the Byzantine rite of green on Palm Sunday is directly related to the color of the palms.

    Interestingly, green is also used on Pentecost, as a symbol of new life.

  • Amanda B ReckondwythAmanda B Reckondwyth Shipmate
    So "When in Byzantium, do as the Byzantines do." :smile:
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    edited 12:13AM
    Indeed.

    And somehow this has sparked my internal audio track to switch to “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” by They Might Be Giants, or The Four Lads, if you prefer.

  • Amanda B ReckondwythAmanda B Reckondwyth Shipmate
    An oldie but goodie.

    Take me back to Constantinople.
    No, you can't go back to Constantinople.
    Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
    Why did Constantinople get the works?
    That's nobody's business but the Turks!

    I confess I was thinking of it all Palm Sunday!
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