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The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages) by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches and by the Greek-Catholic Churches (Eastern Catholic Churches which use the Byzantine Rite). Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. The Christianization of Bulgaria was the process of converting 9th-century medieval Bulgaria to Christianity. The Christianization of Kievan Rus' took place in several stages The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the See also Christianity in Asia Judging from the New Testament account of the rise and expansion of the early church during the first few centuries of Christianity the Coptic history is part of History of Egypt that begins with the introduction of Christianity in Egypt in the 1st century AD during the The Eastern Orthodox Churches trace their roots back to the Apostles and Jesus Christ. Christianity in ancient and feudal Georgia According to tradition when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospel to the nations of the world the Apostle This article should include material from Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within Eastern Christianity. The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an Oriental Orthodox church. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic: Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East (ܥܕܬܐ ܩܕܝܫܬܐ ܘܫܠܝܚܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܪ̈ܝܐ ‘Ittā Qaddishtā wa-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Sign of the Cross, or Signum crucis in Latin is a ritual hand motion made by members of many but not all branches of Christianity. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. Iconography is the branch of Art history which studies the identification description and the interpretation of the content of images Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition the omophorion ( Greek:; Slavonic: омофоръ omofor) Hesychasm ( Greek hesychasmos, from hesychia, "stillness rest quiet silence" is an Eremitic tradition of Prayer in An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Negative theology - also known as the Via Negativa ( Latin for "Negative Way" and Apophatic theology - is a Theology that Filioque, a Latin phrase meaning "and (from the Son" In Western Christianity, it was added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed Miaphysitism (sometimes called henophysitism) is the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches Monophysitism (from the Greek monos meaning 'one alone' and physis meaning 'nature' or Monophysiticism is the Christological position that Nestorius Nestorius (c  386 &ndashc  451) was a pupil of Theodore of Mopsuestia in Antioch in Syria (modern In Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic theology theosis (written also theiosis, theopoiesis, theōsis Theoria (Greek) is Greek for Contemplation or 'the perception of Beauty regarded as a Moral faculty' ( OED) Phronema is a Greek term that is used in Eastern Orthodox Theology to refer to mindset or outlook; it is the Orthodox mind. The Philokalia ( Gk φιλοκαλείν "Love of the Beautiful" is a collection of texts by masters of the Eastern Orthodox, hesychast Praxis is the customary use of knowledge or skills distinct from theoretical knowledge Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Ousia () is the Ancient Greek noun formed on the feminine present participle of ( to be) it is analogous to the English participle Historical context The Energies of God are a central principle of Theology in the Eastern Orthodox Church, understood by the orthodox Fathers Metousiosis is a Greek term () that means literally a change of (essence inner reality A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The rite developed in the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul), which had earlier been called Byzantium. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM It is the second largest liturgical rite in Christendom, second in world-wide usage only to the Roman Rite. Christendom usually refers to Christianity as a territorial phenomenon The liturgical rite of the Church of Rome is called the Roman Rite.

The Rite consists of the Divine Liturgies, Canonical Hours, forms for the administration of Sacred Mysteries (sacraments) and the numerous prayers, blessings, and exorcisms, developed in the Church of Constantinople. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round The term sacred mysteries generally denotes the area of Supernatural phenomena associated with a Divinity or a religious ideology. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure is the practice of evicting Demons or other evil Also involved are the specifics of architecture, icons, liturgical music, vestments and traditions which have evolved over the centuries in the practice of this Rite. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Liturgical music originated as a part of Religious Ceremony, and includes a number of traditions both ancient and modern Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religions especially the Latin Rite and other Roman Catholics Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox

Some characteristics which distinguish the Constantinopolitan Rite from the Roman Rite are the use of leavened bread for the Eucharist (see azymes), a married priesthood in the parishes (see clerical celibacy), a prominent role for the deacon in the services, and a continuing emphasis on monasticism. The liturgical rite of the Church of Rome is called the Roman Rite. Bread is a Staple food prepared by Baking a Dough of Flour and Water. Azymes is an archaic English word for the Jewish Matzah, derived from the Greek word αζυμος ("unleavened" for unfermented cakes in Biblical Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Clerical celibacy is the practice in various religious traditions, in which Clergy, Monastics and those (of either sex in religious orders adopt a Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one Unlike most Western churches, the majority of Eastern Christian services are chanted rather than recited. Traditionally, the congregation stands throughout the whole service, and an iconostasis separates the sanctuary from the rest of the church. In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases) also called the Templon, is a wall of Icons and religious paintings The faithful are very active in their worship, making frequent bows and prostrations, and feeling free to move about the temple (church building) during the services. Poyasny ("little bow" and zemnoy poklon ("great bow" are different kinds of bows used in an Eastern Orthodox worship service A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites

Scripture plays a large role in Byzantine worship, with not only daily readings but also many quotes from the Bible throughout the services. The entire Psalter is chanted each week, and twice weekly during Great Lent. A Psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms and which often contains other devotional material Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians

Fasting laws are stricter than in the West. On fast days, the faithful give up not only meat, but also dairy products, and on many fast days they also give up fish, wine and the use of oil in cooking. The Rite of Constantinople observes four fasting seasons: Great Lent, Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast and Dormition Fast. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation The Dormition of the Theotokos ( Greek: Koimesis) is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and In addition, most Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year are fast days. Many monasteries also observe Monday as a fast day. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism.

Contents 1 History 2 Divine Liturgy 3 Daily Office 4 Calendar 5 List of Churches of Byzantine liturgical tradition 5.1 Eastern Orthodox Churches 5.2 Greek-Catholic Churches 6 Notes 7 Books 8 See also 9 External links

History

There are two ancient liturgical traditions from which all of the Eastern Rites (plus the Gallican Rite in the West) developed: the Alexandrian Rite in Egypt and the Antiochene Rite in Syria. The Gallican Rite is a historical sub-grouping of the Roman Catholic Liturgy in Western Europe; it is not a single rite but actually a family of Rites The Alexandrian Rite is officially called the Liturgy of Saint Mark, traditionally regarded as the first bishop of Alexandria Antiochene Rite designates the family of liturgies originally used in the Patriarchate of Antioch: that of the Apostolic Constitutions; then that of These two Rites developed directly from practices of the Early Church. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Of these two traditions, the Rite of Constantinople developed from the Antiochene Rite. Prior to the see of Constantinople's elevation to the dignity of Patriarch by the Second Ecumenical Council in 381, the primary jurisdiction in Asia Minor was the Patriarchate of Antioch. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family The Second Ecumenical Council the first held in Constantinople was called by Theodosius I in 381 which confirmed the Nicene Creed and dealt with other matters such Events By Place Roman Empire A deputation from the Roman Senate delivers to Gratianus the robe of the Pontifex Maximus Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title carried by the Bishop of Antioch. With the council's elevation of Constantinople to primacy in the East, with the words "The Bishop of Constantinople…shall have the prerogative of honour after the Bishop of Rome; because Constantinople is New Rome",^[1] the Constantinoplitan Rite gradually came to be the standard usage in every place under its jurisdiction.

The tradition of the Church of Constantinople ascribes the oldest of its two main Divine Liturgies to St. Basil the Great (d. Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (c 330 – January 1, 379) (Άγιος Βασίλειος ο Μέγας Latin 379), Metropolitan of Cæsarea in Cappadocia. Events By Place Roman Empire January 19 — Theodosius I is elevated as Roman Emperor at Sirmium. In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or Kayseri ( Ottoman Turkish:قیصریه Greek: Καισάρεια / Kaisareia: Latin: Caesarea Mazaca Zazaish Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian: This tradition is confirmed by the witness of several ancient authors, some of whom were contemporaries. ^{[2] [3] [4]} It is certain that St. Basil made a reformation of the Liturgy of his Church, and that the Byzantine service called after him represents his reformed Liturgy in its chief parts, although it has undergone further modification since his time. ^[5] St. Basil himself speaks on several occasions of the changes he made in the services of Cæsarea. ^{[6] [7]} and other contemporary witnesses attest his arrangement of the services. Basil had as his goal the streamlining of the services to make them more cohesive and attractive to the faithful. He also worked to reform the clergy and improve the moral life of Christians. He shortened the services and wrote a number of new prayers. The most important work attributed to him is the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil. The Liturgy of Saint Basil or more formally the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, is a term for several Eastern Christian celebrations of the Divine He took as his basis the Liturgy of St. James as it was celerated at his time in the region of Cappadocia, as well as some liturgical elements recorded in the Apostolic Constitutions. The Liturgy of Saint James is the oldest complete form of the Divine Liturgy still in use among the Christian churches ^[5] Over time, the Liturgy of Saint Basil gained wide usage in Asia Minor and Syria. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Peter the Deacon mentions that Basil's Liturgy was "used by nearly the whole East". ^[5]

Saint Basil's liturgical work was continued by John Chrysostom (died c. This article refers to the Christian saint For other uses of the name see Chrysostomos. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople. For the cars see Peugeot 407 and Bristol 407. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Gratianus "Patriarch of Constantinople" redirects here For the institutional church itself see Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He wrote new (and shorter) prayers for the Divine Liturgy, as well as other prayers. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the most common form of the Liturgy used in the Constantinopolitan Rite, and his Catechetical Homily is an important part of the Byzantine Paschal Vigil. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Paschal homily or sermon (also known in Greek as Hieratikon or as the Catechetical Homily) of St John Chrysostom is read aloud The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration

Further developments continued to occur, centered mostly around Constantinople and Mount Athos. Mount Athos (Όρος Άθως is a mountain on the Peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Άγιον Monasticism played an important role in the development of the rituals. In Constantinople, the work of the monastery of the Studion greatly enriched the liturgical traditions, especially with regard to the Lenten observance. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians Iconography continued to develop and a canon of traditional patterns evolved which still influences Eastern religious art to this day. Iconography is the branch of Art history which studies the identification description and the interpretation of the content of images

Two distinctive liturgical traditions developed: the "Cathedral Rite", strongly influenced by Byzantine court ritual and its interface with the liturgy at the Great Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, and the "Monastic Rite" developed in the great monasteries of the East. Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Αγία Σοφία " Holy Wisdom " Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a former patriarchal Basilica, later Eventually these distinct traditions merged and coalesced into the services as they are observed today.

Historical events have also influenced the development of the liturgy. The great Christological and Trinitarian controversies of Late Antiquity are reflected in the glorifications of the Trinity heard in the numerous ekphonies encountered during the services. Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Late Antiquity (c 300-600 is a Periodization used by historians to describe the transitional centuries from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in An ecphonesis (εκφώνησις is an emotional exclamatory phrase ( Exclamation) used in poetry drama or song In response to Nestorius' attack on giving the title of Theotokos to the Virgin Mary, the Byzantines increased the use of the term in the liturgy, and now almost every string of hymns ends with one in her honour, called a Theotokion. Nestorius (in Greek: Νεστόριος; c 386&ndash c 451 was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, A Theotokion is a hymn ( Troparion or Sticheron) to the Theotokos (Birthgiver of God which is read or chanted during the Divine Services ( Canonical

It must be borne in mind that neither the Liturgies of Basil nor John Chrysostom as they are known today reflect exactly the services celebrated in their day. All liturgical rites change and develop over time. As new saints are glorified (canonized), new hymns are composed; as new needs arise, new prayers are written. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints The Rite also profits from the fact that the Christian East is not so centralized in ecclesiastical polity as the West. Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a Church or Christian denomination. This allows for greater diversity, and as members of one church visit another, a natural cross-polination occurs with resultant enrichment on all sides. In spite of its great emphasis on tradition, the Byzantine Rite comprises a constantly growing and expanding ritual, with room for local practice.

Divine Liturgy

Main article: Divine Liturgy

This tradition has four forms of the Divine Liturgy (celebration of the Eucharist): the Liturgy of St. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those Basil the Great, the Liturgy of St. Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (c 330 – January 1, 379) (Άγιος Βασίλειος ο Μέγας Latin John Chrysostom, the Liturgy of St. This article refers to the Christian saint For other uses of the name see Chrysostomos. James the Brother of the Lord and the Liturgy of the Presanctified (also known as the Liturgy of St. Saint James the Just ( Hebrew: יעקב or Jacob ( Greek Iάκωβος (died 62AD also known as James of Jerusalem, James Adelphotheos The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, informally Presanctified Liturgy, is an Eastern Christian liturgical service for the distribution of communion Gregory).

• The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the one most commonly celebrated throughout the year. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy.
• The Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated on all Sundays in Great Lent (Palm Sunday is not considered part of Great Lent), on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, on the Eves of Christmas and Theophany, and on January 1, which is the feast day of St. The Liturgy of Saint Basil or more formally the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, is a term for several Eastern Christian celebrations of the Divine Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. In the Christian Liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter Holy Saturday ( Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) is the day after Good Friday. Theophany, from the Greek, theophaneia (meaning "appearance/showing of God" refers to the appearance of a Deity to a human or to a divine disclosure New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Basil. (For those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, January 1 falls on January 14 of the modern Gregorian Calendar. The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and came into force in 45 BC (709 Ab urbe condita The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today )
• The Liturgy of St. James is rarely celebrated today. The Liturgy of Saint James is the oldest complete form of the Divine Liturgy still in use among the Christian churches Only a few jurisdictions make use of it, most notably the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and then primarily on December 26, the day the Church commemorates this saint. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht.
• The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is not technically a Divine Liturgy, since there is no Consecration of the Gifts; instead, it consists primarily of an enhanced Vespers service with the distribution of Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, informally Presanctified Liturgy, is an Eastern Christian liturgical service for the distribution of communion Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those In Christian practice during the Liturgy of the Eucharist the elements of Bread and Wine become the Body and Blood It is celebrated only on weekdays of Great Lent: on Wednesdays, Fridays and any of the more important feast days which may occur (however, if the Great Feast of the Annunciation occurs on a weekday of Great Lent, the Divine Liturgy of St. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In Christianity the Annunciation ( grc Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, Evangelismós tēs Theotókou in Greek) is the revelation John Chrysostom is celebrated). It is also served on the first three days of Holy Week. Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter.

The Divine Liturgy is normally not celebrated daily except in cathedrals and larger monasteries. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral However, most parishes and smaller monasteries serve the Liturgy on Saturdays, Sundays, and major feast days throughout the year.

The Divine Liturgy is celebrated with particular solemnity whenever a bishop is serving. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Though other services are also affected by the presence of a bishop, none more so that the Liturgy.

Daily Office

Main article: Canonical Hours

The daily chanting of the Canonical Hours has developed over the centuries into an intricate pattern of worship drawing on influences from the Temple in Jerusalem, classical poetry, Byzantine hymnography, monastic spirituality, and imperial court ritual. Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name Byzantine literature may be defined as the Greek literature of the Middle Ages, whether written in the territory of the Byzantine Empire or outside Numerous cycles combine and make use of a vast array of liturgical texts making the Byzantine Rite one of the richest liturgical traditions in Christianity (for more detail, see Canonical Hours: Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic usage). Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round

The daily cycle of services consists of the following:

• Vespers (chanted at sunset, which is when the liturgical day begins, following the ancient Jewish tradition)
• Compline (the last prayer before sleep)
• Midnight Office (a monastic office which is chanted in the middle of the night, or early in the morning)
• Matins (the morning office—and the longest of the day—which traditionally ends as the sun is rising)
• First Hour (chanted at the rising of the sun)
• Third Hour (chanted at the third hour of the day—approximately 9:00 am)
• Sixth Hour (chanted at noon)
• Ninth Hour (chanted at the ninth hour of the day—approximately 3:00 pm)

The Divine Liturgy is not ennumerated among these services of the daily cycle because the Liturgy is considered to exist outside of time. Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Compline (ˈkɒmplɪn also Complin, Night Prayer, Prayers at the End of the Day) is the final church service (or Office) of the day in the The Midnight Office ( Greek: Μεσονύκτικον, Mesonýtikon; Slavonic: Полуношница, Polúnoshnitsa; Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Prime, or the First Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the traditional Divine Office (Canonical Hours said at the first hour of daylight (approximately 600 a Terce, or Third Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of almost all the Christian liturgies Sext, or Sixth Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of almost all the traditional Christian liturgies None, or the Ninth Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of almost all the traditional Christian liturgies

On the Great Feasts of the liturgical year as well as on certain feast days (and in the Slavic tradition, on every Saturday night) there is a particularly solemn service called the All-Night Vigil which combines Vespers, Matins and First Hour with special additions into a single long service. The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints For the musical setting by Rachmaninoff, see All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox

All of these services are considered communal prayer, and there are in addition Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers, as well as numerous devotional services, such as Akathists, Canons, Molebens, Panikhidas, etc. The Akathist Hymn (Ἀκάθιστος Ύμνος unseated hymn) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian Hymn dedicated to a Saint, holy A canon is a structured Hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services A molében ( Slavonic: молебен also called a molieben, service of intercession, or service of supplication, is a supplicatory The service In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed to comfort the living which are either prayed by the individual privately or are served on behalf of an individual or group rather than the entire local church. The most important of the private prayers is the Jesus Prayer (Prayer of the Heart) and the entire Hesychastic tradition that has grown up around it. The Jesus Prayer, also called the Prayer of the Heart, is a short formulaic prayer often uttered repeatedly The Jesus Prayer, also called the Prayer of the Heart, is a short formulaic prayer often uttered repeatedly Hesychasm ( Greek hesychasmos, from hesychia, "stillness rest quiet silence" is an Eremitic tradition of Prayer in

Calendar

Main article: Orthodox liturgical calendar

The fixed portion of the liturgical year begins on September 1. There is also a moveable Paschal cycle which is fixed according to the date of Pascha (Easter), by far the most imporatant day of the entire year. The Paschal cycle in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches is the cycle of the Moveable feasts built around Pascha (Easter Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. The interplay of these two cycles, plus other lesser cycles influences the manner in which the services are celebrated on a day to day level throughout the entire year.

Traditionally, the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches used the Julian Calendar to calculate their feast days. The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and came into force in 45 BC (709 Ab urbe condita Beginning in 1924 the Patriarchate of Constantinople made an adjustment to their liturgical year to bring the fixed cycle in conformity to the modern Gregorian Calendar. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. History Early history Christianity in Byzantium existed from the time of the Twelve Apostles, but it was in the year 330 that the Roman Emperor The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today The Paschal cycle, however, continued to be calculated according to the Julian Calendar. This composit calendar is known as the Revised Julian Calendar. The Revised Julian calendar or less formally New Calendar, is a Calendar scheme originated in 1923 which effectively discontinued the 340 years of divergence between Constantinople's example was followed by the Church of Greece as well as a number of other autocephalous churches. The Church of Greece ( Greek: Ekklēsía tês Helládos, ekliˈsia tis eˈlaðos is one of the fifteen Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Today, some churches continue to follow the Julian Calendar while others follow the Revised Julian Calendar. Only the Orthodox Church of Finland has adopted the Western calculation of the date of Pascha (see computus); all other Orthodox Churches, and a number of Eastern Catholic Churches, celebrate Pascha at the same time, according to the ancient rules. Structure and organization Along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland the Orthodox Church of Finland has a special position in Finnish law Computus ( Latin for Computation) is the Calculation of the date of Easter in the Christian calendar.

List of Churches of Byzantine liturgical tradition

Eastern Orthodox Churches

Only autocephalous (self-heading) churches are listed; autonomous churches are considered under their mother churches. Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Autonomy ( Greek: Auto- Nomos - nomos meaning "law" one who gives oneself his/her own Law) is the right to Self-government Those churches which follow the Julian Calendar are marked with *

• Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
• Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
• Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem*
• Russian Orthodox Church*
• Serbian Orthodox Church*
• Romanian Orthodox Church
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church
• Georgian Orthodox Church*
• Cypriot Orthodox Church
• Church of Greece
• Albanian Orthodox Church
• Polish Orthodox Church
• Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Church in America

Greek-Catholic Churches

These Particular Churches are considered sui iuris churches in full communion with the Holy See

• Albanian Greek-Catholic Church
• Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
• Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
• Croatian Greek Catholic Church
• Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
• Melkite Greek Catholic Church
• Hungarian Greek Catholic Church
• Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
• Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
• Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic
• Russian Catholic Church
• Ruthenian Catholic Church
• Slovak Greek Catholic Church
• Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Note: Georgian Byzantine-Rite Catholics are not recognized as a particular Church (cf. History Early history Christianity in Byzantium existed from the time of the Twelve Apostles, but it was in the year 330 that the Roman Emperor The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, also known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa ( Greek:) is one of the autocephalous The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, also known as the Eastern Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Patriarchate The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem ( Greek: Patriarcheîon Hierosolýmōn, Arabic كنيسة الروم الأرثوذكس في القدس See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Serbian Orthodox Church ( Serbian: Српска Православна Црква / Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Българска православна църква Bălgarska pravoslavna cărkva) is an Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church Christianity in ancient and feudal Georgia According to tradition when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospel to the nations of the world the Apostle The ancient Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus ( Greek: Ekklēsía tês Kýprou) is one of the fourteen or fifteen independent (' autocephalous The Church of Greece ( Greek: Ekklēsía tês Helládos, ekliˈsia tis eˈlaðos is one of the fifteen Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania ( Albanian: Kisha Orthodhokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë) is one of the newest autocephalous Eastern History The establishment of the church was undertaken after the Treaty of Riga left large amount of territory previously under the Russian Empire, as part The Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church ( Czechoslovak Orthodox Church up to 1993 in Czech Pravoslavná církev, in Slovak Pravoslávna cirkev The Orthodox Church in America ( OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church in North America. A particular Church is in Catholic theology and canon law, an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognized as the equivalent of a bishop Sui iuris, commonly also spelled sui juris, is a Latin phrase that literally means “of one’s own right” The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic The Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church is an autonomous Byzantine Rite Particular Church in communion with Rome, whose members live in Albania The Belarusian Greek Catholic Church (Belaruskaya Hreka-Katalickaya Carkva BHKC) sometimes called in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the Belarusian Byzantine The Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite Sui juris Particular Church of the Catholic Church. The Croatian Byzantine Catholic Church or Croatian Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church Sui iuris of the Byzantine Rite. The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church is a Sui iuris Particular Church within the Catholic Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite Meaning of church name Melkite comes from the Syriac word malko for "imperial" which was originally a Pejorative term for Middle-Eastern The Hungarian Greek Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite Sui juris Particular Church of the Catholic Church that uses Hungarian The Italo-Greek Catholic Church, also known as the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite Sui juris particular Church The Macedonian Catholic Church, called the Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite Sui juris particular church within the communion The Romanian Church United with Rome Greek-Catholic (Biserica Română Unită cu Roma Greco-Catolică is an Eastern Rite or Greek-Catholic Church ranked as a Major The Russian Catholic Church (Российская греко-католическая церковь is a Byzantine Rite church Sui juris of the The Ruthenian Catholic Church is a Sui iuris (ie self-governing Catholic Church (see Particular Church) which uses the Divine Liturgy of The Slovak Greek Catholic Church, or Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite Particular Church of the Catholic Church in Full History Before the Union of Brest See also History of Christianity in Ukraine The Ukrainian Catholic church did not exist as such until the A particular Church is in Catholic theology and canon law, an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognized as the equivalent of a bishop canon 27 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches).

Notes

Books

• Robert F. Taft, The Byzantine Rite. A Short History. Liturgical Press, Collegeville 1992, ISBN 0-8146-2163-5
• Hugh Wybrew, The Orthodox Liturgy. The Development of the Eucharistic Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite, SPCK, London 1989, ISBN 0-281-04416-3
• Hans-Joachim Schulz, Die byzantinische Liturgie : Glaubenszeugnis und Symbolgestalt, 3. , völlig überarb. und aktualisierte Aufl. Paulinus, Trier 2000, ISBN 3-7902-1405-1
• Robert A. Taft, A History of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Pontificio Istituto Orientale, Roma 1978-2000 (3 volumes, of the planned 6, have appeared)

See also

Other Eastern liturgical rites:

• Alexandrian Rite
• Antiochene Rite
• Armenian Rite
• East Syrian Rite

External links

• The Divine Music Project Thousands of pages of Byzantine music in English for Byzantine rite services
• Byzantines.net - Short article explaining details of the Byzantine Rite
• Fr. The Alexandrian Rite is officially called the Liturgy of Saint Mark, traditionally regarded as the first bishop of Alexandria Antiochene Rite designates the family of liturgies originally used in the Patriarchate of Antioch: that of the Apostolic Constitutions; then that of The Armenian Rite is an independent Liturgy. This rite is used by both the Armenian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Catholic Church. The East Syrian Rite is also known as the Chaldean Rite, Assyrian Rite, or Persian Rite although it originated in Edessa. Ronald Roberson’s book The Eastern Christian Churches – A Brief Survey is the most up-to-date primer on these churches, available on-line at Catholic Near-East Welfare Association (CNEWA).
• "The Rite of Constantinople". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  
• Penn State University Byzantine Catholic Campus Ministry
• Rites of the Catholic Church Giga-catholic Website

Autocephalous and Autonomous Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy

Autocephalous Churches

Four Ancient Patriarchates: Constantinople | Alexandria | Antioch | Jerusalem Russia | Serbia | Romania | Bulgaria | Georgia Cyprus | Greece | Poland | Albania | Czechia and Slovakia | OCA*

Autonomous Churches

Sinai* | Finland | Estonia* | Japan* | China* | Ukraine | Western Europe* | Bessarabia* | Moldova | Ohrid* | ROCOR**

The * designates a church whose autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized. This article covers the organization of the Eastern Orthodox Churches rather than the doctrines traditions practices or other aspects of Eastern Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Pentarchy is a Greek -derived word meaning "rule by five" A patriarchate is the Office or jurisdiction of a Patriarch. A patriarch as the term is used here is either one of the highest-ranking History Early history Christianity in Byzantium existed from the time of the Twelve Apostles, but it was in the year 330 that the Roman Emperor The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, also known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa ( Greek:) is one of the autocephalous The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, also known as the Eastern Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Patriarchate The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem ( Greek: Patriarcheîon Hierosolýmōn, Arabic كنيسة الروم الأرثوذكس في القدس See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Serbian Orthodox Church ( Serbian: Српска Православна Црква / Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Българска православна църква Bălgarska pravoslavna cărkva) is an Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church Christianity in ancient and feudal Georgia According to tradition when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospel to the nations of the world the Apostle The ancient Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus ( Greek: Ekklēsía tês Kýprou) is one of the fourteen or fifteen independent (' autocephalous The Church of Greece ( Greek: Ekklēsía tês Helládos, ekliˈsia tis eˈlaðos is one of the fifteen Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches History The establishment of the church was undertaken after the Treaty of Riga left large amount of territory previously under the Russian Empire, as part The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania ( Albanian: Kisha Orthodhokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë) is one of the newest autocephalous Eastern The Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church ( Czechoslovak Orthodox Church up to 1993 in Czech Pravoslavná církev, in Slovak Pravoslávna cirkev The Orthodox Church in America ( OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church in North America. Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Saint Catherine's Monastery ( Greek:) on the Sinai Peninsula, at the mouth of an inaccessible gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt is one Structure and organization Along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland the Orthodox Church of Finland has a special position in Finnish law The Japanese Orthodox Church (日本ハリストス正教会 is an autonomous The Chinese Orthodox Church is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox church in China, which prior to the Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1966 was estimated Name For the purpose of distinguishing the two Orthodox Churches the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is often referred to in public as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate The Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe is an Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Russian Orthodox The Metropolis of Bessarabia is one of the metropoles of the Romanian Orthodox Church, aside from the six metropoles inside Romania proper Relation with the Metropolis of Bessarabia In the lead up to the independence of Moldova the Romanian society and by the Romanian Orthodox Church encouraged unification with The Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric (Православна Охридска Архиепископија Pravoslavna Ohridska Arhiepiskopija) is an autonomous Eastern The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (Ру́сская Правосла́вная Це́рковь Заграни́цей ru Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov' Zagranitsey The ** designates a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure

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