LITURGIES

LITURGIES. The Orthodox Church has known many liturgies or “rites” in its history. In the East these have included-and do include among the Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Churches (qq.v.)-the liturgies of SS. Addai and Mari (East Syria), James (West Syria) of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Indian churches, and in the West the varieties of the Latin rite (q.v.). In contemporary Orthodox use there are two liturgies or texts for the Eucharist: the Liturgy of St. Joh n Chrysostom and of St. Basil the Great (qq.v.). The differences between them, however, are confined largely to their respective texts of the prayers said by the priest from the offertory through the thanksgiving after communion. Chrysostom’s is the one more often used, with Basil’s being prescribed on ten occasions during the year. In addition, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (Vespers together with communion from a reserved host) traditionally ascribed to Pope Gregory the Great (d. 610), is prescribed for Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent (q.v.) and the first three days of Holy Week. In recent times there have been attempts to revive the occasional use of other forms of the eucharistic liturgy, including those ascribed to St. James and St. Mark. These efforts have largely been limited to academic circles in Greece, in particular the Theological Faculty of the University of Thessalonica under Professor J. M. Foundoulis.