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The Holy Synod Decisions on Rites In English

minatasgeelminatasgeel
edited May 2017 in Coptic Orthodox Church
If anyone is interested, the following facebook page is currently working on translating rites-related decision that the Synod had taken since 1988 into english:

I recommend those who have facebook accounts, like or follow the page for more translations as they are posted. Currently, there are posts for the following years:

Comments

  • minasolimanminasoliman
    I know this is minor, but the Church tradition does believe Peter and Paul were the greatest Apostles. Why the change?
  • minatasgeelminatasgeel
    Interesting point. So here is what I found concerning this:
    - The original text in Fr. Abdel-Masseh Muharaq book had (that's because the newest version has the edited one): "pianjwj `cnau `nni`apoctoloc" - "هامتا الرُّسُل"
    --piangog, according to Moawad Dawood Coptic Dictionary, means head, chief, رأس, رئيس
    --The word هامتا, singular is هامة, meaning can be found here in arabic: http://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-ar/هامة/
    It refers to the highest part of the head, or the head of a village or a people...i have to say i didn't know the meaning of the word right away. 
    --In SUS Liturgy book 1st: in the coptic they said `panjwj, the arabic they just said "الرسولان", and in english they said "foremost among the apostles"
    --In SUS Liturgy book 2nd: a bit more interesting, they took out `panjwj in the coptic, added "المتقدمان في الرسل" (which is kind of a translation of the eng in the 1st ed), and in english they just said "the apostles"

    All that being said, i think we just needed to take out all references to St. Peter's Primacy. Something similar was done to the Patriarch's doxology, atleast from what i hear whenever C Ibrahim chants it in vespers, but i like to always stick to El-baramous' Psalmody, with just one change of replacing Aaron to Melchizedek, referring to which order is the current priesthood is established. 
  • minasolimanminasoliman
    edited May 2017
    Well, I think we need to be careful here. I understand the danger of Petrine Primacy poured over into a particular bishop out of bishops (like the Latin pope), but we need to be honest that the greatness/primacy of Peter is not transferred to Rome alone, but to all bishops and priests who profess the Orthdodox faith. That's why Peter has a primacy. Rather than deny Peter the primacy that is confessed by many Church fathers, we deny that this primacy is transferred over to only one bishop. So the Pope of Alexandria is also an equal inherent of Petrine Primacy as Rome and any other bishop, but with an Orthodox confession.

    I noticed in other ways, HH Pope Shenouda denied that the gospel and ministry of St. Mark is connected in some way by the authority of St. Peter sending and teaching St. Mark. I think that's a mistake that has no basis, even with medieval Copto-Arabic literature like Abba Severus of Al-Ashmumein, who did write in the biography of St. Mark that the gospel was indeed guided by St. Peter and that St. Peter did give St. Mark the evangelical duties to Alexandria.
  • ophadeceophadece
    Ekhrestos anesty
    Very well said @minasoliman
    Oujai khan ebshois
  • Daniel_Kyrillos
    edited June 2017
    `<rictoc Anecty ouoh Afsenaf
    Regarding one of these links, I see that it mentions an Archpsaltos... does anyone know where that is? That decision is from 1994 and I am curious as to what's the current standing on adding another deacon rank.
  • minatasgeelminatasgeel
    @Daniel_Kyrillos...That rank was not "created" by that decision in 1994. The rank has been there for sometime...probably as old as the Psaltos/Psalmist rank. Pope Shenouda just pushed to revive it with the Psaltos rank (which he wrote 2 prayers for, while there was one already set).
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