Alexandrian Rite

Alexandrian rite or Alexandrian liturgy is called the Christian worship in the early Church Patriarchate of Alexandria and its successor churches: the two Alexandrian Patriarchs of the Copts and the ( Greek Orthodox ) Chalcedonenser ( latter day each with smaller Catholic Sister Churches ), today Patriarchates of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Coptic and Ethiopian church liturgy historically have taken their own individual development, so that even a " Coptic rite " and one can speak " Ethiopian rite ." Under Gone is the daughter church of Alexandria in Nubia, of whose worship only monumental and written sources ( churches, book fragments and inscriptions ) have received.

The basic language Alexandrian Egyptian liturgy and remained Greek. Even in late antiquity were several Coptic languages ​​added in the mission areas, the Nubian and Ethiopian. After the Arabisation of Egypt, Arabic was added for the biblical and hagiographical readings and used in the priestly prayer books as an aid to understanding in Marginal translations. In modern times, the Arabian is also increasingly used in texts of the community to bear.

Liturgical history

The beginnings of Christian worship in Alexandria are as dark as the origins of his Christian community. Striking are some similarities with the early city of the Roman liturgy.

The "classic" Alexandrian Egyptian liturgy of the Church Fathers time we know mainly through:

  • Scattered references in the patristic literature,
  • An ever increasing number papyrologischer documents ( papyri, ostraca, limestone, wood panels ) and
  • Prayer three collections: that in a mixed code of the 4th century traditional small Euchologion the collection R. Roca -Puig († 2001), formerly in Barcelona, now in the Abadia de Montserrat ( P. Monts. Roca 1)
  • The Serapion - Euchologion ( German translation )
  • The excerpts of the Alexandrian Euchologions, therein creating a comprehensive baptismal register, the special property of the Ethiopian Apostolic Tradition.

A new liturgy historical situation arises with the cleavage of the Alexandrian Christianity in Egypt:

  • The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, the followers of the Council of Chalcedon ( " Melkites " ) and
  • Both Greeks and Copts comprehensive majority faction that follows in its Christology Severus of Antioch († 538 in Egypt) and operates today as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.

The early church inherited Alexandrian rite is now maintained by two very different groups and developed each in its own way:

  • The Chalcedonensern in and around Alexandria ( " Alexandrian Melkite Liturgy" ), as well as
  • Christians in Nubia, which - although denominational and organizationally connected to the Koptenpatriarchat - their church history exclusively used for the duration in the priestly prayers in worship Greek.

In contrast, leads the growing of Copts and the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria dominated the opponents of the Council of Chalcedon not the liturgical traditions of the undivided Alexandrian Egyptian Church unabated. Rather, it developed its own liturgical order in which Alexandrian Egyptian " Heimatgut " with imported texts from neighboring churches, particularly from Syria, and with reading fruits from the pseudapostolic literature connects: the Coptic rite.

With wider adoption of Byzantine- Constantinopolitan liturgy by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and the demise of Christianity in Nubia, the pure Alexandrian rite gets a few remnants disuse.

The celebrations

Eucharist

The educated in Alexandria tradition form of the Eucharistic celebration is named after the revered as a church founder Evangelist Markos liturgy with Markos - anaphora as Eucharistic Prayer. In the liturgy of the Copts both bear the name of the patriarch Cyril of Alexandria. Off late antique and early Islamic times, a number of fragments have been preserved on papyrus. The entire liturgy testify medieval manuscripts in Greek ( both from chalcedonensischem like Coptic milieu ) and various Coptic and Arabic translations.

Myronweihe

The Church of Alexandria took over from Antioch the customary there since the 2nd half of the 5th century ceremonial form of the consecration of St. Myron. She stayed after the church split in two factions, the Melkites, such as the Copts, as usual. The Alexandrian Melkite liturgy is preserved only in manuscript. Was published a patchy Witness in a southern Italian manuscript of the 12th century:

Byzantine Rite
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