Holidays, rituals and sacraments in the life of Christians in Belarus Vereshchagina Alexandra Vladimirovna

1.3. Catholic holidays

Catholics celebrate holidays according to the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted in 1582 on the initiative of Pope Gregory XIII. The Roman Catholic liturgical year, which determines the location of religious holidays and services, consists of 365 days (or 52 weeks). It contains two types of holidays: non-transitionable and transferable. The former are assigned to certain dates of the year, the latter change their place in the civil (Gregorian) calendar every year. Moving holidays always fall in the spring season, depending on the date of celebration of the main Christian Catholic holiday - Easter, the onset of which is calculated according to the lunar calendar. In total, the liturgical (Catholic) year is divided into three parts, each of which should remind believers of the most important events in church history. In addition to dividing the year into three parts, the church maintains its division into weeks, each of which in turn is divided into days of special significance for the church. Thus, Sunday is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Monday to the Holy Angels, Wednesday to St. Joseph, Thursday - in memory of the torment of Jesus Christ, Friday is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

There is another classification of holidays in the Catholic calendar. All holidays are divided into four groups. The first, called “Dublicia primae classis,” includes such holidays as the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany (Epiphany), Annunciation, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph, the Nativity of the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, the Dormition of the Mother of God, the feast of Her Immaculate Conception, the feast of All Saints, the day of the consecration of a given church and the day of the temple feast, that is, the holiday or day of the saint to which the temple is dedicated.

The group “Dublicia secundae classis” includes the following holidays: Circumcision of the Lord, Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, Feast of the Holy Trinity, Feast of the Holy Blood of Jesus, Finding of the Precious Cross, Presentation, Visit of the Mother of God to Righteous Elizabeth, Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Seven Torment of the Virgin Mary, etc. The category “Dublicia majora” includes: the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Exaltation of the Cross, the feast of Our Lady of Carmel, the feast of St. Guardian Angels, Beheading of John the Baptist, Conversion of Saul-Paul, Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and others. The “Simplicia” group includes all other holidays.

According to Catholic tradition, there are three most important holidays - Christmas, Easter and the Message of the Holy Spirit, which are joined by other holidays dedicated to the main Roman Catholic dogmas, events of church history and the memory of saints. The liturgical year begins with Advent, the period of pre-Christmas Lent (from the Latin adventus - “coming”). It lasts about four weeks (i.e. three full weeks plus one to six days) from the first Sunday after Saint's Day. Andrey (November 30). Catholics strictly observe fasting. At this time, believers eat only Lenten dishes: fish, mushrooms, etc. Fasting should prepare believers for the festive celebrations of the Nativity of Christ on December 25, the most joyful and important in the Catholic calendar.

The family prepared in advance for Christmas (Kolyada): they slaughtered a wild boar, prepared various meat dishes, and the housewife cleaned the hut. According to the old Belarusian tradition, carols were not only the name given to the Nativity of Christ, but also what was given to the priest, who during the holidays visited the homes of believers, regardless of their property or class. As the Belarusian ethnographer of the 19th century wrote. A. Kirkor, the priest visited every house, both the master's and the peasant's, which is why they said: “priest edze pa kalendze”, “khadzitsi ci begatsi pa kalendze”. This meant collecting holiday offerings (mostly pork).

The Christmas holiday began on December 24th “kutstoy”. Having washed in the bathhouse the day before, after sunset the whole family gathered in the house. They spread hay on the table, covered it with a white tablecloth, and placed pre-prepared dishes with kutia made from buckwheat, barley, wheat, peas, rye, and pancakes. Back in the 19th century. A necessary accessory for kutya was honey. Kutya stood on the table throughout the meal. Oatmeal jelly and satu were served at the end of the meal. Each dish of kutya was covered with a circle of scarf with the image of the Savior, symbols of faith, the Mother of God and St. Joseph. The family meal began with prayer. Everyone knelt down and prayed. Before sitting down at the table, the hostess took the payment, approached each of those present, starting with the owner, broke off a piece, and everyone ate the payment, congratulating each other on the holiday. In the interval between meals, they pulled a stalk of hay from under the tablecloth and tried to determine by its length how long the flax would grow. Nowadays, after a meal, they sing carol songs and begin to decorate the Christmas tree with toys. On Kolyada, children received gifts “from St. Nicholas.”

Since the time of Francis of Assisi (13th century), in Catholic churches, including in Belarus, mangers - models in glass boxes depicting a grotto - have been displayed for the worship of believers for the holiday. In the manger lies the baby Jesus, next to the Mother of God, Joseph, an angel, shepherds who came to worship, as well as animals - a bull and a donkey. Scenes from folk life are depicted: peasants in folk costumes are placed next to the holy family, etc. At Christmas, three festive liturgies (imshi) are held in churches: at midnight, in the morning and in the afternoon, which symbolizes the birth of Christ in the bosom of God the Father, in the womb Mother of God and in the soul of the believer. The Church teaches that the birth of Christ opened the possibility of soul salvation and eternal life for every parishioner. The first festive liturgy usually takes place at midnight and is called “pasterka”, as it should remind of those shepherds who were the first to learn from the angel about the birth of Jesus and went to worship Him. The second day of Christmas is dedicated to St. Stephen, the first martyr, and the third day - St. John the Apostle. During this day, in some churches in Belarus they consecrate wine and give parishioners to drink.

In general, the customs dedicated to Christmas extend to all twelve days of the holiday (carol cycle). In this cycle, separate days are distinguished: December 28 - “the day of innocent babies”, according to the church canon it became a children's holiday; December 31st – St. Sylvester; January 1 is New Year's Day. Many folk rituals of New Year's Day coincide with Christmas ones. They believe that future well-being depends on how the New Year is celebrated, so it is customary to have a gala dinner on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day, Kutia was repeated, with sausages and many other dishes, which is why its name “Shchodraya” came about.

On the eighth day of the Christmas holidays, a holiday is celebrated in memory of the fact that the born Child of God received the name Jesus. The secular New Year begins with this holiday. Some churches hold a solemn service to “thank God for all his mercies and ask for blessings in the new year.”

Catholics end the winter cycle of holidays with the day of Epiphany, or “Three Kings,” on January 6th. On the eve of the holiday, the third Kutia, “Lenten”, is organized, and until the evening blessing of the water, believers adhered to strict fasting. At the feast of the “Three Kings” in the church, the gospel event is remembered, when three kings from the east came to greet Christ. The celebration of Epiphany consists of attending a solemn mass in the church and a family dinner after midnight. During the festive liturgy, gold, incense and myrrh are blessed in memory of the gifts that the three kings brought to Jesus in Bethlehem. In memory of the appearance of Christ to the pagans and the veneration of the three kings, thanksgiving prayers are performed in churches; gold is sacrificed to Christ as a king, incense is sacrificed to God, and ointment is sacrificed to man. According to legend, “gold means mercy, incense means prayer, myrrh means peace.” During the holiday, chalk is blessed, with which, after the service, believers write the names of three kings on the doors of their houses: K, M, V (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar). It is believed that sprinkling houses with holy water and writing the names of the Magi in chalk will give believers “health to the body and salvation to the soul,” and will also protect them from the evil eye and witchcraft. The chalk was subsequently preserved for a whole year and used as a medicine, with wine, for stomach diseases.

During the following winter months, Catholics celebrate several holidays, including Carnival, which culminates in the last three days before Lent - Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. February 2 marks the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, which is also called the Mother of God

Gromnichnaya. During the procession, the priest blesses wax candles, which are called loud candles and are lit during the procession. This holiday is also celebrated by the Orthodox on February 15th. The veneration of loud candles and their use was almost the same among Catholics and Orthodox Christians in Belarus. Gromnitsa was used by peasants as a talisman against witchcraft and witches, against the evil eye and disease. For this purpose, back in the 19th century. Upon arrival from church, the peasants lightly burned the hair on the heads of all family members with a candle. The loudspeaker was used as a talisman when the midwife accepted a newborn, at his baptism, during wedding ceremonies (conspiracy, seating of the bride and groom), and at the death of a person. The grenade, which was given into the hands of a dying person, was especially important. It was believed that it cleanses a person from earthly sins, burning them; brings the soul out of the body and shows it the way to heaven; scares away evil spirits; helps extinguish life in a dying person; informs God about the death of a person. There were many signs and beliefs associated with the thunderstorm. With the help of a thunderbolt they guessed (whose candle goes out first in the temple, he will die first). It served as a talisman for livestock, protecting it from death and epizootics; protected people from thunder and lightning. The peasants believed that the hut where the thunderbolt was lit was protected from lightning, from divination, witches and sorcerers. The gromnitsa was lit and people were fumigated with it for various acute diseases. It was used on Grandfathers, Kolyada and Epiphany, during the first herding of cattle into the field, while walking around residential and outbuildings on Kupala, Kolyada and Epiphany; during the Easter meal.

On February 5, Belarusian Catholics celebrate St. Agates perform church services and consecrate bread. On February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated. On this day, in the town of Lourdes in France, according to legend, the Mother of God miraculously appeared to the poor shepherdess Bernardette Soubirous. These phenomena were repeated 18 times and in each of them the believers were called to prayer and repentance. On the same day, the World Day of the Sick is celebrated, established in 1992 by Pope John Paul II so that “the entire Church concentrates its attention on those who suffer in soul and body” and prays for their healing.

In the Catholic calendar, there is a separate group of holidays and rituals that precede the Easter holiday (“Valikdzen”, “Velkanots”, “Zmartykhstanne Chrystus”, “Deadlypaustanne Pan Jesus”). First of all, these are the forty days that are called Great Lent. It was installed in memory of the forty-day fast of Jesus Christ in the desert. On Wednesday of the first week of Lent, on Popelets, before the service, the priest sanctifies the ashes and sprinkles them on the heads of the believers, saying: “Remember, man, that you rose from the earth and will become the earth.” Catholics strictly adhere to six weeks of fasting. During this period, special services take place in churches, which consist of “science”, pious songs about the torment of Jesus Christ (“Bitter Stings”), and religious processions called the “road of the cross” (stacii) are held. During the period of Lent, the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) is celebrated, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

During Lent, services are held in memory of the suffering and death of Christ, the theme of which is the earthly life of Jesus Christ, starting from his entry into Jerusalem. Each day of Holy Week is revered as “Great”. The last Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday. On this day, believers consecrate the willow. Large branches are decorated with sweets, fruits, ribbons and they are called “Vilna palms, ruschevki.” Blessed branches are attached to the head of the bed, at crucifixes, hearths, and in stalls. Dried branches are stored and used as amulets during bad weather, thunderstorms, and illnesses.

On Holy Monday, churches are decorated. On Good Friday, a special image of the risen Christ, the myrrh-bearing women and an angel is installed. From Thursday until noon on Saturday the bells are silent. The most mourning days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The behavior of believers these days is determined by strict regulations. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy Week there is a special service. On Maundy Thursday, the church remembers an event dedicated to the sacrament of communion. On this day, in every church during the service, believers receive communion (receive the Holy Communion), and then with a procession the Holy Gifts are transferred to a special church room. On Good, or Holy, Friday, believers remember the events associated with the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. During services, clergy wear black clothes. There are no services on this day. The priest says prayers not only for Christians, but “also for Jews, Muslims, infidels, for Christ accepted death on the cross for all people.” After these prayers, the rite of adoration (adoracija) is performed - veneration of the cross. Then the priest takes the Holy Gifts to the coffin built in the church, symbolizing the coffin with the body of Christ.

Early in the morning on Holy Saturday, the first ceremony in churches is the consecration of the fire, which is lit in front of the doors of the church. After this, the priest returns to the church, where he blesses the paschal - a large wax candle, and then blesses the water intended for baptism. The fire is carried home and Easter candles are lit. The wax of the Easter candle is considered miraculous, protecting against evil forces. On the evening of Holy Saturday or early in the morning of Easter Sunday, an all-night vigil is served in all churches. This service is the main rite of the holiday and is called resurekcija, which means “rising from the grave.” The service consists of several psalms that are sung near the coffin, and a procession that circles the church three times, with believers carrying symbols of the ritual: figures of the Savior and a cross tied with a red ribbon. Christians of the first centuries celebrated Easter for a whole week, but later in the Catholic Church only the first two days began to be considered holidays.

On Holy Saturday, Easter dishes are also blessed. Eggs, bread, salt and other ritual dishes are brought to the church to be blessed (“sventsiets”). After the service in the church, they begin their meal and eat “svyantsonae”. Everyone breaks their fast first of all with eggs. The eldest in the family peels one of the blessed eggs and cuts it into several pieces according to the number of family members present at the table. Everyone, having crossed himself, eats his piece with salt. Hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes are the most important ritual Easter food. They prefer to paint eggs red and paint them using a variety of techniques. Relatives and friends exchange colored eggs, godparents give them to their children-godsons, girls give them to their lovers in exchange for willow. Then they move on to other dishes. At Easter they bake pies and prepare meat dishes: sausages, ham, “kvashanina”, etc.

Ethnographers of the 19th century noted that Bright Sunday of Christ is a favorite holiday among the people. For the most part, everyone adhered to the fast, so they looked forward to the holiday, for which each family tried to prepare everything “svyantsonae”. Among the peasants, the necessary accessories for “svyantsonag” were eggs painted with red paint, Easter cake, cheeses and sausages. More prosperous peasants prepared pig meat, ham, etc. All this was placed in boxes (baskets) and at night the believers went to the church, where after the all-night vigil the priest consecrated the “svyantsonae”, part of which was left right there for the priest and the parable. The Great Night for Catholics or the Great Day for Orthodox Christians in Belarus was accompanied by gunfire or mortars (igot), and tar barrels were lit near the temple. The whole village was on its feet, joy and fun reigned everywhere. Upon returning home from the temple, each family began to break their fast, the hostess cut an egg into several pieces and served it to each of those present, and then proceeded to meat dishes and “garelka”. Previously, they celebrated for four days, and the last day was called “Ludovaga”. In every village, Easter games were organized - beating and rolling eggs from splints, swings, sang singing songs, etc.

When meeting on this day, the following words of greeting are said: “Christ has become dead” (“Christ has risen”). To which they receive the answer: “Pravdzive rose” (“Truly risen”). Easter is a favorite holiday among Catholics and is accompanied, in addition to the festive feast, by games, rituals, the exchange of gifts, and mutual visits from relatives and guests. The holiday was especially bright and fun in the villages. Children visited their godparents, they were treated to delicacies, given gifts and were always given colored eggs. According to the description of modern ethnographers (T. A. Novogrodsky), among modern Easter entertainment, the most popular are games with colored eggs: they are thrown at each other, rolled on an inclined plane, broken, scattering the shells, etc. Adults and children fought with colored eggs into cue balls, swinging them from a shovel or from a hill, etc.

In the evening, volochebniks (“alaloiniki”, “glykalniki”) walked around the courtyards, singing religious songs (“holy songs”). It was believed that walking around the yards brought fertility to livestock, yields to the fields, and protected the farmstead from various natural elements. Under the windows, volochniks sang songs in which the owner and his family were glorified. After the end of the song, the owners treated them to eggs, sausage, pies and other Easter dishes. Throughout Easter week they attend services in churches.

Forty days after Easter, the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated (“Adyhodu Panskaga da nebo”, Unebaustuplennie). On the altar during the service there is an Easter egg, which symbolizes Jesus and should recall the gospel testimony of the ascension of Christ.

The third part of the church year begins with the feast of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost, the Message of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles), which is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The holiday also has another name - Green Christmastide, since on this day believers decorate churches and houses with greenery. On the eve of the holiday, a short fast is held “so that believers are better prepared to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” In the 19th century On Trinity night there was the first outing of shepherds and horses into the field. The “night shelters” had a special meal, with bonfires lit, with scrambled eggs and games. An even more solemn holiday was held on the night before Spirits Day. According to ancient custom, on the occasion of the Trinity, not only the streets and houses are decorated inside and out with young birch trees, but even the horns of livestock are entwined with greenery.

On the first Thursday after Pentecost, the great Catholic feast of the Body of God, or Eucharist (Corpus Domini, Corpus Cristi) is celebrated. It was introduced into the Catholic calendar by Pope Urban IV in 1264 with a special bull to “confront the atheism and madness of heretics.” This Catholic holiday was officially established in memory of the establishment of the sacrament of communion (Eucharist) by Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church views the Eucharist as a sacred gift left by Christ to his church. This holiday is solemnly celebrated by all Catholics. On this day, mass processions are organized to the ringing of bells with hymns of praise, with candles and banners in their hands. The priest walks at the head and carries the tabernacle “with Christ” under the canopy. The processions are furnished with special pomp; along the way, garlands of flowers are stretched across the streets, the balconies of nearby houses are decorated with greenery, flowers and carpets, and the road is covered with fresh flowers. The Gospel is read at four altars in the open air, then everyone goes to the church for the festive liturgy.

The Catholic calendar especially highlights a group of holidays established in honor of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and saints. The holidays established in honor of Jesus include the holidays of the Heart of Jesus, the Name of Jesus, the Finding of the Holy Cross, the Exaltation of the Cross, and the Transfiguration of the Lord (in memory of the transfiguration of the Savior before the apostles on Mount Tabor).

The Feast of the Heart of Jesus Christ (“Naisvjatseyshaga Sertsa Pan Esus”) is the personification of the Catholic cult of the Heart of Jesus, the first information about which dates back to the 11th – 12th centuries. In 1765, Pope Clement XIII confirmed the existence of the Feast of the Heart of Jesus, which is considered a symbol of every believer's hope for salvation.

In honor of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the Church dedicated every Saturday “and the entire most beautiful and pleasant month of the year - May.” There is a cult of the Heart of Mary, which is a symbol of special love for Jesus and salvation - the holiday is dedicated to it. The first information about this holiday dates back to the 12th century. On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII introduced the Feast of the Heart of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church and assigned it the Saturday following the Feast of the Heart of Jesus.

In addition, believers celebrate several of the most important events from the life of the Virgin Mary and church traditions associated with Her. On July 16, the Remembrance of the Most Holy Mary of Mount Carmel is celebrated (“Uspamine of the Most Holy Mary and Lady of Mount Carmel”). The holiday also has the name of the Mother of God of the Scapular. It is considered the patronal feast of the Carmelites, as the monastic order took its name from Mount Carmel, which was the first place dedicated to the Mother of God. In honor of the veneration of Her ascension, a chapel was erected on the slope of this mountain. The history of the holiday is as follows. In 1251 St. Shimon Stock from England, seeing the danger that threatened the Carmelite Order, asked for help from the Most Holy Virgin. On the night of July 15-16, he had a vision: Mary, surrounded by angels, handed him a scapular and said that this was a symbol of salvation from danger and a privilege for all Carmelites. Anyone who belongs to the fraternity of scapulars wears a scapular (an element of the outer clothing of monks, consisting of two connected pieces of fabric on which the name of the Virgin Mary is embroidered) or a scapular medallion day and night, and also prays to the Virgin Mary and contributes to the expansion of her cult.

On August 15, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary (“Unebauzyatstsia Dzevy Maryi, Matsi Bozhai Zelnay”). Christian theologians, based on the apocryphal cycle “Transitus Mariae”, created a legend that the Mother of God, who died as an ordinary person and was buried in Gethsemane, miraculously ascended to heaven. According to legend, when the grave of the Virgin Mary was opened, instead of Her body they found a bouquet of fresh roses. The holiday dedicated to this event was introduced only by the Eastern Church in the 6th century, when Emperor Maurice ordered the Ascension of the Virgin Mary to be celebrated throughout his entire state on August 15. The continuation was the publication of a decree by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950. The dogma was announced, according to which the Blessed Virgin, after finishing her earthly journey, was taken to heaven “with soul and body for heavenly glory.”

Among Belarusian Catholics, this celebration is complemented by folk rituals, one of which is the blessing of plants (“zelak”). Hence the other name of the holiday - “Matsi Bozhai Zelnay”. Church tradition dates back to this custom from the 10th century, but in fact it is of pagan origin. The Church believes that the ritual of blessing plants comes from the universal human belief in the beneficial therapeutic effects of herbs. Believers begin collecting medicinal herbs only after July 15 and bring them to the church in the form of artistically decorated compositions or dozhinka wreaths. These consecrated wreaths have great value in the minds of believers, since it is believed that they protect the household from the elements and all evil, and also help in the event that “God forbid, someone gets borrowed.”

On October 7, the Catholic Church celebrates the day dedicated to the Mother of God Ruzhantsova (“Uspamin Matsi Bozhai Ruzhantsova”). The holiday was established in 1573 in honor of the victory over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto (1571). The commentary on the Catholic calendar explains that this holiday has been celebrated since ancient times with the help of prayer (ruzhanets), in which they reflected on the mysteries of the life, torment and ascension of Jesus Christ. St. played a major role in spreading the practice of reading Ruzhanets. Dominic (XII-XIII centuries). Ruzhanets (Latin rosarium - “wreath of roses”) is a way of praying using rosaries (beads strung on a thread). It has this name because, when saying a prayer, believers “bring wreaths of our prayers to the Mother of God, just as they brought wreaths of roses to Her.” Ruzhanets is also understood as a double prayer: heart and mind, reflection and verbal prayer. The prayer consists of reflecting on 15 events from the life of Jesus and Mary, which are called “tayamnits” and at the same time saying the prayer “Oycha Nash” 1 time, “Vitay, Maryya” 10 times, “Praise Aytsu” 1 time while reflecting on each of 15 “tayamnits”. Typically, believers strive to recite one of the parts of ruzhanets every day.

The Catholic calendar has days dedicated to the memory of saints who were “distinguished by their holy way of life.” The Church prays to the saints that they would be intercessors of believers before God, and also that they “call upon believers to follow them in a virtuous lifestyle.” In the calendar of Catholics in Belarus, days dedicated to the memory of St. Joseph (Jazepa, March 19), St. John the Baptist (Jan Chryscielja, June 24), St. the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29) and the patrons of the Church, for example St. Casimir, patron of the Catholics of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1521, Pope Leo X declared Prince Casimir a saint. In 1602, Pope Clement XVIII confirmed the canonization of St. Casimir and the liturgy for his feast day. This holiday (“fest”) is celebrated on March 4 and is still held very solemnly in Vilnius (Lithuania). Catholics from Belarus also take part in the holiday. The main patron of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus is St. archangel Michael.

On November 1, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints in order to “honor all the saints on one day, for there would not be enough days in the year to establish a special holiday for each saint.” The day after All Saints, Soulful Day (a holiday of remembrance of the dead) is celebrated, during which a solemn service is held for the souls of the dead (czyscowyja). The Catholic tradition teaches that believers must remember those who have passed away but have not yet achieved heavenly bliss and are in purgatory, where they must be cleansed of their sins in torment. Prayers, good deeds, donations, repentance and other good deeds of the living can shorten the time spent and torment of the soul in purgatory. On Zadushny Day there is a solemn mourning imsha (agzekwji) and a funeral procession. Believers - participants in the procession with prayers and chants (lamentations) go to the cemetery (often not only during the holiday itself, but also on the eve of it). They tidy up the graves, place candles on them, place wreaths and flowers, and express their sadness for the dead in prayers. The whole family goes to the cemetery, lights candles, and prays. The church views participation in All Souls' Day as an important religious duty for believers.

On December 8, the church celebrates one of the main Mother of God holidays - the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (“Urachystast Bezzagannaga Pachatstya Most Holy Mary Panna”). The holiday was established as a result of the announcement on December 8, 1854 by Pope Pius IX of the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. The dogma states that “The Most Holy Virgin Mary, from the first minute of her existence... was protected from all stains of original sin.” According to Catholic doctrine, Mary, conceived without sin, was pure and holy from the first minute of her existence, being the chosen one of the Heavenly Father. During the holiday, a solemn service is held and the hymn “Ave, Maria Stella!” is performed. .

Each parish has its own celebration of the consecration of the church - fest. It is celebrated especially solemnly. Before the construction of the church begins, the bishop or priest sanctifies the place intended for the temple and the corner stone that is placed in the foundation. After construction is completed, the church is consecrated. According to the doctrine, when celebrating this holiday, every believer “should remember the time when there was no reverence in the House of God.” Fests are held especially solemnly in villages. Thus, in the village of Kovaltsy, Minsk region, a holiday dedicated to St. Rohu is the patron saint of the village and the savior from epidemic diseases. The holiday preserved all the details of the ancient ritual - and the tradition of dressing festively, gathering with the whole family at the festive table, and receiving guests. During the holiday, the entire village is surrounded by an icon of St. Roja. All believers take part in the festive procession and donate money and things to the shrine.

In modern Belarus, the tradition of venerating the miraculous icons of the Mother of God, to which holidays are dedicated, has been renewed. On June 7, 1999, Pope John Paul II issued a decree on the coronation of miraculous icons that are revered by Catholics in Belarus: the Brest, Logishinsk and Budslav icons of the Mother of God, the Trokelskaya (in the village of Trokeli, Voronovsky district, Grodno region) and the Congregational (Student) icon. The coronation of miraculous icons was accompanied by festive events throughout Belarus. Thus, on June 30, 1996, about 4 thousand believers from all over Belarus, as well as 1,860 pilgrims from Poland, attended the coronation of the Brest Icon of the Mother of God, which was performed by Cardinal K. Sventak. The coronation of the icon of the Congregational (Student) Mother of God, which is located in the Farny Church of Grodno, took place on August 28, 2005. The coronation of the Logishinskaya icon of the Mother of God solemnly took place on May 10, 1997, the Budslav icon of the Mother of God - on July 2, 1998.

The Budslav church, in which the famous icon is located, was officially recognized by the Vatican as the main Catholic shrine of Belarus, and it was given the status of a minor basilica. In 1998, the Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev, Cardinal Kazimir Sventak, decorated the icon with a special papal crown. This solemn event took place on July 2, a holiday dedicated to the miraculous icon, which annually attracts many pilgrims from Polotsk, Vitebsk, Baranovichi, Borisov and other cities near and far abroad.

To participate in the traditional patronal feast on July 1–2, 2008, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the coronation of the icon of the Mother of God of Budslau, the Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Martin Widovic and all the Catholic bishops of the country, as well as spiritual choirs, were invited. About 30 thousand pilgrims from Minsk, Naroch, Zhodino, Rakov, Radoshkovichi, Vileika, Mogilev, Vitebsk and other settlements of Belarus on the evening of July 1 took part in the evening mass in front of the Budslau Bernardine Church in the Myadel district of the Minsk region. The largest group of pilgrims - about 1,500 people - arrived at the sanctuary of the Mother of God of Budslav from the Vitebsk diocese. In addition, a group of bikers from Poland came to pray for Belarusian Catholics. The program of the holiday included solemn masses, Mary neshpara (glorification of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, during which psalms are sung), akathist, adoration of the Holy Gifts, display of the Holy Communion, processions and litany to the Mother of God. A special feature of the 2008 celebrations is the new prayer “Under the Cover,” which was sounded on the night of July 1–2. The text of the prayer was discovered in the book of Elivtari Zelenkevich - the first book about Budslav, written in the second half of the 18th century. Believers of the Greek Catholic Church also took part in the celebration. In his address to the pilgrims, Metropolitan of Minsk-Mogilev Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz called on participants in the celebrations in Budslau to pray for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Belarus.

The old traditions of venerating miraculous icons and making pilgrimages have been preserved. Many modern pilgrims make a long walk to the relic. For example, Minsk participants in the pilgrimage (“pilgrimki”) to the Budslav shrine on June 27, 1998 gathered in the Cathedral to begin a walking pilgrimage after the service and blessing. In total, there were 160 people in the column, at the head of which, according to canonical tradition, they carried crosses and banners. The oldest pilgrim was 65 years old, the youngest was 6. Along the pilgrimage route, at the entrance to each village, the pilgrims greeted the residents and “glorified God with sonorous psalms accompanied by a guitar and tambourine.” Almost everywhere, pilgrims were hospitably greeted and accommodated for the night. The pilgrims walked 150 km.

As in past centuries, pilgrims head to shrines that have long been revered by Belarusian Catholics - to the Vilna Ostrobramskaya, Zhirovichi, Budslav, Czestochowa icons of the Mother of God. Pilgrimages of Belarusian Catholics to holy places in Rome and Jerusalem have resumed. Thus, in October 1998, the first mass pilgrimage (after a long break during the Soviet period) of Belarusian Catholics to the Vatican and their meeting with the Pope took place. About a thousand believers from different cities and towns of the country were able to receive the Pope’s blessing, and some of them even met him personally. John Paul II first spoke to the pilgrims in Polish and then in Belarusian. Belarusian pilgrims presented the Pope with a copy of the icon of the Mother of God of Budslau, the main relic of Belarusian Catholics.

In the Catholic calendar, there are also so-called jubilee (holy) years - specially designated years of anniversary celebrations of the Catholic Church, which are celebrated periodically. The Holy Year was first celebrated in 1300 by the establishment of Pope Boniface VIII. During that historical period, the Jubilee Year was to be celebrated every 100 years at the beginning of a new century. The Church attached special significance to it, associated with the remission of sins and the deliverance of believers from punishment for them in this world. Later it was decided to celebrate jubilee years every 50 years, then every 33 years (in memory of the earthly life of Christ). As a result, Pope Paul II decreed in 1470 that an ecclesiastical jubilee should be celebrated every 25 years, so that every generation would have the opportunity to take part in the ecclesiastical jubilee. Thus, the tradition arose of celebrating an anniversary year every quarter of a century, which continues to exist in modern times. This tradition is supplemented by specially designated dates in memory of events in church history, for example, 1983 - in memory of the 1950th anniversary of the death and resurrection of the Savior, or 2000 - the year of the birth of Jesus. During anniversary celebrations, the influx of pilgrims increases, especially to Rome, where after performing certain ritual actions (visiting shrines, etc.), believers are given complete absolution.

The following rites usually accompany the festive action and celebrations in the Catholic Church. These are divine services, the most important of which are niespary, litanies (litanii), suplications (suplikacii), novena (nowenny) and hours (hadzinki). Neshparami is a religious service that takes place in the evening. Neshpars “begin with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Greeting, and then proceed to five psalms, a hymn and a prayer, which change every holiday.” On the main holidays, for greater solemnity during imsha and neshpar, the Most Holy Sacrament is displayed on the altar in a monstrance (a liturgical vessel in which hosts are kept). At the same time, a supplication is sung - a prayer in which the priest, taking turns with the believers, asks God for mercy and protection from misfortunes. Litany means a prayer said by the priest together with the people. There are many litanies, but in the festive service only the following prayers are said: Jesus Christ, Heart of Jesus, Mother of God, All Saints and St. Joseph (from the beginning of the twentieth century).

A novena is a prayer that is said over nine days to ask for the help of the Blessed Virgin or some saint. There is a service dedicated to the Most Pure Virgin, which is called the Hours and is sung both in churches and in the homes of believers. There are several types of services dedicated to Jesus Christ: the forty-hour service, “in honor of the Most Holy Sacrament,” the Road of the Cross. During the forty-hour service, the Most Holy Sacrament is exhibited. Believers can receive remission of sins at this time - “release” (wodpust), if they go to church every day, confess, take communion and pray.

There are rituals associated with the veneration of the cross and are included in the festive ritual - this is the wearing by believers of a cross with the image of the crucified Jesus. Crosses are made in large numbers from wood, stone, metal and are placed in churches, cemeteries and along roads. In Belarus, this custom is so widespread that even during the period of the dominance of atheism, the Soviet authorities were unable to destroy it. Thus, among the rural population of the Grodno region in the first half of the 1970s. The old tradition of placing crosses near roads was resumed: old ones were updated, new ones were built. In the Grodno region, the crosses were made of metal pipes on a cement foundation, surrounded by a metal fence. When passing near the cross and church, every believer must take off his hat in order to “give honor to God.”

During the holidays, other rituals are also performed - for example, the consecration of houses and churches, temple clothing and utensils, crosses, icons, medallions; Easter food, bread on St. Day Agates (February 5), flowers and fruits on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin, wreaths of greenery and flowers on the Feast of Corpus Christi, water on the Vigil of the Three Kings, wine on St. John the Apostle and others.

From the book Unfulfilled Russia author Burovsky Andrey Mikhailovich

Chapter 9 CATHOLIC RUSSIAN PEOPLES Having understood with my mind at least part of God's destiny, I wrote this work to show in what and how divine wisdom is manifested. N. Copernicus THE PEOPLES OF CATHOLIC RUSSIA Thus, in Catholic virtuality they are visible as

by Schaff Philip

IV. Roman Catholic historians The shock of the Reformation in the 16th century awakened the Roman Catholic Church to vigorous activity in the field of history and in other branches of theology and brought to life several works, the authors of which were distinguished by high erudition and knowledge

From the book Apostolic Christianity (1–100 AD) by Schaff Philip

c) Catholic German historians The first among the noteworthy modern German Catholic historians is the poet and former Protestant Count Leopold von Stolberg (d. 1819). With the fervor of an honest, noble and sincere, but trusting convert to

From the book The Middle Sea. History of the Mediterranean author Norwich John Julius

Chapter XIII CATHOLIC KINGS AND THE ITALIAN ADVENTURE Meanwhile, in the Western Mediterranean, Christianity was again experiencing a period of prosperity. The events of the Spanish Reconquista developed slowly, but on October 17, 1469, the most important event for Spain took place (perhaps this is one

From the book Daily Life of Medieval Monks in Western Europe (X-XV centuries) by Moulin Leo

Holidays The Christian world owes the Clunians the introduction of the Feast of All Saints (November 1) and the Feast of All Souls (November 2: commemoratio omnium fidelium defimctorum). We should also remember God's peace - from Wednesday evening to Monday morning in memory of the Passion of the Lord

From the book Home Life and Morals of the Great Russian People in the 16th and 17th Centuries (essay) author Kostomarov Nikolay Ivanovich

XIX Holidays Holidays were a time of departure from the normal routine of daily life and were accompanied by various customs ingrained in home life. Pious people generally considered it decent to mark the holiday time with deeds of piety and Christian

From the book History of Romania author Bolovan Ioan

Crusader movement and Catholic missions in the first half of the 13th century. In the 13th century, after the peak of the crusades for the liberation of the Holy Land had passed, the crusaders turned their attention to the vast territories of the eastern part of the European continent, dominated by Byzantium,

From the book The Beginning of Russian History. From ancient times to the reign of Oleg author Tsvetkov Sergey Eduardovich

Catholic missions among the Slavs The military successes of the Slavs did not go unnoticed by the Roman Church. The first news of the missionary activity of the Catholic clergy among the Slavs is found in the Latin epitaph of the 6th century, dedicated to the memory of Martin, the bishop of the city

From the book The Greatness of Babylon. History of the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia by Suggs Henry

Holidays Life for the people of Mesopotamia, even for slaves, was not constant work. In ancient times, as in our days, there were holy days - holidays, and all work was by no means rarely interrupted by religious celebrations, of which there were several days in each month, although

From the book Crowned Spouses. Between love and power. Secrets of great alliances author Solnon Jean-Francois

Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon (1469–1504) Catholic Kings “Who compares to Queen Isabella of Spain? “King Ferdinand,” replied Signor Gasparo. “I don’t dispute him,” added Magnificent, “... I’m convinced that the reputation he acquired

From the book Religious Wars by Live Georges

1. Catholic unions. Protestant camp, Catholic camp - such a contrast does not always correspond to reality. In 1559 the bets had not yet been placed. The personality of Philip II is more complex than the legend suggests. The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresia has just been signed;

From the book Orthodoxy, heterodoxy, heterodoxy [Essays on the history of religious diversity of the Russian Empire] by Wert Paul W.

Catholic obstacles to imperial integration The problems that confronted the authorities in the western provinces were in some respects similar to the situation in the Baltic region. Here, too, the local elite spoke a different language (Polish) and professed a different religion

From the book The Ritual Side of the Cults of Ancient Greece author Kamad Ilona M.

1. holidays Religious ideas required the observance of religious acts, ritual ceremonies, and religious ceremonies on the part of a person. The study of religious cult rituals makes it possible to collect rich and valuable material that sheds light on the essence

There are significant differences from Orthodoxy in the Roman Catholic Church and in the area of cult.

The Western Church recognizes the same sacraments as the Orthodox, Monophysite and Nestorian: baptism, confirmation, communion (Eucharist), repentance (confession), priesthood, marriage, unction (unction). Moreover, this composition initially took shape in the West: already in the 12th century. we find reference to the sacraments listed above in the writings of Peter of Lombardy, while among Eastern theologians up to the 13th century. initiation into monasticism was also considered a sacrament. Catholics do not consider all sacraments to be of equal importance and adhere to rules for their implementation that are somewhat different from those of the Orthodox Church.

Baptism It is not done by triple immersion, but by sprinkling. Confirmation It is not performed after baptism, as in the Orthodox Church, but at the age of 7-12 years. This sacrament, called in Catholicism confirmation, is given special significance, and therefore its implementation is recognized as the exclusive prerogative of the bishop. For communion Catholics, unlike Orthodox Christians, use unleavened, unleavened bread ( wafers), which, according to them, symbolizes the purity and immaculate nature of Christ. Moreover, starting from the 13th century. in the West they began to practice communion with bread alone, in contrast to the clergy, who took communion with both bread and wine. This reveals the characteristic idea of Catholicism about the presence of a significant distance between the church and society, the imperfection and inferiority of worldly existence. It is no coincidence, therefore, that one of the slogans of the early Reformation movements, which demanded equal rights for parishioners and clergy, was communion “under both types” (sub utraque specie - hence the name of this movement in the Reformation: “Utraquists”). Although the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) permitted the communion of the laity with bread and wine, in many Catholic churches it is still celebrated “under both kinds.” To perform the sacrament repentance Catholics use a special confessional chamber in which the priest is separated from the parishioner by an opaque cloth. The fact that the confessor and the confessor do not see each other, according to Catholics, removes a certain psychological tension that is inevitable in the process of repentance. The performance of the remaining sacraments, apart from minor purely ritual differences, occurs in approximately the same way as in the Orthodox Church.

Other, less significant cult differences of Catholicism include:

recognition of Latin as the sole liturgical language (although the Second Vatican Council allowed the use of national languages);

making the sign of the cross with an open palm from left to right;

use of organ music during worship;

allowing three-dimensional images in the interior of the temple;

allowing parishioners to sit during services.

CATECHISM
Catechism or catechism(Greek Κατήχησις - teaching, instruction) - an official religious document of a denomination (in France - Catholicism), a catechetical instruction, a book containing the main provisions of Christian doctrine.
Performing the rites of the Catholic Church is a ritual confirming service to the Church. Rituals include:

Sacraments:

Baptism (usually carried out at birth, an entry in the cathedral book or a baptismal certificate as an extract from the cathedral book is recommended).
Eucharist (communion) - performed at the mass only for those whose sins were absolved before the mass (those serving penance are considered “unreconciled with the Church”; their communion is impossible); Communion can be given at the discretion of the priest, not only at Mass.
Confirmation - the application of the cross of chrism (performed during coronation, during liturgies and other rites).
Wedding is the consecration of marriage. Must be confirmed by an entry in the cathedral book.
Confession (reconciliation with the Church). A Christian himself asks to confess, and may agree to the priest’s offer to confess. Everyone can have their own chosen confessor. If there is none, you can confess to any monk or clergyman. Sisters of orders, like knights of orders, cannot absolve sins. The only thing available to them is to listen to repentance. The Clarissa Sisters and the Sisters of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) may administer unction to the sick or dying.
Ordination - entry into the rank of priest (carried out only by a bishop or legate of the Pope).
Blessing of oil (unction) of the dying person with forgiveness of all sins that he could not name.

Services(conducted according to the ranks, actions for conducting services and participating in them are indicated in the Breviary), sisters of orders cannot perform the duties of the upcoming priest, the duties of the minister and other participants in the service can be performed by them (assumption):

Morning service (held at 08.00)
Mass (held at 12.00)
Evening service (held at 22.00)

Please note that there is no morning or evening mass, only mass at noon and services in the morning and evening!
Formulas of faith

Two commandments of love (if they are not observed, one should repent in confession):

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Three theological virtues (you should pray for acquisition not only for yourself, but also for your neighbor):

Hope
Love

Four main virtues (you should pray for acquisition not only for yourself, but also for your neighbor):

Prudence
Justice
Courage
Temperance

Mortal sins (they repent of them in confession):
- Pride
- Stinginess
- Envy
- Lust
- Gluttony (Gluttony)
- Dejection
God's commandments (they repent of their non-observance in confession):

I am the Lord your God. May you have no other gods besides me.
Do not take the name of your Lord in vain.
Remember that you must sanctify holidays.
Honor your father and your mother.
Dont kill.
Don't commit adultery.
Don't steal.
Don't bear false witness.
Do not covet your neighbor's wife.
Don't covet other people's good.

Deeds of mercy towards one's neighbor (should be performed):

Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the suffering.
Dress the naked.
Shelter a stranger.
Visit the sick.
Visit a prisoner.
Bury the deceased.

Deeds of mercy towards the soul of a neighbor (should be performed):

Give advice to someone who doubts
Instruct the ignorant
Exhort the Sinner
Comfort the Grieving
Forgive offenses
Tolerate a bothersome person patiently
Pray for the living

Fruits of the Holy Spirit (you should pray for acquisition not only for yourself, but also for your neighbor):

Love
Joy
Longsuffering
Generosity
Goodness
Benevolence
Meekness
Loyalty
Modesty
Abstinence
Chastity

Gifts of the Holy Spirit (you should pray for acquisition not only for yourself, but also for your neighbor):

Wisdom
Intelligence
Advice
Fortress
Maintaining
Piety
Fear of God

Reconciliation (confession)
Coming to Confession pronounces the words of greeting: Glory to Jesus Christ.

Confessor: Forever and ever. Amen!

Incoming To confession: In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

Confessor: May God be in your heart, so that, contrite in spirit, you confess your sins.
Next, the person approaching confession describes his condition, the time of the last confession, difficulties in leading a Christian life, and other circumstances, knowledge of which is necessary for the confessor for spiritual guidance.

If necessary, the confessor asks questions.
Imposition of penance.

Then the confessor imposes penance. Penance can be prayer, renunciation of something, but above all, service to others and acts of mercy. Then the confessor extends his right hand to the confessor and pronounces the words of the prayer of permission.
Confessor: May the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and all the saints, as well as your good deeds that you perform and the suffering that you endure, be mercy for your sins and serve your growth in humility and the joy of gaining eternal life. God has forgiven your sins. Go in peace.
After which the confessor makes the sign of the cross over the person confessing.

And the confessor kisses the edge of the table, where the cross is embroidered.

What to repent of is chosen by the confessor. You can choose, for example, only sins or only non-observance of commandments. That is, your character evaluates his actions from the point of view of sins or commandments.
The confessor sits on a seat sideways to the confessor; if it is not possible to build a confessional, then you need to at least make a fenced place so that, if possible, the conversation in it cannot be heard by other players. Eavesdrop on confession -

grave sin. The confessor is on his knees, so the place should be specially equipped for convenience. In extraordinary cases, the confessor may sit.
^ PRAYERS
Pater Noster

This prayer was proposed by Jesus Christ himself.
Pater noster, qui es in caelis,
Sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua,
Sicut in caelo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
Et dimite nobis debita nostra,
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
Sed libera nos a malo.
Amen.

transcription

PAter Noster, KUI ES IN CELIS,
Sanktsifitur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tUum.
FIAT volYuntas tUA,
Sikut in tsaelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum cuotidiaAnum da nobis hodie.
Et dimite nobis debita nostra,
Sikut et nos dimItimus debitOribus nostris.
Et ne nos indukas in tentetiOnem
Sad libera nos e malo.
Amen.
translation

Our Father who art in heaven!
Hallowed be Thy name,
May your kingdom come
Thy will be done
And on earth as in heaven;
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
Just as we forgive our debtors;
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
^ Ave Maria

Medieval prayer to the Virgin Mary.
Ave, Maria, gratia plena;
Dominus tecum:
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus
Fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

transcription

Ave Maria, gracia captivity.
DOminus tecum.
BenedIkta Tu in muliEribus, et benedIktus
Fructus ventris Tui Iesus.
SANCTA MARIA, MATER DEI, ORA PRO NOBIS PECCATORIBUS
NUNC et in Ora mortis nostre. Amen.
translation

Hail Mary, full of grace!
The Lord is with You;
Blessed are you among wives,
And blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Credo

^ Symbol of faith. This is a statement of what Catholics believe.
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est, et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas, et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos, cuius regni non erit finis. Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.
translation

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, unmade, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were created. For the sake of us, people, and for the sake of our salvation, He came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man; crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and buried, rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and of His kingdom there will be no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, to whom, together with the Father and the Son, befits worship and glory, who spoke through the prophets. And into one, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. Amen.
^

Appeals to clergy

To the bishops (lilac cap): Your Eminence.

To the cardinals (scarlet cap) and the legate of the Pope: Your Eminence. Also: Eminenza. You can address bishops and lower in this way if you want to flatter.

To the priests (white clergy not in the rank of bishop and cardinal, distinguished by the color of their hats): Father.

To the monk: brother.

To the nun: sister.

^ Don't call priests holy fathers! The Holy Father is alone, and he is in Rome.

Weaning

The bishop has the right to excommunicate in his diocese. Only the Pope can excommunicate cities. Types of excommunication: interdict, excommunication, excommunication with expulsion from the Christian community (excommunication major, anathema). An interdict is a ban on a person or city from participating in Christian sacraments. It is usually removed (upon the sinner’s repentance) after a limited time after application. There is nothing good, there is crying and groaning in the house or city, public life and trade suffer. Excommunication is the removal of a person or city from the sacraments. The difference from an interdict is that excommunication, in an amicable way, is imposed once. It can be removed - but this happens for special services to the Church, not counting repentance. Excommunication major (anathema) is also expulsion from the Christian community for serious crimes against it.
^ Example formulas:
Interdict formula (pronounced from the pulpit as a sacrament, or in a papal bull):

“With great sorrow, observing the sins of (the name of the sinner or the name of the city, a list of sins), now by the power of the almighty God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and all the saints, we remove this unworthy (the name of the person or the name of the city) from the sacraments of the holy church, and may the Lord have mercy over his soul (their souls)."
Formula for excommunication (pronounced from the pulpit as a sacrament or in a papal bull):

“By the authority of the almighty God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and all the saints, we excommunicate this villain and sinner (the name of a person or the name of a city) and expel him from the threshold of the holy church of almighty God. And just as fire is extinguished by water, so may the light of this sinner be extinguished forever and ever, if he does not repent and make amends for his guilt, and may the Lord have mercy on his lost soul(s).”
Formula of anathema (pronounced from the pulpit as a sacrament or in a papal bull):

“By the authority of the almighty God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and all the saints, we excommunicate this villain and sinner, and anathematize and expel him beyond the threshold of the holy church of almighty God, so that he will be given over to eternal torment with Da Fang and Aviron and with everyone who speaks to the Lord To God: “Depart from us, for we do not want to know Your ways.” And just as fire is extinguished by water, so may his light go out forever and ever, if he does not repent and make amends for his guilt. May God the Father, who created man, curse him! May the Son of God, who suffered for us, curse him! May the Holy Spirit, sent down to us in holy baptism, curse him! May heaven and earth curse him, and everything that is holy in them!.. May he be cursed wherever he is - in a house or in a field, on a high road or on a remote path, in a forest or in a grove, or in the temple! May he be cursed in life or in the moment of death, eating and drinking, hungry, thirsty, fasting, falling asleep, sleeping, waking, walking, standing, sitting, lying, working, resting, urinating, defecating and bleeding! May he be cursed in all the faculties of his body! May he be cursed inside and out! May he be cursed in the hair of his head! May he be damned in his brain! May he be cursed in the crown, in the temples, in the forehead, in the ears, in the eyebrows, in the eyes, in the cheeks... May there be nothing healthy in him!”

Penance

The types of penance are simple: fasting, works of mercy and prayer. It can be imposed based on the results of confession or by a priest who sees sinful life in the flock. The form is chosen by the one who casts it.

When submitting your application, the consul may ask a seemingly insignificant question about Catholic holidays. Do you know the answer? Test your knowledge on this issue.

Green holidays or Pentecost

This is a Catholic holiday in memory of the Appeal of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. The holiday does not have an exact date; it depends on the date of Easter and closes the Easter cycle. This holiday is associated with folk rituals of welcoming Spring, and its main symbol is a green branch.

Finding the Holy Cross

May 3 is the church holiday “The Finding of the Holy Cross,” established in memory of the discovery in Jerusalem of the original cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. It was customary to bless homemade crosses in the church and take them to the fields.

Ascension

The Ascension, which completes the salvation of Christ after death and rebirth, is a moving holiday. Its date moves within May - early June and falls on the fortieth day after Easter.

God's body

The great church holiday COMMUNION was established in the 13th century. It is celebrated on Thursday, 11 days after the GREEN HOLIDAY. This is a relatively new Catholic holiday, officially established in memory of the sacrament of communion (Eucharist) established by Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church views the Eucharist as a sacred gift left by Christ to his church. On this day, mass processions are organized to the ringing of bells with hymns of praise, with candles and banners in their hands. The priest walks at the head and carries the tabernacle “with Christ” under the canopy. The processions are furnished with special pomp; along the way, garlands of flowers are stretched across the streets, the balconies of nearby houses are decorated with greenery, flowers and carpets, and the road is covered with fresh flowers. The Gospel is read at four altars in the open air, then everyone goes to the church for the festive liturgy. This holiday was first celebrated in Krakow in 1320. Since the 15th century, a procession has been obligatory on this holiday, which leaves all churches, and the service takes place on altars installed near the churches. Near each altar, the priest reads the Gospel and blesses the believers.

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24) is popular among all Catholics. This is the summer solstice, a holiday associated with the solar cult. A distinctive feature of St. John's Day is lights, bonfires, fireworks, lit not only in villages, but also in the squares of large cities. Believers carry torches and attend general prayer services in nearby chapels. Svyatoyana bonfires served as a means of purification. A widely known custom is jumping over fires. Special powers are attributed to water and plants collected on St. John's Day and the night before it. The celebration of St. John's Day continues for several days until the day of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29). Veneration of saints is one of the most important aspects of Catholic doctrine. The number of Catholic saints was constantly increasing, in the first half it reached 300. After the Second Vatican Council, which modernized many aspects of church life, the cult of Catholic saints is regulated by a calendar, where 58 obligatory holidays in honor of saints were preserved for the entire church. For some saints, honoring has ceased to be obligatory (like St. George on April 25); others have simply been removed from the register. This affected such widely recognized saints as Saint Barbara, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Margaret, Saint Vitus.

Ascension of Our Lady

August 15 is the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. It is based on the legend that Mary, who died a natural death and was buried in Gethsemane, ascended to heaven: after opening her coffin, a bouquet of roses was discovered instead of her remains. In 1950, Pope Pius XII, by a special decree, adopted the dogma of the bodily ascension of the Mother of God into heaven. There is a tradition on this day to bring the first fruits of the new harvest as a gift to churches and chapels dedicated to the Madonna as a sign of thanksgiving. The holiday is accompanied by a solemn service and a church procession.

DOZHINKI - HARVEST HOLIDAY - FEAST OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF CEREAL On August 15, Dozhinki is celebrated - a rite of the end of the harvest among the Slavs and other peoples. The harvest festival in Poland was called "Wreath" - from the most important symbol of this holiday - a wreath of ears of grain and flowers, or - "Okolny" - from the ancient ritual of the autumn walk or detour of the fields. This is the biggest holiday of the year for field workers, taking place after the completion of all field work and harvesting. In Poland, this holiday has been celebrated since the 16th century. The owners of the estates, as well as rich land owners, organized this holiday for their workers.

Days of Remembrance of the Dead

November 1 and 2 are dedicated to the memory of the dead. This date was set by the Church in the 9th century. Solemnity - "ALL SAINTS" - November 1 and "Funeral Zadushki" - November 2. Funeral and memorial rites of these days are as old as the world. There is no corner on earth where they do not pay honor to the dead. The memory of them arises deep in the hearts of people out of the need for gratitude, love and the need to remember those who are no longer with us.

The Feast of All Saints was introduced at the beginning of the 7th century by Pope Boniface IV, and later, at the beginning of the 11th century, All Souls' Day was established; over time, they merged into one holiday - “Saints and the Dead”. The Catholic religion considers observance of the rites of remembrance an important duty of all believers. People should remember those who have passed away, but are in purgatory and must be cleansed of their sins. Good deeds and prayers, and the repentance of the living can shorten the period of purification. Catholics spend the first day in the church, and on the second, from the very morning, they go to the cemetery, often with prayers and chants in a common procession, tidy up the graves and light burning candles. The great Polish holiday in memory of the dead is a continuation of the memorial celebrations that our ancestors held. They believed that the spirits of the dead come to earth on this night (from November 1 to 2). Their shadows came from the cemetery to the Church for the night service, for them this was a solemn service about the deceased priest. They generously distributed alms and alms to the poor praying at the church, believing that their condition could calm the spirit of the deceased. Even at the beginning of our century, for the memorial service they baked bread, cooked beans and porridge, kutya with poppy seeds, wheat and honey. And all this, along with vodka, was put on the table at night - as a treat for the spirits. Orthodox Christians still place food on graves. On this night, the windows in the houses remain open and the doors are opened slightly so that spirits can freely enter their homes. They light a fire in a cemetery, at a crossroads, in courtyards and on the graves of suicides. Local cemeteries look incredibly beautiful these days - like a sea of colorful fireflies.

Assholes

Zadushki is a modern equivalent of the pagan holiday of Dzyady and the traditional name of the Catholic Commemoration of all deceased believers. They are celebrated on November 2, the day after All Saints' Day. On this day, Catholics pray for all those who believe in Christ, who have already left this world and are now in purgatory. Ordinary period

The ordinary period covers 30 or 34 weeks of the liturgical year, which fall from the Sunday of Epiphany to Ash Wednesday (inclusive) and from the Sunday of Pentecost to the first Sunday (inclusive), when the liturgical year ends and the new one begins. On the last Sunday of the regular period, which usually falls at the end of November, the Feast of Christ the Pantocrator is celebrated. For Poles, in accordance with national tradition, many points related to the traditional religion of Poles - Catholicism - are very important.

The most important events in the life of a Catholic

The most important events in the life of Catholics are associated with the seven sacraments of Catholicism:

Baptism (Chrzest). Entry into the church. Infant baptism in the Catholic Church is carried out according to the faith of the parents and godparents. They undertake to raise the child in the Christian faith. It is carried out shortly after the birth of a child and consists of the priest immersing or dousing the person being baptized three times with the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Confirmation or Confirmation(Bierzmowanie) - an exam on knowledge of religion. In the Catholic Church, the sacrament of confirmation is called confirmation and is usually performed by a bishop. The outward expression of the sacrament is the anointing of the forehead with myrrh, the laying on of the hand and the utterance of the following words: “Receive the sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit” (lat. Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti). The sacrament is usually performed on children aged 7-12 in order to strengthen their faith. The Catholic interpretation of confirmation is recorded in the documents of the Council of Trent.

Sometimes it is confused with passing the school subject "Religion", but these are different things. There are no exams in the school course on “religion”, and the course itself is taught quite freely. The exam includes about 200 questions on knowledge of religion, and everyone must be able to answer any of them. The exam is usually taken jointly by all students in the class. At the end of this exam, the priest illuminates the classroom with the sign of the cross. The exam confirms that during their studies the children have become real Catholics who know their faith. Without this exam you cannot get married.

First Confession (Spowiedz pierwsza). It is believed that the child has no sins, so he has nothing to repent of. But before receiving first communion, everyone is obliged to confess. This is an important step, because the child must decide for himself what bad he did, and most importantly, understand why it is bad. It is usually held on the eve of the first communion.

Eucharist (Communion). Taking first communion. (Pierwsza komunia dzieci). According to the teachings of the Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, bread and wine are transformed into the true Body and Blood of Christ.

In modern Poland, children take first communion when they are in the second grade of school (in some parishes in the 3rd grade), usually in late spring - early summer. It is believed that after receiving the first communion, the child becomes a full-fledged Catholic and from that time on is obliged to sacredly observe all the commandments and attend church every Sunday. From the moment of receiving the first communion, the child can receive communion at every service.

Marriage. Wedding. In Catholicism and Orthodoxy, one of the Sacraments is Wedding, or entry into a church marriage. In Poland, as in Russia, there is a need for civil registration of marriage. But if in our country the official ceremony consists of registering civil status in the registry office, and then traditional wedding festivities, then in modern Poland registration in the registry office is considered only a formality. Often it takes place a few days before the wedding and does not attract a large number of guests. But a wedding is no longer a clerical formality, but a Catholic rite that seals the marriage union. He is the main thing for young people. Accordingly, guests gather for the wedding. And then - wedding festivities. Blessing of Unction. Unction (“soborowanie” tzn. Sakrament chorych) – blessing of the dying (sick). Simply put, anointing the body with oil.

Priesthood (Kapelanie)– admission to the priesthood (only for those who decide to become priests, which deprives them of the right to marry). In the Catholic Church, as in the Orthodox Church, there are three degrees of priesthood - deacon, priest and bishop. Only the bishop has the right to perform the sacrament of the priesthood for all three levels. In the rite of this sacrament there is no secret formula; the main elements of the rite are the laying on of hands by the bishop on the candidate and the prayer of invoking the Holy Spirit. After performing the sacrament, the ordained prostrate himself before the altar in the form of a cross as a sign of humility and dedication of life to Christ.

Unction- blessing for the dying (sick). Simply put, anointing the body with oil.

In addition to the Roman Catholic Church of the Latin Rite, to which 98% of the world's Catholics belong, there are 21 Catholic churches of the Eastern Rite. These churches are united into five liturgical-disciplinary traditions (rites): Byzantine (Constantinople, or Greek), Alexandrian, Antiochian (West Syrian), East Syrian (Chaldean) and Armenian. Most of the traditions (rites) have several varieties (sub-rites), often considered as separate rites.

Believers of all Eastern Catholic rites adhere to the same creed and recognize the authority of the Pope, but each rite maintains its own liturgical traditions, church organization and spirituality, largely identical to those characteristic of the corresponding non-Catholic churches. Thus, Catholics of the Eastern rites retain the institution of a married priesthood, since the celibate priesthood is a characteristic feature of the church discipline of Catholics of the Latin rite, and not a subject of Catholic doctrine. Catholics of the Eastern Rites are often called Uniates, but this name is considered offensive. Catholic churches of the Eastern rites enjoy varying degrees of freedom in managing their affairs depending on the status: patriarchate, great archbishoprics, metropolises, dioceses, exarchates. All issues related to the relationship between the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite and Rome are handled by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. Catholics of the Eastern Rites make up about 2% of all Catholics in the world - more than 20 million people.

Byzantine rite. Byzantine Rite Catholics live in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, as well as in expatriate communities around the world.

Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The term “Melkites” comes from the Hellenized form of the Syrian adjective “malkaya” - “imperial”: the Monophysites called “imperial people” those Christians of Syria and Egypt who rejected Monophysitism and Nestorianism, remaining faithful to the Orthodoxy supported by the Byzantine emperor. The church arose in 1724, after the election of the Patriarch of Antioch, a supporter of union with Rome, to the see. This election led to a split in the Orthodox Church in the Middle East: some Melkites remained faithful to Orthodoxy, while others joined the Roman Catholic Church. Later, the term “Melkite” itself was assigned to the Uniates. According to their religion, the Melkites are Catholics, but they retain Byzantine rituals. At the same time, some Latin elements were incorporated into this ritual, as well as into canon law. Thus, baptism among the Melkites is performed not by complete immersion, but by semi-immersion together with pouring. Although the Melkite white clergy are allowed to marry, half of the non-monastic priests are celibate. Melkite rituals are also characterized by a number of features that are not characteristic of either Orthodoxy or Catholicism. For example, Melkite priests during the Eucharist soak liturgical bread in diluted wine and then offer it to the communicant faithful with their hands. The liturgy is celebrated by the Melkites either in Arabic with the insertion of passages from the Holy Scriptures in Old Greek, or entirely in Old Greek. Melkites living in North and Latin America also use English, Portuguese and Spanish as liturgical languages. The largest Melkite communities in the Middle East are concentrated in Syria (over 150 thousand people), Lebanon (130 thousand), Palestine (about 60 thousand), Jordan (25 thousand), Egypt (6 thousand). A large group of Melkites lives in Latin America: Brazil (418 thousand), Mexico (148 thousand) and Venezuela (25 thousand). There are quite a lot of them in the USA (29 thousand), Canada (43 thousand), Australia (45 thousand) and some other countries. In Syria, the church has five dioceses, seven in Lebanon, one each in Jordan, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, and Canada. There are patriarchal exarchates in Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and Kuwait, and apostolic exarchates in Venezuela and Argentina. The Melkite Church is headed by a patriarch bearing the title of Patriarch of Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria and all the East, whose residence is in Damascus.

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). As a result of the Union of Brest in 1596, many Ukrainians joined the Roman Catholic Church. Those of them who lived in the territories that became part of the Russian Empire in the 18th century were returned to Orthodoxy under pressure from the tsarist authorities, but the Ukrainians who lived on the territory of the Austrian Empire (in Galicia) became Catholics of the Ukrainian rite, living in the Kingdom of Hungary - Catholics of the Ruthenian rite. Galicia later came under Polish rule, where there were about 5 million Ukrainian Catholics on the eve of World War II. They lived primarily in territory annexed by the Soviet Union in the 1940s, and were forcibly annexed into the Russian Orthodox Church in 1946. In 1989, Soviet authorities allowed the official registration of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and with the support of local authorities, it quickly regained all parishes that previously belonged to it. In Ukraine, the Uniates own 3.5 thousand parishes. In terms of the number of religious organizations (3532), it ranks third in Ukraine. Church services in the UGCC are carried out by over 2.1 thousand priests. 94.3% of Greek Catholics are concentrated in three Galician regions in the west of the country: Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk. The church has 93 monasteries (1,205 inhabitants), 14 missions, two brotherhoods, 13 educational institutions (1,673 students), 1,186 Sunday schools, and publishes 25 newspapers and magazines. Recently, the number of Uniate supporters in the central regions of Ukraine has been growing. The total number of parishioners of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine is estimated at 6-7 million people. This is the largest Uniate church in the world.

Within Ukraine, the church has seven dioceses in the west: Bucham, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kolomyia - Chernivtsi, Sambir - Drohobych, Sokal, Stryi and Ternopil - Zborov. In the remaining regions of the country (about 300 thousand Uniates live), the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church created exarchates: Kyiv - Vyshgorod, Donetsk - Kharkov and Odessa - Crimea.

The Church within Ukraine is governed by the Great Archbishop of Lviv and Galicia, whose residence is in Lviv in the monastery of St. Yura. Recently, Ukrainian Uniates have been trying to obtain patriarchal status in Rome, and therefore are moving their administrative center to Kyiv. A grandiose patriarchal residence is being built here, and the head of the Greek Catholics of Ukraine often calls himself the Patriarch of Kyiv and Galicia.

In addition to Ukraine, parishioners of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church are many Ukrainians in Poland (82 thousand people), Brazil (161 thousand), USA (141 thousand) and Canada (200 thousand), Australia (35 thousand) and Western Europe. There are independent metropolitan churches in Poland, the USA and Canada, and dioceses in other countries. In total, there are 14 dioceses of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church abroad: two in Poland, four in the USA, five in Canada and one each in Australia, Brazil and Argentina. There are apostolic exarchates of Ukrainian Uniates in Great Britain, France and Germany.

Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. The church was formed in 1646 as a result of the Union of Uzhgorod, which covered the Orthodox population in Eastern Slovakia and Transcarpathia. It got its name from the Slavic people who lived in the area - the Rusyns. In 1949, the Rusyn Greek Catholic Church was absorbed into the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Rusyns in Czechoslovakia were also forcibly annexed to Orthodoxy. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. many Catholic Rusyns emigrated to North America, with a significant portion returning to Orthodoxy. Rusyns in the USA form a separate church structure - the Pittsburgh Metropolis, which has three dioceses, about 250 parishes and 92 thousand believers. The Seminary of St. Cyril and Methodius operates under the metropolis. Since 1991, the independent Mukachevo diocese of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, which previously operated underground, was officially registered on the territory of Ukraine in Transcarpathia. By 2006, the diocese had 333 parishes and 173 priests, and 320 thousand believers were under its control. In 1995, the Theological Seminary reopened in Uzhgorod. In 1996, the Apostolic Exarchate for Byzantine Rite Catholics in the Czech Republic was established for the 40 thousand Catholic Rusyns living in this country.

Historically close to the Ruthenian rite are the Hungarian, Slovak and Serbian (Yugoslav) rites, which generally had a more prosperous fate at home and were not subject to repression. Believers of the Slovak and Hungarian Greek Catholic Church are assimilated Rusyns.

Slovak Greek Catholic Church, persecuted after World War II, it has existed freely since 1968. It has two apostolic exarchates in Slovakia and one diocese in Canada. Hungarian Greek Catholic Church has two dioceses in Hungary. Greek Catholic Church in the former Yugoslavia was formed as a result of the union of 1611, which included part of the Orthodox Serbs who fled from the Turks under the protection of the Austrian Empire. The Church has one diocese in Croatia and an apostolic exarchate in Macedonia.

Romanian Greek Catholic Church existed since 1697, when Transylvania (then part of Hungary) became part of Austria, and numbered about 1.5 million people until it was forcibly annexed into the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1948. In 1990, the church came out of hiding and was officially registered; now it has one Supreme Archbishopric in Romania (Fagaras and Alba Iulia), to which four dioceses are subordinate, as well as one diocese in the United States. Now in Romania the church has 740 thousand parishioners (according to other sources, more than 1 million), 766 parishes and 716 priests, four theological seminaries, in which 350 students study.

Greek Catholic Church of Bulgaria has existed since 1861 and now has one apostolic exarchate. Greek Catholic Church formed in 1911 as a result of the activities of Catholic Assumptionist monks, consists of one apostolic exarchate in Greece and one in Turkey.

The Italo-Albanian rite includes the descendants of Orthodox Albanians living in Southern Italy and Sicily who emigrated here in the 15th century and accepted union with Rome. The church owns two dioceses and the monastery of Grottaferrata.

Russian, Belarusian, Albanian and Georgian Greek Catholic churches They are extremely small in number and have several parishes, and even then mostly in exile.

Alexandrian rites. Coptic Catholics and Ethiopian Catholics adhere to a rite that dates back to the Alexandrian tradition. Coptic Catholic Church originated in 1741. Led by Catholics Coptic rite stands the Catholic Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, to whom six dioceses are subordinated in Egypt. Catholics of the Ethiopian rite, which arose thanks to the union of 1839, is headed by the Metropolitan in Addis Ababa. The Church has two dioceses in Ethiopia and three in Eritrea (about two-thirds of the faithful are concentrated here).

Antiochian rites. Three significant groups of Catholics in their religious practice adhere to West Syrian rites, dating back to the Antiochene tradition. As a result of the union of the Syro-Jacobites with Rome in 1782, arose Syrian, or Syriac rite, using Aramaic (Syriac) or Arabic in the liturgy. Catholics of this rite constitute Syro-Catholic Church. It is headed by the Catholic Syrian Patriarch of Antioch, whose see is located in Beirut. The Church has four dioceses in Syria, three in Iraq and one each in Lebanon, Egypt and the United States, in addition, patriarchal exarchates are located in Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey and Venezuela. The largest congregations of the church are in Iraq (51 thousand people) and Syria (25 thousand).

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was formed in 1932 as a result of the union of part of the Indian Jacobite Christians with Rome. This is how it was formed Malankara ritual - close to Syriac, but using the Malayalam language in the liturgy. The residence of the head of the church, the metropolitan, is located in Trivandrum (Kerala state). Four dioceses (all in Kerala) are subordinate to the Metropolitan of the Syro-Malankara Church.

Maronite Church. Catholics Maronite rite their origin comes from Syria. Once Saint Maron (d. 410) founded a monastery in Northern Syria, whose monks played an important role in the Christianization of the local population. According to some religious scholars, the Maronites were once followers of a special Christian branch - Monotheliteism (supporters of the doctrine of one will and two essences of Jesus Christ). After the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 5th century. The Maronite community gradually moved from northern Syria to the mountains of Lebanon. In the 12th century, when the Latin principality of Antioch was founded by the Crusaders, the Maronites came into contact with Rome. In 1182, the Maronites formally confirmed their union with Rome, but most Maronites believe that they never broke off communication with the Roman Church. In the liturgy and charter of the Maronites, the influence of the Latin rite is noticeable, and the language of worship is Syriac or Arabic.

Now, according to church statistics, the Maronite Patriarchate in Lebanon has ten dioceses, 805 parishes, dozens of monasteries, two seminaries, one university, 979 priests and 1,441 thousand parishioners (according to other sources, no more than 600 thousand Maronites live in Lebanon). In Lebanon, the most Maronites are in the Mount Lebanon province (50-60% of the population), the least in Southern Lebanon (5-10%). In the Middle East, the church has three dioceses in Syria, one each in Israel, Cyprus, Egypt and two patriarchal exarchates in Jordan and Palestine. The Maronite Church is headed by a patriarch, whose residence is in Bkerk, near Beirut, his full title is the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East. The Maronite Church is the largest in Lebanon, comprising up to 50% of all Lebanese Christians. It is also the largest Uniate church in the Middle East. Currently, the Maronites play a prominent role in the political life of Lebanon; the country's president is elected from among them. The constant emigration of Maronites from Lebanon has led in recent years to the emergence of influential communities in the diaspora. Two dioceses of the church operate in the United States, one each in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia. There are now 478 thousand Maronites living in Brazil, 700 thousand in Argentina, 105 thousand in the USA, 80 thousand in Canada, 148 thousand in Mexico, 150 thousand in Australia.

East Syrian rites. Catholics of the East Syrian rites include Catholics of the Chaldean and Syro-Malabar churches. Chaldean Catholic Church arose in 1553, when a split occurred in the Nestorian Church of the East and one part of it recognized the authority of the Pope. Subsequently, for 200 years, the struggle between the pro- and anti-Catholic parties continued in the church. The situation stabilized only in 1830, when the Pope approved the head of the Chaldo-Catholics, giving him the title of patriarch. The church uses the Chaldean (or East Syrian) liturgy with Latin elements. The language of worship is Syriac or Arabic.

During the First World War, Chaldo Catholics were severely persecuted by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire. By 1918, four bishops, many priests and about 70 thousand believers had died. Over the centuries, the location of the patriarch's residence changed several times, until Mosul was chosen in 1930. In 1950, after a significant migration of Chaldo-Catholics from Northern Iraq to Baghdad, the patriarch also moved to the capital, where he currently resides. Most of the Chaldo Catholics now live in Iraq, where they constitute the largest Christian community - about 215 thousand members (30% Christians and 70% Catholics in the country). The Chaldean Catholic Church of the Babylonian (Baghdad) Patriarchate has five episcopal, three archbishopric and two metropolitan sees in Iraq. The Babylon College, the only higher theological school in Iraq, operates in Baghdad. In northern Iraq, near Mosul, there are several ancient Chaldean monasteries.

Four Chaldean dioceses are in Iran, one each in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. The head of the church is the Patriarch of Babylon and all the East.

The number of Chaldean Catholics, like other Christian communities in the country, decreased by almost 2 times (from 1.4 million to 741 thousand) after the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. As a result of emigration, followers of the Chaldean Catholic Church created two dioceses in the USA - in San Diego and Detroit. Nowadays there are 60 thousand Chaldo-Catholics in the USA.

Syro-Malabar Church. One of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which arose in India in the 16th century. as a result of a schism in the Nestorian Assyrian Church of the East, some of whose hierarchs expressed a desire to conclude a union with Rome. The ritual began to be called Malabar after the name of the region where the Christian population of the country lived - the Malabar coast (Kerala state). Malabar liturgy and church ritual bear the stamp of strong Latin influence. The language of worship is Malayalam. The Malabar Catholics are led by the Great Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angmal. In Kerala, the church consists of four metropolitan areas and 11 dioceses. Ten dioceses of the Syro-Malabar Church are located in other states of India and one in the USA (Chicago). The church has a strong monasticism: there are 16 monastic congregations, about 30 thousand nuns and more than 20 thousand monks. Clergy are trained in five seminaries. Malabar Christians play a major role in the economic and political life of Kerala.

Armenian rite. The union of Armenian Christians with the Roman Catholic Church existed from 1198 to 1375. This union began during the Crusades, when the Armenians became allies of the crusaders in the fight against Muslims. The modern Armenian rite dates back to 1742, when the Armenian Catholic church structure emerged. Armenian Catholics, especially the Benedictine Mekhitarist monks, made a significant contribution to Armenian culture, they published books and established schools. To this day, there are Mekhitarist monasteries in Vienna and on the island of San Lazaro (Venice). An important center of Armenian culture was Lvov, where the residence of the Armenian Catholic archbishop was located from 1635 to 1944. The rituals of Armenian Catholics are close to the Armenian-Gregorian, the liturgical language is Grabar. The Catholics of the Armenian rite are led by the Patriarch of Cilicia, whose residence until 1928 was in Istanbul. Subsequently, due to the Armenian genocide in Turkey during the First World War, the center of the church moved to Lebanon - to the Beirut suburb of Bzumar. Today, more than half of the Armenian Catholics (220 thousand) live in Armenia and the CIS, where since 1991 there has been an ordinariate for Catholics of Eastern Europe with an archbishop's residence in Gyumri (Armenia). In the Middle East, there are seven dioceses of the Armenian Catholic Church (one each in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Turkey and two in Syria) and two patriarchal exarchates (in Syria and Palestine). The Armenian Catholic diaspora is divided into two dioceses (in France and Argentina), two apostolic exarchates (in Argentina and the USA) and two ordinariates (in Greece and Romania). In Bzumar there is the Patriarchal Institute - the theological seminary of the Armenian Catholic Church. Large communities of Armenian Catholics exist in Lebanon (10 thousand people), Argentina (20 thousand), Syria (25 thousand), France (30 thousand) and the USA (38 thousand).

Catholic customs. Sacraments and rituals in Catholicism