![Coptic Relief](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Coptic_Relief.jpg)
The Liturgy of Saint Cyril (or Anaphora of Saint Cyril, , ''Ti-anaphora ente pi-agios Kyrillos'') is one of the three
Anaphoras used at present by the
Coptic Orthodox Church and it retains the liturgical peculiarities which have originated in the early
Christian Egypt, thus forming the core of the historical
Alexandrian Rite. When reference is made to its
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
version, this text is usually known as Liturgy of Saint Mark (or Anaphora of Saint Mark).
Present usage
This liturgy can be used at present by the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
, as well as by the
Coptic Catholic Church, during the
Lent
Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...
time or in the month of
Koiak
Koiak (; cop, Ⲕⲟⲓⲁⲕ, []), also known as Choiak ( grc-gre, Χοιάκ, ''Khoiák'') and Kiyahk. ( cop, Ⲕⲓⲁϩⲕ, ''Kiahk'', []; ar, كياك or ), is the fourth month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lasts between ...
, but its prolongation and particular melodies makes its use uncommon today. This text does not cover the whole
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of ...
, extending only from the pre-anaphorical rites (the prayer of the veil) to the distribution of the
Communion, thus including the anaphora in the strict sense of the word. The Coptic Liturgy of Saint Basil is used for the remaining part of the service.
In the
Byzantine Rite, the Liturgy of Saint Mark, as transmitted by the
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa ( grc, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ πάσης Ἀφρικῆς, Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, The Patriarchate of Alexandria and ...
, is used in a few places each year on the
feast day of
Saint Mark
Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...
by the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, which authorized it in 2007.
History
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/St._Barbara%2C_coptic_church%2C_Old_Cairo%2C_Egypt1.jpg)
According to liturgical tradition,
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
was brought in
Alexandria in Egypt by
Saint Mark
Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...
. The town then acquired importance as a center of church government and Christian theology with its
Catechetical School. The liturgical uses that developed locally are known as the
Alexandrian Rite, and the texts used for the celebration of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
are known as the ''Liturgy of Saint Mark''.
The
lingua franca of the
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. in the early centuries of Christianity was the
Koine Greek
Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...
, and the Liturgy of Saint Mark was in such a language. The translation of this liturgy in
Coptic, used by most of Coptic population at that time, is attributed to
Saint Cyril of Alexandria in the first half of the 5th century. Thus the Greek version of this liturgy is usually known as ''Liturgy of Saint Mark'', while its Coptic version is regularly called ''Liturgy of Saint Cyril'', even if the formal name of the latter is "''the Anaphora of our holy father Mark the Apostle, which the thrice-blessed Saint Cyril the Archbishop established''".
The oldest survived complete
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in ...
s of both the Liturgy of Saint Mark and of Saint Cyril date from the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...
. From the 5th century to the High Middle Ages both versions developed on parallel and mutually interconnected lines, with reciprocal translations and with most of the additions added to both of them. Both versions have some own peculiar material. The use of the Liturgy of Saint Mark by the
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa ( grc, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ πάσης Ἀφρικῆς, Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, The Patriarchate of Alexandria and ...
was blamed by the
Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (ἐπίσκοπος, ''episkopos'', from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian c ...
and canonist
Theodore Balsamon
Theodore Balsamon ( el, Θεόδωρος Βαλσαμῶν) was a canonist of the Eastern Orthodox Church and 12th-century Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.
Biography
Born in the second half of the 12th century at Constantinople; died there, ...
at the beginning of the 13th century.
Manuscript Tradition
The
first millennium
File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, ...
witnesses of the early stages of this liturgy are the following fragments:
* the
Strasbourg papyrus, written in the 4th or 5th century, includes the first part of the
preface
__NOTOC__
A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often close ...
, with the
paraphrase
A paraphrase () is a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words. The term itself is derived via Latin ', . The act of paraphrasing is also called ''paraphrasis''.
History
Although paraphrases likely abounded in oral tra ...
of
Malachi
Malachi (; ) is the traditional author of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Nevi'im (Prophets) section of the Tanakh. According to the 1897 ''Easton's Bible Dictionary'', it is possible that Malachi is not a proper name, as it simply mean ...
followed by some short
intercession
Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others.
The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Timothy specified that intercession prayers s ...
s and it ends with a
doxology
A doxology (Ancient Greek: ''doxologia'', from , '' doxa'' 'glory' and -, -''logia'' 'saying') is a short hymn of praises to God in various forms of Christian worship, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derive ...
. Scholars disagree on whether this prayer in the 4th or 5th century is a part of the Liturgy of Mark or itself a complete prayer, however the majority leans towards seeing it as a complete Eucharist prayer separate from the Liturgy of Mark.
* the
John Rylands
John Rylands (7 February 1801 – 11 December 1888) was an English entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the owner of the largest textile manufacturing concern in the United Kingdom, and Manchester's first multi-millionaire.
After having lea ...
parchment
Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins o ...
465, written in Greek in the 6th century and badly conserved, includes the text from the first
epiclesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
up to the end of the anaphora.
* the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
Tablet, written in Coptic in the 8th century, includes the text from the first epiclesis up to the second epiclesis.
* some
Sahidic Coptic fragments.
Other ancient texts which belong to the Alexandrian Rite are important in the study of the development of the Liturgy of Saint Mark: the
Anaphora of Serapion is the earlier witness of some ancient material, the
Anaphora of Barcelona and the
Deir Balyzeh Papyrus The Deir Balyzeh Papyrus (or ''Der Balyzeh Euchologion'') is a 6th-century papyrus, coming from Egypt. It contains early fragmentary Christian texts: three prayers, a short creed and a portion of Anaphora (i.e. a Eucharistic Prayer).
Manuscript t ...
are different developments based on the same material, the ''Cathecheses'' of
Cyril of Jerusalem are useful to trace the relationship with the
Liturgy of St. James.
The earlier manuscripts of the Liturgy of Saint Cyril date from the 12th century and are in
Bohairic Coptic. It is not known whether they derive directly from the Greek or through lost Sahidic versions. These manuscripts include some additions not found in the Liturgy of Saint Mark in Greek, but in general their readings are closer to the first millennium fragments than those of the Greek version.
The earlier manuscripts of the Liturgy of Saint Mark are: the ''Codex Rossanensis'', the ''Rotulus Vaticanus'', the incomplete ''Rotulus Messanensis''.
[Rotulus Messanensis, Messina Gr. 177, 12th century] Another witness is the lost manuscript of the library of the
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa ( grc, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ πάσης Ἀφρικῆς, Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, The Patriarchate of Alexandria and ...
, copied in 1585–6 by Patriarch
Meletius Pegas
Meletius I Pegas (; 1549 – 12 September 1601) served as Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1590 and 1601. Simultaneously from 1597 to 1598 he served also as locum tenens of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is honoured as a ...
. The ''Rotulus Vaticanus'', and even more the text copied by Pegas, show a progress in the process of assimilation to
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
usages.
Structure of the anaphora
![Cyril of Alexandria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Cyril_of_Alexandria.jpg)
The anaphora of Saint Mark (or Saint Cyril) found in the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...
manuscripts shows all the typical peculiarities of the
Alexandrine Rite, such as a long Preface which includes an offering and immediately followed by the intercessions, two epiclesis, the absence of the ''Benedictus'' in the Sanctus. The structure of the anaphora (in the strict sense of the word) can be so summarized:
* the
Opening Dialogue,
* the
preface
__NOTOC__
A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often close ...
, composed by:
**praises to the
Father
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
for the creation of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them (quoting as usually found in the Alexandrine anaphoras), followed by praises also to
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
,
**a first
Oblation
Oblation, meaning "the act of offering; an instance of offering" and by extension "the thing offered" (Late Latin ''oblatio'', from ''offerre'', ''oblatum'', to offer), is a term used, particularly in ecclesiastical use, for a solemn offering, sa ...
, offering the reasonable sacrifice and the bloodless worship (ref.
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
), followed by a
paraphrase
A paraphrase () is a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words. The term itself is derived via Latin ', . The act of paraphrasing is also called ''paraphrasis''.
History
Although paraphrases likely abounded in oral tra ...
of
Malachi
Malachi (; ) is the traditional author of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Nevi'im (Prophets) section of the Tanakh. According to the 1897 ''Easton's Bible Dictionary'', it is possible that Malachi is not a proper name, as it simply mean ...
,
*
Intercession
Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others.
The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Timothy specified that intercession prayers s ...
s section, composed by:
** lengthy prayers for the Church, the livings, the deaths, making memory of Saint Mark and of
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, and followed by the
diptychs
A diptych (; from the Greek δίπτυχον, ''di'' "two" + '' ptychē'' "fold") is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world wa ...
,
** a second Oblation, requesting that the offerings are received in the heavenly altar as were the sacrifices of
Abel
Abel ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He was the younger brother of Cain, and the younger son of Adam and Eve, the first couple in Biblical history. He was a shepherd ...
and
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...
(similar to the ''"Supra quae - Supplices te"'' of the
Roman Canon The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used i ...
),
** additional intercessions for the livings, including the names of the current
Pope of Alexandria
The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ, translit=Papa; ar, البابا, translit=al-Bābā), also known as the Bishop of Alexandria, is the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, with ancient Christian roots in Egypt. The ...
and bishop,
* a well developed ''Pre-Sanctus'',
* the
Sanctus
The Sanctus ( la, Sanctus, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' ( el, ἐπινίκιος ὕμνος, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition.
In Western Christianity, th ...
, without the ''Benedictus'' as usual in early Egypt, followed by a short ''Post-Sanctus'' centered on Christ,
* a first
epiclesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
that simply asks God to ''fill'' the sacrifice with blessing through the descent of the
Holy Spirit,
* the
Institution narrative, in which are pronounced the
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharist ...
,
* the
Anamnesis of the
Passion,
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
and
Ascension of Christ,
* a third Oblation, offering the bread and the cup,
* a second
epiclesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
directed to the
Holy Spirit, with an explicit request to change the bread and wine into the
Body
Body may refer to:
In science
* Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space
* Body (biology), the physical material of an organism
* Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...
and
Blood of Christ
Blood of Christ, also known as the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in Christian theology refers to (a) the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ primarily on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomp ...
. This epiclesis uses the
aorist tense, thus simply narrating a conversion without stating whether it occurs in the present, future or past.
* a final prayer for the fruits of the
Communion.
In the present use of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the section containing the Intercessions and the second Oblation has been moved to the end of the anaphora, following the pattern used in the Coptic Liturgies of Saint Basil and
Saint Gregory based an
Antiochene
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
structure.
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Published editions
Full text available online
* (from the ''
Codex Rossanensis
The Rossano Gospels, designated by 042 or Σ (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 18 ( Soden), held at the cathedral of Rossano in Italy, is a 6th-century illuminated manuscript Gospel Book written following the reconquest of the Italian penins ...
'')
Online text of the Liturgy of St. Cyril as used at present by the Coptic Church* (as used at present by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia)
Other editions
1583 edition in Greek and Latin of the Liturgy of St. Mark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liturgy of St Cyril
Eastern Christian liturgies
Anaphoras (liturgy)
Coptic Orthodox Church