By Vatican News
The faithful and the heirarchy of the Eastern Catholic Churches are invited to a series of Divine Liturgies taking place in the Vatican from May 12-14.
Today, a liturgy in the Ethiopian rite was celebrated on May 12 at 8.30 am in Saint Peter’s Basilica, led by the Churches of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and at 1.00 pm, the Armenian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Armenian rite in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Then, at 3.00 pm in the same basilica, the a Coptic liturgy was held.
The schedule for the 13th May
On May 13, the celebrations will return to Saint Peter’s with, at 1.00 pm, a Divine Liturgy in the East Syriac rite, with the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, the ancient Eucharistic prayer of the Church of the East. That celebration will be led by the Chaldean and the Syro-Malabar Churches.
In the evening, at 6.45 pm, the St Mary Major will host Vespers organized by the Syriac Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, and the Syro-Malankara Church.
And finally, at 9.00 pm, the Akathist hymn —a song of praise to the Mother of God from the Byzantine liturgy — will take place on the forecourt of the same basilica.
Audience with Pope Leo
On Wednesday, May 14, the final day of the Eastern Churches’ Jubilee pilgrimage, an audience with Pope Leo XIV is scheduled at 10.00 am in the Paul VI Hall, followed by a return to Saint Peter’s for a Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine rite at 2.00 pm, celebrated by the Greek Melkite Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, and the other Byzantine rite Churches.
The Eastern Catholic Churches
There are 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which are self-governing and in full communion with the Pope, and preserve distinct liturgical rites, theology, and traditions rooted in Eastern Christianity.
Most of these Churches originated from historical reunions between Eastern Orthodox communities and the Roman Catholic Church, and they can be found across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, and parts of Africa, with communities in the diaspora worldwide. – Vatican News
