by Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo
Genesis of a Liturgical Reform: The Chaldean Patriarchal Synod, held in Baghdad on the days between the 14 th and 18 th of January 1992, and presided by his Beatitude Mar Raphael I Bidawid of blessed memory, in accordance with Canon 124 of the Eastern Code, decreed the formation of a Patriarchal Liturgical Committee, to be headed by Mar Andrews Sana (who chaired the Committee until his retirement in 2003), and composed of three experts, the Reverends: Jacques Isaac (now bishop), Mons. Peter Yousif, and Sarhad Jammo (now bishop). Their mandate was to present to the Holy Synod a historical study and a draft of a reform for the Divine Raze and the other sacraments of the Church
Acts of the Committee: The Committee held six meetings between June 1994 and March 1997, five in Rome and one in Paris, and presented its first draft of the Divine Raze to the Holy Synod on April 15, 1997, with the related explanation. The Fathers of the Synod, during their meeting in Lebanon on May 1997, reviewed the Draft as presented by the members of the Committee, and requested, later, the opinion and comments of their dioceses. The Committee received the comments and suggestions from the Chaldean clergy during the following months, and held two meetings in Rome to give them due consideration: from May 25 to June 2, 1999, then from May 8 to 13, 2000, and presented an updated draft of the Takhsa d-Raze to the Holy Synod in Rome on the following day, May 14, 2000.
Authoritative Reference: The Congregation for the Eastern Churches of the Holy See, on 6 January 1996, issued an “Instruction for the Application of the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches.” This Instruction is based on the genuine liturgical traditions of the Eastern Churches, and was composed upon the directives of the Holy See in that regard, and, accordingly, it has formulated principles and rules that are pertinent to the liturgical worship of all the Catholic Eastern Churches. Therefore, as expressed in the Instruction: “The Authorities of each Church Sui Juris, according to the indications of the Apostolic Constitution Sacri Canones, are invited to receive them with full readiness and to insert them in the prescriptions of their particular liturgical law.” (Chapter 1, 6). In the fulfillment of their mandate, the Liturgical Committee followed diligently the guidance of the Holy See.
Acts of the Holy Synod: The Fathers of Holy Chaldean Synod, during the period of their meeting in Baghdad , from the 16 th to the 24 th of October 2002, after listening to the presentation of the members of the Liturgical Committee, gave their approval to the proposed Reformed Takhsa.
Recognitio of the Holy See: On April 12, 2003 , the Reformed Takhsa, with a complete English translation, was presented to the Holy See for the canonical Recognitio. The Congregation for the Eastern Churches responded on July 20, 2004, with appropriate observations and directives. In fulfillment with the instruction of the Holy See, the Liturgical Committee held a two-week meeting, on July 12-26, 2005, in San Diego, California, and updated the text of the Takhsa accordingly. In a Special Synod held in Rome on November 8-12 2005, the Chaldean Hierarchs gave the Chaldean Ordo of the Divine Raze their final retouches, as well as their final approval. On November 15, 2005, His Beatitude Mar Emmanuel III Delly presented the final version to the Holy See for the final Recognitio, which was communicated to His Beatitude by a letter of the Oriental Congregation dated February 18, 2006.
Final Decision of the Holy Synod: Finally, the Holy Chaldean Synod, held in Shaqlawa 9-11 May 2006, decided the time of implementation of the New Missal to be January 6, 2007, as promulgated in an official Statement in the patriarchal magazine Najm Al-Mashriq (n.46 of 2006, pp. 161-163).
St. Peter Diocese will be ready to implement on time.
Deceber 5, 2006 www.kaldu.org