Author: Bishop Mar Joseph SRAMPICKAL, Syro Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain.

(Presentation at the Saint John Newman Conference: Tha Catholic Imagination; Shaping perceptions of Catholicism for the mid twenty first century at the University of Twickenham, London on wednesday 18 June 2025.)

1. Introduction

Pope Benedict XVI, in his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, paragraph 35, states: “The liturgy is a radiant expression of the paschal mystery, in which Christ draws us to himself and calls us to communion.” In the Eastern Catholic Churches, this encounter is marked by mystery and beauty. In this presentation, I would like to explore how the Eastern Catholic liturgies serve as guardians of mystagogy and sacred beauty. I will examine how imagination—expressed through symbols, gestures, and the sacred art of the Eastern Catholic liturgies—helps the faithful enter into the divine mystery.

This paper will draw on major Church documents, including the apostolic letter Orientalium Dignitas by Pope Leo XIII (1894); the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Eastern Catholic Churches, Orientalium Ecclesiarum (1964); the practical guidelines for implementing the liturgical norms established by the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, published by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in 1996, namely the Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches; the apostolic letter Orientale Lumen by Pope St. John Paul II (1995); and the apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi by Pope Francis (2022); and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992).

II.  The Church’s Understanding of Liturgy and Mystagogy

Etymologically, the word “liturgy” means “work of the people” or “public service.” In ancient (pre-Christian) Greek society, leitourgía referred to a public duty or service performed for the benefit of the community, often at personal expense. However, in the Church, it refers to the work of God for His people—and the people’s response. It is not just something we do. It is what God does in and through us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 1136 that the liturgy is “an action of the whole Christ”. Christ is the High Priest. The liturgy makes His saving work present. It is not a memory. It is a mystery we enter into. Mystagogy means “leading into the mysteries.” In the early Church, mystagogy was the deepening of faith after baptism. It helped new Christians understand

what they had experienced in the sacraments. This was not just intellectual learning. It was spiritual insight. It used signs, symbols, and sacred texts to open hearts to divine realities.

Today, mystagogy is still vital. It is not limited to the newly baptized. All the faithful are called to grow in their understanding of what they celebrate. Pope Francis, in Desiderio Desideravi, paragraph 31, says: “We are in need of a serious and dynamic liturgical formation”. Mystagogy speaks to the whole person. It engages the imagination. It uses the senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste—to make heaven felt on earth. The Eastern liturgies excel in this. They are filled with symbols. With incense and icons. With sacred music and poetic prayers. These are not decorations. They are doors into mystery. The imagination helps us see the unseen. It helps us sense the sacred. In a disenchanted world, imagination opens us to wonder again. Eastern liturgies keep this alive. They are ancient. But they are not museums. They are living expressions of the divine mystery, passed on through centuries. In these liturgies, the Church teaches not by explaining, but by revealing.

III.  The Eastern Catholic Churches and Their Liturgical Traditions

There are 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Each has its own history, theology, liturgical tradition, spiritual heritage, and disciplinary codes. All are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. Yet none is a mere copy of the Roman Latin Church. They are truly Catholic—and truly Eastern. These Churches are grouped into five main liturgical families:

1. The Alexandrian Tradition
   1. The West Syriac Tradition
   1. The Armenian Tradition
   1. The East Syriac Tradition
   1. The Byzantine Tradition

Each of these liturgical traditions developed around a major centre of early Christianity. Alexandria, Antioch, Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Constantinople were not only cultural capitals—they were spiritual ones. From them, liturgical life flowed and spread. These traditions preserve different liturgical languages. Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Ge’ez, Arabic, Greek, Slavonic, and others. Language here is not only communication. It is prayer. It shapes the way the mystery is experienced.

Eastern Catholic liturgies are not only ancient. They are living. They are celebrated today by millions of faithful around the world. Often in challenging circumstances. In diaspora. Under persecution. Or in tiny minority communities. Yet their liturgies remain vibrant. Full of symbols. Full of beauty. Full of the mystery of God. These liturgies are shaped by experience—by the land, the culture, and the spiritual struggles of the people who celebrate them. They offer a way of seeing God with the heart and with the senses.

In the sections that follow, we will explore each of the five liturgical traditions. We will look at how they express mystery. How they form the imagination. And how they keep alive the Church’s mystagogical mission.

IV.  Liturgical Texts and Mystagogical Themes in the Five Traditions

A.  The Alexandrian Tradition

The Alexandrian Tradition is followed by two Eastern Catholic Churches:

• The Coptic Catholic Church, based in Egypt
  • The Ethiopian Catholic Church, found mainly in Ethiopia and Eritrea

This tradition has its roots in the ancient Church of Alexandria, founded by St. Mark the Evangelist. It carries the influence of Egyptian spirituality—deep, mystical, and ascetical. The central liturgy used is the Liturgy of St. Basil, adapted to the Alexandrian rite. The Liturgy of St. Cyril, an earlier form of the same, is also used on certain occasions. The Ethiopian Church uses the Ge’ez Rite, which includes the Anaphora of the Apostles and other unique texts. These liturgies are deeply contemplative. The prayers are long, poetic, and full of biblical imagery. The language used—Coptic or Ge’ez—adds to the sense of timelessness. Even when translated, the tone remains solemn and majestic. The theological focus is on God’s holiness and our unworthiness to stand before Him. The liturgy begins with extended prayers of preparation. The sanctuary is veiled. The priest enters slowly, with awe. The Holy of Holies is not approached casually. This teaches reverence. It forms the soul. Incense is used generously. It symbolizes both prayer and mystery. The cloud that rises hides and reveals. It reminds us that we are in the presence of the unseen God.

The Alexandrian liturgy is also full of symbolic gestures. The priest bows repeatedly. The people stand for long periods, as a sign of respect. Icons and crosses are kissed. Light and shadow are used with care. Music is distinct. Coptic and Ethiopian chant is rhythmic, even hypnotic. It draws the worshipper into a spiritual state. Ethiopian liturgy, in particular, includes dance-like movements and processions. Sacred drums and sistrums are used, especially on feasts. Worship becomes an act of the whole body. This engages the imagination deeply. The theology of this tradition is strongly incarnational and eschatological. Christ is present in the Eucharist—but He is also the coming King. The faithful pray with urgency: Come, Lord Jesus! The faithful do not always understand every word. But they know they are standing before the mystery. This is mystagogy—not explanation, but encounter. As Pope Francis reminds us in Desiderio Desideravi, paragraph 26: “Wonder is an essential part of the liturgical act because it is the way that those who know they are engaged in the particularity of symbolic gestures look at things”. The Alexandrian Tradition keeps that wonder alive.

B.  The West Syriac Tradition

The West Syriac Tradition is followed by three Eastern Catholic Churches:

• The Syriac Catholic Church, based primarily in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon
  • The Maronite Church, centred in Lebanon but found globally
  • The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, based in India

This tradition traces its roots to the ancient Church of Antioch, which, according to Acts 11:26, is where “the disciples were first called Christians.” Its liturgical texts are poetic, dramatic, and deeply symbolic. The central liturgy is the Divine Liturgy of St. James, one of

the oldest Eucharistic prayers in continuous use. In its current forms, it is richly developed. It features numerous litanies, prayers of intercession, and mystical hymns. The West Syriac liturgy is sometimes called “the angelic liturgy.” This is not a metaphor. The texts repeatedly speak of joining the angels in worship. The sanctuary is seen as heaven on earth. The altar is the throne of God. The altar servers represent the heavenly hosts. This theology is not explained. It is enacted. The liturgy opens with incense and processions, as if heaven is descending. The congregation enters into mystery not through teaching, but through poetic and symbolic language.

In the Maronite and Syriac traditions, the epiclesis—the invocation of the Spirit—is often placed before the words of institution. This shows that it is the Spirit, not the priest, who consecrates. This is a deeply mystagogical theme. Chant plays a central role. The West Syriac chant, called Beth Gazo, is ancient and solemn. Its melodies are designed to stir the heart. The Syro-Malankara tradition uses Indian tonal patterns, blending West Syriac and Indian forms. Even without full understanding, the faithful are drawn into contemplation. Vestments are elaborate. The sanctuary is veiled. The liturgical year is full of symbolism, marking not only the life of Christ, but also events like the Feast of the Cross and the Dedication of the Church—celebrations that express the mystery of salvation in visual and dramatic form.

C.  The Armenian Tradition

The Armenian Catholic Church follows its own unique liturgical tradition. It is neither purely Eastern nor Western, but a synthesis. Its liturgy draws from Jerusalem, Antioch, and Byzantium, yet has developed its own poetic and theological character. Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as the state religion, in A.D. 301. Its liturgy grew out of this early Christian heritage. The Armenian language, created for Scripture and worship, became a sacred vehicle for prayer, beauty, and theology.

The central liturgical rite is the Divine Liturgy of St. Gregory the Illuminator, based on the old Jerusalem usage. It has been shaped over the centuries, notably influenced by the Byzantine Liturgy of St. Basil and the Latin Rite, yet remains fully Armenian in spirit. The Armenian liturgy is marked by its elegant simplicity and poetic depth. It does not use as many liturgical forms as other Eastern rites. But every word and gesture is rich with meaning. One striking feature is the lack of an explicit epiclesis in the anaphora. This has led to theological discussions. Yet the Armenian Church maintains, in line with Catholic teaching, that the consecration is effected by the entire Eucharistic prayer, not one moment alone. What matters here is not formula, but mystery.

The use of incense, vestments, and sacred music is highly developed. The Armenian chant tradition, known as Sharakan, includes thousands of hymns. These hymns are theological meditations. Many are drawn from the writings of the Church Fathers, especially St. Gregory of Narek and St. Nerses Shnorhali. The Armenian liturgy places strong emphasis on the passion of Christ. The altar is often framed by a crucifix. The Eucharist is seen not only as a banquet but as a mystical participation in Calvary. The people receive Communion on the tongue, from the hands of the priest, who dips the consecrated Host in the Precious Blood. In the Armenian tradition, beauty and mystery are inseparable. The liturgy opens the heart to divine realities through poetry, music, and silence. It teaches not by analysis, but by awe.

D.  The East Syriac Tradition

The East Syriac Tradition is preserved by two Eastern Catholic Churches:

• The Chaldean Catholic Church, centred in Iraq, with communities in the diaspora
  • The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, based in Kerala, India

This tradition developed in the Church of the East, which spread eastward beyond the Roman Empire—to Persia, India, and as far as China. It is sometimes called the “Assyrian” or “Mesopotamian” tradition. The central liturgy is the Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari, one of the oldest Eucharistic prayers in continuous use. It likely predates the 4th century. The original text of the Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari is notable for having no explicit institution narrative (i.e., the words “This is My Body… This is My Blood”). Yet the Church recognizes it as valid and sacred, because the whole anaphora is a deep invocation of the Paschal mystery and the Holy Spirit.

One central theme in this tradition is pilgrimage. The liturgy is seen as a journey—from earth to heaven, from sin to redemption, from the visible to the invisible. The Eucharistic celebration reflects this. The faithful are taken step by step toward divine encounter. The Structure of the East Syriac liturgy is different from Byzantine or Latin usage. The Gloria, Creed, and even the Our Father are placed in different locations. This unfamiliar structure encourages attention and reflection. It breaks patterns of habit, and leads the worshiper to consider more deeply what is happening. The epiclesis—the prayer asking for the descent of the Holy Spirit—is long and solemn. The Holy Spirit is invoked as the “sanctifier” of the gifts and of the people. The Spirit is not abstract. He is active, present, and powerful.

One powerful symbol is the veil that covers the altar. This is lifted at key moments, suggesting the opening of heaven. It teaches visually: God is hidden, but He reveals Himself in the Eucharist. This movement from concealment to unveiling is a central mystagogical moment. The chant of this tradition is meditative, syllabic, and scripturally dense. The melodies are stable and repeat across seasons, forming the heart and memory of the faithful. The use of the ancient Syriac language adds to the sense of sacred time.

In the Syro-Malabar tradition, the liturgical year is divided into nine seasons: Annunciation (Suvara), Nativity (Yaldha), Epiphany (Denha), Great Fast (Sawma Ramba), Resurrection (Qyamta), Apostles (Slihe), Summer (Qaita), Elijah–Cross–Moses (Elia-Sleeva-Moosha), and the Dedication of the Church (Qudas–Edta).Each has its own focus and mystical meaning. The faithful walk through salvation history each year—not as past events, but as present mysteries. In the midst of suffering and displacement, especially in Iraq and surrounding regions, the Chaldean Church continues to celebrate the Holy Qurbana. It remains a source of strength and hope. The Syro-Malabar Church is growing in India and around the world. It remains rooted in the ancient tradition while also engaging with modern life. Liturgical reform continues—but the core remains: mystery, reverence, and the transformation of the faithful through sacred worship.

E.  The Byzantine Tradition

The Byzantine Tradition is followed by a wide range of Eastern Catholic Churches, including:

• The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

• The Melkite Greek Catholic Church
  • The Romanian Greek Catholic Church
  • The Greek Catholic Churches of Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia
  • The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, among others

This tradition developed in the city of Constantinople, integrating the theology of the Greek Fathers, the liturgical practices of Antioch and Jerusalem, and the imperial ritual of the Byzantine court. Over time, it became one of the most elaborately developed liturgical systems in the Christian world. The two principal Eucharistic liturgies are the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, used most Sundays, and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, used during Great Lent and on a few feasts. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, attributed to St. Gregory the Dialogist (Pope Gregory the Great), is used during weekdays in Lent.

The Byzantine liturgy is a sensory world of mystery. The Church is filled with incense, iconography, chanting, candlelight, and movement. Nothing is casual. Every detail is meant to lift the soul to heaven, and to evangelise. As Desiderio Desideravi, paragraph 37, reminds us: “A celebration that does not evangelize is not authentic, just as a proclamation that does not lead to an encounter with the risen Lord in the celebration is not authentic”. The Byzantine Tradition evangelizes through awe. The sanctuary is separated from the nave by the iconostasis, a screen covered with icons. This is not a wall of division—it is a veil of revelation. The icons teach visually what the texts proclaim. The mystery is present, not hidden. But it must be approached with reverence. Chant is central to Byzantine liturgies. It is modal, solemn, and deeply tied to the text. It shapes the prayer of the community.

The Divine Liturgy opens with the words: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” This sets the tone. Worship is an entry into the Kingdom— here and now. The liturgy of the Word includes readings, litanies, and the chanting of the Gospel. Holy Communion is received under both species, by a spoon, with great reverence. The priest proclaims: “The servant of God receives the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Each person is named—this is a personal encounter. Icons, processions, and blessing rituals also form part of the Byzantine mystagogical world. The body is involved— standing, prostrating, fasting, kissing icons, lighting candles. This incarnational realism helps form the believer’s imagination and faith.

V.  The Magisterium and the Mission of the Eastern Catholic Churches

The Catholic Church, especially since the Second Vatican Council, has consistently affirmed the dignity and importance of the Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions. These traditions are not relics of the past—they are living gifts for the life of the whole Church.

Pope Leo XIII’s apostolic letter Orientalium Dignitas (1894) offered a clear and vigorous defense of the dignity of the Eastern traditions. In it, he strongly emphasized the need to safeguard the liturgical patrimony of the Eastern Catholic Churches. In a bold directive, he wrote: “Any Latin rite missionary, whether of the secular or religious clergy, who induces with his advice or assistance any Eastern rite faithful to transfer to the Latin rite, will be deposed and excluded from his benefice, in addition to the ipso facto suspension a divinis and other punishments that he will incur as imposed in the aforesaid Constitution Demandatam. That this decree stand fixed and lasting, We order a copy of it be posted openly

in the churches of the Latin rite.” (Orientalium Dignitas, 1894). This directive of Leo XIII was reaffirmed by Pope Leo XIV during the first public audience of his pontificate, which was granted to the participants of the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches held on 14th May this year. Pope Leo XIV added: “In addition to establishing Eastern circumscriptions wherever possible and appropriate, there is a need to promote greater awareness among Latin Christians.”

The Second Vatican Council’s decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum (1964), paragraph 3, affirms the equal dignity of the Eastern Catholic Churches within the Catholic Church: “They are consequently of equal dignity, so that none of them is superior to the others as regards rite, and they enjoy the same rights and are subject to the same obligations, including the duty of preaching the Gospel to the whole world (cf. Mark 16:15), under the guidance of the Roman Pontiff.” This document confirms that the Eastern Catholic Churches are not “lesser” parts of the Catholic whole. They have their own theological, spiritual, and liturgical, historical and disciplinary identities. Their full flourishing is essential to the catholicity of the Church.

In Orientale Lumen (1995), paragraph 1, St. John Paul II affirmed: “Since, in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each”. This would imply that the Catholic Church cannot fully understand or live out its identity without the Eastern Christian patrimony.

In 1996, the Congregation for the Eastern Churches issued the Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. It emphasized in paragraph 18: “The first requirement of every Eastern liturgical renewal, as is also the case for liturgical reform in the West, is that of rediscovering full fidelity to their own liturgical traditions, benefiting from their riches and eliminating that which has altered their authenticity”. The Instruction encouraged Eastern Catholics to free themselves from Latin influences that had obscured their identity. It called for renewal—not innovation, but recovery. According to this document, true liturgical renewal means returning to the sources: Scripture, Fathers, early rites.

VI.  Conclusion

The 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, through their five liturgical traditions—Alexandrian, West Syriac, Armenian, East Syriac, and Byzantine—offer a treasury of mystagogy. Each expresses, in its own language of rites, texts, symbols, and rhythms, the same mystery of Christ: His incarnation, death, resurrection, and gift of eternal life in the Spirit. These liturgies do not explain the mystery by dissecting it. They lead the faithful into it. They invite the human heart to surrender to the truth through beauty, reverence, and silence. The liturgy is not a performance. It is an encounter—with the living and risen Lord. The liturgical life of the Eastern Catholic Churches shows that this encounter is not abstract—it is a deeply lived reality in their liturgical celebrations.

Thank you for your attention and listening.