The venerable Clergy and People of this Holy Exarchate under the protection of the Lord’s Apostles.
CHRISTVS RESSUREXIT!
It is with immense Joy in the Risen Saviour who is the glorious Bishop of his Church, which I announce and ratify the revival of an ancient liturgical observance in this Year of our Lord and Paschal Season of 2020AD:
+ The Pre-Sanctified Rite of Holy Saturday consecrated firstly to the disciple Joseph of Arimathea who is the first Bishop of Britain and his fellow Myrrh Bearers. On Holy Saturday Morning we commemorate the Harrowing of hades and within the early centuries there never was a Divine Liturgy celebrated on this day – although the current Basilian Vesperal liturgy came in to practice much later due to liturgical blunders; that very liturgy is purely for Lenten liturgical practice! The Lenten season comes to a close with the last Gregorian pre-sanctified liturgy celebrated on Wednesday evening to which the prostration prayers of St. Ephraim also end on that very night!
Hence, on Holy Thursday, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. James of Jerusalem commemorating the Mystical Supper. Thus, two lambs are consecrated – one for the liturgy itself and the other is reserved for the pre-Sanctified midday liturgy on Holy Saturday. On this day, the Catechumens were received into the Apostolic faith and bestowed the grace of Holy Baptism.
Given the fact that pre-sanctified liturgies are based on the service of Evening Prayer, and having both Evening and Morning Prayers anticipated within the Holy Triduum; the office Hours and Typika are the only two offices remaining within this timeframe. Therefore, we have based the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy upon these two offices and have consecrated the Rite to St. Joseph of Arimathea and All Myrrh Bearers.
Therefore, we re-instate this blessed liturgical observation and further decree that this Holy Liturgy is now the norm for all churches throughout our Lord’s Exarchate to offer EXCLUSIVELY on Holy Saturday either beforehand or at the traditional time of midday which in Italy was the ancient tradition for the first proclamation of the resurrection gospel before recent times.
Hence, as the Church in formative years developed under the leadership of the Apostolic Fathers – each territory had the grace of autonomy in the cultivation of culture within the context of worship. As we know only too well, when the Church became instituted according to worldly empires with the reaping of the benefits thereof; the local churches were crippled and became slaves of the empire (Christian and Non) and forced to conform to the prevailing rites, customs and indignities of the mighty who replaced the Lord and became lords!
Thus, as the Church of Apostolic times was a suffering Church, who were exposed to ridicule, crippling, and isolation; we too who via Holy Succession from Orthodox Rome are in truth the thorn in the side of those who consider themselves all that is Church in their limited understanding and endurance. Therefore, we stand with Peter, Paul, Linus, Cletus, and Clement and the Church Universal – the significance of being KATHOLIC in our faith and ORTHODOX in canonicity; like the mustard seed which is the smallest – the Lord will enable us to grow in being fruitful branches that live in him who is the vine!
This Holy Exarchate consecrated to the Holy Apostles of Christ our Bishop thus herby preserve and bring back to liturgical service all the Rites and Customs that the Faith of our Father’s used which were violently suppressed and tarnished!
Therefore, as ARCHBISHOP and EXARCH of the Orthodox Church present in Australia within the Elder Tradition under the protection of the Holy Apostles of Christ our Bishop, I reiterate my pleasure, support and approval for all clergy to implement this blessed rite within their communities to compliment and enrich the spirituality of the people in their care and the spirituality of those who come and join them for prayer on this very day!
With sincere thanks and deepest appreciation in IESUS KRISTOS our Bishop,
+Raffaele
Archbishop and Exarch of Australia and all Oceania
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