Liturgy in the Anglican Church

During the English Reformation, the understanding of the liturgy changed significantly several times. The Book of Bishops ( 1537 ) and Six Articles ( 1539 ) retained the Catholic view of Mass : transubstantiation , communion of the laity was only under one guise, private masses were allowed. Failure to recognize the Six Articles was equivalent to a crime, the punishment for which ranged from a fine or imprisonment to death . This situation continued until the death of Henry VIII .

During the reign of Edward VI, the Anglican Church decisively broke with the Catholic heritage. Thomas Cranmer developed on the basis of Latin liturgical books ( Missal , Breviary , Ritual , etc.) a single liturgical book for the Church of England - the Book of General Prayers (the first version - 1549 , the second corrected - in 1552 ). In the same 1552, Kranmer completed work on a doctrine document - “ Forty two articles ”, which contained a dogmatic justification of the liturgical changes. The 42 articles were approved by Edward VI in 1553 , but were never put into effect. After the death of the king, his successor Maria Tudor restored the liturgical order in the form in which they existed at the time of Henry VIII, and then reunited the Anglican Church with the Catholic.

After the death of Mary, her sister Elizabeth I reintroduced the Book of General Prayers of 1552 ( 1559 ), making it a binding act of uniformity . The dogmatic presentation of the teachings of the Church of England was completed by the publication in 1563 of “ Thirty-nine Articles ”.

39 articles set forth the view of the Church of England on the Eucharist as follows.

• The Eucharist, along with baptism , is a sacrament, that is, “ not just an external expression or image of the Christian confession, but a clear testimony and an effective sign of God's mercy and grace for us, strengthening and confirming our faith in Him ” (v. 25).
• During the Lord's Supper, all “ righteously, worthily, and participating in the sacrament with faith ” take Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ (v. 28).
• At the same time, “ vicious and devoid of living faith people, although carnally and visibly crushing with their teeth ... the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, are in no way partakers of Christ. On the contrary, they taste and drink such a great mystery to their own condemnation ”(v. 29)
• The theory of transubstantiation is not accepted, since “ it cannot be confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, contradicts the clear words of the Scriptures, distorts the nature of the sacrament and gives rise to numerous superstitions .” (Article 28) In this regard, the Catholic customs of storing spare Gifts, processions are not accepted with the Gifts, worship of the Gifts (v. 28).
• The truth of the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ and the simultaneous rejection of the theory of transubstantiation are reconciled as follows: “ The Body of Christ is given, received and tasted at the Supper only in a heavenly and spiritual sense. The means by which the Body of Christ is received and eaten at the Supper is faith ”(p. 28). The Eucharist is thus accepted solely by faith, without reasoning about the nature of the sacrament.
• The clergy and laity take communion equally - under two forms (v. 30).
• The Catholic concept of the bloodless sacrifice of the mass is strongly rejected: “the sacrifices of the mass, which, as was usually stated, the priests brought to Christ for the living and the dead for the healing and forgiveness of sins, are blasphemous tales and dangerous deceit ” (v. 31)
• The Eucharist is valid for all “ faithfully accepting the sacraments ”, even if performed by an unworthy clergyman, since the depravity of the latter “does not detract from the command of Christ and the grace of the gifts of God” (v. 26) priesthood.

Thus, the Church of England in “ 39 Articles ” affirms the validity of the Eucharist as a sacrament and the real communion of the faithful Body and Blood of Christ. At the same time, the “39 articles” do not contain a satisfactory dogmatic explanation of the sacrament, only rejecting it ( bloodless sacrifice , the theory of co-presence) or, milder, not accepting Catholic ideas ( transubstantiation ). This approach allows peaceful coexistence within the framework of the Church of England of various interpretations of the Eucharist: transubstantiation (under the letter "39 articles" it is not accepted, but not rejected), conjunction in the sacrament ( consubstance ), memory. The Anglican understanding of the Eucharist, therefore, turns out to be a complex symbiosis of Catholic and Lutheran ideas, and the letter “39 articles” leaves a wide enough field for various theological theories that are not always consistent with each other. With all this, the “ Book of General Prayers ”, which appeared almost simultaneously with the “39 Articles”, strictly defines and precisely prescribes the form and letter of Anglican services, including the liturgy.

During the English Revolution , the Book of General Prayers, the Act on Uniformity , and the 39 Articles were no longer required. After the Restoration of the Stuarts and the restoration of the State Church of England, these documents were re-issued. The new Book of General Prayers of 1662 , which is currently the official liturgical book, basically repeats the previous version of 1552. The order of liturgy described below is given in accordance with this book.

According to the Book of General Prayers, the liturgy should be performed only if at least three parishioners declare their intention to partake of the communion (not counting the priest). In cathedrals and university churches, in which more than one priest serves, all clergy are required to receive communion at least every Sunday. Thus, the “Book of General Prayers” refuses not only the Catholic practice of private masses, but even the daily performance of public masses. The liturgy should be performed only with the necessary number of participants. The priest has the right to refuse the parishioner to participate in the Eucharist, if he knows about his unrepentant sinful life. The book of general prayers does not contain a mention of the altar, the liturgy is performed on the "holy table"

This section outlines the order and order of the liturgy according to the Book of General Prayers of 1662, which remains the basic (and only in the High Church) liturgical book in the Church of England:

1 " Our Father "

2 Invariable collection : “ Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires are known, from which no secret is hidden, clear the thoughts of our hearts with the influx of the Holy Spirit, so that we will fully love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ our Lord ” .

3 The priest reminds the people of the Ten Commandments , kneeling worshipers answer after each commandment: “ Lord, have mercy on us and bow our hearts to the fulfillment of this law ”

4 Collections of the monarch and the variable of the day's collector

5 Reading the Apostle and the Gospel

6 Nicene Creed

7 Announcements, announcements of upcoming marriages, royal decrees, etc.

8 sermon

9 Offertory: the priest reads selected verses from Scripture, then places bread on the holy table and pours wine into the chalice; donations are being collected at this time. Since any mention of a bloodless sacrifice has been removed, no ceremonies and prayers at this moment are generally relied upon.

10 1st Intercession - a prayer for “the Church of Christ, the earthly and the militant”

11 Preaching to the Participants on the Need for a Worthy Participation in the Upcoming Sacrament

12 Invitation of the partakers “ to step in faith, accept this holy sacrament for comfort, and humbly repent before the Almighty God, kneeling ”

13 The priest and the sacraments kneel and read the established prayer of general repentance: “Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of all things, Judge of all people! We confess and mourn our innumerable sins and iniquities, which we have done at all times with thought, word and deed against Your Divine majesty, causing Your just anger and indignation on us. We sincerely repent and grieve with all our hearts for our iniquities; we grieve, remembering them, and cannot bear their unbearable burden. Have mercy on us, have mercy on us, merciful Father, for the sake of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Forgive us for what we have done before and grant us to always serve and to please You in a renewed life, to the honor and glory of Your name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. ”

14 The priest gets up and reads a prayer of absolution over the kneeling communion: “ Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who, by His great mercy, promised the forgiveness of sins to all who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turned to Him, have mercy on you, forgive and forgive you all sins will establish and strengthen you in your virtues, and bring you into eternal life through Christ our Lord ”

15 The priest pronounces “comforting words”: Matt. 11:28 , John 3:16 , 1 Tim. 1:15 , 1 John 2: 1

16 Anafora

• Dialogue between the priest and the people : “Woe to the heart” - “Imams to the Lord”, “Thank the Lord” - “It is worthy and righteous”
• The priest, turning to the holy table, reads the prefation ,
• The priest and the people read or sing: “Holy, holy, holy Lord Safaoth”
• 2nd intercession (usually called Prayer of Humble Access) - a prayer for the worthy acceptance of the Body and Blood of Christ - read by a kneeling priest
• The priest breaks the bread and raises the chalice , reading the prayer of sanctification ( anamnesis with the setting words )

17 Communion of the clergy and laity under two forms. The body of Christ is taught with the words: “ The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, a faithful one for you, that he may keep your body and soul into eternal life: receive and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you and fill Him with faith in thanksgiving ”, and Blood - “The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, that he may preserve the body and soul into eternal life; drink this in remembrance that the blood of Christ was shed for you, and be grateful . ” The remaining Gifts rely on the holy table and are covered with linen, after the liturgy they are consumed by the priest, preservation of spare Gifts is not supposed. The Book of General Prayers instructs the partakers to accept the Gifts kneeling.

18 “ Our Father ” is read by the priest, each petition is repeated by the people

19 Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion

20 Priest and people sing or read Gloria in Excelsis Deo

21 Final blessing : “ Peace of God, surpassing all understanding, may your hearts and thoughts be preserved in the knowledge and love of God and His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessing of Almighty God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and abide with you . ”

The authors of “ 39 Articles ” and “ Books of General Prayers ” very carefully interpreted the essence of the sacrament of the Eucharist . In their opinion, the Eucharist is a sacrament participating in which “ righteously, worthily and with faith ” truly take part in the Body and Blood of Christ (v. 28). Moreover, the term “ transubstantiation ” is not accepted, since “it cannot be confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, it contradicts the clear words of the Scriptures, distorts the nature of the sacrament and gives rise to numerous superstitions” (Article 28). Moreover, “the Body of Christ is given, received and tasted at the Supper only in the heavenly and spiritual sense. The means by which the Body of Christ is received and eaten at the Supper is faith ”(v. 28). Thus, the “39 articles” do not accept, on the one hand, transubstantiation in its scholastic Catholic sense, but, on the other hand, refute extreme Protestant views on the Eucharist as a symbolic rite. The whole range of opinions lying between these two extremes corresponds to the spirit and letter of “39 articles” and “Book of General Prayers”. An illustration of a cautious, equidistant from all extremes interpretation of the Eucharist is the aphorism attributed to John Donne or Elizabeth I : “ He was the Word that spake it; He took the bread and brake it; And what that Word did make it, I do believe and take it »

In this regard, in modern Anglicanism such different interpretations of the Eucharist coexist as transubstantiation (interpreted in a more cautious way than in Catholicism), conjunction in the sacrament ( consubstance , that is, bread and wine do not change their nature, but together with them in the sacrament it is real there is the Body and Blood of Christ) and memorialism (remembrance, that is, there is no real presence of the Body and Blood in the sacrament, but the partakers are made participants in the Last Supper in a symbolic and spiritual sense). We can conditionally say that the first two terms are adopted by the parishes of the High Church, the last - Low.

Accordingly, the order of the liturgy in parishes differs with different interpretations of the sacrament. In the High Church, the liturgy is the main daily worship, accompanied by a number of rites, newly borrowed in the XIX century from Catholic practice. In a number of parishes of the High Church, the liturgy is celebrated on the altar in the eastern part of the church; on the altar are placed a tabernacle ( gift-guard ), a crucifix and candles ; the attire of the clergy is similar to the Catholic; a number of Catholic chants (for example, Agnus Dei ) are returned to use; spare Gifts are kept constantly on the altar, and they are given due worship.

In the Low Church, on the contrary, the liturgy is rarely performed (once a month or even a quarter ); the decoration of the "holy table" is reduced exclusively to paten and chalice ; often a priest serves a liturgy in everyday dress. The Liturgy in the Low Church, therefore, preserves the appearance that most closely matches the Book of General Prayers of 1662.

In 1927, an attempt was made to introduce a new Book of General Prayers into the service, which made the practice of the High Church mandatory for the whole Church of England. The British Parliament did not endorse this book, and it was not officially put into practice. However, in many churches of the Anglican Commonwealth, the Book of General Prayers of 1927 or books based on it officially replaced the Book of General Prayers of 1662; in the Church of England itself, this change occurred in many parishes, without the approval of parliament. The liturgy according to the Book of General Prayers of 1927 can be schematically represented as follows:

1. The Liturgy of the Word (may be supplemented by the penitential order from the Book of General Prayers of 1662):

• trinitarian formula (“ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ”),
• opening prayer
• Gloria in Excelsis Deo ,
• Kyrie eleison (or Trisagion ),
• Of the day
• Readings from the Scriptures (the Apostle and the Gospel , a third may be added - from the Old Testament ) with a psalm or a biblical song.
• Preaching
• Apostolic , Nicene or Afanasyevsky Creed .
• General prayer
• General Confession and Absolution
• Blessing of the world

2. Offertory (with the priest's prayer, donations are collected at the same time)

3. The Eucharistic canon :

• Dialogue between the priest and the people “Woe to the heart” - “Imams to the Lord”, “Thank the Lord” - “It is worthy and righteous”
• Prefection
• «Свят, свят, свят Господь Саваоф…Благословен Грядый во имя Господне» (то есть Sanctus и Benedictus ),
• Установительные слова
• Анамнесис (в оригинале называется Приношение ( англ. Oblation ))
• Эпиклеза (призывание Святого Духа для освящения Даров, в оригинале называется англ. Invocation )

4. Причащение

• Отче наш
• Молитва о достойном причащении ( англ. Prayer of Humble Access )
• Agnus Dei
• Причащение духовенства и мирян под двумя видами
• Благодарственная молитва после причащения
• Заключительное благословение.

Изменения по сравнению с Книгой общих молитв 1662 года значительны:

1. Gloria in Excelsis Deo и Kyrie eleison перемещены на то место, какое они занимают на католической мессе; к ним может добавляться византийское Трисвятое, практически неизвестное в западных литургических обрядах (в римском обряде его можно услышать лишь раз в году – во время богослужения Страстной Пятницы).
2. Офферторий сопровождается молитвой, ранее исключённой по идеологическим соображениям английскими реформаторами .
3. Структура евхаристического канона приближена к анафоре византийского обряда , смысловой акцент сделан не на установительных словах (как на мессе), а на эпиклезе. Более того, согласно отдельным служебникам, только эпиклеза, без слов установления, достаточна для освящения Даров.

The book of general prayers of 1662 did not directly prescribe the observance of the Eucharistic fast, but it remained in the Church of England until the 18th century . In the 19th century , under the influence of the leaders of the Oxford movement , the custom of the Eucharistic fast became universal, although its non-observance cannot serve as a reason for refusing to participate in the liturgy. Currently, the Eucharistic fast, as usual, continues from midnight to the time of communion.

• The Order of the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion in the Book of General Prayers of 1662
• Anglican Church - article in the Orthodox Encyclopedia