Anaphora (Mass) of Theodore and anaphora of Nestorius: Authenticity and Compilation
Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako*
Translated by Msgr. Noel Farman Sanaty
These two liturgies are practiced by the Chaldean Church, the Malabar Church as well as the Assyrian Church of the East, they are both practiced beside the order of the mass of Adai and Mary. This offers a rich variety in our eastern apostolic traditions of Holy Mass.
Attribution of the Second Mass Anaphora to Theodore
The second order of the mass, called in our eastern terminology as the (Anaphora) (the first being the one of Adai and Mary) is traditionally attributed to Theodore of Mopsuestia (around the years 350-428).
Theodorus is considered as a prominent theologian of the Antiochian school. He wrote several books as well as homilies in Catechism. He was condemned by the Second Council of Constantinople (553) along with Theodorus of Tarsus and Theodorus, bishop of Cyrus, for supporting the ideas of his disciple Nestorius. However, after his death (428) many churches had declined condemning him. Theodorus is more revered than Nestorius in the tradition of the Church of the East who considers him as the ’Greatest exegete’. He, in fact, reflects a unique stream of the early theological thought independent from the Byzantine influence.
Theodore’s of Mospuestia Heritage
The books of Theodorus of Mopsuestia, known as the ‘’Teacher’’, were the standard theological curriculum at the Nisibis school. His most important books are his homilies on catechism:
(TONNEAU, the catechism homilies of Theodore de Mopsuestia, Citta del Vaticano, 1949. ‘’Studi e Testi, 145’’).
After I did compare the three orders of the mass and Theodore’s homilies, I can say for sure that the first text of this Eucharistic Anaphora, is coming directly from him. If it was compiled by a student of his school, the theological depth and structure of the anaphora still reflect his doctrinal framework. This order of the mass of Theodorus is applying an Eastern genre and is enriched by a noticeable Trinitarian theological depth.
It begins with the opening dialogue and introduction ܩܘܪܒܢܐ ܢܩܪܒ ܠܐܠܗܐ ٰ, followed by the Trinitarian praise and thanksgiving for the creation and salvation. It recounts the history of salvation (the memory of Christ’s passion and resurrection), the invocation of the Holy Spirit and series of memorial intercessions, prayers of repentance and praise. This order reflects a positive Equilibrium, especially in its portrayal of Christ as a high priest who offers himself as a sacrifice, not only for remembrance, but as a constant presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist, aiming to nourish the life of the faithful. His teaching is an authentically Oriental theology with a theological and biblical precision embellished by a shining, refined Syriac-Chaldean language, at the extent that it is rarely found as a such without dealing with any quotes quotation from other anaphoras.
We adopted this order of the mass after the renewal process by the Synods of 2019 and 2022. Liturgically, this order is used during the seasons of the Annunciation and from Lent until Palm Sunday.
The 3rd Anaphora and Nestorius
The third liturgical rite is traditionally attributed to Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople (386-451). Nestorius was excommunicated and exiled by the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 because of his insistence on calling the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ (Christotokos) rather than the Mother of God (Theotokos). His books were burned, except the book attributed to him, “Bazaar of Heracleides”, written in exile, which has nothing to do with the Eucharistic liturgy.
This order of the mass is rather a long order and is not mentioned in Saint Isaiah’s (Mar Isha’ya) manuscript (10th century); while the Mass of the Apostles and Nestorius (?) is mentioned. ٰThe Assyrians have eight bows, while the Eucharistic rites of Addai- Mary and the Second Mass have four. Most of the bows of the anaphora of Theodore are adapted from the Second Mass; one of them is adapted from Addai and Mary mass.
This order of the mass is quite a compilation, adopting imaginative imagery, repetition, and a style close to poetically rhythmed verses. Its theology differs from the Mass of Addai and Mary and the second mass. I believe that this style goes back to the Patriarch Elijah III, also known as Abu Halim (1176-1190) because we find the same ideas and loose style in the long prayers after the vigil, ܩܠܐ̈ ܕܫܗܪܐ, which are attributed to him and seen on major feasts such as Christmas, Epiphany, Resurrection and the feast of the Holy Spirit. The reader is kindly referred to the breviary “ Hodhra ܚܘܕܪܐ” and may compare it with the long bows in this very order of the mass.
We also find in this rite the same styled procedure in the book entitled ‘Marvellous Biographies of the Turgame interpretations’ published in Arabic (Dominican Fathers Press, Mosul, 1873) under the title: ‘’Al Tarajem Al Saniya li l A’yad al Maranya’’ . The author of the book might have wanted to organize a special Eucharistic Rite specific to Nestorius, similar to that of Theodorus. Nevertheless, there is an incomparable difference between the two mentioned Eucharistic rites.
Moreover, the fact of naming it under the name of Nestorius could be obviously seen as an ’honor’ to him after his excommunication and exile.
This Anaphora is celebrated within five seasonal times every year:
Epiphany, St John the Baptist ‘s Memorial, the Memorial of the Greek Teachers, on Wednesday of Nineveh fasting and Holy Thursday. While in the manuscript of Saint Isaiah’s (Ma Ishaya) we find that this allocation is only for the Anaphora of Nestorius.
When are these rites celebrated during the mass?
The three orders of the mass, called Anaphora, start after the Creed and end after the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
ܟܘܫܦ̈ܐ – the prayers of supplication are considered as late additions; and the priestly secret prayers, the words of consecration are not mentioned in the editions of the Church of the East (as it is duly implied by their liturgy) . It was added later on by the Chaldeans.
I have considered the 10th century manuscript of the Church of Mar Ishaya ‘’Saint Isaiah’’, which mentions the Mass of the Apostles (Addai and Mary), the Mass of Nestorius and indicates that it was celebrated five times, while there is no mention of the order of Theodorus.
Here is, for the care of the wise reader, a translated table of the two Eucharistic rites according to the relevant citations of prayers as per the hereafter original table in Chaldean and Arabic:
The first bow: ’We praise you, O Lord, for your abundant blessings’ (prayer extracted from Addai and Mary’s First Bow).
The second bow is extracted from the first bow of the second Mass ‘’Glory be to you…’’
The canonical prayer ‘The grace of the Lord’ ٰ is the same as in the Church of the East liturgy.
‘Lift up..’ prayer… : the same
‘This sacrifice..’ prayer: the same
The prayer, “The living sacrifice’’, shortened by Chaldeans, is the same as the printed version of the Church of the East.
The third bow is different and long in its description.
The fourth bow: The same as the prayer in the third bow in the second Mass. “We also chant aloud’’ with few additions.
Fifth bow: Petitions for the memorial masses
Sixth bow: Petitions for memorial masses
Seventh bow (extracted literally from the Order of Addai and Mary) ‘’He deserves glory from all mouths’’.
Eighth bow: ‘’O Lord God Almighty’’… as long as it is.
Invocation of the Holy Spirit.
The sources I used in this presentation are based on the editions of the Eucharistic Liturgy of mass:
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Chaldean edition, Dominican Fathers Press, Mosul 1901
The edition of Chorbishop Francis Alichoran with the French translation, Paris 1982
The new, updated edition, Baghdad 2020
Edition of the Assyrian Church of the East, California 1995
The Redemptorist Father Mansour: Oriental Anaphors 2018
Louis Sako, Brief Overview of the Chaldean Liturgy, Baghdad 2022
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* We expressed our wish to have the English version of this article, published previously in Arabic (link hereafter), in order to reach the mainly English-speaking priests in our Chaldean dioceses abroad as well as the specialized scholars.
Link to the article published in Arabic in our Chaldean website:
Anaphora (Mass) of Theodore and anaphora of Nestorius: Authenticity and Compilation – البطريركية الكلدانية
