Demandatam

Printing of the 1828 encyclical

Demandatam caelitus humilitati is an encyclical of Pope Benedict XIV and dates from December 24, 1743. In some sources this Apostolic Exhortation is also referred to as the Apostolic Constitution . The subtitle of the encyclical reads: “On the Melkite Greek Catholic Church ”, the Pope hereby turned to Cyril VI. Tanas and all the bishops in his jurisdiction . The theme was the preservation of the Byzantine rite in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

Historical review

In the first half of the 18th century, many liturgical rites were transferred from the Latin rite to the Byzantine rite of the Melkite Church. This was mainly by Euthymios Saifi and the Patriarch of Antioch Kyrillos VI. Tanas promoted. Furthermore, despite the papal prohibition, these practices were supported by Franciscan missionaries . This led to a split within the Meliki Greek Catholic Church and to a mixture of the two rites. Two papal letters of 1723 and 1729 did not lead to a uniform solution, and before Benedict XIV to Cyrilus VI. Handing over the pallium to Tanas , he wrote this encyclical.

Arrangements

Benedict XIV pronounced the prohibition of any addition, deletion or change, also by the patriarchs, of the Byzantine rite. He also prohibited other adoptions from the Byzantine to the Latin rite. He ordered that all mixed forms that had been made so far should be returned to their original state. For the area of Damascus , in which the two rites had been used extensively, he demanded a clear separation of the two rites. He exhorted the members of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church to practice their religious rites in a disciplined manner.

See also

In this context are also:

• Allatae sunt , Orientalium Ecclesiarum , Orientalium dignitas and Omnem sollicitudinem
• List of papal encyclicals

Web links

• Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch
• Catholics and Sultans: The Church and the Ottoman Empire 1453–1923, Charles A. Frazee (English)
• Text of the encyclical (Latin)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Euthymios Michael Saifi (1643-1723) was a bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Tire and Sidon