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HEALTH AND DISEASE IN THE LITURGICAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH "For the healing of the soul and body" 20 to 22 October 2008 Conference Centre Holy Metropolis of Dimitrias and Almiros Melissiatika in Volos FINDINGS 1) Jesus Christ on earth bore the weight of human weakness and emerged as High-Priest, ‘participating in human hardship’ and as the physician of souls and bodies. The miracles that He wrought were primarily intended to cure man's soul. At times however, they also cured men's bodies, which lay under the law of corruption and death as a natural consequence of original sin. 2) Following the main lines of biblical thought then, we can see that sin has upset man's relationship in particular, and that of the world in general, with God the Creator. Manifestation of this disharmony in human life is the existence of corruption and disease, culminating in death. By the death and Resurrection of Christ, the power of sin was abolished and its ontological consequences for humans restored. A manifestation of this rehabilitation is physical healing, and the main place where this restoration is revealed is in the worship of the Church. 3) Patristic theology and ecclesiastical writers deal with human disease and suffering within the traditional evangelical perspective, and understand the treatment and relief from pain and damage as a gift and charisma of God's uncreated energy. The Mysteries (Sacraments) of Repentance and of Holy Unction are theanthropic works and the result of the collaboration (synergy) of Divine and human factors, as is the Church in its interity. 4) The Church continues the man-befriending, miraculous and healing intervention of Christ in time and space, and remaining faithful to all that He and the Apostles taught, always dealt with human suffering and disease especially through the so-called therapeutic Mysteries or Sacraments such as those of Holy Unction, Holy Confession and Repentance, as well as through the other related sanctifying services. 5) The Service of the Sacrament of Holy Repentance and Confession which is contained in manuscript prayers seems to have a diversity of forms due to their monastic provenance, and differs from the structure of the Sacraments of the Church of Constantinople. The fourth and fifth centuries A.D. constitute a significant milestone in the historical evolution of this Sacrament. Since then and throughout the Byzantine period up until the later years, it has undergone progressive differentiations as concerns the manner in which it is carried out, the significance of the penance employed and the relationship between confessor and spiritual guide. 6) Human participation in the Sacrament of Repentance is inevitably influenced by the personality of the penitent, namely, his temperament, life experiences and any psychiatric disorders that he might have. Psychiatric disorders often affect one's sense of repentance, by weakening it; or by blurring the mind and giving raise to excessive or pathological guilt. The main areas where this Holy Sacrament has positive influence is in the love that the penitent person feels towards his confessor and in his trust in all-merciful God. 7) Today's form of the Service of the Sacrament of Holy Unction is the result of long historical development. The oldest testimonies reveal that the original liturgical act was the anointing of the sick person with oil, and prayer for his healing. Later, the blessing of the oil was introduced and placed before the anointment of the sick, as was a wealth of prayerful and hymnological material. The manuscript tradition also describes how the ritual of Holy Unction is to be celebrated in conjunction with the Divine Liturgy. 8) During the Byzantine times and later, one observes the phenomenon of excessive use of the sacrament of Unction; this should be understood as the result of pressure arising either from certain peculiar pastoral problems of the times, from popular traditions or from non-Christian influence. Thus, during the period from the 12th to the 16th century we have reported cases of the celebration of Holy Unction for the remission of sins of the deceased, culminating in the creation of a strange service described as "Funerary Service of Holy Unction". During this same period in the West, and under similar circumstances, the Roman Catholic Church adopted the false practice of employing the Sacrament of Holy Unction as ΄΄the last rites of the Church before death΄΄. 9) Τhe historical research has created a problem because of the existence of ritual elements common to the Sacraments of Repentance and Holy Unction. At the same time, however, the idea that the Sacrament of Holy Unction can replace the Sacrament of Holy Confession is proven to be completely false. 10) The ritual of the Order for the Lesser Sanctification of Water is another manifestation of God's all-powerful energy working through material things used during Christian worship. Its frequent use is proof of its immediate acceptance and of the theological understanding of its value, in terms of the physical and mental health of participants, especially in cases where the sick person is a pious and faithful member of the Church. 11) "Exorcism" is a ritual through which the Church invokes, in a special way, God's help in releasing a person from demonic influence. The New Testament describes cases where the Lord cast out demons by His Word. The same work was continued by the Church during the Apostlic and post-Apostlic era during which the institution the institution of exorcism began. In the prayer-book tradition concerning exorcism, the Lord's power to cast out demons is especially put forward. This explains the reproachful and imperative commands addressed to the demons and contained in the special prayers still in use today and read over people under demonic influence. 12) The existence of intercessory canons in which the intercessions of the Theotokos, and those of all the Saints, before the Lord are requested, adds yet another dimension of faith, employed in combating illness and pain in people. The hope of healing reflected in these prayerful texts provides a significant potential for a pastoral approach to the sick and for their salutory spiritual guidance. 13) The progress made by medical science in recent centuries in treating diseases and releaving pain and suffering, or even in allaying the law of physical deterioration, constitutes a challenge for the Church, highlighting the need for a reassessment and a restructuring of the form and content of the Orthodox pastoral presence in the various health services and ministries. This has both positive and negative aspects. Special consideration should highlight the requirements and problems which characterize inpatient pastoral ministry in the western world, particularly in regard to the confusion that prevails concerning the priestly identity and presence and the separation of the shepherd' role from that of the "healer". PROPOSALS 1. The need for a newly edited version of the Short Sacramentary Blessing Book that will cover the current specific needs of the Church having been widely documented, the following recommendations are hereby proposed in regard to instances dealing with the 'health or disease "of the faithful: a) The creation of a practically applicable "Service of Confession" preserving both the form and spirit of the various related service which the Tradition of the Church has preserved up to the present. b) The reexamination of the content in general and the wording of certain prayers of the Sacramentary Blessing Book in particular, such as "The Prayer over a woman who has had a miscarriage", and its enrichment with new prayers e.g. a prayer for a person who is ill and is about to undergo difficult surgery. c) The collection, evaluation and use of relevant material available outside of the Short Sacramentary Blessing Book currently in use, and which is the result of charismatic personal initiative and scientific research in the liturgical tradition of the Church. 2. Within the framework of contemporary pastoral application of the Holy Mysteries or Sacraments it is humbly proposed that a special encyclical be issued by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece and addressed to the sacred clergy and to the faithful people on the performance of the Sacrament of Holy Unction explaining the greater damage inherent in its frequent unconditional use in modern parish practice. The encyclical in question should particularly stress the following: a) The sacrament of Holy Unction is mainly for those bodily ill who undergo their illness with repentance and prayer and for whom the whole ecclesiastical community is praying. It is both the mystery of pain and disease, as well as the mystery of health and comfort for the sick person. In this sense, the Holy Unction should regain its ecclesiological character and be liberated from the concept of being a private service, as it is often considered today. b) Particular attention should be paid by the pastors that confusion of the Sacrament of Repentance with that of Holy Unction be avoided. Despite the somewhat common ground of the two Sacraments, the Cleric-pastor should make clear to the faithful the distinction between them, both within liturgical catechism, and the framework of liturgical practice. Therefore it should be recommended to all those participating in the Sacrament of Holy Unction that they also participate in the Sacrament of Holy Confession either before or after Holy Unction. The connection of Unction with sincere repentance and confession confirms the synergetic character of the Sacrament. Holy Unction cannot be granted to persons who do not want it, for otherwise a magical understanding of the Sacrament will be cultivated. c) The celebration of Holy Unction in homes should occur sparingly and only after suitable conditions and the appropriate preparation of the faithful have been ascertained. If properly prepared, family members may be actively involved, chanting hymns or reading the Epistle readings. At the same time, the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Unction within the framework of the All-night Vigils celebrated in city parishes during the last years is to be encouraged. Likewise its celebration should be encouraged during certain Vespers, especially at the parishes dedicated to the Unmercinary Healing Saints, other Saints, and also every first of each month, either before or after the Minor Blessing of Water. It can also be celebrated during Great Lent, in conjunction with an Evening sermon. Because in every ecclesiastical community there always people who are ill, Holy Unction could be celebrated after Saturday's Divine Liturgy, once every month. In Hospital Chapels the Sacrament of Holy Unction could be celebrated even more frequently or whenever the Divine Liturgy is celebrated there. 3. For the integration and development of contemporary Orthodox pastoral ministry to the ill within the wider context of the pastoral activities of a local Church, we propose the following: a) The undertaking of specific administrative and pastoral initiatives aiming at cultivating a spirit of ministry among selected members of the parishes and the creation, in collaboration with parishes, seminaries and the University Theological Schools, of trained clergical and lay cadres. b) The institutionalization of special personnel training programs of the pastoral work in question and the offering of support and monitoring of their work in hospital ministry, home visitations, or other special situations. c) A specialized training for those spiritual fathers who function particularly in various clinical institutions, so that they may further deepen their knowledge of the way in which contemporary Orthodoxy views man and thus be able to address more effictively the various problems encountered during the exercise of their spiritual paternity towards those faithful who are ill. |
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