EASTERN RITES I33 



or ordinary form of the Mass. II. The Mass of Saint Basil 

 the Great, which is said some fourteen times a year, princi- 

 pally on New Year's day, St. Basil's day, all through Lent and 

 a few other feast days. III. The Mass of the Presanctified, 

 which is ascribed in their missals to Saint Gregory, Pope of 

 Rome. This Mass is said on Wednesdays and Fridays through- 

 out Lent, instead of merely on Good Friday, as with us. 



In the Greek Mass, a great deal more is said aloud than is 

 the case in the Roman Mass. The consecration is said aloud, 

 and the priest is answered by the people. Communion is 

 given in both kinds. The priest mixes the bread and wine in 

 the chalice, and a tiny particle is given by means of a spoon 

 directly to the people. The Greeks use leavened bread, not 

 unleavened bread, as the Roman Rite requires, for consecra- 

 tion in the Mass. 



Another peculiarity in the Greek Catholic Church is the 

 married priesthood. With a view of not making any radical 

 distinction to the Catholic priesthood in the United States, 

 the Pope has directed that only celibate or widowed priests 

 should come to America to take charge of churches. But 

 remember that the rule in the Greek Church is the same as 

 the rule in the Roman Church; no priest may marry. The 

 Greek rite, according to the custom from antiquity, will ordain 

 married men to the diaconate and priesthood, while the Ro- 

 man rite has ceased to do so. The Catholic Church, therefore, 

 is the only Church which can fairly say that it knows the 

 advantages of an unmarried priesthood, because it has them 

 both, according to the respective rites. 



The Greek Calendar 



Among the customs and privileges which the Greeks have 

 retained is that of the ancient calendar. The new calendar 

 introduced by Pope Gregory was never made obligatory on 

 them. They, therefore, keep the calendar according to the 

 Old Style, which is now about thirteen days behind the new 

 or everyday one, and which will continue to drop one day 

 behind every century. Consequently all the feast days fall 

 much later than in the Roman Rite. Thus, for example, 

 Christmas (December 25th) falls upon January 7th, New 



