Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches (CCEO) About Liturgical Music in Holy Qurbana

Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches (CCEO)

Canon 667

Through the sacraments, which the Church is bound to dispense so that the mystery of Christ is communicated under a visible sign, our Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies people by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that they become in a unique way true worshipers of God the Father and by which they are inserted into the Church, His Body; therefore all Christian faithful, especially sacred ministers, are to observe diligently the prescriptions of the Church in conscientiously celebrating and receiving the sacraments.

Canon 668

            § 1. Divine worship, if it is done in the name of the Church by a person legitimately appointed for this and through an act approved by the authority of the Church, is called public; if not, it is called private.

            § 2. For the regulation of divine public worship the competent authority is the one mentioned in can. 657*, with due regard for can. 199, § 1**; no other person can add to, remove, or modify that which was established by this authority.

* Canon 657

            § 1. The approval of liturgical texts, after prior review of the Apostolic See, is reserved in patriarchal Churches to the patri­arch with the consent of the synod of bishops of the patriarchal Church, in metropolitan Churches sui iuris to the metropolitan with the consent of the council of hierarchs; in other Churches this right rests exclusively with the Apostolic See, and, within the limits set by it, to bishops and to their legitimately con­stituted assemblies.

Note: Such an approved text of the liturgy will be published with the letter of promulgation or decree of the authority. For example, the Text of the Holy Qurbana (Taksa) published from the Curia, Mount Saint Thomas is the approved one.

“General Instructions Regarding the Order of the Qurbana of the Syro-Malabar Church,” no. 15 states, “… Only approved hymns and tunes are to be used in the Qurbana…” Hymns are not an ‘extra’ in the liturgical texts those can be replaces by anyone, but part of the approved liturgical text. Thus the hymns given in the Taksa of the Qurbana including those in the two Appendices (Anubandha Geethangal) are the only hymns approved by the authority of the Church.

** Canon 199

            § 1. The eparchial bishop, as the moderator, promoter and guar­dian of the entire liturgical life in the eparchy committed to him, must be vigilant that it be fostered as much as possible and ordered according to the prescriptions and legitimate customs of his own Church sui iuris.

(The power the Major Archbishop in Major Archiepiscopal Churches is equivalent to the Patriarch in the Patriarchal Churches.)