History of the Rite of The Exaltation of the Cross
The Jerusalem
Lectionary of the 5th century in Armenian language tells about the rite
of the Exaltation of the Cross in front of the praying masses. In the Georgian
version of the Lectionary of the 5-7th centuries there is a detailed
description of this rite. It was held on September, 14(old calendar) and began
at the third hour after the sunrise. The priests came into the sacristy, then vested,
decorated the Cross (sometimes even three Crosses) and laid it on the altar stone.
The rite included three episodes of exaltation (elevation) of the Cross. Each elevation
was preceded by the prayers and chants and was accompanied by fifty “Lord, have
mercy upon us” prayers. After the third elevation, the Cross was washed with aroma
water, and people were allowed to venerate the Holy Cross. Then the
Cross was placed into the altar stone again and the liturgy began.
By the 6th
century the rite of the Exaltation was already known and performed not only in
Jerusalem, but in other corners of the Christian world as well. According to
the post-iconoclastic Great Church Typicon, in the Saint Sofia Church the
Exaltation rite was held during the matins after the troparions to the Cross.
The rite itself is described shortly: the Patriarch was standing on the ambon (a
small rise with the stairs in the center of the church) while raising the Cross,
at the same time people were exclaiming “Lord, have mercy upon us”. This was
repeated three times. The picture of the priest raising the Cross became the
traditional image of the feast’s iconography.
In the Typicon of
the Studite tradition, the rite of Exaltation is based on the Constantinople
type, but is slightly simplified. It is included into the final part of the matins.
Instead of three cycles there was only one, consisting of five raisings – twice
to the East and one time for the other sides of the world.
According to
the Studite-Alexian Typicon the rite was held in the end of matins after the
reading of the Trisagion, the Troparion to the Cross and bowing to the Cross.
The rite began with singing the three Troparions; the Cross was elevated by
father superior in the altar from different sides of the world (the East, the
North, the West, the South, and again the East). After the rite a litany was
proclaimed and the first hour began.
According to
the Typicon of Evergetis the rite was held not in the altar, but in the church.
After the Troparion to the Cross the priest made three times the sign of the
Cross to the East and sang loudly “Lord, have mercy upon us” three times as well. Then he
was raising the Cross slowly while singing the rest 97 times. After that the
sacred action repeated to the other sides of the world: South, West, North,
East.
In the Typicon of
Saint George the Hagiorite describes two versions of the rite. The first one
corresponds to the one described in the Typicon of Evergetis (but the
order of the sides is different: East, North, West, South, East). The second
version tells that the rite was held by the Patriarch, and its features
underline the connection with the Great church (the chants after the entrance
during the praises).
In the
Jerusalem statute, adopted in the Orthodox Church in 13-15th
centuries, the rite preserves the features, which are known from the Studite
scriptures: it is held at the matins after the great praise and the Troparion
to the Cross. The sign of Cross is made five times and the Cross is raised to
the sides of the world (East, South, West, North, East). But there is an
important change – five petitions by a deacon are included (at the time when
the sign of Cross is made), and after each of them “Lord, have mercy
upon us” is sung. Moreover, according to the Jerusalem statute, before raising
the Cross the priest has to lean to the floor so that his head will be not higher that
20 cm above the floor. In the second part of the 17th century, when
the liturgical literature was corrected in Russian Church, the order of the
sides of the world was changed. The new order was: East, West, South, North,
East. This order remains even today.
The rite of the
Exaltation of the Cross is an inalienable part of the festal service. This can
be proved by the variety of features, described in different scriptures. In
some of them it is stated, that the rite can be held only by the Patriarch with
the clergy, but according to the others a priest with a deacon can do this as
well. For example, in 1301 the fathers of the Constantinople cathedral gave the
answer to the question of Theognostus, the bishop of Saraysk, in which it was
stated, that the rite can be led not only by a bishop, but also by a father
superior. Saint Cyprian of Moscow wrote in his letter to the clergy of
Novgorod, that the Cross should be elevated in any church, even if there is
only one priest. The handwritten monastic Typicon of the 17th
century says, that the rite should take place annually only in cathedrals,
while in all other churches the rite in should be held only in case when the
feast falls on Saturday or Sunday.
In old Moscow
Typicon of 1641 it was written, that the Cross should be elevated only in
cathedral churches and monasteries, while in average churches only worshipping
of the Cross should take place. That instruction was later transferred to the
new version of Typicon of 1682. Since that it is stated in all publications of
the Russian Typicon. Nowadays in the Russian Church the rite takes place in all
the cathedrals, while in monasteries and parishes it can be held with
permission of the eparch. In the Church of Greece the rite can take place in
any church.
According to
certain manuscripts, when the rite of the Exaltation is held, the ektene of the
matins can be cancelled, because some prayers of it are also included in the
rite. Just like in the Jerusalem, the Cross is washed with aromatic water
during the Exaltation.
Translated from: http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/50351.html
