[hellbender]

I’m puzzled at the use of English. Maybe the priest is sending a message to us in the West (esp. America) that, “there are Christian over here in the Middle East, don’t forget about us.”

[NYer]

I’m puzzled at the use of English.

There is a large community of Coptic Orthodox refugees in the United States. Naturally, their offspring have grown up with the English language and that is how their liturgy is now celebrated.

I am a Roman Catholic but practice my faith in one of the 21 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Maronite Catholic Church springs out of the Church of Antioch, where Peter served as bishop before proceeding westward and eventually to Rome. The liturgical language of the Maronite Church is Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother and the Apostles. Our liturgy is celebrated in English except for the Consecration which retains the Aramaic. It is like being at the Last Supper.