Imperative to pray for the homeland and its rulers in the liturgical euchology of selected Eastern Churches

Mateusz Rafał Potoczny

Faculty of Theology of the University of Opole

Abstract

The liturgical prayer of the Church should include all the areas of human life. One cannot restrict it only to spiritual dimensions but it should also contain different social factors. The problematics of this paper deals with one of those factors: the prayer for homeland and for those who govern it. The analysis begins with the presentation of terminology and of its devaluation. After that some fragments of the liturgical prayer of two eastern traditions (Byzantine and East Syriac) have been presented. The texts show unambiguously that prayers for homeland, nation, rulers and army are a real imperative based on the apostolic teaching: we have to pray for those realities “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives” (cf. 1 Tim 2,1-3).

Keywords:

homeland, patriotism, prayer for rulers, liturgy, Eastern Churches