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Pascha (Coptic Church)

For other uses, see Pascha.
Not to be confused with Easter, which is called Pascha in Greek.
The Church of Saint Mary in Haret Elroum on Good Friday

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pascha (Coptic: ⲡⲁⲥⲭⲁ, Arabic: بصخة) refers to both the services held on Holy Week and the week itself, which commemorates the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Holy Pascha is the only time of the year when no liturgies are prayed (except on Sunday, Thursday and Saturday), and the Agpeya is not prayed. Instead, a Pascha is prayed every morning and evening. Moreover, the usually red altar veil is replaced with a black one, and black banners are hung around the church. Pascha services are always held in the nave of the church.[1] and typically last 2–3 hours.

Etymology

The Coptic word ⲡⲁⲥⲭⲁ is loaned from the Greek πάσχα, which in Modern Greek means Easter, but before Christianity referred to the Jewish Passover. The word πάσχα is itself loaned through Aramaic from the Hebrew פֶּסַח‎ (Pesah), meaning "to pass over", because the Angel of Death "passed over" the houses of the Israelites.[2] The reason the name of the Jewish Passover was transferred to the Christian Holy Week is that Christians see Jesus as the fulfillment of the Passover lamb.[3][1]

Structure

Beginning on Palm Sunday, a Pascha is prayed every morning and evening until Easter. Following an old Jewish system in which days begin at sunset, the Monday Eve Pascha is on the evening of Palm Sunday, followed by the Monday Day Pascha the following morning, followed by the Tuesday Eve Pascha and so on. Each Pascha is divided into 5 "hours": the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 11th hours. On Good Friday, an additional 12th hour is added.

The majority of the Pascha consists of readings. Each hour follows this structure:[4][5][6]

  • Prophecies from the Old Testament
  • In some hours, a homily from one of the Church Fathers
  • The Paschal praise (Thok te ti gom) is chanted antiphonally twelve times[note 1]
  • A few verses from the Psalms are read in a slow, melancholy tune[note 2]
  • The introduction to the Gospel is read or, occasionally, slowly chanted[note 3]
  • A passage from one of the Gospels is read. On Friday, four passages from the gospels are read each hour instead of one.
  • The exposition

After all the hours, some litanies are prayed, followed by twelve "Kyrie Eleison"s and a concluding hymn.

Notes

  1. ^ In Coptic, its words are as follows:

    Ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲱ̀ⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲥ̀ⲙⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲙⲁϩⲓ ϣⲁ ⲉ̀ⲛⲉϩ ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ: Ⲉⲙⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲏⲗ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲡⲉⲛⲟⲩⲣⲟ.

    Ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲱ̀ⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲥ̀ⲙⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲙⲁϩⲓ ϣⲁ ⲉ̀ⲛⲉϩ ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ: Ⲡⲁⲟ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲓⲏ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲡⲭ̅ⲥ̅:

    (This line is added from the 11th hour of Tuesday) ⲡⲁⲤⲱⲧⲏⲣ ⲛ̀ⲁ̀ⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ:

    (This paragraph is added from the 1st hour of Friday Eve) ⲧⲁϫⲟⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲁⲥ̀ⲙⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ Ⲡⲟ̅ⲥ̅: ⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛⲏⲓ ⲉⲩⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣⲓⲁ̀ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲁⲃ.

    Ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲱ̀ⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲥ̀ⲙⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲙⲁϩⲓ ϣⲁ ⲉ̀ⲛⲉϩ ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ.

    Below is an English translation:[7]

    Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty, forever Amen. Emmanuel our God and our King.

    Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty, forever Amen. O my Lord Jesus Christ, (my good Savior.)

    (The Lord is my strength, my praise, and has become my holy salvation.)

    Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty, forever Amen.
  2. ^ The usual tune is called the "Adribi" tune, because it was developed by monks of the White Monastery near Athribis. Two psalms, "Pek ethronos" and "Avechinon", are instead read in the "Shami" tune, named after the village of Ash Shamiyya in Egypt.[8]
  3. ^ The Gospel introduction, as well as many of the readings themselves, are shared with the Byzantine Rite.[4] Its Greek text is as follows:

    Καὶ ὑπέρ τοῦ καταξιωθῆναι ἡµᾶς τῆς ἀκροάσεως τοῦ ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου, Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡµῶν ἱκετεύσωµεν. Σοφία! Ὀρθοί! Ἀκούσωµεν τοῦ ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου.

    Below is an English translation:[9]

    Let us pray to the Lord our God that we may be made worthy to hear the holy Gospel. Wisdom! Arise! Let us hear the holy Gospel.

References

  1. ^ a b Father Athanasius Fahmy George. "كتاب ذكرى آلامه المقدسة: قصة الحب العجيب، رؤية آبائية - القمص أثناسيوس فهمي جورج2- أسبوع الآلام في طقوس الكنيسة". st-takla.org (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  2. ^ "بصخة". st-takla.org (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  3. ^ 1 Corinthians 5:7
  4. ^ a b Habib, John (29 March 2018). "History of the Holy Pascha ("Passover") Week in the Coptic Church". WordPress. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  5. ^ St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, Washington DC (29 March 2018). "Guide to the Holy Pascha Week" (PDF). Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  6. ^ Hanna, William A. (19 April 2003). Holy Paschal Week Guide: Brief Explanation and English Listing of the Readings (According to the Tradition and Rites Of the Coptic Orthodox Church) (PDF).
  7. ^ "General Hymns for the Week :: Thok te tigom :: Ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ". tasbeha.org. 20 March 2003. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  8. ^ Father Athanasius Fahmy George. "كتاب ذكرى آلامه المقدسة: قصة الحب العجيب، رؤية آبائية - القمص أثناسيوس فهمي جورج3- كنوز ألحان أسبوع الآلام الفصحية". st-takla.org (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Melismatic Pascha Gospel Introduction in English — Coptic Cantor". 4 March 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2025.