La riforma liturgica della Settimana Santa nel rito bizantino: il caso del monastero di New Skete

Absztrakt

This article examines the liturgical reform of Holy Week within the Byzantine Rite as undertaken by the Monastery of New Skete (Cambridge, NY), a monastic community originally founded in the Byzantine Catholic tradition in 1966 and now part of the Orthodox Church in America. Drawing upon the insights of the “Roman school” of Eastern Liturgy (notably Juan Mateos, Miguel Arranz, and Robert Taft) and inspired by the principles of ressourcement and aggiornamento promoted by the Second Vatican Council, the monks of New Skete implemented one of the most systematic and theologically grounded reforms of Holy Week in the contemporary Byzantine world. The article provides a critical analysis of this reform, which includes a revised lectionary, simplifiedliturgical structures, and original hymnography, all aimed at restoring the dynamic coherence between lex orandi and lex credendi. Special attention is given to the balance between fidelity to ancient sources, namely the traditions of Jerusalem and Constantinople, and pastoral adaptation to a postmodern American context. The study evaluates the theological and liturgical motivations behind the reform, its relation to broader ecclesial movements, and the potential implications for future developments in Eastern Christian liturgy.