NOTE: In most cases, only rubrics that are unique to the Bishop’s presence are noted here.

 

The Bishop is received in the back of the Church in the usual manner. After the Bishop ascends the Episcopal Throne, the Clergy approach the Bishop and each make one metania, ask the Bishop’s blessing and kiss his right hand.

 

After making three metanias in their respective places, the Priest and the Deacon bow together to the Bishop and then the Deacon says in a loud voice, “Bless, Master!” After the Priest completes, “Blessed is our God…” the Deacon and the Priest turn and bow together to the Bishop. The bow to the Bishop is repeated after every exclamation by the Priest throughout the entire service. 

 

The priest begins the Great Censing at the usual time. After censing the Altar, the Prothesis, and the High Place, he exits the Altar through the north door. He asks the Bishop’s Blessing on the incense and censes him three times. After censing the icons and the West of the Church, he censes the Bishop nine times (three sets of three), any clergy around the Throne, the people, and the Bishop nine times, again. He completes the censing in the usual manner. The Priest intones the petitions (“Have mercy on us, O God…”) in the usual manner. After the exclamation, the choir responds, “Bless, Master, in the Name of the Lord.”

 

After handing off the censer, the Priest takes his place on the south side of the Holy Table facing north. (NOTE: The Priest stands to side and leaves the center of the Altar open at all times except when he is reciting lines that are for Priests; those are said from the center of the Altar.)

 

At the commemoration of the Hierarchs, in the Great Ektenia, the Deacon turns, points his orarion and bows to the Bishop being commemorated while the Priest bows from the Royal Doors. At the conclusion of the Ektenia, the Deacon moves to stand before the icon of Christ and the Priest moves in front of the Holy Table to intone the exclamation. After the Priest intones the exclamation, the Deacon enters the Altar through the south door.

 

At the beginning of The Canon, the Bishop descends the Episcopal Throne and enters the Altar through the Royal Doors. The Royal Doors are closed and the Bishop vests in the usual manner.

 

At the completion of the Eighth Ode, the Royal Doors are opened and the Deacon asks the Bishop’s blessing on the incense prior to saying, “The Theotokos and Mother…” and censes him three times. Since the Bishop is in the Altar at that moment he is treat as the first Priest. After the censing he censes the Bishop three times again, followed by the Priests, Deacons, etc.

 

At the completion of the Ninth Ode, the Priests proceed through the Royal Doors and go to stand on the north and south sides of the Bier, while the Deacons, with trikiri and dikiri stand behind the Holy Table. The Bishop takes up the censor and from the Royal Doors begins to cense and chant the First Stasis of the Lamentations, “In a grave they laid thee…” As he censes around the Holy Table, the deacons stay opposite him. When he turns to cense the Prothesis, the deacons exit the altar through the Royal Doors and stand in front of the Bier facing East. The bishop then exists the altar through the the Royal Doors and censes around the Bier. The Deacons stay opposite to him. When the Bishop returns to the front of the Bier, the Deacons move behind the Bishop on each side. The people chant the remainder of the First Stasis. At the conclusion of the First Stasis, the first Deacon bows to the Bishop, moves to the Icon of Christ and intones the Little Ektenia.

 

After the exclamation, the first Deacon bows to the Bishop and both Deacons move behind the Bier as the Bishop takes up the censer. He begins to cense and chant the Second Stasis of the Lamentations, “Right is it in deed…” As he does this, he comes censes around the Bier. The Deacons stay opposite to him. When the Bishop returns to the front of the Bier, the Deacons move behind the Bishop on each side. The people chant the remainder of the Second Stasis. At the conclusion of the Second Stasis, the second Deacon bows to the Bishop, moves to the Icon of the Theotokos and intones the Little Ektenia.

 

After the exclamation, the second Deacon bows to the Bishop and both Deacons move behind the Bier as the Bishop takes up the censer. He begins to cense and chant the Third Stasis of the Lamentations, “Every generation…” As he does this, he comes censes around the Bier. The Deacons stay opposite to him. When the Bishop returns to the front of the Bier, the Deacons move behind the Bishop on each side. The people chant the remainder of the Third Stasis. At the words, “Ointment-bearing women…” the Bishop, accompanied by the Deacons sprinkles Holy Water around the entire Church. At the conclusion of the Third Stasis, the first Deacon bows to the Bishop, moves to the Icon of Christ and intones the Little Ektenia. After the exclamation, the first Deacon bows to the Bishop and moves back to his place behind the Bishop.

 

At the conclusion of the Evlogetaria, the second Deacon bows to the Bishop, moves to the Icon of the Theotokos and intones the Little Ektenia. After the exclamation, the second Deacon bows to the Bishop and moves back to his place behind the Bishop.

 

The Procession around the Church is made in the usual manner with the following exceptions: The first Priest carries the Gospel Book. When the procession reaches the entrance to the Church, all, except the Bier, stop to allow the Bishop, followed by the Clergy, to enter the Church and pass under the Bier first.

 

The Bishop blesses the Epistle Reader and gives the Peace before the Gospel Reading and before the Dismissal.

 

At the Dismissal, the Deacon intones, “Wisdom!” with the choir’s response being, “Master, Bless.” The Bishop says all of the remaining lines including the final Dismissal. Following the dismissal, the people chant, “Ton Dhespotin…” The Bishop intones, “Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers…” and the Priest intones, “Through the prayers of our Holy Master…”