Antidoron

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The Antidoron is blessed non-eucharistic bread seen in Eastern Orthodox and other Christian churches. It comes from the remains of the loaves of bread (prosphora) from which portions are cut for consecration as the Eucharist during the Divine Liturgy. Some Roman Catholic churches, especially those of Eastern Catholic traditions, also follow the practice of blessing and distributing antidoron.

[edit] Practice

In the Orthodox Church, antidoron is blessed and distributed after every Divine Liturgy. After the Prothesis, the remainder of the prosphora is cut into fragments and kept aside in a bowl or salver during the celebration of the Liturgy. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, they are distributed to the faithful. Antidoron is not considered a sacramental and is explicitly not consecrated during the Eucharist.

The canonical regulations of the Orthodox Church state that the antidoron should be consumed before leaving the church, and that it should not be distributed to unbelievers or to persons undergoing penance before absolution, but variances are allowed. For instance, it is the custom in many Orthodox parishes to distribute the antidoron to visitors and catechumens as a sign of fellowship, or to bring a few pieces home to a relative who could not attend liturgy.

In the Greek (Roman) Catholic churches of Austria and Hungary, the antidoron is given only on rare occasions during the year, chiefly on the Saturday in Easter week; while among the Greek (Roman) Catholics of Italy and Sicily it is usually given only on Holy Thursday, the Feast of the Assumption, that of Saint Nicolas of Myra, and at certain week-day masses in Lent; although according to some local customs it is given on other days.

[edit] History of Antidoron

The earliest historical reference to this custom are in fact found in the Western Church. It is mentioned in the 118th letter of St. Augustine to Januarius (now known as the 54th letter in the new order), and in the canons of a local council in Gaul in the seventh century. Originally it was a substitute, or solatium for such of the faithful as were not properly prepared to receive Holy Communion or were unable to get to the Eucharistic Sacrifice. If they could not partake of the real Body of Jesus Christ, for instance because of not having fullfilled the obligatory fast or for being in a state of mortal sin, they had the consolation of partaking of the non-consecrated, liturgical bread which had been blessed and from which the portions for the real sacred consecration had been taken.

In the Eastern Church, mention of the antidoron began to appear about the ninth and tenth centuries. Germanius of Constantinople is the earliest Eastern author to mention it in his treatise, "The Explanation of the Liturgy", about the ninth century. Subsequent to him many writers of the separated Eastern Church (Balsamon, Colina, Pachemeros) have written on the custom of giving the antidoron.

While the practice of blessing and distributing antidoron still continues in the East, it was finally given up by the Western Church, and now only survives in the Roman Rite in the pain bénit given in the French churches and cathedrals at High Mass, in certain churches of Lower Canada, and occasionally in Italy, on certain feasts (e.g. of Saint Hubert). A similar custom also survives among the Syrian Christians (Christians of Saint Thomas) of the Malabar coast in India.

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.