Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 2.djvu/271

Rh the principal holidays, and in some churches it is not offered for weeks together,—a departure from the rules laid down by their canons which the more intelligent among them deplore and censure. On such occasions it is usual for the priest to read the liturgy, omitting the prayer of consecration and other parts of the office, and this is called d'Sh-heemé or Simple, and approaches very nearly to the Dry office, as enjoined by the Church of England when there is no communion. The Chaldeans, however, who have adopted the doctrine of the Church of Rome on this sacrament, offer masses every day.

6. The canons of the Nestorians forbid the priests to celebrate the liturgy more than once in the day, except in cases of urgent necessity; and although there be two or more priests attached to a church, not more than one can celebrate on the same day.42 On the contrary, whatever number of Chaldean priests may belong to a single church, every one of them offers up a solitary mass, for which he is paid by the relatives of the deceased in whose behalf this service is performed. The receiving of money for the celebration of the liturgy, though I have heard of a few instances of the kind, is very strongly censured by the Nestorian clergy generally.