The Ceremonies of the Holy Week at Rome by Charles Michael Baggs

C >> Charles Michael Baggs >> The Ceremonies of the Holy Week at Rome

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

[Footnote 94: In the Ordo Romanus XII, Ap. 1, de Presbyterio, it is
prescribed that "according to ancient custom whatever is offered upon
the cross ought to belong to the _schola_ (or company)" of the cross:
in the Ordo XIV, that it belongs to the _Sagrista_. The sum collected
is at present the perquisite of M. Sagrista and the two principal
Masters of ceremonies. These offerings were customary also in other
churches, and in particular at Paris.]

[Footnote 95: Baini observes, that the chant of this hymn is one of
the few instances of _rhythmical_ chant preserved by uninterrupted
_tradition_ in the papal chapel and adorned with the ancient
ornaments. (See his Saggio sopra l'indentita dei ritmi musicale e
poetico. Firenze, 1820). "The chant of that hymn" says Eximano (quoted
by Baini, Mem. Stor.) is a true plain chant, that is, a chant of
unison, such as it is found in all choral books: but the mode of
singing it in the pontifical chapel makes it appear different from
what is sung in other churches--Above all, the distribution of the
notes, which are sung (not of those which are written) adapted to
express the length and shortness of the syllables which compose the
rhythm of the hymn, ought to be studied. "Se si da quell'inno ad un
maestro di cappella per metterlo in musica concertata ed in _battuta
sensibile_, verra subito distrutto il _ritmo_, e se la cantilena
della cappella pontif. si scrive in battuta, si vedranno cadere
nel _battere_ alcune sillabe brevi, senza pregiudizio della loro
quantita". Dubbio di D. Antonio Eximeno sopra il saggio fondamentale
pratico di contrappunto del R.P.M. Martini. Roma, 1773.]

[Footnote 96: The corporal is a square piece of linen so called,
because the Corpus or body of Christ is placed on it. S. Isidore of
Pelusium in the beginning of the 5th century says, that the white
linen cloth, which is spread under the divine gifts, is the clean
linen cloth of Joseph of Arimathea: "for we, sacrificing the bread of
proposition on the linen cloth, without doubt find like him the body
of Christ": it was anciently much larger than it is at present. The
purificator is a small towel, which serves to wipe the chalice and
the hands and mouth of the priest, after he has received the B.
Sacrament.]

[Footnote 97: The veil is used from reverence to the B. Sacrament:
on an ancient mosaic on one of the arches of S. Prassede, a person
is represented enveloped in it, holding a sacred vessel apparently
intended to contain the B. Sacrament. Ciampini, Vet. mon. T. 2.]

[Footnote 98: According to the Gelasian Sacramentary, "the deacons go
to the _sacrarium_ and walk in procession with the body and blood of
the Lord, which remained from the preceding day": with it the most
ancient Ordo Romanus ad usum monasteriorum agrees.]

[Footnote 99: In the fourth century Pope Innocent I in his epistle to
Decentius assigns as a reason, why the holy sacrifice is not offered
up on this day, the example of the apostles who, concealing themselves
for fear of the Jews, spent this and the following day in fasting and
mourning for the death of their master, and were thus debarred from
the holy mysteries. During the whole of Lent the Greek church still
celebrates, towards evening, only the mass of the presanctified,
except on Saturdays and Sundays, and on the feast of the Annunciation,
when the ordinary mass is offered up. This is one of the ancient
instances of communion under one kind; for, as Leo Allatius observes,
either it is received under the form of bread alone, or if some drops
of the sacred blood were sprinkled on the host, all the species
of wine have disappeared before communion. (De utriusque Ecclesiae
consensione, p. 875). Neither in the Latin or the Greek church is the
mass of the pre-sanctified a _Missa sicca_ or dry mass: in which not
only the consecration, but also the communion, and all those prayers
which are said over the holy Eucharist, used to be omitted. See
Durandus in Rationali c. 1. This is the only day in the year on which
mass is not offered up in the Latin church, and even on it the priest
communicates: on holy Saturday mass is said, but the priest alone
communicates: on all other days all the faithful may and many do
communicate, either during mass or before or after it according to
circumstances. Palmer having quoted a passage from Bona, in which the
Cardinal regrets that communion, as well as other rites to which the
mass is not essential, is often delayed till after the mass is ended,
subjoins the following ejaculation. "Would that they who communicate
with the Roman church were not too timid or too lukewarm to return to
the practice of the primitive church in this and many other respects".
Orig. Liturg. vol. 2, p. 154. Now in the primitive church the
faithful, and even those in health, used to communicate not only
during mass, but also at other times, as is evident from the office of
the presanctified, at which, according to the Gelasian sacramentary,
all present communicated, as well as from the numerous ancient
instances of communion under one kind mentioned in the preceding
chapter; for in these cases it was not received during the mass, and
many of them are cases of "_persons in health_". In the same page Mr.
Palmer observes that "_during all the primitive ages_ the whole body
of the faithful communicated at each celebration of the liturgy". Now
has the church of England preserved this "practice of the primitive
church"? So far is this from being the case, that Palmer considers
her _ordinary_ office as a "_Missa sicca_; or dry service" p. 164,
in which there is neither consecration or communion, and the earliest
notice of which occurs in the writings of Petrus Cantor (A.D. 1200),
according to Palmer's own admission, ibid. Even on those few days
in the year when she admits her children to communion, her ministers
generally consider that they make an oblation only of bread and wine,
and not of the body and blood of Christ, whereas, whatever Palmer or
the Tracts for the Times may say to the contrary, we are prepared to
prove from the _very liturgies_, which the former cites, that in the
mass there is an oblation not merely of bread and wine but also of the
body and blood of Christ; and accordingly even the author of Tract 81,
vol. 4, admits, p. 61, that "the real point of difference between the
primitive church and modern views is whether there be in this oblation
a _mystery_ or no". It is truly lamentable that men of learning should
falsely accuse the Roman church of departure from primitive discipline
in a matter of so little comparative importance as the precise
_time_ when communion is to be received, while they themselves must
acknowledge, that they have _abolished communion_ itself as well as
_consecration_ on _nearly_ all the days of the year, and that they
have reduced the oblation of the mass from a '_mystery_' and a
'_venerable, tremendous_ and unbloody sacrifice' (Palmer vol. 2, p.
84) to an offering of bread and wine. They have thus deprived their
followers of the inestimable fruits of communion enumerated by Christ
in the gospel--yet these forsooth are the men who charge Catholics
with a departure from primitive practice. How many other _primitive
practices_ mentioned in this work have been abolished by the church
of England!]

[Footnote 100: This plate, which is of gold or silver-gilt, resembles
_in form_ the patera used in the ancient sacrifices, and generally
represented together with the _prefericulum_ on sepulchral monuments
dedicated to the Manes.]

[Footnote 101: The wine is sanctified, but is not consecrated, either
by the particle of the sacred host, or by the recital of the _Pater
noster_, as has been shewn by Mabillon, (Museum Ital.) Bossuet, and
other authors quoted by Benedict XIV. The wine and water represent
the blood and water, which flowed on this day from Christ's body. See
Act. Coer. p. 54. Whenever priests _say Mass_, they receive under both
kinds, in compliance with the command of Christ "Drink ye all of this"
which words as well as those others, "Do this in commemoration of me"
were addressed to the apostles and their successors.]

[Footnote 102: According to the direction of the Gelasian
sacramentary, the _Pax Domini etc_. is not said on this day.]

[Footnote 103: "As the communion," says Mabillon "is of the nature of
a sacred banquet, it consists of food and drink; hence the other part
of the banquet, viz. drink, was supplied by wine, mixed with water,
but sanctified by a particle of the B. Sacrament" See for the service
of this day a MS. Pontifical of the church of Apamea in Syria ap.
Martene t. 3, p. 132. It is found with little variation also in the
Gelasian Sacramentary, in a very ancient _Ordo Romanus_, and some MSS.
cited by Martene. In the Roman church, as Amalarius was informed by
the Roman archdeacon "at the station no one communicated". In many
other churches there was general communion; this is prescribed by the
church during this holy season.]

[Footnote 104: In many churches the crucifix used to be solemnly
placed in the _sepulchre_ after the Vespers. See the Sarum and other
missals, ap. Martene t. 3, p. 139.]

[Footnote 105: So jealously are these relics kept, that even
sovereigns cannot go up where they are preserved, without being
first appointed Canons of the Basilica. The Emperor Frederic III,
and afterwards Ladislaus son of the king of Poland, and Cosimo III
grand-duke of Tuscany went up dressed as Canons of St. Peter's.]

[Footnote 106: The learned professor Sholz after his return from
Palestine defended in a dissertation the genuineness of this tomb
against Dr. Clark's objections: if it be within the walls of the
modern city of Jerusalem, it was certainly outside the ancient walls.]

[Footnote 107: The lance preserved at Nuremberg resembles in form that
of St. Peter's, but is made of common iron, united with a part of one
of the nails of the cross.]

[Footnote 108: These relics are shewn to the people on holy-Wednesday
after the matins of Tenebrae; on Thursday and Friday several times in
the day: on holy Saturday morning after mass: on Easter Sunday after
the Pontifical mass: on Easter Monday, and a few other festivals.]

[Footnote 109: The opinion of Roestell (Beschreibung der Stadt Rom, B.
I, p. 400) that these phials contained the blessed eucharist under
the form of wine, if admitted, would form a new proof of the real and
permanent presence of Christ's blood in the B. Sacrament; yet it is
a novel, unsupported, and untenable conjecture. Some of the ancient
Christian Fathers complain, it is true, of the abuse of burying the
eucharist with the deceased under the form of bread; but the phials of
blood have been found with so many bodies, that we cannot reasonably
suppose the custom to have been an abuse: and who among the ancients
mentions that the eucharist was ever buried with them under the form
of _wine_? That the palm-branch or crown accompanied by these phials
of blood are authentic signs of martyrdom, see Raoul-Rochette's
Memoires sur les pierre sepulcrales, t. XIII des Mem. de l'Academie,
p. 210, 217. On one of the phials mentioned by Roestell was found the
inscription Sanguis Saturnini.]

[Footnote 110: In the Vatican Library is a small relic-case, marked
with the monogram, of great simplicity and consequent antiquity. There
is another of ivory, adorned with bas-reliefs of the resuscitation of
Lazarus, Christ's apprehension etc. Plainer, Bescher. der Stadt Rom.
B. 2. See also Rock's Hierurgia Vol. 2, cap 6.]

CHAP. VI.

ON THE CEREMONIES OF HOLY-SATURDAY

_CONTENTS._

Service of Easter-eve--Ceremonies of
holy-saturday-morning--Sixtine chapel. 1. Blessing of the fire
and incense-procession; Paschal candle--the deacon sings the
_Exultet_--triple candle--2. Baptism administered on this
day: communion of children in former times--prophecies--3.
The litany: invocation of Saints--change from mourning
to rejoicing--High mass: sacred pictures
etc.--_Alleluja_--Vespers--end of the mass: mass of Pope
Marcellus--Ceremonies at S. John Laterans. Blessing of
the font: baptistery--baptism of adults--litanies and
confirmation--mass and ordination--Armenian catholics--their
liturgy; and high mass on Easter-eve--reflections--Conclusion.

"_But now Christ is risen from the dead, the first-fruits of
them that sleep_". 1 Cor. XV, 20.

[Sidenote: Service of Easter-eve.]

I remarked in the last chapter, that anciently mass was not said
either on good-friday, or holy-saturday, and I quoted Pope Innocent I,
who assigns as a reason the example of the Apostles, who spent those
days in mourning for their Master. It was formerly customary to
celebrate mass on the night of Easter-eve or holy Saturday. Hence when
Tertullian, the oldest Latin Christian writer, endeavoured to dissuade
his wife from ever marrying a pagan, in case of his own death, among
other arguments he used the following; "Who will tranquilly wait for
you, when you are spending the night at the paschal solemnities?"
S. Jerome also (in cap. 25 Matt.) says, that according to apostolic
tradition, the people did not leave the church on Easter-eve before
midnight. This custom continued for many ages; but Hugh of S. Victor
in the twelfth century says, that in his time, in order to avoid
weakness arising from long fasting, the hour anciently observed was
anticipated. The service, which is now performed before noon on holy
Saturday, was formerly assigned to the night of Easter-eve: and this
anticipation accounts for the occasional mention of night, which
it contains, as well as for the early celebration of Christ's
resurrection.

[Sidenote: Ceremonies of holy saturday.]

The ceremonies of holy saturday-morning may be arranged under three
heads: 1st. the blessing of the fire and of the paschal candle: 2nd.
the preparation for, and ceremonies of, baptism: 3rd. the litany
and mass. All three allude, as we shall see, to the resurrection of
Christ, which is the great object of our devotion on this day. In Rome
two sanctuaries are the great centres of attraction in the morning,
viz. S. John Lateran's on account of the baptism of adults, and
the Sixtine chapel, where the service is always beautiful, and
particularly on this day. We shall first give an account of the
ceremonies observed in the latter, and shall then describe the
additional interesting rites of S. John Lateran's.

[Sidenote: Sixtine chapel: 1. Blessing of fire and incense.]

1. As the missal prescribes, the altar is covered at a convenient
hour, and the candles of the altar are not lighted till the beginning
of the mass. A light, from which the charcoal for the incense is
enkindled, is struck from a flint in the sacristy; where also _M.
Sagrista_ privately blesses water. The cardinals enter the Sixtine
chapel vested in their purple _cappe_: the maces are reversed, as on
friday. Meantime in the sacristy the Card. Celebrant wearing a purple
cope and mitre, and assisted by the sacred ministers, blesses (as
usually with holy water and incense) the fire and the five grains of
incense, which are to be fixed in the paschal candle[111].

[Sidenote: Procession: Paschal candle.]

The Cardinal afterwards changes his cope for a chasuble, which is
purple as well as that of the subdeacon; but the deacon, as he is
going to bless the Paschal candle[112], wears a white dalmatic. They
then enter the Sixtine chapel; where, having put incense into the
thurible, the Cardinal remains: but the deacon, the subdeacon who
carries the cross, and the other ministers go to the Pauline chapel,
whence a procession returns in the following order. After two mace
bearers comes an acolythe with the five grains of incense, and another
with the thurible; then the subdeacon carrying the cross; and the
deacon with a reed, at the top of which are 3 candles united together.
At his left hand is a Master of ceremonies with a small candle lighted
from the blessed fire, and he is followed by two other acolythes.
When the deacon arrives near the door of the _cancellata_, one of the
three candles is lighted, and all genuflect, except the subdeacon: the
deacon then sings, _Lumen Christi_, the light of Christ, and the choir
answers, Thanks be to God. The other two candles are lighted in turn,
as the Deacon approaches nearer to the altar; singing the same words
each time, but gradually in a higher tone. He then gives the reed
to an acolythe; and before he sings the _exultet_ or blessing of the
Paschal candle, he receives the benediction of the Card. Celebrant,
who once more puts incense into the thurible.

[Sidenote: Deacon sings the _Exultet_:]

[Sidenote: triple candle]

The deacon[113] goes to the book, and has the subdeacon on his right
hand, and on his left the thurifer and two acolythes, one of whom
holds the reed, and the other the plate containing the five grains of
incense. All stand, as at the gospel: he incenses the book, and then
sings the _Exultet_[114]. After the words _curvat imperia_, he fixes
in the candle the five grains of incense in the form of a cross[115].
At the words "_ignis accendit_" he lights the paschal candle with one
of the _three_ lights[116]. When the blessing, as it is called, is
ended, the paschal candle is left lighted near the pulpit and the
seats of the Card. deacons, and the triple candle is placed near the
altar on the gospel-side[117]. The deacon then takes off his white
vestments, puts on others of a purple colour, and joins the Card,
celebrant, who accompanied by the ministers takes his seat on
_Faldistorio_ near the altar on the epistle-side, to hear the
prophecies recited.

[Sidenote: 2. Baptism administered.]

[Sidenote: communion of children.]

2. The administration of the Sacrament of Baptism forms an important
feature in the ceremonies of this day: indeed anciently it was
customary to confer it only on holy-saturday, and the eve of
Whit-sunday, except in case of necessity[118]. On these two days those
Catechumens who were sufficiently instructed, and also children, used
to be baptised[119] by the bishop, and by the bishop of Rome as well
as others[120]; and after they had been baptised, they all received
Confirmation and the holy Eucharist[121].

[Sidenote: Prophecies.]

The twelve lessons or prophecies read on this day were intended for
the instruction of the catechumens; and they are well selected for
that purpose, as they contain an account of the creating, the flood,
the obedience of Abraham, the deliverance of God's people from their
enemies at the red sea, the precept concerning the paschal lamb,
the conversion of Ninive, the refusal of the three children to adore
Nabuchodonosor's statue, etc. they are twelve in the ancient Gelasian
Ordo. They are sung in the Sixtine chapel by members of the papal
choir, and are read by the Card. celebrant. After each prophecy the
Cardinal standing up sings a prayer: the deacon chants _Flectamus
genua_ and the subdeacon _Levate_ before each, except the last, when
the knee is not bent, in order to shew abhorence of the idolatry
exacted by Nabuchodonosor for his statue. After the 4th, 8th, and 11th
prophecies an appropriate Tract is sung by the choir. Formerly some or
all of these prophecies were said in Greek as well as in Latin. (See
Cancellieri, _Funz. d. Set. S._ Sec. 4, Martene T. 3. p. 148.). These
lesson are recited even where there is no baptismal font, as at the
Sixtine chapel. After them follow in S. John Lateran's and other
churches the blessing of the font, and in some of them administration
of baptism.

[Sidenote: 3. The litany: invocation of Saints.]

[Sidenote: Change from mourning to rejoicing.]

3. In the papal chapel, immediately after the prophecies, the
Celebrant takes off his chasuble, and prostrates himself with the
sacred ministers before the altar; all the others also kneel, and
two tenor voices from the choir chant in the middle of the chapel the
greater litanies, called those of the saints, each petition of which
is repeated in the same words by the choir[122]. Before the verse
"_Peccatores te rogamus audi nos_" the assistant priest and ministers
go to the sacristy, and put on white vestments. Then returning to the
chapel they assist the Card. Celebrant to put on his white vestments
at his _faldistorio_. The candles are now lighted (at the _Agnus Dei_
of the litany, as the Sacramentary of S. Gregory and the Ordo Romanus
prescribe); the purple veil which covered the throne and the purple
_paliotto_ or facing of the altar are removed; and both appear decked
in white. The Cardinals assisted by theirs _caudatarii_ take off
their purple _cappe_, and put on others of scarlet brought in by their
respective _camerieri_. The reason of this sudden change from mourning
to rejoicing we have already seen: the celebration of Christ's
resurrection from the dead is celebrated by anticipation.

[Sidenote: High mass.]

At the end of the litanies, the Pope (if His Holiness were not present
at the preceding ceremonies) enters the chapel, wearing a white
cope and a mitre; at the foot of the altar he repeals as usual the
beginning of the mass with the Card. Celebrant at His left hand: in
the meantime the choir sings solemnly the _Kyrie eleison_ etc. (as
there is no _Introit_ of the Mass, because the people were assembled
in the church previously): the Pope goes to His throne, and receives
the usual _ubbidienza_; and the other customary ceremonies of high
mass in the papal chapel take place (see p. 19 and foll.) with such
exceptions as we shall now mention. As soon as the Celebrant commences
the _Gloria in excelsis_, the veil is removed from the tapestry over
the altar; which represents Christ rising from the dead[123], the
cannons of S. Angelo are discharged, the arms are no longer reversed
and the bells of the city are tolled, to announce to its faithful
inhabitants the resurrection of their Divine Lord.

[Sidenote: Alleluja.]

After the epistle, sung as usual by the subdeacon, another subdeacon
(_Uditore di Rota_) wearing a white _tonacella_ or tunic announces
at the foot of the throne the joyful tidings to His Holiness[124] by
chanting aloud; "_Pater sancte, annuntio vobis gaudium magnum, quod
est, Alleluja_": having then kissed the Pope's foot he returns into
the sacristy. This word of joy[125] _Alleluja_, (praise God) which
had not been once uttered during the long season of mourning which
preceded this solemnity, is now sung thrice by the Celebrant,
gradually raising his voice to a higher tone. The choir reechoes it
each time, singing it in _contrapunto_, and then chants the verse
_Confitemini_, and the tract, which is ordinarily recited in
penitential times. Throughout the mass the joy of the church is
incomplete; for though Christ has risen from the dead, He has not
yet appeared to His disciples, and the light of faith is still
overclouded, as Alcuin remarks: hence lights are not carried at the
gospel; the Creed, offertory, motetto and _Agnus_ _Dei_ are omitted,
and the kiss of peace is not given[126]. Merati adds to the cause
already assigned the wish to abridge service; particularly on account
of the newly-baptised children, who communicated at this mass; and the
unusual shortness of the Vespers confirms this opinion.

[Sidenote: End of the mass.]

After the Celebrant has communicated, Vespers are sung by the choir,
in place of the _communion_ and postcommunion. They consist of the
anthem _Alleluja_ repeated three times before and after the short
psalm _Laudate Dominion omnes gentes_ etc.; of the anthem _Vesper
autem sabbati_, which the Celebrant commences and the choir continues;
of the _Magnificat_[127] and in fine of the prayer which is chanted
by the Card. Celebrant. While the anthem before the _Magnificat_ is
sung, the Pope puts incense into the thurible; the celebrant incenses
the crucifix and the altar, and is incensed by the deacon, and the
incensing continues as after the offertory at high-mass (See p. 21) At
the _Gloria Patri_ the deacon, having incensed the Card, priests, bows
his head in the middle of the chapel, and then proceeds to incense the
Card, deacons. After the prayer; _Ite Missa est, Alleluja, Alleluja_,
is sung; and the choir answers, _Deo gratias Alleluja, Alleluja_: the
Pope gives the usual blessing, the Celebrant publishes the indulgence
of thirty years and this beautiful service terminates. In the sacristy
His Holiness puts on a _mozzetta_ of white (instead of red) damask,
and wears it during the whole of Easter week: His shoes also are
white. The Cardinals put on red _mantellette_ and _mozzette_ over
their purple cassocks; these they afterwards change for others of
scarlet.

[Sidenote: Mass of Pope Marcellus.]

The mass sung on this day is that of Pierluigi da Palestrina, called
the mass of Pope Marcellus; not because it was composed during his
pontificate; but because, according to Baini, Pierluigi had intended
to dedicate a work to that Pope, to whom he was grateful and attached,
but was disappointed by His Holiness' premature death; and therefore
he persuaded Card. Vitellozzi to give it that name in honour of
his former patron. This is the celebrated mass, which rescued
ecclesiastical music from the dangers which surrounded it in the
Pontificate of Pius IV (as we have related in The Papal Chapel, Rome,
1839), and not of Marcellus II, as Baini has proved. It is said, that
when it was first sung in the papal chapel, the Card. dean Francesco
Pisani was so enraptured with it, that he exclaimed with Dante,
Paradise, Canto X.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11