CHAP. VI.
Reading edition
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.
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.
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.
Sixtine chapel: 1. Blessing of fire and incense.
Procession: Paschal candle.
Deacon sings the Exultet:
triple candle
2. Baptism administered.
communion of children.
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. § 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.
3. The litany: invocation of Saints.
Change from mourning to rejoicing.
High mass.
Alleluja.
End of the mass.
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.
Render è questo voce à voce in tempra Ed in dolcezza, ch' esser non può nota Se non colà dove il gioir s'insempra.
to whom, with all the readiness of the bucolic shepherds, whom this classic soil even now produces, Card. Sorbelloni, the Pope's cousin, replied:
Risponda dunque; O beata sorte! Risponda alla divina cantilena Da tutte parti la beata Corte, Si ch' ogni vista ne sia pià serena.
Baini Mem. Stor. T. 1.
Ceremonies at S. John Lateran's.
Blessing of the fonti: baptistery.
Baptism of adults.
Litanies and confirmation.
Mass and ordination.
Armenian Catholics:
SS. Bartholomew and Thaddaeus were the first apostles of Armenia: but it was not till the beginning of the 4th century, that the whole country became Christian in consequence of the divine blessing, which attended the zealous exertions of S. Gregory surnamed the Illuminator. In the 6th century great numbers of the Armenians were infected with the heresy of Eutyches, who denied that there were two natures in Christ: and to this error they afterwards added some others. In the pontificate of John XXII, about the year 328, a zealous Dominican bishop, called Bartholomew of Bologna, went as a missionary among them; and many of the Eutychians or Monophysites returned to the bosom of the Catholic church. In the 16th century the Catholics were so furiously persecuted by Zachary, a schismatical patriarch, that they fled and took refuge in other countries. They have at present two establishments at Rome, one of the Antonian monks at the church of S. Gregory Illuminator, behind the colonnade of S. Peter's; and a national ospizio at S. Biagio in strada Giulia.
their liturgy.
"The Armenians," says Palmer "have only one liturgy, which is written in the ancient Armenian language, and has been used by them from time immemorial. The whole groundwork and order of the Armenian liturgy coincides with the Cæsarean, as used in the time of Basil. This liturgy has, like most others, received many additions in the course of ages. There are several prayers extracted from the liturgy of Chrysostom, and actually ascribed to him" Vol. 1, Liturgy of Armenia. "The liturgy of Basil can be traced with tolerable certainty to the 4th century. Striking as are some of the features, in which it differs from that of Antioch, it is nevertheless evidently a superstructure raised on that basis: the composition of both is the same, i.e. the parts, which they have in common, follow in the same order. The same may be said of the Constantinopolitan liturgy, commonly attributed to S. Chrysostom, of that of the Armenian church, and of the florid and verbose composition in use among the Nestorians of Mesopotamia. So that the liturgy of Antioch, commonly attributed to S. James, appears to be the basis of all the oriental liturgies". Tracts for the Times, N. 63. The author then proceeds to state the grounds of the belief that the liturgies of Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and Gaul were of Apostolic origin; concluding thus "It may perhaps be said without exaggeration, that next to the holy scriptures they possess the greatest claims on our veneration and study". Padre Avedichian observes in his preface to the Armenian liturgy, that it was probably compiled by John Mandagunense, an Armenian patriarch of the fifth century.
Armenian high-mass.
We shall now give a brief account of their high mass, which we do the more readily, because Mr. Palmer represents it in a very mutilated form. The celebrant, whether priest or bishop, is vested in the sacristy: the vestments bear some resemblance to those of the Greeks. The beginning of the mass is the only part probably taken from the Roman liturgy, but it contains an invocation of the B. Virgin and of the saint of the day. When the celebrant goes up to the altar, the veil is drawn: he uncovers the chalice, blesses the host, which is like ours of unleavened bread; pours wine and water into the chalice, and recites the beautiful prayer of S. John Chrysostom: "O Lord our God, who hast sent our Lord Jesus Christ the celestial bread, the nourishment of the whole world; do thou bless this proposition etc." The veil is then drawn back, and the offerings, the altar, and the people are incensed. The Celebrant recites the prayer of the festival, followed by other prayers composed by S. John Chrysostom: the Trisagion is sung, and the gospel is carried in procession, and is kissed by one of the congregation. Then follow the epistle, gospel, and creed. After two prayers, and two benedictions imparted to the people; the offerings are carried in procession to the altar, the celebrant offers them up to God, and prays that Jesus Christ will make him worthy to consecrate, and receive his "holy and immaculate body and precious blood; for thou, O Christ our God, art he who offers and is offered". After he has washed his hands, he says "O Lord God of armies, let this victim become "the true body and blood of thy only begotten Son". He then blesses the people, says prayers which correspond to our preface and Sanctus, and pronounces the words of consecration. After he has said other prayers, and made the sign of the cross several times over the host and chalice, he invokes the holy Ghost, begging also that the body and blood of Christ may produce "the salvation of our souls and the remission of our sins". He then prays, through the merits of the holy sacrifice, for the whole world, the church and state, all conditions of men and for all the faithful departed: he invokes the intercession of the B. Virgin and all the Saints: he prays for the Pope and all present; and after other similar supplications, he says the Pater noster. The elevation takes place at this part of the mass, and also the blessing of the people with the consecrated host and chalice, accompanied by appropriate prayers. After the curtains have been drawn, the priest breaks the host, and puts a particle of it into the chalice: he then receives communion, blesses the people with the chalice and particle, and distributes communion; before its distribution the curtains are drawn back. When the ablutions and prayers after the celebrant's communion are ended, turning towards the people, he recites a prayer of S. John Chrisostom, which is followed by the last gospel. Then invoking the holy cross he blesses the people, who unite in praising God. He finally blesses them again, and distributes blessed bread (not consecrated) among them. At S. Gregorio Illuminatore Vespers are added and said in circolo: the clergy carry tapers; and the gospel is held up by the Celebrant to implore blessings on the people.
Reflections.
These ceremonies may appear singular to us, who are of a different clime and different customs; their music in particular is little in accordance with our taste, or notions of melody and harmony. Yet the remark of Montfaucon (Diario Italico) "æra Dodonæa dixisses", alluding to the brass kettles of the oracle (Potter Arch. Graec. B. 2, § 8) is an exaggeration. Their flabelli are of metal, of a round form, surrounded with little bells, which are sounded at the seraphic hymn, to express, if we might believe Cancellieri, "by the trembling of the hands, that of the blessed spirits, who assist at the throne of the Divine Majesty with fear and trembling". (Tre Pontific. Not. VI). Their mass is anticipated, but not at so early an hour as that of the Latin. (Even in the Latin church, permissions to say mass in the afternoon of this day have been granted by some Popes; they may be seen in Cancellieri. Funz. d. Sett. S. p. 183, 184). Amid the numerous differences between their rite and our own, the attentive spectator will not fail to remark the similarity of the substance and order of their liturgy, and of that of the Roman church; although, with the solitary exception of the beginning of the mass, both have existed independently of one another during the last 1400 years. This is a powerful argument in favour of the great antiquity, nay of the apostolic origin of their most important ceremonies, which may be traced through different channels to the primitive liturgies of Rome and Antioch. It is also one of those striking illustrations, which Rome presents, of the unity and catholicity of the church; and at the same time of the adaptation of her immutable doctrines and sacred practices to the feelings and customs of widely-separated nations who, having little in common but human nature, yet all acknowledge "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism". (Ephes. IV. 5); and all belong to "one fold and one shepherd". John X, 16.
Conclusion.