Part 3 (1/2)
Constantine, according to Anastasius in his life of S. Silvester, gave two golden thuribles to the Lateran basilis, and a third adorned with jewels to the Baptistery. See Card. Bona, Rerum Liturgicarum lib. I, c. XXV, -- 9.]
[Footnote 34: Of the antiquity of the custom of kissing the Pope's foot we have proofs in Anastasius the librarian in the lives of Popes Constantine and Leo IV. When Valentine was elected Pope in 827, his feet were kissed by the Roman senate and people at S. John Lateran's.
Numerous instances also are on record of sovereigns who have kissed the feet of the Popes, and Pouyard has written a dissertation to shew, that this custom was anterior to that of marking the papal shoes or sandals with a cross. This token of profound respect was given also to the emperors of the east at Byzantium.]
[Footnote 35: These are distinguished lawyers habited in black _cappe_. For an account of the various offices above-mentioned and of their origin see The Papal Chapel, Described etc. by C.M. Baggs. Rome.
1839.]
[Footnote 36: That crosses, candles and incense were anciently used in processions appears from S. Gregory of Tours, de Vit. Patrum, c. 13.]
[Footnote 37: The kings and chief magistrates of ancient Rome were ent.i.tled to a _sella curulis_, or chair of state, which used to be placed in their chariots. Gell. III; 18. They were seated on it also at their tribunal on solemn occasions. Virgil makes old king Latinus say:
Et _sellam regni_ trabeamque _insignia nostri_. aen. XI. 334. The Romans had borrowed it from the Etruscans according to Dionysius of Halicarna.s.sus. (Clement of Alexandria observes, That many of the rites of Etruria were imported from Asia; and Diodorus (lib. 5.) represents these insignia as derived from Lydia. See Phoebens. De Ident.i.tate Cathedrae S. Petri p. XX. seq.) It was richly adorned, _conspicuum signis_, according to Ovid, Pont. IV. 5, 18. In the Pope's carriage even now there is a chair of state, and to Him alone is reserved the honour of a _sedia gestatoria_. Pope Stephen II in 751 was carried to the basilica of Constantine on the shoulders of the Romans exulting at his election: and from this fact some derive the custom of carrying the Pope in His chair on solemn occasions.]
[Footnote 38: This hymn is attributed to the abbot Theodulph afterwards bishop of Orleans, who lived in the 9th century. If it were true, that he sang it as the emperor Louis le debonnaire was pa.s.sing by the prison, in which he was confined, and that he was in consequence liberated, we should have a historical reason for the shutting and opening of the door, and for the hymn's being sung partly inside the church. This account has however been called in question by Menard, Macri, Martene and others; and hence Pouget, and after him Benedict XIV and others are contented with a mystic reason for such ceremonies, viz, that heaven was closed to man in consequence of sin, and was opened to him by the cross of Christ.]
[Footnote 39: In these it is called Dominica ad Palmas, Dominica in Palmis, and in the Gregorian Sacramentary mention is made, in the prayer which precedes communion, of the faithful carrying palm-branches.]
[Footnote 40: Anciently a cardinal deacon used to read it, and to sing only the words ”Eli, Eli, lamma sabachthani”.]
[Footnote 41: The author of this exquisite chant is unknown: Baini supposes that he was a member of the pontifical choir: it has been sung in the papal chapel since the middle of the 13th century. In 1585 it, together with the rest of the service of holy week, was published by Tommaso da Vittoria with the words of the people harmonised for 4 and 5 voices; his method was adopted by the papal choir, which adorns it with many traditional graces, and in particular gives occasionally, says Baini, to the words of the mult.i.tude ”the irresistible force of a most robust harmony”. The abbate Alfieri has published a new edition of the _Pa.s.sios_.]
[Footnote 42: In Africa till the time of S. Augustine, the Pa.s.sion used to be read in holy week from the gospel of S. Matthew alone; but by his direction, as he mentions in his 232nd discourse, it was read every year from all the four evangelists; and this custom is still observed.]
[Footnote 43: That G.o.d, after He has pardoned sin and consequently remitted its eternal punishment, often, if not generally, demands temporal satisfaction from the sinner, is evident from many instances in scripture, such as those of David (2 Sam. XII) of Moses (Deuteron.
x.x.xII compare Num. XIV) to say nothing of Adam (Gen. III) and all his posterity, who endure the temporal punishment of original sin, even when its stain has been washed away by baptism. Now the church by virtue of the ample authority with which Christ has invested her (Matt. XVIII, John XX) and in particular her chief pastor (Matt. XVI) has from the beginning exercised the power of remitting the temporal punishment of actual sins. Thus S. Paul pardoned the incestuous Corinthian (2. Cor. II): in times of persecution the bishops at the request of the martyrs remitted the penance imposed on those who had fallen into idolatry (Tersul. lib. ad martyres, Euseb. Hist. Eccl.
lib. V, c. 4. S. Cyprian. Epist. XIII etc.), to say nothing of canons of the 4th century which prescribe that indulgences should be granted to _fervent_ penitents, of the crusades, and of the indulgences granted to those who contributed money for the building of S. Peter's, etc. Indulgences presuppose repentance and confession, and the performance of those good works which are prescribed as conditions necessary for their acquisition, as communion, prayers, alms etc.]
[Footnote 44: It was built by Calixtus II, and was for two centuries and a half the Vestry of the Roman Pontiffs. It was repaired and consecrated in 1747. See Cancellieri. De Secretariis T. I, p. 342.]
[Footnote 45: In the third century, in the time of Pope Cornelius there were priests appointed to absolve those who had fallen into idolatry; and they were called _Presbyteri Paenitentium_. S. Marcellus also, according to Anastasius, after the persecution raised by Diocletian, appointed in Rome t.i.tular churches, in which penance as well as baptism were administered by priests, the former sacrament is conferred by the minor penitentiaries. Pope Simplicius in fine, as we learn from the same author, destined fixed weeks at S. Peter's, S. Paul's, and S. Laurence's, to _receive penitents_ and administer baptism. From the usual custom of Rome in such matters, Zaccaria argues that during the first five or six centuries, according to the general custom proved by Thoma.s.sin, the great penitentiary was the _bishop himself of the city_ in which they resided. It is however certain, that in the 4th century from the numerous priests of Constantinople one was selected called a penitentiary, who took cognisance of crimes, to which public penance was annexed by the canons. At Rome also there was a cardinal penitentiary long before the fourth council of Lateran, which in 1215 prescribed that bishops should appoint penitentiaries, for Berthod priest of Constance relates in his chronicle, that in the year 1084 he was promoted to the dignity of cardinal-priest and penitentiary of the Roman church.]
CHAP III.
ON THE DIVINE OFFICE, AND THE OFFICE OF TENEBRAE IN PARTICULAR.
_CONTENTS._
PART 1. _Introductory_. Breviary--Divine office, its origin--performed by the early Christians--ancient and modern editions of the breviary. PART 2. _Descriptive_. Office of Tenebrae--Matins and Lauds--extinction of the lights--meaning of this ceremony--chant, lamentations--conclusions of the office--_Miserere_, its music--Card. Penitentiary at S. Mary Major's. _Trinita dei Pellegrini_.
”_I will bless the Lord at all times_: _his praise shall always be in my mouth_”. Ps. x.x.xIII, 2.
”_He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross_”. Phil. II, 8.
[Sidenote: P. I. Breviary.]
We shall not hesitate to borrow the following account of the church office contained in the Roman Breviary from a Protestant divine (Tracts of the Times no. 75). ”The word _Breviarum_ first occurs in the work of an author of the eleventh century (Micrologus) and it is used to denote a compendium or systematic arrangement of the devotional offices of the church. Till that time they were contained in several independent volumes, according to the nature of each. Such, for instance, were the _Psalteria_, _Homilaria_, _Hymnaria_, and the like, to be used in the service in due course. But at his memorable era, and under the auspices of the Pontiff who makes it memorable, Gregory VII, an Order was drawn up, for the use of the Roman church, containing in one all these different collections, introducing the separate members of each in its proper place, and harmonising them together by the use of rubrics.
[Sidenote: Divine office, its origin.]