*''This article is mainly a transcription of the section headed "History of the canon" of the article "Canon of the Mass" by
Adrian Fortescue
Adrian Henry Timothy Knottesford Fortescue (14 January 1874 – 11 February 1923) was an English Catholic priest and polymath. An influential liturgist, artist, calligrapher, composer, polyglot, amateur photographer, Byzantine scholar, and ...
in the 1908 ''
Catholic Encyclopedia
The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...
'', now in the
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
. It has been updated to take account of the fact that the Roman Canon is no longer the only Eucharistic Prayer of the
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...
.''
The Roman Canon is the oldest
eucharistic prayer
The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine Liturgy, or the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, a thanksgiving prayer by virtue of which the offerings of bread and wine are believed to be consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. This is the us ...
used in the
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
of the
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...
, and dates its arrangement to at least the 7th century; its core, however, is much older. Through the centuries, the Roman Canon has undergone minor alterations and modifications, but retains the same essential form it took in the seventh century under
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...
. Before 1970, it was the only eucharistic prayer used in the
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the m ...
, but since then three other eucharistic prayers were newly composed for the
Mass of Paul VI
The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It is a form of the Latin Church's Roman Rite and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, published by him in the 1970 ...
.
Before St. Gregory I (to 590)
It is to Pope Gregory I (590-604), the organiser of the Roman Liturgy, that tradition ascribes the revision and arrangement of the Roman Canon. His reign thus provides a natural division in the discussion of the history of the Canon.
Gregory himself thought that the
Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western can ...
had been composed by "a certain ''scholasticus''", and
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Antipope ...
discussed whether he meant some person so named or merely "a certain learned man". Gregory himself is credited with adding a phrase to the Canon. The Canon that he left represents in fact the last stage of a development that amounted to a "complete recasting", in which "the Eucharistic prayer was fundamentally changed and recast".
A distinction must be made between the prayers of the Roman Canon itself and the order in which they are now found. The prayers, or at least some of them, can be traced back to a very early date from occasional references in letters of the
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...
: the prayers beginning ''Te igitur, Memento Domine'' and ''Quam oblationem'' were already in use, even if not with quite the same wording as now, by the year 400; the ''Communicantes'', the ''Hanc igitur'', and the post-consecration ''Memento etiam'' and ''Nobis quoque'' were added in the 5th century.
Early period
In the 1st century the
Church of Rome along with all other Christian Churches celebrated the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
by obeying Christ's direction and doing as he had done the night before he died, at the
Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
. There were the bread and wine consecrated by the words of Institution and by an invocation of the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
; the bread was broken and
Communion was given to the faithful. Undoubtedly, too, before this part of the service lessons were read from the Bible, as explicitly stated by Saint
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr ( el, Ἰουστῖνος ὁ μάρτυς, Ioustinos ho martys; c. AD 100 – c. AD 165), also known as Justin the Philosopher, was an early Christian apologist and philosopher.
Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and ...
.
It is also known that this Mass was said in Greek.
Koine Greek
Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...
was the common tongue of Christians, at least outside Palestine, used throughout the empire since the conquests of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
and then in the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
. This is shown by the facts that the inscriptions in the catacombs are in Greek and that Christian writers at Rome use Koine Greek.
Of the liturgical formulas of this first period little is known. The ''
First Epistle of St. Clement'' contains a prayer that is generally considered liturgical (lix-lxi), though it contains no reference to the Eucharist. Also it states that "the Lord commanded offerings and holy offices to be made carefully, not rashly nor without order, but at fixed times and hours." From this it is evident that at Rome the liturgy was celebrated according to fixed rules and definite order. Chap. xxxiv tells us that the Romans "gathered together in concord, and as it were with one mouth" said the ''Sanctus'' from Is., vi, 3.
St.
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr ( el, Ἰουστῖνος ὁ μάρτυς, Ioustinos ho martys; c. AD 100 – c. AD 165), also known as Justin the Philosopher, was an early Christian apologist and philosopher.
Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and ...
(died c. 167) spent part of his life at Rome and died there. It is possible that his ''
First Apology
The ''First Apology'' was an early work of Christian apologetics addressed by Justin Martyr to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. In addition to arguing against the persecution of individuals solely for being Christian, Justin also provides the ...
'' was written in that city, and that the liturgy he describes in it (lxv-lxvi) was that which he frequented at Rome. From this we learn that the Christians first prayed for themselves and for all manner of persons. Then follows the
kiss of peace
The kiss of peace is an ancient traditional Christian greeting, sometimes also called the "holy kiss", "brother kiss" (among men), or "sister kiss" (among women). Such greetings signify a wish and blessing that peace be with the recipient, and bes ...
, and "he who presides over the brethren" is given bread and a cup of wine and water, having received which he gives thanks to God, celebrates the Eucharist, and all the people answer "Amen." The deacons then give out Holy Communion (loc. cit.).
Here is found the outline of the more recent Roman liturgy: the
Preface
__NOTOC__
A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often closes ...
(giving thanks), to which may be added from the ''
First Epistle of Clement
The First Epistle of Clement ( grc, Κλήμεντος πρὸς Κορινθίους, Klēmentos pros Korinthious, Clement to Corinthians) is a letter addressed to the Christians in the city of Corinth. Based on internal evidence some scholars sa ...
'' the ''
Sanctus
The Sanctus ( la, Sanctus, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' ( el, ἐπινίκιος ὕμνος, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition.
In Western Christianity, the ...
'', a celebration of the Eucharist, not described, but which contains the
words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharistic ...
(c. lxvi, "by his prayer"), and the final
Amen
Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jews, Jewish, Christia ...
that remains at the end of the Eucharistic prayer.
One might deduce a likeness between the Roman use and those of the
Eastern Churches
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...
in the fact that when St.
Polycarp
Polycarp (; el, Πολύκαρπος, ''Polýkarpos''; la, Polycarpus; AD 69 155) was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the ''Martyrdom of Polycarp'', he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed ...
came to Rome in 155,
Pope Anicetus
Pope Anicetus was the bishop of Rome from c. 157 to his death in April 168.Campbell, Thomas (1907). "Pope St. Anicetus" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company. According to the ''Annuario Pontificio'', the sta ...
allowed him to celebrate, just like one of his own bishops. The canons of
Hippolytus of Rome
Hippolytus of Rome (, ; c. 170 – c. 235 AD) was one of the most important second-third century Christian theologians, whose provenance, identity and corpus remain elusive to scholars and historians. Suggested communities include Rome, Palestin ...
(in the beginning of the 3rd century, if they are genuine) allude to a Eucharistic celebration that follows the order of St. Justin, and they add the universal introduction to the Preface, "''
Sursum corda
The ''Sursum corda'' (Latin: "Lift up your hearts" or literally, "Upwards hearts") is the opening dialogue to the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer or Anaphora in Christian liturgies, dating back at least to the third century and the Anaphor ...
''", etc.
Exclusive use of Latin in Rome
The first great turning point in the history of the Roman Canon is the exclusive use of the
Latin language
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
. Latin first appears as a language used by
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
writers not in Rome, but in North Africa.
Pope Victor I
Pope Victor I (died 199) was the bishop of Rome in the late second century (189–199 A.D.). The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of his death as 199.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1912). "Po ...
(190-202), an African, seems to have been the first Bishop of Rome who used it. After this time Latin would become the only language used by Popes in their writings;
Cornelius (251-53) and
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
(254-57) write in Latin.
Greek seems to have disappeared at Rome as a
liturgical
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
language in the second half of the 3rd century, though parts of the Liturgy were left in Greek. The Creed was sometimes said in Greek down to
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
times (
Louis Duchesne
Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne (; 13 September 1843 – 21 April 1922) was a French priest, philologist, teacher and a critical historian of Christianity and Roman Catholic liturgy and institutions.
Life
Descended from a family of Breton sailors, ...
, ''Origines'', 290). The "''Ordo Rom. I''" says that certain
psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
s were still said in Greek; and of this liturgical use of Greek there are still remnants in the ''
Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie, a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of (''Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the Kyrie eleison ( ; ).
In the Bible
The prayer, "Kyrie, eleison," "Lord, have mercy" derives fro ...
'' and the
Trisagion
The ''Trisagion'' ( el, Τρισάγιον; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its opening line ''Agios O Theos'', is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholi ...
, etc., on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
.
Very soon after the acceptance of Latin as the only liturgical language we find allusions to parts of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
ic prayer, that are practically the same as parts of the
Tridentine Canon. In the time of
Pope Damasus (366-84) a Roman writer who surprisingly identified
Melchizedek
In the Bible, Melchizedek (, hbo, , malkī-ṣeḏeq, "king of righteousness" or "my king is righteousness"), also transliterated Melchisedech or Malki Tzedek, was the king of Salem and priest of (often translated as "most high God"). He is f ...
with the
Holy Ghost
For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God.Grud ...
writes, "The Holy Ghost being a bishop is called Priest of the most high God, but not high priest" (''Sacerdos appellatus est excelsi Dei, non summus'') "as our people presume to say in the
Oblation
Oblation, meaning "the act of offering; an instance of offering" and by extension "the thing offered" (Late Latin ''oblatio'', from ''offerre'', ''oblatum'', to offer), is a term used, particularly in ecclesiastical use, for a solemn offering, s ...
." These words evidently allude to the form "thy high priest Melchizedek" (''summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech'') in the Roman Canon. Pope Damasus has been considered one of the chief compilers of the
Roman Liturgy
The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the ...
. One liturgical change made by this pope is certain. He introduced the word
Alleluia
Alleluia (derived from the Hebrew ''Hallelujah'', meaning "Praise Yahweh") is a Latin phrase in Christianity used to give praise to God. In Christian worship, Alleluia is used as a liturgical chant in which that word is combined with verses of ...
at Rome.
Innocent I
Pope Innocent I ( la, Innocentius I) was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the ...
(401-17) refers to the Roman Canon as being a matter he ought not to describe – an apparent survival of the idea of the ''
Disciplina arcani'' – and says it is ended with the
kiss of peace
The kiss of peace is an ancient traditional Christian greeting, sometimes also called the "holy kiss", "brother kiss" (among men), or "sister kiss" (among women). Such greetings signify a wish and blessing that peace be with the recipient, and bes ...
: "After all the things that I may not reveal the Peace is given, by which it is shown that the people have consented to all that was done in the
holy mysteries
Sacred mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. Sacred mysteries may be either:
# Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from the uninitiated.
# Beliefs ...
and was celebrated in the church." He also says that at Rome the names of persons for whom the celebrant prays are read in the Canon: "first the
offertory
The offertory (from Medieval Latin ''offertorium'' and Late Latin ''offerre'') is the part of a Eucharistic service when the bread and wine for use in the service are ceremonially placed on the altar.
A collection of alms (offerings) from the c ...
should be made, and after that the names of the givers read out, so that they should be named during the
holy mysteries
Sacred mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. Sacred mysteries may be either:
# Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from the uninitiated.
# Beliefs ...
, not during the parts that precede" (ib.).
This is all that can be known for certain about the Roman Canon before
Gregory I Gregory I may refer to:
* Gregory the Illuminator (250s–330s), Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church in 288–325
* Gregory of Nazianzus (329–390), Patriarch Gregory I of Constantinople, in office 379–381
* Pope Gregory I (540–604), i ...
. The earliest books that contain its text were written after his time and show it as approved by him.
Relation to other anaphoras
A question that can only be answered by conjecture is that of the relation between the Roman Canon and any of the other ancient liturgical
anaphoras. There are undoubtedly very striking parallels between it and both of the original
Eastern rite Eastern Rite or Eastern liturgical rite may refer to:
* liturgical rite used in Eastern Christianity:
** liturgical rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which mainly use the Byzantine liturgical rites
** liturgical rites of the Eastern Catholic Ch ...
s, those of
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
and
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
. Mgr.
Duchesne Duchesne is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Joseph Duchesne (c. 1544–1609), French physician and chemist. Physician-in-ordinary to King Henry IV
* André Duchesne (1584–1640), French historian
* François Duchesne (1616 ...
is inclined to connect the Roman use with that of Alexandria, and the other great Western liturgy, the
Gallican Rite
The Gallican Rite is a historical version of Christian liturgy and other ritual practices in Western Christianity. It is not a single rite but a family of rites within the Latin Church, which comprised the majority use of most of Western Christi ...
, with that of Antioch (''Origines'', 54). But the Roman Canon shows perhaps more likeness to that of Antioch in its formulæ. These parallel passages have been collected and printed side by side by Dr. Drews in his "''Entstehungsgeschichte des Kanons in der römischen Messe''", in order to prove a thesis which will be referred to later. Meanwhile, whatever may be thought of Drew's theory, the likeness of the prayers cannot be denied. For instance, the
Intercession
Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or Intercession of saints, asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others.
The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Saint Timothy, Timothy sp ...
in the Syrian
Liturgy of St. James
The Liturgy of Saint James is a form of Christian liturgy used by some Eastern Christians of the Byzantine rite and West Syriac Rite. It is developed from an ancient Egyptian form of the Basilean anaphoric family, and is influenced by the tradit ...
begins with the prayer (Brightman, East. Lit., 89-90):
Wherefore we offer unto Thee, O Lord, this same fearful and unbloody sacrifice for the holy places ... and especially for holy Sion … and for thy holy church which is in all the world. …Remember also, O Lord, our pious bishops … especially the fathers, our Patriarch Mar N. and our Bishop Lit. of St James)">Litur.html" ;"title="nd all the bishops throughout the world who preach the word of thy truth in Orthodoxy (Greek Liturgy of Saint James">Lit. of St James)
The whole of this prayer suggests the "''Imprimis quæ tibi offerimus,''" and certain words exactly correspond to "''toto orbe terrarum''" and "''orthodoxis''", as does "especially" to "''imprimis''", and so on.
Again the
Syrian Anaphora continues:
Remember also, O Lord, those who have offered the offerings at thine holy altar and those for whom each has offered [cf. "''pro quibus tibi offerimus vel qui tibi offerunt''"]. …Remember, O Lord, all those whom we have mentioned and those whom we have not mentioned b., p. 92 Again vouchsafe to remember those who stand with us and pray with us ''et omnium circumstantium''", ib., 92 Remembering … especially our all-holy, unspotted, most glorious lady, Mother of God and ever Virgin, Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, St. John the illustrious prophet, forerunner and baptist, the holy Apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
and Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
, Andrew
Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...
… he names of the Apostles follow… and of all thy Saints for ever … that we may receive thy help ''ut in omnibus protectionis tuæ muniamur auxilio''", Greek St. James, ib. 56-57
The words of Institution occur in a form that is almost identical with the "''Pridie quam pateretur''" (ib., 86-87). The
Anamnesis (p. 89) begins: "Commemorating therefore
''unde et memores''"O Lord, thy death and resurrection on the third day from the tomb and thy ascension into heaven ... we offer thee this dread and unbloody sacrifice
''offerimus … hostiam puram''," etc.
It is true that these general ideas occur in all the old liturgies; but in this case a remarkable identity is found even in the words. Some allusions to what were probably older forms in the Canon make the similarity still more striking. Thus
Optatus of Mileve
Saint Optatus, sometimes anglicized as St. Optate, was Bishop of Milevis, in Numidia, in the fourth century, remembered for his writings against Donatism.
Biography and context
Optatus was a convert, as we gather from St. Augustine: "Do we not ...
says that Mass is offered "''pro ecclesiâ, quæ una est et toto orbe terrarum diffusa''" (Adv. Parm., III, xii). This represents exactly a Latin version of the "holy Church which is in all the world" that we have seen in the
Syrian Anaphora above. The Syrian use adds a prayer for "our religious kings and queens" after that for the patriarch and bishop. So the Roman Missal long contained the words "''et pro rege nostro N.''" after "''et Antistite nostro N.''" (see below). It has a prayer for the celebrant himself (Brightman, 90), where the Roman Missal once contained just such a prayer (below). The treatise "''De Sacramentis''" gives the words on
Institution for the Chalice as "''Hic est sanguis meus''", just as does the
Syrian Liturgy.
There are other striking resemblances that may be seen in Drews. But the other
Eastern liturgy, the Alexandrine use, also shows very striking parallels. The prayer for the celebrant, of which the form was "''Mihi quoque indignissimo famulo tuo propitius esse digneris, et ab omnibus me peccatorum offensionibus emundare''" (Ebner, Miss. Rom., 401), is an exact translation of the corresponding Alexandrine text: "Remember me also, O Lord, thy humble and unworthy servant, and forgive my sins" (Brightman, 130). The author of "''De Sacr.''" quotes the Roman Canon as saying "''quod est figura corporis et sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi''", and the Egyptian Prayer Book of
Serapion of Thmuis
Serapion of Nitria, (; ) Serapion of Thmuis, also spelled Sarapion, or Serapion the Scholastic was an early Christian monk and bishop of Thmuis in Lower Egypt (modern-day Tell el-Timai), born in the 4th century. He is notable for fighting along ...
uses exactly the same expression, "the figure of the body and blood" (''Texte u. Unt.'', II, 3, p. 5). In the West the words "our God" are not often applied to Christ in liturgies. In the
Gelasian Sacramentary
The so-called Gelasian Sacramentary (Latin: ''Sacramentarium Gelasianum'') is a book of Christian liturgy, containing the priest's part in celebrating the Eucharist. It is the second oldest western liturgical book that has survived: only the Vero ...
they occur ("''ut'' ''nobis corpus et sanguis fiat dilectissimi filii tui Domini Dei nostri Iesu Christi''", ed. Wilson, 235), just where they come in the same context in
St. Mark's Liturgy (Brightman, 126). The modern Mass refers to the oblation as "thy gifts and favours" (''de tuis donis ac datis''); so does
St. Mark
Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...
(ib., 133). But the most striking parallel between Rome and Alexandria is in the order of the Canon. The
Antiochene Liturgy
Antiochene Rite or Antiochian Rite refers to the family of Christian liturgy, liturgies originally used by the Patriarch of Antioch, Patriarchate of Antioch.
Liturgies in the Antiochene Rite
The Antiochian Rite, or the Antiochian Rite family, c ...
puts the whole of the Intercession after the words of Institution and the
Epiklesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in re ...
; in Alexandria it comes before. And in the Roman Canon the greater part of this intercession ("''imprimis quæ tibi offerimus''", "''
Commemoratio pro vivis''", "''
Communicantes''") also comes before the
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
, leaving only as a curious anomaly the "''
Commemoratio pro defunctis''" and the "''
Nobis quoque peccatoribus''" to follow after the
Anamnesis (''Unde et memores'').
Although, then, it is impossible to establish any sort of mutual dependence, it is evident that the Roman Canon contains likenesses to the two
Eastern rite Eastern Rite or Eastern liturgical rite may refer to:
* liturgical rite used in Eastern Christianity:
** liturgical rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which mainly use the Byzantine liturgical rites
** liturgical rites of the Eastern Catholic Ch ...
s too exact to be accidental; in its forms it most resembles the
Antiochene Anaphora, but in its arrangement it follows, or guides, Alexandria.
The order of the prayers
The division of the Intercession is unique among liturgies and is difficult to account for. Again, one little word, the second word in the Canon, has caused much questioning; and many not very successful attempts have been made to account for it.
The Canon begins "''
Te igitur''". To what does that "''igitur''" refer? From the sense of the whole passage it should follow some reference to the sacrifice. One would expect some prayer that God may accept our offering, perhaps some reference such as is found in the Eastern liturgies to the sacrifices of
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...
,
Melchizedek
In the Bible, Melchizedek (, hbo, , malkī-ṣeḏeq, "king of righteousness" or "my king is righteousness"), also transliterated Melchisedech or Malki Tzedek, was the king of Salem and priest of (often translated as "most high God"). He is f ...
, etc. It should then be natural to continue: "And therefore we humbly pray thee, most merciful Father", etc. But there is no hint of such an allusion in what goes before. No preface has any word to which the "''igitur''" could naturally refer. At any rate there is no trace of it, either in our preface or in any of the other rites. Other difficulties are the reduplications between the ideas of the "''
Hanc igitur''" and the "''
Nobis quoque peccatoribus''". Various allusions to older forms of the Canon increase the number of these difficulties.
The Greek translation of the Roman Canon called the "
Liturgy of St. Peter", edited by
William de Linden,
Bishop of Ghent
The Diocese of Ghent (Latin: ''Dioecesis Gandavensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropoli ...
, in 1589 from a Rossano manuscript contains some variations that point in this direction. For instance, it gives a version of the "''
Supplices te rogamus''", and then goes on: "Aloud. First remember, O Lord, the Archbishop. He then commemorates the living. And to us sinners", etc. This puts the Intercession after the "''Supplices''" prayer, and exactly corresponds to the order suggested above.
Matthias Flacius
Matthias Flacius Illyricus (Latin; hr, Matija Vlačić Ilirik) or Francovich ( hr, Franković) (3 March 1520 – 11 March 1575) was a Lutheran reformer from Istria, present-day Croatia. He was notable as a theologian, sometimes dissenting strong ...
published an "''Ordo Missæ''" in which there are still traces of the old order of the prayers. It begins with the "''
Unde et memores''" and the ''
Epiclesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
''; then come the "''Te igitur''", prayer for the pope, "''Memento Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum''", and eventually "''
Nobis quoque peccatoribus''", in short, the whole Intercession after the Consecration.
The prayer "''
Hanc igitur''" has some difficulties. The Greek version adds a rubric before it: "Here he names the dead". What can the "''Hanc igitur''" have to do with the dead? The
Antiochene Liturgy
Antiochene Rite or Antiochian Rite refers to the family of Christian liturgy, liturgies originally used by the Patriarch of Antioch, Patriarchate of Antioch.
Liturgies in the Antiochene Rite
The Antiochian Rite, or the Antiochian Rite family, c ...
, in which several parallel passages to the modern Canon have already been noticed, has a parallel to the second half of this prayer too, and that parallel occurs in its commemoration of the dead. There, following a prayer that the dead may rest "in the land of the living, in thy kingdom ... in the bosom of
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...
,
Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was the ...
and
Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...
", etc., is found this continuation: "And keep for us in peace, O Lord, a Christian, well-pleasing and sinless end to our lives, gathering us under the feet of thy Elect, when Thou willest and as Thou willest, only without shame and offence; through thy only begotten Son our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." We notice here the reference to the elect (in ''electorum tuorum grege''), the prayer that we may be kept "in peace" (''in tuâ pace disponas''), the allusion to the "end of our lives" (''diesque nostros'') and the unusual "''Per Christum Dominum nostrum''", making a break in the middle of the Eucharistic prayer. The Syrian form with its plain reference to death ("the end of our lives") seems more clearly to be a continuation of a prayer for the faithful departed. But in the Roman form too is found such a reference in the words about hell (''ab æterna damnatione'') and heaven (''in electorum tuorum grege'').
Drews then proposes to divide the "''
Hanc igitur''" into two separate parts. The second half, beginning at the words "''diesque nostros''", would have originally been the end of the
Commemoration of the Dead and would form a reduplication of the "''
Nobis quoque peccatoribus''", where the same idea occurs ("''partem aliquam et societatem donare digneris cum tuis sanctis Apostolis er Martyribus''" being an echo of "''in electorum tuorum iubeas grege numerari''"). This second half, then, would belong to the Intercession after the Consecration, and would originally fall together with the "''Nobis quoque''". In any case, even in the present arrangement of the Canon the "''Nobis quoque''" following the "''
Commemoratio pro defunctis''" shows that at Rome as in other liturgies the idea of adding a prayer for ourselves, that we too may find a peaceful and blessed death followed by a share in the company of the saints, after our prayer for the faithful departed was accepted as natural.
The first half of the "''
Hanc igitur''" must now be accounted for down to "''placatus accipias''". This first half is a reduplication of the prayer "''
Quam oblationem''". Both contain exactly the same idea that God may graciously accept our offering. "''Hanc oblationem''" and "''Quam oblationem''" differ only in the relative construction of the second form. We know that the relative construction is not the original one. In the "''De Sacramentis''", to which reference has several times been made, the "''Quam oblationem''" occurs as an absolute sentence: "''Fac nobis hanc oblationem adscriptam, rationabilem acceptabilemque, quod est figura corporis et sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi''" (IV, v). We also know that the "''Igitur''" in "''Hanc igitur''" is not original. The parallel passages in Serapion and
St. Mark's Liturgy have simply ''tauter ten thysian'' (Drews, 16). Moreover, the place and object of this prayer have varied very much. It has been applied to all sorts of purposes, and it is significant that it occurs specially often in connection with the dead (Ebner, Miss. Rom., 412). This would be a natural result, if we suppose it to be a compilation of two separate parts, both of which have lost their natural place in the Canon. Drews then proposes to supply the first words of the "''
Quam oblationem''" that we have put in the first place of his reconstructed Canon (see above), by the first half of the "''Hanc igitur''", so that (leaving out the ''igitur'') the Canon would once have begun: "''Hanc oblationem servitutis nostræ, sed et cunctæ familiæ tuæ, quæsumus Domine, ut placatus accipias ut in omnibus benedictam, adscriptam, ratam, rationabilemque facere digneris, ut nobis corpus et sanguis fiat dilectissimi filii tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi''" (Drews, 30), and so on, according to the order suggested above. One word, "''ut''", has been added to this compilation, to connect the "''Hanc igitur''" with the continuation of "''Quam oblationem''". This word is vouched for by the Greek version, which has ''ina'' here (Swainson, 197). Drews further notes that such a change in the arrangement of the Canon is not inconceivable. Popes have modified its order on other occasions.
Joannes Diaconus, the biographer of St.
Gregory I Gregory I may refer to:
* Gregory the Illuminator (250s–330s), Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church in 288–325
* Gregory of Nazianzus (329–390), Patriarch Gregory I of Constantinople, in office 379–381
* Pope Gregory I (540–604), i ...
, tells us that he re-arranged a few parts of the Canon ("''pauca convertens''", Vita Greg., II, xvii).
When then may this change be supposed to have been made? It was not made in the time of
Innocent I
Pope Innocent I ( la, Innocentius I) was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the ...
(401-417); it had already occurred when the
Gelasian Sacramentary
The so-called Gelasian Sacramentary (Latin: ''Sacramentarium Gelasianum'') is a book of Christian liturgy, containing the priest's part in celebrating the Eucharist. It is the second oldest western liturgical book that has survived: only the Vero ...
was written (7th century); it may be taken for certain that in the time of St.
Gregory I Gregory I may refer to:
* Gregory the Illuminator (250s–330s), Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church in 288–325
* Gregory of Nazianzus (329–390), Patriarch Gregory I of Constantinople, in office 379–381
* Pope Gregory I (540–604), i ...
(590-604) the Canon already stood as it does now. The reason for believing that Innocent I still knew only the old arrangement is that in his letter to
Decentius of Eugubium (''
Patrologia Latina
The ''Patrologia Latina'' (Latin for ''The Latin Patrology'') is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1841 and 1855, with indices published between ...
'', XX, 553-554) he implies that the Intercession comes after the Consecration. He says that the people for whom we pray "should be named in the middle of the
holy mysteries
Sacred mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. Sacred mysteries may be either:
# Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from the uninitiated.
# Beliefs ...
, not during the things that go before, that by the very mysteries we should open the way for the prayers that follow". If the
diptych
A diptych (; from the Greek δίπτυχον, ''di'' "two" + '' ptychē'' "fold") is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world w ...
s are read after the way has been opened by the holy mysteries, the Roman Canon must follow the same order as the
Church of Antioch
The Church of Antioch ( ar, كنيسة أنطاكية, Romanization: kánīsa ʾanṭākiya, International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: a.niː.sa ʔan.tˤaː.ki.ja was the first of the five major churches of the early pentarchy in Christianity, w ...
, and at any rate place the "''
Commemoratio vivorum''" after the Consecration. Supposing, then, that this re-arrangement really did take place, it must have been made in the course of the 5th century.
Drews thinks that we can go farther and ascribe the change to
Pope Gelasius I
Pope Gelasius I was the bishop of Rome from 1 March 492 to his death on 19 November 496. Gelasius was a prolific author whose style placed him on the cusp between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.The title of his biography by Walter Ullma ...
(492-96). A very old tradition connects his name with at any rate, some important work about the Canon. The second oldest Roman
sacramentary
In the Western Church of the Early and High Middle Ages, a sacramentary was a book used for liturgical services and the mass by a bishop or priest. Sacramentaries include only the words spoken or sung by him, unlike the missals of later cent ...
known, although it is really later than
St. Gregory
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...
, has been called the "
Sacramentarium Gelasianum
The so-called Gelasian Sacramentary (Latin: ''Sacramentarium Gelasianum'') is a book of Christian liturgy, containing the priest's part in celebrating the Eucharist. It is the second oldest western liturgical book that has survived: only the Veron ...
" since the 9th century (Duchesne, Origines, 120).
Gennadius I says that he composed a sacramentary (De. vir. ill., c. xciv). Moreover, the ''
Liber Pontificalis
The ''Liber Pontificalis'' (Latin for 'pontifical book' or ''Book of the Popes'') is a book of biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the ''Liber Pontificalis'' stopped with Pope Adrian II (867 ...
'' refers to his liturgical work (Origines, 122) and the
Stowe Missal
The Stowe Missal (sometimes known as the Lorrha Missal), which is, strictly speaking, a sacramentary rather than a missal, is a small Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Old Irish in the late eighth or early ninth cen ...
(7th century) puts at the head of the Canon the title: "''Canon dominicus Papæ Gelasi''" (ed. Warren, 234). Baumer has collected all the evidences for
Gelasius's authorship of some important sacramentary (Histor. Jahrb., 1893, 244 sqq.). It is known that Gelasius did not compose the text of the Canon. Its component parts have been traced back to a far earlier date. But would not so vital a change in its arrangement best explain the tradition that persistently connects the recent Canon with the name of Gelasius?
There is even a further suggestion that Drews has noticed. Why was the reversal of the order made? Evidently to bring the Intercession before the Consecration. This means to change from the same order as
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
to that of
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
. Is it too much to suppose that we have here a case of Alexandrine influence at Rome? Now it is noticeable that
Gelasius personally had a great reverence for the venerable "
second See" founded by
St. Mark
Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...
, and that since 482 Bishop
John Talaia
John Talaia was patriarch of Alexandria from 481 until 482.
He was consecrated in 481, succeeding Timothy III Salophakiolos.
He was a convinced adherent of the Council of Chalcedon and refused to sign Emperor Zeno's Henoticon (which glossed ov ...
of Alexandria, being expelled from his own Church by the
Monophysites
Monophysitism ( or ) or monophysism () is a Christological term derived from the Greek (, "alone, solitary") and (, a word that has many meanings but in this context means "nature"). It is defined as "a doctrine that in the person of the incarn ...
, sought and found refuge in Rome. He would have celebrated his own liturgy in the pope's city, and was certainly greatly honoured as a
confessor
Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways.
Confessor of the Faith
Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.[Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...]
himself has long been admitted by every one. It is apparently an imitation of his work "''De Mysteriis''", and may have been composed in the 5th or 6th century (Bardenhewer, Patrologie, 407).
German Morin thinks that
Nicetas
Nicetas or Niketas () is a Greek given name, meaning "victorious one" (from Nike "victory").
The veneration of martyr saint Nicetas the Goth in the medieval period gave rise to the Slavic forms: ''Nikita, Mykyta and Mikita''
People with the name N ...
, Bishop of Romatiana in Dacia, wrote it (Rev. Benéd., 1890, 151-59). In any case it may be urged that whatever reasons there are for ascribing it to an early date, they show equally conclusively that, in spite of its claim to describe "the form of the Roman Church" (III, 1), it is
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
ese. The very assurance is a proof that it was not composed at Rome, since in that case such a declaration would have been superfluous. An allusion occurring in a Milanese work is but a very doubtful guide for the Roman use. And its late date makes it worthless as a witness for our point. When it was written probably the change had already been made at Rome; so we are not much concerned by the question of how far it describes Roman or Milanese offices. So far the theory proposed by Drews, which seems in any case to deserve attention.
From the time of St. Gregory I (590 to present)
Certainly, when
St. Gregory
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...
became pope, the Roman Canon was already fixed in its present order. There are scarcely any changes to note in its history since then. "No pope has added to or changed the Canon since St. Gregory" says
Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope Be ...
(''De SS. Missæ Sacr.'', 162). We learn from
Joannes Diaconus that St. Gregory "collected the
Sacramentary of Gelasius in one book, leaving out much, changing little adding something for the exposition of the Gospels" (II, xvii).
These modifications seem to concern chiefly the parts of the
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
outside the Canon. We are told that Gregory added to the "''
Hanc igitur''" the continuation "''diesque nostros in tuâ pace disponas''" etc. (ib.). We have already noticed that this second part was originally a fragment of a prayer for the dead. St. Gregory's addition may then very well mean, not that he composed it, but that he joined it to the "''Hanc igitur''", having removed it from its original place.
From the time of Gregory the most important event in the history of the Roman Canon is not any sort of change in it, but the rapid way in which it spread all over the West, displacing the
Gallican Liturgy.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
(768-814) applied to
Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian I ( la, Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.
Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic ...
(772-95) for a copy of the Roman Liturgy, that he might introduce it throughout the
Frankish Kingdom
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
. The text sent by the pope is the basis of what is called the "''Sacramentarium Gregorianum''", which therefore represents the Roman Rite at the end of the 8th century.
But it is practically unchanged since St. Gregory's time. The
Gelasian Sacramentary
The so-called Gelasian Sacramentary (Latin: ''Sacramentarium Gelasianum'') is a book of Christian liturgy, containing the priest's part in celebrating the Eucharist. It is the second oldest western liturgical book that has survived: only the Vero ...
, which is earlier than the so-called Gregorian one, is itself later than St. Gregory. It contains the same Canon (except that there are a few more saints' names in the "''Communicantes''") and has the continuation "''diesque nostros in tuâ pace disponas''", etc., joined to the "''Hanc igitur''", just as in the present Roman Missal. The
Stowe Missal
The Stowe Missal (sometimes known as the Lorrha Missal), which is, strictly speaking, a sacramentary rather than a missal, is a small Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Old Irish in the late eighth or early ninth cen ...
, now in Dublin (a sixth- or early 7th-century manuscript), is no longer a
sacramentary
In the Western Church of the Early and High Middle Ages, a sacramentary was a book used for liturgical services and the mass by a bishop or priest. Sacramentaries include only the words spoken or sung by him, unlike the missals of later cent ...
, but contains already the complete text of a "''Missa quotidiana''", with collects for three other Masses, thus forming what we call a Missal. From this time convenience led more and more to writing out the whole text of the Mass in one book. By the 10th century the Missal, containing whole Masses and including Epistles and Gospels, takes the place of the separate books ("''Sacramentarium''" for the celebrant, "''Lectionarium''" for the deacon and subdeacon, and "''Antiphonarium Missæ''" for the choir).
However, even during this period, there were still minor variants of the Roman canon in place. For instance, during the
Synod of Rome The Synod of Rome may refer to a number of synods or councils of the Roman Catholic Church, held in Rome.
Some of these synods include:
*Synod of Rome (313), attended by the bishop of Beneventum, and Reticius, bishop of Autun
*Council of Rome (382 ...
held in 732,
Pope Gregory III
Pope Gregory III ( la, Gregorius III; died 28 November 741) was the bishop of Rome from 11 February 731 to his death. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed by Byzantine iconoclasm and the advance of the Lombards, in which ...
added a few words to the
Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used in ...
, but explicitly stated that this variant was only to be used in the Mass said in the oratory of Sancta Maria in Cancellis within
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal en ...
.
Later variations
After the 9th century the Roman Mass, now quite fixed in all its essential parts (though the Proper Masses for various feasts constantly change), quickly became the universal use throughout the Western patriarchate. Except for three small exceptions, the
Ambrosian Rite
The Ambrosian Rite is a Catholic Western liturgical rite, named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century, which differs from the Roman Rite. It is used by some five million Catholics in the greater part of the Archdiocese o ...
at Milan, the
Mozarabic Rite at Toledo, and the
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople.
Th ...
among the Italo-Greeks in Calabria and Sicily, this has been the case ever since.
The local medieval rites of which we hear, such as those of Lyons, Paris, Rouen, Salisbury, York, etc., are in no sense different liturgies. They are all simply the Roman use with slight local variations – variations, moreover, that hardly ever affect the Canon. The
Sarum Rite
The Use of Sarum (or Use of Salisbury, also known as the Sarum Rite) is the Latin liturgical rite developed at Salisbury Cathedral and used from the late eleventh century until the English Reformation. It is largely identical to the Roman rite, ...
, for instance, which Anglicans have sometimes tried to set up as a sort of rival to the Roman Rite, does not contain in its Canon a single word that differs from the parent-rite as used by the Catholic Church, with the exception of a commemoration for the king. But some changes were made in medieval times, changes that have since been removed by the conservative tendency of Roman legislation.
From the 10th century people took all manner of liberties with the text of the Missal. It was the time of farced
''Kyries'' and
''Glorias'', of dramatic and even theatrical ritual, of endlessly varying and lengthy prefaces, into which interminable accounts of stories from Bible history and lives of saints were introduced. This tendency did not even spare the Canon; although the specially sacred character of this part tended to prevent people from tampering with it as recklessly as they did with other parts of the Missal. However, additions were made to the ''
Communicantes'' to introduce allusions to certain feasts; the two lists of saints, the ''Communicantes'' and the ''
Nobis quoque peccatoribus'', were enlarged to include various local people, and even the ''
Hanc igitur'' and the "''
Qui pridie''" were modified on certain days.
The
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italian Peninsula, Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation ...
(1545–63) restrained this tendency and ordered that "the holy Canon composed many centuries ago" should be kept pure and unchanged; it also condemned those who say that the "Canon of the Mass contains errors and should be abolished" (Sess. XXII., cap. iv. can. vi; Denzinger, 819, 830). In the official
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the m ...
that
Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...
published in 1570, he made some changes such as removing from the Canon the mention of the emperor or king and shortening the "''Communicantes''" prayer by removing some saints' names and some clauses of the prayer. He accompanied the Missal with a
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
includin ...
forbidding anyone to add to or in any way change any part of it. It was to be the only one used in the West except for local uses that could be proved to have existed for at least 200 years. This exception allowed the
Ambrosian Rite
The Ambrosian Rite is a Catholic Western liturgical rite, named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century, which differs from the Roman Rite. It is used by some five million Catholics in the greater part of the Archdiocese o ...
, the
Mozarabic Rite, and variants of the Roman Rite developed by
religious institute
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...
s such as the
Dominicans,
Carmelites
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount Car ...
, and
Carthusians
The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...
, to continue in use. The differences in the Missals of the religious institutes hardly affected the text of the Roman Canon, since they regarded rather some unimportant rubrics.
After
Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...
,
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605.
Born ...
(1592–1605),
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
(1623–44), and
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
(1878–1903) published revised editions of the Roman Missal, which added a great number of Masses for new feasts or local calendars but, apart from very few retouches to the rubrics, did not affect the text of the Roman Canon until, in the 20th century,
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
inserted the name of
Saint Joseph
Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...
. In the
Institution narrative
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharistic ...
,
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
a little later added the phrase "''quod pro vobis tradetur''" ("which will be given up for you") from Luke's account of the Last Supper to the words of Jesus previously in the Roman Canon, and removed from them the phrase "''mysterium fidei''" ("the mystery of faith"), which was not part of his words. The latter phrase was then used independently as an introduction to an
acclamation
An acclamation is a form of election that does not use a ballot. It derives from the ancient Roman word ''acclamatio'', a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval towards imperial officials in certain social contexts.
Voting Voice vot ...
such as is found at this point in Eastern
anaphoras. He also replaced "''Haec quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis''" ("As often as you do these things, ye shall do them in remembrance of me") with "''Hoc facite in meam commemorationem''" ("Do this in memory of me"). The 1970 Roman Missal also made optional the recitation of the full lists of saints mentioned by name and the conclusion ("through Christ our Lord. Amen.") of many of the component prayers of the Roman Canon, which, with the exception of the words of consecration, made it appear, as
Joseph A. Jungmann said, "to be nothing more than a loosely arranged succession of oblations, prayers of intercession and a reverential citation of apostles and martyrs of early Cristianity".
Since Pius V, the Canon does not change with the changes in the
liturgical year
The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and whi ...
, except that on a few feasts slight additions are made to the ''Communicantes'' and the ''Hanc igitur'', and on one day to the ''
Qui pridie''.
See also
*
Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used in ...
*
Text and rubrics of the Roman Canon
The text and rubrics of the Roman Canon have undergone revisions over the centuries, while the canon itself has retained its essential form as arranged no later than the 7th century. The text consists of a succession of short prayers with no clear ...
*
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
*
Pre-Tridentine Mass
Pre-Tridentine Mass refers to the variants of the liturgy, liturgical rite of Mass (liturgy), Mass in Rome before 1570, when, with his bull ''Quo primum'', Pope Pius V made the Roman Missal, as revised by him, obligatory throughout the Latin Chur ...
*
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...
*
Mass of Paul VI
The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It is a form of the Latin Church's Roman Rite and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, published by him in the 1970 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of The Roman Canon
Catholic liturgy