In nomine Sanctæ Trinitatis, accipe potestatem legendi evangelium in ecclesia Dei, tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis, in nomine Domini. Amen. Domine sancte, Pater fidei, spei, gratiæ, et perfectuum munerator, qui in cœlestibus et terrenis angelorum ministeriis ubique dispositis per omnia elementa voluntatis tuæ diffundis effectum: hos quoque famulos tuos speciali dignare illustrare aspectu,65 ut tuis ob original and earliest rubric, as it stands in the English pontificals of the 8th century. "Postea tradat ei episcopus sanctum evangelium dicens: Accipe illud volumen evangelii. Lege, et intellige, et aliis trade, et tu opere adimple." cumque sanctificaverint, sanctificata sint. Per." There is evidence that this rite also was for a short time adopted from England into France: as appears from a letter of Pope Nicolas I. to an archbishop in that country: "Præterea sciscitaris utrum solis presbyteris an diaconibus debeant, cum ordinantur, manus chrismatis liquore perungi." Conc. Gall. Tom. 3. Upon this Menard's observation is; Quod non interrogasset Pontificem Maximum Rodulphus, nisi id moris esse in diaconorum ordinatione alicubi in Gallia compertum habuisset." Notæ in Sacr. Greg. Opera. Tom. 3. p. 502. In the same age, and very possibly derived from the same British source, there was another remarkable rite observed in the English Church, as is proved by the same pontificals, in the ordination of deacons: this was the anointing of the hands. After the benediction we have the following rubric, and Form. " Consecratio manuum diaconi de oleo atque chrismate. Consecrantur manus istæ, quæsumus Domine, et sanctificentur, per istam sanctam unctionem nostramque bene- 65" Hos quoque famulos tuos dictionem, ut quæcumque bene- propitius digneris aspicere." Pondixerint, benedicta sint; et quæ- tif. Winton. et Exon. 64 66 Sequitur communis benedictio." Rubr. Pontif. Bangor. sequiis expediti, sanctis tuis altaribus ministri puri accrescant, et indulgentia puriores, eorum gradu, quos apostoli in septenario numero, beato Stephano duce ac prævio, Sancto Spiritu auctore, elegerunt, digni existant, et virtutibus universis, quibus tibi servire oportet, instructi polleant.66 Per Dominum. Per Dominum. In unitate ejusdem. Tunc tradat singulis eos circueundo dalmaticam67, dicens sine nota: 68 Induat te Dominus vestimento salutis; Ultimo concludendo ei qui lecturus est evangelium: Et sit in corde, et in ore tuo, ad pronunciandum sanctum evangelium pacis. In nomine Patris. 66"Instructi complaceant." Pontif. Winton. et Exon. “In structi, tibi complaceant." Pontif. Rom. 67 As above, (Note 47.) it was observed that the tunic was of late introduction in the ordination of subdeacons, so the dalmatic was also adopted, first in the case of monks, about the 12th century. The Winchester pontifical does not notice it, as the student will see in the note below: and the English churches probably admitted it into their ordinals, early in the 13th century, as it is ordered in the Bangor MS. 686 Tunc unus diaconorum legat evangelium. Quo finito, exeant diaconi: et introducantur qui ordinandi sunt ad ordinem sacerdotii, induti more dia coni, ferentes in manibus suis casulam singuli." Pontif. Win ton. "Tunc ille, qui lecturus est evangelium benedictionem petat: cui episcopus dalmaticam tradat, dicens: Induat te, etc." Pontif. Bangor. "Tunc det episcopus dalmati cam uni illorum cui vult, qui leget evangelium, dicens: Induat te, etc. Perlecto evangelio, et libro evangeliorum ab episcopo osculato, dicat episcopus, Dominus vobiscum. Et offertorium et omnia in missa peragat usque ad lotionem manuum; interim archidiaconus injungat cuilibet diaconorum, tria psalteria, sicut prius, et dicat: Recedant, etc." Pontif. Exon. * See the "Ancient Liturgy." Edit. 2nd. p. 44. Note 51. Secundum Lucam. Anno quintodecimo imperii Tiberii Cæsaris, procurante Pontio Pilato Judæam, tetrarcha autem Galilææ Herode, Philippo autem fratre ejus tetrarcha Iturææ et Trachonitidis regionis, et Lysania Abilenæ tetrarcha, sub principibus sacerdotum Anna et Caiapha, factum est verbum Domini super Johannem, Zachariæ filium, in deserto. Et venit in omnem regionem Jordanis, prædicans baptismum pœnitentiæ in remissionem peccatorum, sicut scriptum est in libro sermonum Isaiæ prophetæ, Vox clamantis in deserto, parate viam Domini, rectas facite semitas ejus. Omnis vallis implebitur, et omnis mons, et collis humiliabitur, et erunt prava in directa, et aspera in vias planas. Et videbit omnis caro salutare Dei. Post evangelium archidiaconus injungat eis aliquid certum, ut supra in ordinatione subdiaconorum, et etiam dominus episcopus concedat indulgentiam triginta dierum audientibus eorum prima evangelia. Deinde dicat archidiaconus: Recedant qui ordinati sunt diaconi; accedant qui ordinandi sunt sacerdotes. Caveatur de omni mutilatione membrorum, et maxime manuum, quas episcopo ostendant.69 Deinde episcopus dicat eis sine nota:70 69 None of the other pontificals have this rubric. 70" Hos [sacerdotes] domnus præsul de dignitate officii sacerdotalis diligenter instruens, dicat: Presbyteri præsunt ecclesiis Dei; et in consecratione corporis et sanguinis Christi, et officio prædi candi consortes sunt episcopis. Episcopi autem in cæteris officiis eis præsunt. Nam ad illos pertinet clericorum ordinatio: chrismatis et olei, et ecclesiarum altariorumque consecratio, et omnium instrumentorum ecclesiæ benedictio ac plebis confirmatio. Cavere debent presbyteri, ne ver Sacerdotem oportet offerre," benedicere," præesse, prædicare, conficere,73 et baptizare. bum Dei quod annunciant, pravis actibus vel moribus corrumpant : ne de eis merito fiat, quod Dominus ait per prophetam, 'cum ipsi limpidissimam aquam biberitis, reliquam pedibus vestris conculcabatis; et oves meæ quæ conculcata pedibus vestris fuerant pascebantur, et quæ pedes vestri turbaverant, hæc bibebant.' Hi cum in sacerdotio ordinantur, iterum accipiunt manus impositionem, cæteris presbyteris astantibus, manusque super eos orando levantibus. Manus vero eorum a sacro chrismate et oleo ab episcopo unguuntur, ut dignæ sint hostias Deo immolare, et languidos corpore et spiritu curare: et plenæ sint misericordiæ. Per oleum enim quod infirmitatem fugat, salutem et lucem ministrat, curatio et misericordia et bonorum operum lux designatur. Debent enim sacerdotes tantis pollere virtutibus, ut quoscumque orando tetigerint, vel pro quibuscumque oraverint, saluti restituant, eorumque bona opera coram hominibus ad eos accendendos, juxta Dominicam vocem, luceant. Balsamum quod miro odore fragrat, virtutum odorem designat. Ait enim apostolus, 'Christi bonus odor sumus.' Sacerdos enim Dominus fuit, cum seipsum, in cruce pendens, vivam hostiam Oremus, dilectissimi, etc." Pontif. Winton. 7 This is a duty which has been, since the beginning of the Christian Church, always appropriated to the priesthood: nor is it within the power of the Church to extend it to any inferior order, much less to permit it to the laity. Upon a subject which has been so frequently discussed in all its details, I shall do no more than remind the reader of the 15th canon of the 1st Council of Arles in the year 314, directed against the unhallowed usurpations of certain deacons. "De diaconibus, quos cognovimus multis locis offerre, placuit minime fieri debere." Mansi. Tom. 2. col. 473. And the irrefragable authority of the Council of Nice: « Ήλθεν εις την άγιαν και με γαλην συνοδον, ότι εν τισι τόποις και πολεσι, τοις πρεσβύτεροις την ευχαριστίαν οι διακονοι διδοασιν, 74 Benedicente eos episcopo postea, et manum super capita eorum tenente, et nihil eis dicente, et una manu ώσπερ όντε ὁ κανων όντε ἡ συνηθεια παρέδωκε, τους εξουσίας μη έχοντας προσφερειν, τους προσφερουσι διδοναι το σωμα του Χριστ TOV." Canon. xviij. 72" S. Ephrem in sermone de timore Dei, inquit, Honora sacerdotem, atque presbyteros, ut in te benedictio oris ipsorum perveniat. De S. Antonio abbate refert in ejus vita S. Athanasius, quod episcopis quoque ac presbyteris ad benedicendum se caput submitteret. Porro cum sacerdotes consecrentur, ut sint præcipui Christi ministri, ut ait Apostolus in Epist. 1. ad Cor., et dispensatores mysteriorum Dei; ac præterea cum per benedictiones dispensentur gratiæ, et dona Dei; merito Ecclesia adnexuit ordini presbyteratus munus benedicendi; ita ut soli sacerdotes sint ministri benedictionum.- Hinc etiam iis, qui ob crimina presbyterali gradu moverentur, seu dignitatis suæ diminutione plecterentur, benedicendi facultatem ademptam legimus: nam S. Basilius in epist. can. ad Amphilochium, canone xxvij, decernit presbyterum, qui per ignorantiam nefariis nuptiis implicatus est, esse quidem cathedræ participem, ut scilicet cum aliis presbyteris sedere posset: 'ut is autem aliis benedicat, qui sua debet vulnera curare,' non esse consentaneum.--Tandem in iis verbis concludit: Nec ergo publice, nec privatim benedicat, nec Christi corpus aliis impertiat; nec aliquod aliud sacrum ministerium obeat."" Catalani. in pontif. Tom. 1. p. 127. The same writer observes: "Sane cavendum summopere est sacerdoti, ne benedictiones, quæ ad majoris dignitatis officium pertinent, temere, vel imperite usurpet. Sunt enim in missali, et rituali nonnullæ benedictiones, quæ non ad sacerdotes simpliciter, sed vel ad episcopum, vel ad alios facultatem habentes spectant." The student should refer to the "Dissertation on the Occasional Offices," in Vol. 1. p. ccxlviij. cclxiv. 73 This word is not added in many pontificals, in this or corresponding admonitions: compare the modern Roman use. It is not easy to say whether it was an unnecessary addition, and that all which it signified was already included in the term "offerre ; " hence therefore its omission; but the reader may gather its meaning from the following canon of a council under Louis I.: which is important also in its bearing upon other parts of this admonition. Presbyteris enim, sicut episcopis, dispensatio mysteriorum Dei commissa est: præsunt enim ecclesiæ Christi; et in confectione divini corporis et sanguinis con 66 |