26 June 2015

Mass in Greek at S Denys

My friend Joshua, an erudite contributor to this blog since the beginning, draws our attention to a fascinating example of the Roman Rite partially in Greek, as used in Bourbon France. Should we see this as an example of a marriage between Catholicism and the Renaissance of Greek language and literature in the educated classicising West? See the thread. Read it and be enthralled.

14 comments:

Joshua said...

I found the following booklet online yesterday, whilst searching for occurrences of Dumont's plainchant Masses: it contains the Mass of St Denys, with the parts chanted aloud entirely in Greek, as was it was celebrated on the Octave Day of his feast at the Royal Abbey of St Denys until the French Revolution's enormities put a stop to divine worship. Sadly, this practice (which arose, more recent research suggests, in the twelfth century) was not revived after the legal restoration of Catholicism in France. (As for Dumont, his Mass - the Messe Royale, in the first tone - was sung at the Abbey on the feast day itself.)

Messe greque, en l’honneur de S. Denys, apôtre des Gaules, premier évêque de Paris, et de S. Rustique et S. Éleuthere, Martyrs: Selon l’usage de l’Abbaye de S.-Denys en France, Pour le jour de l’Octave de la Fête solemnelle de S. Denys, Au XVI. jour d’Octobre: Avec la Messe Latine qu’on chante a S.-Denys le jour de la Dête & dans l’Octave. (Paris: 1777)

The booklet begins with a discussion of the origins of the chanting of the Mass in Greek, the edition of the texts used, and the custom obtaining at the Abbey, whereby the celebrant on that festal day gives Communion under both species to the deacon and subdeacon - a custom that endured in a few other French churches, and extended to the King, who was communicated under both kinds on the day of his anointing. Then follows the Ordinary of the Mass in parallel French and Latin, the Greek Mass itself - in Greek, with Gregorian chant throughout, plus the Epistle and Gospel in Latin also, as they were sung in Latin after being chanted in Greek, the Secret, which was said in Latin, plus Greek versions of several Sunday collects and post communions, in case a commemoration of the Sunday had to be made, and all with rubrics in French! - then the same again, being a translation into parallel Latin and French, and finally the Latin Mass of St Denys, with plainchant, as it was sung on the feast itself and during the Octave.

I have made a transcription from the booklet of the Ordinary of the Mass, which I will append; the Proper Chants and the lessons are of course taken from Holy Writ (Greek LXX and NT) - and I have, for the moment, omitted possibly the most interesting texts: the Collect, Sequence and Postcommunion.

As mentioned, only the parts chanted aloud were in Greek; the rest of the Mass - the Secret and the Canon and the other priestly prayers - was said in Latin, but for two exceptions: (1) after the Gospel, according to the Use of Paris, the deacon brings the Gospel book to the priest and says Hæc sunt verb sancta., to which the priest replies, kissing the book, Credo et confiteor.; and (2) at the kiss of peace, the words at the exchange thereof in Greek.

Joshua said...

THE ORDINARY OF THE ROMAN MASS IN GREEK - Part 1

Introit

Gloria Patri

Δόξα τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ Ὑιῷ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ὡς ἧν ἐν ἀρχῃ, καὶ νὺν, καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀιῶνᾶς τῶν ἀιῶνων. Ἀμήν.

Kyrie

Κύριε, ἐλέησον. Κύριε, ἐλέησον. Κύριε, ἐλέησον.
Χριστὲ, ἐλέησον. Χριστὲ, ἐλέησον. Χριστὲ, ἐλέησον.
Κύριε, ἐλέησον. Κύριε, ἐλέησον. Κύριε, ἐλέησον.

Gloria in excelsis

Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. Ὑμνοῦμέν σε. Εὐλογοῦμέν σε. Προσκυνοῦμέν σε. Δοξολογοῦμέν σε. Εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, διὰ τὴν μεγάλην σου δόξαν. Κύριε Θεὸς, Βασιλεῦ οὐράνιε, Θεὸς Πάτερ παντοκράτορ. Κύριε Υἱὲ μονογενές, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ. Κύριε Θεός, Ἀμνὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρός. Ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. Ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου, πρόσδεξαι τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν. Ὁ καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. Ὅτι σὺ μόνος Ἅγιος. Σὺ μόνος Κύριος. Σὺ μόνος ὕψιστος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ, σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ἐν δόξῃ Θεοῦ Πατρός. Ἀμήν.

Dominus vobiscum… Oremus

Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.
Πρεσβεύωμεν.

Collect

Per Dominum…

Διὰ τὸν Κύριον ἡμων Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, Υἱόν σου, ὃς μετὰ σοῦ ζῆ καὶ βασιλεύει εἰς ἑνοτῆτα Πνεύματος ἁγιου Θεὸς, εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀιῶνας τῶν ἀιώνων.
Ἀμήν.

Epistle
Gradual
Alleluia
Sequence

Dominus vobiscum… Sequentia sancti Evangelii…

Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.
Ἀκολουθία ἁγίου τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου κατὰ Λουκάν.
Δόξα σοι, Κύριε.

Gospel

Credo

Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεόν, Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε, πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων. Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ. Τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων. Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ. Γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο. Τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν, κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα, καὶ ταφέντα. Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος. Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ Κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός τε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐκπορευόμενον. Τὸ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον, τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν Προφητῶν. Εἰς μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ὁμολογοῦμαι ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν. Καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν.

Joshua said...

THE ORDINARY OF THE ROMAN MASS IN GREEK - Part 2

Dominus vobiscum… Oremus

Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.
Προσευχώμεθα.

Offertory

Per omnia sæcula sæculorum

Εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀιῶνας τῶν ἀιώνων.
Ἀμήν.

Sursum corda

Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.
Ἄνωσχῶμεν σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας.
Ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον.
Εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν.
Ἄξιον καὶ δίκαιον ἐστι.

Præfatio Communis

Ἄξιον ὡς ἀληθῶς, καὶ δίκαιον, καθῆκον τε, καὶ σωτήριον, σοὶ ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ καὶ πανταχοῦ εὐχαριστεῖν, Κύριε ἅγιε, Πάτερ παντοκράτορ, ἀΐδιε Θεὸς, διὰ [Χριστὸν] τὸν Κύριον ἡμων· δι’ οὗ τήν μεγαλοσύνην σου αἰνοῦσιν Ἄγγέλοι, προσκυνοῦσι[ν] Κυριότητες, τρέμουσιν Ἐξουσίαι· Οὔρανοι, οὐράνων το Δυνάμεις, καὶ τὰ μακάρια Σεραφὶμ, ὁμοφώνῳ ἀγαλλιάσει συνεορτάζουσι· μεθ’ ὧν καὶ τὰς ἡμῶν φωνὰς ἵνα προσδέξεσθαι κελέυῃς προσδεόμεθα, ἱκετικῇ ὁμολογίᾳ λέγοντες·

Sanctus

Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος Κύριος Θεὸς Σαβαώθ· πλήρεῖς οὐρανοὶ καὶ γῆ δόξης σου, ὡσαννὰ ἐν ὑψίστοις.

O salutaris Hostia (at the Elevation)

Ὦ σωτηρία θυσία, Ἀνοίγουσα τὸν οὐρανὸν, Ἐχθρῶν ἐπάγει στρατία· Δὸς ῥώμην, καὶ βοήθησον.

Benedictus

Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ὡσαννὰ ἐν ὑψίστοις.

Per omnia sæcula sæculorum

Εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀιῶνας τῶν ἀιώνων.
Ἀμήν.

Oremus. Præceptis… Pater noster

Προσευχώμεθα.
Ταῖς ἐντολαῖς σωτηρίοις πεπαιδευμένοι, καὶ τῇ θέιᾳ ἀγώγῃ κατηχούμενοι, θαῤῥοῦμεν λέγειν·
Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον. Καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν. Καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
Ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.

Per omnia sæcula sæculorum

Εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀιῶνας τῶν ἀιώνων.
Ἀμήν.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Εἰρήνη τοῦ Κυρίου ἐίῃ ἀεὶ μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.

Agnus Dei

Ὦ Ἀμνὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
Ὦ Ἀμνὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
Ὦ Ἀμνὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου, δὸς ἡμῖν εἰρήνην.

Communion

Dominus vobiscum… Oremus

Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.
Πρεσβεύωμεν.

Postcommunion

Per Dominum…

Διὰ τὸν Κύριον ἡμων Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, Υἱόν σου, ὃς μετὰ σοῦ ζῆ καὶ βασιλεύει εἰς ἑνοτῆτα Πνεύματος ἁγιου Θεὸς, εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀιῶνας τῶν ἀιώνων.
Ἀμήν.

Dominus vobiscum… Ite missa est

Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.
Καὶ μετὰ πνεύματός σου.
Ἄπιτε, πεμπομένη ἐστί.
Θεῷ εὐχαρισθῶμεν.

Benedictio

Εὐλογήσαι ὑμᾶς παντοκράτωρ ὁ Θεὸς, Πατὴρ, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα.
Ἀμήν.

Joshua said...

I am particularly taken by the Greek translation used at the Abbey of O salutaris Hostia, which was sung in France, at the Elevation of the Host, according to the wish of King Louis XII:

Ὦ σωτηρία θυσία,
Ἀνοίγουσα τὸν οὐρανὸν,
Ἐχθρῶν ἐπάγει στρατία·
Δὸς ῥώμην, καὶ βοήθησον.

Would it be alright to sing this at Benediction? It fits the metre and thus the melody.

Joshua said...

PROPER OF THE MASS OF ST DENYS

Introit (Eccli. 44. 15. & 14. Ps. 32. 1.)

Σοφίαν τῶν ἁγίων διηγήσονται λαοὶ, καὶ ἔπαινους αὐτῶν ἐξαγγελλεῖ ἐκκλησία· τὰ δ’ὄνόματ’ αὐτῶν ζήσεται εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος.
᾿Αγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ· τοῖς εὐθέσι πρέπει αἴνεσις.

Collect

Σκέψαιεν ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, πάλιν τελούμενα τὰ τής ἱερᾶς τῶν μακαρίων Διονυσίου, Ῥουστικοῦ, καὶ Ἐλευθερίου Μαρτύρων πανηγύρεως· [?] κ’ ᾳκείνων αἰωνίου βοηθείας αἰσθανοίμεθα, ὧν τὴν προστασίαν ἀδιαλείπτῳ τιμῇ σεβόμενοι διατελούμεν·

Epistle (Acts 17. 22-34.)

Ἀνάγνωσις τῶν Πραξέων Ἀποστόλων.

Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις,
Σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ Ἀρείου πάγου ἔφη· Ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ πάντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ὑμᾶς θεωρῶ. Διερχόμενος γὰρ καὶ ἀναθεωρῶν τὰ σεβάσματα ὑμῶν εὗρον καὶ βωμὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο· Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ. Ὃ οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτο ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν. Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς Κύριος ὑπάρχων οὐκ ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ. Οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίνων θεραπεύεται προσδεόμενός τινος, αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσιν ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν καὶ τὰ πάντα. Ἐποίησέν τε ἐξ ἑνὸς πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ παντὸς προσώπου τῆς γῆς, ὁρίσας προστεταγμένους καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ὁροθεσίας τῆς κατοικίας αὐτῶν ζητεῖν τὸν Κύριον, εἰ ἄρα γε ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτὸν καὶ εὕροιεν, καί γε οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ὑπάρχοντα. Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν, ὡς καί τινες τῶν καθ’ ὑμᾶς ποιητῶν εἰρήκασιν· Τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμέν. Γένος οὖν ὑπάρχοντες τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσῷ ἢ ἀργύρῳ ἢ λίθῳ, χαράγματι τέχνης καὶ ἐνθυμήσεως ἀνθρώπου, τὸ θεῖον εἶναι ὅμοιον. Τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ Θεός, τὰ νῦν παραγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πάντας πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν. Δεότι ἔστησεν ἡμέραν ἐν ᾗ μέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν, πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύαζον, οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Ἀκουσόμεθά σου περὶ τούτου καὶ πάλιν. Καὶ οὕτως ὁ Παῦλος ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν. Τινὲς δὲ ἄνδρες κολληθέντες αὐτῷ ἐπίστευσαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης, καὶ γυνὴ ὀνόματι Δάμαρις καὶ ἕτεροι σὺν αὐτοῖς.

Gradual (Ps. 123. 7. & 8.)

Ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων.
Ἡ παγὶς συνετρίβη, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρρύσθημεν ἡ βοήθεια ἡμῶν ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.

Alleluia (Ps. 67. 4.)

Ἀλληλούια.
Ἀλληλούια.
Δίκαιοι εὐφρανθήτωσαν καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τερφθήτωσαν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ.

Sequence [to be given in a later comment]

Gospel (Luc. 12. 1b-8.)

Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ,
Ἤρξατο (ὁ Ἰησοῦς) λέγειν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ· Πρῶτον προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὑπόκρισις, τῶν Φαρισαίων. Οὐδὲν δὲ συγκεκαλυμμένον ἐστὶν ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται καὶ κρυπτὸν ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται. Ἀνθ’ ὧν ὅσα ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτὶ ἀκουσθήσεται, καὶ ὃ πρὸς τὸ οὖς ἐλαλήσατε ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις κηρυχθήσεται ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων. Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν τοῖς φίλοις μου, Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μὴ ἐχόντων περισσότερόν τι ποιῆσαι. Ὑποδείξω δὲ ὑμῖν τίνα φοβηθῆτε· φοβήθητε τὸν μετὰ τὸ ἀποκτεῖναι ἔχοντα ἐξουσίαν ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν γέενναν. ναὶ λέγω ὑμῖν, τοῦτον φοβήθητε. Οὐχὶ πέντε στρουθία πωλοῦνται ἀσσαρίων δύο; καὶ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιλελησμένον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν πᾶσαι ἠρίθμηνται. μὴ φοβεῖσθε· πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε. Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, Πᾶς ὃς ἂν ὁμολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁμολογήσει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν Ἀγγέλων τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Offertory (Ps. 149. 5 & 6a.)

Καυχήσονται ὅσιοι ἐν δόξῃ, καὶ ἀγαλλιάσονται ἐπὶ τῶν κοιτῶν αὐτῶν, αἱ ὑψώσεις τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν. Ἀλληλούια.

Communion (Luc. 12. 4)

Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν τοῖς φίλοις μου, μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς.

Postcommunion

Εἰλήφαμεν ἤδη, Κύριε, τὸ τῆς ἀϊδίου λυτρώσεως ἐνέχυρον; νῦν δὲ σοῦ δεόμεθα τῶν ἱερομαρτύρων Διονυσίου, Ῥουστικοῦ, καὶ Ἐλευθερίου μεσιτευόντων, εἶναι ἡμῖν τοῦτο παρούσης θ’ ὁμου καὶ μελλούσης τῆς ζωῆς βοήϊθημα·

Joshua said...

SInce my knowledge of Greek is restricted to the laborious typing out of texts, and the odd glance into the Greek Liturgies, the LXX and the Greek NT (the latter a a useful crib to the Latin Vulgate, as Mgr Knox noted), on the strength of my use of a Greek dictionary and various internet resources to look up words and a few lessons from Wenham's The Elements of NT Greek, before the kindly volunteer teacher (a retired Anglican clergyman) suffered a stroke, poor fellow - I would be most obliged if those better skilled in that tongue could read over these transcriptions, and explain any interesting points.

The Moderate Jacobite said...

Interesting to see the line in the Creed:

"Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ Κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός τε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐκπορευόμενον."

That looks rather like a Greek filioque to me.

Joshua said...

Indeed it is. The Greek text is modelled on the Latin - from the Gloria Patri onwards.

Dane Garrett said...

Except that in the Creed the eastern phrase by the holy spirit and the virgin mary is kept rather than the western by the holy spirit of the virgin mary

Claudio Salvucci said...

This is an area to tread carefully.

Last I read, (perhaps Father could enlighten us on this point), the Creed has been read in Greek at Rome for centuries, and it never contains the filioque. And there may be good reason for it--I am given to understand procedit does not imply procession from an ultimate source, whereas ἐκπορευόμενον does, which is why the Greeks find it objectionable.

Joshua said...

And finally, the Sequence:

Sequence

Ἑλλὰς, ἐν τέκνῳ χαῖρε· Γαλλία περίσσευε Ἐν πατρὶ Διονύσῳ.
Ἀγαλλιάσθω πλέον Παρίσιος, εὐσχήμων Ὁσίου τῷ θανάτῳ.
Χαρὰν μέιζονα χαίρῃ Εὐδάιμων συνουσίη Μαρτύρων παρουσίᾳ.
Ἐφ’ ὧν συνηγορίῃ Πᾶσα καυχᾶται χώρη, Ἀρχῆς ἐστιν οὐσία.
Πρὸς γονῆα κείμε νοι Στρατιῶται δόκιμοι Μνήμης λάχον ἄξια.
Ἀλλὰ τουτονὶ πάντως Σέβεται διηνεκῶς Βασιλὶς Ἐκκλησία.
Ἀπὸ τ’ Ἀρχιερέως Πεμφθεὶς εὶς Γαλατίαν, Ἀπίστου τοῦ ἔθνεος Οὐ φοβεῖται μανίαν.
Ὁ Γάλλων Ἀπόστολος Ἦλθεν εἰς Λουτηκίαν Ἣν κατέσχε δόλιος Ἐχθρὸς ὡς τὴν ἰδίαν.
Τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ναὸν κτίζει, Ἅπασιν εὐαγγελίζει, Τοῖς σημείοις φανερός.
Ὄχλος πιστεῖ, πλάνη φεύγει, Πίστις αὔξει, καὶ αὐγάζει Τ’ οὔνομ’ Ἀρχιερέως.
Πυθόμενος δὲ μαίνεται Δομίτιος, καὶ πέμπεται Ἄφρονα Σισίννιον.
Ὃς ἕλκει ποιμένα ψυχῶν, Ζωῇ, τέρασιν ἔνδοξον, Εἰς τὸ δεσματήριον.
Πρεσβύτερος πάσχει δίκας, Φυλακὴν, δεσμὰ, μάστιγας, Κατασὴν, τσρῶμα σιδηρὸν, Νικᾷ καῦσον ἔμπυρον.
Εὐχῇ δαμάζει θηρία, Σταυρὸν ἔτλη, καὶ τὰ πῦρα, Μετὰ πληγὰς ἐς σκοτεινὸν Ἄγεται τὸ σπήλαιον.
Πρεσβυτέρου λειτουργοῦντος, Τοῦ ὄχλου περιεστῶτος, Χριστὸς ἦλθε, περιόντος Οὐρανίης στρατίας.
Ἄρτῳ ωῆς δεδεσμένον Ἐβόσκησε τὸν ἅγιον, Δόξης κοινωνησόμενον Ἐν πόλῳ ἀϊδίας.
Ἴεται μαχησόμενος, Ὑπὸ τὸ ξίφος ἄφοβος, Ὁ μὲν παίων, ὁ δὲνικῶν Στεφανοῦται μαχάρᾳ.
Αὐτὸ νεκρὸν ἀνέστησε, Κολοβὸς κεφαλὴν ᾖρε, Ὅυ φερόντα προσήγαγε Αγγέλων συνουσία.
Ὅσιον τὸ πάθημα Ὑμνῶμεν εἰς αἱῶνα.
Ἀμήν.
Ἀλληλούια.

Victor said...

Very interesting. Many saints must have originated from Greece - why was Saint Denis celebrated in Greek, and none other? I would love to hear some of the reasons given in the booklet, if Joshua doesn't mind telling.

Joshua said...

It is said that St Denys, or Denis (Dionysius), was the first Bishop of Paris; when he was martyred by being decapitated at present-day Montmartyre ("the hill of the martyr"), his headless body stood up, picked up his head and walked off, his mouth preaching as he went, until reaching the site of the present Abbey of S.-Denys, thus signalling to the faithful where the saint's relics ought be kept. (He is thus a cephalophore.)

In Carolingian times, after from Constantinople were brought copies of the complete works attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite, St Denis of Paris was identified as the very same person as Dionysius the Areopagite, who was converted by St Paul at Athens, and to whom that corpus of theological treatises was attributed. Also in that age, the use of Greek texts for the celebration of the Mass came into fashion for the greatest feasts. By the twelfth century, the whole Mass of St Denys was chanted in Greek, and this custom endured until the French Revolution.

bedwere said...

My not so educated guess is that it was the Frankish answer to Constantinople. Since the Carolingian empire asserted to be the rightly successor of the Romans, they wanted to impress the world with their claim of universal dominion. Hence, they added a translation of the Roman Mass in Greek, including the Filioque, which the Carolingian theologians greatly favored.