The
Angelus (
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
for
Angel) is a
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
devotion in memory of the
IncarnationThe Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that the second person in the Christian Godhead, also known as the Son or the Logos , "became flesh" when he was miraculously conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The word Incarnate derives from Latin meaning "to make into flesh" or "to become...
. The name
Angelus is derived from the opening words:
Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ and is practiced by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses describing the mystery; alternating with the salutation "
Hail MaryThe Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within Roman Catholicism, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
!" The devotion was traditionally recited in Roman Catholic churches, convents, and monasteries three times daily: 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm (many churches still follow the devotion, and some practice it at home). The devotion is also used by some Anglican and Lutheran churches. The Angelus is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell, which is to spread good-will to everyone on Earth. The angel referred to in the prayer is the
Angel GabrielIn Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an angel who serves as a messenger from God....
, a messenger of God who
revealedThe Annunciation is, in Christianity, the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God...
to
MaryMary , usually referred to by Christians as the Virgin Mary or Saint Mary, was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, identified in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Muslims also refer to her as the Virgin Mary or Syeda Mariam which means Our Lady Mary...
that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-38).
History
The Catholic Encyclopedia states that "The history of the Angelus is by no means easy to trace with confidence, and it is well to distinguish in this matter between what is certain and what is in some measure conjectural." This is an old devotion which was already well established 700 years ago. The Angelus originated with the 11th century monastic custom of reciting three Hail Marys during the evening bell. The first written documentation stems from Italian Franciscan monk Sinigardi di Arezzo (died 1282). Franciscan monasteries in Italy document the use in 1263 and 1295. The Angelus is included in a Venecian
CatechismA catechism is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
from 1560. The older usages seem to have commemorated the resurrection of Christ in the morning, his suffering at noon and the annunciation in the evening. In 1269, St Bonaventure urged the faithful to adopt the custom of the Franciscans of saying three Hail Marys as the evening bell was rung.
The Angelus is not identical with the "Turkish bell" ordered by Pope Calixtus III (1455–58) in 1456, who asked for a long midday bell ringing and prayer for protection against the
TurkishTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
invasions of his time. In his 1956 Apostolic Letter
Dum Maerenti AnimoDum Maerenti Animo, an Apostolic Letter of Pope Pius XII to the faithful in Eastern Europe regarding their persecutions and the persecutions of the Church. "The whole family of Christianity stands in respectful admiration before you, and what you suffer in silence for so long. She prays for...
about the persecution of the Church in Eastern
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
,
Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as the 260th Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
recalls the 500th anniversary of the "Turkish bell", a prayer crusade ordered by his predecessors against the dangers from the East. He again asks the faithful throughout the
WorldWorld is a highly common name for the planet Earth, but it was originally used to mean the sum of human civilization living on it, specifically human experience, history, or the 'human condition' in general....
, to pray for the persecuted Church in the East during the mid-day Angelus.
The custom of reciting it in the morning apparently grew from the monastic custom of saying three Hail Marys while a bell rang at
PrimePrime can refer to:* Prime number, an integer greater than 1 which is only divisible by 1 and itself* Prime , the ′ mark** 3′ end and 5′ end in biochemistry...
. The noon time custom apparently arose from the noon time commemoration of the
PassionThe Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
on Fridays. The institution of the Angelus is by some ascribed to
Pope Urban IIPope Blessed Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death...
, by some to
Pope John XXIIPope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
for the year 1317. The triple recitation is ascribed to
Louis XI of FranceLouis XI , called the Prudent and the Universal Spider or the Spider King, was the King of France from 1461 to 1483...
, who in 1472 ordered it to be said three times daily. The form of the prayer was standardized by the 17th century.
The manner of ringing the Angelus—the triple stroke repeated three times, with a pause between each set of three (a total of nine strokes), sometimes followed by a longer peal as at curfew—seems to have been the norm from the very beginning. The 15th century constitutions of Syon monastery dictate that the lay brother "shall toll the Ave bell nine strokes at three times, keeping the space of one Pater and Ave between each three tollings".
In his Apostolic Letter
Marialis CultusMarialis Cultus is the title of a Mariological Apostolic Letter by Pope Paul VI issued on February 2nd 1974.The letter is subtitled, For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
(1974),
Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
encouraged the praying of the Angelus and confirmed its importance.
Modern usage
In most Franciscan and contemplative monasteries, the Angelus continues to be prayed three times a day. In American Trappist monasteries and convents, the Angelus is often combined with midday prayers or Vespers and prayed together in the Church. In
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
since
Pope John XXIIIBlessed Pope John XXIII , born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli , known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958.He called the Second Vatican Council but did not live to see it to completion,...
, every Sunday at noon the
popeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
has an address broadcast by public television (
Rai UnoRai Uno is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. It was born as Programma Nazionale and then called Rete 1 until 1982. Since its inception the channel was under the predominant political influence of the...
) and
Eurovision networkThe Eurovision Network is part of the European Broadcasting Union, itself founded in 1950 as a system of international broadcasting cooperation...
. At the end of the address the Pope recites the Angelus. In
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, the Angelus is broadcast every night at 6:00 pm on the TV channel
RTÉ OneRaidió Teilifís Éireann is the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on 31 December 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously...
, before the Six-One News, and on the radio station
Radio 1Raidió Teilifís Éireann is the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on 31 December 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously...
, at noon and 6:00 pm. There has been very occasional debate about whether to end the Angelus broadcasts as the station is run by an authority appointed by the
Irish GovernmentThe Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach, and a deputy prime minister called the Tánaiste. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President after being designated by Dáil Éireann...
and this may constitute state support of one faith over others. Critics of this view reply that it is the ringing of a bell, not the broadcast of a prayer, and in any case nobody is compelled to take part. In the city of
MonterreyMonterrey Monterrey Monterrey (also known as "Sultana del Norte" (Sultan of the North), is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León
It has the third largest metropolitan area in Mexico, after Mexico City and Guadalajara. In 2005, the city...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Angelus is broadcast daily on radio at 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm. In the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, radio and television stations run by the Catholic Church and some religious orders broadcast the Angelus at 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm. In some shopping malls, the devotion is broadcast over the public address system at noon and 6:00 pm, while in schools run by Catholic religious orders, it is broadcast over the
public address systemA public address or "PA" system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a given sound, e.g., a person making a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often...
at noon on schooldays. In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, some Catholic radio stations run by laity broadcast the Angelus daily. In
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, particular dioceses and their radio stations ring the Angelus. In addition, each Roman Catholic church throughout the republic (and some Protestant churches) rings the Angelus bell thrice daily.
It is common practice that during the recital of the Angelus prayer, for the lines "And the Word was made flesh/And dwelt among us", those reciting the prayer genuflect. This action draws attention to the moment of the Incarnation of Christ into human flesh.
Angelus bell
The Angelus, in all its stages of development, was closely associated with the ringing of a
church bellA church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
. The bell is still rung in some English country churches and has often been mistaken for, and alleged to be a remnant of, the
curfew bellThe curfew bell was a bell rung in the evening in Medieval times as the signal for everyone to go to bed.A bell was rung usually around eight o'clock in the evening which meant for them to cover their fires - deaden or cover up, not necessarily put out altogether...
. The Angelus is replaced by
Regina CoeliThe Regina Caeli or Regina Coeli , an ancient Latin Marian Hymn of the Christian Church, is one of the four seasonal Marian antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prescribed to be sung or recited in the Liturgy of the Hours at the conclusion of the last of the hours to be prayed in common that day,...
during
EastertideEastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.It is celebrated as a single joyful feast, indeed as the "great Lord's Day". Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter, and, after the Sunday of the Resurrection,...
, and is not used on
Good FridayGood Friday, also called Holy Friday, Black Friday, or Great Friday, is a holiday observed primarily by adherents to Christianity commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary...
or
Holy SaturdayHoly Saturday is the day after Good Friday. It is the day before Easter and the last day of Holy Week, in which Christians prepare for Easter...
.
Where the town bell and the bells of the principal church or monastery were distinct, the curfew was generally rung upon the town bell. Where the church bell served for both purposes, the Ave and the curfew were probably rung upon the same bell at different hours.
The ringing of the Angelus in the 14th century and even in the 13th century must have been very general. The number of bells belonging to these two centuries which still survive is relatively low, but a considerable proportion bear inscriptions which suggest that they were originally intended to serve as Ave bells. Many bear the words
Ave Maria; or, as in the case of a bell at Helfta, near
EislebenEisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
, in Germany, dated 1234, the whole sentence:
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Bells with this Ave Maria inscription are also numerous in England, but in England the Angelus bells seem in a very large number of instances to have been dedicated to St Gabriel, the angel mentioned in the prayer (Luke 1:26-27). In the
Diocese of LincolnThe Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.It traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Diocese of Lindine founded in 678. Nowadays it is much diminished in size since it was the largest diocese in Europe...
alone we find nineteen of the surviving medieval bells bearing the name of Gabriel, while only six bear the name of
MichaelMichael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God....
, a much more popular patron in other respects. In
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, the
Ave Maria seems to have been the ordinary label for Angelus bells; but in Germany we find as the most common inscription of all, even in the case of many bells of the 13th century, the words
O Rex Gloriæ Veni Cum Pace ("O King of Glory, Come with Peace"). In Germany, the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, and in some parts of France, the Angelus bell was regularly known as the
Peace bell, and
pro pace schlagen (to toll for peace) was a phrase popularly used for ringing the Angelus. In the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the ringing of church bells is still done for the Angelus every 6:00 pm. During the past, upon hearing of the bell, Filipino families knelt in their respecting homes before their altars and prayed the Angelus, which they called (and still do, in rural areas) the "Orasyon," based on the Spanish word
oracion, (prayer/litany/recitation). In traditional Spanish-Filipino families, the Angelus is said in Spanish.
The Irish national broadcaster
Raidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann is the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on 31 December 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously...
broadcasts the angelus bells at noon and 6:00 pm every day on the national radio station
RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
and at
6:00 pm on the national television station
RTÉ OneRTÉ One is Ireland's oldest and most popular television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
. This consists of a bell ringing for the duration of one minute and is accompanied by images of people pausing in contemplation (filmed in North Kildare) for the television version. The
Foggy Dew-Foggy, Foggy Dew:The first song of this title was of English origin, sometimes called “Foggy, Foggy Dew”, and is a lamentful ballad of a young lover. It was published on a broadside around 1815, though there are very many versions: Cecil Sharp collected eight versions. Burl Ives, who popularized...
, an Irish rebel ballad commemorating the
Easter RisingThe Easter Rising , was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic...
, contains the line "the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell rang out through the foggy dew".
With regard to the manner of ringing the Angelus, it seems sufficient to note that the triple stroke repeated three times with a pause between seems to have been adopted from the very beginning.
Latin text
V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ.
R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
- Ave Maria
The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within Roman Catholicism, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.
V. Ecce Ancilla Domini.
R. Fiat mihi secundum Verbum tuum.
- Ave Maria...
V. Et Verbum caro factum est.
R. Et habitavit in nobis.
- Ave Maria...
V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genetrix.
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
OremusOremus is the invitation to pray, said before short prayers in the Roman Mass.It is used as a single ejaculation in the East , or the imperative: "Pray" or "Stand for prayer" ; most commonly, however with a further determination, "Let us pray to the Lord" Oremus (Latin for let us pray) is the...
: Gratiam tuam quæsumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut qui, angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui Incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem eius et crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur.
Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
English text
V. The angel of the Lord announced unto Mary.
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
- Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it unto me according to your Word.
- Hail Mary...
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
- Hail Mary...
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: We beseech you, O Lord, pour your grace into our hearts, that as we have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought to the glory of his resurrection; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Alternative English text
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary...
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary...
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary...
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
or
Let us pray:
Lord, fill our hearts with Your love, and as You revealed to us by an angel, the coming of Your Son as man. So lead us through His suffering and death to the glory of His resurrection, for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(This text is slightly different. A shorter version consists of only the three verses and responses, followed by only one Hail Mary).
Maltese Text
V. L-Anġlu tal-Mulej ħabbar lil Marija
R. U hija saret omm mill-Ispirtu s-Santu
Sliem għalik Marija, bil-grazzja mimlija, l-Mulej miegħek. Imbierka inti fost in-nisa, u mbierek il-frott tal-ġuf tiegħek Ġesu.
Qaddisa Marija omm Alla, itlob għalina midinbin issa u fis-siegħa tal-mewt tagħna. Amen.
V. Hawn hi l-Qaddejja tal-Mulej
R. Ikun minni skond kelmtek
Sliem għalik...
V. L-Iben ta’ Alla sar bniedem
R. U għammar fostna
Sliem għalik...
V. Itlob għalina, qaddisa Omm Alla
R. Biex ikun jistħoqqilna dak li wegħdna Kristu
See also
- Annunciation
The Annunciation is, in Christianity, the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God...
- Blessed Virgin Mary
The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to the Blessed Virgin or the Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to...
- Catholic devotions
Catholic devotions are prayer forms which are not part of the official public liturgy of the Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. Many are officially sanctioned by the Church as profitable for spiritual growth but not necessary for salvation...
- Marialis Cultus
Marialis Cultus is the title of a Mariological Apostolic Letter by Pope Paul VI issued on February 2nd 1974.The letter is subtitled, For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
- Rosary
The Rosary or "garland of roses" is a popular and traditional Roman Catholic devotion. The term denotes both a set of prayer beads and the devotional prayer itself, which combines vocal prayer and meditation...
- Seven Joys of Mary
The Seven Joys of the Virgin is a popular devotion to events of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, arising from a trope of medieval devotional literature and art....
- Seven Sorrows of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life.Under this title, she is the patron saint...
Sources
- H Schauerle, Angelus Domini, in Lexikon der Marienkunde, Regensburg, 1967 pp 217–221
External links