Mozarabic Rite
Encyclopedia
The Mozarabic, Visigothic, or Hispanic Rite is a form of Catholic
worship
within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church
(Anglican). Its beginning dates to the 7th century, and is localized in the Iberian Peninsula
(the Roman
Hispania
). Mozarab
is the term for the Christian
population living under Muslim
rulers in Al-Andalus
.
worship surrounding the Eucharist
in the early Church was not scripted with precise rubrics as is the norm today. One of the earliest known documents setting down the nature of Eucharistic celebration is the Didache
, dating from 70–140 (see historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology
). Few details are known of early forms of the liturgy, or worship, in the first three centuries, but there was some diversity of practice; Justin Martyr
, however gave one example of the early Christian Liturgy
in one of his apologies. As Christianity gained dominance in the wake of the conversion of Constantine I
early in the fourth century, there was a period of liturgical development as the communities emerged from smaller gatherings to large assemblies in public halls and new churches. This time of development saw the combination of embellishment of existing practices with the exchange of ideas and practices from other communities. These mutual processes resulted both in greater diversity and in certain unifying factors within the liturgy from the merging of forms throughout major cities and regions. The liturgies of the patriarchal cities in particular had greater influence on their regions so that by the 5th century it becomes possible to distinguish among several families of liturgies, in particular the Jerusalem, Alexandrian
, Antiochene
, Byzantine
, and Syrian families in the East, and in the Latin West, the African
(completely lost), Gallican
, Celtic
, Ambrosian
, Roman
, and Hispanic (Mozarabic) families. These settled into fairly stable forms that continued to evolve, but none without some influence from outside. In the West, however, the liturgy in Roman Africa was lost as the Church there was weakened by internal division and then the Vandal invasion, and then was extinguished in the wake of the Islamic ascendancy. In Gaul
, the fascination of the Franks
with Roman liturgy led them to begin adopting the Roman Rite, a process that was confirmed and promoted by Charlemagne
as an aid to imperial unity.
Visigoth
s were driven from France
and came south, converting to Catholicism around 587. The Catholic liturgical practice in Iberia prior to the Visigoths (and the Muslims) is termed "Old Hispanic", and inaccurately is often called Mozarabic. There was a liturgical tradition in Hispania prior to the arrival of the Visigoths as evidenced by the fact that it lacks Arian
influence. This liturgy reached its point of greatest development in the 7th century, and is found partly in the Verona Orationale, taken to Italy
for safekeeping after the invasion of Muslims (below). Terminological confusion regarding the liturgical development in this area is common, and most names proposed bear a degree of inaccuracy; hence qualifications are the norm in the discussion of this history. The most precise use of the term "Mozarabic rite" is for that liturgy followed by the inhabitants of former visigothic Hispania who submitted to Islamic rule and their descendants. St
. Isidore of Seville
(d. 636), who was influential at the Fourth Council of Toledo
in 633, according to the wishes of that Council, gave the Hispanic rite its final form before the invasion of the Muslims.
ic", in early centuries having more diverse spellings, comes from Arabic for "Arabized".
As is generally the case with Islamic rule the Christians were made dhimmi
s and therefore became subjects of an Islamic ruled state. Islamic rule is normally more systematic than Christianity when it comes to its treatment of non-believers. This system kept Christians in an inferior political and financial position. This was true of the Umayyad emirate which enforced the Qur'anic rules obliging dhimmis to pay the jizya
and killing those who defamed Muhammad
or reverted to Christianity after converting to Islam. However, in practice the Muslim authorities generally tolerated fanatical Christians who routinely defamed Muhammad or Islam
because they were seeking martyrdom. The authorities viewed them as being insane.
This tolerance began to erode after the rule of the Umayyad emirate ended and al-Andalus devolved into small local kingdoms. The change started with the conquest of the Almoravides in the 11th century. The Almoravides deemed the previous Muslims to be too willing to work with Christians and persecution increased. Under the even stauncher Almohads the position of Christians declined further and Iberia became a much more violent place for Christians. In order to avoid violence there were many in Iberia who in various ways adapted to Moor
ish culture, in dress and work, in marriage, and in language.
Toledo
, approximately 75 kilometres south-east of Madrid
, was strategically important to the Muslims, and there the Christians were able to arrange a compromise making Toledo somewhat different from the rest of Muslim Iberia (the Al Andalus): Christians were permitted to practice their religion and retain their property.
Hispania, the kings sought to establish links to the rest of Europe including the Papacy. They established the Way of Saint James for pilgrims and invited Roman-rite Catholics ("Franks") into Iberia, who established that rite in all Christianised portions, a change that was met with "uprisings", such that the Mozarabic rite was permitted to be used in Toledo and León
even after the Muslims had been expelled. The Mozarabic rite was approved by Pope John X
in 918, suppressed by Pope Gregory VII
in 1085 yet permitted in six parish
es. Unity in liturgical practice was strongly encouraged by Rome from an early date as well as around the general period of the East-West Schism
; areas Christianised after periods of conquest typically had the Roman rite installed—this was true for centuries in the East as well. Eventually the Mozarabic rite became a memorial service, as people grew to accept the Roman rite.
, given common points of construction. Schaff argues for an Oriental element in both the Gallican and the Mozarabic (or Old Hispanic
), while Jenner quotes Dom Marius Férotin, O.S.B., who writes that the framework of the liturgy is from Italy or Rome, while various details such as hymns are from Iberia, Africa, and Gaul
. Jenner states that there is no extant concrete information about the Old Hispanic liturgy prior to the end of the 6th century, a point echoed by Cabrol. Michael Davies
reports that it is commonly believed that the Gallican rite came from the East, perhaps Antioch
, and through Italy influenced the West. The work of St. Isidore, who was asked by a Council of Toledo (probably the one occurring in 633) to revise and rearrange the liturgy of the time (Old Hispanic), leaves us a number of documents demonstrating liturgical stability prior to the Muslim invasion. Cabrol lists several liturgical points of Oriental origin ("the place of the diptychs, the Kiss of Peace, and even the 'epiclesis
'") while indicating the liturgical commonalities to the entire West, including Rome and Gaul. Cabrol also indicates that the Mozarabic rite contains some customs that ante-date those of Rome.
in terms of preserved documentation. The Mozarabic Rite was considered authoritative for the clarification of a Sacramentary received by Charlemagne
from Pope Adrian I
(d. 795). The first is, of course, the Roman Rite
, which, to encourage unity of faith and worship, generally replaced the Mozarabic in Iberia from about 1080.
In the year 870, Charles the Bald
, wishing to see what the ancient Gallican Rite
had been like, had priests sent from Spain to celebrate the Mozarabic Rite before him.
In the latter part of the eighth century, the Rite had fallen under some suspicion owing to quotations cited by Elipandus of Toledo
in support of his Adoptianist theories, and the Council of Frankfurt 794 spoke somewhat disparagingly of possible Islamic influence on it. It was due to these suspicions that in 924, John X sent a Papal Legate
named Zanello to investigate the Rite. Zanello spoke favourably of the Rite, and the Pope gave a new approbation to it, requiring only to change the words of consecration to that of the Roman one. Spanish clergy gradually started to use the Roman words of institution
(though there is no evidence whether or not it was done consistently).
When King Alfonso VI of Castile
conquered Toledo in 1085, it was being disputed as to which rite Iberian Christians
should follow: the Roman rite or Mozarabic Rite. After other ordeal
s, it was submitted to the trial by fire
: One book for each rite was thrown into a fire. The Toledan book was little damaged whilst the Roman one was consumed. Henry Jenner
comments in the Catholic Encyclopedia
: "No one who has seen a Mozarabic manuscript
with its extraordinarily solid vellum
, will adopt any hypothesis of Divine Interposition here."
The king allowed six parishes in the city to continue to use the Mozarabic rite.
Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros (d. 1517) published in 1500 a Mozarabic missal
, and two years later a breviary
, both of which were formally approved by Pope Julius II
. To perfect the presentation of the liturgy Jiménez interpolated elements of the Roman Rite as then used in Iberia, particularly the preliminary prayers for the Mass
. He also instituted a chapel
in the Cathedral of Toledo
, with a college of thirteen priests to use the Roman Missal and Breviary. This continues to the present day, in spite of vicissitudes that included the killing of all the priests of the group in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War
.
The texts prepared by Jiménez were republished at various times. The dawn of the twentieth century saw an intensification of studies of the rite and the publication of its manuscript sources. In response to the encouragement given by the Second Vatican Council
in Sacrosanctum Concilium
, 3-4 to renew other rites as well as the Roman, the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo Marcelo González Martín set up a commission to revise the liturgical book
s of the Mozarabic rite. Between 1988 and 1995, the Missal (in two volumes), the Lectionary
(also in two volumes), and a vernacular (Castilian
) version of the Ordinary of the Mass appeared, with the required approval of the Spanish bishops conference and confirmation by the Holy See
.
The Mozarabic Rite is celebrated daily in the Corpus Christi Chapel (also called the Mozarabic Chapel) in the Cathedral of Toledo
. In Madrid Mozarabic or Gothic Rite is celebrated in Spanish every Tuesday (Pº Recoletos 11 Monastery of Poor Clare Sisters, 19' 00 h). Two of the original six "Mozarabic" parishes of Toledo remain. About two hundred families in Toledo belong to these parishes and form an association of those who can claim that their families have always belonged to Mozarabic Rite. Additionally, all the churches of Toledo annually celebrate this rite on the Mozarabic Feast of the Incarnation on December 18, and on the feast day of Saint Ildephonsus on January 23. The rite is also used on certain days each year in the Talavera Chapel of the Old Cathedral of Salamanca
and less regularly in other cities in Spain
. Pope John Paul II
celebrated it once in each of the years 1992 and 2000.
The Mozarabic Rite has been of interest to non-Catholic communions as well. For example, in the 1880s the Anglican Communion examined the Mozarabic rite for ideas about making their own liturgy more inspiring, and at present the aforementioned Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church employs it for the celebration of all sacraments. The Spanish custom of the bridegroom giving his bride thirteen coins after exchanging their nuptial vows during the marriage ceremony (also observed in the former Spanish colonies in the New World and in Hispanic
Catholic parishes in the United States and Canada) has its origins in the Mozarabic rite.
The oldest Western manuscript written on paper
is the Mozarabic Missal of Silos, from the eleventh century.
: this is how forms of worship are perceived by the Church—which can authoritatively, but not arbitrarily, "define and limit the usage of rites" (quotes from Ratzinger). G. S. Lee writes that the Church is always eager to "recognize the varying wants of her spiritual children, and to shape her devotional exercises in conformity to these".The Council of Toledo affirmed it to be "a form of worship grateful to the people" and the Council of Mantua, 1067, declared it to be free of heresy and "also worthy of praise".
was translated into Arabic during this period as well, and the liturgy was celebrated in Arabic.
The Mozarabic Rite is longer in duration than that of the Roman Rite. Imagery and ceremony are used extensively; its great beauty is shown in the support it received even after the Roman Rite was installed throughout Iberia. Many learned theologians have praised it. Many hymns were written within the Mozarabic Rite.
The Mozarabic Rite may have emphasized the Blessed Virgin Mary's role even more than did the liturgy of Rome. It also exalts Mary by addressing her directly in prayer, which the Roman Rite does not do.
The Mozarabic Rite was the first to use ashes within the liturgical celebrations of the Church. Ashes were used prior to the Mozarabic Rite, but this was done outside of liturgical events, e.g., marking people for penance.
The Breviary
has a short and uncomplicated extra office (session of prayer) before the main morning office.
Extensive use is made of responsories between the celebrant (priest
) and faithful during the Mozarabic Mass, including during the Confiteor
(prayer of confession of guilt for sin
), which is quite different from that in the Roman Rite (Tridentine or post-Tridentine); though much of the preparatory prayers and other elements in the old Missal were borrowed from a Romano-Toledan Missal and is not originally part of the rite.
Isidore of Seville
in his writings made reference to the 'seven prayers' of the Mozarabic Mass. These are the seven major variable liturgical texts which constitute the essential prayer formulas said by the celebrant in the Mozarabic liturgy of the faithful, namely: 1. The Oratio Missae or Prayer of the Mass, an opening prayer making reference to the feast being celebrated and in general character much like the Roman Collect. 2. The Prayer after the Names, said immediately after the recitation of the names of the faithful, living and dead, who are being prayed for. 3. Prayer for Peace, said immediately before the kiss of peace. 4. The Illatio corresponding to the Roman Preface
and most frequently the longest part of the Mozarabic eucharistic prayer. 5. The Post-Sanctus, the part of the Mozarabic eucharistic prayer connecting the Sanctus
with the institution narrative. 6. The Post-Pridie, the concluding portion of the eucharistic prayer including the anamnesis
with its prayer of offering, the epiklesis, (when either or both of these are present) and the final doxology. 7. The Lord's Prayer with its variable introduction and fixed embolism and concluding clause.
While the liturgy is quite beautiful, it also tended toward "prolixity" and at times was lacking in "sobriety". The Roman rite of Mass is more ordered: in its Tridentine form it left almost nothing to the choice of the celebrant; the present (Mass of Paul VI
), though it limits extemporaneous variations to the words of introduction to certain ceremonies, frequently allows a choice between different formulas of prayer. This may be due to the influence of the Mozarabic rite.
There was no fixed anaphora
or Eucharistic prayer in the Mozarabic rite of Mass, which permitted a fair degree of extemporaneous flexibility. When the Mozarabic rite was given a new lease on life in 1500, the Roman words of institution, the key words that Jesus
used at the Last Supper
, were required. Originally, the Mozarabic words of institution were from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (11:24), with the formula for the consecration of the wine being a combination of 1 Corinthians 11:24, Luke
22:20, and Matthew
26:28. These were the words written on the (old) Mozarabic Missal, though the Roman formula was included as a footnote in the Missal and was used in actual practice in place of the old Spanish formula (note, however, that it was reinstituted by the modern Mozarabic Missal).
Some Eucharist
ic prayers are addressed to Christ rather than to God the Father. After the consecration of the bread and wine (see Eucharist
), as the Creed
is being chanted, the host
(the real presence of Christ under the species of bread) is broken into nine pieces, each representing a facet of Christ's life on earth, seven of which are arranged in a cross on the paten
. After a variable introduction the Lord's Prayer
was said by the celebrant alone, with everyone else responding "Amen" to each petition, except for the petition for daily bread, for which the response is "For you are God" and everyone concluding the final petition, "but deliver us from evil" with the celebrant.
It is meet and right for us to render to Thine omnipotence and goodness, the praises which Thou hast given us the power to render, O Merciful Father, because after long ages, as on this day not long ago, Christ Jesus, Who was one with Thee or with Himself, was born to us. Thine Only-Begotten was made son of His handmaid; the Lord was born of His Mother; the Shoot of Mary is the Fruit of the Church, and He Who comes forth as a weakling babe by the One, is magnified by the other as a worker of wonders.
Mary begat salvation for the nations, the Church begat the nations; the one carried life in her womb; the other in the font. In the body of the one was Christ conceived, in the waters of the other is Christ put on. Through the one He, Who ever was, is born; through the other, he who had perished is found. In the one the Redeemer of the Nations receives life; in the other the nations themselves are made alive. Through the one He came that He might take away sins; through the other He took away those sins on account of which He came. Through the one He wept for us; through the other He cared for us. In the one He is an infant; in the other He is a giant. There He weeps, here He triumphs. Through the one He played with toys; through the other He subdued kingdoms. The one He soothed with a child's merriment; the other He bound with the faith of a husband.
Then at last appear the pure interchanges of precious love. The husband gives to His spouse His gifts of living water, that is, Christ to the Church, with which she might be washed fo find favour in His sight. For the oil of gladness He gave to her the sweet-smelling oil of chrism
by which she might be anointed. He called her to His table, and satisfied her with the fat of corn, and filled her with the wine of sweetness. He placed upon her the ornament of justice, and gave her a vesture glittering with many virtues. He gave His life for her, and when about to reign as Victor, He gave to her as dowry the spoils of Death captured and trampled underfoot. To her He gave Himself for food and drink and raiment. He promised that He would give to her an eternal kingdom, and that she should stand as Queen upon His right hand. To her He granted what had been bestowed upon the Mother; to be filled, but not violated, to bring forth, but not defiled. To the Mother was this a single gift; to the Church for all time. So might she repose as His bride on the couch of loveliness, and multiply sons from the bosom of pure love, and might be fecund with offspring yet not fretid with lust. So she herself made rich in Him and through Him brings lowly gifts to her Husband and Lord; This, of her own, offering her faith; This, from His example, offering a responsive love; This, of His own gift, that she could accomplish even what He willed, and even what she accomplished. She gave to Him martyrs for roses, virgins instead of lilies, the chaste as violets. All these gifts she transmitted to Him through the Apostles, the ministers of His will, as the finished tasks of her work. Wherefore now she stands upon His right hand in eternal happiness and glory, and praises Him Who reigns with Thee, O Omnipotent Father, and the Holy Spirit, with all Angels confessing Him and saying---
Truly Holy, Truly blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son; Who came from Heaven that He might have His consecration upon earth, and was made flesh that He might dwell amongst us. He Himself our Lord and Eternal Redeemer. For the Lord Jesus, in the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread and gave thanks and broke and said: TAKE, AND EAT: THIS IS MY BODY,WHICH IS GIVEN FOR YOU. DO THIS FOR MY MEMORIAL. Likewise also He took the cup, when He had supped and gave thanks and gave it to them, sayingTHIS CUP IS THE NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD, WHICH IS FOR YHOU AND FOR MANY IS SHED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. AND WHEN YE SHALL DRINK IT, THIS SHALL YE DO FOR MY MEMORIAL. (Response: "Amen") AND AS OFTEN AS YE SHALL EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP, YE SHALL PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH UNTIL HE COME INTO CLEAR SIGHT FROM THE HEAVENS. (Response: "So we believe, Lord Jesus.")
Observing, O Lord, these Thy gifts and commands, we placed upon Thine Altar these offerings of bread and wine, beseeching Thee in the abundance of Thy goodness and compassion, that by the power of that same Spirit by which uncorrupt virginity conceived Thee in the flesh, the Undivided Trinity
may sanctify these oblations, so that, when they shall be received by us with no less fear than veneration, whatever there be of life harmful to the soul may wither, and that what has withered may in no wise live again. Amen. Who with God the Father
and the Holy Spirit
livest and reignest one God world without end. Amen.
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church
Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church
The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church considers itself to be part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Christ and his apostles; it maintains apostolic succession via the Church of England and the threefold ministry of bishops, priests and deacons; it keeps the three creeds...
(Anglican). Its beginning dates to the 7th century, and is localized in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
(the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
). Mozarab
Mozarab
The Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...
is the term for the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
population living under Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rulers in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
.
Formation of early Catholic rites
RitualRitual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
worship surrounding the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
in the early Church was not scripted with precise rubrics as is the norm today. One of the earliest known documents setting down the nature of Eucharistic celebration is the Didache
Didache
The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century...
, dating from 70–140 (see historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology
Historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology
The historical roots of Roman Catholic Eucharistic theology are the basis upon which a number of ecclesial communities, or churches, express their faith in the "bread of life" as given by Jesus, and are to be found in the Church Fathers, Scripture, the writings of Thomas Aquinas, and other early...
). Few details are known of early forms of the liturgy, or worship, in the first three centuries, but there was some diversity of practice; Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr, also known as just Saint Justin , was an early Christian apologist. Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and a dialogue survive. He is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church....
, however gave one example of the early Christian Liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
in one of his apologies. As Christianity gained dominance in the wake of the conversion of Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
early in the fourth century, there was a period of liturgical development as the communities emerged from smaller gatherings to large assemblies in public halls and new churches. This time of development saw the combination of embellishment of existing practices with the exchange of ideas and practices from other communities. These mutual processes resulted both in greater diversity and in certain unifying factors within the liturgy from the merging of forms throughout major cities and regions. The liturgies of the patriarchal cities in particular had greater influence on their regions so that by the 5th century it becomes possible to distinguish among several families of liturgies, in particular the Jerusalem, Alexandrian
Alexandrian Rite
The Alexandrian Rite is officially called the Liturgy of Saint Mark, traditionally regarded as the first bishop of Alexandria. The Alexandrian Rite contains elements from the liturgy of Saint Basil, Cyril the Great, and Saint Gregory Nazianzus...
, Antiochene
Antiochene Rite
Antiochene Rite designates the family of liturgies originally used in the Patriarchate of Antioch.-Liturgies in the Antiochene Rite:The family of liturgies include the Apostolic Constitutions; then that of St. James in Greek, the Syriac Liturgy of St. James, and the other Syriac Anaphoras. The line...
, Byzantine
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
, and Syrian families in the East, and in the Latin West, the African
African Rite
In the history of Christianity, the African Rite refers to a now defunct Catholic, Western liturgical rite, and is considered a development or possibly a local use of the primitive Roman Rite...
(completely lost), Gallican
Gallican rite
The Gallican Rite is a historical sub-grouping of the Roman Catholic liturgy in western Europe; it is not a single rite but actually a family of rites within the Western Rite which comprised the majority use of most of Christianity in western Europe for the greater part of the 1st millennium AD...
, Celtic
Celtic Rite
The term "Celtic Rite" is applied to the various liturgical rites used in Celtic Christianity in Great Britain, Ireland and Brittany, sporadically in Galicia and also in the monasteries founded by the Irish missions of St. Columbanus in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy during the early...
, Ambrosian
Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite, also called the Milanese Rite, is a Catholic liturgical Western Rite. The rite is named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century...
, Roman
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite is the liturgical rite used in the Diocese of Rome in the Catholic Church. It is by far the most widespread of the Latin liturgical rites used within the Western or Latin autonomous particular Church, the particular Church that itself is also called the Latin Rite, and that is one of...
, and Hispanic (Mozarabic) families. These settled into fairly stable forms that continued to evolve, but none without some influence from outside. In the West, however, the liturgy in Roman Africa was lost as the Church there was weakened by internal division and then the Vandal invasion, and then was extinguished in the wake of the Islamic ascendancy. In Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
, the fascination of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
with Roman liturgy led them to begin adopting the Roman Rite, a process that was confirmed and promoted by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
as an aid to imperial unity.
Visigoths in Hispania
The ArianArianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
Visigoth
Visigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
s were driven from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and came south, converting to Catholicism around 587. The Catholic liturgical practice in Iberia prior to the Visigoths (and the Muslims) is termed "Old Hispanic", and inaccurately is often called Mozarabic. There was a liturgical tradition in Hispania prior to the arrival of the Visigoths as evidenced by the fact that it lacks Arian
Arian
Arian may refer to:* Arius, a Christian presbyter in the 3rd and 4th century* a given name in different cultures: Aria, Aryan or Arian...
influence. This liturgy reached its point of greatest development in the 7th century, and is found partly in the Verona Orationale, taken to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
for safekeeping after the invasion of Muslims (below). Terminological confusion regarding the liturgical development in this area is common, and most names proposed bear a degree of inaccuracy; hence qualifications are the norm in the discussion of this history. The most precise use of the term "Mozarabic rite" is for that liturgy followed by the inhabitants of former visigothic Hispania who submitted to Islamic rule and their descendants. St
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville
Saint Isidore of Seville served as Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien"...
(d. 636), who was influential at the Fourth Council of Toledo
Fourth Council of Toledo
The Fourth Council of Toledo occurred in 633. It was held at the church of Saint Leocadia in Toledo.Probably under the presidency of the noted Isidore of Seville, the council regulated many matters of discipline, decreed uniformity of liturgy throughout the Visigothic kingdom and took stringent...
in 633, according to the wishes of that Council, gave the Hispanic rite its final form before the invasion of the Muslims.
Muslims in Hispania
A crisis within Visigoth rule facilitated the Muslim invasion; shortly after 711 only a remnant of Iberia was left outside of Muslim control. The term "MozarabMozarab
The Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...
ic", in early centuries having more diverse spellings, comes from Arabic for "Arabized".
As is generally the case with Islamic rule the Christians were made dhimmi
Dhimmi
A , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
s and therefore became subjects of an Islamic ruled state. Islamic rule is normally more systematic than Christianity when it comes to its treatment of non-believers. This system kept Christians in an inferior political and financial position. This was true of the Umayyad emirate which enforced the Qur'anic rules obliging dhimmis to pay the jizya
Jizya
Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens, who meet certain criteria...
and killing those who defamed Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
or reverted to Christianity after converting to Islam. However, in practice the Muslim authorities generally tolerated fanatical Christians who routinely defamed Muhammad or Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
because they were seeking martyrdom. The authorities viewed them as being insane.
This tolerance began to erode after the rule of the Umayyad emirate ended and al-Andalus devolved into small local kingdoms. The change started with the conquest of the Almoravides in the 11th century. The Almoravides deemed the previous Muslims to be too willing to work with Christians and persecution increased. Under the even stauncher Almohads the position of Christians declined further and Iberia became a much more violent place for Christians. In order to avoid violence there were many in Iberia who in various ways adapted to Moor
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
ish culture, in dress and work, in marriage, and in language.
Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, approximately 75 kilometres south-east of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, was strategically important to the Muslims, and there the Christians were able to arrange a compromise making Toledo somewhat different from the rest of Muslim Iberia (the Al Andalus): Christians were permitted to practice their religion and retain their property.
Christianity restored in Hispania
As the Christians reconqueredReconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
Hispania, the kings sought to establish links to the rest of Europe including the Papacy. They established the Way of Saint James for pilgrims and invited Roman-rite Catholics ("Franks") into Iberia, who established that rite in all Christianised portions, a change that was met with "uprisings", such that the Mozarabic rite was permitted to be used in Toledo and León
León (historical region)
The region of León or Leonese region is a hitoric territory defined by the 1833 Spanish administrative organisation. The Leonese region encompassed the provinces of Salamanca, Zamora, and León, now part of the modern Spanish autonomous community of Castile and León.-Leonese History:Until 1833, the...
even after the Muslims had been expelled. The Mozarabic rite was approved by Pope John X
Pope John X
Pope John X, Pope from March 914 to May 928, was deacon at Bologna when he attracted the attention of Theodora, the wife of Theophylact, Count of Tusculum, the most powerful noble in Rome, through whose influence he was elevated first to the see of Bologna and then to the archbishopric of...
in 918, suppressed by Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
in 1085 yet permitted in six parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es. Unity in liturgical practice was strongly encouraged by Rome from an early date as well as around the general period of the East-West Schism
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
; areas Christianised after periods of conquest typically had the Roman rite installed—this was true for centuries in the East as well. Eventually the Mozarabic rite became a memorial service, as people grew to accept the Roman rite.
Gallican, Mozarabic, and Roman rite connections
There is evidence that the Mozarabic rite is tied to the Gallican riteGallican rite
The Gallican Rite is a historical sub-grouping of the Roman Catholic liturgy in western Europe; it is not a single rite but actually a family of rites within the Western Rite which comprised the majority use of most of Christianity in western Europe for the greater part of the 1st millennium AD...
, given common points of construction. Schaff argues for an Oriental element in both the Gallican and the Mozarabic (or Old Hispanic
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
), while Jenner quotes Dom Marius Férotin, O.S.B., who writes that the framework of the liturgy is from Italy or Rome, while various details such as hymns are from Iberia, Africa, and Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. Jenner states that there is no extant concrete information about the Old Hispanic liturgy prior to the end of the 6th century, a point echoed by Cabrol. Michael Davies
Michael Davies (Catholic writer)
Michael Treharne Davies was a British teacher, and traditionalist Catholic writer of many books about the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council...
reports that it is commonly believed that the Gallican rite came from the East, perhaps Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, and through Italy influenced the West. The work of St. Isidore, who was asked by a Council of Toledo (probably the one occurring in 633) to revise and rearrange the liturgy of the time (Old Hispanic), leaves us a number of documents demonstrating liturgical stability prior to the Muslim invasion. Cabrol lists several liturgical points of Oriental origin ("the place of the diptychs, the Kiss of Peace, and even the 'epiclesis
Epiclesis
The epiclesis is that part of the Anaphora by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit upon the Eucharistic bread and wine in some Christian churches.In most Eastern Christian traditions, the Epiclesis comes after the Anamnesis The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from "invocation" or...
'") while indicating the liturgical commonalities to the entire West, including Rome and Gaul. Cabrol also indicates that the Mozarabic rite contains some customs that ante-date those of Rome.
Preservation and relevance of the Mozarabic rite
The Mozarabic Rite is the second-best attested liturgy in the Latin ChurchLatin Church
The Latin Church is the largest particular church within the Catholic Church. It is a particular church not on the level of the local particular churches known as dioceses or eparchies, but on the level of autonomous ritual churches, of which there are 23, the remaining 22 of which are Eastern...
in terms of preserved documentation. The Mozarabic Rite was considered authoritative for the clarification of a Sacramentary received by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
from Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian was pope from February 1, 772 to December 25, 795. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.Shortly after Adrian's accession the territory ruled by the papacy was invaded by Desiderius, king of the Lombards, and Adrian was compelled to seek the assistance of the Frankish king...
(d. 795). The first is, of course, the Roman Rite
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite is the liturgical rite used in the Diocese of Rome in the Catholic Church. It is by far the most widespread of the Latin liturgical rites used within the Western or Latin autonomous particular Church, the particular Church that itself is also called the Latin Rite, and that is one of...
, which, to encourage unity of faith and worship, generally replaced the Mozarabic in Iberia from about 1080.
In the year 870, Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
, wishing to see what the ancient Gallican Rite
Gallican rite
The Gallican Rite is a historical sub-grouping of the Roman Catholic liturgy in western Europe; it is not a single rite but actually a family of rites within the Western Rite which comprised the majority use of most of Christianity in western Europe for the greater part of the 1st millennium AD...
had been like, had priests sent from Spain to celebrate the Mozarabic Rite before him.
In the latter part of the eighth century, the Rite had fallen under some suspicion owing to quotations cited by Elipandus of Toledo
Elipando
Elipando was a Spanish archbishop of Toledo and theologian. He was one of the founders of the Adeoptivi sect....
in support of his Adoptianist theories, and the Council of Frankfurt 794 spoke somewhat disparagingly of possible Islamic influence on it. It was due to these suspicions that in 924, John X sent a Papal Legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
named Zanello to investigate the Rite. Zanello spoke favourably of the Rite, and the Pope gave a new approbation to it, requiring only to change the words of consecration to that of the Roman one. Spanish clergy gradually started to use the Roman words of institution
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution 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...
(though there is no evidence whether or not it was done consistently).
When King Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
conquered Toledo in 1085, it was being disputed as to which rite Iberian Christians
Religion in Spain
Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination of Christianity present in Spain by far. According to a October 2010 study by the Spanish Center of Sociological Research about 73% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholics, 2.2% other faith, and about 22% identify with no religion. Most Spaniards do not...
should follow: the Roman rite or Mozarabic Rite. After other ordeal
Ordeal
Ordeal may refer to* The American title of What Happened to the Corbetts, a 1939 novel by Nevil Shute* Trial by ordeal, the judicial practice...
s, it was submitted to the trial by fire
Trial by fire
Trial by fire may refer to:* Trial by ordeal, by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting them to a painful taskIn music:* Trial By Fire: Greatest and Latest, an album by Bachman-Turner Overdrive...
: One book for each rite was thrown into a fire. The Toledan book was little damaged whilst the Roman one was consumed. Henry Jenner
Henry Jenner
Henry Jenner FSA was a British scholar of the Celtic languages, a Cornish cultural activist, and the chief originator of the Cornish language revival....
comments in the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
: "No one who has seen a Mozarabic manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
with its extraordinarily solid vellum
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
, will adopt any hypothesis of Divine Interposition here."
The king allowed six parishes in the city to continue to use the Mozarabic rite.
Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros (d. 1517) published in 1500 a Mozarabic missal
Missal
A missal is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.-History:Before the compilation of such books, several books were used when celebrating Mass...
, and two years later a breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
, both of which were formally approved by Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
. To perfect the presentation of the liturgy Jiménez interpolated elements of the Roman Rite as then used in Iberia, particularly the preliminary prayers for the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
. He also instituted a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in the Cathedral of Toledo
Cathedral of Toledo
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo....
, with a college of thirteen priests to use the Roman Missal and Breviary. This continues to the present day, in spite of vicissitudes that included the killing of all the priests of the group in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
The texts prepared by Jiménez were republished at various times. The dawn of the twentieth century saw an intensification of studies of the rite and the publication of its manuscript sources. In response to the encouragement given by the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
in Sacrosanctum Concilium
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, is one of the constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. It was approved by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,147 to 4 and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963...
, 3-4 to renew other rites as well as the Roman, the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo Marcelo González Martín set up a commission to revise the liturgical book
Liturgical book
A liturgical book is a book published by the authority of a church, that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services.-Roman Catholic:...
s of the Mozarabic rite. Between 1988 and 1995, the Missal (in two volumes), the Lectionary
Lectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
(also in two volumes), and a vernacular (Castilian
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) version of the Ordinary of the Mass appeared, with the required approval of the Spanish bishops conference and confirmation by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
The Mozarabic Rite is celebrated daily in the Corpus Christi Chapel (also called the Mozarabic Chapel) in the Cathedral of Toledo
Cathedral of Toledo
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo....
. In Madrid Mozarabic or Gothic Rite is celebrated in Spanish every Tuesday (Pº Recoletos 11 Monastery of Poor Clare Sisters, 19' 00 h). Two of the original six "Mozarabic" parishes of Toledo remain. About two hundred families in Toledo belong to these parishes and form an association of those who can claim that their families have always belonged to Mozarabic Rite. Additionally, all the churches of Toledo annually celebrate this rite on the Mozarabic Feast of the Incarnation on December 18, and on the feast day of Saint Ildephonsus on January 23. The rite is also used on certain days each year in the Talavera Chapel of the Old Cathedral of Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
and less regularly in other cities in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
celebrated it once in each of the years 1992 and 2000.
The Mozarabic Rite has been of interest to non-Catholic communions as well. For example, in the 1880s the Anglican Communion examined the Mozarabic rite for ideas about making their own liturgy more inspiring, and at present the aforementioned Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church employs it for the celebration of all sacraments. The Spanish custom of the bridegroom giving his bride thirteen coins after exchanging their nuptial vows during the marriage ceremony (also observed in the former Spanish colonies in the New World and in Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Catholic parishes in the United States and Canada) has its origins in the Mozarabic rite.
The oldest Western manuscript written on paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
is the Mozarabic Missal of Silos, from the eleventh century.
Mozarabic rite a lesson in evolution of rites
After the early period of persecutions came to an end, Christians began to develop more elaborate forms of worship, perhaps because it became possible to store and share rubrical ideas over time and geography, and because love for Christ inspired greater elaboration. Liturgical variety has always been assumed, by the Church, to be permissible in small details that do not touch upon articles of faith or morals. This variety is a natural result of the Church, i.e. the body of faithful, being in "a dialogue of love" with JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
: this is how forms of worship are perceived by the Church—which can authoritatively, but not arbitrarily, "define and limit the usage of rites" (quotes from Ratzinger). G. S. Lee writes that the Church is always eager to "recognize the varying wants of her spiritual children, and to shape her devotional exercises in conformity to these".The Council of Toledo affirmed it to be "a form of worship grateful to the people" and the Council of Mantua, 1067, declared it to be free of heresy and "also worthy of praise".
Character of Mozarabic rite
While the liturgy used during the period of Islamic rule was very much like that to which St. Isidore put some finishing touches in the 7th century. During Islamic rule the pastors took more care, where practice of Christianity was permitted, to address the faithful during the Mass. The BibleBiblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
was translated into Arabic during this period as well, and the liturgy was celebrated in Arabic.
The Mozarabic Rite is longer in duration than that of the Roman Rite. Imagery and ceremony are used extensively; its great beauty is shown in the support it received even after the Roman Rite was installed throughout Iberia. Many learned theologians have praised it. Many hymns were written within the Mozarabic Rite.
The Mozarabic Rite may have emphasized the Blessed Virgin Mary's role even more than did the liturgy of Rome. It also exalts Mary by addressing her directly in prayer, which the Roman Rite does not do.
The Mozarabic Rite was the first to use ashes within the liturgical celebrations of the Church. Ashes were used prior to the Mozarabic Rite, but this was done outside of liturgical events, e.g., marking people for penance.
The Breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
has a short and uncomplicated extra office (session of prayer) before the main morning office.
Extensive use is made of responsories between the celebrant (priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
) and faithful during the Mozarabic Mass, including during the Confiteor
Confiteor
The Confiteor is one of the prayers that can be said during the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass of the Roman Rite in the Catholic Church. It is also said in the Lutheran Church at the beginning of their Divine Service...
(prayer of confession of guilt for sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
), which is quite different from that in the Roman Rite (Tridentine or post-Tridentine); though much of the preparatory prayers and other elements in the old Missal were borrowed from a Romano-Toledan Missal and is not originally part of the rite.
Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville
Saint Isidore of Seville served as Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien"...
in his writings made reference to the 'seven prayers' of the Mozarabic Mass. These are the seven major variable liturgical texts which constitute the essential prayer formulas said by the celebrant in the Mozarabic liturgy of the faithful, namely: 1. The Oratio Missae or Prayer of the Mass, an opening prayer making reference to the feast being celebrated and in general character much like the Roman Collect. 2. The Prayer after the Names, said immediately after the recitation of the names of the faithful, living and dead, who are being prayed for. 3. Prayer for Peace, said immediately before the kiss of peace. 4. The Illatio corresponding to the Roman Preface
Preface
A preface 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...
and most frequently the longest part of the Mozarabic eucharistic prayer. 5. The Post-Sanctus, the part of the Mozarabic eucharistic prayer connecting the Sanctus
Sanctus
The Sanctus is a hymn from Christian liturgy, forming part of the Order of Mass. In Western Christianity, the Sanctus is sung as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine...
with the institution narrative. 6. The Post-Pridie, the concluding portion of the eucharistic prayer including the anamnesis
Anamnesis (Christianity)
Anamnesis , in Christianity is a liturgical statement in which the Church refers to the memorial character of the Eucharist and/or to the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ...
with its prayer of offering, the epiklesis, (when either or both of these are present) and the final doxology. 7. The Lord's Prayer with its variable introduction and fixed embolism and concluding clause.
While the liturgy is quite beautiful, it also tended toward "prolixity" and at times was lacking in "sobriety". The Roman rite of Mass is more ordered: in its Tridentine form it left almost nothing to the choice of the celebrant; the present (Mass of Paul VI
Mass of Paul VI
The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite promulgated by Paul VI in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council...
), though it limits extemporaneous variations to the words of introduction to certain ceremonies, frequently allows a choice between different formulas of prayer. This may be due to the influence of the Mozarabic rite.
There was no fixed anaphora
Anaphora (liturgy)
The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine liturgy, Mass, or other Christian Communion rite where the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. This is the usual name for this part of the Liturgy in Eastern Christianity, but it is more often called the...
or Eucharistic prayer in the Mozarabic rite of Mass, which permitted a fair degree of extemporaneous flexibility. When the Mozarabic rite was given a new lease on life in 1500, the Roman words of institution, the key words that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
used at the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
, were required. Originally, the Mozarabic words of institution were from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (11:24), with the formula for the consecration of the wine being a combination of 1 Corinthians 11:24, Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
22:20, and Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
26:28. These were the words written on the (old) Mozarabic Missal, though the Roman formula was included as a footnote in the Missal and was used in actual practice in place of the old Spanish formula (note, however, that it was reinstituted by the modern Mozarabic Missal).
Some Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
ic prayers are addressed to Christ rather than to God the Father. After the consecration of the bread and wine (see Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
), as the Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
is being chanted, the host
Sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...
(the real presence of Christ under the species of bread) is broken into nine pieces, each representing a facet of Christ's life on earth, seven of which are arranged in a cross on the paten
Paten
A paten, or diskos, is a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated. It is generally used during the service itself, while the reserved hosts are stored in the Tabernacle in a ciborium....
. After a variable introduction the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
was said by the celebrant alone, with everyone else responding "Amen" to each petition, except for the petition for daily bread, for which the response is "For you are God" and everyone concluding the final petition, "but deliver us from evil" with the celebrant.
The Mozarabic Eucharistic Prayer for the Nativity of Christ
In this translation of the Mozarabic eucharistic prayer for the Nativity of Christ we have a representative example of the texts of this liturgical tradition at its best.It is meet and right for us to render to Thine omnipotence and goodness, the praises which Thou hast given us the power to render, O Merciful Father, because after long ages, as on this day not long ago, Christ Jesus, Who was one with Thee or with Himself, was born to us. Thine Only-Begotten was made son of His handmaid; the Lord was born of His Mother; the Shoot of Mary is the Fruit of the Church, and He Who comes forth as a weakling babe by the One, is magnified by the other as a worker of wonders.
Mary begat salvation for the nations, the Church begat the nations; the one carried life in her womb; the other in the font. In the body of the one was Christ conceived, in the waters of the other is Christ put on. Through the one He, Who ever was, is born; through the other, he who had perished is found. In the one the Redeemer of the Nations receives life; in the other the nations themselves are made alive. Through the one He came that He might take away sins; through the other He took away those sins on account of which He came. Through the one He wept for us; through the other He cared for us. In the one He is an infant; in the other He is a giant. There He weeps, here He triumphs. Through the one He played with toys; through the other He subdued kingdoms. The one He soothed with a child's merriment; the other He bound with the faith of a husband.
Then at last appear the pure interchanges of precious love. The husband gives to His spouse His gifts of living water, that is, Christ to the Church, with which she might be washed fo find favour in His sight. For the oil of gladness He gave to her the sweet-smelling oil of chrism
Chrism
Chrism , also called "Myrrh" , Holy anointing oil, or "Consecrated Oil", is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, in the Assyrian Church of the East, and in Old-Catholic churches, as well as Anglican churches in the administration...
by which she might be anointed. He called her to His table, and satisfied her with the fat of corn, and filled her with the wine of sweetness. He placed upon her the ornament of justice, and gave her a vesture glittering with many virtues. He gave His life for her, and when about to reign as Victor, He gave to her as dowry the spoils of Death captured and trampled underfoot. To her He gave Himself for food and drink and raiment. He promised that He would give to her an eternal kingdom, and that she should stand as Queen upon His right hand. To her He granted what had been bestowed upon the Mother; to be filled, but not violated, to bring forth, but not defiled. To the Mother was this a single gift; to the Church for all time. So might she repose as His bride on the couch of loveliness, and multiply sons from the bosom of pure love, and might be fecund with offspring yet not fretid with lust. So she herself made rich in Him and through Him brings lowly gifts to her Husband and Lord; This, of her own, offering her faith; This, from His example, offering a responsive love; This, of His own gift, that she could accomplish even what He willed, and even what she accomplished. She gave to Him martyrs for roses, virgins instead of lilies, the chaste as violets. All these gifts she transmitted to Him through the Apostles, the ministers of His will, as the finished tasks of her work. Wherefore now she stands upon His right hand in eternal happiness and glory, and praises Him Who reigns with Thee, O Omnipotent Father, and the Holy Spirit, with all Angels confessing Him and saying---
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and Earth are full of the glory of Thy Majesty.
Hosanna to the Son of David.
Blessed is He who cometh in the Name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the Highest.
Truly Holy, Truly blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son; Who came from Heaven that He might have His consecration upon earth, and was made flesh that He might dwell amongst us. He Himself our Lord and Eternal Redeemer. For the Lord Jesus, in the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread and gave thanks and broke and said: TAKE, AND EAT: THIS IS MY BODY,WHICH IS GIVEN FOR YOU. DO THIS FOR MY MEMORIAL. Likewise also He took the cup, when He had supped and gave thanks and gave it to them, sayingTHIS CUP IS THE NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD, WHICH IS FOR YHOU AND FOR MANY IS SHED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. AND WHEN YE SHALL DRINK IT, THIS SHALL YE DO FOR MY MEMORIAL. (Response: "Amen") AND AS OFTEN AS YE SHALL EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP, YE SHALL PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH UNTIL HE COME INTO CLEAR SIGHT FROM THE HEAVENS. (Response: "So we believe, Lord Jesus.")
Observing, O Lord, these Thy gifts and commands, we placed upon Thine Altar these offerings of bread and wine, beseeching Thee in the abundance of Thy goodness and compassion, that by the power of that same Spirit by which uncorrupt virginity conceived Thee in the flesh, the Undivided Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
may sanctify these oblations, so that, when they shall be received by us with no less fear than veneration, whatever there be of life harmful to the soul may wither, and that what has withered may in no wise live again. Amen. Who with God the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
and the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
livest and reignest one God world without end. Amen.
External links
- The current mass book of the Mozarabic rite in Spanish and Latin.
- Missale Mixtum secundum regulam Beati Isidori dictum Mozarabes Another link The Mozarabic Missal before its revision (in Latin)
- Missale Mixtum secundum regulam Beati Isidori dictum Mozarabes Another link The Mozarabic Missal before its revision (in Latin)
- Rubricas Generales de la Missa Gothica-Muzarabe y el Omnium Offerentium The Rubrics of the pre-revision Mozarabic Missal, edited by Francisco Jacobo Hernandez de Viera and published 1772 (in Spanish and Latin)
- Missa Gothica seù Mozarabica, et Officium itidem Gothicum, edited by Cardinal Archbishop Francisco Antonio de LorenzanaFrancisco Antonio de LorenzanaFrancisco Antonio de Lorenzana y Butron was a Catholic Cardinal.After the completion of his studies at the Jesuit College of his native city, he entered the ecclesiastical state and was appointed, at an early date, to a canonry in Toledo. In 1765 he was named Bishop of Plasencia...
and published 1770 (in Latin) - Omnium Offerentium, vel Missale minus illuminatum Missae Mozarabum, from the Biblioteca Digital de Castilla-La Mancha
- The pre-Vatican II Mozarabic Mass in English
- Page at the Archdiocese of Toledo (in Spanish).
- Page at the Archdiocese of Madrid (in Spanish).
- La Ermita (in Spanish).
- lexorandi.es (in Spanish).
- Pervivence of the mozarabic rite on romanesque wall paintings. Church of Saint Roman, Toledo (in Spanish)