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Sunday, 18 November 2012

Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul

The feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul of greater-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. As it is a feast of the LORD it takes precedence over the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost (and fourth Sunday of November). November 18th is shared by these two patriarchal basilicas as their Dedication feasts. Sadly, in both cases, the original structures no longer survive. St. Paul outside the Walls suffered a disastrous fire in the nineteeth century and Old St. Peter's was destroyed by the whims of vulgar fashion.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Domum tuam Dominus etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 147. The Office hymn was Caelestis urbs Jerusalem beata. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus and of the Sunday (the antiphon being Qui caelorum etc. The Suffrage was omitted, as were the Dominical preces at Compline because of the double feast.

At Mattins the invitatory is Domum Dei decet sanctitudo etc and the Office hymn is again Caelestis urbs Jerusalem beata. In the first nocturn the antiphons Tollite portas etc are sung with psalms 23, 45 & 57. The lessons and their responsories are from the Apocalypse of St. John. In the seccond nocturn the antiphons Non est hic aliud etc are sung with psalms 83, 86 & 87. The lessons are proper to the feast. In the third nocturn the antiphons Qui habitat etc are sung with psalms 90, 95 & 98. The lessons in the third nocturn are from a homily of St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel (taken from the Octave Day of the Common). The ninth lesson is the homily of the Sunday by St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel (from the sixth Sunday after Epiphany). The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Domum tuam, Domine etc are sung with Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Alto ex Olympi vertice. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime the antiphon Domum tuam, Domine is sung with psalms 53, 118i & 118ii. Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted on this double feast. The lectio brevis is is Et absterget Deus etc. At the other Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the normal manner.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday (the orations are from the VI Sunday after Epiphany). The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers all the antiphons, psalms, chapter and hymn are as were sung at first Vespers. The V&R and antiphon on the Magnificat are proper to second Vespers. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Elisabeth, the Sunday and St. Pontianus. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'usus antiquior' aka the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul has been reduced to a III class feast and as such is simple ignored this year. The liturgy of the green Sunday has no commemorations at Vespers. Mattins is stripped down to a single nocturn of three lessons (the Incipit of the Prophet Osee which in the old rite are transferred to Monday). At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Images: Wikipedia
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8 comments:

  1. The Rad Trad19 November 2012 at 01:16

    Why is this a feast of the Lord? And do feasts of the Lord, even if they are below Double of the II Class, always supersede Sunday in the St Pius X calendar system?

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  2. Rubricarius19 November 2012 at 07:39

    To answer the second point first: Yes, feasts of the Lord take precedence over semi-double 'green' Sundays even if they are below the rank of D2Cl.

    As to the first part the SRC decided it was. The feast of the Dedictation of a church rose in relant (nuances of) rank becoming more important than the Titular and Patron.

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  3. Anonymous20 November 2012 at 08:16

    Rubricarius, you knew Archbishop Lefebvre. The priests of the SSPX-SO seem to believe that the late Archbishop's adherence to the 1962 Missal was permanent and to last until " the end of the age ". What do you think? You were there in 1983 or 1984 when he ( or was it Fr Schmidberger?) discarded the Missal of St Pius X in favour of the 1962 Missal.

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  4. Rubricarius20 November 2012 at 10:44

    Anonymous,

    I would not say I knew him, I only met him four times. When Econe was first established Abp. Lefebvre was using something very close to the 1967 rite. Over time liturgical praxis moved back to varying degrees. In the UK, Germany, parts of the USA etc what became termed 'pre-1956' was used whilst the French speakers, generally, adopted 1962. This praxis was codified by the 1976 General Chapter - although of course that decision was, sadly, rescinded in 1983. I doubt very much if Abp. Lefebvre had immutable views on liturgical matters. As I mentioned before it is unfortunate that he didn't sit down for a meatloaf dinner.

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  5. The Rad Trad20 November 2012 at 14:35

    I knew someone who was a seminarian at Econe in the early years and he said they used 1965 with a few modifications (a bit more vernacular, but also the Confiteor at communion). Why do you suppose he went with 1962 when everyone else who might have been considered a primitive "traditionalist" seemed to go with pre-Pius XII books? Was it that 1962 was best suited for some of uniquely French perspective or practices? It is not as if the SSPX follows 1962 that strictly either (Confiteor at communion, door ceremony on Palm Sunday, no genuflection for the Jews on Good Friday etc).

    I cannot help but think that if Archbishop Lefebvre had chosen, say, 1939, we would have suddenly learned that the "Missal of Venerable Pius XII, which was never abrogated....." could be used.

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  6. Rubricarius20 November 2012 at 18:16

    Rad Trad,

    Good points! Certainly in the UK in those times no one bothered with 1962. I do wonder whether it was a certain French perspective at Econe as I understand in France many of the 1965 changes had been eagerly anticipated.

    As to your last sentence: Quite!

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  7. The Rad Trad21 November 2012 at 16:52

    I know in France, prior to it being legal, some priests would proclaim the Epistle and Gospel in vernacular (or more). Fr. Quintin Montgomery Wright said the entire old rite in vernacular well before 1967, although he grew disillusioned with it. The SSPX presence in France still uses vernacular for the lections.

    An a happy note for those attached to the older praxis, the FSSP church in Rome seems to have sung second Vespers of All Saints and Vespers of the Dead back-to-back on November 1: http://roma.fssp.it/gallery/2012/vespri.html

    Also, note they did the old Palm Sunday outright, rather than dawdling with red vestments as they have in the past.

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  8. Anonymous21 November 2012 at 20:40

    The Catholic Herald announces that there will be a celebration of solemn vespers in Our Lady's church in Warrington this Thursday evening clebrated by the Abbot of ampleforth.
    If this is according to the original Benedictine rite will that be of S Cecilia?
    And will it be the traditional monastic rite?

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