"Our Lord God the Pope"...not: Part 1

NOTA BENE: I might get a bit emotional and sharp-tongued in in the following article, so excuse me in advance if my words become too acerbic.

If there is one thing, one argument that some anti-Catholics use that would irk me, it's their trying to prove the "Pope is God" by showing various quotes from (supposedly) Catholic works which show a Pope or a Cleric proclaiming that the Pope is equivalent to and is God Himself under the flesh.I know a few will say, "Come on, these guys have their proof and even provide citations for them! How can you refute these?"

I answer that: While these people may have done a commendable job of trying to provide citations for a statement (a plus point in my book), providing citations is not enough in many cases. I believe that one must also show the statement in question in context (cherry-picking one phrase and interpreting it removed from its context is just intolerable, IMHO), show other related works (if possible) that corroborate the statement, and always provide correct citations.If the Church teaches that the Pope is God in human form, then why doesn't a statement similar to that one appear in the Catechism, where just about all things that Catholics believe in are written? And be better sure that if there is any evidence to the contrary, that it is published in the official Catechism and not in local ones.

Now, let's first adress three of these supposed 'quotes', shall we?

1.) These words are written in the Roman Canon Law 1685: "To believethat our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree as he is decreed, is tobe deemed heretical."Father A. Pereira says: "It is quite certain that Popes have neverapproved or rejected this title 'Lord God the Pope,' for the passage in thegloss referred to appears in the edition of the Canon Law published in Rome in1580 by Gregory XIII."

Quite believable, this one, isn't it? Yet the problem with this quote is:

1.) Pope Gregory XIII's Canon Law was published in 1582, not 1580 (though this is just a minor quibble).

2.) António Pereira de Figueiredo (1761-1797) was a priest in Lisbon who published many works, including a translation of the Bible and a work entitled Tentativa Theologica (first published in 1766; it is in this work where this quote supposedly appears), in which he attacked the Papal predominancy in Portugal. The work was then translated in Latin, Spanish and Italian and sparked a controversy; eventually because of this, Pereira was excommunicated.

There is some information about Pereira in this (Spanish) work entitled Historia de los Heterodoxos Españoles (History of heterodox Spaniards?) VII, chapter 2. If someone knows Spanish and can translate this chapter for me, please contact me or post in the comment box.

3.) All that Fr. Pereira he says is that the passage in the gloss referred to (in other words, the passage that is referred to in the gloss) appears in the Canon Law edition. He does not say that the gloss itself appears in this edition of the Canon Law (and it doesn't). So, suppose someone were to write a false statement in relation to another written work anywhere, would that affect the truth or otherwise the referenced written work itself?

Now, let's move on:

2.) "The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of flesh."-Catholic National, July 1895

Frs. Leslie Rumble and Charles M. Carty already answered this question in volume 2 of their Radio Replies (which were actually transcripts of a 1930's radio program hosted by them), so I would defer to them here:

2-310. Pope Pius X made the blasphemous claim that he was "Jesus Christ hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks."
REPLY: A Protestant paper, the "Church Review," in England, October 3, 1895, charges Cardinal Sarto, Archbishop of Venice, with having uttered those words at Venice. Cardinal Sarto was elected Pope in 1903. But as soon as the charge was made in 1895 that Cardinal Sarto had said those words, inquiries were sent from England to Venice, and Cardinal Sarto produced the manuscript of his discourse. And this is what he actually did say:"The Pope REPRESENTS Jesus Christ Himself, and therefore is a loving father. The life of the Pope is a holocaust of love for the human family. His word is love; love, his weapon; love, the answer he gives to all who hate him; love, his flag, that is, the Cross, which signed the greatest triumph on Earth and in Heaven."

1.) The quote is said to have appeared from an English Protestant publication (October 3, 1895), not a Catholic one. As an aside, that quote had also appeared earlier from another Protestant magazine entitled Evangelical Christendom in January 1 of that year.

2.) The actual words of Cardinal Sarto (later Pope Pius X; he only became Pope in 1903) says that the Pope represents Jesus Christ, not that he is Jesus Christ, as this misquote (and those who use them) loves to say.

3.) I haven't been able to find anything about Catholic National. There is however, a Catholic publication which have the names National Catholic Register which is the oldest Catholic newspaper in the United States; however, this publication was begun in 1927.
Can someone at least show me proof that there was a 19th-century publication entitled Catholic National, and that the quote appeared in there?

UPDATE (2014/08/24): I just found a rather interesting link that may be pertinent to the discussion. (Oh, and this one.) Given how ephemeral Internet pages can be I'll just quote the thing in full. This by the way is from the British Catholic paper The Tablet (nowadays rather infamous for its liberal stance), back when it was not so infamous (January 18th, 1896; p. 20) ;):

"THE CHURCH REVIEW" AND THE PATRIARCH OF VENICE. 

SIR,—I have received to-day the enclosed letter from a priest in Venice, with reference to the correspondence published in your paper of November 30 last; which was called forth by a statement in The Church Review to the effect that the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice had taught "the transubstantiation of the Pope into the Person of the Eternal Son of God." The letter speaks for itself. I have sent a copy to The Church Review; but, after recent experience, I am by no means certain that the editor of that journal will publish it, and I should therefore be obliged if you would find a place for the enclosed in your columns.

 I am, Sir, your obedient servant, S. ANDREWS.

Copy of letter of Don Marino to the Rev. S. Andrews:
"Rev. F. S. Andrews,—A lady who lives with the [. . .] family here in Venice, came to me and interested me about a misrepresentation of a sermon made by the Patriarch of Venice in his own Cathedral.
"I went to the Patriarch to know the truth. He flatly denies the words and the interpretation attributed to him by the Catholique National and The Church Review. Nay, he wrote to me a letter, which I faithfully translate for you:
" 'Dear Don Marino,—I have read all the Homilies I have made since my coming here in Venice, and only in the sermon for the Anniversary of the election of the Holy Father I said these exact words:
" "The Pope represents Jesus Christ Himself, and therefore is a loving father. The life of the Pope is a holocaust of love for the human family. His word is love. Love, his weapons; love, the answer he gives to all those who hate him; love, his flag—i.e., the Cross, which signed the greatest triumph on earth and in heaven ... &c."
" 'A father of the Company of Jesus also wrote me interesting me to state the very words I have read for refuting the Protestant newspaper, and I could not but give him the answer I give you, whilst I sign myself, with esteem and affection,

" 'Yours obligedly and affectionately in Jesus Christ, "

+ JOSEPH, Cardinal Sarto, Patriarch.' " 

"This is the faithful translation of the letter. As you see, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, of the 'transubstantiation of the Pope into the Person of the Eternal Son of God,' as The Church Review says.
"Please forgive my bad English, and, with best regards,

"I remain, yours sincerely,

"MARINO TOMMATES.

"Venice, January 10, 1896."

This is most likely where Radio Replies got the quote. This meanwhile is from the earlier, November 30th, 1895 issue of The Tablet (pp. 25-26). Again, I'll quote the thing in full just in case, but since the letter also talks about other stuff (this is actually a very lengthy letter) I'll just bold the relevant parts. I think this might at least be a further key to unlocking the mystery.

The Rev. T. Andrews, of St. Mary-of-the-Angels, Bayswater, sends us the following correspondence:

To the Editor of The Tablet.

Sir,—I am venturing to send you the enclosed correspondence in the hope that you may think it worth while to give it publicity, as a specimen of Ritualist fairness and candour in regard to Roman matters. I must explain that my first letter (the only one which the Editor allowed to appear) was called forth by three statements in The Church Review. Of those statements, the first related to a passage in the Durandus in regard to Communion in one kind, of which one clause only of a sentence had been quoted apart from the rest; the whole drift of the passage being in an exactly opposite direction to that which was alleged, as I pointed out. No reply having been offered to that portion of my letter, I need not trouble you with the subject, but will call your attention only to the second and third statements, which are dealt with in the enclosed extract which I append:
In a letter published on October 3 and signed W. G. B.,' I find two marvellous statements. (1) It is said that there is a large and powerful section of the Roman body which holds and teaches that the accidents as well as the substance of the consecrated elements are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ—in other words, that there is a transubstantiation of the accidents! Surely this is absolute nonsense—a contradiction in terms. It is inconceivable that any reasonable and educated persons could hold such an absurd theory, and I know of no one who does hold it, or ever has held it. If it were not a subject of such solemnity, one could hardly refrain from laughter at its absurdity, and I defy your correspondent to bring forward any justification of his statement. (2) But there is a yet greater depth of absurdity —and not merely absurdity, but blasphemy—in another statement attributed, not to a section of Catholics, but to the Archbishop (i.e., the Cardinal Patriarch) of Venice. It is said by the same writer that the Patriarch "is reported to have taught from his cathedral pulpit the transubstantiation (!) of the person of the Pope into the Person of the Eternal Son of God." Your correspondent may well term such teaching the most horrible blasphemy, unmatched in the history of the Christian Church.' But, let me ask, how is it possible that he could have believed a Christian Bishop to have been capable of proclaiming such blasphemy? Such a statement seems, indeed, too contemptible and too monstrous to contradict or to notice in any way. But, appearing as it does in a journal of respectable and accredited position, and professing to represent a large and influential section of the Church of England, it may, I fear, gain some credence amongst weak-minded readers. I, therefore—in common, as I am quite sure, with all my co-religionists—indignantly and emphatically deny the possibility of its truth, and I challenge your correspondent to state when and where this report originated, by what channel it reached his ears, and to declare plainly whether he himself attaches any credibility to it. I cannot refrain from asking also, in conclusion, whether the circulation of such a horrible report—such a speaking-evil of dignities' in another 'branch' of the Church—is the way to promote the cause of the reunion of Christendom and to advance the kingdom of Christ.

S. ANDREWS.

To that letter I found the enclosed reply, printed in the next issue of The Church Review.

To the Editor of The Church Review.

Sir,—In reply to your various discontented correspondents, I wish to say that my letter on the difficulties (constantly accruing) of Reunion neither contained nor was meant to contain any accusation against our Roman Catholic brethren. In that letter I simply referred to the development of individual ideas into pious opinions, which in course of time eventuate in positive dogma. In mentioning two examples which might so develop, I was careful not to mention them as being facts, and therefore wrote, it is said; "it was recently reported.' No one believes for a moment that the Roman Church can be held responsible for the utterances of its individual members, however eminent. It is always considered unwise for one who, like myself, is not learned in Roman casuistry to cross swords with any one who is a specialist in such learning. Therefore I decline to be drawn into a controversy about 'substance' and accidents,' especially since to suit emergencies these terms are sometimes treated as distinct theological ideas, and sometimes are confused together, or are considered as a contradiction in terms.' What makes the task more difficult to one who is not a casuist is the fact that he is unable to avail himself of the so-called moral philosophy of Liguori, saint and doctor, the most authoritative teacher of morals in the Roman Church, who lays down that equivocation is certainly lawful at all times for a just cause, while mental reservation, so long as it is not pure, is always lawful too, for a just cause.' No argument is of any use where the two parties to a discussion do not define their logical terms before starting, and settle them in a univocal sense and not in an equivocal. For myself I can only say that I have not only heard the question of Transaccidentalism discussed as an existing belief, but have also seen controversial letters in the press on the subject. But as Father Andrews contradicts the whole thing in toto why should I appear to dogmatize on the matter. As to the extract from the Cardinal Patriarch's sermon, it was taken from a rather long report inserted by one of the many papers which I take in, and purported, I believe, to be a copy from an Italian paper, and was unaccompanied by any hostile comment, as far as I remember. I am sorry that it should have been destroyed, but I think I can get a fresh copy from London, when I will send it to you, so that you may print any portion of it you think fit, and substantiate my good faith.
I am pointedly asked whether or not I believe that any Christian Bishop would make such statements. I do not wish to believe it, and cling to the hope that his Eminence has been misunderstood, and so misreported. I only made a passing allusion to the case as expressive of a fear that if the report were true, and such teaching generally accepted, it would discourage hopes of Reunion. I may also add, that even Popes have been declared heretics-at least eight-so that it is not difficult to conceive it quite possible that Cardinal Patriarchs and ordinary priests may hold heretical opinions.
I had not the least intention of stirring up any unkindly feelings, or of 'misleading ignorant persons;' at the same time, I cannot forget the wicked forgery of the Nag's Head, which even Christian priests are not ashamed to retail among the unlearned over whom they have influence. I beg to thank 'A.B.' for his most opposite remarks on this case, and so anticipating what I should have liked to say.

W.G.B.

I answered the above by a protest against the false issues which 'W.G.B.' had (as I considered) raised in regard to consistency, equivocation, &c., and declined on my part to discuss such questions. I called upon him to give references (or any single reference) as to the published letters on 'Transaccidentalism,' which he professed to have read. I remarked on the impossibility of proving a negative, and insisted on the obligation, which rested on him, of substantiating the statements he had made.
This letter was not inserted in The Church Review; but in the 'Answers to correspondents' I found the following:
"S. Andrews. - We fear we must ask you to wait till 'W.G.B.' has verified his quotation."
I waited accordingly; and on November 14 appeared the following paragraph in the front page of the paper:

"W.G.B." sends us the following, in corroboration of his statement about the transubstantiation of the Pope:
"The Catholique National for July 13 quotes the following words recently uttered by the Archbishop of Venice: 'The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks. Does the Pope accord a favour or pronounce an anathema? It is Jesus Christ who pronounces the anathema or accords the favour. So that when the Pope speaks, we have no business to examine. We have only to obey. We have no right to criticize his decisions or discuss his commands. Therefore, everyone who would wear the crown ought to submit himself to Divine Right.'"
To this I replied in a letter, which received the same treatment as my former one: i.e., it was suppressed. I am sending you a copy of it, and also append the Editor's excuse for not publishing it-an excuse, of the honesty and truthfulness of which I leave your readers to judge. Comment on my part appears to me quite unnecessary.

To the Editor of The Church Review.

Sir,-Your correspondent "W.G.B." has certainly lost no time in endeavouring to corroborate his statement in regard to the Patriarch of Venice. That he has succeeded in his attempt I cannot admit. For the sake of clearness, let me give the two statements side by side.
"W.G.B." says: "It is reported that the Archbishop of Venice, preaching in his own Cathedral, taught the transubstantiation of the Pope (a man born in sin) into the Person of the Eternal Son of God."
In corroboration of this, he has now written to you: The Catholique National, for July 13, quotes the following words recently uttered by the Archbishop of Venice:
"The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks. Does the Pope accord a favour or pronounce an anathema? It is Jesus Christ who pronounces the anathema or accords the favour, so that when the Pope speaks, we have no business to examine. We have only to obey."
Let me say that in the first instance that I have quite allow the language as quoted to have been somewhat hyperbolical, and perhaps liable to miscontruction by the ignorant. But, though I have assumed the Patriarch to have been accurately quoted, I must point out, by way of protest, that the words cited by "W.G.B." are a translation of a translation, and given in a French paper (the name of which I have never heard of before, and cannot find anyone who has ever heard of it), and thus coming to us third-hand, I cannot therefore allow that their accuracy is by any means fully established. I cannot always accept as necessarily true anything that may appear in print. But waiving for the present this question, and supposing that the report is correct, I protest against "W.G.B.'s" perversion of the words, and maintain that they are capable of conveying, and were intended to convey, a meaning quite innocuous and in keeping with expressions in Holy Scripture itself.
The word "transubstantiation," which was the chief and most prominent point of "W.G.B.'s" accusation, does not once occur in the passage as here given. What does transubstantiation mean? Or at least what would it have meant in the utterance of a Roman Catholic Bishop? In the words of the Council of Trent it would mean "the conversion of the whole substance" of the one "into the whole substance" of the other, i.e., that the whole substance of the Pope was actually-"truly and really"- changed into the whole substance of our Blessed Lord-"so that he was no longer Leo XIII., but truly and really Christ Himself-"Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity." Do the words given in the report of the Catholique National signify-or at any rate were they intended to convey-anything so monstrous and so blasphemous? Most assuredly not. To say that the Pope is Jesus Christ and that when the Pope speaks etc., Christ is speaking-may at first sight and to uninstructed people (I admit) appear a startling (if not a blasphemous) utterance. But to those who are acquainted with the language of the New Testament-nay, with the words of Our Lord Himself-there could be no danger of any such perversion of the meaning as your correspondent has made. When Christ says to His Apostles "He that heareth you heareth Me," does He mean that they would transubstantiated (sic) into His own substance or Person? When he declares that at the last day He will say to those who have relieved his poor "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of my brethren ye have done it unto Me," does He mean that those to whom they ministered had been "transubstantiated" into Himself? Or when He says to the Apostles, that when brought before rulers or kings "It is not you that speak but the Spirit of My Father etc.," does he mean that they would be actually transubstantiated into the Person of God the Holy Ghost?
The like question would apply to other similar expressions relating not to the Apostles only but to all the members of Christ's Church, as when He says to St. Paul "Why persecutest thou me?" Or indeed to the very title of the Church as the Body of Christ. "Ye are," says St. Paul, "the Body of Christ:" and again "We are members of His Body, of His Flesh and of His Bones." And again, when he says that we are "transformed into the same image-i.e. the image of the Lord-from glory to glory," he does not surely mean that our whole substance is being changed into His Person. Or when he says "To whom I forgave anything I forgave it in the person of Christ" does he use any stronger language than the Archbishop here uses of the Pope, to signify the authority conferred upon him by Christ?
Once more, let me cite St. Augustine, in a passage read in the Breviary on the Octave Day of the Epiphany. Referring to the Baptist's words Hic est qui baptizat and maintaining that the grace of baptism may be conferred through the agency of secondary ministers, he declares that Christ is in fact all such cases the true minister of the Sacrament. "Petrus baptizet, hic (i.e., Christus) est qui baptizat: Paulus baptizet, hic est qui baptizat; Judas baptizet, hic est qui baptizat." [Tractates on John, 6 (John 1:32-33) "What then did he [John] learn from the dove, that he may not afterwards be found a liar (which God forbid we should think), if it be not this, that there was to be a certain peculiarity in Christ, such that, although many ministers, be they righteous or unrighteous, should baptize, the virtue of baptism would be attributed to Him alone on whom the dove descended, and of whom it was said, "This is He that baptizes with the Holy Ghost"? Peter may baptize, but this is He that baptizes; Paul may baptize, yet this is He that baptizes; Judas may baptize, still this is He that baptizes."]
As my reply to "W.G.B.'s" last letter did not appear in your columns, I trust you will allow me this opportunity of recording my protest (as I then attempted to do) against that letter as raising entirely false issues in regard to "casuistry" and "equivocation" as weapons, which (with scant courtesy and without any relevance to the subject) he assumes that I am likely to employ. Let me also repeat that I never attempted to "draw" him into any controversy, and that his tone and method is not of a kind which would make me anxious to do so on my subject.

Your obedient servant,
S. ANDREWS.

St. Mary's, Bayswater, November 17, 1895.

From Church Review, November 21.

St. Andrews.- Your letter involves the discussion of first principles, and if we admitted it we should find ourselves involded in a huge correspondence dealing with the whole question of England v. Rome.
Such a discussion we cannot admit.
A correction.- Major-General Barnett asks us a matter of fairness to let him say in answer to the Rev. N. Green Armytage, that "'S. Andrews, a Romish priest 'was not called in to help me. He wrote to you of his own accord." The rest of General Barnett's letter is so pro-Roman that we cannot accept it. We have no sympathy with those who are always girding at Rome, but at the same time we have little short of contempt for the conduct of those whose one object seems to be that of depreciating the Church of England on every occasion, while at the same time making out that the Church of Rome is perfect.

The Internet sure has made digging up this stuff much easier, didn't it?

So a few things have become clear here: someone going under the initials 'W.G.E.'  in a letter dated 3rd October, 1895 and published in the CofE publication The Church Review referred in passing to a purported statement of the Patriarch of Venice concerning "the transubstantiation of the Pope into the Person of the Eternal Son of God." When 'W.G.E.' was criticized by Fr. S. Andrews (of St. Mary of the Angels in Bayswater) concerning the quote's authenticity and asked to provide a source for it, he provided the bit about the 'Pope ... not only [being] the representative of Jesus Christ' but being himself Jesus Christ, which was in turn attributed to an elusive French paper named Catholique National - the quote supposedly appeared there in 13th July (with the purport that the words were 'recently uttered by the Archbishop of Venice'). By 17th November, Fr. Andrews wrote a reply to The Church Review but his letter apparently never got published in that paper (the excuse being that it might spark a whole debate on the issue of England vs. Rome), so he instead sent it to The Tablet. (The rejection letter also referred in passing to a letter by a Major-General H.B.B. Barnett which was never published for being too 'pro-Roman' - Barnett also wrote to The Tablet the following month to complain about this treatment.)

Fr. Andrews then got a letter from a priest in Venice named Marino Tommates who sent him the Patriarch's (Cardinal Sarto, future Pope Pius X) answer to the accusation. Cardinal Sarto claims that only in the sermon delivered "for the Anniversary of the election of the Holy Father " (Pope Leo XIII) does he find saying something that somewhat resembles the supposed quote from Catholique National. Note here: neither the supposed Catholique National quote nor the text of Cardinal Sarto's sermon are close to "W.G.E.'s" original claim that the Patriarch of Venice spoke about "the transubstantiation of the Pope into the Person of the Eternal Son of God." The Tablet would once again refer to this in a future issue (5th September 1903), after Cardinal Sarto had become pope himself:

Now that Cardinal Sarto is sitting in the Chair of Peter it may not be uninteresting to reprint a letter from him written in January 1896, which appeared in our columns and in which he gave his idea of the Papacy. The letter was evoked by a statement made by The Church Review asserting that the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice had taught "the transubstantiation of the Pope into the Person of the Eternal Son of God." A Venetian priest, Don Marino Tommates, was asked concerning this astounding misrepresentation, and Don Marino went to Cardinal Sarto, who not only denied ever having used the words attributed to him or any words which could be so interpreted, but gave the priest a letter, of which Don Marino sent us the following translation ...

===

3.) "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty"-Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter of June 20, 1894

This one is a classic case of "cherry-picking a quote out of context." The Encyclical mentioned here is Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae, which called for the reunion of Eastern and Western churches into the "Unity of the Faith". What then, does the actual Encyclical say?

...A great deal, however, has been wanting to the entire fulness of that consolation. Amidst these very manifestations of public joy and reverence Our thoughts went out towards the immense multitude of those who are strangers to the gladness that filled all Catholic hearts: some because they lie in absolute ignorance of the Gospel; others because they dissent from the Catholic belief, though they bear the same name of Christians. This thought has been, and is, a source of deep concern to Us; for it is impossible to think of such a large portion of mankind deviating, as it were, from the right path, as they move away from Us, and not experience a sentiment of innermost grief.But since We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and now that Our advanced age and the bitterness of anxious cares urge Us on towards the end common to every mortal, We feel drawn to follow the example of Our Redeemer and Master, Jesus Christ, who when about to return to Heaven, implored of God, His Father, in earnest prayer, that His disciples and followers should be of one mind and of one heart: "I pray...that they all may be one, as thou Father in Me, and I in Thee: that they also may be one in Us."And as this divine prayer and supplication does not include only the souls who then believed in Jesus Christ, but also every one of those who were henceforth to believe in Him, this prayer holds out to Us no indifferent reason for confidently expressing Our hopes, and for making all possible endeavors in order that the men of every race and clime should be called and moved to embrace the unity of divine faith.
Pressed on to Our intent by charity, that hastens fastest there where the need is greatest, We direct Our first thoughts to those most unfortunate of all nations who have never received the light of the Gospel, or who, after having possessed it, have lost it through neglect or the vicissitudes of time: hence do they ignore God, and live in the depths of error. Now, as all salvation comes from Jesus Christ--for there is no other name under Heaven given to men whereby we must be saved--Our ardent desire is that the most holy name of Jesus should rapidly pervade and fill every land.

1.) If the Pope identifies himself as God, then why does he refer to the Lord Jesus as "Our Redeemer and Master?" Surely God cannot have a master as that would imply that there is someone superior to him.

2.) The phrase is interpreted in the wrong sense by many here. In the Catholic point of view, "we hold upon this Earth the place of God" makes perfect sense, as Catholics believe that the Pope is the Vicar (i.e. Representative) of Christ. What does a representative do? He "holds the place" of the person he represents! Far from claiming that he is God in the flesh, Pope Leo is just reaffirming his position as Christ's representative (like a Prime Minister) on Earth.

4.) Pope Nicholas I declared that "the appellation of God had been confirmed by Constantine on the Pope, who being God, cannot be judged by man." (Labb IX Dist.: 96 Can 7 Satis Evidentur Decret Gratian Primer Para)

This is quite similar to an argument Frs. Rumble and Carty answered:

2-311. Pope Nicholas I said that the Pope, being God, is judged by no man.
REPLY: Never did Pope Nicholas I. say that the Pope is God. What he does say is this:"Since those in higher authority are not judged by inferiors, it is evident that the Apostolic See, than which no earthly authority is higher, is judged by none."And that is perfectly sound reasoning. Even in civil law, the king is "above the law," and not subject to his own laws. Hence the legal axiom, "The king can do no wrong." Italy itself has acknowledged the justice of the Pope's claim to be independent of all civil jurisdiction, and subject to no earthly authorities.

If I might add, the citation "Labb IX Dist.: 96 Can 7 Satis Evidentur Decret Gratian Primer Para" is obscure. I checked his opera omnia (whole works) here (based on Migne's Patrologia Latina) and found no document similar to the one above.

UPDATE (2010/10/03): After a bit of research, it now seems to me that the "Gratian Primer Para" refers to the Decretum Gratiani; for those curious about Gratian, see this page; a full text of his Decretum is available here. Lo and behold, after a bit of tweaking I finally found the source of our little quote (courtesy of the Internet ;)): it's from his Decretum, pars prima (Part One), Distinctio XCVI, Canon 7.

Satis euidenter ostenditur, a seculari potestate nec solui prorsus, nec ligari Pontificem, quem constat a pio principe Constantino (quem longe superius memorauimus) Deum appellatum, cum nec posse Deum ab hominibus iudicari manifestum sit. Sed et Theodosius minor sanctae sinodo scribens dixit Ephesinae primae. "Deputatus est igitur Candidianus, magnificentissimus comes strenuorum domesticorum, transire usque ad sanctissimam sinodum uestram, et in nullo quidem, quem faciendae sunt de piis dogmatibus questiones seu potius expositiones, communicare. Illicitum namque est eum, qui non sit in ordine sanctissimorum episcoporum, ecclesiasticis intermisceri tractatibus." (Et post pauca:) §. 1.
His itaque manifestis repertis aparet conministrum Ignatium per inperialem tantummodo sententiam nullo modo potuisse prorsus expelli. In cuius dampnatione quia presulum quoque assensus est subsecutus, aparet fuisse patratum id causa adulationis, non legitimae sanctionis.

EDIT: Continue on, brave reader, to part 2!

The Mass in Köln (the Use of Köln, Germany), part 3

The High Altar of the Cathedral of Köln. The golden Reliquary is the Shrine of the Three Kings (Dreikönigenschrein), begun by the goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun in 1180 or 1181 and completed after his death circa 1225. The reliquary is believed to contain the bones of the Three Magi.

Sequitur Offertorium. Deinde Praeparatio accessoria ad Canonem: Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas: et circumdabo altare tuum, Domine.
Deinde fac Signum Crucis super Calicem: In nomine Patris + et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi. Calicem salutaris accipiam et nomen Domini invocabo.
Tenens Calicem in medio Altaris dic: In spiritu humilitatis, et in animo contrito suscipiamur, Domine, a te: sic fiat sacrificium hodie et placeat tibi, Domine Deus.
Accipe Patenam: Acceptabile fiat omnipotenti Deo sacrificium istud in odorem suavitatis.
Benedic utriumque: Veni, invisibilis Sanctificator, omnipotens aeterne Deus: benedic + et sanctifica hoc sacrificum nomini tuo praeparatum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

Inclina et dic: Suscipe sancta Trinitas, hanc oblationem, quam tibi offerimus in memoriam passionis, resurrectionis, ascensionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi: et in honorem sanctissimae Dei Genitricis Virginis Mariae: et Sanctorum quorum hodie festivitas celebratur: et quorum hic nomina et reliquiae habentur: nec non et Sanctorum tuorum qui tibi placuerunt ab initio mundi. Ut proficiat ad honorem: nobis autem et omnibus fidelibus vivis et defunctis ad salutem et ad remissionem omnium peccatorum: et ut omnes pro nobis dignentur interdecere in coelis, quorum memoriam agimus in terris. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Verte te ad populum: Orate pro me peccatore, fratres et sorores: ut meum pariter et vostrum sacrificium acceptum sit omnipotenti Deo.
<Domini, exaudi orationem meam.> Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
Oremus. Deinde legatur Secreta, cujus finis est initium Praefationis.
<Per omnia saecula saeculorum.> Amen.

<Dominus vobiscum.> Et cum spiritu tuo.
<Sursum corda.> Habemus ad Dominum.
<Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.> Dignum et justum est.
Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare etc. etc.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

=====================

The Offertory shall then follow. Then the assessory preparation up to the Canon: I wash my hands among the innocent, and go around Your altar, O Lord.
Then he shall make the Sign of the Cross over the Chalice: In the name of the Father, + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What return shall I make to the Lord for all He has given me? I will take the Chalice of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord.
He shall hold the Chalice at the middle of the Altar, saying: In a humble spirit and with a contrite heart, may we be accepted by You, O Lord; may our sacrifice be so offered this day and please You, O Lord God.
He shall then take the Paten: May this Sacrifice be acceptable to the Almighty God, in the odor of sweetness.
He shall then bless both: Come, O invisible Sanctifier, Almighty and Eternal God; bless + and sanctify this sacrifice prepared for the glory of Your Name, through Christ our Lord.

He shall bow and say: Receive, O Holy Trinity, this oblation which we offer to You in memory of the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ: and in honor of the most-Holy Mother of God, the Virgin Mary; and those Saints whose feast we now celebrate, whose names and relics we have, and also Your Saints who make this request of You from the beginning of the world. To them let it bring honor, and to us salvation, and all the faithful living and dead, and the remission of all sins; and may they intercede for us in Heaven, whose memory we honor here on Earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

He shall face the people: Brothers and sisters, pray for me, a sinner; that my Sacrifice and equally yours may be accepted by the Almighty God.
<O Lord, hear my prayer.> And let my cry come to You.
Let us pray He shall then recite the Secret; and at its end begin the Preface
<Forever and ever.> Amen.

<The Lord be with you.> And with your spirit.
<Lift up your hearts.> We have lifted them up to the Lord.
<Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.> It is meet and just.
It is truly meet and just, right and profitable etc. etc.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and Earth are filled with your glory; Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The Mass in Köln (the Use of Köln, Germany), part 2

Archbishop Gero of Cologne (900-976) placing a Host in the wooden (oak) head of the monumental Gero Crucifix (which he donated to the Cathedral of Cologne; the crucifix itself will be featured in later post). According to a popular story (also mentioned in the Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg), when the Archbishop noticed that the head of Christ had developed a crack, he placed a Host and a relic of the True Cross on it, which resulted in the crack being miraculously healed. This particular depiction of the miracle is in an 11th century Altarpiece in the Cathedral.

Quando non de B.M.V.
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus, Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

Quando de B.M.V.
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Spiritus et alme orphanorum Paraclite. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, Primogenitus Mariae Virginis Matris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram, ad Mariae gloriam. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, Mariam sanctificans. Tu solus Dominus, Mariam gubernans. Tu solus Altissimus, Maria coronans, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

<Dominus vobiscum.> Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus. Collecta, ad collectam respondetur: Amen. Deinde Lectio, Graduale, Alleluia, Sequentia, Tractus. Preparando Calicem dicat: In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Sanguis exivit de latere Domini nostri Jesu Christi.
Intendo aquam dicit: Et aqua in remissionem peccatorum. Fiat haec commixtio vini et aquae in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Deinde: Deus, qui humanae substantiae dignitatem mirabiliter condidisti, et mirabilius reformasti: da nobis per hujus aquae et vini mysterium, ejus divinitatis esse consortes, qui humanitatis nostrae fieri dignatus est particeps, Jesus Christus, Filius tuus, Dominus noster: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus; per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Ante Evangelium: Jube, Domine benedicere. Dominus sit in corde meo et in labiis meis: ut digne et competenter annuntiem Evangelium pacis. In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
<Dominus vobiscum.> Et cum spiritu tuo.
<Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum hic nominatur nomen Evangelistae cujus Evangelium pronunciandum.> Gloria tibi Domini.
Post Evangelium: Per haec sancta Evangelica dicta deleantur universa crimina nostra et delicta. Amen.

Deinde se dicendum: Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium, et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum. Et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero. Genitum, not factum, consubstantialem Patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine; et Homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis: sub Pontio Pilato passus, et sepultus est. Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas. Et ascendit in coelum: sedet ad dexteram Patris: Et iterum venturus est com gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos: cujus regni non erit finis. Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem: qui ex Patre Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum. Et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.
Deinde clara voce: <Dominus vobiscum.> Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus.

=====================================

On days other than feasts of the B.V.M.
Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to men of good will. We praise You. We bless You. We adore You. We glorify You. We give You thanks for Your great Glory.
Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. Lord the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For You alone are the Holy One. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

On feasts of the B.V.M.
Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to men of good will. We praise You. We bless You. We adore You. We glorify You. We give You thanks for Your great Glory. Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son. O Spirit, the nurturer of orphans, the Paraclete. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, First-Born of Mary the Virgin Mother.
You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer, to the glory of Mary. You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For You alone are the Holy One, who sanctified Mary. You alone are the Lord, who guided Mary. You alone are the Most High, who crowned Mary, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
<The Lord be with you.> And with your spirit.
Let us pray. The Collect is said here; at its end: Amen. Then follows the Lesson, Gradual, Alleluia, Sequence and Tract.

When he prepares the Chalice, he shall say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. From the side of Our Lord Jesus Christ came forth blood.
He then holds out the water: And water for the remission of sins. May this mingling of wine and water be made in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then, he continues: O God, who established the nature of man in wondrous dignity, and still more admirably restored it, grant that by the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in His Divinity, who humbled himself to share in our humanity, Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the holy Spirit; God, forever and ever. Amen.

Before the Gospel: Grant, O Lord, to bless. May the Lord be in my heart and upon my lips that I may worthily and fittingly proclaim the Gospel of Peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
<The Lord be with you.> And with your spirit.
<The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Here he shall name the name of the Evangelist with the Gospel that will be proclaimed.> Glory be to You, O Lord.
After the Gospel: May the words of this Holy Gospel wipe away our entire sins and offenses. Amen.

Then he shall say: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God. Begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father; through whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven, and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. Who was also crucified for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried; and on the third day rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, and who spoke through the prophets. And one holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. And I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Then he shall say in a clear voice: <The Lord be with you.> And with your spirit.
Let us pray.

The Mass in Köln (the Use of Köln, Germany)

We will now then turn to the Use of Cologne, more specifically, the Use of the Roman Rite in Cologne (otherwise known as Köln), Germany.

What is a 'Use'?
The Liturgical definition of a 'Use' is basically a local adaptation/modification of a particular Rite to a specific locale (for example, a Diocese). Present-day examples of this might include the Zaire Use (An inculturated version of The Ordinary form of the Roman Rite as practiced in a very limited extent in some African countries) or the Anglican Use.

Before Pope Pius V released his bull Quo Primum that promulgated his revision of the Roman Missal, a lot of places in Europe had their own particular 'Uses' which were usually derived from the Roman Rite. They all agree on the Canon (save for very minor differences in wording), but when it comes to the Ordinary and the rubrics, some places may have developed or added a particular custom that other places might not have. Other differences include celebrating feast days of saints particular to the area, a trifling variety in the Calendar, and the Propers, namely, some extra Epistles, Gospels, sequences, and/or prefaces.

About Cologne (Latin: Colonia [Colonia Agrippina], German: Köln, Kölsch: Kölle): Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC. Cologne was granted the status of a Roman "city" in the year 50 AD.
Cologne lies on the River Rhine. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities.

Besides its economic and political significance in the Middle Ages the city also became an outstanding centre of medieval pilgrimage, when the Archbishop Rainald of Dassel gave the relics of the Three Wise Men (the Magi) to Cologne's cathedral in 1164 (after they in fact had been captured from Milan). Besides the three magi Cologne preserves the relics of Saint Ursula and Albertus Magnus.

The Cathedral of Cologne (German: Kölner Dom, official name: Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria)

THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS ACCORDING TO THE USE OF KÖLN, GERMANY, FROM THE 1525 MISSALE COLONIENSE

Ante medium Altaris signando se signo Sanctae Crucis:
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Celebrans: Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
Ministri: Qui fecit cœlum et terram.
Celebrans: Et introibo ad Altare Dei.
Ministri: Ad Deum qui laetificat juventútem meam.
Celebrans: Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus.
Ministri: Quoniam in saecula misericordia ejus.

Celebrans: Confíteor Deo coeli et beatae Mariae Virgini et omnibus Sanctis Dei et vobis, quia peccavi nimis in vita mea contra legem Dei mei cogitatione, locutione, concensu, visu, verbo et opere, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor gloriosam Virginem Mariam et omnes Sanctos Dei et vos, orare pro me peccatore.
Ministri: Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis omnibus peccatis tuis, perducat te Jesus Christus sine macula cum gaudio in vitam aeternam.
Celebrans: Amen.
Ministri: Confíteor Deo coeli et beatae Mariae Virgini et omnibus Sanctis Dei et te, quia peccavi nimis in vita mea contra legem Dei mei; cogitatione, locutione, concensu, visu, verbo et opere; mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor gloriosam Virginem Mariam et omnes Sanctos Dei et te, orare pro me peccatore.
Celebrans: Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis omnibus peccatis vestris, perducat te Jesus Christus sine macula cum gaudio in vitam aeternam.
Ministri: Amen.
Celebrans: Exaudi quaesumus Domine supplicum preces confitentium tibi parce peccatis, ut pariter nobis indulgentiam tribuas benignus et pacem. Per Dominum.
Ministri: Amen.

Accendens ad Altare: Aufer a nobis, quaesumus, Domine, cunctas iniquitates nostras: ut ad Sancta sanctorum puris mentibus introire mereamur. Per Dominum.
Osculando Altare: Da mihi, Domine, sensum rectum et vocem puram, ut placeant tibi verba mea; atque cunctis audientibus ea, propter nomen sanctum tuum proficiant in vitam aeternam.
Osculando Crucifixum: Tuam Crucem adoramus, Domine; et tuam sanctam recolimus passionem. Miserere nostri, qui passus est pro nobis.
Osculando Evangelium: Pax Christi et Ecclesiae quam nobis per sanctum Evangelium tradidit; confirmet et conservet corda et corpora nostra in vitam aeternam.

Ad Introitum Celebrans: Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
Ministri: Qui fecit coelum et terram.
C: Sit nomen Domini benedictum.
Ministri: Nunc et usque in saeculum.

Introitus legatur, deinde:
Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Christe Eleison. Christe Eleison. Christe Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.

========================

[The Celebrant] before the middle of the Altar, shall make the sign of the Holy Cross:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Celebrant: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Minister: Who made Heaven and Earth.
Celebrant: And I shall go in to the Altar of God.
Minister: To God who grants joy to my youth.
Celebrant: O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
Minister: And His mercy endures forever.

Celebrant: I confess to God in Heaven, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to all the Saints of God and to you; that I have exceedingly sinned in my life against the law of my God; in thought, speech, judgment, sight, word and deed; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault. Therefore I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints of God and you, to pray for me, a sinner.
Minister: May almighty God have mercy on you, and forgiving you your sins, lead you to Jesus Christ without stain as well as joyful into life everlasting.
Celebrant: Amen.
Minister: I confess to God in Heaven, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to all the Saints of God and to you; that I have exceedingly sinned in my life against the law of my God; in thought, speech, judgment, sight, word and deed; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault. Therefore I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints of God and you, to pray for me, a sinner.
Celebrant: May almighty God have mercy on you, and forgiving you your sins, lead you to Jesus Christ without stain as well as joyful into life everlasting.
Minister: Amen.

Celebrant: Graciously hear, we beseech You, O Lord, the prayers of Your suppliants, pardon the sins of those who confess to You; that, in Your bounty, You may grant us both pardon and peace; through our Lord...
Celebrant: Amen.

Going up into the Altar, he shall say: Take away from us, we beseech You, O Lord, all our iniquities, that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies; through our Lord...
He shall then kiss the Altar: Give me, O Lord, a right sense and a pure voice, that my words may be pleasing to You; and for the sake of Your Holy Name may it perfect all of them who hear it into everlasting life.
He shall then kiss the Crucifix: We adore Your Cross, O Lord; We contemplate Your Holy Passion. Have mercy on us, You who have suffered for us.
He shall then kiss the Gospel Book: May the peace of Christ and the Church, which He bequeathed us by the Holy Gospel conserve and confirm our soul and body unto everlasting life.

The Celebrant then begins: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Minister: Who made Heaven and Earth.
Celebrant: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Minister: From henceforth, now and forever.
The Introit is now said, then:
Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Christe Eleison. Christe Eleison. Christe Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.

August 15th-The Assumption

First Reading (Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab): The Temple of God which is in Heaven was opened, and the Ark of His Covenant was seen in His Temple; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. And a great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head, a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

And another sign appeared in Heaven: and behold, a great fiery-red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns; and upon his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept the third part of the stars of Heaven, and cast them to the Earth; and the dragon stood before the woman who is about to bring forth, that when she brings forth he may devour her Child.

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was caught up to God and to His Throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God.

And I heard a great voice in Heaven, saying: "Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ."

Second Reading (1 Cor 15:20-27a): Brethren: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his proper order: Christ the first-fruits; afterwards those who are Christ's, at His coming; then the end, when He will deliver up the kingdom to God and the Father, when He will have made useless all rule and all authority and power; for He must reign until he has put all His enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is Death, for "He has put all things in subjection under his feet."

Gospel (Luke 1:39-56): And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the infant leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed; for there will be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord."

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior;
For he has looked upon the low estate of his handmaid.
For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty had done great things to me; And holy is His Name.
And His mercy is for generations of generations, to those who fear Him.
He has showed might with his arm; He has scattered the proud in the thought of their heart.
He brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.
He has the filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he had sent away empty.
He has helped Israel His servant, that He might remember mercy,
As he spoke to our fathers, toward Abraham and his seed forever."

And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house.

The Mass as it was in Rome: the Roman Mass of the 15th century, part 5

Oremus. Preceptis salutaribus et divina institutione formati audemus dicere:

Pater noster qui es in celis
Sanctificetur nomen tuum
Adueniat regnum tuum
Fiat uoluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris
et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
Sed libera nos a malo Amen.

Libera nos quaesumus Domine ab omnibus malis preteritis presentibus et futuris et intercedente beata et gloriosa semper uirgine Dei genitrice Maria cum beatis apostolis tuis Petro et Paulo atque Andrea et omnibus sanctis da propitius pacem in diebus nostris ut ope misericordie tue adiuti et a peccato simus semper liberi et ab omni perturbatione securi. Hic frangit Hostiam primo in duas partes dicens: Per eumdem Dominum nostrum Iesum Xpm Filium tuum Deinde frangit unam partem in duas partes dicens: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus Hic eleuet modicus tertiam partem cum calice dicens: Per omnia secula seculorum.

Amen.

Hic facit signum Crucis super sanguinem dicens: Pax + Domini sit + semper uobis+cum.
R./ Et cum spiritu tuo.

Sequitur: Agnus Dei qui tolis peccata mundi miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tolis peccata mundi miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi dona nobis pacem.

Hic inclinat se ante corpus Domini dicens: Domine Iesu Xpe qui dixisti Apostolis tuis pacem meam do vobis pacem relinquo uobis ne respicias peccata mea sed fidem ecclesie tue eamque secundum uoluntatem tuam pacificare et coadunare digneris qui vivis et regnas Deus per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.

Hic deosculatur Altare dicens: Pax tecum.
R./ Et cum spiritu tuo.

Domine Iesu Xpe fili Dei uiui qui ex uoluntate Patris cooperante Spiritu Sancto per mortem tuam mundum uiuificasti libera me per hoc sacrificium Corpus et Sanguinem tuum ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis et uniuersis malis et fac me tuis semper inherere mandatis et a te numquam separari permittas qui cum eodem Deo Patre et Spiritu Sancto uiuis et regnas Deus in secula seculorum. Amen.

Perceptio corporis tui Domine Iesu Xpe quod ego indinus sumere presumo non mihi proueniat in iudicium et condemnationem sed pro tua pietate prosit michi ad tutamentum mentis et corporis et ad medelam percipiendam qui uiuis et regnas cum Deo Patre etcetera.

Hic accipitur patena cum corpore Xpi: Panem celestem accipiam et nomen Domini inuocabo.
Hic percutiat ter pectus dicens: Domine non sum dignus et intres sub tectum meum sed tantum dic uerbo et sanabitur anima mea.
Hic sumat corpus reuerenter signans se illo dicens: Corpus Domini nostri Iesu Xpi custodiat animam meam in uitam eternam. Amen.

Hic accipiat calicem et dicat: Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit michi. Calicem salutaris accipiam et nomen Domini inuocabo. Laudans inuocabo Dominum et ab inimicis meis saluus ero.
Hic sumat sanguinem dicens: Sanguis Domini nostri Iesu Xpi custodiat animam meam in uitam eternam. Amen.
Post sumptionem sanguinis dicat: Quod ore sumpsimus Domine pura mente capiamus et de munere temporali fiat nobis remedium sempiternum Amen.

Hic dicit purificando: Corpus tuum Domine quod sumpsi et Sanguis quem potaui adhereat uisceribus meis et presta ut in me non remaneat scelerum macula quem pura et sancta refererunt sacramenta Qui uiuis.

Finita missa et data benedictione inclinat se ante medium altaris et dicit hanc orationem qua finita osculatur altare: Placeat tibi sancta Trinitas obsequium seruitutis mee et presta ut sacrificium quod oculis tue maiestatis indignus obtuli tibi sit acceptabile michique et omnibus proquibus illud obtuli sit te miserante propitiabile. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum Amen.
=====================

Let us pray. Taught by our Savior's command and formed by the word of God, we dare to say:

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Holy be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Deliver us, O Lord, we beg You, from all evils, past, present, and to come; and by the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever-Virgin, Mother of God, Mary, together with Your Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and Andrew, and all the Saints; mercifully grant peace in our days, that through the bounteous help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all disturbance. Here he breaks the Host first into two pieces, saying: Through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, Then he breaks the first half into two pieces, saying: who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit; God, Here he moderately elevates the third part with the Chalice, saying: forever and ever.

Amen.

Here he makes the sign of the Cross over the Blood, saying: The peace + of the Lord be + always + with you.
R./ And with your spirit.

Then follows: Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Here he shall bow before the body of the Lord, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles: My peace I give to you, Peace I leave you; look not upon my sins, but upon the faith of Your Church; and deign to give her that peace and unity which is agreeable to Your will: God, who lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.

Here he kisses the Altar, saying: Peace be with you.
R./ And with your spirit.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God; who, by the will of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, has by Your death given life to the world; deliver me by this, Your most sacred Body and Blood, from all my iniquities and from every evil; make me cling always to Your commandments, and permit me never to be separated from You. Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns; God, frever and ever. Amen.

Let not the partaking of Your Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment and condemnation; but through Your mercy may it be to me a safeguard and a healing remedy both of soul and body. Who lives and reigns with God the Father etc.

Here he shall take the paten with the body of Christ: I will take the Bread of Heaven, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
Here he strikes his breast, saying: Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.
Here he shall consume the Host reverently and sign himself, saying: May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to everlasting life. Amen.

Here he shall take the Chalice and say: What return will I make to the Lord for all the things that He has given to me? I will take the chalice of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will call upon the Lord and give praise, and I will be saved from my enemies.
Here he shall consume the Blood, saying: May the Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to everlasting life. Amen.
After consuming the Blood, he shall say: Grant, O Lord, that what we have taken with our mouth, we may receive with a pure mind; and that from a temporal gift it may become for us an everlasting remedy. Amen.

Here, while purifying, he shall say: May Your Body, O Lord, which I have received and Your Blood which I have drunk, cleave to my bowels, and grant that no stain of sin remain in me; whom these pure and holy Sacraments have refreshed; who lives, etc.

When the Mass is finished and the benediction given, he shall bow before the middle of the Altar and say this prayer; afterwards he shall kiss the Altar: May the tribute of my homage be pleasing to You, O most holy Trinity. Grant that the Sacrifice which I, unworthy as I am, have offered in the presence of Your Majesty, may be acceptable to You. Through Your mercy may it bring forgiveness to me and to all for whom I have offered it; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Mass as it was in Rome: the Roman Mass of the 15th century, part 4

NOTE: The following article contains the text of the Canon of the Mass from the Missale Romanum Mediolani. I would not be providing an English translation of it here, as it is exactly similar to the one used in the Post-1570 Roman Mass anyway, but would kindly refer the reader to this link which has the Canon (post-1570 version) in both Latin and English, which could also be helpful for comparison between the rubrics.

Te igitur, clementissime Pater per Iesum Xpm Filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ac petimus uti accepta habeas et benedicas hec + dona hec + munera hec + sancta sacrificia illibata in primis que tibi offerimus pro Ecclesia tua sancta catholica quam pacificare custodire adunare et regere digneris toto orbe terrarum una cum famulo tuo Papa nostro N. et Antistite nostro N. et omnibus orthodoxis atque catholice et apostolice fidei cultoribus.

Memento Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N. et omnium circumstantium quorum tibi fides cognita est, et nota deuotio: pro quibus tibi offérimus uel qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis pro se suisque omnibus pro redemptione animarum suarum, pro spe salutis et incolumitatis sue tibique reddunt uota sua eterno Deo, uiuo et uero.

Communicantes et memoriam uenerantes in primis gloriose semper uirginis Marie, genitrícis Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Christi sed et beatorum apostolorum ac martyrum tuorum Petri et Pauli Andree Iacobi Ioannis Thome Iacobi Philippi Bartholomei Matthei Simonis et Thaddei Cleti Clementis Xysti Cornelii Cyprini Laurentii Crisogoni Ioannis et Pauli Cosme et Damiani et omnium sanctorum tuorum quorum meritis precibusque concedas ut in omnibus protectionis tue muniamur auxilio. Per eumdem Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Hanc igitur oblationem seruitutis nostre sed et cuncte famílie tue quesumus Domine ut placatus accípias diesque nostros in tua pace disponas atque ab eterna damnatione nos eripi et in electorum tuorum iubeas grege numerari. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Quam oblationem tu Deus in omnibus quesumus bene+dictam adscrip+tam, ra+tam rationabilem acceptabilemque facere digneris ut nobis Cor+pus et San+guis fiat dilectissimi Fílii tui Domini nostri Iesu Xpi.

Hic accipiat hostiam in manibus dicendo¹: Qui pridie quam pateretur accepit panem in sanctas ac uenerabiles manus suas et elevatis oculis in celum ad te Deum Patrem suum omnipotentem tibi gratias agens bene+dixit fregit deditque discipulis suis dicens: Accipite et manducate ex hoc omnes.

Hoc est enim Corpus meum.

Hic deponat hostiam et leuet calicem dicens²: Simili modo postquam cenatum est accipiens et hunc preclarum calicem in sanctas ac uenerabiles manus suas item tibi gratias agens bene+dixit deditque discipulis suis dicens: Accipite et bibite ex eo omnes.Hic est enim Calix Sanguinis mei
noui et eterni testamenti
mysterium fidei
qui pro uobis et pro multis effundetur
in remissionem peccatorum.

Hec quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis.

Vnde et momores Domine nos serui tui sed et plebs tua sancta eiusdem Xpi Filii tui Domini nostri tam beate Passionis nec non et ab inferis Resurrectionis sed et in coelos gloriose Ascensionis offerimus preclare maiestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hostiam + puram hostiam + sanctam, hostiam + immaculatam panem + sanctum vite eterne et calicem + salutis perpetue.

Supra que propitio ac sereno uultu respicere digneris et accepta habere sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui iusti Abel et sacrificium patriarce nostri Abrahe et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech sanctum sacrificium immaculatam hostiam. Hic inclinet se dicat³.

Supplices te rogamus omnipotens Deus iube hec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum in conspectu diuine maiestatis tue ut quoquot ex hac altaris participatione sacrocanctum Filii tui Cor+pus et San+guinem sumpserimus omni benedictione celesti et gratia repleamur. Per eumdem Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Memento etiam Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N. et N. qui nos precesserunt cum signo fidei et dormiunt in somno pacis. Ipsis Domine et omnibus in Christo quiescentibus locum refrigerii lucis et pacis ut indulgeas deprecamur. Per eumdem Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Hic percutiat pectus suum aliquantum altius dicens⁴: Nobis quoque peccatoribus famulis tuis de multitudine miserationum tuarum sperantibus partem aliquam et societatem donare digneris cum tuis sanctis Apostolis et martiribus cum Ioanne Stephano Matthia Barnaba Ignatio Alexandro Marcellino Petro Felicitate Perpetua Agata Lucia Agnete Cecilia Anastasia et omnibus Sanctis tuis intra quorum nos consortium non estimator meritim sed uenie quesumus largitor admitte. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Hic non dicitur Amen⁵:

Per quem hec omnia Domine semper bona creas sancti+ficas vivi+ficas bene+dicis et prestas nobis. Per ip+sum et cum ip+so et in ip+so est tibi Deo Patri + omnipotenti in unitate Spiritus + Sancti omnis honor et gloria.

Per omnia secula seculorum.
R./ Amen.

FOOTNOTES (Translations of the rubrics)

1.) Here he shall take the Host in his hands and say:
2.) Here he shall put down the Host and raise the Chalice, saying:
3.) He shall bow and say:
4.) Here he shall beat his breast deeply to some extent, saying:
5.) Here Amen is not said.

August 6th-The Transfiguration

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as the light.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Then Peter answered, and said to Jesus: "Lord, it is good for us to be here! If you wish, I will make three tents here; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying: "This is my Son--the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.

And Jesus came and touched them, and said: "Rise, and do not fear." And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, save Jesus only. And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: "Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

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O wondrous sight! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church shall share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!

From age to age the tale declares
How with the three disciples there
Where Moses and Elijah meet,
The Lord holds converse high and sweet.

The law and prophets there have place,
Two chosen witnesses of grace,
The Father’s voice from out the cloud
Proclaims His only Son aloud.

With shining face and bright array,
Christ deigns to manifest that day
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.

And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery;
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.

O Father, with the eternal Son,
And Holy Spirit, ever One,
Vouchsafe to bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.

The Mass as it was in Rome: the Roman Mass of the 15th century, part 3

NOTE: The following are the various Prefaces (and special forms of the Communicantes and the Hanc Igitur) for various feasts and seasons. I will not provide an English translation of them here, but please kindly check the links below to various Masses which contain the English versions of these Propers.

1.)THE PREFACE OF THE NATIVITY: The following Preface is sung everyday starting from the vigil of the Nativity of the Lord up to the Epiphany and in the Purification of the Virgin, and the Mass of the Body of Christ (i.e. Corpus Christi).

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur quotidie a vigilia nativitatis Domini usque ad Epyphaniam et in purificatione Virginis Marie et in Missa de corpore Christi: Eterne Deus quia per incarnati Uerbi mysterium noua mentis nostre oculis lux tue claritatis infulsit ut dum uisibiliter Deum cognoscimus per hunc in inuisibilium amorem rapiamur. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis cum Tronis et Dominationibus cumque omni militia celestis exercitus hymnum glorie tue canimus sine fine dicentes:

Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt celi et terra gloria tua. Osanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Osanna in excelsis.

Communicantes et noctem uel diem sacratissimum celebrantes qua uel quo beate Marie intemerata virginitas huic mundo edidit Saluatorem sed et memoriam venerantes in primis eiusdem gloriose semper uirginis Marie Genitricis eiusdem Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Christi sed et beatorum Apostolorum et cetera.

2.) THE PREFACE OF THE EPIPHANY: The follwing Preface is sung at the Epiphany of the Lord and during the whole octave:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in Epyphania Domini et per totam octavam: Eterne Deus quia cum Unigenitus tuus in substantia nostre mortalitatis apparuit noua nos immortalitatis sua lucem reparauit. Et ideo.

Communicantes et diem sacratissimum celebrantes quo Unigenitus tuus in tua tecum gloria coeternus in ueritate carnis nostre uisibiliter corporalis apparuit sed et memoriam uenerantes in primis gloriose semper uirginis Marie genetricis eiusdem Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Xpi sed et beatorum Apostolorum et cetera.

3.) THE PREFACE FOR LENT: The following Preface is sung everyday starting from Ash Wednesday up to Palm Sunday, unless the Mass occurs during a Feast:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur quotidie a Die Cineris usque ad Dominicam in ramis Palmarum. Nisi in Missa de festo si occurrerit: .Eterne Deus qui corporali ieiunio uitia comprimis mentem eleuas uirtutem largiris et premia per Xpm Dominum nostrum per quem maiestatem.

4.) THE PREFACE FOR EASTER: The following Preface is sung everyday starting from the Paschal Vigil up to the (Easter) Octave, in solemn feasts, and in all Sundays that had not been assigned with another Preface up to the feast of the Ascension:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur quotidie a vigilie Pasche usque ad octavam et in solemnibus festis et per omnes Dominicas usque ad Ascencionem ubi non assignatur alia Prephatio: Aequum et salutare, te quidem Domine omni tempore sed in hoc potissimum die gloriosis predicare cum Pascha nostrum immolatus est Cristus. Ipse enim verus est Agnus qui abstulit peccata mundi. Qui mortem nostram moriendo destruxit et uitam resurgendo reparavit. Et ideo cum Angelis.

Infra Ac.: Communicantes, et diem sacratissimum celebrantes Resurrectionis Domini nostri Iesu Xpi secundum carnem sed et memoriam uenerantes in primis gloriose semper Uirginis Marie genetricis eiusdem Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Christi sed et beatorum Apostolorum et cetera.

Hanc igitur oblationem servitutis nostre set et cuncte familie tue quam tibi offerimus pro his quoque quos regenerare dignatus es ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto tribuens eis remissionem omnium peccatorum quesumus Domine ut placatus accipias diesque nostros et cetera.

5.) THE PREFACE OF THE ASCENSION: The following Preface is sung in Ascension day and all the way up to the vigil of Pentecost:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in die Ascensionis et deinceps usque ad vigiliam Pentecostes: Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Qui post resurrectionem suam omnibus discipulis suis manifestus apparuit et ipsis cernentibus est elevatus in celum ut nos divinitatis sue tribueret esse participes. Et ideo.

Communicantes et diem sacratissimum celebrantes quo Dominus noster unigenitus Filius tuus unitam sibi fragilitatis nostre substantiam in glorie tue dextera collocauit sed et memoriam uenerantes in primis gloriose semperque Uirginis Marie genetricis eiusdem Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Xpi sed et beatorum Apostolorum, et cetera.

6.) THE PREFACE FOR PENTECOST: The following Preface is sung from the vigil of Pentecost up to its octave:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur a vigilia Pentecostes usque ad octavam: Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Qui ascendens super omnes celos sedensque ad dexteram tuam promissum Spiritum Sanctum hodierna die in filios adoptionis effudit. Quapropter profusis gaudiis totus in orbe terrarum mundus exsultat. Sed et superne Uirtutes atque angelice Potestates hymnum glorie tue concinunt sine fine dicentes: Sanctus.

Communicantes et diem sacratissimum Pentecosten celebrantes quo Spiritus Sanctus Apostolis innumeris linguis apparuit sed et memoriam venerantes et cetera.

Hanc igitur oblationem seruitutis nostre set et cuncte familie tue quam tibi offerimus pro his quoque quos regenerare dignatus es ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto tribuens eis remissionem omnium peccatorum quesumus Domine ut placatus accipias et cetera.

7.) THE PREFACE OF THE APOSTLES: The following Preface is sung in all feasts of the Apostles and Evangelists and the octaves thereof, save on other Feasts within the octave:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in omnibus festis Apostolorum et Euangelistarum, et per octauas eorum et si de alio festo infra illas octauas agatur et hoc ubi alia non assignatur: Equum et salutare te Domine suppliciter exorare ut gregem tuum pastor eterne non deseras: sed per beatos Apostolos tuos continua protectione custodias. Ut hisdem rectoribus gubernetur quos operis tui vicarios eidem contulisti preesse pastores. Et ideo.

8.) THE PREFACE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN: The following Preface is sung in all Solemnities of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in the octaves thereof; save the feast of the Purification, on other Feasts within the octave, and at major Saturdays when the Mass of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in omnibus solemnitatibus Beate Marie Uirginis, et infra octauas earum, excepto festo Purificationis etiam si de alio festo infra octavas agtur et similitur quando in diebus Sabbati maior Missa de Beata Uirgine celebratur: Eterne Deus. Et te in Assumptione (Annuntiatione, Nativitate, Visitatione, Veneratione) beate Marie semper uirginis collaudare benedicere et predicare. Que et unigenitum tuum Sancti Spiritus obumbratione concepit et uirginitatis gloria permanente lumen eternum mundo effudit Iesum Xpm Dominum nostrum. Per quem.

9.) THE PREFACE OF THE HOLY CROSS: The following Preface is sung in the solemnities of the Holy Cross:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in solemnitatibus Sancte Crucis: Eterne Deus. Qui salutem humani generis in ligno crucis constituisti ut unde mors oriebatur inde uita resurgeret et qui in ligno uincebat in ligno quoque vinceretur per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Per quem.

10.) THE PREFACE OF THE HOLY TRINITY:

Prephatio in Sancta Trinitate: Eterne Deus. Qui cum unigenito Filio tuo et Spiritu Sancto unus es Deus unus es Dominus non in unius singularitate persone sed in unius Trinitate substantie. Quod enim de tua gloria reuelante te credimus hoc de Filio tuo hoc de Spiritu Sancto sine differentia discretionis sentimus. Vt in confessione uere sempiterneque Deitatis et in personis proprietas et in essentia unitas et in maiestate adoretur equalitas. Quam laudant Angeli atque Archangeli Cherubin quoque ac Seraphin qui non cessant clamare quottidie una voce dicentes: Sanctus.

11.) THE COMMON PREFACE: The following Preface is sung in Double Feasts and the octaves thereof; save on other Feasts within the octave, and on all Semidouble Feasts and on Sundays without an assigned Proper:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in festis duplicibus et per octauas eorum etiam si de alio festo infra illas agitur. Et in omnibus semiduplicibus et Dominicis nisi proprium assignetur:

V./ Per omnia secula seculorum.
R./ Dominus uobiscum.
V./ Et cum spiritu tuo.
R./ Sursum corda.
V./ Habemus ad Dominum.
R./ Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
V./ Dignum et iustum est.

Vere dignum et iustum est equum et salutare nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere Domine sancte Pater omnipotens eterne Deus per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Per quem maiestatem tuam laudant Angel adorant Dominationes tremunt Potestates celi celorumque virtutes ac beata Seraphim socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti iubeas deprecamur supplici confessione dicentes: Sanctus.

12.) THE COMMON PREFACE: The following Preface is sung in Simple Feasts and in ferial days without an assigned Proper:

Sequens Prephatio cum suo cantu dicitur in festis simplicibus et in diebus ferialibus nisi propria assignetur:

V./ Per omnia secula seculorum.
R./ Dominus uobiscum.
V./ Et cum spiritu tuo.
R./ Sursum corda.
V./ Habemus ad Dominum.
R./ Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
V./ Dignum et iustum est.

Vere dignum et iustum est equum et salutare nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere Domine sancte Pater omnipotens eterne Deus per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Per quem maiestatem tuam laudant Angel adorant Dominationes tremunt Potestates celi celorumque virtutes ac beata Seraphim socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti iubeas deprecamur supplici confessione dicentes: Sanctus.

The Mass as it was in Rome: the Roman Mass of the 15th century, part 2

Completo Euangelio dicit Sacerdos: Credo in unum Deum. Patrem omnipotentem factorem celi et terre, uisibilium omnium, et inuisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Iesum Xpm Filium Dei unigenitum. Et ex Patre natum ante omnia secula. Deum de Deo Lumen de lumine Deum uerum de Deo uero. Genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de celis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria uirgine et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato passus et sepultus est. Et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas. Et ascendit in celum sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum uenturus est cum gloria iudicare uiuos et mortuos cuius regni non erit finis. Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum, et uiuificantem qui ex Patre Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur qui locutus est per Prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum. Et uitam uenturi seculi. Amen.

Quando Sacerdos offert hanc Hostiam super altare dicat hanc orationem: Suscipe sancte Pater omnipotens et eterne Deus hanc immaculatem Hostiam quam ego indignus famulus tuus offero tibi Deo meo uivo et uero pro innumerabilis peccatis et offensionibus et negligentiis meis et pro omnibus fidelibus Xpianis uiuis atque defunctis: ut michi et illis proficiat ad salutem in vitam eternam. Amen.

Quando mittit aquam in calicem dicit orationem: Deus qui humane substantie dignitatem mirabiliter condidisti, et mirabilius reformasti da nobis per huius aque et uini mysterium eius diuinitatis esse consortes qui humanitatis nostre fieri dignatus est particeps Iesus Xpus filius tuus Dominus noster qui tecum uiuit et regnat in unitate cum Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.

Deinde dicit: In spiritu humilitatis et in animo contrito sucipiamur a te Domine et sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie ut placeat tibi Domine Deus.

Sequitur oratio super hostiam et calicem cum signo Crucis: Veni Sanctifìcator omnipotens eterne Deus: et bene+dic hoc sacrificium tuo sancto nomini preparatum.

Cum incensum oblata dicit: Per intercessionem beati Michaelis Archangeli stantis a dextris altaris incensi et omnium electorum suorum incensum istud dignetur Dominus bene+dicere et in odorem suauitatis accipere. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Cum incensat oblata dicit: Incensum istud a te bene+dictum ascendat ad te, Domine et descendat super nos misericordia tua.

Cum incensat altare dicit: Dirigatur Domine oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo eleuatio manuum mearum sacrificium vespertinum. Pone Domine custodiam ori meo et ostium circumstantie labiis meis ut non declinet cor meum in uerba malitie ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis.

Quando reddit turribulum Diacono dicit: Accendat in nobis Dominus ignem sui amoris et flamma eterne caritatis. Amen.

Quando Sacerdos lauat manus dicit Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas usque in finem cum Gloria Patri. Tunc inclinat se ante altare et dicit hanc orationem: Suscipe sancta Trinitas hanc oblationem quam tibi offerimus ob memoriam passionis resurrectionis et ascensionis Iesu Xpi Domini nostri: et in honorem beate Marie semper uirginis et beati Ioannis Baptiste et sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli et istorum et omnium sanctorum ut illis proficiat ad honorem nobis autem ad salutem et illi pro nobis intercedere dignentur in celis quorum memoriam agimus in terris. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Erigens se deosculatur altare et uertens se ad populum dicat: Orate pro me fratres ut meum ac uestrum sacrificium acceptabile fiat apud Deum Patrem omnipotentem.
Circonstantes vero respondent: Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium de manibus tuis ad laudem et gloriam nominis sui ad utilitatem quoque nostram totiusque Ecclesie sue sancte. Amen.

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With the completion of the Gospel, the Priest shall say: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. Who was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; of His Kingdom there will be no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. And I await for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

When the Priest offers the Host over the Altar, he shall say this prayer: Accept, O Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God, this spotless host, which I, Your unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true God, to atone for my numberless sins, offences, and negligences; on behalf of all here present and likewise for all faithful Christians living and dead, that it may profit me and them as a means of salvation to life everlasting. Amen.

When the water is poured in the Chalice, this prayer shall be said: O God, who established the nature of man in wondrous dignity, and still more admirably restored it; grant, that by the Mystery of this water and wine, we may come to share in the divinity of Him who deigned to become a partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord; Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit; God, forever and ever. Amen.

Then is said: In the spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, may we be accepted by You, O Lord: and may our sacrifice be so offered this day in Your sight as to be pleasing to You, O Lord God.

The prayer shall be continued over the Host and Chalice, with the Sign of the Cross: Come, O Sanctifier, Almighty and eternal God, and bless + this sacrifice prepared for the glory of Your holy Name.

With the offering of the incense is said: Through the intercession of blessed Michael the Archangel, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense, and of all His elect may the Lord deign to bless + this incense and to receive it in the odor of sweetness; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

With the censing of the Oblations is said: May this incense blessed by You, arise before You, O Lord, and may Your mercy come down upon us.

With the censing of the Altar is said: Let my prayer, O Lord, like incense before You; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice. O Lord, set a watch before my mouth, a guard at the door of my lips. Let not my heart incline to the evil of engaging in deeds of wickedness. (Ps. 141:2-4)

With the returning of the censer to the Deacon is said: May the Lord enkindle in us the fire of His love and the flame of everlasting charity. Amen.

When the Priest shall wash his hands, he shall say: I will wash my hands in innocence (Ps. 25 [26]:6-11) up to the end, with the Glory be to the Father.
Then he shall bow to the Altar and say this prayer: Accept, O holy Trinity, this oblation which we make to You in memory of the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord; and in honor of Blessed Mary ever-Virgin, of blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of these and of all the Saints; that it may add to their honor and aid our salvation; and may they deign to intercede in Heaven for us who honor their memory here on Earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

He shall rise, kiss the Altar, and turn around to the people, saying: Pray for me, brethren, that my Sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty.
Those round about shall respond rightly: May the Lord accept the Sacrifice from your hands, to the praise and glory of His Name, for our good and for that of all His holy Church, Amen.

Responses to King James-Onlyists

Check out this page which had a lot of interesting (and thorough) rebuttals against the arguments of KJV-onlyists.

A good number of the people the author answers in the site seem to assert that the "1611 King James Version is the Word of God."

However, the KJV that most of us are familiar with right now is not the original 1611 KJV, but a later revision (the text commonly called today as the 'King James Version' is the 1769 Oxford Edition by Benjamin Blayney; incidentally, Blayney's revision also originally had the Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha; however he removed marginal cross-references to these boks, wherever these had been provided by the original translators), with the spelling (proper and uniform spelling was still a rather foreign concept in English when the KJV was first published) and at times, even the wording itself changed in these revisions (Blayney's edition differed from the original 1611 edition in 24,000 places; since then, further six were introduced and 30 of Blayney's proposed changes were reverted); so technically, the KJV widely distributed and found on the internet today is not the original 1611 Authorized Version, but a later revision.

If we believe that the Word of God is not to be tampered with, then Blayney, F.S. Parris (who edited the Cambridge edition of the KJV in 1762 which Blayney superseded) and others of their ilk had committed a grave blunder. And considering that Blayney's edition is the one most commonly found right now, then the Word of God that is the King James Version that we have now might be corrupted!

I'd note that one of the people whom the owner of the site rebuts has an interesting statement:

Those who put together the NIV did it to make money. The NIV bible is a copyrighted book. The King James Bible, on the other hand, is 80 to 90 percent the work of William Tyndale. He received revelation from God to translate the Bible into English so that even the plowboy could understand the scripture. He tried to obtain a license from the State church, but was turned down. Because God was calling him to do it, he fled England and went to Germany. He secretly translated and printed the Bible, often fleeing for his life.
Tyndale's concern was not making money or copyrighting the text. Even today the King James Bible is not copyrighted. Tyndale was driven by God to do the translation and was eventually strangled and burned for his efforts.

The statement that 'the KJV is under public domain' is only applicable in countries which are not under the control of the British Sovereign, like America.

Perhaps it is a little known fact to many of you (at least, those of you who are not in the UK) that even in the present day, the rights to the King James Version is held by the British Crown under perpetual Crown copyright; thus, only publishers who have a letters patent (a legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government, granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some entity such as a corporation) are licensed to reproduce the KJV there.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the publishing rights to the KJV are held by the Queen's Printer (presently this position is held by the Cambridge University Press), while in Scotland, it is held by the Scottish Bible Board (the publishing house Collins prints the Bible under license from that Board). The terms of the letters patent prohibit those other than the holders, or those authorized by the holders from printing, publishing or importing the KJV into the United Kingdom. This protection that the King James Version (and the Book of Common Prayer) enjoy is a relic of former ages, when the British Crown held a monopoly over all printing and publishing in the United Kingdom.

Tyndale may have had noble (in his view, at least) intentions, but to say that just because other Bibles are copyrighted and the KJV is not (outside of the UK), then it follows that their respective translators are only in it for the money (I'm not saying they're all innocent, though) and that these translations are not better is a rather twisted logic, in my opinion. So the copyrighted=false argument does not really hold water as the KJV itself is still in copyright in the UK and soon enough a good number of presently-copyrighted Bible translations will soon become public domain after a considerable period of time, that is if their copyrights aren't renewed.

Sure, Tyndale may have set out to translate the Scriptures for the plowboy or the common layman (Neither he, nor John Wyclif were the first people to translate the Bible into English, however, contrary to popular belief), but can the modern-day layman understand the English of the Authorized Version (I should also note that even during the time of its publication, the English of the King James Version was already quite antiquated), much less in its original (1611) form?

Now, do not think that I hate the King James Version, nor am I denying the impact it had on the English language itself and on many people; on the contrary, I do find the King James Version quite beautiful itself (though there are other more beautiful, in my opinion, translations out there). I only find it irksome that people would taut a single translation of the Bible (be it the King James or the Douay-Rheims or whatever), put it on par (or even above) the original texts, and then claim that the English version is the true word of God and all the others are deceptions of the Devil.

The Mass as it was in Rome: the Roman Mass of the 15th century

In the year 1474, what is believed to be the very first printed edition (editio princeps) of the Roman Missal, known as the Missale Romanum Mediolani, was published in Milan. From that time on until Pope Pius V's 1570 edition of the Roman Missal, there were at least 14 different printings of Missals produced in Milan, Venice, Paris and Lyon that purported to present the text of the Mass as celebrated in Rome, rather than elsewhere, and which therefore were published under the title of "Roman Missal"; however even these editions show variations from each other.

The following text is the Ordo Missae of the aforementioned Missal (with some punctuations added and the medieval spelling 'fixed' I've now edited them back to reflect most of their original ortography and punctuation). One can notice that the Roman Rite had evolved much after about 600 years (partly due to the influence of the Gallican Rite to it); the Mass was more or less similar to its 'Tridentine' (or Pian) form.

THE ORDO MISSAE, TAKEN FROM THE 1474 MISSALE ROMANUM MEDIOLANI, Editio Princeps

Paratus Sacerdos cum intrat ad Altare dicat.
V./ Introibo ad Altare Dei.
R./ Ad Deum qui letificat iuuentutem meam.
Ps. Iudica me, Deus totum deinde repetitur versus Introibo ad Altare Dei.
R./ Ad Deum qui letificat iuuentutem meam.

Deinde facit Confessionem et Absolutionem et hinc dicit uersus.
V. Deus tu conversus uiuificabis nos.
R. Et plebs tua letabitur in te.
R. Ostende nobis Domine misericordiam tuam.
R. Et salutare tuum da nobis.
R. Domine exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te ueniat.
R. Dominus uobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

Aufer a nobis quesumus Domine iniquitates nostras ut ad Sancta Sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Postea inclinatus dicit secreto hanc orationem: Oramus te Domine per merita sanctorum tuorum quorum reliquie hic sunt, et omnium Sanctorum ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea. Amen.

Qua completa ascendit ad Altare et deosculans illud accipiensque turribulum a Diacono legit Introitum cum ministris deinde dicit an dicendum est:

Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bone voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus Rex celestis Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite Iesu Xpe. Domine Deus Agnus Dei Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Xpe. Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
Quo finito antequam dicat Dominus uobiscum osculatur Altare in medio.

In fine Gradualis uel Alleluia uel Tractus inclinat se. Diaconus coram Altari et dicit hanc orationem:
Munda cor meum ac labia mea omnipotens Deus qui labia Ysaie prophete calculo mundasti ignito ita me tua grata miseratione dignare mundare ut sanctum Euangelium tuum digne ualeam nuntiare. Per Xpm Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Dicta oratione et accepto testu inclinat se Sacerdoti celebraturo et petit benedictionem dicendo: Iube domne benedicere. Tunc dicit Sacerdos: Dominus sit in corde tuo et in labiis tuis ut digne et competenter annunties Euangelium suum in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
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The Priest prepares to go to the Altar and says:
V./ I will go to the Altar of God.
R./ To God, the joy of my youth.
V./ Judge me, O God...(the whole Psalm is recited; then is repeated the verse:) I will go to the Altar of God.
R./ To God, the joy of my youth.

Afterwards the Confession and Absolution is made; then the following verse is said:
V. Turn to us, O God, and bring us life.
R. And Your people will rejoice in You.
V. Show us, Lord, Your mercy.
R. And grant us Your salvation.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to You.
V. May the Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.

Take away from us, O Lord, we beseech You, our sins, that we may enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Afterwards he shall bow and say the following prayer in secret: We beseech You, O Lord, by the merits of Your Saints, whose relics lie here, and of all the Saints, deign in your mercy to pardon me all my sins. Amen.

Completing these things, the Priest shall ascend to the Altar and kiss it, take the thurible from the Deacon, and with the ministers recite the Introit. Then he shall say or intone the following:
Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace to men of good will.
We praise You, We bless You, We adore You, We glorify You;
We give You thanks for Your great glory.
Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
You who are seated at the right of the Father, have mercy upon us.
For You alone are Holy; You alone are the Lord.
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

When it is finished, he shall say The Lord be with you before kissing the Altar in the middle.
He shall then bow at the end of the Gradual, or the Alleluia, or the Tract. The Deacon shall come before the Altar and say the following prayer:
Cleanse my heart and my lips, O Almighty God, who cleansed the lips of the Prophet Isaiah with a burning coal. Through Your gracious mercy deign so to purify me that I may worthily proclaim Your holy Gospel; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
After saying the prayer and taking the Text, he shall bow before the celebrant Priest and ask for a blessing, saying: Grant, sir, to bless. Then the Priest shall say:May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips that your may worthily and fittingly proclaim His Gospel; in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.