Carthusian rite

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The Carthusian rite is a rite of the Roman Catholic Church . It originated in the Carthusian Order and is very much associated with the hermit way of life . Most people do not know it because of the great isolation of the monks.

The oldest documents on the rite date from the first quarter of the 12th century and thus came into being around forty years after the Grande Chartreuse was founded in 1084. Due to the secluded way of life, the rite has remained relatively unchanged.

history

Origins and Development

The first Carthusian community consisted of secular clerics and regular canons , including two from Saint-Ruf . None of the first companions was a monk and the spirit of the first community was inspired by the rules of St. Augustine of Hippo and adapted to the needs and the semi-semitic way of life.

There is no tradition of the original liturgy. It used to be assumed that it descended from the Lyon rite of the 12th century. According to research by the Carthusians during the liturgical reform after the Second Vatican Council , the rite derives from the Clusean Mass of the 11th century and would therefore be similar to the ancient form of the Roman rite . However, these statements are still in the scientific discourse.

In order to remain true to the simple way of life, Holy Mass was also celebrated in all simplicity. Until the 13th century, mass was celebrated with just one candle on ordinary days. The liturgical clothing was also simple. Gold was forbidden except for sacred vessels such as paten and chalice .

It is also known that outside of Lent, Mass was not celebrated every day. For a long time there was only one altar in the monastery churches . How many priests there were can no longer be determined. However, it is certain that there was a need in the community to have all Carthusian priests ordained . In the 13th century, the Carthusian monks had a reputation for celebrating mass relatively rarely. Today you are the only one among the communities that adapted the mass according to the principles of the Second Vatican Council in which each priest, in addition to the community mass, celebrates the mass again alone or with an acolyte .

Investigations of the antiphonal showed that first a liturgy of the hours with nine readings was practiced, which was influenced by Saint-Ruf, Grenoble and Lyon.

In a second step, the Carthusian monks completely took over the Benedictine hour prayer. Guigo I took the decisive step in this direction . , the fifth prior of the Great Charterhouse and author of the rules , around 1124. Guigo I revised the antiphonal.

Over the centuries the Carthusian communities have adapted the liturgy to their solitary and contemplative life. When Pope Pius V introduced the Roman rite for the entire Church in the Bull Quo Primum , the Carthusian rite was not affected. Since it had remained unchanged for more than 200 years, the Carthusians were able to preserve their liturgical inheritance.

Changes after the Second Vatican Council (1980-2008)

In agreement with the Holy See , at the time of the reform of the Roman Rite , the Carthusians decided to keep their rite, as it is better adapted to their solitary life without pastoral tasks. Even so, they revised the liturgical books and adopted some elements of the Reformed rite:

  • Use of the vernacular, if so determined by the House, for the readings, which are always sung, the speeches and the intercessions
  • Communion under both forms ( sub utraque specie )
  • the new prayers
  • New prefations ;
  • Whether the priest celebrates versus populum or versus deum is also up to the communities.
  • Concelebration , which is reserved for Sunday and certain festive occasions.
  • As in the Reformed rite, the number of prayers of the Mass ( daily prayer , gift prayer and closing prayer ) was reduced to three.

In addition,

  • the choice of prayer is enriched through adoptions from the Roman rite or new creations.
  • the Lectionary of Nachtoffiziums reorganized.
  • a new daily office and breviary published in the vernacular for the hours of prayer in the cells. Hymns without a Latin equivalent were also included in this.

In all the monasteries of the order, the liturgical rooms were redesigned according to the guidelines of the council and in respect of the historical heritage. For example, the altar was separated from the altarpiece to enable walking around. The rood screens were removed as far as there were no conflicts with the monument protection . Artistic creations from the 19th and 20th centuries have been removed in line with the zeitgeist .

At the convention mass, the convention, and at private masses, the celebrant decides whether to celebrate in the traditional or the Reformed form.

The revision of the liturgical books has not yet been officially confirmed by the Holy See ( recognitio ). Since 1998 the hymn books have been revised according to the findings of the Gregorian musicology.

In 2004 and 2005, a commission was set up to agree the Carthusian liturgy with the post-conciliar liturgy with external experts and to receive confirmation from the Holy See. In this context, the liturgy of the Easter vigil with the blessing of the Easter fire and the Easter candle was included in the rite. This was also not present in the ancient Roman rite.

feature

Contrary to expectations about the Carthusian liturgy, she did not have particularly long minutes of silence. But she is characterized by the lack of haste, meditation, the variety of gestures and her mind.

The priest recites the canon in silence. He spreads his arms horizontally and his body forms a cross. This was common in several rites in the Middle Ages . As in almost all rites of the Latin Church , the silence before the individual hearing of the breviary is prescribed.

In contrast to the ordinary form of the Roman rite, it is characterized by greater sobriety of external form and meditation and a sense of the sacred and worship. During the conversion , the monks go to the prostration . This is how they practice their thanksgiving after mass. The silence gives them a different understanding of prayer. It is currently customary for every monk to quietly celebrate Mass in addition to the Convention Mass. Communion is received regularly every week, sometimes daily.

Apart from Corpus Christi, processions are not common among the Carthusians . Apart from the procession with the novices at the investiture of the chapter house to the cell and a dead man from the cell to the church and from the church to the cemetery knows the Kartäuserleben no regular processions that leave the church. The palm branches in the Palm Sunday liturgy and the candles in the representation of the Lord are simply distributed in the community.

Liturgical calendar

The Carthusian liturgical calendar contains a relatively small number of feasts and saints compared to other rites. There are only few differences between the houses, such as the commemoration of the consecration of the monastery church and the day of remembrance of the church patron .

  • Before the Second Vatican Council, the festivals were divided into the following ranks:
    • 1) solemnitas , solemn festival
    • 2) festum candelarum , festival with candles: four candles burn on the altar in front of the tabernacle during Laudes and Vespers . The Liturgy of the Hours is celebrated entirely in the church.
    • 3) festum capituli , chapter festival: The day is celebrated as Sunday. A chapter is held on this day.
    • 4) dominicae Sunday: 12 readings in Matutin , the hourly prayer is prayed together, the meal is eaten together and the recreation takes place.
    • 5) XII lectiones : 12 readings in Matutin, but reflection and the little hearing in the cell.
  • ordinary days:
    • 6) tres lectiones : 3 readings in Matutin
    • 7) feriae : Ordinary day
  • Ranks of the feasts after the council
  • festum candelaru and festum capituli were abolished in favor of solemnitas and XII lectiones.
    • 1) solemnitas solemn festival
    • 2) dominicae Sunday: 12 readings in Matutin, all prayers together, reflection, chapters and recreation.
    • 3) XII lectiones 12 readings: 12 readings in Matutin, reflection and small hearing in the cell
    • 4) tres lectiones (3 readings in Matutin)
    • 5) memoriae remembrance: simple remembrance in the convent mass and in the daily prayer in Laudes and Vespers
    • 6) feriae Ordinary day
  • Saints:

Textual peculiarities

The Carthusian liturgy has retained some textual peculiarities to this day. A selection:

  • Salve Regina : Salve, regina MISERICORDIAE, VITAE dulcedo et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui nobis, post hoc exilium ostende BENIGNUM. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis MARIA (recited every day at the end of Vespers).
  • Gloria of the mass: propter gloriam tuam magnam instead of propter magnam gloriam tuam .
  • The fair's credo : et vitam FUTURI saeculi instead of et vitam venturi saeculi
  • Confiteor of the fair: "Confiteor Deo et BEATAE MARIAE ET omnibus sanctis et vobis fratres quia peccavi nimis mea culpa PER SUPERBIAM, cogitatione, LOCUTIONE, opere et omissione. Precor VOS ORARE PRO ME."
  • Lavabo of the mass: Psalm 25,6  EU is prayed by the priest : “Remember your mercy, Lord, and the deeds of your grace; because they have existed for ages! "
  • 'Orate fratres' of the mass: The collection begins with “Orate fratres” and then answered with a silent prayer from the community.
  • The acclamation Mysterium fidei after the change is omitted, the canon continues without interruption immediately after the change.
  • End of the mass: the priest does not give a blessing. In the convent mass the deacon or acolyte sings V / "Benedicamus Domino (Hallelujah Hallelujah)" R / "Deo gratias (Hallelujah Hallelujah)".

Charterhouse fair

Before or after the daily convent mass, each priest monk celebrates mass with a novice, a monk with temporary profession or a lay brother, depending on the piety of the individual and his availability.

Convention Mass

The Carthusian rite is very sober . It differs in many ways from the current Roman rite.

After the celebrant has prostrated himself in front of the altar , he goes to dress in the sacristy , where he puts on the priestly clothes over his cuculus . Apart from a special amict , the clothing does not differ from the Roman rite . While the choir sings the introit , the monks sit with their heads covered and the priest walks out of the sacristy to the center of the altar step, bows deeply and prays. After the Gloria Patri of the Antiphon of the Introit, he goes to the altar and kisses it in adoration. Then, like everyone else, he bows before the cross and goes to the cathedral, the seat of the celebrant, which is slightly raised on the epistle side .

At the same time, the community prays quietly and bowed down in misericordie . Then the celebrant, who also bows, sings the confiteor , which differs from the Roman rite in some passages. Then he gets up and sings the Misereatur . The church answers with amen .

The Kyrie is sung nine times alternately by the two choirs facing each other. Then the Gloria follows , which is intoned by the priest. At the Oremus , all monks turn to the celebrant and bow in silent prayer in Missecordia followed by an amen . The following epistle is read by a lecturer standing in the middle of the choir. The lecturer is a permanent position or a priest or frater who is newly appointed every week. The congregation sits during the presentation of the reading.

Then the gradual , the hallelujah with its verse (the tract in Lent ) is sung by the community. In the meantime, the deacon, who is appointed for the respective week , goes into the chancel with a cuculle ecclesiastique, puts on the stole lying ready on the gospel and sings the gospel. In the case of the Carthusians there is no preaching in the church.

The hosts that the deacon or acolyte prepares before Mass are brought to the altar during the offertory . The altar boy takes the velum on his right shoulder and hands the paten on the chalice to the priest . Then he hands the celebrant water and wine. Then the wash basin takes place . Psalm 25 is recited for this purpose. The priest speaks orate fratres . The congregation does not respond, but bows in the stalls and prays silently. The canon is recited in silence and the congregation kneels. During the change, the monks prostrate themselves. The priest does not give a blessing after mass. The deacon speaks Benedicamus Domino ( Hallelujah Hallelujah) and the congregation answers Deo gratias (Hallelujah, Hallelujah) . Then the community bows for thanksgiving.

The single fair

Each priest monk celebrates the silent masses alone or with a novice or brother in a chapel that is scattered around the monastery. It is not allowed to read mass in the cell or to keep the Eucharist there. The rite is even more sparse than the rite of the convent mass. Depending on the celebrant, it is celebrated in the national language or in Latin.

Preparations and pre-fair

The priest prostrates himself in front of the altar at the beginning. The acolyte prepares the altar. Then the priest gets up, makes the sign of the cross , goes to the altar and puts on the chasuble . Then he prepares the lectionary and missal , bows before the cross, fills the chalice on the right side of the altar with wine and places the host on the paten. He places the paten on the chalice and covers it with the chalice veil .

He goes to the center of the altar, worships it with a kiss and turns to the acolyte with the words Dominus vobiscum . This answers Et cum spiritu tuo . The priest goes to the left and the altar boy on the right of the altar steps and both kneel, fold their hands and bend low in front of the cross. After a moment of silence, they recite the Carthusian confiteor and finish it off with a ritual formula. The priest goes to the center of the altar for a short prayer.

The priest reads the entrance to the mass. He alternates with the acolyte to pray the Kyrie eleison (Kyrie 3 times, Christe 3 times, Kyrie 3 times) and recites the Gloria, if scheduled for the day, and prays the daily prayer. The epistle is read. Graduals and Hallelujahs follow . The altar boy stands up. There are no acclamations after the readings. After the worship of the gospel, the priest returns the lectionary to the altar boy, unless the readings are read from the missal. Now, if scheduled for the day, pray the Creed facing the cross.

Offertory

The priest unfolds the corporal and goes to the epistle page. The acolyte fetches the water. The priest puts a drop of water into the chalice with a spoon and says: “From the side of our Lord Jesus Christ there arise blood and water for the redemption of the world.” He goes to the center of the altar and prays: In spiritu humilitatis et animo contrito suscipiamur a te Domine, et sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie ut placeat tibi Domine Deus . Then he makes the sign of the cross over the altar and says: In nomine Patris et Fili et Spiritus Sancti . The acolyte replies: Amen . The priest places the chalice in the middle of the corporal and the paten next to it. Then he covers the chalice with a corner of the corporal. The chalice is only revealed for conversion and communion. Then he recites the prayer over the offerings.

Prayer and communion

The priest speaks the introduction of the canon loudly and the rest of the prayer in silence or softly. After elevating the host, the acolyte kisses the ground and then lies down on the ground. He gets up for communion. According to Carthusian custom, communion is received at every mass. After a moment of silence, he fetches wine and water for the purification of the chalice and then kneels down until the end of the mass. The mass ends with a final prayer, the greeting Dominus vobiscum and a simple dismissal: R: "Benedicamus Domino" V "Deo gratias":

The altar boy assists the priest in taking off his robes and lies down on the floor while the priest cleans the chalice and paten. Then the priest throws himself on the ground. At his signal they stand up, bow and greet each other and return to the cell.

The Carthusian Office

In the first 25 years of the 12th century, the original Carthusian office was abandoned and replaced by one which is celebrated at the times described by Saint Benedict. On Sundays and public holidays, twelve readings are read instead of the original nine.

Office in the choir

The Mette , the Lauds and Vespers are in every day choir performed the church. In contrast to the Benedictines , the Carthusians sing Mette every night. On Sundays and public holidays, the small horizons are also sung in the church. The Compline will always prayed alone. Since the Second Vatican Council, the prim has been recited in the cell on Sunday.

At certain festivals, four candles are lit in the chancel of the monastery church.

After Mette there is a short pause in silent prayer in the dark, which is shorter the higher the rank of the liturgical day. This is followed by the lauds.

Part of the Liturgy of the Hours is sung in the choir in the dark.

Office in the cell

Plan of a Carthusian cell

The Carthusian recites in the oratory of her cubiculum , the main room of her cell, all the hours of the Liturgy of the Hours that are not prayed in the church.

The other liturgies of the Carthusians

confession

Today a monk receives the sacrament of penance at least once a week . In the 19th and 20th centuries, they usually confessed in the half hour before Compline .

The sacrament is celebrated in the Ave Maria room of the cell. The confessor with his head covered and without a stole and the penitent without headgear kneel next to each other. The penitent recites the Carthusian confiter in which he inserts the current and former sins which he wants to confess and closes it with the request “I ask the Virgin Mary, all saints and her Father to pray for me”. There is an admonition, which is often left out, and absolution. Confession ends with the blessing.

In the Middle Ages, the monks confessed their sins privately in the convent chapter before they celebrated morning mass.

Anointing of the sick, burial and burial

The anointing of the sick is traditionally celebrated by the prior in the presence of the community in the monk's cell. There is no separate infirmary.

After the death of a monk, the community gathers in the monk's cell. The prior is dressed in the liturgical color purple or black. The corpse is brought into the choir of the church while singing the psalms. From now on a priest or brother wakes up day and night with the dead in prayer until the time of burial.

A deceased Carthusian is nailed to a board in his religious robe and the hood of the robe is pulled over his face and sewn . The burial takes place in the presence of the community, with the singing of the psalms and usually after the convention requiem . The body lies on a catafalque . After the sung absolution , the procession goes to the cemetery in the order of incense , a candle carried by the eldest lay brother , the processional cross , the corpse carried by four monks, the brothers and fathers and the prior . After the tomb has been filled, a final prayer is sung and the monks read a short sermon in the chapter house. On the day of the funeral, the congregation dines in the refectory without having prayed in front of the church.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Analectacartusiana. Retrieved September 10, 2019 .
  2. ^ Dom Amand Degand: Chartreux, liturgie des . In: Dictionnaire d'Archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie .
  3. ^ Dom Maurice Laporte: Aux sources de la vie cartusienne . t. 5, 1965, pp. 253-255.
  4. ↑ Hansjakob Becker, Die Responsorien des Kartäuserbreviers. Investigations into the original form and origin of the antiphonary of the Charterhouse , 1971.
  5. ↑ private chapel . In: BRUNONIS . February 26, 2017 ( brunonis.net [accessed October 28, 2017]).
  6. ^ Deceased in the Charterhouse . In: BRUNONIS . November 9, 2017 ( brunonis.net [accessed November 9, 2017]).

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