Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Friday 4 April 2014

Te Deum. Hymn of Praise And Thanksgiving.


Text is taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

When was the last time you heard the Te Deum sung in your Church ?

Why not ask your Parish Priest or Pastor to arrange it ?


File:Te Deum window by Whall .jpg

The Te Deum Window,
by Christopher Whall,
Church of Saint Mary the Virgin,
Ware, Hertfordshire,
England.
Author: Barking Tigs.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

English: Saint Ambrose.
One of the traditionally-ascribed authors of the 
Te Deum, together with Saint Augustine.
Deutsch: hl. Ambrosius.
Artist: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664).
Date: 1626-1627.
Current location: Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes, Seville, Spain.
Note: Deutsch: Urspr. für den Konvent San Pablo in Sevilla, Auftraggeber:
Prior Diego de Bordas. Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project:
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002.
ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: [1].
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Te Deum (also known as "The Ambrosian Hymn" or "A Song of the Church") is an Early-Christian Hymn of Praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, "Te Deum laudamus", rendered as "Thee, O God, we praise".

The Hymn remains in regular use in the Catholic Church, in the Office of Readings, found in the Liturgy of the Hours, and in thanksgiving to God for a special Blessing, such as the Election of a Pope, the Consecration of a Bishop, the Canonisation of a Saint, a Religious Profession, the publication of a Treaty of Peace, a Royal Coronation, etc. It is sung either after Mass or the Divine Office, or as a separate Religious Ceremony. The Hymn also remains in use in the Anglican Communion and some Lutheran Churches in similar settings.

In the Traditional Office, the Te Deum is sung at the end of Matins, on all days when the Gloria is said at Mass; those days are all Sundays, outside Advent, Septuagesima, Lent, and Passiontide; on all Feasts (except the Triduum) and on all Ferias during Eastertide.

A Plenary Indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions, to those who recite it in public on New Year's Eve.



Te Deum.
Sung by the Benedictine Monks of the 
Abbey of Saint Maurice and Saint Maur, 
Clervaux. Luxembourg.
The Te Deum is attributed to two Fathers and Doctors of the Church, 
Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, and is one the most majestic 
Chants in the Liturgy of the Church. 
It is sung in Traditional Seminaries and Monastic Houses at the Divine Office and
for Double Feasts of the First Class, The Nativity, Easter, Corpus Christi, Epiphany,
Pentecost and those which have an Octave.
The Solemn Te Deum is sung on all occasions of public Church rejoicing.
Available on YouTube at


Authorship is traditionally ascribed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine, on the occasion of the latter's Baptism by the former in 387 A.D. It has also been ascribed to Saint Hilary, but Catholic-Forum.com says "it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th-Century)".

The Petitions at the end of the Hymn (beginning "Salvum fac populum tuum") are a selection of Verses from the Book of Psalms, appended subsequently to the original Hymn.

The Hymn follows the outline of the Apostles' Creed, mixing a poetic vision of the Heavenly Liturgy with its declaration of Faith. Calling on the name of God, immediately, the Hymn proceeds to name all those who praise and venerate God; from the hierarchy of Heavenly Creatures, to those Christian Faithful already in Heaven, to the Church spread throughout the world.

The Hymn then returns to its Credal formula, naming Christ and recalling His Birth, Suffering and Death, His Resurrection and Glorification. At this point, the Hymn turns to the subjects declaiming the praise, both the Universal Church and the singer, in particular, asking for mercy on past sins, protection from future sin, and the hoped-for reunification with The Elect.


Te Deum Laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur.

Tibi omnes Angeli;
tibi caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim
incessabili voce proclamant:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra
maiestatis gloriae tuae.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum 
sancta confitetur Ecclesia,

Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

[added later, 
mainly from Psalm Verses:]

Salvum fac populum tuum,
Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
Per singulos dies benedicimus te;
Et laudamus Nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
Miserere nostri Domine, miserere nostri.
Fiat misericordia tua, 
Domine, super nos, 

quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te, Domine, speravi:
non confundar in aeternum.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Translation from The Book of Common Prayer.

We praise thee, O God :
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee :
the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud :
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim :
continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy :
Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty :
of thy glory.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world :
doth acknowledge thee;

The Father : of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true : and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son : of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man :
thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death :
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Thou sittest at the right hand of God : in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants :
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints : in glory everlasting.

[added later, mainly from Psalm verses:]

O Lord, save thy people :
and bless thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up for ever.
Day by day : we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name : ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord : to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us : have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us :
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted :
let me never be confounded.


Lenten Station At The Basilica Of Saint Eusebius. Friday Of The Fourth Week In Lent.


Roman Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Italic Text, Illustrations and Captions, are taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.


Indulgence of 10 years and 10 Quarantines.
Violet Vestments.


File:Chiesa di Sant'Eusebio.JPG

English: Basilica of Saint Eusebius, Rome.
Français: Eglise de Sant'Eusebio all'Esquillino
sur la via Napoleone III à Rome.
Photo: April 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: LPLT.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Lenten Station is at the Sanctuary erected on the site of the house where Saint Eusebius, an ardent defender of the faith against Arius, died a Martyr. In the 5th-Century, it was one of the twenty-five Parish Churches of Rome. This Sanctuary may have been chosen in which to read the Epistle and Gospel relating to resurrections, since it is situated near the great cemetery of the Esquiline.

As in the Mass of yesterday, the Epistle and Gospel tell us of a double resurrection, an image of that which was to operate in the Souls of Catechumens and public penitents at the Easter Festival, and in the Souls of sinners during the Season of Lent.


File:Sant'Eusebio, Anton Raphael Mengs.jpg

The Glory of Saint Eusebius.
Artist: Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779).
Date: 1757.
Current location: Chiesa di Sant'Eusebio, 
Rome (Church of Saint Eusebius, Rome).
Source/Photographer: Web Gallery of Art.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Both the widow of Sarepta, who went to Eliseus, and the mother who had recourse to Elias, represent the Gentiles, as they were both of heathen race. Our Souls have, through the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, shared in the resurrection of Him who is "the life" (Gospel).


File:Esquilino - s Eusebio - altar maggiore 1240343.JPG

English: The High Altar,
Basilica of Saint Eusebius, Rome.
Italiano: Roma, sant'Eusebio all'Esquilino: 
altar maggiore.
Photo: October 2012.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa.
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the same way, the bodily death of the son of the widow of Naim, and that of Lazarus  represent the spiritual death of our Souls caused by grievous sin. Penance restores them to life and brings them under the supernatural influence of Him who is "the resurrection" (Gospel).

By Prayer and Penance, let us provide for our spiritual interests (Collect).


File:Sant'Eusebio interno 01 (Claudius Ziehr).jpg


English: Sant'Eusebio all'Esquilino Church at Rome, Italy.
Deutsch: Sant'Eusebio all'Esquilino, Kirche in Rom, Italien.
Italiano: Sant'Eusebio all'Esquilino, chiesa a Roma, Italia.
Français: Sant'Eusebio all'Esquilino, église à Rome, Italie.
Photo: November 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: © Claudius Ziehr.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Sant'Eusebio is a Basilica Church in Rome, devoted to Saint Eusebius of Rome, a 4th-Century Martyr, and built in the Monti rione, district of Rome.

The Church is first mentioned in 474 A.D., by an inscription in the Catacombs of Saints Marcellino e Pietro ad duas Lauros, and recorded as the "Titulus Eusebii" in the Acts of the 499 A.D. Synod. It was consecrated "in honorem beatorum Eusebii et Vincentii" by Pope Gregory IX, after the restoration of 1238. The Romanesque style, dating back to this restoration, survived the restorations of the 17th-, 18th- and 20th-Centuries. The Titulus S. Eusebii is held by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston in Texas, USA.

The interior is separated into a Nave with two flanking Aisles. The present design dates to 1600 by Onorio Longhi, who restored the Presbytery, High Altar, and Choir. The Ceiling fresco is a neoclassical masterpiece of Anton Raphael Mengs, depicting the Glory of Sant’Eusebio (1757). Other paintings in the Church are attributed to Giuseppe Passeri (central Nave window), Andreas Ruthart (Choir), Baldassarre Croce (Jesus, Mary, and Saints near the High Altar), Cesare Rossetti (Crucifix at the High Altar, facing Choir), Pompeo Bastoni (Madonna and Bambino near High Altar) and Francesco Solimena.



Thursday 3 April 2014

The High Altar. Basilica Of The Fourteen Holy Helpers. Bad Staffelstein, Bamberg, Germany.



File:Basilika Vierzehnheiligen 005 straight.jpg

Deutsch: Hochaltar.
bei Bad Staffelstein im Landkreis Lichtenfels
ist eine Wallfahrtskirchen in Oberfranken.
English: The High Altar.
Bad Staffelstein, near Bamberg,
Photo: 16 April 2009.
Source: Wikipedia Commons.
Author: Mattana.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Lenten Station At The Basilica Of Saint Sylvester And Saint Martin. Thursday Of The Fourth Week In Lent.


Roman Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Italic Text, Illustrations and Captions, are taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.


Indulgence of 10 years and 10 Quarantines.
Violet Vestments.



English: Basilica of Saint Sylvester and Saint Martin,
Rome, Italy.
Italiano: San Martino ai Monti, 
also known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti - 
Titolo Equizio.
Photo: June 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: FlagUploader (User:Panairjdde).
(Wikimedia Commons)


The first Christians, for the honour of their Martyrs, built Sanctuaries over their tombs and placed their bodies under the High Altar. From this, the custom is taken of placing Relics in the Altar Stone. From Rome, the veneration of these Martyrs spread throughout the Church. Saint Martin was one of the first Confessors (a Saint, not a Martyr) to whom universal devotion was accorded in the West.

The Lenten Station is a Sanctuary on the Esquiline. A holy Priest had given his house to Pope Saint Sylvester to turn into a Church. It was one of the twenty-five Parish Churches of Rome in the 5th-Century. In the 6th-Century, Pope Saint Symmachus built a new Church, next to the first, on a higher level, and dedicated both to Saint Sylvester and Saint Martin of Tours. Since a thorough restoration was ordained in the 16th-Century by Saint Charles Borromeo, the Church is called “San Martino ai San Monti”.



Portrait of San Carlo Borromeo.
Artist: Giovanni Ambrogio Figino (1548 - 1608).
(Uploaded by User:Lupo to en.wikipedia).
Saint Charles Borromeo,
Cardinal Archbishop of the Arch-Diocese of Milan
(1564 - 1584).
Restored the Basilica of 
Saint Sylvester and Saint Martin 
in the 16th-Century.
(Wikimedia Commons)


This Church was chosen wherein to read the Gospel, which speaks of resurrection, because, in the name of the Blessed Trinity, Saint Martin raised three persons from the dead; a symbol of the baptised, who are born to a new life in the name of the Blessed Trinity.

The Epistle and Gospel announce to us the great mystery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is drawing nigh, and in the celebration of which, at Easter, public penitents participated. The Sunamite woman and the widow of Naim had lost their sons. Eliseus, who is a figure of Jesus, raises the first to life and Christ gives back the second to his mother.


File:San Martino ai Monti crypt.jpg

The Crypt 
of San Martino ai Monti, 
by François Marius Granet (1806).
(Permission from www.wga.hu)
Date: 2005-11-19 (original upload date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia
transferred to Commons by 
Author: Original uploader was Attilios at en.wikipedia
(Wikimedia Commons)


This is what God in His mercy will do in the holy Sacrament of Penance for Souls which have died by sin. He restores them to the life of grace and gives them back to the Church, their mother. Let us prepare ourselves for the Easter Confession, which will more abundantly fill our Souls with supernatural life.

Let us moderate by Fasting our Earthly appetites in order that we may better enjoy Heavenly things (Collect).



Interior of San Martino ai Monti, 
Rome, Italy.
Photo: August 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa.
(Wikimedia Commons)


San Martino ai Monti, also known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti - Titolo Equizio, is a Basilica Church in Rome, in the Rione Monti neighbourhood of Rome.

The Basilica was founded by Pope Saint Sylvester I, over land donated by one, Equitius (hence the name of Titulus Equitii), in the 4th-Century. At the beginning, it was an Oratory devoted to all the Martyrs. It is known that a preparation meeting for the Council of Nicaea was held here in 324 A.D.


File:San Martino ai Monti interior 1.jpg

San Martino ai Monti,
Rome, Italy.
Photo: August 2006.
Uploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de
Author: Francesco Gasparetti from Senigallia, Italy.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The current Church of San Martino ai Monti dates from the Carolingian era, but a 3rd-Century Pillared Hall has been located below and adjacent to the later Church. This has caused some scholars to identify it with the Titulus Equitii, but, according to Hugo Brandenburg, it is "most unlikely that it could have served as a place of worship for any larger community and its Liturgy: The original purpose of this fairly modest Hall . . . was probably to serve as a storage space for commercial purposes."

In 500 A.D, the Church was rebuilt and dedicated to Saints Martin of Tours and Pope Saint Sylvester I by Pope Symmachus. On this occasion, the Church was elevated and the first Oratory became subterranean.





Pope Symmachus,
from the Basilica of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura, Rome.
Pope Saint Symmachus (498 A.D. - 514 A.D.) rebuilt the Basilica
of Saint Sylvester and Saint Martin in 500 A.D.
Author: Parrocchia di Santa Agnese fuori le Mura.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Pope Saint Symmachus was Pope from 498 A.D. to 514 A.D. His tenure was marked by a serious Schism over who was legitimately elected Pope by the citizens of Rome.

He was born on Sardinia, the son of Fortunatus; Jeffrey Richards notes that he was born a pagan, and "perhaps the rankest outsider" of all the Ostrogothic Popes, most of whom were members of aristocratic families. Pope Saint Symmachus was baptised in Rome, where he became Arch-Deacon of the Church under Pope Anastasius II.





English: Interior of Church San Martino ai Monti,
Rome, Italy.
Česky: Interiér Kostela sv. Martina na hoře,
Řím, Itálie.
Photo: April 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: Karelj.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Basilica was reconstructed by Pope Hadrian I in 772 A.D., and by Pope Sergius II in 845 A.D. The structure of the present Basilica follows the ancient Church, and many pieces had been re-used.

The Church is served by the Order of Carmelites (O.Carm. - Ancient Observance). It was granted to them in 1299 by Pope Boniface VIII; their ownership was confirmed in 1559. The Church is the resting place of Blessed Angelo Paoli, O.Carm. (1642–1720), who was revered throughout Rome for his service to the poor; he was Beatified on 25 April 2010.




A lithography of Pope Sergius II, 
made before 1923.
Pope Sergius II (844 A.D. - 847 A.D.) 
reconstructed the Basilica in 845 A.D.
(Author: Unknown).
(Wikimedia Commmons)


The most recent Cardinal-Priest of the Titulus Ss. Silvestri et Martini in Montibus was Armand Razafindratandra (who died on 9 January 2010). The current Cardinal-Priest of the Titulus Ss. Silvestri et Martini in Montibus is Polish Archbishop of Warsaw, Kazimierz Nycz. Among the previous Titulars were Pope Pius XIPope Paul VI, and Alfonso de la Cueva, Marqués de Bedmar.

Further transformations were executed in the 17th-Century by Filippo Gagliardi. In the mid-17th-Century, a series of frescoes, architectural additions, and Altarpieces were commissioned including series landscape and architectural frescoes of typically biblical scenes by Gaspar Dughet and Galgliardi.



File:San Martino ai Monti interior 3.jpg

The High Altar.
Basilica of Saint Sylvester and Saint Martin,
Rome, Italy.
Photo: August 2006.
Uploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de
Author: Francesco Gasparetti from Senigallia, Italy.
(Wikimedia Commons)


There is a fresco by Jan Miel of Saint Cyril baptising a Sultan. Fabrizio Chiari (now overpainted by Antonio Cavallucci) painted a Baptism of Christ. Giovanni Antonio Canini painted an Altarpiece of Holy Trinity with Saints Nicholas and Bartholemew. The mannerist, Girolamo Muziano, painted an Altarpiece of Saint Albert. Galeazzo Leoncino painted a fresco of Pope Saint Silvester I holding the Council of 324 A.D. in San Martino.


File:San Martino ai Monti interior 2.jpg

Interior of the Basilica of 
Saint Sylvester and Saint Martin,
Rome, Italy.
Photo: August 2006.
Uploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de
Author: Francesco Gasparetti from Senigallia, Italy.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Pietro Testa painted the Vision of Saint Angelo, the Carmelite, in the Wilderness. Filippo Gherardi painted an Altarpiece of San Carlo Borromeo. Cannini also painted the Martydom of Saint Stephen. Chiari also painted Saint Martin dividing his cloak with the beggar. Giovanni Battista Creppi painted "The vision of Saint Teresa". Matteo Piccione painted the Altarpiece of "Vision of Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi". Paolo Naldini painted the Saints on the upper register of the Nave (counter-clockwise starting with first on the Nave, to right, Ciriaca, Stephen, Fabianus, and Nicander, then left Nave, Theodore, Martin, Innocent, and Iusta. Daniele Latre painted Saint Anthony and John the Baptist on South Wall (counter-facade), while Naldini painted Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

The interior has three Naves with ancient Columns. A Votive Lamp, made in silver sheet, is housed in the Sacristy; it was believed to be Pope Saint Sylvester I's Tiara. Under the High Altar, are preserved the relics of Saints Artemius, Paulina and Sisinnius, brought here from the Catacomb of Priscilla. A mosaic, portraying the Madonna with Pope Saint Sylvester I, is from the 6th-Century.


Wednesday 2 April 2014

The Seven Penitential Psalms. Part Two.


Roman Text is taken from The Liturgical Year, by Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.
Translated from the French by Dom Laurence Shepherd, O.S.B.
Volume 4. Septuagesima.

Bold Italic Text is taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.


File:Saint Augustine Portrait.jpg

English: Saint Augustine of Hippo.
Deutsch: Hl. Augustinus in betrachtendem Gebet.
Four of the Penitential Psalms
were well known to Saint Augustine of Hippo.
Artist: Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510).
Date: Circa 1480.
Current location: Florence, Italy.
Notes: Deutsch: Auftraggeber: wahrscheinlich aus der Familie der Vespucci (Wappen).
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: [1].
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Penitential Psalms, or Psalms of Confession, so named in Cassiodorus's commentary of the 6th-Century A.D., are Psalms 6323850102130, and 143 (6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, and 142 in the Septuagint numbering).

Note: The Septuagint numbering system has been used throughout this Series of Articles.


Psalm 6.      Domine ne in furore tuo (Pro octava).

Psalm 31.    Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates.
Psalm 37.    Domine ne in furore tuo (In rememorationem de sabbato).
Psalm 50.    Miserere mei Deus.
Psalm 101.  Domine exaudi orationem meam et clamor meus ad te veniat.
Psalm 129.  De profundis clamavi.
Psalm 142.  Domine exaudi orationem meam auribus percipe obsecrationem meam.



A Setting by Lassus of Psalm 129,
"De profundis clamavi ad te Domine"
("Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord").
Psalm 129 is one of the Seven Penitential Psalms.
Available on YouTube on
http://youtu.be/luLLO3c3LlE.


THE SEVEN PENITENTIAL PSALMS.

Part Two.

David experiences the happiness felt by a Soul, whose sins have been forgiven her by God; he expresses his feelings, by comparing himself to a sick man, who was at the point of death, and is restored to health.

Psalm 31.      Beati, quorum remissae sunt iniquitates.

Beati, quorum remissae sunt iniquitates:
* et quorum tecta sunt peccata.

Beatus vir, cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum:
* nec est in spiritu ejus dolus.

Quoniam tacui, inveteraverunt ossa mea:
* dum clamarem tota die.

Quoniam die ac nocte gravata est super me manus tua:
* conversus sum in aerumna mea, dum configitur spina.

Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci:
* et injustitiam meam non abscondi.

Dixit Confiteabor adversum me injustitiam meam Domino:
* et tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei.

Pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus:
* in tempore opportuno.

Verumtamen in diluvio aquarum multarum:
* ad eum non approximabunt.

Tu es refugium meam a tribulatione, quae circumdedit me:
* exsultatio mea, erue me a circumdantibus me.

Intellectum tibi dabo, et instruam te in via hac qua gradieris:
* firmabo super te oculos meos.

Nolite fieri sicut equus et mulus:
* quibus non est intellectus.

In camo et freno maxillas eorum constringe:
* qui non approximant ad te.

Multa flagella peccatoris:
* sperantem autem in Domino misericordia circumdabit.

Laetamini in Domino, et exsultate justi:
* et gloriamini omnes recti corde.

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven:
And whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man, to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin:
And in whose spirit there is no guile.

Because I was silent, my bones grew old:
Whilst I cried out all the day long.

For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me:
I am turned in my anguish, whilst the thorn is fastened.

I have acknowledged my sin to Thee:
And my injustice I have not concealed.

I said, I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord:
And Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.

For this shall every one that is holy Pray to Thee:
In a seasonable time.

And yet, in a flood of many waters:
They shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my refuge from the trouble which hath encompassed me:
My joy ! Deliver me from them that surround me.

Thou hast said to me: I will give thee understanding,
      and I will instruct thee in this way in which thou shalt go:
I will fix mine eyes upon Thee.

Do not become like the horse and the mule:
Who have no understanding.

With bit and bridle, bind fast their jaws:
Who come not near unto thee.

Many are the scourges of the sinner:
But mercy shall encompass him that hopeth in the Lord.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye Just:
And glory, all ye right of heart.



The Seven Penitential Psalms are expressive of sorrow for sin. Four were known as 'Penitential Psalms' by Saint Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th-Century. Psalm 50 (Miserere) was recited at the close of daily Morning Service in the Primitive Church.


Translations of the Penitential Psalms were undertaken by some of the greatest poets in Renaissance England, including Sir Thomas WyattHenry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and Sir Philip Sidney. Before the Suppression of the Minor Orders and Tonsure, in 1972, by Pope Paul VI, the Seven Penitential Psalms were assigned to new Clerics after having been Tonsured.




Orlande de Lassus'
"Psalmi Davidis poenitentiales".

This is a Setting of Psalm 6, "Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me",
("O Lord, do not reprove me in Thy wrath, nor in Thy anger chastise me").
Psalm 6 is the first of the Seven Penitential Psalms.
Available on YouTube on


Perhaps the most famous musical setting of all the Seven Penitential Psalms is by Orlande de Lassus, with his Psalmi Davidis poenitentiales of 1584. There are also fine settings by Andrea Gabrieli and by Giovanni Croce. The Croce pieces are unique in being settings of Italian sonnet-form translations of the Psalms by Francesco Bembo. These were widely distributed. They were translated into English and published in London as Musica Sacra and were even translated (back) into Latin and published in Nürnberg as Septem Psalmi poenitentiales.

William Byrd set all Seven Psalms in English versions for three voices in his Songs of Sundrie Natures (1589). Settings of individual Penitential Psalms have been written by many composers. Well-known settings of the Miserere (Psalm 50) include those by Gregorio Allegri and Josquin des Prez. Settings of the De profundis (Psalm 129) include two in the Renaissance era by Josquin.



PART THREE FOLLOWS.


The Side-Altar Of Saint Anthony Of Padua. Ottobeuren Abbey.



File:Ottobeuren basilika ottobeuren altar of saint antony of padua 001.JPG

Side-Altar of
Saint Anthony of Padua,
Ottobeuren, Germany.
Photo: 18 April 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Mattana.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Anthony of Padua, O.F.M. (born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231), also known as Anthony of Lisbon, was a Portuguese Catholic Priest and Friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born and raised in a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal.

Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful Preaching and expert knowledge of Scripture, he was the second-fastest Canonised Saint (after Saint Peter of Verona) and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946. He is also the Saint of finding things or lost people.


Lenten Station At The Basilica Of Saint Paul-Without-The-Walls. Wednesday Of The Fourth Week In Lent.


Roman Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Italic Text, Illustrations and Captions, are taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.


Indulgence of 10 years and 10 Quarantines.
Violet Vestments.



English: Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls,
Rome, Italy.
Deutsch: Rom, Sankt Paul vor den Mauern.
Italiano: Statua di San Paolo di fronte alla facciata della
Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura a Roma.
Photo: May 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: Berthold Werner.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Station was held at Rome in the great Basilica of Saint Paul, on the Ostian Way. It was natural to assemble near the tomb of the Doctor of the Gentiles on this day, called the Feria of the Great Scrutiny, when they held the the examination upon which depended the admission of Catechumens to Baptism.

After the singing of the Introit, which announces the Baptism in which God “will pour on the Souls the water which will cleanse them from all stain,” the Catechumens were exorcised anew, were marked with the sign of the Cross and received the Imposition of Hands. This water has already purified us.

After having read the Epistle or the Lessons from the Prophets, Ezechiel and Isaias, who speak of this same purification, “when Souls shall be made white as snow,” the beginning of the four Gospels was read to them and the Apostles’ Creed and Pater Noster explained to them. Let us love to read the Gospels, let us often recite the Credo and the Pater Noster.



English: Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls,
Rome, Italy. With its length of 432 feet, this Basilica ranks
eleventh among the largest Churches in the world.
Français: Basilique Saint-Paul-hors-les-Murs, Vatican, située à Rome. Avec sa longueur 
de 131,66 mètres, cette Basilique se classe au 11è rang parmi les plus grandes églises au monde.
Photo: September 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Tango7174
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Gospel tells us of the healing of the man blind from birth, who was sent to wash himself in the Pool of Siloe. This is another symbol of Baptism and of the instructions preceding it, which conveyed to the Gentiles the supernatural light of which they were deprived, and gave Penance from the defilements which have unfortunately stained our baptismal innocence, and God will make our Souls white as snow.

Aware that fasting is, for the just man, a means of increasing his merits, and, for the guilty, of obtaining forgiveness for his sins (Collect), let us with courage mortify our bodies so that we may enjoy more readily the things that are of Heaven.


File:Front of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls - Roma - Italy.jpg

English: The statue of Saint Paul,
Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the Walls,
Rome, Italy.
Photo: July 2007.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura), is one of Rome's four ancient Major Basilicas or Papal Basilicas: The Basilicas of Saint John LateranSaint Mary MajorSaint Peter's; Saint Paul-without-the Walls. James Michael Harvey was named Arch-Priest of the Basilica in 2012.

The Basilica was founded by the 
Roman Emperor, Constantine I, over the burial place of Saint Paul, where it was said that, after the Apostle's execution, his followers erected a memorial, called a "cella memoriae". This first edifice was expanded under Valentinian I in the 370s A.D.

In 386 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I began erecting a much larger and more beautiful Basilica, with a Nave and four Aisles, with a Transept; the work, including the mosaics, was not completed until Pope Leo I's Pontificate (440 A.D. – 461 A.D).



File:Bazylika św. pawła za murami.jpg

English: Facade of The Basilica of 
Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, Rome.
Polski: Bazylika św. Pawła za Murami
Photo: June 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: [Piofol[1]]
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the 5th-Century, it was larger than the Old Saint Peter's Basilica. The Christian poet, Prudentius, who saw it at the time of Emperor Honorius (395 A.D. – 423 A.D), describes the splendours of the monument in a few expressive lines. As it was dedicated also to Saints Taurinus and Herculanus, martyrs of Ostia in the 5th-Century, it was called the Basilica trium Dominorum ("Basilica of Three Lords").

Under Gregory the Great (590 A.D. – 604 A.D.), the Basilica was extensively modified. The Pavement was raised to place the Altar directly over Saint Paul's tomb.


File:Mosaici san Paolo fuori le mura.jpg

English: The mosaic on the facade of 
the Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, Rome.
Italiano: Il grande mosaico della facciata della basilica 
di San Paolo fuori le Mura, a Roma.
Photo: March 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Luca Camellini.
(Wikimedia Commons)


In that period, there were two Monasteries near the Basilica: Saint Aristus's, for men, and Saint Stefano's, for women. Masses were celebrated by a special Body of Clerics, instituted by Pope Simplicius. Over time, the Monasteries and the Basilica's Clergy declined; Pope Saint Gregory II restored the former and entrusted the Monks with the Basilica's care.

As it lay outside the Aurelian Walls, the Basilica was damaged in the 9th-Century during the Saracen invasions. Consequently, Pope John VIII (872 A.D. – 882 A.D.) fortified the Basilica, the Monastery, and the dwellings of the peasantry, forming the town of Joannispolis (Italian: Giovannipoli), which existed until 1348, when an earthquake totally destroyed it.



File:Kreuzgang san paolo fuori le mura 3.jpg

Deutsch: Kreuzgang der Basilika San Paolo fuori le Mura, Rom. 
Blick vom Säulengang in den Innenhof.
English: Cloisters of the Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, Rome.
Photo: October 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: W.W.Thaler, Herbert Weber, Hildesheim.
(Wikimedia Commons)


In 937 A.D., when Saint Odo of Cluny came to Rome, Alberic II of Spoleto, Patrician of Rome, entrusted the Monastery and Basilica to his Congregation and Odo placed Balduino of Monte Cassino in charge. Pope Gregory VII was Abbot of the Monastery and, in his time, Pantaleone, a rich merchant of Amalfi, who lived in Constantinople, presented the bronze doors of the Basilica Maior; the doors are inscribed with Pantaleone's Prayer that the "doors of life" may be opened to him. 


File:TerritorialAbbotCoA PioM.svg

Polski: Herb opata.
English: Territorial Abbots'-Coat-of-Arms.
Pope Martin V (Papacy 1417 - 1431) entrusted the Basilica to the 
Monks of the Congregation of Monte Cassino. It was then made an Abbey Nullius (Territorial Abbot).
The Coat-of-Arms of a "Territorial Abbot" are distinguished by a Green Galero with Twelve Tassels 
and a Gold Crozier with a Veil attached.
Piotr Jaworski, PioM; 19 V 2005r., POLAND/Poznań;
(Wikimedia Commons)


Pope Martin V entrusted the Basilica to the Monks of the Congregation of Monte Cassino. It was then made an Abbey Nullius. The abbot's jurisdiction extended over the districts of Civitella San Paolo, Leprignano, and Nazzano, all of which formed parishes. But the Parish of San Paolo in Rome is under the jurisdiction of the Cardinal Vicar.


File:Lazio Roma SPaolo3 tango7174.jpg

English: Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, 
Rome, Italy.
Français: Basilique Saint-Paul-hors-les-Murs, Vatican, 
située à Rome, Latium, Italie. 
Perspective du transept.
Photo: September 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Tango7174.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The graceful Cloisters of the Monastery were erected between 1220 and 1241. From 1215 until 1964 it was the seat of the Latin Patriarch of Alexandria.

On 15 July 1823, a fire, started through the negligence of a workman who was repairing the lead of the roof, resulted in the almost total destruction of the Basilica, which, alone of all the Churches of Rome, had preserved its primitive character for one thousand, four hundred and thirty-five years. 


It was re-opened in 1840, and re-consecrated in 1855 in the presence of Pope Pius IX and fifty Cardinals. Completing the work of reconstruction took longer, however, and many countries made their contributions. The Viceroy of Egypt sent Pillars of alabaster, the Emperor of Russia the precious malachite and lapis lazuli of the Tabernacle. The work on the principal facade, looking toward the Tiber, was completed by the Italian Government, which declared the Church a national monument. On 23 April 1891, an explosion at Porta Portese destroyed the Stained Glass.


File:SanPaoloRoma.jpg

The Cloisters, Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls,
Rome, Italy.
Source: Pierers Universal-Lexikon, 1891
Scanned by --Immanuel Giel 12:37, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Kreuzgang2 san paolo rom.JPG

English: Architectural elements of the Cloisters at
The Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls.
Deutsch: Kreuzgang in der Basilika Major 
San Paolo fuori le Mura, Rom, 2005.
Photo: 2005.10.11.
Source: Own work.
Author: W.W.Thaler Herbert Weber, Hildesheim.
(Wikimedia Commons)


On 31 May 2005, Pope Benedict XVI ordered the Basilica to come under the control of an Arch-Priest and he named Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo as its first Arch-Priest.

The covered Portico that precedes the facade is a Neo-Classicist addition of the 19th-Century reconstruction. The 20th-Century door includes the remains of the "leaves" from the original Portal, executed by Staurachius of Chios, around 1070, in Constantinople, with scenes from the New and Old Testaments. On the right, is the Holy Door, which is opened only during the Jubilees.




English: Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls,
Rome, Italy.
The Tabernacle of the Confession.
Italiano: Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura (Roma) - 
ciborio di Arnolfo di Cambio.
Polski: Bazylika św. Pawła za Murami w Rzymie - grób św. 
Pawła, przykryty gotyckim baldachimem.
Photo: May 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Fczarnowski.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The new Basilica has maintained the original structure with one Nave and four Aisles. It is 131 metres (432 ft) long, 65 metres (213 ft) wide, 29 metres (97 ft) high, the second-largest Basilica in Rome. 

The Nave's eighty Columns and its stucco-decorated Ceiling are from the 19th-Century. All that remains of the ancient Basilica are the interior portion of the Apse with the Triumphal Arch. The mosaics of the Apse, by Pietro Cavallini, were mostly lost in the 1823 fire; only a few traces were incorporated in the reconstruction. 

The 5th-Century mosaics of the Triumphal Arch are original: an inscription in the lower section attest they were done at the time of Pope Leo I, paid for by Galla Placidia. The subject portrays the Apocalypse of Saint John, with the bust of Christ in the middle, flanked by the twenty-four Doctors of the Church [now, thirty-four Doctors of the Church], surmounted by the flying symbols of the four Evangelists. Saint Peter and Saint Paul are portrayed at the right and left of the Arch, the latter pointing downwards (probably to his tomb). The "Tabernacle of the Confession" of Arnolfo di Cambio (1285), belong to the 13th-Century.


File:Rom 08 322-47.jpg

Deutsch: Säulen des Kreuzgangs von San Paolo fuori le Mura, Rom.
English: The Cloisters, The Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls.
Photo: October 2008.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the old Basilica, each Pope had his portrait in a frieze, extending above the Columns separating the four Aisles and Nave. A 19th-Century version can be seen now. The Nave's interior walls were also redecorated with scenes from Saint Paul's life in two mosaics. The Sacristy contains a fine statue of Pope Boniface IX.

South of the Transept, are the Cloisters, considered "one of the most beautiful of the Middle Ages". Built by Vassalletto in 1205-1241, they have Double Columns of different shapes. Some Columns have inlays with golden- and coloured-glass mosaics; the same decoration can be seen on the Architrave and the inner frame of the Cloisters. Also visible, are fragments from the destroyed Basilica and ancient Sarcophagi, one with scenes of the myth of Apollo.

According to tradition, Paul's body was buried two miles away from the place of his martyrdom, in the sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, which was owned by a Christian woman, named Lucina. A tropaeum was erected on it and quickly became a place of veneration.



English: Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls,
Rome, Italy. The Saint Lawrence Chapel.
Français: Basilique Saint-Paul-hors-les-Murs, Vatican, située à 
Rome, Latium, Italie. Chapelle de Saint-Laurent.
Photo: September 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Tango7174.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Emperor Constantine I erected a Basilica on the tropaeum's site, and the Basilica was significantly extended by Emperor Theodosius I from 386 A.D., into what is now known as Saint Paul-without-the Walls. During the 4th-Century, Saint Paul's remains, excluding the head, were moved into a Sarcophagus (according to Church tradition, the head rests at the Lateran). 

Saint Paul's tomb is below a marble tombstone in the Basilica's Crypt, at 1.3 metres (4.5 ft) below the Altar. The tombstone bears the Latin inscription "PAULO APOSTOLO MART" ("to Paul the Apostle and Martyr"). The inscribed portion of the tombstone has three holes, two square and one circular. The circular hole is connected to the tomb by a pipeline, reflecting the Roman custom of pouring perfumes inside the Sarcophagus, or to the practice of providing the bones of the dead with libations. The discovery of the Sarcophagus is mentioned in the chronicle of the Benedictine Monastery attached to the Basilica, in regard to the 19th-Century rebuilding. Unlike other Sarcophagi found at that time, this was not mentioned in the excavation papers.

On 6 December 2006, it was announced that Vatican archaeologists had confirmed the presence of a white marble Sarcophagus beneath the Altar, perhaps containing the remains of the Apostle. A Press Conference, held on 11 December 2006, gave more details of the excavation, which lasted from 2002 to 2006, and which had been initiated after pilgrims to the Basilica expressed disappointment that the Apostle's tomb could not be visited or touched during the Jubilee year of 2000. The Sarcophagus was not extracted from its position, so that only one of its two narrow sides is visible.




English: Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls. 
The Saint Benedict Chapel.
Italiano: Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura - 
capella di san Benedetto.
Polski: Bazylika św. Pawła za Murami w Rzymie - 
kaplica św. Benedykta.
Photo: May 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Fczarnowski.
(Wikimedia Commons)


On 29 June 2009, Pope Benedict XVI announced that Carbon-14 dating of bone fragments in the Sarcophagus confirmed a date in the 1st- or 2nd-Century. "This seems to confirm the unanimous and uncontested tradition that they are the mortal remains of the Apostle Paul,", Benedict announced at a Service in the Basilica to mark the end of the Vatican's Pauline Year in honour of the Apostle. With the bone fragments, archaeologists discovered some grains of incense, and pieces of purple linen with gold sequins and blue linen textiles.

A curved line of bricks, indicating the outline of the Apse of the Constantinian Basilica, was discovered immediately to the West of the Sarcophagus, showing that the original Basilica had its entrance to the East, like Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The larger 386 A.D. Basilica, that replaced it, had the Via Ostiense (the road to Ostia) to the East and so was extended Westward, towards the river Tiber, changing the orientation diametrically.



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