THE MASS--Its introduction but modern--The Spaniard Lainez opposed it--On
what grounds--Description of the ceremony--Its religious and secular
peculiarities--Sacerdotal vestments worn while celebrating it--High and
Low Mass--Both performed in an unknown tongue--Consequent indifference of
the congregation--Mercenary character of the mass--"_Masses for the
intention_"--Masses for the dead--The solemn mass on Christmas eve, or
_Noche buena_--Its profane accompaniments--Passion week--Thursday--Good
Friday--Adoration of the Cross--Processions--Anecdotes of Isabella
II.--Brilliant rites and ceremonies on the day after Good
Friday--Uproarious conduct of the faithful on that occasion--The mass as
celebrated at Toledo--Judicial combat, or judgment of God.
The mass is the chief rite in the Roman Catholic worship. The obligation
for all members of that church to hear it, on every Sunday and every
feast-day, is imperative and absolutely indispensable; and the infraction
of it is considered a mortal sin. Although the obligation does not
extend to those days of labour on which masses are said, yet pious and
devout persons go to hear it, and this act is considered as eminently
commendable and meritorious.
The introduction of the mass into Roman Catholic worship is of an epoch
comparatively modern. In the first centuries of the church, the divine
offices were but those of singing hymns and psalms, reading the Sacred
Scriptures, and the sermon. These rites being terminated, a collection
was made among believers for the relief of their poor; and the portion of
these alms which was _sent_ to such of them as could not attend the place
of worship was called _missa_, or _sent_, from the participle of the
Latin verb _mittere_, to send.
Many have been the disputes between Roman Catholic writers themselves
touching the epoch at which that part of the ceremonial called the mass,
used in the present day, was first introduced. There is no doubt that
many ages of the church passed away before it was considered as a
sacrifice; and even the Council of Trent were much divided in their
opinions on this point, and the fathers vacillated much before they
decided respecting it. The Spaniard Lainez, general of the order of
Jesuits, was one of the most strenuous opposers of the novelty, and gave
the same reasons for his opposition that all Protestant writers have
alleged against it, viz., that the New Testament abolished the sacrifice,
or rather, that ancient rites and ceremonies were superseded by the great
sacrifice of the Saviour of the world himself on the cross, and that the
idea itself involves the profanation that mortal and sinful man can
sacrifice on his altars at his will the immaculate Lamb of God. These
powerful objections were only met with excuses of convenience and
utility. The Council wrestled with the reformed doctrines, and contended
that its own system must necessarily be entirely different from that
taught by the Reformers, not only in substance but even in its accidents.
Reform denied Transubstantiation, and therefore the Roman church thought
it convenient to fortify that dogma by bringing it daily before the eyes
of the people, and constituting it an essential part of their worship.
If, in a Protestant point of view, the mass is considered as an attack on
the true spirit of Christianity, as upholding not only
transubstantiation, but also the doctrine of intercession of saints, yet
still, in the eyes of a good Roman Catholic, it is a rite full of
elevated thoughts, devout prayers, and highly proper and religious ideas.
The first part of the mass, from the _Introite_ to the _Offertory_, is
composed almost entirely of fragments of Scripture: such are, first, the
_Introite_, generally taken from the Psalms; secondly, the _Collect_,
which is the same as that in the Protestant Book of Common Prayer for
Sundays; thirdly, the _Epistle_, which is part of a chapter out of the
prophecies, or out of one of the epistles in the New Testament; fourthly,
the _Gradual_, also taken from the Psalms; and fifthly, the _Gospel_,
which, as its name indicates, is a portion of a chapter taken from some
one of the four evangelists. The parts added by the popes are, first,
the _Kyrie Eleyson_, taken from the rites of the Greek church; secondly,
the _Gloria_, which is a magnificent outburst of the most elevated
religious sentiments; and lastly, the _Symbol_ of the faith.
The _Offertory_, which is the second part of the mass, is one series of
prayers, in which the _Canon_ is prepared, by offering up the host (which
has to be consecrated in order to obtain upon it the blessing of the Most
High), and by invoking the intercession of the saints, and enumerating
all the graces and favours implored through the medium of the sacrifice.
The priest, in this part of the ceremony, washes his hands; he concludes
with the _Preface_, an act of thanksgiving, in which are explained some
of the mysteries of religion applicable to the day on which they are
celebrated. Among others of this latter class, the preface for the
Trinity is admired for its conciseness, and the elegance and accuracy
with which the composition explains that great mystery, in terms which
cannot be objected to even by any Protestant church.
After the offertory follows the canon, which is the preparation for the
consecration, and is also composed of prayers, in which a spirit of
penitence, and the invocation of the divine protection in the solemn act
about to be celebrated, form prominent features. The priest next takes
the host, pronounces over it the words of consecration, and elevates it,
so that the people may see and adore it. He does the like with the
chalice, and then prepares himself for the communion, which consists in
his eating the host and drinking the wine in the cup. Twice afterwards
he pours wine and water into the cup, and drinks off the contents, which
are called the _ablutions_. He pronounces other two prayers or
thanksgivings, blesses the people, and dismisses them with the formula,
"_Ite_, _missa est_," "Go, the mass is over." Still, however, he
continues to read, on ordinary days, in the first chapter of St John's
Gospel, or, on other solemn days, from the other evangelists.
All this is accompanied with various ceremonies, genuflections, and
changes of position. For example: the prayers are said in front of the
altar; the introite, the collect, and the epistle, on the right; the
gospel on the left; the priest, at certain parts of the ceremony, turning
his back upon the altar, and his face towards the people. In celebrating
the mass, it is required that the priest be dressed in certain vestments,
which are, in no small degree, complicated. Some of these are white, and
of linen. Others are of silk, and in colour varied according to the
solemnity of the day. For example: on the feast-day of a martyr, the
ornament is red; on the feasts of the Virgin, and on those on which are
celebrated any of the mysteries of the life of the Saviour, it is white;
in masses for the souls of the departed, of which we shall treat
hereafter, it is black; the violet colour is used in Advent and in Lent;
the green on some particular Sundays. The cathedral of Seville alone
enjoys the privilege, in all the Roman Catholic world, of using the
sky-blue colour on the day whereon is celebrated the Conception of the
Virgin.
On the altar at which mass is said, there ought to be, at least, a
crucifix, two wax lights, and a slab (_ara_) of stone. The cloth which
covers the chalice and the exterior adornment of the altar, called the
_frontal_, must be of the same colour as the ornament of the day.
There are two kinds of mass, high mass and low mass. The first is
generally performed by three priests, viz., the officiating priest, the
subdeacon, who chants the epistle, and the deacon, who chants the gospel.
In the high mass, the choir sings many parts of it, and the organ is
played at times by way of accompaniment, and at other times as a solo,
during the offertory and the canon. On these occasions incense is burned
to perfume the altar, after which the deacon perfumes the officiating
priest; and if persons of authority or distinction are in attendance at
the office of the mass, the acolytes perfume them with the incensories.
The most extraordinary, and, we may justly say, absurd thing in all this
complicated series of practices and ceremonies is, that the whole of them
are performed in a language which the people do not understand, and
consequently they play the part of mere spectators, without having one
single religious idea communicated to the mind, or one devout sentiment
to the heart. The people see nothing more than a man dressed in a
certain manner, moving from one side to another, and from whose lips are
proceeding words which are absolutely void of sense. Hence proceeds that
species of indifference with which the people regard that spectacle, an
indifference which degenerates into profanation and levity. In Spain,
particularly, it is quite common for lovers to converse with each other
during the mass; and the turbulent crowds which rush in towards the
conclusion, the noise, the haste, and, sometimes, the bad expressions
which fall on the ear, in the precincts of the edifice, form a strange
and scandalous contrast to the sacred character with which the church
seems anxious to invest the sacrifice of the mass. The greater number of
those persons who assemble to witness it, particularly the humble
classes, believe they have complied with the obligation they are under to
hear the mass, if even they only _see_ the priest; and so wearisome has
this duty become to the majority of Spaniards, that the most popular
priests are those who say the shortest masses.
We have heard such and such a father spoken of with enthusiasm who says
the mass in twelve minutes, although it appears impossible even to read
the parts composing it in less than eighteen or twenty. On the other
hand, when a devout and scrupulous priest recites these offices with due
deliberation, and performs the ceremonies with a becoming degree of
solemnity and decorum, the church is deserted. The popular phrase in
such cases is "Father So-and-so is heavy in the mass,"--("_El padre tiene
la misa pesada_.")
There are some persons who, during the mass, read their prayers
translated into Spanish; but this is really a French custom, and wholly
inadmissible among a people the great majority of whom are unable to
read. But the most objectionable thing in the mass is its mercenary
character. The object which induces a Christian to pay for a mass, is to
recompense the priest for applying the merits of the sacrifice to
_desires_ and _intentions_, sometimes not very pure, on the part of those
who pay.
Thus they pay for a mass to obtain the health of a sick person, security
during a journey, a good result from a speculation, or the preservation
of a soul from the fire of purgatory. Even robbers will give a certain
portion of their plunder to a priest to say a mass for their next
adventure. The ordinary phrase in these cases, at the time of paying the
father for the mass, is this:--"Say a mass for my _intention_;" so that
the priest has recourse to the throne of the Most High, immolates the
most sacred of victims, believes that he introduces to his own body that
of the Saviour, and all this without knowing why or wherefore! He who
orders a mass and pays for it has no need to reveal to any one his object
or intention; and if he likes to be silent, it is a want of discretion
and of delicacy on the part of the priest to question him on that point.
The price of a mass varies from a shilling to one pound sterling. A high
mass is much dearer, and its price depends on the pomp and ornaments
bespoken by the person desiring it. In wills and testaments it is very
common to order a number of masses to be said for the soul of the
testator; and even in recent times, it has been a common practice to
found what are called "pious works." These consist in giving to a church
a sum of money, a rural or a city property, bound by an obligation to say
so many masses in the year for the soul of the donor.
Whenever it happens that this obligation is disregarded, and the required
masses are not said, the Pope concedes a "bull of composition" (_bula de
composicion_), which, in effect, commands that a single mass shall serve
for all those which have been omitted. This kind of legislation will
appear incredible to all those who are ignorant of the irregularities of
the court of Rome; but every person who has lived in Spain knows that it
is of daily occurrence.
One of the most solemn masses in the year is that which is celebrated on
Christmas-eve at midnight, that being the hour at which, it is supposed,
the Saviour of the world was born. It is called "The mass of the cock,"
(_misa del gallo_), as having an allusion to the hour in which it is
celebrated. The hilarity of the Spaniards on this occasion is expressed
in a way more analogous to that accompanying heathen rites, than to any
which should pertain to Christian worship. Under pretext of taking part
in so happy a commemoration, they abandon themselves, during the whole
night, to the most noisy demonstrations of joy. Numerous parties of men
and women perambulate the streets, singing couplets, called
_villancicos_, which are exclusively applicable to this feast, and
playing on two species of musical instruments, having the most abominable
sound, called _raveles_ and _zambombas_, which are never used but on this
occasion. The churches are filled with people, who are far from
conducting themselves with that decorum and moderation belonging to the
place. The jovial dispositions then manifested are encouraged by the
organ, on which are played waltzes, polkas, and even the vulgar songs
heard at dances of the lower classes; and these performances are
distinctly heard whilst the priest is saying the mass. In general, the
believers, after having taken a part in the service, give themselves up
to all the disorders of excessive eating and drinking. Nothing in modern
times approximates so nearly to the orgies of antiquity as this
celebrating "the good night" (_la noche buena_) in Spain. Sometimes the
civil authorities are obliged to put a check upon them, but we believe
there is no instance in which the clergy have made the slightest attempt
to repress such scandalous disorders. We cannot see how the most zealous
Roman Catholic can justify a practice so opposed to the true spirit of
Christianity, and so deeply rooted in the public manners, that, in the
eyes of most Spaniards, any person who would dare to censure it would
pass for an unbeliever or a heretic.
There are two days in the year on which it is prohibited to say mass at
all; these are, Thursday in Passion-week and Good Friday. The English
tourists know the eminently dramatic character which distinguishes these
feasts at that season of the year in St Peter's at Rome. All the offices
of the seven days of that week are well calculated to excite the
imagination, and awaken in the coldest hearts the most lively sympathy
with the great events then commemorated. Every thing connected with
those rites breathes grief and sadness, and there is a certain mournful
solemnity in them which harmonises with the scenes of our Saviour's
passion. The chapters of the four Evangelists, containing the narrative
of that great event, from the going up of our Lord to Jerusalem to the
crucifixion, are chanted by three priests, each one taking a distinct
part. One takes the words in which the evangelist recounts those events;
another the words put into the mouths of Judas, Pilate, Peter, and the
other persons referred to in the narrative; and the third, whose voice is
generally a profound bass, the words of the Saviour. The solemnity of
the Thursday has for its object the institution of the eucharist, and the
long series of ceremonies in which this grand mystery is symbolised,
concludes by conducting, in solemn procession, the consecrated host from
the great altar of the church, where it has been preserved all the year,
to a wooden sanctuary in the same church, more or less richly adorned,
called the monument (_monumento_), which is dressed up with a profusion
of jewels, lights, and flowers, and remains all night guarded by some of
the devout, and, in towns which contain a garrison, by military
sentinels. Some of those monuments are, in truth, works of architecture
of great merit; and among them that of the cathedral of Seville is
distinguished for its gigantic dimensions, and for the richness and
elegance of its structure.
In the offices for Good Friday, the host is restored to the altar, with a
ceremony as solemn as that of the day preceding; and the services, which
are very long, refer to all the scenes of the crucifixion, including all
the passages in the prophecies and other parts of the Old Testament in
which the event is prefigured or foretold. After the offices are gone
through, the cross is placed on the ground, supported by a cushion, and
all the faithful, from the highest personages of the state down to the
meanest subject, bow down before it, kiss it, and leave some piece of
money on a plate placed by its side. In the royal chapel of the palace
are placed, close to the cross on this occasion, the files of the
proceedings against criminals who have been condemned to die. The
sovereign, in the act of adoration, takes into his hands one of those
files, which signifies the granting a pardon to the culprit whose trial
it contains. There is a pleasing anecdote related of the young Queen
Isabella II., that, being but a girl when she for the first time took a
part in this ceremony, and on being informed of its signification, she
took up _all_ the files placed before her; by which act of grace a free
pardon was extended to all the delinquents. {98}
During the whole night of Thursday until the Friday, the faithful go
about the streets in numerous companies visiting the different monuments.
Every foreigner who is present at these peregrinations would take
Spaniards for the most devout people in the world. The whole population
are at that time circulating through the streets. The use of coaches or
other vehicles is prohibited, and the churches are never empty. The
different regiments of the army, the functionaries of the tribunals, and
every public body, all these visit the monuments headed by their
respective chiefs. The queen sets the example, accompanied by all the
nobility, her ministers, and all the high officers of state. A sedan
chair of great magnificence is carried in the rear for her Majesty's use,
in case she should become fatigued.
On the Saturday after Good Friday only one mass is said, viz., high mass,
after the consecration of the oils and blessing the water for the service
of the daily ablutions of the faithful. This mass is dedicated to the
resurrection, and its rites have a character really striking and
romantic. When the offices commence, the altar is entirely covered with
a black veil, the church is in darkness, and not a single light to be
seen in the whole space. But on the intonation of the _Gloria in
excelsis Deo_, the veil divides itself into two parts, and is drawn to
the sides, which operation, suddenly performed, discloses hundreds of
lights and a most splendid profusion of ornaments. Then the bells, which
have been silent for the two preceding days, are set a-ringing,--pigeons
are let off upon the wing,--every one makes the greatest possible noise,
striking the benches of the church, firing rockets within its walls, and
salvos of artillery in the squares. Some churches enjoy the privilege of
saying only low masses (_misas rezadas_) on this day.
We have spoken of the obligation of all to hear mass on Sundays and
feast-days; and we should add that this is the only act of devotion
required from Spaniards on those days. By the words, "observe the
feasts," is understood, in Spain, that after joining in the mass, as
before stated, believers are at liberty to dedicate the day to every
species of diversion and profanity. In France and in England, it is
obligatory also to attend vespers on the Sundays. Not so, however, in
Spain, where, in the evenings, scarcely a person is to be seen in the
churches.
All truly religious men who read the foregoing remarks, and in which
there is not the least exaggeration or departure from the truth, will
imagine, doubtless, that the modern ecclesiastical authorities of the
peninsula have, at least, attempted to rectify all that is absurd and
irreverent in those practices, and to strip a ceremony so august and
imposing as that of the mass of all that a want of true devotion, and
that ignorance and neglect on the part of the clergy, has introduced to
that ceremony,--nevertheless it is not so; the clergy themselves appear
to co-operate in those attempts to pervert the ideas of the nation. The
proof of it is, that being ordered by all the councils, especially that
of Trent, to preach a sermon, during the high mass, explaining the gospel
for the day, as is done in all other Roman Catholic countries, yet in
Spain no such practice is observed, except in poor and small towns; so
that the Spaniard is not only wanting of that spiritual aliment which the
reading of the Bible is able to furnish, but also of a person to explain
those parts of Scripture which he has been hearing read, and in a strange
language, during the mass. Preaching, as has already been stated in our
introductory chapter, is in Spain reduced to panegyrics on the saints,
and to Lent-sermons,--which, in truth, have only reference to the gospel
for the day; and although this spiritual food is administered but seldom
and in small quantities, that is to say, eight or ten times from
Ash-Wednesday until Palm-Sunday, there is no doubt whatever of its
beneficial effects, and that by its means some temporal improvement in
the habits of the people evidently results from it. But, that season
over, the flock is abandoned by the shepherd, these slight impressions
wear off, and the people return to the same godless and mundane system of
life.
In the cathedral church of Toledo there is a particular chapel in which
the mass is celebrated, according to the rite called Mozarabe,
introduced, as its name indicates, in the time of the occupation by the
Moors, by the Christians who lived under their yoke in that city. The
Roman Catholic ritual having been made prevalent all over the peninsula
by the Great Isabella, and adopted in all the churches, the faithful of
Toledo still wished to preserve that form of ritual which they had
practised for many centuries. Although this portion of Spain's
ecclesiastical history is wrapt in great obscurity, and has given rise to
many disputes among learned men, yet it is certain that in order to
decide between that authority which wished to extinguish those remains of
antiquity, and the people who desired to preserve them, recourse was had
to what then went by the name of "the judgment of God," viz., a formal
duel, attended with all the ceremonies which the feudal system had
imported into Europe. The partisans of the Roman ritual placed their
defence of it in the hands of one knight-errant, and those of the
opposite party confided theirs to the care of another. He who defended
the Roman rite was conquered in the fight; and although the conditions of
the combat were not entirely observed, because the cathedral and the
other churches of Toledo were, after all, reduced to the authority of the
Pope, yet a chapter of canons was instituted, to whom was conceded the
privilege of saying mass according to the ritual of the conquerors.