Exultet
The hymn in praise of the paschal candle sung by the deacon, in
the liturgy of Holy Saturday. In the missal the title of the hymn
is "Praeconium", as appears from the formula used at the blessing
of the deacon: "ut digne et competenter annunties suum Paschale
praeconium . Outside Rome, the use of the paschal candle appears
to have been very ancient in Italy, Gaul, Spain, and perhaps, from
the reference by St. Augustine (De Civ. Dei, XV, xxii), in Africa.
The Liber Pontificalis attributes its introduction in the local
Roman Church to Pope Zosimus. The formula used for the
"Praeconium" was not always the "Exultet", though it is perhaps
true to say that this formula has survived, where other
contemporary formulae have disappeared. In the "Liber Ordinum",
for instance, the formula is of the nature of a benediction, and
the Gelasian Sacramentary has the prayer "Deus mundi conditor",
not found elsewhere, but containing the remarkable "praise of the
bee -- possibly a Vergilian reminiscence -- which is found with
more or less modification in all the texts of the "Praeconium"
down to the present day. The regularity of the metrical cursus of
the "Exultet" would lead us to place the date of its composition
perhaps as early as the fifth century, and not later than the
seventh. The earliest manuscript in which it appears are those of
the three Gallican Sacramentaries: -- the Bobbio Missal (seventh
century), the Missale Gothicum and the Missale Gallicanum Vetus
(both of the eighth century). The earliest manuscript of the
Gregorian Sacramentary (Vat. Reg. 337) does not contain the
"Exultet", but it was added in the supplement to what has been
loosely called the Sacramentary of Adrian, and probably drawn up
under the direction of Alcuin.
As it stands in the liturgy, it may be compared with two other
forms, the Blessing of Palms, and the Blessing of the Baptismal
Font. The order is, briefly:
� An invitation to those present to join with the deacon in the
invocation of the blessing of God, that the praises of the candle
may be worthily celebrated. This invitation, wanting in the two
blessings just mentioned, may be likened to an amplified "Orate
fratres", and its antiquity is attested by its presence in the
Ambrosian form, which otherwise differs from the Roman. This
section closes with the "Per omnia saecula saeculorum", leading
into . . .
� "Dominus vobiscum" etc., "Sursum corda etc., "Gratias agamus"
etc. This section serves as the introduction to the body of the
"Praeconium", cast in the Eucharistic form to emphasize its
solemnity.
� The "Praeconium , proper, which is of the nature of a Preface,
or, as it is called in the Missale Gallicanum Vetus, a
contestatio. First, a parallel is drawn between the Passover of
the Old and the New Covenants, the candle being here a type of the
Pillar of Fire. And here the language of the liturgy rises into
heights to which it is hard to find a parallel in Christian
literature. We are drawn out of cold dogmatic statement into the
warmth of the deepest mysticism, to the region where, in the light
of paradise, even the sin of Adam may be regarded as truly
necessary and a happy fault". Secondly, the candle itself is
offered as a burnt-sacrifice, a type of Christ, marked by grains
of incense as with the five glorious wounds of His Passion. And,
lastly, the Praeconium ends with a general intercession for those
present, for the clergy, for the pope, and for the Christian
rulers. For these last the text as it stands cannot now be used.
The head of the Holy Roman Empire alone could be prayed for in
this formula, and the resignation (1804) of the prerogatives of
that august position, by the Emperor Francis II of Austria, has
left that position unfilled to the present day.
It remains to notice three accessories of the "Exultet": the
ceremonial carried on during its performance; the music to which
it has been sung; and the so called "Exultet-rolls" on which it
was sometimes written. The deacon is vested in a white dalmatic,
the rest of the sacred ministers are vested in purple. The
affixing of five grains of incense at the words incensi hujus
sacrificium has probably arisen from a misconception of the
meaning of the text. The lighting of the candle is followed by the
lighting of all the lamps and candles of the church, extinguished
since the close of Matins. The chant is usually an elaborate form
of the well-known recitative of the Preface. In some uses a long
bravura was introduced upon the word accendit, to fill in the
pause, which must otherwise occur during the lighting of the
candle. In Italy the Praeconium was sung from long strips of
parchment, gradually unrolled as the deacon proceeded. These
"Exultet Rolls" were decorated with illuminations and with the
portraits of contemporary reigning sovereigns, whose names were
mentioned in the course of the "Praeconium". The use of these
rolls, as far as is known at present, was confined to Italy. The
best examples date from the tenth and eleventh centuries.
CHARLTON BENEDICT WALKER
Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
edition on the World Wide Web. The coordinator is Kevin Knight,
editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to
contribute to this worthwhile project, you can contact him by e-
mail at (knight.org/advent). For more information please download
the file cathen.txt/.zip.
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