Chapter 55
Section 55 of History of Rome and the Popes in the Middle Ages, Volume 3, by Hartman Grisar. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 5, Some Phases of Ecclesiastical Life in Rome, Part 6. The admission into the church of converts from paganism, or initiato Christiana, preparation for baptism.
The catechumenate in the 6th century was no longer organized as it had been in an earlier age. The circumstance that there were no longer so many adult converts as at first, and on the other hand, the far greater number of children brought into the church by baptism involved an alteration of the ancient rules regarding preparation for baptism. In spite of this, the customs observed even then bore the stamp of a most venerable antiquity,
antiquity and were both complex and profoundly significant. They are principally known to us through the 7th Roman Ordo, that is, the so-called rule of scrutiny of the Roman Church, which also contains information regarding the solemn Easter baptism. This Ordo belongs, in its main features, to the 6th century. In the Gelasian Sacramentary, we possess, moreover, a 5th century compilation of rubrics and prayers, which had probably been but little
changed in the following century. In the so-called Gregorian Sacramentary, on the contrary, both the preparation and the actual rite of baptism, in comparison with the authorities just mentioned, seem revised and abbreviated in the manner which in later years became gradually the rule. In what follows, we shall therefore be justified in taking our stand on the Ordo and on the so-called Sacramentary of Gelasius, since, with the exception of a few dubious passages,
there is no doubt that they belong at least to the 6th century. The first scrutinium, or the first gathering of the candidates for baptism, was held on Wednesday in the third week of Lent. After this, there were five other scrutinies at fixed intervals, the last being on Holy Saturday, that is, the Vigil of Easter. These meetings were termed scrutinies on account of the examination of the grown-up candidates, for whom indeed they
were instituted. When occasion arose, others of the faithful might then give their views as to the advisability of admitting the candidates. The catechumens themselves, or their godparents, were, however, obliged to attend the instructions and give an account of their faith. At all the scrutinies, sermons on Christian doctrine were preached to the elder catechumens. Splendid examples of the instructions given on such occasions are found in the famous
catechesis of St. Cyril of Jerusalem and in the homilies of St. Augustine entitled Ad Competentes. The Competentes, or electi, that is, aspirants or chosen ones, were the candidates for baptism so soon as they had been ceremoniously admitted among the number of the catechumens. In Rome in the 6th century, the solemn formality of admission took place at the first scrutiny.
The meeting was announced to the public two days beforehand, that is, at the station on the Monday after the third Sunday in Lent. The words then used conveyed to the faithful an invitation to be present, at the heavenly mystery by which the evil one and the spirit of the world are overcome, and the gates of the kingdom of heaven thrown open. At the actual meeting, which was held in a basilica, an accoleth first took the names both of those who offered themselves for baptism,
and of those prepared to act as sponsors, or petrini, to the various candidates. He then placed the candidates in rows, the men on the right and the women on the left, again reading their names aloud. The priests then came forward, breathed upon the face of each, following the example of Christ, who had breathed upon his apostles to symbolize the coming of the Holy Ghost, and then made the sign of the cross upon their foreheads with his thumb. This done, he
stretched his hand over their heads and said the prayer, which in the Gelasian sacramentary is entitled Ad Catechumen Faciendum. There then followed the symbolic ceremony of the salt, one peculiar to the Roman rite. The priest first exercised the salt and then placed a pinch in the mouth of each candidate, the accompanying words signifying that the salt is a sign of heavenly wisdom. In the 6th century, John the deacon, in an epistle to a certain noble named Cenarius,
who had requested information regarding the customs prevailing in Rome during preparation for baptism, says of the ceremony of the breathing and of the salt. The breathing upon takes place to give the evil spirit notice that he is to be evicted by the Holy Ghost and to prepare for the entry of Christ our God. The unbaptized person is a dwelling place for Satan. He must become the abode of our Savior. Against the evil one, now doomed, a mere breath is deemed sufficient,
for that is all the old rebel against God deserves. Salt, he continues, serves in the natural order of things to season and preserve flesh. We too season the spirit of the neophyte with the blessed salt of wisdom and the teaching of the word of God, that he may gain fortitude and health against the corruption of the earthly spirit. After receiving the priest's blessing, the new electee withdrew to the places appointed for them near the entrance of the basilica. Mass then began,
according to the proper for the occasion. This mass of the scrutiny, which we still have, contains special prayers for the newly enrolled catechumens. After the colect, however, and before the lessons, the deacon cried, Let the catechumens approach. They advanced, and after their names had again been called, they were placed to the right and left of the predella, occupied by the priest, that they might be formally exercised. This proceeding began with another order from the
deacon. Pray, ye chosen ones, bend your knees. They knelt and prayed in silence. Again the words rang out, Arise, complete your prayer in unison, and say Amen. The Flectimus Genoa and the Levate is still repeatedly heard, even in the Catholic liturgy of the present day, where it tellingly reminds us of customs of earliest ages. The catechumens by order of the deacon were further marked with the sign of the cross on their foreheads by their godfathers and godmothers,
and then exorcised, one after the other, by three acholists, originally by exorcists. Each of these made the sign of the cross and imposed his hand upon the neophytes, reciting, meanwhile, the formula of exorcism, in which Satan, who is presumed to reign in the soul, yet entangled in original sin, is ordered, For the future to have nothing in common with the servants of God,
who are resolved to turn their backs upon his kingdom. but to hand them over to the Redeemer of the world. The God of angels and of archangels, the God of the prophets and martyrs, is implored to guide the catechumens to the grace of baptism. Peter, in the midst of the storm, walking over the sea to Christ,
Susanna delivered from the hands of her calumniators, are the types to which the Church, in these fine and vigorous prayers of antiquity, refers the catechumen that they may take courage by reflecting upon them. There was then again a spell of silent prayer, commenced and terminated at the deacon's command, after which the priest again made the sign of the cross over the neophytes and gave them his blessing. There followed the
lessons of the mass. The deacon then cried, Let the catechumens depart, repeating the formula with slight variations, a second and a third time. The crowd of candidates, obedient to the command, retired to the so-called narthex of the church, and the mass proceeded. As yet, they were not entitled to take any direct part in the mysteries of the altar. Their relatives, or sponsors on their behalf, during the sacrifice, offered the usual oblations in the shape of bread and wine,
which were placed on the high altar or on one of the auxiliary tables. At the memento, before the consecration, the names of the godfathers and godmothers were rehearsed with a prayer to God to be mindful of them. At the hankigator, those of the catechumens were also recited with a petition appropriate to their state. At the end of the Mass, all present communicated except the catechumens, who so far had not been formally initiated into the mysteries. The mention of this communion of
all the faithful, found in the seventh ordo, is a relic of much earlier days. In the sixth century, such general communions had already become exceptional. The second, fourth, fifth, and sixth scrutinies were celebrated in the same manner, but the third scrutinium had a character of its own. At this third assembly took place the bestowal, or traditio, of the creed, of the gospels, and of the Lord's Prayer. The ceremony was called the Introduction to the Law, or also
the Opening of the Ears, or Aperitio Aureum. After the exorcisms already described had been repeated, the Mass proceeded in the presence of the Neophytes, excerpts from the prophet Isaiahs and from the epistles of St. Paul, bearing on the ceremony, were read. Then four deacons, each bearing a book of the gospels, advanced to the altar. They were accompanied, as at the present day the deacon is, when he sings the gospel. By a thoroughfare, boat bearer, and two candle bearers, they placed the
four gospels upon the four corners of the altar, which was isolated. The priest then read an address to the neophytes from the book of the liturgy, telling them how the gospel is being revealed to them, and explaining what is meant by the sacred name of gospel or good tidings. After this, the first deacon read the beginning of the gospel according to St. Matthew, which the priests then expounded, showing how this evangelist was usually figured as a man,
because at the beginning of his gospel, he describes in detail the human descent of Christ. The same thing happened with the three other Gospels. After the commencement of each had been read aloud by one of the deacons, the meaning of the symbol bestowed on its rider was explained by the priest. Mark was the lion, because at the beginning of his Gospel,
he speaks of the voice in the wilderness. Luke was the sacrificial ox, because he records the sacrifice of Zachary at the outset. Finally, John is the eagle, because at the beginning of his Gospel, he soars to the highest among the mysteries and proclaims the incarnation of the word of God. Even then, these four symbols of the evangelists were frequently alluded to by ecclesiastical
writers and made use of by Christian artists. The real reason why these symbols were chosen is pointed out in a passage from one of the priest's addresses, where it is said that in the prophecy of Ezekiel, the four living creatures seen by the prophet about the chariot of the cherubim, the man, the lion, the ox, and the eagle, were types of the evangelists. After this general introduction to the Gospels, which, doubtless, was supplemented by the priest,
the formal profession of faith was read to the neophytes. The priest, in an introductory discourse, extolled the symbol or creed they were accepting. It was inspired of God, taught by the apostles, briefly worded in deed, but abounding in mysteries. The bestowal of the creed took place separately, once for the Greeks who happened to be present, and a second time for the Latins. In the period when the Byzantines ruled Rome, the candidates usually stood divided into groups,
according to their language, Greek or Latin. And Alcolith accordingly took a Greek boy in his arms, and the priest put to the bearer and the group he represented the question, In what tongue do these confess our Lord Jesus Christ? The Alcolith replied, In Greek. Whereupon the priest said, Make known the faith, as they must confess it. And the Alcolith, in a loud voice, proceeded to recite the creed in Greek, meanwhile holding his hand above the boy's
head. In the Gelasian Sacramentary at this point, we even find the creed in Greek, though written in Latin characters. Pissevo is henna, Theon patera, etc. The same ceremony was gone through by the acolith and priest with a Greek girl. The second acolith did the same for the Latins, first with a boy and then with a girl, reciting over them the creed in Latin, after the formal question had been put, In what tongue do they confess our Lord Jesus Christ? Originally, the formula used was always
that of the so-called Apostles' Creed, though the Gelasian Sacramentary and the Ordo, for use on this occasion, both give the Niceno-Constantinopolan creed in two languages. As, however, under Pope Leo III, 795-816. This creed was no longer in use. Its appearance at the baptismal services would seem to have been quite transitory. Perhaps it was introduced by the popes at the time of the Byzantine restoration out of regard for Constantinople. In a concluding discourse,
the priests repeated in different words the contents of the symbol and advised the neophytes to commit it to memory, that with this weapon in their hand, they might, as soldiers of Christ, be able to escape the snares of the evil one. Upon this followed the third short ceremony of the bestowal of the Lord's Prayer. Here, too, the priest explained in a few words the value of this prayer taught us by God's Word and Wisdom, Christ the Lord. The Lord's Prayer was then repeated
aloud, sentence by sentence, a short exposition of its meaning, accompanying each petition. After a final admonition to make good use of the mysteries of Catholic belief, now entrusted to them, with the Gospels, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, the electee withdrew. They now took their places in the narthex till the conclusion of the holy sacrifice, at which again offerings were made on their behalf by others and the communion of the faithful.
At the subsequent scrutinies, the instructions given concerning the truths of salvation became increasingly full. It is true our authorities say nothing of any such instruction, but it stands to reason that it took place. It must have borne particularly on the Holy Eucharist, which was to be received at the baptismal ceremony. Baptism and communion form the culminating point of the Christian initiation. For this reason, on the sarcophagus of the city
prefect, Junius Bassus, who died as a neophyte. Neophytus id ad deum. As we saw elsewhere, besides the sacrament of baptism, the mystery of the Eucharist was also represented by symbolic actions carried out by lambs. The scene of the giving of the law to a lamb is explained by the ceremony just described of the bestowal of the gospel at the third scrutiny. The scrutinies were, therefore repeated for further instruction, and had to be seven in number, that as the Ordo says,
the sevenfold gift of the Holy Spirit, which the baptized receive, might be thereby expressed. On the day before Easter took place the last exorcism of the neophytes, this time not by an acolyth as before, but by a priest. This ceremony was rendered still more impressive by the Ephithah, While the candidates were drawn up as usual right and left, according to Sacks, the priest signed them with the cross, laid his hand upon them, and gave notice to the evil one that that very day he
would have to quit once for all, all those chosen for baptism, since Christ enters into possession of them. He then touched their upper lip and their eyes with his finger, moistened with spittle, as our Savior touched the man born blind, and said, Ephatha, which is being interpreted, open to an odor of sweetness. But thou, cursed devil, take to flight, for the judgment of God is at hand. Ceaselessly, indeed, did the church in her ceremonies assail the power of darkness,
which dominated pagan society, and had been called by Christ the Prince of this world, and by St. John, the great dragon and the old serpent, who seduceth the whole world. Another symbolic act, according to the Gelasian Sacramentary, succeeded the Ephatha. The neophytes were anointed with blessed oil on the breast and on the back. This was in imitation of the athletes, who were also smeared with oil before their wrestling matches. The neophytes were also
compelled to walk barefooted, again probably, in imitation of the customary procession, or pompa, of the athletes in the amphitheater. To this action, a symbolic meaning was, however, attached, and it was taken as showing, as John the Deacon puts it, that the newly baptized would never be deterred by the dangers or difficulties which they might meet on the road of life. But they were expressly reminded of the spiritual contest for which they were preparing in the three questions
addressed to each. Dost thou renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his pomps? To which questions the answer was, I do renounce them. After this, the neophyte had, as the expression ran, to return the creed. He had received it before to be learnt and pondered, and now he had to profess it, by either reciting it himself or having it repeated for him by others, the latter being the manner adopted in the case of infants. Having done this, they all, as before, fell upon
their knees in response to the deacon's command, and after a silent prayer, followed by an Amen, chanted in common, were dismissed by the same official. In such wise were the solemn and mysterious preliminaries completed by which the Roman Church prepared her new members to be born anew in the waters of baptism. St. Augustine, in a fervent and impressive sermon to his catechumens, preached long before in Christian Africa, where Roman customs were so reverently followed,
explains the significance of many of the ceremonies just described, his allusions showing clearly enough that the rite in use in his time coincided in the main with that found later. He speaks to the catechumens of the exorcisms, of the prayers and chants, of the breathing upon, of the hair shirt, the prostrations, the bearing of the feet, and the various other practices to which they had submitted. He alludes to the holy awe which pervades the ceremony and raises all
hearts, and tells the neophytes that they will find therein the spiritual food with which Mother church nourishes her children, yet unborn, while bearing them in her womb, till their birth on the great feast. The church is the woman in travail in the apocalypse, whom the dragon awaits to devour the fruit of her womb. Arm yourselves, cries the orator. With the creed of faith, solemnly bestowed on you, by means of which the church, your virgin mother, also triumphantly defends
herself. Take his words to your heart, whence by our exorcisms we have banished the evil one. Remember that you have said, I renounce all his pomps, and that this promise made was not merely to men, but to God and his angels, and was entered, so to speak, in the books of heaven. End of section 55.
