Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/571

 VOTIVE

509

VOTIVE

n which a Mass may be said which docs not so cor- Bspond. These are votive Masses.

The principle of the votive Mass is older than its ame. Almost at the very origin of the Western turgies (with their principle of change according to he Calendar) Mass was occasionally oflfered, appar- ntly with special prayers and lessons, for some par- icular intention, irrespective of the normal Office of he day. Among the miracles quoted by St. Augus- ine in "De civ. Dei", XXII, 8, is the story of one lesperius cured of an e\'il spirit by a private Mass lid in his house with special prayers for him — a otive Mass for his cure. The first Sacramentaries ontain many examjiles of what we should call votive lasses. So the Leonine book has Masses "in natale piscoporum" (ed. Feltoe, pp. 123-26), "de siccitate pmporis" (ibid., 142), "contra impetitorcs" (ibid., 7), and so on throughout. Indeed the Masses for rdination and for the dead, which occur in this book nd throughout the Roman and Gallican Rites, are pally examples of votive Masses for all kinds of ccasions, for ordinations (ed. Wilson, pp. 22-30, tc), for those about to be baptized (ibid., 34), nniversaries of ordination (153-54), nuns (156), ar the sick (282), for marriages (2(55), kings (276), ravellers (283), the dead (301 sq.), and a large col- ny Sunday (224-44). In this book the name first ccurs, "Missa votiva in sanctorum commemora- ione" (p. 367; Rheinau and S. Gallen MSS.). The Jregorian Sacrament ary, too, has a large collection of uch Masses and the name "Missa votiva" (e. g., '. L., LXXVIII, 256).
 * ction of Masses of general character to be said on

So all through the Middle Ages the votive Mass r&s a regular institution. The principle came to be hat, whereas one ofTicial (capitular) high Mass was aid corresponding to the Office, a priest who said a rivate Mass for a special intention said a votive /lass corresponding to his intention. The great umber of forms provided in medieval Missals fur- ished one for any possible intention. Indeed it eems that at one time a priest normally said a votive (lass whenever he celebrated. John Beleth in the hirteenth century describes a series of votive Masses nee said (Juit quoddain lenipus) each day in the week: n Sunda}', of the Holy Trinity; Monday, for charity; ^uesday, for wisdom; Wednesday, of the Holy Ghost; ^hursday, of the Angels; Friday, of the Cross; Satur- lay, of the Blessed Virgin (Explic. div. offic, 51). I'his completely ignores the ecclesiastical year. But here was a general sentiment that, at least on the hief feasts, even private Masses should conform to he Office of the day. It is well known, for instance, hat our feast of the Holy Trinity began as a votive ilass to be said on any Sunday after Pentecost, when here was no feast. This idea of allowing votive classes to be said only when no special feast occurs inaUy produced the rules contained in our present oissal (1570). According to these we distinguish letween votive Masses strictly so called and votive fclasses in a wider sense. The first are those com- nanded to be said on certain days; the second kind, hose which a priest may say or not, at his discretion.

Strict votive Ma.sses are, first, tho.se ordered by the tibrics of the Mis.sal, namely a Ma.ss of the Blessed /irgin on every Saturday in the year not occupied by I double, 8emi-<lnuble, octave, vigil, feria of Lent, )r ember-day, or the transferred Sunday Office (Ruhr. 3cn., IV, i). This is the "Missa de S. Maria" n five forms for various seasons, among the votive Vlasses at the end of the Missal. To this we must idd votive Masses ordered by the pope or the ordi- lary for certain grave occasions (pro re gram). Such ire for the election of a pope or bishop, in time of war, jlague, persecution, and so on. Such votive Masses Day be ordered by the ordinary on all days except loubles of the first or second class, Ash Wednesday,

and the ferias of Holy Week, the eves of Christmas and Pentecost; except also days on which the office is said for the same intention or event as would be prescribed by the votive Mass. In this case the Mass should conform to the office as usual. A third kind of strictly votive Mass is that said during the devo- tion of the so-called "Forty Hours". On this occa- sion the Mass on the first and third days is of the Blessed Sacrament; on the second day it is for peace. But on doubles of the first and second class, Sundays of the first and second class, on Ash ^^■ednesday, in Holy Week, during the octaves of Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, on the eves of Christmas and Pentecost, the Mass of the day must be said, with the collect of the Blessed Sacrament added to that of the day under one conclusion.

The other kind of votive Mass (lale swnpia) may be said by any priest on a semidouble, simple or feria, at his discretion, except on Sunday, Ash Wednesday, the eves of Christmas, Epiphany, Pentecost, during the octaves of Ejjiphany, Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, Holy Week, and on All Souls' Day. Nor may a votive Mass be said on a day whose Office is already that of the same occasion; but in this case the corre- sponding Mass of the day must be said, according to the usual rubrics. A votive Mass may be taken from any of those at the end of the missal, or of the common of Saints, or of their propers, if the text does not imply that it is their feast. A Sunday or ferial Mass may not be used as a votive Mass. Nor may it be said of a Beatus, unless this be allowed by special indult.

The Gloria is to be said in votive Masses pro re gran unless the colour be violet; also in votive Masses of the Blessed Virgin on Saturday, of angels, whenever said, in those of saints, when said on a day on which they are named in the MartjTology or during their octaves. The Creed is said in solemn votive Masses pro re gravi. The first and third Masses of the Forty Hours have the Gloria and the Creed, not the Mass for Peace (but if said on a Sunday it has the Creed). Solemn votive Masses have only one collect; others are treated as semidoubles, with commemorations of the day, etc., according to the usual rule. The colour used for a votive Mass is the one which corresponds to the event celebrated; except that red is used for Holy Innocents. It is red for the election of a pope, white for the anniversary of a bishop's election or conse- cration, violet in the general case of asking for some special grace and for the Passion. The particular case of votive Masses for each day of the week, corresponding to votive Offices ordered by Leo XIII, is now abolished by the Decree "Divino afflatu" of 1 Nov., 1911. Requiems and Masses for marriages are really particular cases of a votive Mass, which are considered in their place (see Requiem, Masses of; Mass, Nuptial).

The unchangeable character of the Eastern litur- gies excludes anything really corresponding to our votive Mass. But they have a custom of singing certain troparia, sometimes of reading special lessons on certain anniversaries and occasions, which is vir- tually what is done in the Latin votive Mas.ses.

Bona. Rerum Uturgicarum libri II. I, xv, 3: Benedict XIV, De S.S. sacrificio Missa-. III. xxiii; db Heri>t, .S. Liturgia praxis, I (Louvain. 1894), 26-54; Le VAVAeaEUR-HoEOY, Manuel d» lituri/te. I (Paris, I9I0), 222-231.

Adrian Fortescue.

Votive Offerings is the general name given to those things vowed or d<>dicated to God, or a saint, and in consequence looked upon as set apart by this act of consecration. The idea is very old (Dhorme, "Choix des textes religeux assyro-babyloniens", XXXVII, Paris, 1907; Aristotle, "Pohtics", VII, xii), for it springs from man's instinctive attitude towards the higher powers. He looks upon them as control- ling by Providence the working of the world, and therefore addresses prayers to them. In order to