FIRST TIME EVER: Anglican Evensong sung in St. Peter’s Basilica

[ComplineSanFran]

"Today, for the first time ever, Anglican Choral Evensong was celebrated at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

Anglican Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican center in Rome, presided at the 3 pm service, with music sung by the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Archbishop Arthur Roche, Vatican Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, preached a homily. Pope Francis did not attend."

aleteia.org/2017/03/13/first-time-ever-anglican-evensong-sung-in-st-peters-basilica/

Nice! I have heard the choir from Merton College, Oxford, and they are one of the best. St Peter’s Basilica had themselves a glorious gift today. I don’t know if you have ever attended Evensong at an Anglican church or Cathedral, but it is one of the most beautiful liturgies we have.

I’m glad that a bit of our liturgy can illuminate and inspire those in Rome.

 

[GKC]

"Today, for the first time ever, Anglican Choral Evensong was celebrated at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

Anglican Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican center in Rome, presided at the 3 pm service, with music sung by the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Archbishop Arthur Roche, Vatican Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, preached a homily. Pope Francis did not attend."

aleteia.org/2017/03/13/first-time-ever-anglican-evensong-sung-in-st-peters-basilica/

Nice! I have heard the choir from Merton College, Oxford, and they are one of the best. St Peter’s Basilica had themselves a glorious gift today. I don’t know if you have ever attended Evensong at an Anglican church or Cathedral, but it is one of the most beautiful liturgies we have.

I’m glad that a bit of our liturgy can illuminate and inspire those in Rome.

The Anglican center/chapel my parish/diocese supports at the local university, does Sunday Evensong. Somewhat more modestly.

Wonder if Fr. Ruggero was there?

 

[adamhovey1988]

I don’t have a problem with this I mean after all we Catholics do have members in our ranks that worship using the Anglican use liturgy. I mean as long as it was nothing The Church would say was heretical I don’t think it’s a problem

 

[GKC]

I don’t have a problem with this I mean after all we Catholics do have members in our ranks that worship using the Anglican use liturgy. I mean as long as it was nothing The Church would say was heretical I don’t think it’s a problem

I’m guessing Archbishop Roche didn’t have a problem with it, either.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

I don’t have a problem with this I mean after all we Catholics do have members in our ranks that worship using the Anglican use liturgy. I mean as long as it was nothing The Church would say was heretical I don’t think it’s a problem

What would be heretical about Evensong? Scripture? The music, which is usually based on Scripture? The prayers? (Perhaps the one for the Queen might be questionable, but most of them are pretty orthodox.) The Creed? The Lord’s Prayer?

I think this is something we should celebrate.

 

[Matt241]

Perhaps the one for the Queen might be questionable…,

English Catholics have prayers for the Queen, what’s wrong with asking God to look with favour upon the monarch.

The Church of England Evensong text:

“O LORD, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies; and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

[Picky_Picky]

Some more, including pictures:

anglicancentreinrome.org/Groups/108980/Anglican_Centre_in/News/News.aspx

 

[7_Sorrows]

Do the Anglican ordinariates also have Evensong services? I think it is very positive that it was sung for the first time ever in St. Peter’s Basilica!

 

[Picky_Picky]

Do the Anglican ordinariates also have Evensong services? I think it is very positive that it was sung for the first time ever in St. Peter’s Basilica!

They do, although I don’t know whether they have the choral resources for Choral Evensong rather than Spoken.

 

[Picky_Picky]

"Today, for the first time ever, Anglican Choral Evensong was celebrated at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

Anglican Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican center in Rome, presided at the 3 pm service, with music sung by the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Archbishop Arthur Roche, Vatican Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, preached a homily. Pope Francis did not attend."

aleteia.org/2017/03/13/first-time-ever-anglican-evensong-sung-in-st-peters-basilica/

Nice! I have heard the choir from Merton College, Oxford, and they are one of the best. St Peter’s Basilica had themselves a glorious gift today. I don’t know if you have ever attended Evensong at an Anglican church or Cathedral, but it is one of the most beautiful liturgies we have.

I’m glad that a bit of our liturgy can illuminate and inspire those in Rome.

Yes, nice. But some very nasty comments under your link.

 

[GKC]

Yes, nice. But some very nasty comments under your link.

Off-key. Like all too many comments sections.

 

[Picky_Picky]

The only thing I would say from the pictures is that it all looks too light. No doubt there were many present who needed light to follow the liturgy, and it was held early-ish in the afternoon, but in my ignorant opinion Evensong is best in a dimly-lit church, just the lamps for the choir and at the lectern and in the chancel, with a real sense of night about to fall:

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

[GKC]

The only thing I would say from the pictures is that it all looks too light. No doubt there were many present who needed light to follow the liturgy, and it was held early-ish in the afternoon, but in my ignorant opinion Evensong is best in a dimly-lit church, just the lamps for the choir and at the lectern and in the chancel, with a real sense of night about to fall:

I knew you were a traditionalist.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

 

[Picky_Picky]

I knew you were a traditionalist.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Oh, in some things, yes — if the tradition still works. Otherwise I’m a dangerous radical. But bacon and eggs are still a perfect combination, and Jane Austen is still a genius. I think mysteries should be mysterious, and acts of drama should be dramatic. And, anyway, a semi-darkened church gives a chilly sense of what it must have been like for my peasant forebears to go to church when Cranmer was putting the BCP together, and it was a long walk through darkening muddy fields and lanes, and artificial light was vastly expensive, and there were very evident perils and dangers in the night ahead.

 

[GKC]

Oh, in some things, yes — if the tradition still works. Otherwise I’m a dangerous radical. But bacon and eggs are still a perfect combination, and Jane Austen is still a genius. I think mysteries should be mysterious, and acts of drama should be dramatic. And, anyway, a semi-darkened church gives a chilly sense of what it must have been like for my peasant forebears to go to church when Cranmer was putting the BCP together, and it was a long walk through darkening muddy fields and lanes, and artificial light was vastly expensive, and there were very evident perils and dangers in the night ahead.

Indeed.

 

[Stat_Crux]

What would be heretical about Evensong? Scripture? The music, which is usually based on Scripture? The prayers? (Perhaps the one for the Queen might be questionable, but most of them are pretty orthodox.) The Creed? The Lord’s Prayer?

I think this is something we should celebrate.

Evensong heretical? Nothing heretical as far as I’m aware.

More like schismatic; in implying that the Anglican church is somehow a valid alternative to the Church instituted by Christ Himself.

It’s one thing for an Anglican to not be Catholic because they have no way of knowing that it is the true Church. But it’s an altogether different story for those Catholics who know the Catholic Church is true, but yet see no reason to encourage our separated brothers and sisters to return to the Church and the understanding of all seven of her Sacraments.

 

[porthos11]

Evensong heretical? Nothing heretical as far as I’m aware.

If there’s any heresy in the Book of Common Prayer, it would be in the Black Rubric and the Thirty-Nine Articles printed at the back. But one would be hard-pressed to find heresy in the prayers themselves, be it Evensong or The Communion.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

It’s one thing for an Anglican to not be Catholic because they have no way of knowing that it is the true Church. But it’s an altogether different story for those Catholics who know the Catholic Church is true, but yet see no reason to encourage our separated brothers and sisters to return to the Church and the understanding of all seven of her Sacraments.

Ah, but the times, they are changing. It is the year to commemorate the Reformation with the Lutherans. It is when we are watching the Anglicans play the RCs in football. It is seeing the Pope visit the Anglican church in Rome, and now Oxford sings Evensong in the Basilica. We non-RCs are here and are proud to be here.

 

[Stat_Crux]

Ah, but the times, they are changing. It is the year to commemorate the Reformation with the Lutherans. It is when we are watching the Anglicans play the RCs in football. It is seeing the Pope visit the Anglican church in Rome, and now Oxford sings Evensong in the Basilica. We non-RCs are here and are proud to be here.

Times may change, but Doctrine does not; this is a Catholic forum.

We also commemorate the two world wars, but that does not mean we support them or believe them to be justified. Instead, remembering the horrors committed and the sacrifices, both sides strive not to repeat the same mistakes.

 

[twf]

Times may change, but Doctrine does not; this is a Catholic forum.

We also commemorate the two world wars, but that does not mean we support them or believe them to be justified. Instead, remembering the horrors committed and the sacrifices, both sides strive not to repeat the same mistakes.

Winning a lot of souls to Catholicism with this sort of rhetoric and crude analogies?

I’ll take Rome’s approach, thanks.