The Gloria

[jam070406]

I heard on a podcast that Pope St. Telesphorus (127-137) wrote the Gloria. I tried to find info on this but only found one source that said he added it to the Liturgy. Another source said he was the first to have the Gloria sung. Does anyone know anything about this? I find this very fascinating.

 

[Breviarylover]

I heard on a podcast that Pope St. Telesphorus (127-137) wrote the Gloria. I tried to find info on this but only found one source that said he added it to the Liturgy. Another source said he was the first to have the Gloria sung. Does anyone know anything about this? I find this very fascinating.

This is what I found here: cfpeople.org/books/pope/POPEp8.htm

St. Telesphorus is said also to have decreed that the Gloria in excelsis should be sung at the Christmas Mass and only at the Christmas Mass. This magnificent hymn of praise is not said at all Masses even today. As late as the eleventh century, though the Pope could say it oftener, priests were not allowed to say it except at Easter.

 

[bpbasilphx]

The Gloria (with a long expansion at the end) forms one of the main hymns of Matins (Orthros) in the Byzantine tradition.

It’s hard to tell from this where it originated, as popular prayers and hymns were borrowed back and forth among the different local churches.