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Pax vobis (orvobiscum), like the otherliturgical salutations (e.g.Dominus vobiscum), is of Scriptural origin. The Gospels contain such forms as: "veniet pax vestra, "pax vestra revertetur ad vos" (Matthew 10:13), "Pax huic domui" (Luke 10:5), "Pax vobis" (Luke 24:36;John 20:21, 26). The salutation, "Gratia vobis et pax" or "Gratia misericordia et pax", is the opening formula of most of theEpistles ofSt. Paul and of St. Peter, and occurs also in those of St. John as well as in the Apocalypse. The formula was quoted from theOld Testament byOur Lord and HisApostles (cf. especially "Pax vobiscum", "Pax tecum",Genesis 43:23;Judges 6:23), and was thus naturally preserved in the liturgy and inChristian epigraphy as a memorial of Apostolic times. Like theDominus vobiscum, it was first used in the liturgy (in the form ofPax vobis) by thebishop in welcoming the faithful at the beginning of the Mass before the Collect or theOratio. When theConfiteor,Introit,Gloria in excelsis were added at a later period, thePax vobis or theDominus vobiscum was preserved. The formPax vobis is now employed bybishops andprelates only —Dominus vobiscum being used bypriests — at the first Collect. Hence theDominus vobiscum became the ordinary introduction to all the orations and most of theprayers. The Greeks have preserved thePax omnibus orPax vobiscum. There was formally a certain rivalry between the two formulae,Pax vobis andDominus vobiscum, and some councils (notably that ofBraga in 563)ordained that bothbishops andpriests should employ the same form of salutation (for the texts, see the bibliography). Besides this episcopal orsacerdotal salutation, the wordsPax tecum,Pax vobis, orPax vobiscum are used in the Liturgy at thekiss of peace. On such occasions the Liturgy containsprayers or collectsad pacem (cf. Kiss; Cabrol in "Dict. d'archéol. et de liturgie", s.v. "Baiser de Paix", where all references are given). In the Ambrosian Liturgy, at the end of the Mass, the people are dismissed with the words: "Ite in pace" (cf. "Auctarium Solesmense", 95). Dom Martene (op. cit. in bibliography, III, 171, 174) gives other instances of the use of the word Pax. InChristian epigraphy there is a variety of formulae: pax; in pace; pax tecum; vivas in pace; requiescat in pace; pax Christi tecum sit; anima dulcissima requiescas in pace; dormit in pace; in locum refrigerii, lucis et pacis (from the formula in the Mass at the Momento of the Dead).SeeEARLY CHRISTIAN INSCRIPTIONS; Le Blant, "Inscriptions chret. de la Gaule", I, 264, etc.;Northcote, "Epitaphs of the Catacombs" (London, 1878), v, and bibliography.
In addition to the works and articles cited in the text, consult: Peter Damian, an opusculum onDominus Vobiscum inP.L. CXLV, 234; Zaccaria,Onomasticon, s. vv.Pax vobis andSalutatio episcopalis; BonaRerum liturg., III, 12, 88 sqq.; Smith,Dict. of Christ. Antiq., s.v.Pax (cf.Dominus vobiscum);De dignitate sacerdotali (not written by St. Ambrose, as was long believed, but by Gerbert), v, inP.L.., XVII, 598 and CXXXIX, 175, contains an important text on this subject; RoccaDe salutatione sacerdotis in missa et divinis officiis inThesaurus antiquitat., I (Rome, 1745), 236; Martene,De antiq. eccles. ritibus, I, 151 sqq.; Mamachi,Origines et antiq. christ., IV, 479; III, 17, 19;Ephemerides liturg. (Feb., 1910), 108; Probst,Die abendlandische Messe, 104, 404, 437; seeDominus Vobiscum, V, 114; Cabrol inDict. d'archeol. chret., s.v.Acclamations. For the formulaPax and other formulas in funeral epigraphy, cf.EARLY CHRISTIAN INSCRIPTIONS; Kirsch,Die Acclamationen u. Gebete der altchristl. Grabschriften (Cologne, 1897); IdemLes acclamations des epitaphes chret. de l'antiquite et les prieres liturg. pour les defunts in IVCongres scientifique des Catholiques (Fribourg, 1898), 113-22; Syxto,Notiones archaeol. christ., II,Epigraphia, 94 sqq.; Cabrol,La priere pour les morts inRevue d'apologetique (15 Sept., 1909); Idem,Livre de la priere antique, 67, 69.
APA citation.Cabrol, F.(1911).Pax in the Liturgy. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11595a.htm
MLA citation.Cabrol, Fernand."Pax in the Liturgy."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 11.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1911.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11595a.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Lawrence Progel.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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