 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Secret" liturgy – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2024) |
Thesecret (Latin:Oratio secreta,lit. 'set-apart prayer') is a prayer said in a low voice by thepriest orbishop during religious services.
In theRoman Rite thesecreta is said by thecelebrant at the end of theOffertory in theMass.[1] It is the original and for a long time was the onlyoffertory prayer. It is said in a low voice merely because it was said at the same time the choir sang the Offertory, and it has inherited the special name of Secret as being the only prayer said in that way at the beginning.
The silent recital of theCanon (which is sometimes called "Secreta") did not begin earlier than the sixth or seventh century. The present offertory prayers are late additions, not made in Rome until the fourteenth century. Before that the offertory act was made in silence, and the corresponding prayer that followed it was the Secret. Since it is said silently the Secret is not introduced by the invitation to the people: "Oremus."
The Secret is part of theAccentus of the Mass, changing for each feast or occasion, and is built up in the same way as theCollect. The Secret too alludes to the saint or occasion of the day. But it keeps its special character inasmuch as it nearly always (always in the case of the old ones) asks God to receive theeucharist and sanctify it. All this is found exactly as now in the earliest surviving Secrets, those of theLeonine Sacramentary. Already there the Collect, Secret,Postcommunion, and "Oratio ad populum" form a connected and homogeneous group of prayers. So the multiplication of Collects in one Mass entailed a corresponding multiplication of Secrets. For every Collect the corresponding Secret is said.
The name "Secreta" is used in theGelasian Sacramentary; in the Gregorian book these prayers have the title "Super oblata." Both names occur frequently in the earlyMiddle Ages. InOrdo Rom. II the prayer is called "Oratio super oblationes secreta". In theGallican Rite there was also a variable offertory prayer introduced by an invitation to the people; it had no special name. In theAmbrosian Rite the prayer called "Oratio super sindonem" (Sindon for the veil that covers the oblata) is said while the Offertory is being made and another "Oratio super oblata" follows after theCreed, just before thePreface. In theMozarabic Rite, after an invitation to the people, to which they answer "Præsta æterne omnipotens Deus," the celebrant says a prayer without a special name that corresponds to the Secret and continues at once to the memory of the saints and intercession prayer. In these other Western rites this prayer is said aloud. All the Eastern rites have prayers, now said silently, after theGreat Entrance, when the gifts are brought to the altar and offered to God, but they are invariable and none of them can be exactly compared to the Roman Secret.
At eitherhigh orlow Mass the celebrant, having answered "Amen" to the prayer "Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium", says in a low voice the Secret or Secrets in the same order as he said the Collects, finding each at its place in the proper Mass. He ends the first and last only with the form "Per Dominum nostrum" (as in the Collects). The last clause of the last Secret: "Per omnia sæcula sæculorum" is said or sung aloud, forming theekphonesis before thePreface.
In theordinary form of contemporary Catholic usage, the secret corresponds to thePrayer over the Offerings and is sung or recited audibly throughout by the celebrant.
In theEastern Orthodox Church and thoseEastern Catholic churches which follow theByzantine Rite, there are numerous secret prayers said by the celebrating priest or bishop, not only at theDivine Liturgy (Eucharist), but at a number of other services also. The time during which the priest says the secret prayers is usually covered either by thedeacon chanting alitany or byhymnschanted by thechoir. During thePrayer at the Bowing of Heads there may be a period of silence as all bow while the priest quietly reads the prayer. In many cases theekphonesis which completes the secret prayer is to be said out loud, in the hearing of the people.
At the Divine Liturgy, there are a number of secret prayers said by the priest, both during thelitanies and during theanaphora. The primary difference between theLiturgy of Saint John Chrysostom and theLiturgy of Saint Basil the Great is the secret prayers; those ofSaint Basil are longer than those ofSaint John Chrysostom, and so the choir will often have to extend their chanting to cover the time.
AtVespers andMatins almost all of the secret prayers are said near the beginning, whilepsalms are being read. At Vespers there are sixLamplighting Prayers which the priest says with uncovered head, standing in front of theHoly Doors (or, in the Greek practice, in front of theicon of Christ on theiconostasis), while thereader saysPsalm 103 (Septuagint numbering). At Matins there are twelveMorning Prayers which the priest says with uncovered head while the reader says theSix Psalms (Psalms3,37,62,87,102,142). The priest says the first half of these prayers in front of theHoly Table (altar), and then after the third psalm, comes out to read the rest in front of the Holy Doors (or icon of Christ).
Many of theSacred Mysteries (sacraments) and other services in theEuchologion (priest's service book) also have secret prayers in them.
Textually, the secret prayers are obviously intended to be said silently, often professing personal unworthiness on the part of the priest, and—though they are often written in the plural—they often contain references to the laity as distinct from the speaker(s), who are the clergy. Therubrics in the service books also will also specify that a prayer is to be said silently. Despite this fact, it has become common in recent years for many priests to recite these prayers out loud.
In theOriental Orthodox Churches and those Eastern Catholic churches which follow the Oriental Rites, the use of secret prayers occurs with great diversity according to each rite.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Secret".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.