ITE MISSA EST
253
ITE MISSA EST
of Christ with the Savoyard cross on the national
banner. Since the unification of Italy, more has been
accomplished in economics and in social science than
in pure literature. One modern Italian, indeed, takes
his place among the foremost European poets of the
nineteenth century — Giosue Carducci (1S36-1906).
A bitter opponent of the Christian ideal and a stren-
uous democrat, Carducci has given poetic form to the
anti-clerical side of the Revolution that has made
Italy one, and has expressed the paganism that is
latent in the Italian genius. In his masterpiece, the
" Odi Barbare", he casts his essentially modern mat-
ter into new rhythmical forms modellcil ujion the lyri-
cal metres of the classical poets of Crecce and Rome.
His prose writings and professorial teacliing have been
influential in creating a high standard of literary
criticism and scholarship in Italy. In this latter field
much, too, is due to the veteran historian Pasquale
Villari (b. 1827). Of living poets (in 1909) the place
of honour belongs to Giovanni Pascoli (b. 1855),
whom the contemplation of nature and the life of the
peasants in the fields inspire to short poems that are
classical in their beauty, .\like in verse and in prose,
Gabriele d'Annunzio (b. 1864) has perverted extraor-
dinary talents to the basest literary uses; it is im-
possible to believe that his gorgeous rhetoric, with its
elaboration of sensual passion and its gross obscenity,
can win any permanence. The mantle of Manzoni
has fallen upon the pupil of Zanella, Antonio Fogaz-
zaro (b. 1842), a Catholic and an idealist, whose ro-
mances tower above the rest of modern Italian fiction,
and of which the keynote is found in the author's
conviction that the one mission of art is to strengthen
the Divine element in man.
Archivio Glottologico Italiano (Rome, quarterly); Morandi, Origine della lingua ilaliana (Citta di Castello, 1S92) ; Caix, Le origini della lingua poetica italiana (Florence, 18S0); Monaci, Creatomazia italiana dei primi secoli (t'itta di Castello, 1889-97) ; TiRABOSCHi, Storia della letteralura italiana; Torraca, Studi nulla lirira itnViana del Dw.-mto (Bologna, 1902); Bartoli, Storia dell.i l,1l,-r„lur„ ilaliana (.Florence, 1878-84); Gaspart, Geachiehle ./. r ,lali.„is, hen Literatur (Berlin, 1885-88); tr. into Italian, with lulditiuns. by ZiNGARELLi AND Rossi (Turin, 1887- 1901); Oelsneh, Gaspary's History of Early Italian Literature to the Death of Dante (London, 1901); d'.\ncona a.vd B.icci, Manuale della lelteratura italiana (Florence, 1892-94) ; Forn A- ciari, Disegno storico della letteratura italiana (Florence, 1898); d'Ancona, Origini del teatro italiano (Turin, 1891); Burck- HARDT, Die Cliltur der Renaissance in Italien (new ed., Leipzig, 1901): VoiGT, Die Wiederbelebung des ctassischen Allerthums (Berlin, 1859); Italian tr., enlarged, by Valbusa (Florence, 1888-97); Stmonds, The Renaissance in Italy: Italian literature (London, 1881); Dornis. La poesie italienne contemporaine (Paris, 1898); GKntiKTv, History of Italian Literature ('London. 1898); King AND OKET,/(a?i/ To-dov (London, 1901); Greene, Italian Lyrists of To-day (London, 1893).
A comprehensive literary history, by various hands, is now in course of publication at Milan: Novati, Origini della lingua: Zingarelli, Dante; Volpi, II Trecento; Rossi, II Quattrocento: Flamini, /; Cinguecento: Belloni, II Seicento: Concari, II Settecento: Mazzoni, L'Ottocento. The quarterly Giomale Storico della letteratura italiana, edited by Novati and Renier (Turin), is indispensable to students.
Edmund G. Gabdner.
Ite Missa Est,— This is the versicle chanted in the Roman Rite by the deacon at the end of Mass, after the Post-Communions. It is our formula of the old dismissal (dirAXuTis) still contained in all liturgies. It is undoubtedly one of the most ancient Roman formulae, as may be seen from its archaic and difficult form. .411 the three oldest Roman Ordines contain it. "Ordo Rom. I " .says: "When the prayer [Post- Communion] is over, that one of the deacons appointed by the archdeacon looks towards the pontiff to receive a sign from him and then says to the people: Ite missa est. They answer : Deo gratias (ed. Atchley, London, 1905, p. 144. See also " Ordo Rom. 11 ", 15; "Ordo Rom. Ill ", IS). The medieval commentators were much exercised to explain the meaning of the strange expression. Durandus (Rationale, IV, 57) suggests several interpretations. It has been thought that a word is omitted: Ite, missa est finita; or est is taken absolutely, as meaning "exists", "is now an
accomplished fact ". The real explanation seems to
lie rather in interpreting correctly the word missa.
Before it became the technical name of the holy
Liturgy in the Roman Rite, it meant simply "dis-
missal". The form missa for missio is like that of
collecta (for coUectin), ascen.9a (ascensio), etc. So He
missa est should be translated "Go, it is the dis-
missal." (.See Florus the Deacon, "De expositione
Missa>", P. L., CIX, 72.) On certain days which
have the character of fasting or penance, this versicle
is replaced by the words Bcnedicamus Domino. The
fact is noticed by medieval liturgists (e. g., Durandus,
IV, 57 — cf. "Micrologus",xxxiv; etc.) since about the
eleventh century. The three Roman Ordines before
the tenth century know only the form lie missa est.
The explanation is that originally the people were not
dismissed on such days, but stayed in church for
further prayers after Mass, suitable to fasting days
(so Bona, "Rerum liturg. libri duo", II, xx, n. H).
This is confirmed by a now extinct medieval custom of
singing Benedicamus Domino at the end of midnight
Mass at Christmas, because Lauds follow at once
(Durandus, op. cit., IV, 57, §7). So the idea obtained
that Ite missa est implies a festal Mass. Our present
rule that it follows the Gloria in Ej:celsis (and there-
fore the Te Deum in the Office) is noted in "Microlo-
gus " (xlvi). Either versicle was always answered by
the obvious response Deo gratias, implying thanks
that the Sacrifice has been offered — is now complete.
At Requiems (since they have no Gloria) Ite mi.'isa
est is not said. In this case the V. is liequiescant
in pace. R. Amen. John Beleth (twelfth century)
says that this arose " only from a general custom"
("Rat. div. offic." in P. L., CCII, 49). Till about the
twelfth century the Ite missa est really ended the
liturgy, as its form implies. In the First Roman
Ordo, immediately after it the text continues: "Then
the seven candlesticks are carried before the pontiff
... to the sacristy" (ed. Atchley, p. 146). It was
not till the sixteenth century (Missal of Pius V) that
the accretions to the Mass that had gradually been
introduced (Placeat, blessing, last Gospel — all origi-
nally private prayers) were definitely recognized as
part of the liturgy to be said at the altar.
The corresponding dismissals in the other Western rites are: at Milan, V. "Procedamus in pace." R. "In nomine Christi"; Mozarabic, "Solemnia com- pleta sunt in nomine D. N. I. C: votum nostrum sit acceptum cum pace." R. "Deo gratias" ("Missale MLxtum", P. L., LXXXy, 120). Of the Eastern rites that of the ".4postolic Constitutions" dismisses the people with the form: " Go in peace " (Brightman, "Eastern Liturgies", p. 27). The .\ntiochene and Byzantine Liturgies end with the deacon's announce- ment: "Let us go forth in peace." R." In the name of the Lord "; and then a short "prayer of dismissal " said by the celebrant (op. cit., 67, 397); so also the -Alexandrine Rite (ibid., 142); while the Ncstorians have only a prayer and blessing by the celebrant (ibid., 303).
Present Ritu.^l. — At high Mass, as soon as the last Post-Communion is ended, the celebrant and ministers go to the middle of the altar and stand in Une. The celebrant turning to the people sings, Dominiis vobiscum (the usual introduction to any announcement), and remains facing them. When the choir has answered, the deacon turns round and, with hands joined, sings Ite missa est to its proper tone, the choir ansvyering Deo gratias to the same notes. In the former Missal ten melodies were provided for various solemnities. The idea is to sing this last versicle to the tone of the first Kyrie eleison, so that Mass ends with the same chant as that with which it began. To carry this out more completely the new Vatican Missal provides nineteen tones, most of them very elaborate (for Ite missa est and Benedicamus Domino), corresponding to the various masses in the " Kyriale".
