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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Hippolytus of Rome & Eucharistic Prayer II

Fr. David Friel · August 17, 2014

HIS PAST WEDNESDAY, the Church throughout the world celebrated the memorial of Saints Pontian & Hippolytus, two of the great Roman martyrs of the third century. That Hippolytus was an anti-pope who was reconciled with the Church before his torture and martyrdom makes him a man of significant historical intrigue.

Again this year, I read with annoyance the brief biographical description offered about the saint in the Ordo: “Hippolytus, † 235/236; disputed author of Apostolic Tradition; Roman priest and stern rigorist; opposed Sabellianism and milder penitential discipline of Pope St. Callistus (14 Oct. [† 222]); first anti-pope (217-235); exiled to Sardinia with Pontian; source of Eucharistic Prayer II.” Here we have a case of half-truth and dated scholarship.

As was discussed during the question & answer session after a plenary lecture at this year’s Sacred Music Colloquium, the theory that Prex Eucharistica II is derived from the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome is dubious. Even less certain is the claim that this anaphora possesses the most ancient roots of all the canons.

The true authorship of the Apostolic Tradition is murky, and, at this point, to claim that the text is of Western origin is scholarly untenable. For those interested in the detailed exposition, I highly recommend an article by Matthieu Smyth (The Anaphora of the So-Called Apostolic Tradition and the Roman Eucharistic Prayer, Usus antiquior, Vol. 1 No. 1, January, 2010, 5–25). Therein the author clearly demonstrates how the structure and content of EPII betray the text’s Eastern sources. The Apostolic Tradition, by which EPII is “distantly inspired” (i.e., on which it is loosely based), is therefore not to be considered representative of early Christian liturgical tradition in Rome.

How did this Eastern anaphora from West Syria come to be in the Roman Missal of 1970? Answered simply, the Consilium formed after Vatican II set out to compile a canon that would be inspired by the text. The chief backer of this project was Dom Bernard Botte. Smyth explains:

The purpose was to enrich the patrimony of eucharistic prayers of the Church of Rome; that which was done was based on the belief of the Romanitas and of the supposed antiquity of this document, which Botte had defended with so much ardour. What a paradox for a document that in reality never had a relationship with the city and which in many respects was less ancient than the Roman Canon, the authentic eucharistic prayer proper to the Church of Rome!

The merits of including a canon of Eastern origin in the Missal celebrated throughout the West are good matter for debate. Yet the greater concern, I believe, is that this canon—the “Second Eucharistic Prayer”—has been repeatedly championed as the canon that links worshipers most closely with the liturgies of ancient Rome. This tired claim, at last, has been shown to be erroneous.

Smyth elaborates:

Those who would be more tempted to deplore the abrupt introduction in a hierarchical manner of a eucharistic prayer foreign to the Latin tradition in the midst of Western euchology would be able to console themselves by considering that the Prex eucharistica II is in reality an original composition, painted in bright colours, the creative fruit of experts of the Consilium who took the anaphora of the Diataxeis as their point of departure. Its features, stamped by their West Syrian structure and by their archaisms, are henceforth almost unrecognisable, but faithfully reflect the concerns of a small group of liturgists in the middle of the twentieth century.

The subject of the Canon of the Mass brings up a range of issues, which have been discussed on these pages before. For example, the canons saw a major change recently when Pope Francis directed that the name of St. Joseph be mentioned in every Eucharistic Prayer.

Also, there is the surprising answer to the question: does EPII really save time?

So, how did I celebrate the memorial of Saints Pontian & Hippolytus? The same way I do every year: with the Roman Canon.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Consilium of Pope Paul VI, History of the Roman Canon, Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Ambrose and Prudentius took something classical and made it Christian; the revisers and their imitators took something Christian and tried to make it classical. The result may be pedantry, and sometimes perhaps poetry; but it is not piety. “Accessit Latinitas, discessit pietas.”

— Fr. Joseph Connelly (1954)

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  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)

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