Review article
https://doi.org/10.34075/sb.63.4.2
Liturgical Celebrations for Holders of Civil Authority
Zvonko Pažin
Abstract
When in old liturgical books we come across the service of the coronation of a king or an emperor, or the ritual of the solemn welcome of a king or a dignitary, and when we also read the provision from the 19th century that in the Austrian Empire, in every mass in the Roman Canon, the Austrian emperor has to be mentioned, then today we could easily conclude that the connection between the state and the Church at that time was both too strong and improper. In this paper, we try to observe those ritual and liturgical events in the religious services related to the holders of civil authority in a genuine historical context. In the introductory part, the understanding of royal authority in the Holy Scriptures and in the ancient Church is briefly discussed. The oldest prayers for rulers are shown, especially those in the Good Friday liturgy. The central part shows the coronation ceremony of the king according to the Roman pontificals. At the end, there is an overview of prayers for the holders of power and for the homeland in the liturgical ceremony. Although Christians are not of the world, they are still in the world, so it is certainly appropriate to celebrate services for both the homeland and the holders of civil authority.
Keywords
pontificals; emperor; king; coronation; secular and ecclesiastical authority; homeland
Hrčak ID:
316469
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2023.
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