A PAPAL CENTENARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 85, 14 April 1904, Page 2

A PAPAL CENTENARY.

IiEVIVAL OF (iHEGOQIAN MUSIC* HOME, April 12. The Popo, in the prosonco of sixty thousand persons, celebrated mass at St. Peter's on the anniversary of tho 13th centenary of Popo Gre- i gory the Great. Gregorian musio, which Pope Pius favours in the serJ vices of the church, was a special feature of the celebrations. The Kev. liannisler, an Anglican, chosen to prepare an exhibition in Jtome and at the Vatican, of Gregorian codices, discovered a tenth century manuscript and a beautiful seii'uence Uelinging to I'ope Gregory which was sung yesterday*

The name of the Gregorian ritual is given to the ceremonies which Popo Gregory 1., suruamed Tho Great, caused to be observed about ."iilO A.l). in the Church of Rome with regard to the liturgy, tho administration of the sacraments, and the benedictions, as exhibited in the book entitled Gregioriunum Sacram-entai-ium. In this book St. Gregory merely made a new arrangement of that of Gelasius, which was, previously in use, expunging from It. what seemed to him useless and adding a few new prayers. Not contented wftli modifying the liturgy, lie also regulated tlie chant. St. AmHjrose, whose collection of chants iitul long been in use 'before that of Gregory's, had carefully avoided the use of melodies adopted l>y, Paganism, that he might not call back tlw thoughts of Christians to u worship recently abandoned and still partly existing. This motive had lost its force in tho time of Gregory, who did noL scruple to introduce airs which the Greeks had Lined in the mysteries of Eleusis. All iho churches (lid not at lirst adopt Gregory's ritual ; tho Ambroaian is still retained at Milan.