Question XI: On praying the Canonical Hours

Most abundantly does Fr. Zacharias Boverius write on the public praises sung in the Choir of singers, Tom. 1 of the Annals.

There were some heretics even truly most ancient who censured the Canonical Hours, and the Sacred Hymnody, by which the Church consoles herself in this exile, as the most saintly Urban VIII says at the beginning of the renewed Breviary, and attacked them with sarcasms. Among these was Vigilantius, of whom St. Jerome speaks in the epistle to Riparius the Bishop. And other heretics are found in Isidore book 1 on the office of clerics, chapter 22.

But the usage of the Canonical Hours was altogether condemned by the Waldensian heretics, as Aeneas Sylvius testifies, in the book on the origin of the Bohemians, chapter 35, and Wycliffe, as in Thomas Waldensis, tome 3, chapter 21, the Hussites, and finally Luther, in the book on the form of celebrating Mass, where imprudently he dares to say, the reading of the Hours is a feigned worship of God. The herds of the Sectaries follow this arch-heretic.

This most holy manner of praying is therefore proved from the Holy Doctor, who for that reason observes it as prescribed to us by St. Francis the Father, in the rule, chapter 3, by the custom of the universal Church, which it is the most insolent madness to condemn, as D. August. cries, epistle 118. This, says the Holy Doctor, the Holy Spirit intended in composing the Psalms; therefore Psalm 45: The sacrifice of praise shall glorify me. And D. Gregory, in Ezech., homily 1: The voice of Psalmody, when it is carried out with intention of heart, by it a way to the heart is prepared for omnipotent God, that there may be poured into the devout mind either the mystery of prophecy, or the grace of compunction. He pursues this at length, Holy Doctor, in the opuscule on the Progress of the Religious, book 2, chapter 72.

The Holy Doctor proves this on Psalm 50 from the most ancient custom of David himself, who said, Psalm 118: Seven times a day I said praise to thee, and at midnight I rose to confess to thee, where the Canonical Hours are enumerated.

Therefore, on that Psalm, chapter 11, verse 4, he observes that in the seven canonical hours here enumerated is expressed the perfect servitude and worship owed to God, whence, cleansed from the seven vices, adorned with the seven virtues, confirmed with the corresponding gifts and charisms, we shall fly to immortality, which closes the septenary of times. Hence we too are warned: if he sin against thee seven times in a day; if seven times in a day he be converted to thee, etc., Luke 17.

And chapter 4, verse 14, on those words: At midnight I rose to confess to thee, he observes that this time was reserved for the divine praises. Therefore Act. 16: At midnight, Paul and Silas, praying, praised the Lord.

For the divine praises the choir of singers was therefore instituted and deputed, with Asaph, 1 Paral. 16, and at the dedication of the temple they sang the Psalms which David had made: Praise the Lord, for he is good, etc. And Psal. 121: The tribes of the Lord went up to confess the name of the Lord. He pursues all this as a figure of the sacred canticles of the Church. So Daniel prayed three times a day, as D. Bonav. notes, in the Bibliotheca pauperum, chapter 21.

This rite, moreover, as I said, the Holy Doctor proves from the most ancient usage of the Church. It is attested in Acts 3, when Peter and John went up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth, which St. Basil explains at length in his rules, to interrog. 37, and Ephes. 5: Be filled with the spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and psalming in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always in all things, etc. Where Haymo admirably understands the Hymns in use in the Church, which Ambrose, Gregory, Hilary, and other Fathers composed. But Bede reports that this usage took root in the Church of Jerusalem, book 2 on Luke.

This rite is described by St. Clement Pope, disciple of St. Peter, book 8 of the Apostolic constitutions, chapter 34; Tertullian, in the Apology, chapter 2; St. Cyprian, in the exposition of the Lord's prayer. Likewise St. Ambrose composed certain hymns, as D. August. reports, book 1 of the Retractations, chapter 21. The Canonical Hours are mentioned by St. Jerome, epistle 22 to Eustoch. on the custody of Virgins, chapter 16, and epistle 27 in the epitaph of Paula, chapter 10. St. August., in rule 3 (taken from epistle 109), chapters 7 and 8, and sermon 201 de tempore, and book 22 de civit., chapter 8. D. Isidore, in the book on the Ecclesiastical office. Bede, on chapter 18 of Luke.

Finally, nothing is contained in these but the divine praises, graces, etc., which are paid to God justly and piously. Nor am I moved by the fact that certain hymns were composed by men in the Church; they are not on that account to be despised. For hence the Fourth Council of Toledo, canon 12, casts the penalty of excommunication upon those who reject the ecclesiastical hymns because they were composed by human industry.

But priests are held to recite the Divine Office, C. Presbyter de celebr. missarum; deacons and subdeacons, C. Dolentes, under the same title, and C. Finali, distinction 32; but not those initiated in minor orders, as the Doctors commonly hold on the said chapter Presbyteri. Those also are held who hold some ecclesiastical benefice or prebend under a clerical title, as the Doctors expound those words cap. finali, and all who are deputed to a church, namely prebendaries, are held to the divine office, as was declared by Pius V.

All Religious deputed to the Choir are also held, even if not initiated in sacred orders, not by the common law, but by their own particular law or custom. So the Friars Minor, chapter 3 of the Rule, have a precept on this, as all expound with D. Bonavent. there, where prayers are imposed also upon the Laity. Novices, however, are not held, as Valencia and others note.

Moreover, the Breviary, already established by the most holy Pontiff Pius V, and now at last reformed by the most holy Pope Urban VIII, is to be observed.

But whether it be lawful to say another office in place of the current one, without mortal sin: Cajetan asserts it, in summa on the word Horae canonicae, Sylvester, on the word hora, numbers 2 and 15, Valencia, dispute 6, question 2, point 10, § Quid recitandum, nor does Sotus dare to cry out against it, book 10 on justice, question 5, article 4. But Tannerus, dispute 5, question 1, dub. 5, says that to do so without cause is at least venial. Of this, doubt 2, there has been treatment. Azor brings forward Sylvester, Cajetan, and Sotus above, chapter 10, question 2, and Lessius, chapter 37, number 77. But he says others assert it to be mortal, as Toledo, book 2, chapter 13, and says that Valencia also inclines to that view.

But the Clergy are commanded, in cap. Dolentes, Divine office, to celebrate it diligently as well as devoutly, as far as God shall grant. Therefore by force of this precept there is imposed a manner of reciting with distinct voice, as D. Thom. teaches, here, article 12, and D. Bonaventure. There is, moreover, a threefold attention, as the Holy Doctor often teaches in the places cited, questions 5 and 10: either to the words, or to the thing signified, or to the end, God. See the Holy Doctor, book 2 on the progress of religious, at the place cited.

As to the time for reciting the office, it is from first Vespers until midnight of the following day inclusive, provided, however, that at first Vespers no other hours be said than Vespers and Compline, and afterward Matins. But Prime, Terce, and the following Hours ought to be recited on the following day.

Concerning these many questions are disputed, especially by Diana, pt. 2, Tract. 2, of which I shall touch upon some.