[8] In the transcript the phrase is ista tua, perhaps an error for ista dua.—T. C. Middleton, O.S.A. [↑]
[9] Feria is a name given to all the days of the week except Sunday and Saturday in the ecclesiastical calendar. It seems strange that the title of feria or feast should be given to days that are not feasts, or at least are not considered as such, so far as they are called feriæ. The explanation given in the breviary, that clerics are to be free from worldly cares and keep a perpetual feast to God, scarcely suffices, and perhaps is not intended, to account for the actual origin of the name. The true explanation is probably this. The Jews were accustomed to name the days of the week from the Sabbath, and thus such expressions as “the first day from the Sabbath,” or, in other words “the first day of the week” are found in the gospels. The early Christians reckoned the days in Easter week in the same fashion: only as all the days in that week were holy days, they called Easter Monday, not the first day after Easter Sunday, but the second feria or feast-day; and as every Sunday is a lesser Easter, the practice prevailed of calling each Monday “feria secunda,” each Tuesday “feria tertia,” etc. Feriæ are divided into greater and lesser.—The latter give place to any feast-day within an octave or vigil, without even being commemorated. The former are the week-days of Advent and Lent, the Ember-days, and Monday (not Tuesday) in Rogation Week. If a simple feast falls on such a feria, the ferial office and mass are said, the feast being only commemorated, and if a double, semi-double, or day within an octave coincides with the feria, the festal office is, indeed, said, but the feria is commemorated. The privilege granted by apostolic indult of reciting a votive office on certain days of the week or month cannot be made use of on these greater feriæ. Some of the greater feriæ are privileged (the days of Holy, Easter, and Whitson Weeks, and Ash Wednesday). These days exclude any feast of however high a rank, and cause it to be transferred to another day. This must be understood of the celebration in choir, for the obligation of resting from servile work and hearing mass on holidays usually remains, even if the holiday falls on a greater feria. See Addis and Arnold’s Catholic Dictionary, pp. 346, 347. [↑]
[10] Terms signifying the stipends falling to those bound to choir office who were present at the recitation of Tierce and Sext.—T. C. Middleton, O.S.A. [↑]
[11] Among some of the monastic orders and friars, the tonsure leaves only a circle of hair round the head; the tonsure of the secular clerks on the other hand, is small. The first tonsure is made by the bishop in a form prescribed by the Pontifical, and the person receiving it is thereby admitted to the state and privilege of a cleric. The bishop may confer it at any place or time. Mitred abbots may give it to their own subjects; cardinal priests to the clergy of their titles; and it may also be conferred by other priests with special privileges. There have been at various times different forms and degrees of the tonsure. It was only gradually that the right to tonsure was limited to bishops, abbots, etc. Till the tenth century it was given by simple priests, or even by laymen to one another. See Addis and Arnold’s Catholic Dictionary, p. 798. [↑]
[12] The “Ordo Romanus” arc certain ancient collections of ritual prescriptions, or rubrics, as observed in the Roman Catholic Church. They are represented at the present day by the “Ceremoniale” and the “Pontificale Romanum.” The first of these collections to appear in print was the “Ordo Vulgatus” (1559) of Melchior Hittorp. The rubrics and directions contained in these collections relate to both ordinary and extraordinary matters. Of the former class are the papal mass, the episcopal mass, the celebration of baptism and extreme unction, ordinations, the communion of the sick, the ceremonial of the last three days of Holy Week, papal and cardinalitial functions during the functions of the whole year, sacerdotal functions on all ferias, benedictions, etc. Of the second class are the election and consecration of a pope, the coronation of the emperor and of kings, the creation of cardinals, the nomination of the legates, canonization, etc. See Addis and Arnold’s Catholic Dictionary, p. 630. [↑]
[13] Proverbs xxii, 28—T. C. Middleton, O.S.A. [↑]
LETTER FROM ANTONIO SEDEÑO TO FELIPE II
Royal Cæsarean Majesty:
Don Goncalo Ronquillo, your Majesty’s governor in these islands, the bishop therein, and your Majesty’s officials petitioned me last year, 82, to order and give permission to Father Alonso Sanchez (who came to these islands when I, with other religious of the Society of Jesus, came hither, sent here by your Majesty’s orders) to go to China and the city of Macan upon negotiations which the abovesaid communicated to me as of your Majesty’s service. Upon consideration of the gravity of the matters which demanded that expedition and the great service to God and to your Majesty that might result therefrom, although it was difficult for me, as I had no other priest associate except him in these islands, and because of the need for him here, yet the consideration abovesaid of God and your Majesty could not excuse it. He went on that expedition, and I shall not be prolix on what occurred both on the sea and in the land of China where the father wandered and remained for about a year, and what he did in Macan and the despatches that he brought regarding the obedience which that city rendered to your Majesty and of all the other things that happened during that time; for the father will inform your Majesty of it, as he ought, in his letter, and more at length in a report which he is sending with this and the other despatches.[1]