GALLICAN, LITURGY. — This is the complex of official rites and prayers that was in use, especially before Charlemagne, in the Latin West, particularly in Gaul and, in a somewhat different form, throughout the countries of northern Italy and beyond the Alps, including Britannia Major, Hibernia, and Spain. The rite declined under Pepin the Short and Charlemagne, as a result of the progressive Romanization that was one of the guiding principles of Carolingian policy.
I. HISTORY
The Gallican liturgy, as seen in the surviving documents, appears formally distinct from the Roman, though over time it underwent considerable Romanizing influences. Its origin is debated: if it did not arise in the East, it was nonetheless heavily influenced by it, not only because certain formulas are found verbatim in the Syro-Byzantine liturgy, but also because its entire structure, for example, that of the Mass, shows great similarity to the Byzantine rite. The opinion of F. Probst, that the Gallican liturgy would reflect a Roman liturgy before Pope Damasus, did not gain much support. To explain these similarities, some scholars turned to St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, asserting that the Gallican rite derived from the Ephesian liturgy of the 2nd century; others, among whom Duchesne, perhaps more plausibly, traced it back to the 4th century and specifically to Auxentius, bishop of Milan from 355 to 374, who was originally from Cappadocia; still others suggest Ravenna as a possible origin.
II. SOURCES
Various Mass formularies (6 Sunday Masses and one proper for St. Germanus) that are purely Gallican, perhaps from 7th-century Burgundy, are published, according to a Reichenau palimpsest, by F. J. Mone, *Lateinische und griechische Messen aus dem christlichen Altertum bis zum sechsten Jahrhundert* (Frankfurt am Main 1850); M. Neale and G. H. Forbes, *The Ancient Liturgies of the Gallican Church* (Burntisland 1855), pp. 105-204; pp. 72, 295-318; H. Lietzmann, *Ordo Missae Romaniæ et Gallicanis* (Kleine Texte, 19; 3rd ed. Bonn 1923).The three sacramentaries, more or less defective and already mixed with Roman elements, known by the names *Missale Gothicum* (Sacramentary of Autun), *Missale Gallicanum Vetus* (Sacramentary of Autun), and *Missale Gallicanum* (Sacramentary of Autun), provide a series of Masses and part of the baptismal rite; the *Missale Francofrum* also includes the prayers for ordination, the consecration of virgins and widows, as well as that of the altar, which are of great value for understanding our present text. They were first edited by Cardinal Tommasi, *Codices sacramentorum nongentis annis antiquiores* (Rome 1680), then by J. Mabillon, *De liturgia Gallicana libri tres* (Paris 1685); reprinted in: L. Muratori, *Liturgia Romana vetus* (Venice 1748) and PL 72, 225-318.
The Bobbio Missal (7th century), containing, along with prefaces, the Canon of the Mass and other texts of the Roman liturgy, was first edited by J. Mabillon, *Missaeum Italicum seu collectio veterum scriptorum ex bibliothecae Italicae eruta* (I, 2 [Paris 1687]), pp. 278-397 and PL 72, 451-550; critical edition: J. Wickham Legg and E. A. Lowe, *The Bobbio Missal* (London 1917); and in facsimile: E. A. Lowe, *The Bobbio Missal. A Gallican Sacramentary* (IV, 1920); studies on the text: A. Wilmart, E. A. Lowe, H. A. Wilson, *The Bobbio Missal, Notes and Studies* (IV, 1924). In addition to some small palimpsest fragments, the texts have been further enriched especially by G. Morin, *Un recueil gallican inédit de bénédictions épiscopales en usage de Freising aux VIIe-IXe siècles* (in *Revue bénédictine*, 29 [1921], pp. 168-94) and *Fragments inédits et jusqu'à présent uniques d'antiphonaire gallican* (ibid., 22 [1951], pp. 329-56).
The Lectionary of Luxeuil (7th century), valuable for reconstructing the ancient calendar of this liturgy in Paris, contains readings, biblical pericopes, extracts from sermons and Passions of martyrs that were read during the Night Office (J. Mabillon, *De liturgia Gallicana*, pp. 106-73; cf. PL 72, 171-216; P. Salmon, *Le lectionnaire de Luxeuil*, Rome 1944). It is supplemented by a 7th-century Parisian Gospel book (G. Morin, *Le lectionnaire de l'église de Paris au VIIe siècle*, in *Revue bénédictine*, 1 [1893], pp. 438-41), by some notes from a Gospel of Trier (D. De Bruyne, *Les notes liturgiques du manuscrit 134 de la cathédrale de Trèves*, ibid., 33 [1924], pp. 46-52), by an Old Testament lectionary from Schlettstadt (G. Morin, *Un lectionnaire mérovingien avec fragments du texte oriental des Actes* (ibid., 25 [1908], pp. 161-66), and especially by a palimpsest codex from Wiesbaden (A. Dold, *Das älteste Liturgiebuch der lateinischen Kirche. Ein altgallikanisches Lektionar des 5. - 6. Jahrhunderts aus dem Wolfenbüttler Palimpsest-Codex Weissenburgensis 76. Mit Anhang: Abermals neue Bruchstücke des Salzburger Kurassakramentars*, Beuron 1935); further additions include: Em. Chatelain, *Fragments palimpsestes d'un lectionnaire mérovingien* (in *Revue d'hist. et de littér. religieuses*, 5 [1914], pp. 193-99), A. Wilmart, *Le lectionnaire d'Aniane*, in *Revue Mabillon*, 13 [1923], pp. 40-53). On a certain number of liturgical notes in some texts of the Pauline and Catholic Epistles that refer to ancient Gallican usage, cf. G. Morin, *Notices d'ancienne littérature chrétienne. Les notes liturgiques du manuscrit Vat. Regin. lat. 9* (in *Revue bénédictine*, 15 [1898], p. 105 ff.; *Un système inédit de lectures liturgiques*, ibid., 20 [1903], pp. 355-58 and 28 [1911], p. 324 ff.) at the end of —
A particular feature of the Baptismal rite is the washing of the feet (cf. P. De Puniet, *La liturgie baptismale en Gaule avant Charlemagne*, in *Revue des questions historiques*, 67 [1902], pp. 382-423).
In the rite of ordination, the *Statuta Ecclesiae antiqua* first present the unctions, the handing over of instruments, and certain ordination formulas that were later accepted in the Roman Church. The election of deacons, priests, and bishops is ratified by the faithful, as in the Byzantine Church (cf. G. Morin, *Hiérarchie et liturgie dans l'église gallicane au Ve siècle*, in *Revue bénédictine*, 8 [1891], pp. 97-98; P. De Puniet, *Le Pontifical romain. Histoire et commentaire I*, Louvain-Paris 1930). The Gallican Ritual of the major sacramentals is marked by a spirit of more pronounced solemnity: it is far more complex in its eclectic formulas and rites and displays more elaborate and pompous characteristics than the Roman liturgy, as indeed in other sacred functions. Many of the prayers and rites now incorporated into the Roman rite are of Gallican-Germanic origin (cf., for example, H. Dausend, *Germanische Frömmigkeit in der kirchlichen Liturgie*, Wiesbaden 1936).
Thus the Gallican rite of the dedication of a church delights in the use of (baptismal) symbolism, multiplied and often very realistic rites; the formulary of the prayers is the expression of a more tender, more sensitive piety, the style is more prolix and sumptuous (cf. C. Callewaert, De Missalis Romani liturgia, I, Bruges 1937, pp. 12-15). Whereas the ancient Roman rite for the consecration of virgins had only a Preface and the original veiling, the Gallican rite, drawing on the nuptial blessing, added the handing over of the ring, the veil, the crown, with antiphons taken from the Office of St. Agnes—all these dramatic elements later passed into the Roman Pontifical as well (cf. I. Schuster, Liber Sacramentorum I, Turin 1919, pp. 170 ff.; F. Oppenheim, Die Consecratio Virginum als geistesgeschichtliches Problem, Rome 1944, pp. 43-108). Likewise, the blessing of abbots, which in the Gregorian Sacramentary is satisfied with a single oration, in the Gallican rite acquires a solemnity that approaches the consecration of a bishop; to the simplicity of the Benedictine rite of monastic profession are added in Gaul the blessing of the monastic habit, long orations, litanies, a preface, etc. Similarly, the rite of the coronation of an emperor or king in the Gallican liturgy receives all the dramatic and august elements of unction, the handing over of insignia, etc. (cf. F. Oppenheim, Die religiösen Elemente in der christlichen Herrschertheorie des Mittelalters, in Ephemerides Liturgicae, 58 [1944], pp. 42-49).
IV. CHARACTERISTICS
In general it may be said that the Gallican liturgy is more solemn and more complete than the ancient Roman liturgy; in it the external, sensible, dramatic, symbolic elements are multiplied. The style of the orations lacks the brevity, force, sobriety, simplicity, and clarity of the Roman ones. The orations are directed to Jesus, not—as in the Roman liturgy—to the Father; often He is attributed the qualities of Creator, Almighty, Redeemer, Judge, etc. The Gallican liturgy is also a precious testimony to what, in those centuries, was the life of the transalpine churches.Salutum aevi Merovingici selecta, Rome 1939, with many references to social merits, customs, and folkloric traditions connected with the Gallican liturgy; F. Oppenheim, De libris liturgicis quae ex eius manu, Turin 1940, pp. 62-66, 94-100; M. Righetti, Storia liturgica, I, Milan 1945, pp. 111-126.