GLEBA: V. SERVI DELLA GLEBA.
« GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO » (Hymnus angelicus). — A very ancient liturgical hymn found in various recensions: the Greek recension of the cod. Bibl. Alexandrinus (=A) and of the Apostolic Constitutions, VII 47 (=C); the Syriac recension of the Nestorian liturgy (=O); and the Latin recension of the Antiphonary of Bangor (7th century). There also exist a Milanese, a Mozarabic, and a Latin recension of the « textus receptus » of the Roman Missal. According to Lebreton and Capelle, recension A represents the authentic text better than C, although A was altered under the influence of Origen’s ideas; C was reworked in the Arian sense of the inequality and subordination of the Son in relation to the Father; recension O (with its additions and mutilations) reflects many influences. The text of the Roman Missal was composed in the 9th century.
Two parts are distinguished: 1) praise, 2) supplication and prayer. The first part, the praise, is very ancient, as shown by the characteristic testimonies of the subapostolic writers; it goes back to the 2nd century and is composed of: a) the song of the Angels (Lk. 2:14), closely related to an ancient messianic chant, « Hosanna » (=Glory), in the form given by Luke (19:38), with reference to Ps. 117:25 ff.; b) exaltations of God in the form of acclamations; but there is probably no relation between these and the imperial acclamations in the Roman Senate. Their true origin is Jewish (Baumstark); c) it concluded with a suitable ending that repeated the three divine names (cod. Alexandrinus, Bangor, Milanese, Mozarabic). Today the mention of the Holy Spirit is lacking. To this first part, already in existence in pre-Constantinian times, the second, Christological part was added, against the Arians (following the example of the « Te Deum »). It contained: a) Christological acclamations, « Domino Deus, Agnus Dei », « Filius Patris » (originally it concluded with « Domine Deus »); b) a form of the
most ancient litanies; c) a threefold proclamation; d) the Trinitarian conclusion. The omission of the mention of the Holy Spirit in the first part gave the hymn a more closely Christological cohesion; already in recension C, in fact, the entire « Gloria » is directed to the Father through the Son.
The most ancient documents, both Eastern and Western (the Rules of Cesarius, Aurelianus, Milanese, and Bangor), assign the « Gloria » to the liturgy of the morning hour; in the Roman Church it was already used in the 6th century at the Christmas Mass. Pope Symmachus (d. 514) extended its use by bishops to Sundays and the feasts of martyrs. Until the 9th century, priests were permitted to use it only on the day of their Ordination and at the Easter Vigil; from the 11th century its use became general. It is not sung during Advent, nor from Septuagesima to the Easter Vigil, and this was already the practice in the time of Amalarius; today it is said on feasts throughout the Easter season, and on ordinary Sundays and on days when the « Te Deum » is recited in the Office.