Heortology : $b A history of the Christian festivals from their origin to the present dayKellner, K. A. Heinrich (Karl Adam Heinrich)
Religion
Heortology : $b A history of the Christian festivals from their origin to the present day
Kellner, K. A. Heinrich (Karl Adam Heinrich)
Church year; Fasts and feasts
These regulations remained in force for Prussia, and were even extended
to its newly acquired territories by a brief of Leo XII., dated 2nd
December 1828. By this means, the districts on the left bank of the
Rhine, which, while under French dominion had only kept the four holidays
prescribed by the Code Napoleon, again enjoyed a notable increase in
the number of festivals. In order that this might not interfere with
the livelihood of the industrial classes, who had to compete with
Protestants, it was conceded at the representations of Archbishop
von Spiegel that, in the industrial districts, servile labour might
be performed after attendance at Mass on the festivals introduced
in obedience to the brief of Leo XII. Owing to the deeply religious
character of the district in question, very little use was ever made of
this concession, and it has accordingly become obsolete. This is the
origin of the regulations for Catholic festivals at present in force in
Prussia. In one point, however, an alteration has been made, for when the
Protestant day of penitence in prayer which falls in November, was fixed
by authority in 1893, the Catholics fell in with the arrangement, and now
celebrate the Presentation of our Lady in the Temple as a movable feast
on the same day.
The greatest alterations in respect of the Church’s holy days was caused
by the French Revolution. By a decree of the Convention on 5th October
1793, the Christian mode of reckoning was abolished and a new mode
substituted for it. The years were to be reckoned from the establishment
of the French Republic on 22nd September 1792. The division of time into
weeks was also abolished and the months, now uniformly of thirty days,
were divided into the decades. The French observed this mode of reckoning
until 1st January 1806. While it was in force, Napoleon undertook the
re-establishment of ecclesiastical affairs in France, and as far as the
regulations for holy days are concerned, traces of the then existing
state of things survives until the present day. For the Church had
to fall in with the reckoning then in force, to the extent of either
abolishing all holy days which fell in the week, or of transferring
them to the Sunday. According to the ordinance of the Cardinal Legate
Caprara, dated Paris, 9th April 1802, only four holy days were left,
_i.e._ Christmas, Ascension, the Assumption (because the 15th August was
Napoleon’s name-day), and All Saints. This ordinance affected all France
as it was then, that is including the Netherlands, and the whole left
bank of the Rhine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account