Litany

The litany (Greek: λιτή "Please, supplication " ) is a form of community prayer, (possibly also from a Schola ) presented at the of a prayer leader or cantor concerns or invocations and by the community with a consistent reputation (for example " Have mercy on us "or" Pray for us " ) to be answered. This constant element of one hand and the antiphon on the other hand give the litany prayer a meditative character.

A distinction

  • Concern litanies, consisting of prayers in current concerns, and
  • Invocation litanies, in which God or the saints are called.

The most important litany of All Saints, connects invocations and prayers.

History

Litany -like chants and prayers come in many religions. Christianity adopted this form of prayer from Judaism (an example of a litany in the Old Testament, Psalm 136) and from the ancient cults.

In the Middle Ages litanies were very popular; until the 16th century created countless invocation litanies. Pope Clement VIII in 1601 restricted the use of litanies within the liturgy to counteract undesirable developments; were admitted only the Litany of the Saints and the Litany of Loreto. More recently, the litany of the name of Jesus (1886 ) were the Heart of Jesus (1899), Saint Joseph (1909 ) and papal approved by the Precious Blood ( 1960). With the reform of the Code of Canon Law 1983, this approval requirement was lifted.

Litanies in worship

In the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours of the Catholic Church comes with the Kyrie eleison before a brief invocation litany; the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council gave a new significance beyond litany -like prayers in the liturgy of the Catholic Church. Of the invocation litanies only the Litany of the Saints has a place in the liturgy: it is sung: in the administration of certain sacraments and sacramentals, such as the celebration of baptism at the Easter Vigil, in the ordination liturgy, the virginal consecration and the eternal solemn profession of religious, the blessing of an abbot or. abbess and in the consecration of the church. For devotions and processions different further invocation litanies are used.

The liturgy of the Orthodox churches to this day contains several litanies, which are referred to herein as Ektenien.

In the Protestant Church wrote in 1529 of Martin Luther German litany is used in worship (see Lutheran Hymnal 192; Evangelical Church Hymns 138) until today. Luther's litany, written under the impression of the advance of the Turkish army at Vienna and the spiritual Verlotterung of Christianity in Europe ( the former saw Luther as God's punishment for the latter to ), based on the Litany of the Saints, from which he retired the invocation of many saints.

Litaniae maiores and Litaniae minores - Rogationes

The hallway processions on April 25 ( "Mark Procession" ) and to the Bitttagen before the Feast of the Ascension ( 25 April, "big litanies " ) or Litaniae were up to the Second Vatican Council maiores as Litaniae minores ( " small litanies " to the Bitttagen ) because they started with the singing of the Litany of the Saints and were accompanied by fervent prayer. St. John Chrysostom ordered in April 399 for continuous rain a Bittgang called " Litaniae " to. In the Gallic liturgy then there was talk of rogationes (from the Latin rogare ask " woo ").

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