Wednesday, December 1, 2021

"Romano-German" Pontifical in Anglo-Saxon England

 


A digitized edition of the so-called "Romano-German Pontifical" that was used in 11th century England can be found here.  This specific Pontifical is generally considered of a type that was formed in 10th century Mainz, but, which, gradually, acquired a wider usage alongside other Pontificals [a 'Pontifical' in this context meaning a Book that contains services which a Bishop performs].  The description on the Cambridge website is as thus: 


"CCCC MS 163 contains a Pontifical of the Romano-Germanic type.  It was written in the second half of the eleventh century, probably at Worcester, although the Old Minster and the Nunnaminster at Winchester have both also been suggested.  In text it is closely related to London, BL MS Cotton Vitellius E. XII, and may even have been directly copied from it.  The Romano-Germanic Pontifical originated in the tenth century and spread rapidly because it brought together a comprehensive set of texts for performing the duties of a bishop.  These two English copies seem to descend from a Cologne manuscript, and it has been suggested that the line of transmission was Bishop Ealdred's visit to Cologne in 1054.  Ealdred, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of Canterbury, was sent by Edward the Confessor on a diplomatic mission to Henry II, probably leading to the return to England of Edward the Exile in 1057, and it seems likely that he acquired a text of the Romano-Germanic Pontifical on this occasion.  MS 163 contains four ordines for the consecration of women while omitting all those for abbots and monks, and may therefore have some connection with the nunnery." 


There is a minor correction that must be made to the above; Ealdred became Archbishop of York, not Archbishop of Canterbury.  That it may have a connection with the Nunnaminster, or womens' convent of St. Mary's is interesting; as it says, it contains text for the 'consecration of women' [i.e. consecration / sanctification / making of nuns], but not the consecration of monks.  

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