10th Century Pontifical of Poitiers and Filioque Interpolation in Interlinear Latin

 This is the 10^th century Pontifical of Poitiers. In the section for Making of a Catechumen, at the giving of the Creed, we have the Creed written in Greek in Latin letters, and then, an interlinear Latin translation.

In the transliterated Greek it just reads (on fol. 55v) as:

“Ke is to Penuma to Agion to Kyrrion ke Zoopion to ek tu Patros ek Porreugomenon.”

[“And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-Giver, from the Father Proceeding.”]

In the Latin interlinear text, however, we notice something curious. In the original Latin text it just reads as:

“Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, ex Patre Procedens.”

[“And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-Giver, from the Father Proceeding.”]

However, you notice that a later hand, with darker ink, has tampered with the text, so that we have the following emendation:

“Qui” added to before “ex” and “Filioque” added immediate after “Patre” and the original “procedens” has been erased, and the form “procedit” put in its place.

The Gelasian form of the Latin Symbol generally read simply as “ex Patre Procedens” or sometimes "Procedentem".

Nevertheless, the Pontifical was made in the 10^th Century in Poitiers, for the Bishop of that City, and the original 10^th Century text simply had the Credo in Greek (with the interlinear gloss having a faithful translation, absent a much later interpolation).

HOWEVER, if we go only to the page after the Greek Credo is completed (56v), things get even better. There, the Credo is to be recited formally in Latin (while the interlinear text in Latin was not a formal recitation), with the formal Latin Symbol / Credo in the relevant section saying:

“Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivifcatorem, ex Patre Procedentem.”

“And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, from the Father Proceeding.”]

No interpolation was attempted. So, what happened? Well, whoever took the book, and much later interpolated the interlinear Latin, apparently didn’t do a very thorough job; he simply added the forbidden “Filioque” only to the interlinear, and left the formal Latin a page later uncorrupted!

When was the interlinear text corrupted? My guess is in the 11^th Century when other cataclysmic changes happened.

Greek and Latin Credo in 10th Century Cod. Sang. 318 and the Filioque

 Cod. Sang. 318 is a 10^th Century Cantatorium / Gradual from St. Gallen Monastery in Switzerland. In the section that gives the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol of Faith in Greek and Latin, see page 21:

https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/csg/0381/21/0/

In Latin it simply reads as:

“Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, Qui ex Patre Procedit.”

[“And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who from the Father Proceedeth.”]

In the transliterated Greek it reads much the same, except, I believe, a later hand has added “ke Yio” (and the Son) so that it follows “ek tu Patros.”

That is, in a slightly less darker ink, a little off to the side a later hand interpolate the manuscript, so, instead of reading originally as “Ke is to Penumato Agion to Kyrrion ke Zoopion ton ek tu Patros ek poreugomenon,” after “ton ek tu Patro” the phrase “ke Yio” is added.”

But, yet the later hand forgot to interpolate the Latin Symbol, instead leaving it uncorrupted as “Qui ex Patre Procedit.”

Often, when later redactors go over books, it is not too difficult to tell when they start adding things; something seems strangely out of place, a phrase off to the side that is evident, a lighter or even different color ink, etc.

Yet, this is an important testimony that the Latin variant of the Credo that reads “Qui ex Patre Procedit” instead of “Ex Patre Procedentem” did exist without a Filioque interpolation.

A Blessed Feast of Holy Transfiguration!

 

Greek Symbol of Faith (Credo) in the 950 Sacramentary of Mainz

 In the 10th Century Sacramentary of Mainz, probably belong to Abbey of St. Alban, we find the Ordinary of the Mass (i.e., Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, etc) written in Greek transliterated in Latin letters. 

For the Symbol of Faith, or Credo, on page 10 we read the following:

"Ke is to Pneumato Agion to Kirion ke Zoopion to ek tu Patros ekporeugemnon to sin Patri ke Io sin proskynumenos ke sin doxa." 

That is:

"And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-Giver, from the Father Proceeding, with the Father and the Son together worshipped and glorified." 

Singing the Ordinary of the Mass in the Greek language was not entirely unknown in the Latin West at the time. 

11th Century Subiaco Missal with Uninterpolated Credo

 Yet another example of an uncorrupted book from the 11th century.

For reference purposes:

Here is BAV, Vat. Lat. 04770, or the Subiaco Missal (yes, that Subiaco, famed after St. Benedict's Monastery founded there), of about 1025.
https://usuarium.elte.hu/book/1584/view

https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.4770

If we turn to the section that has the Making of a Catechumen service, part of Baptism, specifically on pages 97v and r we find the Credo recited first in Greek (in transliterated Latin letters), and then in Latin.

The transliterated Greek contains the Credo with simply "from the Father Proceeding".

If you look on the next page, for the formally recited Latin text, it reads:
"Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, ex Patre Procedentem, Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur."
["And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-Giver, from the Father Proceeding, Who with the Father and the Son together is adored and glorified."]

This is another example of an uninterpolated Credal text in the Latin West prior to the Great Schism. Subiaco was an important monastery centre, since it was where St. Benedict founded his first monastery.

Greek Credo in 11th Century Pontifical of Emperor Henry III

There is an 11th Century Pontifical that is connected with the Emperor Henry III; it seems to have probably been made for the Archbishop of Salzburg.  It is of the Romano-German type; and derives from a the same stream as the mid-11th century Winchester Pontifical that was copied from a Continental type.  

Like that Pontifical, it gives the Credo in Greek and then in Latin, in the section that contains the giving of the Catechumenate with the various Expositions; also like the Winchester Pontifical, the Greek Credo has musical notation, while the Latin has no musical notation; also, curiously, the chanted Greek Credo has no Filioque interpolation in its text, while the Latin Credo has the lamentable Filioque addition in its text.  

The Greek text is transliterated into Latin letters, and the section regarding the Holy Ghost reads as follows:

"Ke is to Pneumato Agion to Kirion ke ho opion to ek thu Patros ek porreugemenon to sin Patri ke Io sin proskinumenon ke sin doxa ho menon to lalisan diaton Prophiton."

[And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-Giver, from the Father Proceeding, with the Father and the Son worshipped and glorified, Who spake through the Prophets.]

It can be found on page 102r of the manuscript. 

Of course, like many transliterated Latin text of the Greek Credo from the Medieval period, the pronunciation is often different than how one would pronounce the Greek today, and such; but, one can see this same issue in the Old Gelasian Sacramentary with its transliteration of the Greek Credo in Latin; the dropping and adding of certain consonants, etc, in places we wouldn't expect.  

Nevertheless, there still was a lively consciousness, I would argue, that even where the Latin interpolated Credo was beginning to be used, that the Greek Credo must be preserved unaltered.  Perhaps because there was some realization that peace must be maintained with the Eastern Church, as well as a conservative adherence to tradition, even while deviant innovation was creeping into the Latin Credo text.   But, one sees this preservation of the Greek Credo [and even un-interpolated Latin Credo] still in place in the 11th century (such as the Mainz text).  

 

Greek Credo in 11th Anglo-Saxon Pontifical

I have mentioned previously the 11th century Anglo-Saxon Pontifical known as CCCC Ms. 163.  It is Pontifical of a Continental type, and such, but, had some usage in 11th century England; associated with Abp. Ealdred of York. 

For our purposes, we have our attention turned to the section that deals with the Making of Catechumens, as it contains the singing of the Credo in Greek, and then, again, in Latin.   Go to page 46 [which is listed as page 43 in the actual manuscript]. 

What is interesting is that the Credo in Greek not only has musical notation, but, it simply reads in the following Latin transliteration of the Greek:

"Ke is to Penumato Agion tu Kyrion kezoopion to ek tu Patros ekporeugomenon ton si Patri ke Io sin proskynumenon ke in doxa, zomenon tolalisan diaton profiton."

That is:

"And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-Giver, Who from the Father Proceedeth, Who with the Father and the Son togenther is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets." 

Now, in the next page, we have the Credo in Latin, and, unfortunately, the Credo is recited with the notorious interpolation in Latin with the well-known "qui ex Patre Filioque Procedit..." 

Of course, that the Credo was sung in Greek without the Filioque should tell us something.  The simple explanation that they copied a text and had no idea what it says doesn't seem satisfying, seeing that there ARE, in fact, 11th century Western books that have the Greek transliterated Credo but add a "ke Io" right after "ek tu Patros..."  While Greek may have not been as well-known as it should have been, this didn't mean there weren't Greek grammar books, and some individuals who understood the basics of the language.  

If some in the 11th century knew enough Greek to add the Filioque in Greek to a Latin transliterated Credo in some cases, then they could tell when they were looking at an untampered Greek Credo in Latin transliterated.  There are various speculative explanations for why they would keep the Greek Credo untampered with even in the second half of the 11th century in England; but, all we can say is that it was recited as such still in some places.