Sub tuum praesidium

''Sub tuum præsidium'' (; ) is an ancient Christian hymn and prayer dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The hymn enumerates her special election by God the Father and her motherhood of God the Son. It is one of the oldest known Marian prayers and among the most ancient preserved hymns still currently in use.

The Papyrus No. 470, containing a substantial portion of the prayer was dated initially to the 3rd or 4th century; later dated as late as the 9th century A.D. The dating of the Papyrus remains uncertain. Accordingly, the celebrated hymn is well attested within the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Historicity

The earliest text of this hymn was found in a Coptic Orthodox Christmas liturgy. Rylands Papyrus 470 records the hymn in Greek, and was dated to the 3rd century by papyrologist Edgar Lobel and by scholar Colin Henderson Roberts to the 4th century. By contrast, Hans Förster dates it to the 8th century and states that Roberts merely quoted Lobel, and that there is no consensus supporting the Lobel date. Although he notes that a number of scholars support Lobel and Roberts, Towarek follows Förster and others in concluding that the earliest textual witness to the hymn is of 6th—7th century provenance and that it only became liturgically prevalent in the Middle Ages.

Recent scholarship has identified the hymn in the Georgian Iadgari (Chantbook) of Jerusalem, demonstrating that the ''Sub tuum praesidium'' was in liturgical use during the 5th century. The hymn is also part of the Order of Sulpician custom that all classes ended with a recitation of this prayer. Besides the Greek text, ancient versions can be found in Coptic, Syriac, Armenian and Latin.

The Frenchman, Henri de Villiers finds in the term "blessed" a reference to the salutation by Saint Elizabeth in . is translated as "an assistance given in time of war by fresh troops in a strong manner."

The former medieval and post-medieval practice in several dioceses, especially in France, was to use the as the final antiphon at Compline instead of the , and in the Rite of Braga, where it is sung at the end of the Catholic Mass.

Pontifical indulgence

Pope Pius VI in the decree of 5 April 1786 granted the indulgence of one hundred days and, on Sundays, of 7 years and the same number of forty years to anyone who with sincere contrition recited in the morning the antiphon '' Salve Regina'' and in the evening the ''Sub tuum praesidium''.

During the modernization efforts of the Second Vatican Council, these types of indulgences (expressed in days or years) was suppressed by the '' Indulgentiarum Doctrina'' (1967).

The '' Enchiridion Indulgentiarum'' of 2004 provides for partial indulgence.

Modern use

In the Byzantine Rite used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, the hymn is the last apolytikion of Vespers celebrated during Great Lent on Sunday evenings and weekdays. It is also the last apolytikion of Vespers on other Days of Alleluia outside of Great Lent. In Greek practice, it is usually sung in Neo-Byzantine chant.

In the Armenian Rite, the hymn is sung on the Eve of Theophany and is also used as an acclamation () in the daily compline service known as the Rest Hour (). A slightly different version of the hymn is appended to the Trisagion when the latter is chanted in the daily Morning () and Evening () Hours of the Daily Office.

The Slavonic version of the hymn is also often used outside of Great Lent, with the triple invocation ("Most Holy Theotokos, save us") appended.

The prayer has a special importance in Ukrainian Orthodoxy because Ukrainians connect it to the Intercession aspect of the Mother of God, which in its turn is outstandingly hallowed in the Ukrainian tradition.

The hymn is used in the Coptic liturgy, as well as in the Armenian, Byzantine, Ambrosian, and Roman Rite liturgies.

In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church it is used as the antiphon for the ''Nunc Dimittis'' at Compline in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in the Liturgy of the Hours may be used as the Marian antiphon after Compline or Vespers outside of Eastertide.

The prayer has a special significance for Marists, and it is often heard in Marist schools and groups around the world. It is also commonly used by the Salesians in honor of Mary Help of Christians.

Since 2018, Pope Francis has asked to pray this hymn along with the Rosary and the Prayer to Saint Michael asking for the unity of the Church during October (2018). In the official communiqué he added that "Russian mystics and the great saints of all the traditions advised, in moments of spiritual turbulence, to shelter beneath the mantle of the Holy Mother of God pronouncing the invocation 'Sub Tuum Praesidium'".

In Poland, this prayer is often recited at the end of the Holy Rosary.

Musical settings

A mosaic rendition of the Virgin of Mercy with the inscription in a school—orphanage administered by the Order of Saint Paul the Hermit in Bratislava, Slovakia. ">Bratislava, Slovakia">Virgin of Mercy with the inscription in a school—orphanage administered by the Order of Saint Paul the Hermit in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The Latin version has been set to music in the West many times, notably by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, (3 settings: H.20, for 3 voices and bc, 1670; H.28, for 3 voices unaccompanied, 1681–82; H.352, for 1 voice and bc; late1680s), Jan Dismas Zelenka, (10 settings for SATB and bc), Antonio Salieri, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Other than the traditional and modern chant settings, which are the most commonly used, the most well-known musical setting in Slavonic traditiona is perhap
that
of the Ukrainian composer Dmitry Bortniansky. Anothe
Ukrainian version
was composed by Ihor Sonevytsky.

Authenticated Recensions

Greek

Slavonic

The earliest Church Slavonic manuscripts have the prayer in the following form:

This version continues to be used by the Old Believers today, as well as those churches (Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic alike) which use the Ruthenian Recension. In the 17th century, under the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow, the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a new translation (but parishes continue to use the form given above):

This second version continues in use today.

Latin

The Latin translation, likely derived from the Greek, dates from the 11th century:

Some of the Latin versions have also incorporated the following verses often attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux to the above translation:

(Our Lady, our Mediatrix, Our Advocate)

(Reconcile us to your Son)

(Recommend us to your Son)

(Represent us to your Son)

References

External links

"Under thy compassion we take refuge..."
Photograph of Papyrus Rylands III 470, dated to 250 AD.

Theotokos: A review of the scholarship on the paleographical date of P.Ryl. III 470 (“Sub Tuum Praesidium”)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sub Tuum Praesidium
Catholic liturgy
Byzantine Rite
Eastern Orthodox Mariology
Oriental Orthodoxy
Marian devotions