The Improperia are a series of antiphons and responses, expressing the remonstrance of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

with his people. Also known as the Reproaches, they are sung In the

Catholic liturgy In the Catholic Church, liturgy is divine worship, the proclamation of the Gospel, and active charity. Catholic liturgies are broadly categorized as the Latin liturgical rites of the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic liturgies of the Easte ...

as part of the observance of the Passion, usually on the afternoon of

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Holy ...

. In the

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople. The canonical hours a ...

, they are found in various hymns of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The Improperia appear in the Pontificale of Prudentius (846–61) and gradually came into use throughout Europe in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, finally being incorporated into the Roman Ordo in the fourteenth century.

Roman Rite

In their present form in the

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while di ...

, the Improperia are a series of three couplets, sung

antiphon An antiphon ( Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominentl ...

ally by cantors and followed by alternate Greek and Latin responses from the two halves of the choir; and nine other lines sung by the cantors, with the full choir responding after each with the refrain "Popule meus, quid feci tibi? ..." Besides the

Kyrie Kyrie, a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of (''Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the Kyrie eleison ( ; ). In the Bible The prayer, "Kyrie, eleison," "Lord, have mercy" derives f ...

, this is the only usage of the Greek language in the Roman Rite. Thus the Improperia begin with this couplet that includes parts of the

Trisagion The ''Trisagion'' ( el, Τρισάγιον; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its opening line ''Agios O Theos'', is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Cat ...

: :Cantor 1: Popule meus, quid feci tibi? Aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. ::Cantor 2: Quia eduxi te de terra Ægypti: parasti Crucem Salvatori tuo. :Choir A: Hagios o Theos. ::Choir B: Sanctus Deus. :Choir A: Hagios Ischyros. ::Choir B: Sanctus Fortis. :Choir A: Hagios Athanatos, eleison hemas. ::Choir B: Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis. :My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me! ::I led you out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom, but you led your Saviour to the cross. :Holy is God! ::Holy is God! :Holy and strong! ::Holy and strong! :Holy immortal One, have mercy on us. ::Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.Rubrics, Latin text, and English translation from the Gregorian Missal, pp. 311–317, Solesmes, 1990. The same, though without translation, will be found in the '' Liber Usualis'' (Latin text and English rubrics), pp. 737–41, Solesmes, 1961; the '' Graduale Romanum'' (Latin text and Latin rubrics), pp. 225–31, Solesmes, 1961; and elsewhere. The second couplet is sung antiphonally by two cantors of the second choir, and the third couplet by two cantors of the first choir; after each the two choirs respond as above. The nine following reproaches are sung alternately by the cantors of each choir, beginning with the second, with the full choir responding after each reproach with the line, "Popule meus ...": :Cantors 3 & 4: Ego propter te flagellavi Ægyptum cum primogenitis suis: et tu me flagellatum tradidisti. ::Choirs A & B: Popule meus, quid feci tibi? Aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. :Cantors 1 & 2: Ego eduxi te de Ægypto, demerso Pharaone in mare rubrum: et tu me tradidisti principibus sacerdotum. ::Choirs A & B: Popule meus, quid feci tibi? Aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. :For your sake I scourged your captors and their firstborn sons, but you brought your scourges down on me. ::My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me! :I led you from slavery to freedom and drowned your captors in the red sea, but you handed me over to your high priests. ::My people ... After the last Improperium and its refrain, the hymns '' Crux fidelis'' and '' Pange lingua'' are sung.

Anglicanism

During the

English Reformation The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...

, the Reproaches were suppressed by

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Hen ...

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

when he authored the first

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...

in the sixteenth century. However, the liturgical movement and the desire to connect with ancient liturgical traditions has led to some Provinces in the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

to reintroduce the Reproaches. For example, the revisers of the 1989 Anglican Prayer Book of the

Anglican Church of Southern Africa The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, known until 2006 as the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, is the province of the Anglican Communion in the southern part of Africa. The church has twenty-five dioceses, of which twenty-one are l ...

to reintroduce the Reproaches as "The Solemn Adoration of Christ Crucified". In many Anglican Good Friday Liturgies, the Reproaches are sung at the Veneration of the Cross.

Presbyterianism

In the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Reproaches were incorporated in its 1993 Book of Common Worship, pp 287–291(Revised 2018). They are part of the Good Friday liturgy, and follow the Solemn Intercessions and Lord's Prayer. They may involve a rough-hewn cross carried in procession and placed before the worshipers, and thus begin, "Behold the cross on which was hung the salvation of the whole world." The people respond, "Come, let us worship." After the third repeat of this antiphonal call to worship, the reproaches begin. There are nine, each introduced by the congregation saying, "Holy God, Holy and mighty, Holy immortal One, have mercy upon us." and concluded with the congregation praying "Lord, have mercy." Though all nine can be read, they are chosen at the option of the liturgist. They can be followed by a psalm or hymn or other musical offering, and the congregation, thereafter, departs in silence. If used in the service of Friday Tenebrae, they are read at the end of the lessons, once only the Christ candle is still burning. At their end, the Christ candle is extinguished. Often a bell or chime is stuck 33 times in remembrance of Jesus' years, as the people sit in silence. Thereafter, the people depart in silence and darkness.

Lutheranism

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, the Reproaches are commonly chanted each Good Friday during the Tenebrae service. The Reproaches begin with the first of three exchanges between the pastor and congregation. The priest or cantor begins: :Thus says the Lord: :"What have I done to you, O my people, :And wherein have I offended you? :Answer me. :For I have raised you up out of the prison house of sin and death, :"And you have delivered up your Redeemer to be scourged. :For I have redeemed you from the house of bondage, :And you have nailed your Savior to the cross. :O my people!" The congregation or choir responds: :Holy Lord God, :Holy and mighty God, :Holy and most merciful Redeemer; :God eternal, leave us not to bitter death. :O Lord, have mercy! The congregation then sings, : Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer. :Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer. :All sins Thou borest for us, else had dispair reigned o'er us, :Have mercy upon us, O Jesus, O Jesus. The pastor continues: :Thus says the Lord: :"What have I done to you, O my people, :And wherein have I offended you? :Answer me. :For I have conquered all your foes, :And you have given me over and delivered me to those who persecute me. :For I have fed you with my Word and refreshed you with living water, :And you have given me gall and vinegar to drink. :O my people!" The congregation or choir responds: :Holy Lord God, :Holy and mighty God, :Holy and most merciful Redeemer; :God eternal, allow us not to lose hope in the face of death and hell. :O Lord, have mercy! The congregation sings : Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer. :Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer. :All sins Thou borest for us, else had dispair reigned o'er us, ::Have mercy upon us, O Jesus, O Jesus. The pastor or Kantor continues: :Thus says the Lord: :"What have I done to you, O my people, :And wherein have I offended you? :Answer me. :What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? :When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? :My people, is this how you thank your God? :O my people!" The congregation or choir sings: :Holy Lord God, :Holy and mighty God, :Holy and most merciful Redeemer; :God eternal, keep us steadfast in the true faith. :O Lord, have mercy! The congregation sings, : Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer. :Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer. :All sins Thou borest for us, else had dispair reigned o'er us, :Thy peace be with us, O Jesus, O Jesus.

Methodism

The Reproaches are included in the

Methodist Church of Great Britain The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestant Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council, and the World Council of Churches among other ecumenical as ...

's liturgy for Good Friday and in the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

's Good Friday service. They were included in the ritual of the American

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

, one of the predecessor denominations of the United Methodist Church, in its "Order of Worship for Good Friday Evening".The United Methodist Publishing House (approved 1964, published 1965), ''The Book of Worship for Church and Home'', pp. 109–110.

References

External links

Improperia (Latin version)
{{Authority control Catholic liturgy Latin-language Christian hymns Greek-language songs Macaronic songs Easter hymns