Pontifical Anthem

Inno e Marcia Pontificale

English: Pontifical Anthem and March
Pontifical anthem of Template:VA-HS
Lyrics	None
Music	Charles Gounod, 1869
Adopted	1949
Audio sample
Inno e Marcia Pontificale (Instrumental) file help

Marche Pontificale (Papal March) is the name of an instrumental piece of music composed by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) for the celebration on 11 April 1869 of Pope Pius IX's silver jubilee of priestly ordination.

At the opening of the 1950 Holy Year (24 December 1949), this music replaced the previous papal anthem, and since then is known also as the Papal Anthem (in Italian, Inno Pontificale). and is also called in Italian Inno e Marcia Pontificale (Papal Anthem and March).

An account of the history of the composition can be found on the Web site of the Vatican City State, at Pontifical Anthem and its story".

The site states that the music is not a national anthem, but a pontifical or papal anthem. It thus corresponds, in United States terms, rather to "Hail to the Chief" than to "The Star-Spangled Banner".

This statement is found also on the Web site of the Holy See at Inno Pontificio e la sua storia.

Lyrics

Like the Spanish national anthem, Gounod's Papal March has no official words, but lyrics have been composed for the music, and are sometimes sung to it. Two such texts are given on the Holy See's Web site at Inno Pontificio

Italian composition by Antonio Allegra

In 1949, Monsignor Antonio Allegra (1905-1969), who was then one of the organists of St. Peter’s Basilica, wrote the following words for the music:

The Italian original

Roma immortale di Martiri e di Santi,

Roma immortale accogli i nostri canti:

Gloria nei cieli a Dio nostro Signore,

Pace ai Fedeli, di Cristo nell'amore.

A Te veniamo, Angelico Pastore,

In Te vediamo il mite Redentore,

Erede Santo di vera e santa Fede;

Conforto e vanto a chi combatte e crede,

Non prevarranno la forza ed il terrore,

Ma regneranno la Verità, l'Amore.

An English translation

O Rome immortal of Martyrs and Saints,

O immortal Rome, accept our praises:

Glory in the heavens to God our Lord,

And peace to men who love Christ!

To You we come, Angelic Pastor,

In You we see the gentle Redeemer,

The Holy Heir of true and holy Faith;

Comfort and refuge of those who believe and fight.

Force and terror will not prevail,

But Truth and Love will reign.

Latin composition by Raffaello Lavagna

In 1991, Monsignor Raffaello Lavagna of Savona (born 1918), wrote the following Latin words to be sung to an arrangement of the music by Alberico Vitalini for four-voice choir:

The Latin original

CHOIR

O felix Roma – o Roma nobilis:

Sedes es Petri, qui Romae effudit sanguinem,

Petri cui claves datae sunt regni caelorum.

Pontifex, Tu successor es Petri;

Pontifex, Tu magister es tuos confirmans fratres;

Pontifex, Tu qui Servus servorum Dei,

hominumque piscator, pastor es gregis,

ligans caelum et terram.

Pontifex, Tu Christi es Vicarius super terram,

rupes inter fluctus, Tu es pharus in tenebris;

Tu pacis es vindex, Tu es unitatis custos,

vigil libertatis defensor; in Te potestas.

SOPRANOS, ALTOS

Tu Pontifex, firma es petra, et super petram

hanc aedificata est Ecclesia Dei.

TENORS, BASSES

Pontifex, Tu Christi es Vicarius super terram,

rupes inter fluctus, Tu es pharus in tenebris;

Tu pacis es vindex, Tu es unitatis custos,

vigil libertatis defensor; in Te potestas.

CHOIR

O felix Roma – O Roma nobilis.

An English translation

O happy Rome - O noble Rome

You are the seat of Peter, whose blood was shed in Rome,

Peter, to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given.

Pontiff, You are the successor of Peter;

Pontiff, You are the teacher, you confirm your brethren;

Pontiff, You who are the Servant of the servants of God,

and fisher of men, are the shepherd of the flock,

linking heaven and earth.

Pontiff, You are the vicar of Christ on earth,

a rock amidst the waves, You are a beacon in the darkness;

You are the defender of peace, You are the guardian of unity,

watchful defender of liberty; in You is the authority.

Pontiff, you are the unshakable rock, and on this rock

was built the Church of God.

Pontiff, You are the vicar of Christ on earth,

a rock amidst the waves, You are a beacon in the darkness;

You are the defender of peace, You are the guardian of unity,

watchful defender of liberty; in You is the authority.

O happy Rome - O noble Rome.

The score of a longer Latin text by the same writer and a more elaborate musical arrangement by the same composer is given at Score for choir of four voices by Alberico Vitalini with original Latin text by Monsignor Raffaello Lavagna. This is clearly not meant for unison singing.

Other versions

Other lyrics also have been written in various languages for the music of the Papal March, sometimes not directly related to the papacy, as in Monsignor Rudy Villanueva's Cebuano prayer, Yutang Tabonon (Beloved Land), for protection for the Philippines nation.

Previous papal anthem

The previous papal anthem was the Triumphal March, composed in 1857 by the Austrian Viktorin Hallmayer (born on 5 September 1831 at Anthering bei Salzburg, died on 9 May 1872). Hallmayer was then director of the band of the 47th Infantry Regiment of the Line, known as the Count Kinsky Regiment, stationed within the Papal States. It was played for the first time on the evening of 9 June 1857, to celebrate the entry of Pope Pius IX into Bologna. It proved immediately popular and was used repeatedly during that journey of the Pope to several central Italian cities, including Florence, and on his return to Rome on 5 September 1857. This was the music that was played in the streets of Rome to celebrate the Reconciliation between the papacy and the Kingdom of Italy on 11 February 1929 and the end of the Roman Question.

The words that were sung to this music were:

The Italian original

Salve, Salve Roma, patria eterna di memorie,

Cantano le tue glorie, mille palme e mille altari.

Roma degli Apostoli, Madre guida dei Redenti,

Roma luce delle genti, il mondo spera in te!

Salve, Salve Roma, la tua luce non tramonta,

Vince l'odio e l'onta lo splendor di tua beltà.

Roma degli Apostoli, Madre e guida dei Redenti,

Roma luce delle genti, il mondo spera in te!

An English translation

Hail, O Rome, eternal abode of memories;

A thousand palms and a thousand altars sing your praises.

Rome of the Apostles, Mother and guide of the Redeemed,

Rome, light of the nations, in you the world finds hope!

Hail, O Rome! Your light will never fade;

The splendour of your beauty is victorious over hatred and shame.

Rome of the Apostles, Mother and guide of the Redeemed,

Rome, light of the nations, in you the world finds hope!

Media

PDF, info here

External links

• Pontifical Anthem - This page at the official website of the Vatican City State features detailed information on the anthem, including two instrumental files.
• Inno Pontificio - This page at the official website of the Holy See features the lyrics in Italian and Latin given above, as well as a midi version of the music.
• Himnuszok – The elaborate arrangement of the Anthem by Alberico Vitalini with Latin text by Raffaello Lavagna sung by the Paris-based Académie de Musique des Grandes Écoles et Universités
• Latin Vocal Version World Countries Atlas site of Vatican national anthem including both instrumental and vocal version of anthem.