In paradisum
In paradisum ("Into paradise") is a Latin antiphon from the traditional Requiem Mass in the Roman Catholic liturgy, chanted as the deceased's body is processed from the church to the burial site to pray for the soul's safe passage to eternal rest.[1] The text invokes angels to guide the departed into paradise, martyrs to welcome them upon arrival, and eternal repose alongside the biblical figure of Lazarus, drawing from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke, reflecting Christian hopes for the afterlife.[2] Originating in medieval Christian funeral rites within the Roman Rite, the antiphon appears in sources like the 13th-century Worcester Antiphonary, where it was initially two separate pieces: In paradisum and Chorus angelorum.[3] It is performed in Gregorian chant, a monophonic, unaccompanied form of sacred music attributed to anonymous composers from the early medieval period, emphasizing its solemn and meditative character.[3] The melody is classified in Mode VII (authentic Mixolydian), with a reciting tone on D and a range spanning a fifth, creating a bright yet prayerful tone suitable for commemorating the faithful departed.[3] The full Latin text reads: In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem. Its English translation is: May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you to the holy city Jerusalem. May the choirs of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once poor, may you have eternal rest.[1] This antiphon holds a central place in the Order of Christian Funerals, particularly on All Souls' Day, and has inspired numerous polyphonic and modern compositions while remaining a cornerstone of liturgical chant.[2]Liturgical Context
Role in the Requiem Mass
In the traditional structure of the Catholic Requiem Mass prior to the liturgical reforms of 1962, the In paradisum antiphon serves as the final element of the Absolution of the Dead, a rite performed immediately after the Mass's dismissal and before the procession to the burial site.[4] This absolution begins with the Kyrie eleison and the prayer Non intres in iudicium, followed by the responsory Libera me, Domine, which accompanies the priest's incensing and aspersion of the coffin with holy water; the In paradisum then concludes the rite as the body is carried from the church.[5] The antiphon is sung by the choir or, in its absence, recited by the priest or cantor, emphasizing a solemn communal prayer during this transitional moment.[6] This performance occurs amid the procession of the deceased's body from the church to the cemetery, symbolizing the soul's departure from the earthly realm toward the heavenly one, with the choir leading the chant as the crucifer and ministers precede the coffin.[1] Accompanying rituals include the priest, vested in a black cope, walking around the coffin to complete the incensation and aspersion if not fully done earlier, ensuring the rite's reverence as the mourners follow.[4] In the 1962 Roman Ritual, these rubrics underscore the antiphon's role in bridging the liturgical conclusion with the burial, performed only when the body is present.[4] Following the Second Vatican Council, the Rite of Funerals revised in 1969 integrated elements of the absolution into the Final Commendation at the end of the Funeral Mass, where In paradisum may still be sung as an optional antiphon during the procession out of the church to the place of committal, often by the choir or assembly.[7] Parishes following these guidelines recommend its use at the departure to maintain continuity with tradition, though without the separate absolution rite or mandatory incensation of the coffin.[8] Theologically, In paradisum embodies a prayer for the angels to escort the deceased soul into paradise, invoking eternal rest amid the martyrs and saints while highlighting the communal farewell and hope for the intermediate state before final judgment.[9] This symbolism reinforces the Church's belief in divine mercy guiding the departed, uniting the assembly in intercession as the body transitions to burial.[2]Text and Translation
The antiphon In paradisum consists of the following Latin text, as standardized in the Roman Gradual:In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem.[1]This text invokes a prayer for the deceased's journey to the afterlife. A standard English translation renders it as:
May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city Jerusalem. May the chorus of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once poor, may you have eternal rest.[1]The phrasing employs optative subjunctives (e.g., deducant, suscipiant, habeas) to express wishes, creating a solemn, invocatory tone suited to liturgical prayer.[10] Key phrases include In paradisum, which translates to "into paradise" and opens the antiphon by envisioning the soul's entry into a heavenly realm of bliss. Chorus Angelorum refers to the "choir (or chorus) of angels," emphasizing a communal heavenly welcome that underscores themes of celestial harmony. The closing Lazarus quondam paupere alludes to "Lazarus, once a poor man," drawing from the biblical parable of the rich man and Lazarus to symbolize reversal of earthly suffering in eternity; this connection to the parable in Luke 16 is explored further in the scriptural basis. The text's poetic structure features parallel clauses and balanced rhythms—such as the repetition of angelic and martyric reception motifs—with syllable patterns (e.g., roughly 8-10 syllables per line) that facilitate its adaptation to Gregorian chant, promoting a flowing, meditative delivery.[11] Historical liturgical books show minor variations in wording, primarily orthographic or punctuational, across medieval manuscripts. For instance, early versions in Anglo-Saxon prayerbooks like the Royal Prayerbook (ca. 9th century) include abbreviated forms such as "Suscipiat te Christus qui creavit te et in sinum Abrahae angeli deducant te," focusing on Christ and Abraham's bosom rather than martyrs and Jerusalem, reflecting evolving emphases on interim paradise concepts. Later missals, such as those from the 11th-15th centuries, standardize the fuller text but exhibit differences like "martyres" (lowercase) versus "Martyres" or slight spacing in phrases like "civitatem sanctam." These variations arise from scribal traditions in monastic scriptoria but do not alter the core meaning.[11]