Singing Adeste Fideles in St. Peter's Basilica
Midnight Mass experience
Singing “Adeste Fideles” in Saint Peter’s Basilica
"O Come, All Ye Faithful", is a Chritmas carol also known as the Latin "Adeste Fideles". Many choral groups learn this beautiful hymn in several languages although the familiar tune transcends all versions.
When Dick and I experienced the rare opportunity to attend Christmas Midnight Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, in Rome, we heard multiple choirs chanting and singing the various sections of the liturgy, presenting their native languages from all four corners of the world.
Prayers and hymns were led and sung in Swahili, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Japanese as well as all the Romance languages, being Italian, Spanish, French, Romanian and Portuguese- and other languages too numerous to mention.
Midnight Mass in Saint Peter’s is celebrated with the Pope and we attended when the now Saint John Paul II was the lead celebrant. At the very stroke of midnight, Pope John Paul II walked down the basilica’s very long center aisle without any assistance except for his Shepherd’s staff , while about 10,000 (yes, at least ten thousand) worshippers, who came from all over the world, hailed “Papa! Papa! Papa!
As the magnificent Mass proceeded, we could not help but realize how those seated around us were Asians, Germans, and French. We were the only two Americans who were able to find seats at the Mass while thousands of others stood in the wide aisles and along the basilica’s walls. Believe it or not, even with the throngs of worshippers, when the time came to receive Holy Communion, it only took about 25 minutes for everyone to receive consecrated host. Following the distribution of the Eucharist, the meditation hymn began to be played by the organist and multiple choirs led the singing the Latin verses of “Adeste Fideles”.
My husband and I joined the singing along with everyone in the basilica. As I looked around, everyone I saw was singing in the very same language. All of us knew the tune and the Latin verses. We were stunned by the beauty of hearing thousands of worshippers who could not communicate with one another in a common language, come together in one voice to sign “Adeste Fideles”
.This picture was taken in 2011 when we returned to visit St. Peter’s Bascilica with our Granddaughter Erin taken in front of Michelangelo’s magnificent Pieta.