伴以歌聲的最後旅程－天主教會為亡者祈禱經文在二十世紀初中國的詠唱實踐初探

基督宗教一向重視喪葬禮，因為死亡是基督徒參與逾越奧蹟的方式。在此一信仰基礎上，信友為亡者的靈魂獲得永生而祈禱，形成重要的傳統。其中，天主教會在中世紀已建立的誦唱「亡者日課」等經文之儀式，也隨着傳教士入華引入中國。在明末清初傳教士的書信記述中，已可得見為亡者誦念祈禱經文的記錄。由於此一宗教實踐契合中國人對喪葬禮之重視，因此成為中國教徒為亡者祈禱的最主要途徑。本文追溯為亡者祈禱經文從西方傳入東方的本地化歷程，並根據不同來源之文獻，分析中國信友實踐相關儀式的具體範例，特別是詠唱這些經文的不同方式。

關鍵字

天主教聖樂；亡者日課；終後經；祈禱文詠唱；本地化

並列摘要

As the paschal mystery, which commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, is situated right at the core of the Christian faith, so too are the funeral rites, with its prayers for the eternal life of the deceased, forming an important tradition in the Catholic Church. The tradition of chanting the Officium defunctorum (Office of the Dead), together with related prayers, can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and were introduced to the Chinese Catholics by missionary priests working in China. Letters from these missionaries in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties registered this practice of chanting prayers for the dead. This Christian reverence for the dead, expressed through the liturgical service, coincides with the traditional Chinese devotion towards the dead. Consequently, funeral rites became one of the most important liturgical rituals for the Chinese Faithful. This article traces the induction of the prayer texts related to rituals for the dead as they were transmitted from the Western world to China, its circulation and inculcation. Through an analysis of the musical scores, along with secondary references, the author re-enacts the paradigmatic practices of Chinese Catholics for accompanying the dead on their journey to the nether world as well as investigating its indigenous features.

並列關鍵字

Catholic music ； Officium defunctorum ； Subvenite ； Chanted prayers in Classical Chinese ； Inculturation

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