THE CEREMON IBS Of
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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011 with funding from
University of Toronto
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The
CEREMONIES
o/THE ROMAN
RITE
DESCRIBED
OMNIA AVTEM HONESTE ET SECVN- DVM ORDINEM FIANT.— i COR. XIV, 40
THE CEREMONIES of the ROMAN RITE
DESCRIBED
BY ADRIAN FORTESCUE
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RUBRICS OF LITURGICAL BOOKS, THE DECREES OF THE CONGRE- GATION OF SACRED RITES, THE CODE OF CANON LAW, AND APPROVED AUTHORS ■ CON- TAINING ALL SUCH CERE- MONIES AS MAT OCCUR IN A PARISH CHURCH, THE R ULES FOR PONTIFICAL FUNCTIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR THE ADMIN- ISTRATION OF SACRAMENTS, WITH PLANS AND DIAGRAMS BT THE AUTHOR AND WITH A PREFACE BT HIS EMINENCE
CARDINAL BOURNE
ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER
BURNS OATES AND WASHBOURNE LTD LONDON . MCMXX
NIHIL OBSTAT
F. Thomas Bergh, O.S.B., Censor Depvtatvs.
IMPRIMATVR
Edm. Canon. Svrmont, Vicarivs Generalis.
Westmonasterii, die 6 Septembris, 1917.
|
First Edition . |
• 1917 |
|
Second Edition |
. 1919 |
|
New Impression |
. 1920 |
yC<
SEP S
Printed in England
CONTENTS
Preface by His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of West- minster, p. xi. Author's Preface, p. xiii. Note on the Books quoted, p. xxiii. List of Plans, p. xxix. Figures used in the Plans, p. xxxi.
PART I
GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING CEREMONIES
CHAP. I. THE CHURCH AND ITS FURNITURE. P. I.
CHAP. II. THE VESTMENTS OF THE ROMAN RITE. P. IO.
CHAP. III. LITURGICAL VESSELS, INSTRUMENTS AND BOOKS. P. l6.
i. Vessels, p. 16.
2. Instruments, p. 17.
3. Books, p. 18.
CHAP. IV. COMMON CEREMONIAL ACTIONS. P. 21.
CHAP. V. THE CHOIR AND ASSISTANTS AT CEREMONIES. P. 28.
i. The Liturgical Choir, p. 28.
2. Ministers and Servers, p. 30.
3. Ecclesiastical Rank. p. 32.
PART II
THE HOLY SACRIFICE
CHAP. VI. LOW MASS SAID BY A PRIEST. P. 41.
i. Preparation, p. 41.
2. To the Gospel, p. 45.
3. From the Gospel to the Preface, p. 48.
4. The Canon to the Communion p. 52.
5. Distribution of Holy Communion, p. 60.
6. From the Ablutions to the end of Mass. p. 61.
7. Rules when the same Priest celebrates more than once on
the same Day. p. 65.
8. Mass before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, p. 66.
CHAP. VII. LOW MASS FOR THE DEAD. P. 68.
CHAP. VIII. MASS BY A PRIEST IN PRESENCE OF A PRELATE. P. 69.
CHAP. IX. LOW MASS SAID BY A BISHOP. P. 72.
CHAP. X. THE MANNER OF SERVING LOW MASS. P. 76.
i. General Directions, p. 76.
2. Preparation, p. 76.
3. From the Beginning of Mass to the Preface. P. 77#
4. From the Canon to the end of Mass. p. 79.
5. At Requiem Mass. p. 82.
6. Two Servers at Low Mass. p. 82.
CHAP. XI. HIGH MASS. P. 84.
1. The Choir at High Mass. p. 84.
vi Contents
2. Procession to the Altar, Processional Cross, p. 86.
3. The Asperges Ceremony, p. 87.
4. The Thurifer at High Mass. p. 90.
5. The Acolytes, p. 94.
6. Torchbearers. p. 98.
7. The Master of Ceremonies, p. 99.
8. The Subdeacon. p. 105.
9. The Deacon, p. 113.
10. The Celebrant of High Mass. p. 120.
11. Holy Communion during High Mass. p. 130.
CHAP. XII. HIGH MASS FOR THE DEAD. P. 1 33.
CHAP. XIII. SUNG MASS (MISSA CANTATA) WITHOUT DEACON AND SUBDEACON. P. 1 36.
i. The Simpler Form. p. 136.
2. The more Solemn Form. p. 137.
CHAP. XIV. THE ASSISTANT PRIEST. P. 1 44.
i. At High Mass. p. 144.
2. The Assistant Priest in Surplice only. p. 147.
3. The Assistant Priest at Low Mass. p. 148.
CHAP. XV. HIGH MASS IN PRESENCE OF A GREATER PRELATE. P* I49*
i. In Presence of a Bishop in Cope and Mitre, p. 149.
2. When the Bishop assists in Cappa Magna, p. 160.
3. High Mass for the Dead before a Bishop. P. 161.
4. High Mass before a Bishop not in his own Diocese, p. 162.
CHAP. XVI. PONTIFICAL HIGH MASS AT THE THRONE. P. 1 63.
1. Preparation, p. 163.
2. The Ministers and Servers, p. 165.
3. The Vesting of the Bishop, p. 168.
4. From the beginning of Mass to the Gospel, p. 171.
5. From the Gospel to the Communion, p. 175.
6. From after the Communion to the end of Mass. P. 180.
7. If the Bishop does not vest in the Secretarium. p. 181.
8. If the Chapter is not present, p. 182.
CHAP. XVII. PONTIFICAL HIGH MASS AT THE FALDSTOOL. P 1 83.
1. Preparation. P. 183.
2. Ministers and Servers. P. 184.
3. The Beginning and Vesting of the Bishop, p. 184.
4. The Mass. p. 186.
CHAP. XVIII. PONTIFICAL HIGH MASS FOR THE DEAD. P. 1 93.
1. Preparation, p. 193.
2. Mass at the Throne, p. 194.
3. Mass at a Faldstool, p. 195.
PART III EVENING SERVICES
CHAP. XIX. VESPERS. P. 199.
i. General Directions. P. 199.
Contents vii
2. Rules for the Choir, p. 200.
3. Vespers with Assistants, p. 201.
4. On incensing Side Altars at Vespers, p. 206.
5. Vespers with more than two Assistants in Copes, p. 207.
6. Vespers without Ceremonies, p. 209.
7. Before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, p. 209.
8. Vespers for the Dead. p. 210.
9. Vespers in small Churches. P. 211.
CHAP. XX. PONTIFICAL VESPERS. P. 2 1 4.
i. Vespers in presence of a Bishop at the Throne, p. 214.
2. Vespers in presence of a Bishop who is not the Ordinary.
p. 216.
3. Vespers by the Ordinary who will sing Mass the next day.
p. 216.
4. When the Bishop will not sing Mass the next day. p. 225.
5. Pontifical Vespers at the Faldstool, p. 225.
CHAP. XXI. OTHER EVENING SERVICES. P. 234.
i. Compline, p. 234.
2. Matins and Lauds, p. 236.
3. Non-Liturgical Services, p. 238.
4. Sermons, p. 238.
CHAP. XXII. BENEDICTION AND EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. P. 240.
1. General Rules, p. 240.
2. The Rite of Benediction, p. 242.
3. Benediction by a Bishop, p. 246.
4. Benediction with the Ciborium. p. 246.
5. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, p. 247.
6. To remove the Blessed Sacrament, p. 249.
PART IV
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
CHAP. XXIII. ADVENT TO HOLY WEEK. P. 253.
1. Advent, p. 253.
2. The folded Chasubles, p. 253.
3. Christmas and Epiphany, p. 255.
4. Candlemas, p. 257.
5. Functions in small Churches, p. 261.
6. Candlemas in small Churches, p. 264.
7. Septuagesima and Lent. p. 267.
8. Ash Wednesday, p. 268.
9. Ash Wednesday in small Churches, p. 271.
CHAP. XXIV. THE FIRST PART OF HOLY WEEK. P. 272.
1. Palm Sunday, p. 272. /
2. Palm Sunday in small Churches, p. 280.
3. The Function with Choir, p. 283.
4. Low Mass on Palm Sunday, p. 283.
5. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week, p, 284.
viii Contents
CHAP. XXV. TRIDVVM SACRVM. P. 285.
i. General Rules, p. 285.
2 Tenebrae. P. 285.
3. Tenebrae in small Churches. P. 288.
4. Maundy Thursday morning. P. 288.
5. Maundy Thursday in small Churches. P. 298
6. Sung Mass. p. 300.
7. Good Friday morning, p. 301.
8. Good Friday in small Churches. P. 312.
9. The Function with Choir, p. 318.
10. Holy Saturday morning, p. 318.
11. Holy Saturday in small Churches, p. 335.
12. The Function sung. p. 343.
CHAP. XXVI. EASTER TO ADVENT. P. 344.
i. Easter-tide. p. 344.
2. The Easter Octave, p. 345.
3. St. Mark and the Rogation Days. p. 346.
4. Ascension Day. p. 350.
5. Whitsun Eve. p. 350.
6. Whitsun Eve in small Churches. P. 352.
7. Low Mass on Whitsun Eve. p. 352.
8. Whitsunday, p. 352.
9. The Season after Pentecost, p. 353.
10. Corpus Christi. p. 353.
11. Preparation, p. 356.
12. The Ceremony, p. 356.
13. All Souls, p. 358.
PART V
OCCASIONAL FUNCTIONS
CHAP. XXVII. THE FORTY HOURS. P. 361.
i. General Directions, p. 361.
2. The first Day. p. 365.
3. The second Day. p. 368.
4. The third Day. p. 369.
5. Modifications of rules of the Clementine Instruction
p. 370.
CHAP. XXVIII. CANONICAL VISITATION AND CONFIRMATION. P. 372.
1. General Principles, p. 372.
2. Before the Visitation, p. 374.
3. Visitation by the Ordinary, p. 374.
4. Visitation by an Archbishop, p. 384.
5. Visitation by an Auxiliary Bishop, p. 385.
6. Visitation of other Buildings and Institutions, p. 385.
7. Visitation of Convents, p. 385.
8. Visitation of the Churches of exempt Regulars, p. 386
9. The first Visitation of the Ordinary, p. 387.
10. The Sacrament of Confirmation, p. 388.
Contents ix
CHAP. XXIX. THE CEREMONIES OF THE RITUAL. P. 392.
i. The English Ritual, p. 392.
2. Baptism, p. 393.
3. Baptism of several children together, p. 396.
4. Baptism of adults, p. 396.
5. Private Baptism, p. 396.
6. Supplying the ceremonies of Baptism, p. 397.
7. Conditional Baptism, p. 397.
8. Blessing the Font. p. 398.
9. The Sacrament of Penance, p. 399.
10. Reception of Converts, p. 400.
11. Holy Communion, p. 404.
12. Matrimony, p. 405.
13. Churching, p. 409.
14. Blessings. P. 409.
15. Sick Calls, p. 410.
16. Extreme Unction, p. 413.
CHAP. XXX. FUNERALS. P. 4 1 6.
1. The complete Rite. p. 416.
2. Modifications of the Funeral Rite. P. 423.
3. Private Funerals, p, 424.
4. Office for the Dead when the body is not present, p. 424.
5. Pontifical Absolution at the Throne, p. 425.
6. Pontifical Absolution at the Faldstool, p. 429.
7. The Five Absolutions, p. 429.
8. The Funeral of infants, p. 433.
INDEX, p. 437.
PREFACE BY HIS EMINENCE THE
CARDINAL ARCHBISHOP OF
WESTMINSTER
THE Catholic Church has surrounded all the acts of Divine Worship with a definite cere- monial to ensure on the one hand their due accomplishment, and on the other to safeguard the external reverence that should accompany them. She never employs ceremonial for the sake of the cere- mony itself. Each separate rite has grown out of the twofold object that we have enunciated, even though in the process of time the origin, and the history of the development, of such rite may long have been forgotten.
The Church is the guardian of all these sacred rites. To her it belongs to sanction a further development of them, to curtail such as may have become purposeless, or to impose new conditions heretofore uncalled for. Thus there has grown up a great body of legislation, controlled and regulated by two of the Roman Congrega- tions, those of the Rites and of Ceremonial. Numberless commentators have written on the history of the cere- monies, while many others have treated them from the purely practical point of view.
A " Ceremonial " in the latter sense calls for frequent revision if it is to be thoroughly in accord with the most recent legislation of the Holy See. Thus even the pages of the present work, as they issue from the press, call for modification in accordance with the new " Codex Iuris Canonici."
For a long time past the Clergy in England have been without a Manual of Ceremonies, in their own tongue, possessing any claim to accuracy or completeness. They have been obliged to fall back upon excellent Latin or French treatises which often do not take account of local circumstances, and are in many cases almost useless to the devoted laymen upon whose zealous help the proper carrying out of our liturgical functions so greatly de- pends.
This pressing want has now been fully supplied by the learned compiler of this manual of " The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite," and by the publishers who present his work in such satisfactory form. We are assured by those who have carefully read this Ceremonial that it has been very accurately compiled, and that it will most
xi
xii preface
efficiently fulfil its purpose. With great confidence, therefore, we commend it to the study and use of all, both Clergy and Laity, who need such a guide in our English speech.
FRANCIS CARDINAL BOURNE Archbishop of Westminster
Feast of Our Blessed Lady de Mercede September 2<\tkt 1917.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
THE origin of this book was an attempt to prepare a new edition of Dale's well-known translation of Baldeschi} The publishers having suggested that an edition of that book, revised and brought up to date, be desirable, I began the work. When I had already done a con- siderable part of it, I realized that there was so much to change in it that, on the whole, it would be simpler to write an en- tirely new book. Unwillingly one speaks ill of a work which has for so many years been the chief guide to Catholic ceremonies in England. The old Dale-Baldeschi has certainly filled a very large part, and not altogether a bad part, in the educa- tion of our clergy. Yet, when it is exami?ied in the light of what are now the standard authors, it is seen to contain so many faults that one is surprised that it so long held its place. To justify the abandonment of all connection with Dale, which became my final determination, I must mention the chief of these faults.
In the first place, the original Italian Baldeschi is by no means the ideal book for us in England. The edition translated by Dale was published in 1839.2 In spite of so7ne not very thorough attempts to bring it up to date, the book still bears the stamp of that time. Now a great deal of water has flowed under the bridge of S ant Angelo, and there have been many decisions of the Congregation of Rites, since 1839. Moreover Baldeschi, then Master of ceremonies of St. Peter's, considers nothing but the needs of his own city. His book is redolent, not only of Rome, but of Rome in the palmy days of the Papal State. For instance, he never supposes that the bishop at a pontifical function is the Ordinary. His bishop is always one having no jurisdiction, celebrating at a faldstool — naturally ; at Rome there are many bishops, pontifical functions are com- mon; but the only Ordinary is the Pope, nor does anyone else use a throne, except Cardinals in their titular churches? But in England, in the vast majority of cases, the bishop who celebrates or assists at a function will be the Ordinary. Again, Baldeschi considers all the local Roman customs always. His High Mass begins normally without the Asperges
1 Ceremonial according to the Roman Rite, translated from the Italian of Joseph Baldeschi, by the Rev. f. D. Hilarius Dale, eleventh edition {the last), Burns and Oates, 19 13.
2 G. Baldeschi, Ceremoniario deltas. Basilica Vaticana: Esposizione delle sacre Ceremonie, Rome, 3 vols., small &vo, 1839.
3 Dale did eventually supply the ceremonies of some pontifical func- tions at the throne.
xiii
xiv Butbor's preface
ceremony, which he puts apart at the end of his book as a special rite. The Asperges modifies the manner of entering the sanctuary at the begimiing of High Mass. In an English c J lurch, not a cathedral, it will very rarely happen that High Mass begins without the Asperges. His rite of Benediction is the local Roman one, different in several points from ours. This too he puts at the end, as a function for special occa- sions. In England it is the invariable evening service, after Mass the best known of all to our people. B aides chi describes only the Roman way of celebrating a sung Mass without deacon and subdeacon, a bare little service which rarely occurs there. In Rome the deacon and subdeacon, procured with no trouble at all, are the first requisite for any solemn office. In the great majority of English churches these ministers can hardly ever be procured, even in a large church with a com- petent choir and many servers. So the form of Mlssa. Can- tata, rare in Rome, is the usual one here for Sunday Mass. Naturally, Baldeschi knows nothing of our special English rites and customs, of the rules of our English Ritual, of the Ritus Servandus for Benediction and so on, which in this country have the force of law. For our circumstances espe- cially the order of his book is most inconvenient.
All these defects remain, and there are further ones, in Dale's translation. For one thing, Dale has not translated the whole book. The 07'iginal Baldeschi consists of three parts. The first of these, the basis of the whole, is about Low Mass. Dale has left all that out, and has translated only the second and third parts. Yet no ceremonies are of such importance to a priest as those for saying Low Mass. A book of cere- monies ought certainly to begin with an accurate description of these. There are definite errors in Baldeschi, which Dale has left. For instance, for some reason he makes the assistant priest hold the little hand-candle (scotula) all through ponti- fical High Mass at the faldstool. This is a mistake. No other author, no liturgical authority says this; nor is it done at Rome or anywhere. To these Dale has added errors of his own. On page 214 of the last edition Dale makes the sub- deacon at the Palm Sunday procession strike the door of the church " with his foot." / wondered where he got this extra- ordinary idea, till I looked at Baldeschi. There the text is: " col suo piede," meaning, of course, with the foot of the cross. I wonder how many English subdeacons have kicked the door of the church on Palm Sunday because of this blmider. During eleven editions of the book no one has corrected it. A nother argument against Dale's translation is the amazing
Butfoor's preface xv
language he uses. It is said that the test of a good translation is that it should read like an original work. According to this ideal Dale comes off very badly indeed. He has such a mania for using Italian words and Italian forms that a great part of his book is not really English at all, can hardly be understood till one has translated it back into Italian. Not only does he use an Italian name on every possible occasion; l when the words are English he translates with ruthless exactness all the gorgeous phrases of Italian grand style?
So, with these reasons for rearranging the order of the book, for adding large portions which it did not contain, for writing again in English Dale's magnificent Italian phrases, for leaving out much that could never be wanted in this country , finally the reasonable plan seemed to be to give up any further attempt to correct Dale-Baldeschi, and frankly to make a nezu book.
When that decision had been reached, it is astonishing how little of Dale remained, even as a source to consult. All through there are now later and better authorities, notably Martinucci, in the new edition by Menghini, and Le Vavas- seur. So, very little of the book from which I set out will be found here.
Once it was settled to write a new book, the whole question of order, especially the question how much to include, arose.
1 Predella, zucchetto, bugia, cotta, etc.; then genuflexorium, denu- dation {he means stripping) of the altar. His rage for Italian goes to such a length that he spells " berretta " each time.
2 For instance in Dale you do not bow to the celebrant, you " proceed to make the customary salutation "; you do not stand, you "retain a standing posture." Everyone " observes " to do everything: you observe not to kneel, you observe to retain a kneeling posture. The M. C. does not tell a man to do a thing, he apprizes him that it should be performed. The celebrant " terminates " the creed; he genuflects in conjunction with the sacred Ministers — then he observes to assume a standing posture in conjunction with them. The M. C. goes about apprizing people and com- porting himself till he observes to perform the customary salutation.
The subdeacon imparts the Pax in the same manner as it was com- municated to him. Everyone exhibits a grave deport7nent. Imagine anyone talking like this. Imagine anyone saying that you ought to exhibit a deportment. Of course we have " ascend " every time, the blessing is always " benediction," harmful becomes " deleterious," and so on.
xvi Butbor's preface
It is impossible for any book of ceremonies to be complete, in the sense of containing all those of the Roman rite. Even the new edition of Martinucci, in its four huge volumes, is not complete. A complete work would include all pontifical functions, the ordination of bishops, priests and deacons, the consecration of churches. Indeed, Papal functions are part of the Roman rite. They too would have to be included, the coronation of a Pope, papal High Mass, the Pope's cere- monies for Holy Week. A complete work would be not a book but a library.
Renouncing, then, any attempt to include everything, this book aims at providing what a priest in England may want. That is its ideal — a church in England served by secular priests. In cathedral churches the Master of ceremonies will certainly have a copy of Martinucci, or of other larger Latin works. Religious Orders which have their own rites have their own rituals.
This idea, of providing what is needed in a church served by priests, 7ieither contains nor excludes all pontifical func- tions. On the one hand, many of these will practically never occur, except at cathedrals. Those, for instance the pontifical functions for Holy Week, I have left out. Yet there are pontifical functions which may easily occur in other churches of the diocese. Canonical visitation and confirmation occur regularly. It may easily happen that a bishop will sing or assist at Mass or vespers at such a church. The rules for these therefore are given here. But I have not gone into the almost endless complications which occur when one bishop celebrates before another, when the Ordinary officiates in the presence of a papal legate or a cardinal, nor the rules for a diocesan synod. The ceremonies for abbots too belong rather to the special rituals of Regulars.
On the other hand, a great number of things are added here which were not in Baldeschi, some of which have hardly yet been treated in any book of this kind. A detailed account of the manner of saying Low Mass and of serving Low Mass naturally forms the first basis of all. Considering always our English circumstances, I have put the Aspergds before High Mass. Benediction according to the rules of the English Ritus Servandus is an important element in an English book of ceremonies. The manner of celebrating vespers and the services of Holy Week in churches where there are neither deacon nor subdeacon, and the Missa Cantata are described carefully. A new feature is the rules for administering sacra-
Hutbor's preface xvii
ments and sacramentals according to the English Ordo Ad- ministrandi. These are of the greatest importance. It is a mistake to judge the importance of a rite by its elaboratio?i. The manner of hearing confessions is less complicated, but considerably more important, than pontifical vespers at the throne. In these shorter rites too the priest must do every- thing accurately, according to the rubrics, just as much as in the longer ones. It is true that in most cases the rubrics of the Ritual themselves supply an almost sufficient guide. Yet I have found a considerable number of points as to which further notes will be useful.
The figures throughout the book, showing the position of the various persons who assist, will, I hope, save trouble in realizing moments of ceremonies.
With regard to the language and style something may be said here. Certainly no one will look to a book of ceremonies for fine style. Most of the directions given in this book, with elaborate detail, can be hardly more agreeable to read than a railway guide. Yet it ought to be possible to write even a book of ceremonies in tolerable language. A bove all, a book should be written, as far as possible, in one language at a time. In this case the language is English. It is not always possible to use an English word; then another principle occurs. Namely, the language of our rite is not Italian but Latin. When one must use a foreign name for anything, obviously Latin is the language to choose. There is no more reason to interlard the text with Italian than with French. Whenever it seemed possible, I have preferred an English zvord. Some of these may perhaps at first seem strange to many Catholics ; yet they are the good words used by our Catholic forebears. There seems no reason zvhy we should not use them too. Of course, I have always used the words frontal, surplice, hearse, and so on. These have, in no sense at all, died out among us. I put hand-candle/i?r the little candle held near the bishop {the scotula) instead of its Latin n2me. Bugia is no more justified than Bougeoir. Seat for the celebrant and his ministers occurs, unless tJiere is any doubt as to which seat is meant; then one must fall back on sedile. Foot-pace is the old English name for the platform before the altar, called in Latin suppedaneum. The Latin word may pass for this ; not predella in Italian.
Some Latin words seem inevitable. Capsula, sacrarium, secretarium, ciborium can hardly be avoided. It is not strange that in the Roman rite some objects shotild have a
b
xviii Hutbor's preface
technical name in the Roman language. In two cases it may seem that the text of the book does not conform to the principle of using one language throughout. These are the words Sanct- issimum and solita oscula. For the first I would point out that Sanctissimum has a great tradition behind it as a name for the Blessed Sacrament in many European languages. I have used Blessed Sacrament, of course, also ; but, when one has constantly to speak of it and to repeat the word in little details of ceremony, it is a great convenience to use one word instead of two. Solita oscula is a case of what Gibbon calls the decent obscurity of a dead language. The thing itself is not so strange, as every deacon knows ; but the constant repetition of the words kissing and kisses is not pretty.
I speak of the celebrant, not only at Mass, but at all services. There is not really any necessary idea of sacrifice in this word. We celebrate a feast or an event. Also in this general sense it has the authority of the Caerimoniale episco- porum,1 than which none can be greater. The deacon and subdeacon together are the ministers. They are sacred min- isters, of course ; but again in constant repetition one word is more convenient than two.
Probably the first impression which these descriptions of ceremonies would produce on a stranger is that of enormous complication. Really this is much less than it seems. In general, actions are far less conspicuous when done than when described in words. Most Catholics hardly notice these things when they go to church. The ministers and servers who do them constantly become so used to them by long habit, that they too do them almost without thought. If one had to write out in detail all the ceremonies of getting up in the morning or of eating one's dinner, these would seem exceedingly elaborate rites. Moreover, whereas the actions of each person must be described separately, each really does his part at the same time; so, again, it is all much simpler to do than to describe. It is worth noticing that, the more exact details of direction are, the less complicated their performance becomes. When each person knows exactly what to do, when they all agree and do their parts confidently and silently, the effect of the ceremony is immeasurably more tranquil than when there is doubt, confusion or discussion. In many cases we may say that it does not so much matter, in itself, in which way a certain action is performed ; but it does matter that all con- cerned should agree to do it in the same way. If only for the
1 For instance, Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. Hi, § 2, etc.
Hutbor's preface xix
sake of this agreement, it becomes necessary to describe in de- tail some way of doing it. That being so, we may as well describe the right way, according to the rubrics and recognized authors.
The elaborateness, then, of our ceremonies is much less really than it may seem to be from their written description. Yet it may perhaps be admitted that some measure of sim- plification is desirable. Now that liturgical reform is so much in the air, we may hope for reform in this direction too. The chief note of the Roman rite has always been its austere sim- plicity. That is still its essential note, compared with the florid Eastern rites. It is surely worth while to preserve this note externally also, to repress any Byzantine tendencies in our ceremonies.
Two points occur which one might hope the authorities would simplify. One is the constant kissing. Certainly this is a very ancient sign of reverence ; in some few cases, as, for instance, to kiss the hand of a bishop, no one zvould wish to see it abolished. But would not the actions gain in dignity if the endless kissing of objects and of the celebrant's hand by the deacon ceased? At such a simple action, so constantly re- peated, as the deacon performs incensing, are eight " solita oscula." He has to kiss the spoon, the hand, the hand, the spoon; the thurible, the hand, the hand, the thurible. If only from the point of view of artistic effect these repeated inclinations of the head are not graceful. If all kissing were reduced to the chief cases of the paten and chalice and, at certain more im- portant moments, of the hand of a bishop, the general effect of a ceremony would be calmer, and the osculum would become a more real sign of respect.
In the same way, have we not rather too much genuflection ? It is true that genuflection to the altar and to the Ordinary has an older tradition behind it than the genuflection to the Blessed Sacrament} This is the explanation of what must seem so strange at first, that we give exactly the same sign of reverence to a man or a symbol as to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. As a matter of fact genuflections to persons and symbols are survivals, now accidentally identified with later reverence paid to the Sanctissimum. However, since the genu- flection to us now has become the recognized sign of adoration of Our Lord really present, it does seem strange to see every- one, except the celebrant, make exactly the same sign when the
x People genuflected to an altar for centuries before there was a tabernacle on it.
xx Hutbor's preface
Blessed Sacrament is not on the altar. And to a bishop — would not a low bozv be more in accordance with the natural sentiment of modern people? Of course, we know that to kneel before kings and emperors was long the common custom.
That being so, we maintain that we ought to pay at least the same reverence to the bishop who reigns in the place of Christ.
Yet now, in the world, such signs are dying out. To modern people they begin to seem a little Byzantine.
The same principle seems to apply to lamps before altars. Here too we have what is really quite an ancient symbol, by no means originally a sign of the Holy Eucharist. During the early centuries there were crowds of lamps before altars and no tabernacle. Yet, now to us, the sanctuary la7np has become the chief sign of the Real Presence. Unless we find some other sign for that, is it not a pity to use the same symbol whether the Blessed Sacrament be there or not?
But the object of this book is not to criticize nor to discuss the reason of our ceremonies ; it is to tell how they should be performed according to the present rules} Only here and there have I tried to give some point to a long list of details by ex- plaining the meaning of them in a note.
The authorities for such a book as this are, first, the rubrics of the liturgical books, the decisions of the sacred Congregation of Rites and approved authors, of whom below, pp. xxiii-xxviii.
Even so, some matters of detail remain open. They are neither many nor important. No rite in Christendom is so uniform as that of Rome. Yet, in spite of the enormous list of decisions of the Congregation, there are points still undecided ; nor do the approved authors, by any means, always agree among themselves.
In cases of doubt the next standard is custom, recognized and approved by the bishop of the diocese. This means, for us here, custom in our English dioceses. It is a mistake, from the point of view of Canon Law, to take the local customs of the city of Rome as our standard. The authority to us is the decisions of the tribunals, and of the S.R.C., which have dele- gate authority from the Pope. We may indeed envy those citizens whose Ordinary is the Pope himself; but they do not from that fact acquire any more authority over their fellow-
1 Needless to say, I have given the rules for all these things exactly as they stand now. One may express otte's hope for changes; till the authority of the Church sees fit to make such changes we must obey the rules exactly.
Butbor's preface xxi
Catholics in England than have Catholics of any other city. Custom, which in Canon Law plays so important a part, means always the custom of the place in question. The im- mediate authority for an English priest is his own bishop. We need not fear, in following our own bishop, that we shall ever be in opposition to the wishes of the central authority. So, in many details, notably in 7natters affecting non- liturgical services in the rules of the Ritual, our standard is not Roman custom but that of our own dioceses. God forbid that any of us should encourage nonsense about a national Church. There are, in the Catholic unity, no national Churches. There neve? have been. But the diocese, the ecclesiastical province, are reai unities inside the great unity. This book then will, it is hoped, give no encouragement to that excessive and uncanonical Romanizing, which, instead of going to legitimate sources of Canon Law, follows the easier path of ignorant copying of everything done in that city. When, as happens not unfrequently , the local Roman custom differs from the rubrics of liturgical books or the rules of lawful liturgical authority, far from abandoning the rules ourselves, we should rather regret that they are not always obeyed exactly in Rome.
Among the friends who have helped, very materially, in the preparation of this book there are two to whom L owe very special thanks indeed. One, who wishes not to be named, read through the zvhole book with untiring patience and made a great number of suggestions, corrections and improve- ments. Then the Reverend HERBERT F. Hall, Master of Ceremonies at the Westminster Cathedral, was so kind as to make yet another revision of the whole book. He too was able to supply a great number of corrections of detail from his prac- tical knowledge. I cannot make Father Hall responsible for any mistakes that may yet remain; however, the great care and accuracy with which ceremonies are carried out at the Cathedral under his direction encourages me to hope that no very serious error will be found after his revision. A nd I am most grateful for his kindness and pains. I have also to thank the Very Reverend Mgr. HENRY BARTON BROWN, Rector of the Catholic church at Royston, who has given me valuable information about the rights of Prelates of the Roman Curia and lent me his collection of Decrees of the S.R.C. for an un- limited time. My LORD of CAMBYSOPOLIS, Auxiliary of Westminster, has been most kind in supplying information and lending me books.
Most of all do I owe tluxnks to my LORD Cardinal OF Westminster for the great honour he does to me, and to the.
xxii Hutbor's preface
book, by writing a preface to it. For the rest, the book will be fortunate if it is of use to the Catholic clergy in England, very fortunate if it succeeds in taking something like the same place as the Dale-Baldeschi it succeeds.
Letchworth, All Hallow, 1917.
The Codex iuris canonici Pii X pontificis maximi iussu digestus, Benedicti Papae XV auctoritate promulgatus {Rome, Vatican Press, 28 fune, 191 7) is undoubtedly the simplest and most convenient summary of Canon law yet issued. Among other advantages, it is divided into Canons, numbered straight through, from 1 A? 2414. This allows great simplicity in quoting it. It is quoted here as Cod., with the number of the Canon. At the beginning of the code are six canons forming the " normae generates." The second of these is: "For the most part the code makes no rule concerning the rites and ceremonies which books approved by the Latin Church order for the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass, for the administration of sacraments and sacramentals, and for othet sacred functions. Wherefore all liturgical laws keep their force, unless they are expressly corrected in the code!' Canon 253 confirms the authority of the Congregation of Sacred Rites.
In preparing this second edition I have had the advantage of notes on many points sent by readers of the book. I am grateful to all who have taken this trouble in its interest. Indeed, I will always be grateful for corrections or suggestions.
Of all who have helped to improve the book for this edition I owe most thanks to the Reverend ERNEST O'Hea, Master of Ceremonies of Saint Edmund's College, who has been through the book with the most scrupulous care, verifying every refer- ence, controlling every statement, taking far more pains over it than most people would take for a book of their own.
Several correspondents have asked why I use the forms " mantellettum " in the neuter and" mozzetta " in the feminine. The answer is simple and, I think, adequate. These are the forms in the Caerimoniale episcoporum, invariably. Neither is a pretty word, nor is either real Latin at all. But there is no English name for them. The mantellettum is, of course, the old English chimere, grievously curtailed; and the moz- zetta might be called a cape. But I do not think such names would be understood. So I fall back on such Latin as there is for them, and take it from the chief and unquestionable authority.
Adrian Fortescue.
Letchworth, Michaelmas^ 19 1 8.
NOTE ON THE BOOKS QUOTED
OBVIOUSLY the first source of all for a book on Ceremonies is the liturgical books themselves, the rubrics of the Missal, Breviary, Pontifical, Ritual and Caerimoniale Episcoporum,1 then the Memoriale Rituum of Benedict XIII,2 the Instructio Clementina3 for the Forty Hours, our own Ritus Semandus for Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
Of no less authority are the decisions of the Sacred Con- gregation of Rites. These are now collected in six volumes :
Decreta authentica Co?igregationis Sacrorum Rituum sub auspiciis S. D. N. Leonis Papae XIII, Rome, Propaganda Press, large quarto, 1898-1901. The first three volumes contain answers of the Congregation, numbered now from 1 to 4051, dated from May 1588 to 15 December 1899. The older numbers are added in brackets to each. Vol. IV con- tains the Instructio Clementina, with Gardellini's commentary and further Suffragia and Adnotationes to decrees. Vol. V contains an excellent index. Vol. VI (191 2) continues the decrees to 191 1 (nos. 4052-4284) with an index.
Later decrees of the S.R.C. must be sought in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, now published at the Vatican Press. This collection, containing all the contemporary documents, deci- sions and pronouncements of the Holy See, began in 1909. Each year forms one volume. It succeeds a long series of Bullaria, collections of Acta of the same kind and official periodic publications, being far better arranged than any that went before it.
The four provincial synods of Westminster (1852, 1855, 1859, 1873) 4 include decrees on liturgical matters which have force of law in the English provinces.5
Yet all the official documents still leave many questions ot detail open. The rubrics of the liturgical books are always very summary, even those of the Caerimoniale Episcoporum leave much detail undecided; the decisions of the S.R.C. are answers to such questions only as happen to have been sent. So the next source consists of the " probati auctores."
For the purposes of a practical book of ceremonies it is not necessary to go far back for authorities. The early Roman Ordines, accounts of rites in the middle ages, and so on,
1 For these see pp. 18-19; for the English Ritual, pp. 392-393. a See p. 261. * Pp. 361-362.
4 I quote from the second edition : Decreta quatuor conciliorum pro- vincialium Westmonasteriensium, 1852-1873, 2nd ed., Burns and Oates, no year of publication.
5 All rules, rubrics and decisions about rites or ceremonies are merely special cases of Canon Law. It is Canon Law which commands us to add Alleluia to versicles in Eastertide and to wear a black chasuble at Mass for the dead, just as much as it is Canon Law which forbids a bishop to take money for presentation to a benefice.
xxiii
xxiv iRote on tbe Boofes quotes
though of the greatest importance to the student of historic liturgy, are of little use if you want to know how things should be done now. All that remains from that time is given again in modern books. Indeed, supposing that the book is a good one, the latest is always the best for practical purposes. It will contain all that is in the earlier ones, and will be up to date with the latest decrees. The practical liturgist need not go further back than the XVIIIth century. There we come to works that still have authority for practical matters. In 1628 Bartholomew Gavanti published a large treatise on the rubrics of the Missal and Breviary. This was re-edited, with copious additions, by Cajetan Merati. The edition I have used is:
Thesaurus sacrorum rituum auctore rev. Patre D. Bar- tholomaeo Gavanto cum novis observationibus et additionibus R. P. D. Caietani Mariae Merati^ 2 vols., folio, Venice, 1762. It is a storehouse of notes on the rubrics. Merati adds at the end the rites of diocesan synods and canonical visitation. Like many books of that date it suffers from too much sub- division. It has parts, titles, paragraphs and further divisions by letters of the alphabet. Also it is extremely difficult to see where Gavanti speaks and where Merati. Merati has some system of renumbering his additions, right athwart the num- bering of Gavanti's paragraphs, which is most confusing.1 So I quote generally the page, in this edition (1762). The im- portance of this work is due to the fact that it is still a recog- nized authority to the Congregation of Rites itself. Constantly they model their answers on Gavanti-Merati. The same may be said of Bauldry, Manuale sacrarum caerimoniarum, one vol., quarto, Venice, 1778.
What Gavanti-Merati and Bauldry did for the Missal and Breviary Joseph Catalani has done for the Pontifical, Ritual and Ceremonial:
Rituale Romanum Benedicti Papae XIV perpetuis comment- ariis exornatumi auctore Iosepho Catalano, 2 vols., folio, Rome,
J757- Pontificate Romanum prolegomenis et commentariis illus-
tratum, auctore Iosepho Catalano, 3 vols., folio, Rome, 1738-
Caerimoniale Episcoporum . . . commentariis iltustratum, cura et studio losephi Catalani, 2 vols., folio, Rome, 1744, with illustrations showing how fine were the Roman vest- ments as late as the middle of the XVIIIth century. The bishops and clergy all wear beards.
There are, of course, other works of that date which may be consulted with profit; but of the older authors Gavanti- Merati, Bauldry and Catalani should be sufficient.
1 After using the book almost every day for a year I have to confess that I still do not understand the arrangement of its paragraphs.
Iftotc on tbe Soofes quoteb xxv
Among the quite modern writers perhaps Martinucci holds the chief place. His book has just been re-edited by Mgr. Giam- battista Menghini (who has himself written valuable books on ceremonies): Martinucci Pius, Apostolicis Caerimoniis Praefectus,1 Manuale Sacrarum Caerimoniarum in libros octo digestutn\ edito tertia quam I. B. M. Menghini, Apostolic- arum Caerimoniarum Magister, emendavitet auxit, four vols., large 8vo, Regensburg and Rome, Fr. Pustet, 1911-1916. Almost everything is here. The first two volumes contain the ceremonies for priests, the second two those of Pontifical func- tions. Martinucci and his editor are almost excessively com- plete, even at the cost of enormous repetition. For each service they go over the whole ground again; even for so small a difference as the assistance of a bishop at High Mass in cope and mitre or in cappa, we have the whole ceremony over again, from the list of things to prepare to the departure of the bishop. Undoubtedly this is a most valuable book for consultation. At the same time, it is one of the most difficult books to use that I have seen. Never was a book published with less concession to the convenience of the reader. In the first place, it has four volumes. Why are they not numbered I, II, III, IV? Instead, they are numbered: Pars prima, Vol. I; Pars prima, Vol. II; Pars secunda, Vol. I, and Pars secunda, Vol. II. That is why throughout I have to refer to " Martinucci-Menghini, I, 1" or I, 2, II, 1, etc., then the page. This book also is divided up into a bewildering number of subdivisions : Liber, Titulus, Caput, Articulus, and then paragraphs. It takes five different numbers to give a reference to it. I ignore this, as far as possible, and quote by page.
But the chief defect of the book is that, in spite of all that division there is no attempt at an intelligent arrangement of the matter. The author goes straight through every little detail, never giving a general heading, except that of the whole function, never telling the reader what is going on, or what it is all about. Clearly he scorns any idea of making the directions attractive or even reasonably intelligible. One does not, of course, expect dissertations on the history, symbolism or mystic meaning of the rites. But he should at least tell us what is going on at the time. For instance, in the course of High Mass, continuing in the same pitiless detail, he says what the thurifer does, where the acolytes goy what the sub- deacon does, how the deacon behaves. But there is never a hint that the meaning of all this is that they are going to sing the gospel. The book goes straight on, page after page, in little paragraphs, like a forest you cannot see for the trees. This makes it a most difficult book of reference. If you want to see what the assistant priest does when the bishop comes
1 Sic. This odd nominative absolute stands thus on the title.
xxvi iftote on tbe JSoofes quoted
to the throne at the end of High Mass, the only sure way is to read Lib. v, Cap. vi, Art. iii right through. It consists of 31 large pages and 161 paragraphs. In the course of this reading you will eventually find what you want — if you are careful to skip nothing.
An author ought, of course, to arrange his matter in some kind of organic scheme, to make it like a growth, instead of an interminable ribbon. To read his endless pages is like travelling by a very slow train, stopping at every small station, and never quite knowing whither you are travelling all the time. But for one thing, I think the book would be almost impossible to use. I discovered this and recommend it to others. He prints the texts spoken or sung in italics. By noticing these you will see about how far he has got in the ceremony.
For these reasons Haegy's edition of Le Vavasseur, less pretentious, will be found more practical : Manuel de Liturgie et Ceremonial selon le rit romain, par le P. Le Vavasseur, dixieme Edition, revue et augmented par le R. P. Haegy, Paris, Lecoffre (Gabalda), 1910, 2 vols., small octavo.
This is a most excellent book. It suffers a little from the same defect of having too many subdivisions : part, section, chapter, article and paragraph ; so again I quote it simply by volume and page. It is most complete, contains all a priest can want in full detail, and is far more intelligently arranged than Martinucci. There are occasionally notes about the meaning of the rites ; throughout the author lets the reader understand what is going on. He also gives complete refer- ences to decrees of the S.C.R. and other authorities — there are no references at all in Martinucci.
Les Fonctions Pontificates selon le rit romain, par le R. P. Le Vavasseur, troisieme Edition, revue et augmented, par le R. P. Haegy, Paris, Lecoffre (Gabalda), 1904, two volumes, uniform with the former. This book, arranged exactly like the other, gives all the Pontifical rites in the same way. On the whole, if a priest needs one work of the kind I recommend Le Vavasseur-Haegy much more than Martinucci-Menghini. In quoting, " Le Vavasseur" alone means his Manuel de Liturgie, 4< Fonctions Pontificates, " this second work.
J. B. De Herdt, Sacrae liturgiae Praxis iuxta ritum roma- num, 3 vols., Louvain, Joseph Vanlinthout, ninth edition, 1894. A good sound book, not altogether exhaustive, even for priestly functions, and rather old-fashioned now, but re- liable as far as it goes. This has played a great and most useful part in the education of clergy abroad, in France, the
1 It is a bad French habit not to add the Christian name nor even the initial of an author. Le Vavasseur is a not uncommon name. Which Le Vavasseur is this? The British Museum catalogue in despair treats R. P. as the man's initials.
IRote on tbe :55oofts quoted xxvii
Low Countries and Germany. In many ways sounder and more reasonable than the Italian authors.
J. F. van der Stappen, Sacra Liturgia, Mechlin, H. Des- sian, five volumes, second edition, 1904-1911. (Vol. ii is in its third edition.) A large work. The volumes are arranged thus: I is about the Divine Office, II about the rubrics of the Missal, III about celebration of Mass, IV the administration of Sacraments and Sacramentals, V Ceremonial, describing the function of the celebrant and of each minister and server at each service, including those by a bishop (but not the bishop's part). Van der Stappen was auxiliary of Mechlin and a censor of the Roman Liturgical Academy. His book is intended for the instruction of Seminarists. It contains much more than an account of how to perform the ceremonies. He gives full instructions for saying Mass, including all about the prayers said, coxiimemorations, and so on, also for saying the Divine Office. He tells the story of the ceremonies, vest- ments, altar and furniture of the church and gives a good deal of archaeological information generally, of which parts are a little out of date. It is a thoroughly sound book of great value, again better done than most of those by Italians. But all the plainsong in it is still the bad old Mechlin chant. Van der Stappen makes the whole business of ceremonies intelligible. Part of his work is a defence of the rites from the point of view of antiquity and reasonableness. An excel- lent book for a priest to consult. Many of his dissertations on moot points are most interesting; his own point of view is always reasonable. The only defect in the work is that it is all arranged like a catechism in the form of question and answer. Nor is the Index satisfactory.
Innocent Wapelhorst, O. F. M. , Compendium Sacrae Liturgiae iuxta ritum romanum, ninth edition, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, Benziger, 191 5. A useful little book, practical and clear, quite up to date with the latest decrees and well arranged.
J. B. Miiller, S.J., Handbook of Ceremonies for priests and seminarians. Translated by Andrew P. Ganss, S.J., edited by W. H. W. Fanning, S.J., second edition, B. Herder, 191 1. Not altogether without merit.
Caesar Uberti, Praelectiones sacrae Liturgiae, 3rd ed. , Ravenna, Tip. Artigianelli. Lectures to Seminarists on cere- monies, with historic and symbolic explanations as well as practical directions. A useful little book.
M. Gatterer, S.J., Praxis celebrandi missam aliasque func- Hones eucharisticas, Innsbruck, F. Rauch, 1910, and Annus liturgicus cum introductione in disciplinam liturgicam, 3rd ed. , Innsbruck, F. Rauch, 191 2. Both good.
G. Baideschi, Espozione delle sacre Ceremoniet Rome, 1839, 3 vols., small 8vo.
xxviii iRote on tbe iBoofes quoted
I am afraid this must come last among- general works. It never had much merit. It was never complete or adequate. Now it is altogether out of date. I have explained above, in the preface, why it seemed necessary to abandon all connec- tion with this book (pp. xiii-xv).
Mgr. Menghini, the editor of Martinucci, has written other works which may be consulted with advantage.
I. B. M. Menghini, Elementa Juris liturgici, seu Prolegomena in sacram Liturgiam, second edition, Rome, Desclee, Le- febvre. Allowing for want of method and incapacity to give an exact reference, there are merits in this book.
I. B. M. Menghini, Liturgia Euchamstica, seu de Cultu et Adoratione SS. Sacramenti Doctrina et Praxis, Rome, Des- clee, Lefebvre, 1908. This is all about the Forty Hours. He gives the text of the Instructio Clementina with his own com- mentary. It is a useful book. He calls it "Liturgia," al- though the Forty Hours is not a liturgical service at all.
I. B. M. Menghini, Manuale novissimo di ss. Ceremonie, I, II piccolo ministro del Santuario; 11, II sacro ministro del Santuario, Rome, Pustet, 3rd ed., 1912-1913. Excellent little books, short, practical and clear.
I. B. Pighi, Liturgia Sacramenlorum et Sacramentalium, Verona, F. Cinquetti, 3rd ed., 1903. A commentary on the Ritual, with many useful notes and explications.
James O'Kane, Notes on the Rubrics of the Roman Ritual, Dublin, Duffy, 8th ed., s. a. (which is unpardonable in any book). Very good indeed. Contains long explanations of all the Rubrics, not only practical but archaeological and his- torical. Not always quite up to date, but full of useful matter.
Benedict Ojetti, S.J., Synopsis Rerum moralium et luris pontificii alphabetico ordine digesta, Romae, ex Officina poly- graphia editrice, Piazza della Pigna, 53 ; three large volumes, 1909-1912. Contains a mass of material for ceremonial and ritual as well as other questions of Canon Law, arranged under alphabetical headings. Very useful for consultation.
The Rite of the ordinary Sacred Canonical Visitation of a Diocese. This is the book published by Cardinal Vaughan when he was Bishop of Salford. It bears on the title-page the statement that it is "To be had from the Bishop's Secretary. Price one shilling." There is no date. The directions are complete and practical. All the music, very badly printed in that detestable old convention of semi-brieves, minims and crotchets for plain-song notes, is Ratisbon, and so useless now.
A few other books of less importance are quoted in the notes.
LIST OF PLANS
1. Plan of a Parish Church: Choir and Sanctuary, p. 4.
2. Plan of a Cathedral Church : Choir and Sanctuary, p. 5.
3. Low Mass before a Greater Prelate : the Confiteor. p. 70.
4. Incensing the Altar, p. 123.
5. Incensing- the Oblata. p. 123. Figures of High Mass. pp. 126-9.
6. Incensing the Celebrant before the Introit. p. 126.
7. The Introit. p. 126.
8. At the Sedilia. p. 127.
9. The Collects, p. 127.
10. The Celebrant reads the Gospel, p. 127.
11. Before the Gospel, p. 128.
12. The Gospel, p. 128.
13. The Elevation, p. 129.
14. High Mass with Assistant Priest: " Iudica me." p. 145.
15. High Mass with Assistant Priest: the beginning of the
Canon, p. 146.
16. High Mass before a Greater Prelate: " Iudica me."
*• 153-
17. High Mass before a Greater Prelate : the Canon, p. 159.
18. Pontifical High Mass at the Throne: n Iudica me."
p. 171.
19. Pontifical High Mass at the Throne: during the " Gloria "
and Creed, p. 173.
20. Pontifical High Mass at the Throne : the Gospel, p. 174.
21. Pontifical High Mass at the Throne: the Offertory.
p. 178.
22. Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool: " Iudica me."
p. 187.
23. Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool: Introit. p. 187.
24. Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool: during the
" Gloria" and Creed, p. 187.
25. Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool: the Collects.
p. 188.
26. Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool : before the Gospel.
p. 189.
27. Vespers with six Assistants : during the Psalms, p. 203.
28. Vespers with six Assistants : the Chapter, p. 208.
29. Vespers with six Assistants: Incensing the Altar, p. 209.
30. Pontifical Vespers at the Throne: Preintoning the first
Antiphon. p. 221.
31. Pontifical Vespers at the Throne: to incense the Altar.
p. 222.
32. Pontifical Vespers at the Throne: the Collect, p. 223.
33. Pontifical Vespers at the Faldstool: " Deus in adiut-
orium." p. 228.
34. Pontifical Vespers at the Faldstool: during the Psalms.
p. 229.
xxix
xxx Xtst of plans
35. Pontifical Vespers at the Faldstool: the Collect, p. 232.
36. Palm Sunday: the Procession before the church doors.
p. 276.
37. Palm Sunday (and Good Friday) : the Passion, p. 279.
38. Maundy Thursday : the Procession, p. 293.
39. Creeping" to the Cross, p. 307.
40. Holy Saturday: Blessing the Fire. p. 321.
41. Holy Saturday: before blessing the Paschal Candle.
p. 323-
42. Holy Saturday: Praeconium paschale. p. 324.
43. Holy Saturday: Blessing the Font. p. 328.
44. Holy Saturday in a small church : Praeconium paschale.
P- 339-
45. Funeral : before going to the hearse, p. 420.
46. Funeral: the group around the hearse, p. 421.
47. Funeral : Pontifical Absolution, p. 427.
48. The five Absolutions, p. 431.
fe
FIGURES USED IN THE PLANS
The Bishop, even when he wears no mitre
mi
AgA The Celebrant in cope
The Celebrant wearing a chasuble
ur
t
ad
4
4
The Deacon The Subdeacon
Master of Ceremonies
Thurifer with incense
Thurifer not bearing- incense
Cross-bearer
First and Second Acolytes with their candles
1 ]
1 Acolytes without candles
Y Torch-bearers
Assistants in copes (pluvialistae) at the divine office
\ Assistant Deacons
£j£ Cantor
A* Assistant Priest
/& J
mO Mitre-bearer
*r Crozier-bearer
[ Book-bearer
JLa Candle-bearer
tH Train-bearer
§ Server at Low Mass
XXXI
PART I GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERN ING CEREMONIES
CHAPTER I THE CHURCH AND ITS FURNI- TURE
IT is not necessary, in a book ot ceremonies, to give a full account of rules for building and furnishing churches. Yet, to understand the ceremonies, one must have some idea of the dispositions of the building, and one must know the names of the vestments, vessels and orna- ments used. We begin, then, with a summary account of these, as far as they concern the ceremonies.
Normally a Catholic church should be consecrated by a bishop, according to the form in the Pontifical. When a church is consecrated, at least one altar must be consecrated with it. The essential condition for consecration is that the building be a permanent church, both in construction and purpose ; that is, it must be solidly built and must be intended to be used always as a church. To turn a consecrated church to another use is sacrilege. It follows that consecration is not allowed till the building is free of debt and mortgage.
In England many churches are not consecrated, but simply blessed. Canon law makes no provision for temporary churches. A building to be used as a church for a time only should receive the simple "Benedictio loci," as in the case of private oratories.1 A church may be blessed at first, then consecrated later, when it is free of debt.
It makes no difference to any later ceremony whether the church be consecrated or simply blessed.
According to the old principle churches were orientated, that is, the High Altar was at the East end2 and the main en- trance at the West. In describing ceremonies we speak of the Gospel and Epistle sides of the church and altar. The gospel side is where the Gospel is read at Mass; it is the left side as you face the altar; the epistle side is the right. If the church is orientated properly, the Gospel side will be the North, the Epistle side the South.3
The plan of a church varies very considerably according to its size, the architect's design, and so on. There is much lati- tude in planning a church. A large church will probably have a number of side chapels or side altars, which may be placed anywhere, though in this case, too, the normal principle would be that each altar faces the East, so that the priest look that way when saying Mass. There may also be two or more aisles and a transept.
1 S.R.C. 4025, ad VI. Cod.y c. 227.
2 It is a very old Christian principle that people turn to the east at prayer ; so the priest saying Mass should face the east.
3 In heraldic language the Gospel side is the dexter of the altar, the right of the crucifix as it faces down the church. The Epistle side is sinister.
C
2 General principles concerning Ceremonies
For the purpose of ceremonies we distinguish five parts of the church. Every church, however small, will have these, at least as theoretic divisions. They are the nave, baptistery, porch, choir and sanctuary. The nave is that part of the church where the people attend the services. Generally it is arranged in two groups of seats, one on either side, with a passage down the middle. It is not now usual in Catholic churches to separate men from women.
The baptistery should be, if possible, a separate chapel, or at least railed off from the rest of the church.1 It may con- tain an altar,2 as well as a font. The font3 should stand in the middle of the baptistery. It is covered when not in use (see p. 394, n. 2)^
Beyond the main entrance to the nave is the narthex, or porch (sometimes called vestibulum). This has important liturgical uses, and should never be wanting. At the church doors are holy water stoups.
In front of the nave, generally raised by one or more steps, is the choir. This is where the clergy or singers attend in cassock and surplice. It should have seats or stalls on either side, facing each other across the church. In cathedral and collegiate churches the Canons have their stalls arranged in this way.
If the Blessed Sacrament is reserved at the High Altar there is generally a communion rail between the nave and the choir. This should be of a convenient height, so that people can kneel at it to receive Holy Communion. Hanging from it, on the altar side, is the communion cloth of white linen, which people hold under the chin when they make their Communion.
Beyond the choir is the sanctuary. Often there is no mark in the building to show the line of separation between the choir and sanctuary. It is indeed better that there should not be a step here, since the ministers have to walk frequently from the choir to the sanctuary. Constantly to step up and down takes from the dignity of the ceremonies, and the step may be inconvenient to ministers in vestments. The sanctuary is merely the end (normally the East end) of the choir near the High Altar. It is counted as beginning about where the seats or stalls of the choir end on that side.
The chief object in the sanctuary is the altar4 in the
1 In the rite of baptism the first part takes place in the Narthex ("ad limen ecclesiae" in the English Ordo administrandi, rubric 52, p. 13). Then, after the child has entered the church, an exorcism is said "ante- quam accedat ad baptisterium " (ib., p. 22, No. 12).
2 The old liturgical books constantly suppose Mass said in the bap- tistery (for instance, the Gelasian Sacramentary, ed. H. A. Wilson, pp. 142-143). The great baptisteries in Italy all have altars.
3 The Roman Ritual (and our Ordo admintstr.) sometimes calls the font " baptisterium " (rubric 30).
4 Full information about the altar and its arrangement will be found in Van der Stappen, iii, pp. 17- 114. Cod., c. 1197-1202.
Uhc Gfourcb anb its jFurntture 3
middle. Unless the church has separate chapels, each with its own choir and sanctuary, this will be the High Altar of the church. All others are counted as side altars.
There are two kinds of altar, the fixed (altare fixum) and portable altar (altare portatile).
A fixed altar must be of stone and built into the church, so that it cannot be moved. The relics are buried in it. The whole top (the "mensa") of the altar is of stone and joined by stone to the ground ; it is all consecrated as one thing.
In the case of the portable altar the only real altar is the altar stone. This is a stone in which relics are placed and sealed up. It is comparatively small, perhaps about one foot square or so, and an inch or two thick. Mass is said on this.1 The altar stone may be placed on a table of any material. It is not fixed to the table. So in many churches there is what looks like a large wooden altar. Really this is only the framework or stand. In the middle (generally sunk into the wood) is the altar stone, which alone is consecrated. The framework may also be of stone. In this way an altar may be built of stone, used as a portable one, having on it the consecrated altar stone, till the whole can be conse- crated as a fixed altar. There is no difference in the ceremonies between a fixed and a portable altar.2
There should be some kind of canopy over the altar. This may hang from the roof of the church or may stand on columns. It should cover not only the altar, but also the foot-pace, or at least the priest celebrating. The canopy stand- ing on columns is the ciborium.3 It is better that the altar do not stand immediately against the wall of the church; indeed, at the consecration of an altar the rubrics require that the bishop go round it.
The altar is raised above the floor of the sanctuary by steps. Every altar should be raised at least one step; the
1 During1 Mass the chalice and bread stand on the altar stone.
2 The older principle was that, as no church may be consecrated unless a fixed altar be consecrated with it, so, on the other hand, an altar may not be consecrated except in a consecrated church. Thus consecrated church and consecrated altar always went together. But the S.C.R. 3059, ad XV (12 September 1857) allows an altar to be consecrated in a merely blessed church. This must mean a church which, although only blessed now, will be consecrated later for certain. Otherwise the altar would have to be desecrated inevitably when the church were adapted to another purpose. A consecrated ( = fixed) altar cannot be moved.
3 Not to be confused with " ciborium " in another sense, namely the little vessel that contains the consecrated Hosts in the tabernacle. The canopy over the altar, whether on columns or hanging, is "baldaquin '* in French, " baldacchino " in Italian. There seems no reason for using1 these foreign words in English. The Caerimoniale Episcoporum, Lib. I, cap. xiv, § 1 requires a canopy over the High Altar. The S. Congregation of Rites (= S.C.R.) has frequently insisted on it for the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved (27 April 1697, No. 1966; 23 May 1846, No. 2912; 23 November 1880, No. 3525). For the canopy at Benediction see p. 240.
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6 General principles concerning Ceremonies
High Altar will have three or more steps. There should be an uneven number.
The top step before the altar forms a platform on which the celebrant stands while he says Mass. This is the foot- pace or svppedanevm.1 It should be as long- across as the width of the altar, and so wide in front that the cele- brant may genuflect on it without having to put his foot out- side it. The lower steps go round the foot-pace, not only in front, but at the sides, so that one can go up to it from either side as from the front. The steps of a fixed altar should be of stone; but the foot-pace ought to be of wood.3
On one altar in the church (in smaller churches generally on the High Altar) is the tabernacle in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.3 This is a box, with doors opening outwards, in the middle of the altar, leaving enough room in front of it for the vessels and other things used at any cere- mony. It must be an iron safe fixed solidly to the altar and so to the ground, or to the wall of the church. Inside, the taber- nacle is gold or gilt; it is lined with white linen or silk, and has a corporal on which the ciborium stands. Often at the back of the altar, on either side of the tabernacle, there is one or more raised steps, on which the candles or vases of flowers are placed. These are the gradines. Before the tabernacle in which the Sanctissimum is reserved, a lamp should always burn.4 This generally hangs from the roof. There may be several lamps, uneven in number.
The altar is covered with three cloths. Under these the Pontifical requires that there be a cere-cloth (chrismale) of waxed linen, at least immediately after consecration. The cere-cloth is not counted as one of the three altar-cloths. It is allowed to fold one cloth in two, and so to use it for the two lower altar-cloths. The upper cloth should be as wide as the altar, and long enough to reach to the ground on either side.
In front of the altar hangs the frontal (antependium) of the colour of the office, the same as the celebrant's vestments. The tabernacle must also have a veil of the same colour, or of cloth of gold or silver. But, where the Sanctissimum is reserved, the tabernacle veil may not be black. In this case, at Requiems it should be purple. The frontal may then be either black or purple (p. 133). If the altar is of some precious sub- stance it may dispense with a frontal. There is no permission ever to dispense with the tabernacle veil where the Sanctissi- mum is reserved, though this abuse often occurs at Rome.
On the altar, in the middle, stands a cross, sufficiently
1 Italian, " predella." 2 S.C.R. 3576, ad I (15 iun 1883).
3 Cod., c. 1 268- 1 269.
* Cod., c. 1 27 1. The glass of the lamp should be white. There is no reason for any other colour. The Caer. Ep. requires many lamps in the church, three before the High Altar and at least five before the Blessed Sacrament (Lib. I, cap. xii, § 17). In England we have long prescribed a lawful custom of burning one lamp only before the tabernacle.
ZTbe Cburcb anfc its ff urntture 7
large to be seen by the celebrant and people.1 If there is a tabernacle the cross should not stand in front of it, lest it hinder the opening of the tabernacle doors. It will stand behind or on the tabernacle. The rubric of the missal speaks only of a cross;3 but in another place it supposes that the cross bear a representation of our Lord crucified,3 and the Caerimoniale episcoporum orders this.4 On every altar on either side are at least two candlesticks with candles. The High Altar of a church will normally have six larger candle- sticks with candles, and in front of these two or three smaller ones. Other candles for Benediction, Exposition, and so on, should be placed there for the occasion only and taken away afterwards.
The rules about candles on the altar are these. At Low Mass two candles burn all the time; according to the rubric of the missal a third should be lit from the consecration to the Communion (see p. 79, n. 2). At High Mass, solemn Vespers, and all such more solemn public functions six candles are lit, three on either side of the altar cross. At Pontifical High Mass by the Ordinary a seventh candle is lit behind the cross (p. 164). At a sung Mass without ministers there may be four or six candles. During Exposition or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at least twelve candles must burn on the altar. There may be more.5 When the Sanctissimum is exposed candles at other altars or before statues and pictures should be put out, at least those which can be seen from the altar.
For other rites celebrated at the altar, such as marriage, blessings, distribution of Holy Communion not in Mass, and for non-liturgical prayers and devotions, two or more candles are lit on the altar.
The proportion of beeswax in church candles is regulated by law. The Paschal candle, the two candles for Low Mass, six for High Mass, and the twelve necessary for Exposition and Benediction must have at least 65 per cent, of real bees- wax. All other candles used on an altar must have at least 25 per cent, of beeswax.6 The firms which provide candles for Catholic churches stamp the percentage of beeswax on their candles.
Flowers on the altar are not necessary. They are not used in the great churches of Rome. But there is no law against them,7 and in England custom is in favour of their use.
1 If immediately behind the altar there is a large representation of the crucifixion, this may count as the altar-cross.
2 Rubricae generates, tit. xx. 3 Ritus cetebrandi missam, tit. ii, § 2. 4 Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xii, § 11. 5 Ritus servandus, p. 13, § 3.
6 So the bishops of England and Wales on 4 December 1906, following the S.C.R. 14 December 1904.
7 The Caer. Ep. expressly suggests "vascula cum flosculis " as an ornament on the altar (Lib. I, cap. xii, § 12), and Benedict XIII's Memo- riale Rituum positively requires them throughout (see pp. 266, 281, n. 1, 298, 342).
8 General principles concerning Ceremonies
When the altar is not in use the altar-cloths are covered with another cloth of some coloured material,1 to keep off dust. This should be removed before every service at which the altar is used.
Near the altar, on the Epistle side, stands the credence table (credentia, abacus). During Mass this should have a white linen cloth over it. The vessels, and sometimes vest- ments used at Mass, are placed on the credence table when they are not in use.
On the same side of the sanctuary are the seats (sedilia) for the celebrant and sacred ministers. There should be three seats, or a bench with room for three persons.2 In cathedrals the bishop's throne faces the sedilia on the Gospel side. The canopy over it, its covering and cushion are of the colour of the Mass or office, namely, white, red, green, or violet.3 They should be of silk.4
Instead of the throne, a bishop who is not the Ordinary, and sometimes the Ordinary,5 uses a faldstool (faldis- torium). This is a stool without a back. It consists of a frame of gilt metal or wood, shaped like the letter X, with a seat of leather or cloth stretched across its upper extremities. It can be folded flat. When used as a seat the faldstool has a covering and cushion of the liturgical colour, namely, white, red, green, or purple, as the throne. These are of silk for a cardinal, wool for a bishop.6
The bishop kneels, on various occasions, before the altar. According to the Caerimoniale episcoporum he kneels at a genvflexorivm (kneeling-desk, prie-dieu).7 This has a covering and two cushions, one on which he kneels, the other on which he rests the arms. This covering and the cushions (silk or wool, as before) are, for a cardinal red, or purple for mourning and times of penance, for a bishop green, or violet when the bishop wears black.8
For this genuflexorium the faldstool may be, and generally is, used.9 A carpet should be spread beneath; there are two
1 Martinucci calls this " tela stragula altaris " and says it should be green " or some other dark colour, never black " (Tom. I, i, p. 103). It is sometimes called " vesperal cloth," though it is not used at Vespers.
2 Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xii, § 22, prefers a bench, also S. R.C., 14 March 1908. Le Vavasseur, i, 439-440.
3 Violet is used at the throne when the vestments are black.
4 Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xiii, § 3. As a matter of fact they are often of some less costly material.
5 In presence of a higher Prelate (Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xiii, § 4), at Confirmation, etc.
G The cushion may be of silk, in any case (Martinucci-Menghini, II, i, p. 34, § 5).
"• Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. ii, § 5, etc., passim.
" For the colour worn by cardinals and bishops at times of penance and mourning, see p. 13.
9 Martinucci, II, i, pp. 34-35, § 6. If used as a seat at funeral services, the faldstool is covered with black {Caer. Ep., Lib. II, cap. xi, § 1).
TOe Cburcb an& its jfurniture 9
cushions, one placed before the faldstool, on which the bishop kneels; the other lies on the seat, so that he rests the arms on it. It has no other covering. The cushions may be of silk in any case. In this case, they and the carpet should be of the colour of the office.
In cathedrals and churches which possess a faldstool, it is generally convenient to use it for a genuflexorium. When the bishop visits a small church which does not possess a faldstool a chair with a low back, as decent as possible, with a cushion, is prepared on which he will sit, and a kneeling- desk with two cushions. They should be covered with red, green, or purple, according to the rank of the bishop and the occasion (as above).
There may be seats for the servers at Mass and other serv- ices, on either side of the sanctuary; or they may sit in front of the stalls in the choir.
The lectern and seats for cantors in the middle of the choir used for parts of the Divine Office are put in their place before each such service and taken away afterwards. A lectern may be used for the lessons at High Mass. It should be covered with silk of the colour of the office.1
The sacristy is a large room on one side of the sanctuary, or behind it, separated by a door. There should be a stoup of holy water and a bell at this door. There may be two sac- risties, an outer one for the choir and servers, an inner one for the sacred ministers. In the sacristy are cupboards and presses in which are kept the vessels, instruments, and vest- ments. There must be at least one large table on which the vestments are laid out. The celebrant and ministers vest at this table. It may form the top of presses for vestments. Over this table, or in the middle of the sacristy, a crucifix or sacred image should hang. All who enter or leave the sacristy in procession bow to this on arriving and before leaving. A card should be hung up in a conspicuous place, showing the names of the reigning Pope, Ordinary, and the " oratio im- perata."
1 Caer. £p.t Lib. II, cap. viii, § 45.
CHAPTER II THE VESTMENTS OF THE ROMAN
RITE
THE common dress for servers and all who assist at any function in choir is a black cassock (talare) with a white linen surplice (superpelliceum).1 The two chaplains or servers at pontifical functions who hold the mitre and crozier have scarves of thin white silk (vim pa) rather like broad stoles, worn round the neck and tied in front. Through these they hold the mitre and crozier.2 Certain prelates and dignitaries wear a purple cas- sock. Clerks in holy orders have, in choir, a biretta (bire- tum), a square cap of black cloth with three ridges. Some dignitaries also wear a skull-cap (pileolus).3 Canons in chapter* have a cape over their surplice (mozzetta). Pre- lates sometimes wear a tunic called mantellettum,8 having slits at the side through which the sleeves of the rochet pass. The celebrant at Mass, if he is a priest, wears over his cassock,6 first the amice (amictus), an oblong piece of linen with strings to tie it. He lays this on the head, then passes it around the neck. Then he puts on the alb (alba), a long shirt of linen reaching to the feet. This is tied round the waist by the girdle (cingulum), which may be of the colour of the day, but is generally white. On the left arm he wears the maniple (manipulus), a band of silk of the colour of the day. The stole (stola) is a longer band of coloured silk worn round the neck, crossed in front and secured by the ends of the girdle. The chasuble (casula, planeta) is the last garment covering all the others. It has a hole through which the head is passed and (generally) strings on the inner side to tie around the body. The maniple, stole and chasuble are of silk and of the colour of the Mass to be celebrated.
A set of vestments for Low Mass also includes the burse and veil to be put on the chalice (p. 16).
At Mass the deacon wears the amice, alb, girdle, maniple
1 Italian, "cotta." The Rochet (rochettum) is a garment like the surplice, but shorter, fitting- the body more closely, with narrow sleeves. It is worn by cardinals, bishops, prelates, sometimes (by indult) by canons. It is generally worn under other vestments.
2 They and the manner of wearing them are described in the Caer. Ej>., Lib. I, cap. xi, § 6. But here provision is made only for the mitre-bearer's veil. The crozier-bearer is to hold the crozier with the right hand covered by part of his surplice and to hand it, with bare hand, to the bishop. Instead of this, a veil similar to that of the mitre-bearer is now usual.
3 Italian, " zuchetto."
* Namely in their own cathedral or collegiate church. 6 This is the name in the Caer. Ep. ; Italian, " mantelletta." 0 The rubrics of the Missal (Rit. eel., i, 2) say that the priest should wear all the other vestments over a surplice, " if it can be done con- veniently." This is now rare, at least in England.
Zftc IDestments of tbe IRoman IRtte 1 1
and stole. But he wears the stole differently from the priest. He lays it across the breast so that the middle is on the left shoulder, and the two ends under the right arm. It is fixed in this position by the ends of the girdle. Then he puts on the dalmatic (dalmatica). This is a kind of tunic with short sleeves, slit up the sides, with an opening through which the head is put. It is of silk of the colour of the Mass.
The subdeacon at Mass wears the amice, alb, girdle, maniple, no stole, but a tunicle (tunicella) made in much the same shape as the deacon's dalmatic.
During part of High Mass, namely from the offertory to the fraction, the subdeacon wears a humeral veil (velum humerale) under which he holds the paten (pp. iio-m). This is an oblong of silk, of the colour of the vestments, with strings to tie it. It is worn like a cape over the shoulders. The object of the humeral veil is to cover the hands when something is held in them.
On certain days (for which see pp. 253-255) the deacon and subdeacon do not wear the dalmatic and tunicle. Instead of these, in greater churches, they wear folded chasubles.1 The chasubles are now generally folded up in front about half way and so fixed. They are taken off during the principal parts of the Mass, as will be explained (p. 254). When the deacon takes off the folded chasuble in Mass, according to the rubrics of the Missal he should fold it again lengthwise and wear it, like the stole, over the left shoulder.3 Instead of this, he generally puts on a garment made specially to repre- sent this folded chasuble, namely a long piece of silk, purple, or black on Good Friday. This is popularly called the broad stole (Italian " stolone "). It is not really a stole at all.3 " Greater churches " are cathedrals, collegiate churches, the chief churches of Regulars, parish churches. They include therefore nearly all churches in England. In others the minis- ters wear simply the usual vestments without the dalmatic or tunicle.* The celebrant wears the chasuble only at Mass. Nor does anyone wear the maniple except at Mass. The only ex- ception to this is when, as on Palm Sunday, the ministers read lessons during the blessing of the Palms before Mass. Then, although the celebrant has the cope and no maniple, they wear the maniple while reading the lessons.
During the solemn blessings in the Missal (as on Candlemas, Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday), in processions, at the Asperges ceremony before Mass, at funerals, at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, at vespers and lauds sung solemnly,
1 Ruhr, gen.) xix, 6. 2 Ruhr, gen., ib.
8 The only reason for the so-called " broad stole" is that the modern chasuble is rarely so made that it can be folded into a long strip, as the rubrics say. The rubrics provide for the alternative use of the "broad stole " (" aliud genus stolae latioris, in modum planetae plicatae ").
4 Ruhr, gen., xix, 7. They may wear folded chasubles in any church (Martinucci, I, i, p. 191, n. 1).
12 General principles concerning Ceremonies
at Matins from the ninth lesson, the celebrant wears a cope (pluviale). This is a large semicircular garment reaching to the feet behind, with a clasp (called the morse l) to join it in front.
Usually the cope is of the colour of the day. At Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament it is always white, at funerals always black. For most blessings the colour is purple.2 Except in the Divine office the celebrant wears a stole of the same colour under the cope.
At the Divine office he wears either a surplice only, or surplice and cope. At processions and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament he will generally wear a surplice, stole and cope. When he holds the monstrance or ciborium he has a white humeral veil. At blessings before Mass he has the amice, alb, girdle and stole. When he wears the girdle he crosses the stole before the breast. With a surplice it hangs straight down from the neck.
Other persons besides the celebrant wear the cope. The assistant priest at Mass (when there is one, see p. 144) does so. At Mass by a simple priest no one else may wear a cope. At the Divine office (vespers and lauds) the cantors may wear copes of the colour of the office. In the procession of the Blessed Sacrament at Corpus Christi the clergy may wear copes.
When preaching the preacher, if a secular priest, wears a surplice. He may wear a stole of the colour of the day, if this is the custom. Regulars who have a habit wear no surplice as a rule. In administering other Sacraments and when giving blessings the priest wears a surplice and stole.
The deacon and subdeacon wear the dalmatic and tun- icle at High Mass, at the Asperges,3 at Exposition and Bene- diction of the Blessed Sacrament; not in the Divine office.
The usual dress of a bishop is a cloth cassock, violet in colour, with a train, fixed up at the back so that it does not trail on the ground. The train is let down at functions. The cassock is edged and has buttons of a lighter colour, now almost red. The bishop wears a violet silk belt. Over the cassock he wears a white linen rochet (p. 10, n. 1). Over this a bishop in his own diocese wears the mozzetta. Auxiliaries and all bishops where they have no jurisdiction wear the mantellettum (p. 10) instead.* Bishops have a pectoral cross,
1 A morse of ornamented metal, with enamel or jewels, is called "formale" or " pectorale." This may be worn only by bishops (S.C.R., 15 September 1753, No. 2425, ad IX). Others wear a cope with a band ot stuff to join it in front (Caer. Ep.> Lib. I, cap. vii, n. 1 : "sine tamen for- malio ad pectus").
2 When the blessing contains an exorcism, the colour is purple, other- wise it is generally that of the day.
3 With the exception noted, p. n.
* The mozzetta over the rochet is always understood to signify jurisdic- tion. In the presence of superiors bishops wear the mantellettum, and over this the mozzetta ; so at Rome always.
Ube THestmente of tbe IRoman IRtte 13
which should hang from the neck by a green silk cord. But often a gold chain is used. They have a purple skull capT and a purple biretta.2 On certain days of penance the cassock, mozzetta and mantellettum should be of black cloth, the cassock edged with violet. These days are all fast days, including vigils on which we fast,3 but not on other vigils. There are now only four fasting vigils, those of Christmas, Whitsunday, the Assumption, All Hallow.*
At functions, instead of the mozzetta, the bishop may wear the " cappa magna." This is a great cloak with a long train, of violet cloth. It has a cape and hood, which in winter is of ermine, in summer of almost red silk. When the bishop wears the cappa magna he needs a train bearer. Regular bishops have the cappa, and its fur, of the colour of their order (if it has a habit).
Pius IX instituted a kind of undress for prelates, called after him " habitus pianus." It consists of a black cloth cassock with no train, reddish facings, a violet belt and ferraiolo, violet stock and stockings. This is now used con- stantly at non-liturgical occasions.
Cardinals have the same dress as bishops, but always bright red instead of violet, and violet instead of black for mourning. Round their hat bishops have a green 5 cord, arch- bishops green and gold, cardinals red and gold.
For Low Mass a bishop wears the same vestments as a priest, over the rochet.6 The only difference is that he wears the pectoral cross over the alb, under the stole. He wears the stole not crossed, but hanging straight down.7 He does not put on the maniple till after the prayer " Indulgentiam," ex- cept at Requiem Masses (p. 73).
At High Mass the bishop wears special stockings and shoes B of the colour of the Mass. Over the rochet he wears the amice, alb, girdle, pectoral cross, stole, tunicle, dalmatic, chasuble, gloves, mitre. On certain occasions a Metropolitan will wear the pallium over the chasuble. The manner of put- ting these on will be described (pp. 168-170).
The tunicle and dalmatic worn by a bishop are made of very thin silk. They are of the colour of the Mass.
1 Conceded by Pius IX, 17 June 1867.
2 Conceded by Leo XIII, 3 February 1888.
3 Also at funerals, Requiem Masses, during- all Advent, from Septua- gesima to Easter.
4 Caer. Ep.> Lib. I, cap. iii, § 2; c. 1253. Bishops wear purple from Christmas to the Epiphany Octave, all Paschal time, and at Canonical visitations, whatever the day may be. Indeed, the use of black by bishops is almost obsolete.
s Green, not violet, is the bishop's heraldic colour. c Rit. serv., i, 2.
7 The reason of this is, apparently, the pectoral cross, lest the stole conceal it.
8 These look more like gaiters and slippers. In Latin they are "caligae et sandalia," in English generally "buskins and sandals."
14 ©eneral principles concerning Ceremonies
There are three kinds of mitre (mitra). The "precious mitre " (mitra pretiosa) is generally of cloth of silver with embroidery and ornaments of gold and precious stones. Since this is supposed to be heavy and burdensome if worn all the time, its place is taken during parts of the services (pp. 166-219) nv the "gold mitre" (mitra aurifrigiata) made of cloth of gold with no additional ornament. The "simple mitre " (mitra simplex) is of plain white linen, without orna- ment. This is worn at funerals and such occasions. The bishop also has a ring (annulus) ; in his own diocese the Ordinary carries a crozier (baculus pastoralis). He has a train to the cappa magna, which is borne by a train-bearer (caudatarius). During parts of the Mass a silk veil (gre- miale) of the colour of the day is laid over his knees while he sits.
On other occasions a bishop wears amice, alb, girdle, stole, cope and mitre.
Certain other prelates, abbots, and protonotaries may on occasions share some of the marks of a bishop's rank
(see pp. 33-36)-
Besides the vestments, the following cloths are used. The corporal (corporale) is a square piece of linen spread on the altar during Mass. The chalice and paten stand on the corporal. When it is not used the corporal lies in the burse (bursa), a pocket of silk, of the same colour as the vestments, strengthened with cardboard. The purificator (purifica- torium) is a linen cloth folded in three lengthwise, used as a handkerchief by the celebrant during Mass. The pall (palla) is a small square of linen, sometimes strengthened by a card, used to cover the chalice at Mass.
The towel (manutergium) is also a small linen cloth, not unlike a purificator, used to dry the hands after the washing at Mass.
The colours of the silk vestments (that is, of the chasuble, stole, maniple, dalmatic, tunicle, humeral veil, cope, bishop's gremial, shoes and stockings) vary according to the feast or occasion on which they are used.
The colours of the Roman rite are white, red, green, purple, black, rosy colour.
White (albus) is used for all feasts of our Lord, except the feast of the Precious Blood, for Trinity Sunday, for all feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all Saints who were not martyrs.
Red (ruber) is used on Whitsunday and during its octave, for the feast of the Precious Blood (now 1 July), the two feasts of Holy Rood (3 May and 14 September), and for mar- tyrs. It is used on Holy Innocents' Day (28 December) if it fall on a Sunday, and on its octave day always.
Green (viridis) is the neutral colour. It is used on Sundays
TLhc Destments of tbe IRoman IRtte 15
and ferias from the end of the Epiphany octave to Septu- agesima, and on Sundays and ferias in the Season after Pentecost.
Purple (violaceus) is the colour of penance. It is used on Sundays and ferias of Advent and Lent, except the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth of Lent, except also the last days of Holy Week, which have a special sequence of colour, to be noted below (pp. 289-342). Purple is also used on vigils, when the office is of the vigil, on ember days, except those in Whitsun week, on the feast of the holy Innocents, if it does not fall on a Sunday, for most blessings and many votive Masses. On Whitsun eve the lessons and collects before the Mass with the litany are said in purple vestments, the Mass itself in red.
Black (niger) is used on Good Friday, for Masses for the dead and at funerals.
Rosy colour (color rosaceus) is used on two days of the year only, the third Sunday of Advent (called Gaudete Sunday) and the fourth of Lent (Laetare Sunday). If the church does not possess vestments of this colour purple may be used in its stead.1
Cloth of gold may always take the place of white, red or green, not of purple or black.
When vespers are so divided that the second half, from the chapter, is of the following feast, then the frontal and copes are of the colour of the second half throughout vespers.
The colour for processions and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is white. But if Benediction follows immediately after Mass or vespers, the colour of the day may be kept. Only, in any case, the humeral veil must be white. The vest- ments worn by the celebrant and ministers at Mass must be blessed by a bishop or by a priest to whom this faculty has been given. It is not strictly necessary to bless the cope. The burse, chalice veil, humeral veil and surplices are not blessed.
1 In the Westminster Ordo recitandi officii divini sacrique peragendi the colour of the day is noted in the margin by a capital letter, the initial of its Latin name. Thus A = white, R = red, V = green, U= purple (this distinction is convenient), N = black. Rosy colour is noted by a rubric ; but the two days are marked U. When there are two letters the first is for Mass, the second for Vespers.
CHAPTER III LITURGICAL VESSELS, INSTRU- MENTS AND BOOKS
§ i. VESSELS
THE chief vessels used in the Liturgy are the cha- lice (calix) and paten (patena), the forms of which are well known. The chalice, if it is not of gold, must be at least gilt inside the cup; the paten, too, must be gilt on the upper side.
For Mass the chalice and paten are arranged thus. The chalice is empty; over it the purificator is hung, then the paten rests on the purificator holding the bread or breads to be consecrated. Over these is placed the pall. The chalice veil covers all to the foot of the chalice ; on the veil the burse is placed, closed, with a folded corporal in it.
The ciborium1 is a vessel like a chalice with a cover, at least gilt inside. It is used to contain the consecrated particles in the tabernacle. When it contains the Blessed Sacrament it must be covered with a veil of white silk. At the consecra- tion, if used, it stands open on the corporal by the chalice.
In the tabernacle there is also generally a pyx (pyxis), a small box of silver or other metal, gilt inside, which contains the Host used for Benediction. This Host is usually held by a little instrument, shaped like a new moon, called the luna or lunette (lunula). This, too, must be at least gilt. The general principle is that the Sanctissimum may rest only on gold or white linen. The monstrance (ostensorium) is a vessel for exposing the Blessed Sacrament. It is so made that the Host may be placed in it and can then be seen by the people. Often the place where the Host rests is surrounded by rays. The Sanctissimum may not touch glass.
There is also a small pyx or ciborium used when the Holy Communion is taken to the sick. This, too, must be at least gilt inside.
The chalice and paten are consecrated by a bishop. The pyx, ciborium and luna are blessed by a bishop or priest having the faculty. There is no law that the monstrance be blessed.
Other vessels, not counted as sacred and not blessed are :
For Mass the cruets (ampullae, hamulae). These are two little jugs to hold the wine and water. They should be of glass ; but other material is tolerated. Sometimes their pur- pose is marked on them; the one having the letter V (for "vinum," wine), the other A (" aqua," water). Otherwise, since they should be always washed out and kept perfectly
1 Not to be confused with the great ciborium (canopy) over the altar.
16
Xttutotcal IDessels, 3nstt*uments anfc Boohs 17
clean, it does not matter which is used each time for the wine or water. The cruets often have stoppers or lids. With them is the dish (pelvicula) on which they stand when not in use. This is not merely used as a stand for the cruets ; when the celebrant washes his hands at Mass, the water is poured by the server over his fingers into this dish. The water is thrown away afterwards. With the cruets and dish a towel (manu- terg-ium) is laid on the credence table. The celebrant dries the hands with this after washing- them.
At High Mass a bishop uses a larger jug of water and a dish of silver or other metal (gold or gilt for a cardinal). His towel is generally larger too.
§ 2. INSTRUMENTS
In several functions, while a bishop reads, a server holds a small hand-candle in a portable candlestick near the book. This is the " scotula " or " palmatorium." l
For the sprinkling with holy water before Mass (the " As- perges " ceremony) and for blessing any object a portable holy-water stoup (vas aquae benedictae) and sprinkler (aspersorium) are used. The stoup is of metal, the aspersorium has a brush at the end, or a hollow globe with holes in it.
The thurible (thuribulum) is a vessel, round in shape, hanging by three long chains from a disk. Held by this disk it can be swung. It has a cover which hangs by a fourth chain from a ring passing through the disk. By pulling up this ring the thurible may be opened. Generally there is another ring round all the chains to keep them together. The incense-boat (navicella, navicula, acerra) is a little vessel, shaped like a boat, in which the incense is kept. It has a spoon (cochlear) with which the incense is put on the burning charcoal in the thurible. In the sacristy are kept the acolytes' candles in candlesticks. These are so made, with a foot, that they can stand without being held, for in- stance on the credence table. There are also torches (funalia) held by the torch-bearers (caeroferarii) at Mass and Benediction. In theory these should be long torches. It is now usual to make them in the form of a separate case (prac- tically a candlestick) into which a candle is placed. But the idea of a torch is so far preserved that they have no foot, and cannot stand alone. When not in use th^y are kept in a rack in the sacristy.
The processional cross is fixed to a long staff, also so made that it cannot stand alone. In Catholic churches it now always has a figure of our Lord crucified.
1 Italian "bugia," French "bougeoir." Pius X has allowed its use, under certain conditions, also to protonotaries apostolic, and other pre- lates {Molu proprio, 21 February 1905. Cf. Ephemerides liturgicae^ xix (I9°5)» PP- X3J seq.).
C
18 General principles concerning Ceremonies
For processions of the Blessed Sacrament a portable canopy (baldachinum, umbraculum) is used (sometimes carried over a bishop). It has four or more poles.1 For short processions in the church, as when the Sanctissimum is carried from one altar to another, a smaller canopy with one rod, like an umbrella (umbella), is used. For the Blessed Sacrament either must be white or cloth of gold.2
The sanctus bell (campanula, squilla) is a small hand- bell (not a gong) rung during Mass at the moments ap- pointed in the rubrics of the missal. It may be placed on the credence table before Mass and taken away afterwards. Generally, in England, it remains always on the lowest altar step, on the Epistle side at the corner. A stand or cushion3 is needed, on which to rest the missal at Mass.
For the kiss of peace, instead of the more usual way of giving it (p. 27), sometimes a little disk is used. This is often called the pax-brede (pax, instrumentum pacis, tabella pacis). It is generally a disk of silver, or gilt, with a handle behind to hold it. On the face it has some such symbol as the cross, the Agnus Dei, a Pelican in her piety. If this pax-brede is used it should have a cloth of linen 4 to wipe it each time after it has been kissed.
Near the tabernacle where the Sanctissimum is reserved a little vessel should be kept, generally of glass, with water.5 The priest uses this to purify the fingers when he gives Holy Communion not at Mass; or sometimes when he cannot make the ablutions at Mass in the usual way, because he will say Mass again the same day. It has a small purificator by it.
§ 3. BOOKS
There are six liturgical books of the Roman rite.
The missal (Missale romanum) contains all that is needed for Mass, and for certain other functions which take place im- mediately before Mass, such as the blessings at Candlemas, on Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, the morning services on the last three days of holy week, certain blessings (of holy water, etc.). It also has the preparation and thanksgiving of the celebrant before and after Mass.
1 The Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xiv, n. 1, says it has six or eight poles, borne by " noble laymen."
2 Caer. Ep., loc. cit., n. 1-4.
3 The Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xii, § 15, says it is a cushion of silk, of the liturgical colour, or a small silver or wooden stand (legile). A stand is far more convenient, and also looks better than a cushion.
4 A cloth of the colour of the day should be used to hold it(Martinucci, I, i, p. 102, no. 3) as well as the linen cloth to wipe it. The former is often omitted (Le Vavasseur, i, p. 36).
6 This water, and all wa'ter used for ablutions, must be put in the sacrarium, a channel leading to clean earth, generally behind the altar.
Xituroical IDessels, instruments anfc Books 19
The breviary (Breviarium romanum) contains all the Divine office for the year.
The ritual (Rituale romanum) has the administration of other Sacraments, including distribution of Holy Communion out of Mass, many blessings, prayers for processions and such liturgical functions, as far as they are used by a priest. There is less uniformity in the Ritual than in any other litur- gical book. Many provinces and dioceses still have their own Ritual book, based on the Roman one. Throughout England the official Ritual, approved by the English hierarchy, is the ordo administrandi (see pp. 392-393).1
The pontifical (Pontificale romanum) is the book for bishops. It contains the Sacraments and other functions per- formed only by a bishop, such as Confirmation and Ordina- tion, the Consecration of a church, and so on.
The martyrology is a Calendar, giving the names and a short statement about martyrs and all Saints, each on his day. It is read where the Divine Office is said in choir during Prime.
Lastly the ceremonial (Caerimoniale episcoporum) is a directory of ceremonies for bishops and others who take part in public services.2
There are other books consisting of parts of these printed separately for convenience. There is no reason why any special service should not be printed in a separate book, so long as it conforms to the text in the book from which it is taken.
From the missal the book of lessons is taken. This contains the epistles and gospels for the year, to be used by the deacon and subdeacon at High Mass. There may be two such books, one of epistles and one of gospels. If the church does not possess this book, a missal may always be used in its stead. The gradual (Graduate romanum) contains the parts of the missal needed by the choir, with music. The Masses for the dead are often printed in a separate book.
There are many excerpts from the Breviary. The day hours (Horae diurnae) contain all the office except matins. For use in the choir various extracts are made, with the music, such as the vesperal (Vesperale romanum) and
DIRECTORIVM CHORI. A HOLY WEEK BOOK (Offidum heb-
domadae maioris) contains what is needed for the services of Holy Week, taken from the missal and breviary.
In England we have a book, ritvs servandvs, approved
1 Ordo administrandi sacramenta et alia quaedam officia peragendi ex rituali romano extractus nonnullis adiectis ex antique* rituali anglicano (London, Burns and Oates, new edition, 1915).
2 This book (Caer. Ep.), although intended in the first place for bishops, contains very full directions for all people at most functions; so that, in spite of its title and inconvenient arrangement, it is really a book of ceremonies in general.
20 General principles concerning Ceremonies
by the hierarchy, which contains directions and the prayers for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and other non- liturgical services.1 The memoriale ritvvm describes func- tions for six days, as performed in small churches (see pp. 261- 264).
At Mass a missal is needed. It stands on a desk or cushion on the altar.
At High Mass there must be a Book of lessons, or another missal, at the credence table.
The Caer. Ep.2 says that, at Pontifical functions, and (by implication) at other solemn functions too,3 all the litur- gical books used (the missal, book of lessons, vesperal, canon episcopalis, etc.) are covered with silk of the liturgical colour. But in many places this custom is now obsolete. It is not very convenient, and is not necessarily an additional decoration. Most of our liturgical books are extremely badly bound. But if a book has a really fine binding of tooled leather, that binding will be a more handsome ornament at the function than the cheap silk of bad colour, with gold lace, put over books at Rome. Indeed the Roman custom of cover- ing up everything on feasts is not an improvement, artistic- ally, when the material underneath is fine.
The altar-cards contain certain prayers from the missal, printed separately for the convenience of the celebrant. There are three altar-cards. The largest, containing the words of consecration and other prayers, stands in the middle of the altar, leaning against the cross or tabernacle during Mass. The altar-card which contains the prayer at the blessing of water ("Deus qui humanae substantiae ") and the Lavabo psalm stands at the epistle end; the third, containing the last gospel, at the gospel end.4 The altar-cards are used only at Mass. They should be put in their places on the altar, as part of the preparation for Mass and taken away afterwards. In- stead of altar-cards a bishop has a book, the canon episco- palis, which is opened and placed in the middle of the altar.5
A card with the prayers ordered by Pope Leo XIII to be said after Low Mass is generally placed against the lowest altar step on the epistle side.
1 Ritus servandus in solemni expositione et benedictione sanctissimi sacramenti adiectis hymnis et litaniis etorationibus quae in ipsa expositione et in aliis quibusdam sacris ritibus adhiberi solent (Burns and Oates, new edition, 1915), see p. 240.
2 Lib. I, cap. xii, § 15. 3 Lib. I, cap. xii, § 22.
4 This card should not be on the altar when there is a special last gospel.
5 The Canon episcopalis is a book containing- the common of the Mass from the offertory to the end and other prayers and forms used by bishops. At pontifical High Mass it stands on the altar instead of altar- cards. See p. 1 64 j
CHAPTER IV COMMON CEREMONIAL ACTIONS
THERE are many actions, such as bowing, genu- flecting-, and so on, which occur constantly during all services. In order not to have to explain these each tijne, it will be convenient to say here, once for all, how they should be done. On changing from sitting to kneeling first stand, then kneel. Never slide directly on to the knees.
To make a genuflection, first stand upright facing the object or person to whom it is to be made. Unless something is held, the hands are joined before the breast. Then, without bending the body, touch the ground with the right knee at exactly the place where the right foot was. Rise again at once. A prostration is made by first genuflecting as above; then, before rising, touch the ground with the left knee where the left foot stood. Now, kneeling on both knees, bow the head and shoulders slightly.2
Everyone who passes the altar where the Sanctissimum is reserved, without forming part of a procession, genuflects to the Sanctissimum as he passes. Where it is reserved on the High Altar, on entering the church genuflect before it, either as soon as you enter or before going to your place. Genuflect again before going out. In ceremonial entrances everyone except the celebrant genuflects to the altar on entering and before leaving. But the celebrant genuflects only when the Sanctissimum is reserved at the altar; otherwise he bows.1
If the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, that is, during the rite of Exposition and in Mass from the Consecration to the Communion, on entering or leaving the church make a pro- stration. During ceremonies everyone makes this prostration at entering and on leaving the church ; during the service they only genuflect. When the Sanctissimum is reserved at the so-called altar of repose on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday morning it is treated as if it were exposed.
A genuflection is made to a relic of the true cross, if it is exposed, also to the cross exposed on Good Friday. It is also made to a bishop in his own diocese, a metropolitan in his province, a Papal Legate in the place of his legacy, an abbot in his own church, a cardinal out of Rome, when they are present in vestments or in choir dress. But the genuflection is not made to a bishop in the presence of his superior. Prelates, canons in their official dress, the celebrant at Mass or other service, do not genuflect to anyone. Instead they bow low.
1 This rule applies also to canons in their own cathedral or collegiate church and prelates.
2 Prostration in this sense must not be confused with the "prostratio " (lying prostrate) on Good Friday (p. 303) and Holy Saturday (p. 331).
21
22 General principles concerning Ceremonies
If the head is covered it is always uncovered before genu fleeting-.
If one is about to kneel immediately at the same place the right rule is that one does not first genuflect nor make a prostration. But if one is to kneel on a step, then the genu- flection is first made on the ground. Rising from this one then kneels on the step.
At the beginning and end of Mass the genuflection is made on the ground (this is called " in piano "). During Mass it is made on the lowest step of the altar.
The cross-bearer, while holding the processional cross, never genuflects.1 When the others do so, he stands. When an archbishop gives his blessing, then only does his cross- bearer kneel before him, holding the archiepiscopal cross turned towards him (p. 180). The question occurs, when the acolytes stand on either side of the cross-bearer, when others genuflect and he does not, which should they do? Either prac- tice may be seen in various churches; but the overwhelming weight of authority is against their genuflecting. They should stand with the cross-bearer.2 This also looks much more dignified.
The rubrics prescribe several kinds of inclinations (bows). Thus sometimes they say that the person is profunda inclinatus, sometimes that he is aliquantulum inclinatus, sometimes merely inclinatus ; or they say caput inclinat. Generally three bows are distinguished. Alow bow (profunda inclinatio) is made by bending the head and body so that the hands might touch the knees if they hung down; though, as a matter of fact, they are kept joined before the breast. The medium bow (media inclinatio) is made by bending the head and shoulders less low than before. The simple bow is made by bending the head only.
The general rules for bowing are these :
In bowing always keep the hands joined before the breast, unless they hold something. The celebrant bows low to the cross at the beginning and end of services. When one does not genuflect to a prelate, then he receives a low bow. The deacon or M.C. bows low to the celebrant before and after in- censing him. The medium bow is usually made to persons of
1 The only exception is in the Mem. Rit. for Candlemas, where the cross-bearer is told to genuflect before the procession starts (Tit. 1, cap. ii, § 3, no. 5). But this is probably a slip. Martinucci (I, ii, p. 340, no. 60) and Le Vavasseur (ii, p. 192, § 23) both correct it. On Holy Saturday the Memoriale expressly tells the cross-bearer not to genuflect at "Lumen Christi," though everyone else does (Tit. VI, cap. ii, § 1, no. 16).
a Merati, whose authority is all but final, says the acolytes do not genuflect (Pars IV, tit. ix, § 41 ; vol. i, p. 291); so do Martinucci-Menghini (I, ii, p. 275, § 63); De Herdt (iii, p. 420). Only Le Vavasseur (i, p. 685, § 330; ii, p. 155, § 522) makes the acolytes genuflect at the side of the cross-bearer.
Common Ceremonial Hctfons 23
higher rank than one's own. The head alone is bowed to greet persons of equal or less dignity. It occurs also when certain words are said ; for instance, at the holy Name, when the three Divine Persons are named Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus, at the name of the blessed Virgin Mary, of the saint of the feast,1 at the name of the Pope, of the diocesan Ordinary, when a prayer for him is said aloud. It is also made during the Gloria in excelsis, and the creed at the verses so indicated in the missal. The person who says the word Oremus bows the head while saying it. When one bows at the name ot God (including the holy Name) or at Oremus one should turn to the altar cross.2 In other cases of a bow at a word re- cited or sung, it is done straight in front of one, without turning. People who are already bowing during any part of a service make no further motion on these occasions. Nor does anyone bow while he is making the sign of the cross. Every- one bows, before and after being incensed, to the person who incenses him ; and he bows, before and after, to the person in- censed (see p. 27).
While standing or kneeling, when the hands are un- occupied, they should be joined before the breast ; that is, they are extended and joined palm to palm, the fingers point- ing upward. When sitting they should be extended one on each knee, over the vestments. In genuflecting at the altar the celebrant alone lays the hands on it while doing so. The ministers and all others keep the hands joined. When some- thing is held in one hand the other should be extended on the breast. But the celebrant at the altar lays the other hand on it. In bowing the head is always first uncovered. When one takes off the biretta it is held in the right hand by the raised edge on its right side. When standing hold the biretta against the breast in the right and let the other hand hang by the side. When sitting rest the biretta on the right knee, while the left hand rests extended on the left knee. If several names or texts, at each of which a bow should be made, follow one another immediately it is more seemly to bow once and to remain bowing till all have been said. It is better never to bow to the choir when they are kneeling. Those who wear a skull-cap 3 in choir take it off whenever they genuflect or bow to the altar, when they receive the sprinkling of holy water, while they say the Confiteor, Misereatur, Kyrie eleison, Gloria in excelsiSy creed, Sanctus, Agnus Dei at Mass, while the gospel is sung, while they are incensed, at the Elevation,
1 Not the saint in whose honour a votive Mass or office is said (Martinucci-Menghini, I, i, p. 12, no. 10).
2 But only when standing. When kneeling or sitting always bow straight in front. The choir uncover only, not bowing, to answer a bow.
3 Cardinals wear a red skull-cap (pileolus, Italian " zucchetto "), bishops and some abbots a violet one. Some other prelates (and priests for reasons of health) have leave to wear a black skull-cap.
24 General fl>rinciples concerning Ceremonies
while they give and receive the Pax, while Holy Communion is given, at the blessing. Also whenever the Sanctissimum is exposed, during the gospel at matins, at the confession at prime and compline. No one wears the skull-cap when he intones the psalms in the middle of the choir, sings the Invitatorium, lessons, martyrology, nor while he assists in a cope.1
In the Roman rite the sign of the cross is made thus. Place the left hand extended on the breast. Hold the right hand extended also. At the words Patris raise it and touch the forehead; at Filii touch the breast at a sufficient distance down; at Spiritus sancti touch the left shoulder; at Amen touch the right shoulder. Then again join the hands, if they are to be joined. When the sign is made without spoken words the same order is kept.
The ceremonial kiss (osculum), which occurs frequently, should be made by merely touching the object with the closed lips. The rule is that every time anyone hands anything to the celebrant one kisses first the object, then the celebrant's hand. On taking things from the celebrant, first his hand, then the thing is kissed. But blessed candles and palms are kissed first when they are taken. When the Sanctis- simum is exposed, only the kiss at the epistle, gospel, and for the chalice and paten remain. The thurible is then not kissed, nor the incense spoon. If the Ordinary assists at his throne the thurible is not kissed when handed to the celebrant, nor the incense spoon, nor the celebrant's hand at the epistle and gospel. At Masses for the dead and at funerals nothing is ever kissed.
To handle a thurible neatly is a thing that requires some knowledge. This knowledge is acquired most easily b}' seeing the actions done by someone who already knows. It is one of the things, not really difficult or complicated, that require many words to explain.
Except when the Sanctissimum is exposed, incense is always blessed by the celebrant before it is used.2 When the Sanctis- simum is exposed and will alone be incensed, incense is put in the thurible by the celebrant without blessing.
When the thurifer merely holds the thurible, while waiting for it to be used, he does so by the chains, just under the disk at top ; if it contains no incense, he holds it in the left hand, otherwise in the right. The lid may then be raised slightly to allow more ventilation to the burning charcoal. To raise the lid the ring at the end of the middle chain joined to it should be pulled up.
In holding the thurible the thumb may be passed through
1 Martinucci-Menghini, Li, pp. 11-12.
8 Except also the cases when it is blessed by a higher dignitary pre Bent, aa will be noted in place.
Common Ceremonial Hctions 25
the ring of the disk, the middle finger through the movable ring, or the thumb through this and the little finger through the disk ring. With the thumb the ring may be drawn up easily, so as to open the thurible below. Holding the thurible in this way the thurifer swings it gently, to keep the charcoal alight. The other hand, holding the boat,1 should be laid on the breast. But when he is kneeling the chains are so long that, if he held the thurible this way, it would be on the ground. So, when kneeling, he holds the chains under the disk in one hand (right, if the thurible contains incense, other- wise left), takes the chains about half way down in the other and so swings the thurible.
When the thurifer brings the incense to be blessed he first hands the boat to the deacon or M.C. Then he takes the chains under the disk in the left. With the right hand he pulls the ring up, to open the thurible sufficiently, so that the celebrant may conveniently put in the incense. He takes the chains about half way down in the right, and so holds up the thurible in front of the celebrant at a convenient height. He should not stand too near the celebrant. The celebrant needs a certain amount of room to put out his hand and put in the incense.
Meanwhile the deacon (or, if there is no deacon, the M.C.) opens the incense-boat, takes the spoon and hands it to the celebrant, with the usual kiss of the spoon and the celebrant's hand. At the same time he says lube domne benedicere. The celebrant takes the spoon ; with it he takes a little incense from the boat and puts it on the live charcoal in the thurible. He repeats this a second and third time. Meanwhile the deacon or M.C. holds the boat open, so that he can do so conveniently While putting on the incense the celebrant says Ab illo benedicaris in cuius honore cremaberis. Amen. Only on one occasion, at the offertory in Mass, is there another formula. Per intercessionem beati Michaelis archangeli> etc. , as in the missal. Then he hands the spoon back to the deacon or M.C, who receives it with the usual kisses. The celebrant makes the sign of the cross over the thurible, saying nothing.2 While he does so he lays the left hand either on the altar (if he is by it) or his breast.3
'' In some churches it is usual to employ another server as " boat- bearer." There is no provision for such a server in any official book; nor do the authors of books on ceremonies say anything- about him. If he is employed the boat-bearer will stand or kneel at the thurifer's left, and will always hand him the boat before he approaches the celebrant.
2 There is a contradiction here in the rubrics. The Rit. eel. , iv, 4, says plainly that the celebrant is to say the words, hand back the spoon, then make the sign of the cross. So does the Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. xxiii, n. 1-2. But the Ordo Missae marks the cross in the middle of the word " bene + dicaris." The S.R.C. has declared that the Rit. eel. and Caer, Ep. are to be followed (18 Dec. 1779, no. 2515, ad X).
3 Authors disagree whether, when the celebrant stands at the altar,
26 General principles concerning Ceremonies
On occasions when the incense is not blessed, namely, when the Sanctissimurn is exposed, neither the deacon nor the celebrant say anything; nor does the celebrant make the sign of the cross.
The thurifer waits till the incense is put in and the sign of the cross made (if it is to be made). Then he lowers the thurible. He shuts down the cover; if there is a ring round the chains he puts this down over the cover to hold it firm. Then he hands the thurible to the deacon or M.C. To do this he holds the upper part of the chains under the disk in his left and the chains, about half way down, in the right. The deacon takes it in the same way and hands it to the celebrant, who proceeds to incense the altar, or whatever is to be incensed.
The particular directions for incensing the altar, persons or things will be given at their place in the ceremonies. Here we note only the manner of incensing any person or thing, in general.
To incense anything or anyone take the top of the chains of the thurible in the left hand and place it against the breast. Take the chains about four inches above the shut cover in the right. It is important not to hold the chains far from the cover, or the thurible will swing out too far and will perhaps get entangled in the chains. The most convenient way of holding the chains in the right hand is to pass them all to- gether between the first and second fingers. The second, third, and fourth fingers, lying together, are then under the chains. By moving the hand upwards the thurible is cast outwards towards the thing incensed.
The rubrics distinguish two kinds of incensing, with a simple swing (ductus simplex) and a double swing (ductus duplex). The ductus simplex is made in this way. Lift the right hand to the level of the breast only, at the same time swing the thurible out towards the thing to be incensed and let it fall at once to about the knee. As it falls it should make an audible click against the chains.
There are two ways of making the ductus duplex. One is to lift the thurible to the level of the face. It will here click against the chains. That is one motion. Then swing it out and let it fall, so that it makes another click against the chains. There are then two motions and two clicks.
The other way is simply to repeat the ductus simplex twice, swinging out, letting the thurible fall back with a click, then swinging out again and lowering it.
but sideways, to bless incense, he should lay his left hand on the altar or on his own breast. Rit. eel., iii, 5, says that when he is at the altar (cum est ad altare) and blesses anything, he is to lay the left hand on the altar. But does "ad altare" mean facing the altar? Since the authorities dis- agree, in practice either way may be adopted. See Merati, Pars II, tit. iv, § 21 (torn, i, p. 120); Martinucci-Menghini, I, i, p. 73, no. 2; Van der Stappen, iii, p. 424; Le Vavasseur, i, p. 423; de Herdt, i, p. 422.
Common Ceremonial Hctions 27
In all incensing the person who incenses should bow to the person (or object) incensed before and after. The person in- censed bows each time in return, but stands upright with folded hands, facing" the incenser, while he is incensed,
The thurible is handed back to the deacon or other person who is to receive it. He, as usual, kisses first the hand, then the disk of the thurible when it is handed back by the cele- brant ; otherwise there is no kiss.
The kiss of peace at Mass is given in this way. The two persons stand facing each other with hands joined. The one who is to receive the kiss bows. Then the one who gives it lays his hands on the shoulders of the other; the receiver puts his arms under those of him who gives it. Both bow the head over the left shoulder of the other. The one who gives the kiss says Pax tecum. The other answers Et cum spiritu tuo. Then they stand again with folded hands facing each other, and both bow.
CHAPTER V
THE CHOIR AND ASSISTANTS AT CEREMONIES
§ i. THE LITURGICAL CHOIR
E must note first that the " choir" during- a serv- ice does not necessarily mean those who sing-. It was so originally. In theory, no doubt, it should be so still, namely, that the singers have their places right and left of the altar and sing there. But there are often practical difficulties against this. In singing- part-music especially it is often difficult to produce a good artistic effect when the singers are arranged in two rows facing each other, perhaps at some distance, across the church. Often, therefore, the actual singers are placed else- where, in a space together at the side behind a grating, behind the altar, or in a gallery at the other end of the church. In such cases no notice is taken of them during the ceremonies.
There remains, however, the possibility that a liturgical 4 'choir" may assist at the service; even if they sing only part, or none, of the chants.
Thus canons in cathedral and collegiate churches, regulars in the churches of their order, clergy of any kind, may assist in the seats or stalls on either side, before the altar. These then form the choir from the point of view of ceremonies.
They are dressed in cassock and surplice with biretta. Dignitaries may wear a cape or mantellettum (p. 10). Regu- lars generally wear the habit of their order.1
On entering the choir its members may come in procession (with or without a processional cross), the celebrant wearing full vestments.2 In this case the younger or inferior members walk in front of the elder or superior ones. But when they enter, not in solemn procession, that is, without either a cross or celebrant vested, the more dignified walk before the others.
They walk two and two, at equal distances from each other, with head covered till they come into the church. At the door of the sacristy they uncover and take holy water, the one nearer the stoup giving it to his companion by dipping his own fingers and holding them towards the other, who touches them. Both then make the sign of the cross.
Before the altar each pair genuflects in turn, taking care to do so exactly together. So they go to their places.
In their places they either stand or kneel or sit, as will be said in the case of each function. The general rule is that when they sit they cover the head, except when the Blessed
1 Namely if their order has a recognized habit.
2 To wear vestments (chasuble, cope, dalmatic or tunicle) is what liturgical books mean by being "paratus."
28
Ube Cbotr anfc Hsststants at Ceremonies 29
Sacrament is exposed. They never stand or kneel with covered head. Before standing they take off the biretta ; they put it on again after they have sat down. Those who wear a skull- cap wear this while standing. They take it off on the occa- sions noted at pp. 23-24.
While members of the choir assist at a service at the High Altar they should take no notice of anything that happens in any other part of the church, for instance, Low Mass said at a side altar.
If anyone has to leave the choir or come to it alone, he must take care not to do so while any text is being said or sung, at which the others have to perform a ceremonial act, such as bowing. Thus, no one should leave the choir or enter while the verse Gloria Patri at the end of a psalm is sung, nor while they are sprinkled with holy water, nor while they say the Confiteor> Kyrie> Gloria in excelsis, creed, Sancliis^ Agnus Dei at Mass, nor while the collects, gospel, post-com- munion are sung, nor while his side of the choir receives the Pax or is being incensed, nor during any short verse at which they bow or genuflect.1
When anyone has to leave the choir alone he uncovers and rises ; holding his biretta in the right hand he goes to the middle, genuflects to the cross, bows first to the celebrant, if he is sitting at the sedilia, then to each side of the choir, be- ginning with the side of greater dignity, and goes out. As a general rule, the gospel side is considered that of greater dignity. This side will then generally be incensed before the other, will receive the kiss of peace first, and so on. The exception is that, if a person of higher rank be present, the side on which he sits is considered the one of greater dignity. Such a person would be a prelate, the hebdomadarius, and so on.
At many functions, such as, for instance, High Mass fol- lowing terce, the choir will already be in their places when the procession for Mass enters. In this case the clergy and servers in the procession bow to the choir, first to the side of greater dignity, then genuflect to the altar, as will be noted (p. 106).
In standing and kneeling the members of the choir face each other across the church. They do not turn to the altar, except on the special occasions when they are told to do so.
We shall note in each case the particular rules for the choir as to standing, kneeling, bowing, and so on. Here occur only certain occasions in general when the choir always bow. They are the Gloria Patri verse after the psalms (not the verse
1 If a person has to enter the choir alone it is usual to kneel first in the middle, say a short prayer, then rise, genuflect, bow to the celebrant if he is at the sedilia, bow to either side of the choir, beginning1 with the side of greater dignity (as above) and go to his place.
3o General principles concerning Ceremonies
Sicut erat in principio) and whenever the holy Name occurs. In this case they bow during- the words Jesus Christus, not merely during the first of these. Also wThen the word Trinitas, or the names of the three Divine Persons in order occur {Pater et Filius el Spiritus sanclus),1 at the name Maria (of the blessed Virgin), at the name of the Saint of the day (not at a votive office), of the reigning Pope, of the Ordinary. They bow in return whenever anyone bows to them.
It is important that when there is any common action to be performed by all, such as rising, kneeling, bowing, they should do so uniformly together.
All text books of ceremonial insist on certain obvious points of deportment in choir. Evidently the members of the choir should know what they have to do beforehand, so as to be ready to act at once when the time comes. Although their part of the ceremony is comparatively slight, nevertheless they have a part in it. They must know this part, as the servers know theirs. They should kneel, stand and sit straight, behaving always with such reverence as to give edifying example to the people in church. They should not spend the time in ohoir reading irrelevant books, even pious ones. They should not, for instance, say their office during Mass nor anticipate their own Matins during Vespers.
They should attend to the public service at which they assist, making this their prayer. When they recite or sing any text of the service they should mean what they say ; Orabo spiritu, orabo et meute: psallam spirilu, psallam et mente (i Cor. xiv, 15). Otherwise their attendance would not be really an act of religion at all, and they would deserve the words : This people honours me with its lips; but its heart is far from me (Is. xxix, 13).
§ 2. MINISTERS AND SERVERS
In the case of each service or function the exact number of servers required will be stated. Here a note as to the number generally needed in the average Catholic church in England may be useful.
For Low Mass one server only attends. For High Mass, solemn vespers, solemn Benediction, processions carried out with some pomp, and the more solemn offices generally, be- sides the priest who celebrates, there are the sacred ministers, that is deacon and subdeacon.'2 At vespers on the greater feasts there may be four or six assistants in copes. For High
1 When the Divine Persons are named "distincte et cum glorificatione " (Martinucci, I, i, pp. 2-3).
2 In the great majority of cases in England the deacon and subdeacon, as a matter of fact, are also ordained priests. At vespers the assistants, who wear copes, need not be in holy orders (see p. 119).
Cbe dbofr ant) Hssi3tants at Ceremonies 31
Mass, solemn vespers and such functions the servers required are: A Master of Ceremonies (M.C.), thurifer, two acolytes. At High Mass two, four or six torch-bearers are needed, though there may be two only, who are the acolytes (see p. 98). At Benediction a thurifer, two, four or six torch- bearers, and at least one other server (here called M.C., see p. 241) attend. For processions a cross-bearer is needed, ex- cept in the cases where the subdeacon carries the cross. A sung Mass (Missa cantata) can be celebrated with two servers only; or there may be as many as at High Mass (p. 137).
Pontifical functions require many more assistants and serv- ers. Generally there are two Masters of Ceremonies. An Assistant Priest (A. P.) is required; in the case of the Ordinary using his throne there are two assistant deacons there, be- sides the ministers of Mass. Three or four servers (called chaplains) hold the hand-candle, book, mitre and (for the Ordinary) crozier. If the bishop wears the cappa he has a train-bearer. Six servers are needed to vest the bishop, though this can be managed with a less number. Altogether twenty persons attend the Ordinary, when he sings Mass using the throne (p. 165). Not quite so many are required by a bishop who uses the faldstool (p. 184).
At solemn processions (as for Corpus Christi) canopy bear- ers, clergy in vestments, the choir and clergy in surplices may increase the number indefinitely.
As a general rule, except in the case of processions and tunerals (when an indefinite number of clergy, supposed to be the choir, stand around the hearse holding lighted candles), not more servers should attend than those really needed, who have some office to perform. It does not add to the dignity of a rite that a crowd of useless boys stand about the sanc- tuary doing nothing. Nor is it in accordance with the tra- dition of the Roman rite to add useless ornamental attend- ance.1 The servers needed for the ceremonies are sufficient to make the procession coming in and going out. " Entia non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate."
A remark by Martinucci about the behaviour of servers in church may be noted with advantage here: "They should avoid too much precision or affectation, or such a bearing as befits soldiers on parade rather than churchmen. They must certainly do all gravely and regularly; but if they behave with too punctilious a uniformity the sacred functions look heatrical."2
Yet perhaps in England the danger is in the other direc- tion, lest servers (generally young boys) behave carelessly
1 It is remarkable how few people they use in Rome itself for functions, never more than are strictly necessary. There seems a strong" tendency to keep down the number as much as possible.
2 Martinucci-Menghini, II, ii, pp. 550-551, § 21.
32 General principles concerning Ceremonies
and irreverently. Considerable tact and good taste are needed in the priest or M.C. who trains the boys, to find the right mean between slovenliness and affectation.
§ 3. ECCLESIASTICAL RANK
Ceremonies are sometimes modified according to the rank of the person who performs them or assists at them. It is there- fore important to understand such rank, as far as it affects our subject.
Most cases are so obvious as to require no special notice. The celebrant at Mass, vespers, compline, Benediction, and all such functions must be ordained priest. The deacon and subdeacon must have received those orders. The one excep- tion to this is that a clerk, at least tonsured, may, in case of necessity, perform part of the office of subdeacon at High Mass and other functions. For this it is required that there be a grave reason, and that he omit certain duties performed only by a subdeacon (see p. 113). No one may act as deacon unless he has received that order.
The rubrics suppose that the servers and even the members of the choir be clerks. The acolytes and thurifer should be ordained acolyte, the others should be in minor orders, or at least be tonsured. According to the Caerimoniale episco- porum, the Master of Ceremonies should be a priest, or at least in holy orders.1 But this rule is rarely observed. It is now recognized that laymen may serve at Mass or at any function, and may form the choir.
Above the rank of the simple priest are canons in chapter. This means, when they are present, in a body, in the church of which they are canons; or at another church at which, for some reason, the whole chapter assists. A canon may now wear his robes and special insignia throughout the diocese to which his chapter belongs, even when the chapter is not present, but not elsewhere.2
A prelate (praelatus) is, in the first case, a bishop. But not all bishops receive the same honours at every ceremony they may attend. There is, for instance, considerable differ- ence between a bishop where he has jurisdiction (as the Ordinary in his own diocese), and an auxiliary or a foreign bishop visiting a place.
The liturgical books frequently speak of greater pre- lates (maiores praelati, maiores praesules). Under this term the following persons are understood : Cardinals 3 everywhere out of Rome, and in their titular churches at Rome, Patriarchs and Archbishops throughout their Patriarchate or Province,
1 Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. v, §§ 1, 3.
a Cod. , c. 409. 3 For privileges of Cardinals see Coa., c. 239.
XTbe Cboir an& Hsststants at Ceremonies 33
Ordinary bishops in their own diocese, Papal Legates in the territory of their legacy.
Below these in rank come bishops who have no jurisdiction in the place where the function occurs.
Below bishops are the so-called inferior prelates (prae- lati inferiores). The first case of these is that of abbots.1
A decree of the S. Congregation of Rites, in 1659, lays down rules as to the use of pontifical vestments, and other distinctions, by inferior prelates.2
Many of these rules are now abrogated by the later legisla- tion of Pius X, in regard to prelates of the Roman court (see below, p. 34); but the rules of 1659 still obtain in the case of abbots. The chief are these.
Abbots may use pontifical ceremonies and vestments in the churches of their order (where they have jurisdiction) only, and only on greater feasts. These feasts are days of obligation, the day of the local patron Saint, of the founder of their order, of the title and dedication of the church.3 On these days they may celebrate according to the rite of a bishop, with the follow- ing exceptions:
They may not have a seventh candle on the altar. They may not have a fixed throne at the side. They must use a chair, to be removed afterwards. Over this chair they may have a canopy, not of cloth of gold or other precious material, but of simpler stuff than the altar frontal. The chair may be covered with silk of the colour of the day; it may be raised two steps only above the floor of the sanctuary. They may not be accompanied by the body of monks or canons, as a bishop is, on coming to the church or on going away. At High Mass they are assisted by the deacon and subdeacon of the Mass, by two other deacons in dalmatics, by an assistant priest in a cope. Six other monks or canons may attend, two in copes, two in chasubles, two in tunicles ; but these may not sit in the choir stalls ; they must have seats, benches with- out a back, covered with green cloth, which are taken away afterwards. Abbots may not wear the precious mitre, without a special indult of the Holy See.4 Under their mitre they wear a black skull-cap. They carry their crozier only in their own church, not in public processions. As regulars, they wear no rochet, unless it is part of the habit of their order. They may
1 An abbot is the head of a monastery of monks or of a congregation of regular canons. The following religious orders have abbots : Canons of the Lateran (Augustinian Canons), Premonstratensian Canons, Canons of the Immaculate Conception, Benedictines of all congregations, Cis- tercians. All monks of Eastern rites have Archimandrites or Hegumenoi, who are equivalent to Western abbots. An abbot "nullius (scil. dioeces- eos) " is one who is in no bishop's diocese, having himself quasi-episcopal jurisdiction. Rules for abbots and other lesser prelates are given in the Codex, c. 319-327. 2 No. 1131, 27 September 1659.
3 No inferior prelates may pontificate at funerals.
* They use the simple mitre and the one of cloth of gold.
D
34 Genera! principles concerning Ceremonies
take the vestments from the altar only when they are about to celebrate pontifically. They may bless the people in the pontifical form, making- the sign of the cross three times, only when they celebrate Mass, vespers or matins pontifically. In the presence of a bishop they are not to give blessings with- out special indult. If the bishop 1 is present he is to have his seat on the gospel side ; it is to be raised by one step higher than that of the abbot on the epistle side. Canons of the cathedral sit around the bishop, monks or canons of the abbot's chapter around his seat. The bishop puts incense into the thurible and blesses it ; he kisses the gospel book after the gospel ; he blesses the people at the end of Mass. The abbot may not bless the preachers before the sermon.
When an abbot says Low Mass he is to do exactly as does any other priest of his order. He will vest in the sacristy, will not wear a pectoral cross, will not use a silver vessel and basin to wash his hands. He will have one server only; two candles will be lit on the altar.
But further rights, for instance, the use of a purple skull- cap, are granted by the Holy See to the abbots of greater exempt monasteries.2 Besides abbots there are other "in- ferior prelates," namely, real or titular officials of the Papal court. These are the priests commonly called " Monsignori." 3 A decree, " motu proprio," of Pope Pius X4 defines exactly who these are and establishes their rights.
I. First among these are protonotaries apostolic (protonotarii apostolici). These are divided into four classes: I. There are seven Protonotaries "de numero participantium," who form a college, still representing the old Notaries of the Apostolic See.0 Now they have duties chiefly in connection with the cause of canonization and beatification of Saints. Their ceremonial privileges are that they may celebrate ponti- fically G out of Rome, but only having asked and obtained the
1 The Ordinary or other greater prelate (S.R.C, 1131, ad XV). Another bishop has only the first place in choir.
2 For the rights of Abbots see Le Vavasseur, Fonctions Pontificales, ii, pp. 320-326.
3 The title " Monsignore " is not given as such. Certain offices of the Papal court, often granted as honorary offices to priests living away from Rome, involve that their holder be called " Monsignor. " This general title is used for dignitaries of various ranks, as will be seen from the description above. Like the stars> one Monsignore differeth, and very considerably, from another Monsignore in glory. Cod., c. 328.
* Inter multiplices, 21 February 1905. Cod. , c. 106,7°.
5 Originally they were the Pope's legal advisers, who drew up docu- ments, settled questions of Canon Law according to the " usus forensis," and so on.
6 This means always the " usus pontificalium," namely with the same ceremonies and vestments as a bishop, save where an exception is made. These Protonotaries use all a bishop's vestments, the shoes, ring-, pectoral cross, gloves, tunicle, dalmatic, mitre. They do not cross the stole; but they have no crozier.
Qhc (Tboir anfc Hssistants at Ceremonies 35
permission of the Ordinary. They may not, however, use crozier, throne or cappa magna ; nor may they have a seventh candle on the altar, nor an assistance of several deacons. They do not say Pax vobis, as a bishop does, in- stead of Dominus vobiscum; nor may they sing the verses Sit nomen Domini and Adiutorium nostrum before blessing. They do not bless with the triple sign of the cross. Wear- ing the mitre, they bless, singing the usual form for priests, Benedicat vos, unless the Ordinary or greater prelate be present. In this case, according to the general rule (p. 159), he gives the blessing at the end of Mass. Coming to the church to celebrate they wear the mantellettum, and over it a pectoral cross (which otherwise they may not wear). They are not to be received at the door of the church as a bishop is. Their pectoral cross (worn only when they have the mantellettum) is to be of gold with one gem ; it hangs from a cord of ruddy violet (color rubinus) mixed with gold thread. They use a cloth of gold mitre and the simple mitre. Under this they may have a black skull-cap. They use the scotula (p. 17), Canon episcopalis, and silver vessel and dish to wash the hands. At an ordinary Low Mass they have no special privilege, except the use of the scotula. They have precedence over abbots. All who attend Mass said by one of them, even in private oratories, satisfy the obligation of hear- ing Mass on Sundays and feasts.
The choir dress of these Protonotaries is the " habitus praelatitius," namely a violet cassock with a train, which is let down only when they celebrate pontifically, a violet silk belt, rochet and violet mantellettum, a black biretta with a ruddy tassel. They may wear the " habitus pianus " (p. 13), like a bishop, but without pectoral cross and with a ruddy cord round the hat.
II. Protonotarii apostolici svpranvmerarii are the canons of the three Patriarchal basilicas at Rome, the Lateran, Vatican, and Liberian (St. Mary Major), also canons of certain other cathedrals to which this indult is granted. l Honorary canons are excluded.
These prelates have various privileges, according to three cases : when they are present together in chapter in their own cathedral, or alone but in their diocese, or in another diocese. The two former cannot occur in England. In the third case they have the same rights as the next class.
III. Protonotarii apostolici ad instar partici- pant! vm consist of the canons of certain cathedrals2 and a
1 At present (1915) the canons of Concordia Iulia (prov. of Venice), Florence, Gorz, Padua, Treviso, Udine, Venice (Annuario poniificio,
J9i5> P- 396).
2 Canons of Cagliari, Malta, Strigonia (Eszergom, Gran, see of the Primate of Hungary) ; Annuario pont., ib.
36 General principles concerning Ceremonies
great number of other priests, to whom the Pope has conferred this dignity.1
These share the rights of the first class (the " Participantes ") somewhat diminished. They may wear prelate's dress and the "habitus planus." Out of Rome, with the consent ot the Ordinary, they may celebrate pontifically. In this case they use neither a faldstool nor the gremiale (p. 14); they sit at the sedilia with the ministers. They wear a white silk mitre, having no further ornament than ruddy fringes at the end of the infulae. If the church is not a cathedral, and if no greater Prelate be present, they may be assisted by a priest in a cope. They wear a pectoral cross of plain gold, without jewels, hanging by a violet cord. They say all the Mass at the altar, and wash their hands only at the Lavabo. They have a ring. They may celebrate pontifically the vespers of the feast of which they celebrate pontifical Mass, or, by leave of the Ordinary, other vespers. In this case they wear the mitre, pectoral cross, and ring. At Low Mass they may use the scotula.
IV. Protonotarii apostolici titvlares are ap- pointed by the Pope or by the college of the " Participantes." Every Vicar General or Vicar Capitular, during his time ot office, is a Protonotary of this class. Outside Rome they may use prelate's dress, but all black ; that is, a black cassock with a train (that may never be let down), a black silk belt, rochet and black mantellettum, a black biretta. They take precedence of other clergy, of canons not in chapter, but not of canons in chapter nor of Vicars general and capitular, nor of Superiors of religious orders, nor of prelates of the Roman curia. In celebrating their only distinction is the use of the scotula.
Other prelates of the Roman court are the Antistites urbani, generally called domestic prelates. These may wear pre- late's dress of violet, with a rochet and mantellettum. They may never let down the train. They have violet edges and tassels to their biretta. In ceremonies their only privilege is the use of the scotula.
There are chamberlains (cubicularii) 2 of the Papal court in various orders, " Cubicularii intimi (camerieri segreti)," who may be active or " supranumerarii," and "Cubicularii honoris"; also " Capellani secreti " and "Capellani secreti honoris." These titles are given to many priests as a com- pliment.
Papal Chamberlains are not prelates.3 They wear violet
1 The list, as it is for this year, will be found, Annuario pont.y pp. 396-
2 Italian " camerieri." There are also lay ''camerieri di spada e cappa," who have no special rights at ceremonies.
* They are sometimes called prelate, with a qualification, "praelati honorarii," " inferiores," " prelati di mantellone." They have an honorary
Uhc Cfooir anb Hssistants at Ceremonies 37
cassocks, not the rochet nor the mantellettum. Instead of this they have a long violet cloak of the same kind as the mantellettum, but reaching to the feet. It has slits at the sides for the arms and false sleeves which hang down behind.1 They have no liturgical privileges. As private dress (habitus pianus) they wear a black cassock with a violet belt and stock.
None of these persons, neither prelates, canons, nor Papal chamberlains genuflect, but bow only to a bishop, even when he gives his blessing. A Vicar General, as such, has no liturgical privilege; but, according to the law of Pius X, all Vicars general are now Protonotaries (p. 36) ; they have pre- cedence over all the clergy of the diocese (Cod., c. 370). In choir, whereas normally the gospel side is the side of greater dignity, receives incense and the kiss of peace first, if a pre- late or canon be present, the side at which he has his place becomes of greater dignity.2 No civil distinction affects any ceremony in church, except that the Pontifical and Caeri- moniale episcoporum grant certain privileges to "princes."3 This case can hardly occur in England.
prelature, an honour attached to their office, which does not affect their person. Hence they are not prelates in reality, but may be described as prelates "secundum quid" (in their office, not personally).
1 Called in Italian "mantellone." On duty at the Vatican they have a great red cloth cloak with a cape.
2 For the rights of prelates see Le Vavasseur, Fond. Ponty ii, pp. 327-334-
d A "maximus princeps " may have a place in the sanctuary. He is given a book of the gospels to kiss (not the one used) after the gospel. He is incensed after a bishop (but Kings and the Emperor— the Roman Emperor— before) ; he is given the kiss of peace. " Magistrates, barons, and nobles " receive this after all the clergy. A " mulier insignis " is in- censed (Caer. Ep., Lib. I, cap. iv, § 6; cap. xxiii, §§30-31; cap. xxiv, §§ 5> 6).
PART II
THE HOLY SACRIFICE
CHAPTER VI LOW MASS SAID BY A PRIEST
§ i. PREPARATION
ALTHOUGH High Mass, historically, is the original rite, so that Low Mass is really only a shortened form of that, nevertheless, in practice, the first thing a priest must learn is how to say Low Mass.1 He does so constantly, generally every morning. The ceremonies of normal Low Mass form, as it were, the back- ground for all other Eucharistic rites. It is possible to describe these others more shortly, supposing that the priest is familiar with those of Low Mass. Then we need note only the differ- ences on other occasions.
Nothing is said here about the rite, as far as the prayers are concerned ; that is another matter and is extremely com- plicated. Here we describe only the ceremonies.
Before Mass the following preparations must be made. The altar must be uncovered of the dust-cloth (so-called vesper- cloth, p. 8), leaving. the three altar-cloths of white linen. It must have a cross and three, at least two, candles, which two are lighted. They should stand at either end. The third candle, ordered by the rubrics for the consecration,2 should stand at the epistle end of the altar, outside the others, or it may be fixed to a bracket near the altar. The frontal and tabernacle veil (if there is a tabernacle containing the Sanc- tissimum) should be of the colour of the vestments, with the exception noted above (p. 6). The missal-stand or cushion must be at the epistle side of the altar, straight, so that its front line is parallel with the front of the altar. The missal lies on it, with its edges towards the cross, unless the server bring this with him from the sacristy. In any case, all the places should be found and marked in it before Mass begins.
The altar-cards will be in their place on the altar, as de- scribed at p. 20. If it is to be used, the card with the prayers
1 For the ceremonies of Low Mass the first norm is, of course, the rubrics of the missal (Rubricae generales and Ritus servandus). The standard commentary on these rubrics is Bartholomew Gavanti's The- saurus sacrorum rituum, with the additional notes of Cajetan Merati (Venice edition, 1762), especially the second part (vol. i, pp. 89-192). See also Pius Martinucci, Manuale sacrarum Caerimoniarum, 3rd edition, corrected and edited by John Baptist Menghini (Regensburg and Rome, Pustet, 1911-1916), vol. i, part i, pp. 343-383; Le Vavasseur, Manuel de Liturgie, 10th edition, edited by Haegy (Paris, Lecoffre, 1910), vol. i, pp. 272-362 ; J. B. de Herdt, Sacrae Liturgiae praxis, 9th edition (Louvain, 1894), vol. i, pp. 261-397; J. F. Van der Stappen, Sacra Liturgia, 2nd edition (Mechlin, H. Dessain, 1904-1911), vol. iii, pp. 294-394; I. Wapel- horst, Compendium sacrae Liturgiae, 9th edition (New York, Benziger, 1915), pp. 78-107 ; Felix Zualdi, The sacred Ceremonies ofLoiv Mass, trans- lated by M. O'Callaghan, 9th edition (Dublin, Browne and Nolan, 1911). The rules of the Codex for Mass are contained in c. 801-844.
1 See pp. 7, 79.
4i
42 Zhe IbolE Sacrifice
said after Mass will be at the epistle side, at the bottom of the altar steps.
On the credence table the cruets stand, filled with wine and water, with the dish and towel (pp. 16-17). The bell may be on the credence table, or (in England more usually) at the epistle side, near where the server will kneel.
In the sacristy the vestments are laid out on the vesting table, in the order in which the priest will put them on, so that the one he takes first will be on the top. First the chasuble is laid out, conveniently so that the priest can take it at once. It is laid on the table with the front part down; then the lower part of the back is folded so that he can easily put it over his head. On the chasuble the stole is laid, then the maniple, the girdle, the alb and amice, in that order.
Each priest uses his own amice and purificator; so that these are kept apart for him. The other vestments are the same for any celebrant.
By the side of the vestments the chalice is prepared with the purificator, the paten, having on it the altar bread, the pall, veil and burse, with a corporal inside, as described at p. 16.
Unless the missal is already on the altar, it will be placed near the vestments, so that the priest may first find and mark the places in it. All these preparations are made by the sacristan, or partly by the server, according to the custom of the church. In any case the server should look to see that all is ready in order before Mass begins.
The time for Mass is not earlier than an hour before dawn nor later than 1 p.m.1
The priest who is about to celebrate must be in a state of grace and fasting from midnight. According to the rubric, he should have said matins and lauds ; 2 though this is not con- sidered a real obligation.
The rubric of another rite applies very well to that of Rome too. " The priest who is about to celebrate the holy mysteries must have confessed his sins, must be reconciled to all men and have nothing against anyone. He must keep his heart from bad thoughts, be pure, and fasting till the time of sacrifice."3
Before Mass Ihe priest will spend some time in saying preparatory prayers, and will make the intention for which he is to offer the sacrifice. He is not bound to use the prayers given for this purpose in the missal ; 4 but they certainly form the best preparation.0
Then, when he is ready, about five minutes before the time
1 Cod., c. 821. 2 Rit. eel, i, 1.
3 Rubric of the Byzantine Euchologion before the " Order of the holy Liturgy."
4 The " Praeparatio ad missam pro opportunitate sacerdotis facienda ' at the beginning- of the missal.
5 Generally he will make this preparation in the church or sacristy.
%ovo /Iftass salt) b$ a priest 43
fixed for Mass to begin, he goes to the sacristy or vesting table. It is supposed that he already wears the cassock.1 If he does not wear this habitually, he will put it on before saying the preparatory prayers.2 The rubric directs that first he find the places in the missal.3 Then he washes his hands at the place prepared for that purpose, saying the prayer appointed. He sees that the chalice is prepared pro- perly. Then he puts on the vestments. First he takes the amice, places it for a moment on the head, then slips it over the shoulders, ties the strings that keep it in place, passing them around the body, and inserts the amice all round the neck, inside his collar. He puts on the alb and sees that it does not trail on the ground. He fastens it round the body with the girdle, letting the two ends of the girdle hang down in front. He takes the stole, kisses the cross in its middle, puts it over the shoulders, crosses it in front, and fixes its ends on either side with the ends of the girdle. He takes the maniple, kisses the cross in the middle, puts it on the left arm and fastens it there with a pin or band. He puts on the chasuble, passing the head through the opening, and fixes it by tying the strings attached to it around the body.
As he puts on each vestment he says the prayer appointed for that purpose in the missal.4 It is usual that the server assist the priest in vesting by handing him each vestment, helping to arrange the alb, and so on. The celebrant then puts on his biretta.
It is fitting that he be ready a minute or two before the time appointed for Mass. He will then stand at the vesting table and say his prayers till the time has come.
From the time he has begun the prayers before Mass, he should not speak to anyone, except in case of strict necessity.
At the time for beginning Mass the priest takes the chalice, covered, in the left hand, and lays the right on the burse. The veil should cover the chalice in front, so that it cannot be seen. If the veil has a cross or ornament on one side, the chalice should be held so that this be in front. Holding the chalice so, with head covered,5 he bows slightly to the cross in the sacristy, then follows the server into the church. At the door of the sacristy it is usual that the priest
1 No one may wear a skull-cap while saying Mass without express permission of the Holy See (Decree of Urban VIII at the beginning of the missal). Only Cardinals and bishops have this right normally. If anyone else has the privilege he must observe their rule (p. 23).
2 Cod., c. 811. 3 Rit. eel., i, 1. 4 In the beginning, after the " Praeparatio. "
6 At Low Mass the celebrant bows to the cross in the sacristy with covered head, because he already holds the chalice. At High Mass the celebrant and sacred ministers bow with uncovered head. Cfr. Gavanti- Merati, Pars II, tit. i, § 2 (torn, i, p. 101); Martinucci, I, i, p. 345, § 14; p. 271, §63.
44 XTbe Ifools Sacrifice
take holy water and make the sign of the cross with it, though this is not prescribed. It is also usual in many churches that, on leaving the sacristy door, the server ring a bell there, to warn the people that Mass is about to begin.
If, on going to the altar where he will say Mass, he pass before the Blessed Sacrament, he, with the server, genuflects to it in passing. He bows to the High Altar if he passes it, if the Blessed Sacrament is not reserved there. In neither case does he take off the biretta to do so.1 If he pass before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, he takes off the biretta and makes a prostration. This does not apply to the case of passing an altar at which Mass is being said, between the Consecration and Communion.2 But if he pass at the moment of elevation, he kneels till the elevation is finished.
On the way to the altar the priest does not greet anyone, except a bishop or another priest in vestments coming from an altar. In this case he bows. On arriving at the altar where he will say Mass he stops before its lowest step and first hands his biretta to the server. If the Blessed Sacrament is reserved here, he genuflects on the ground, not on the step. If it is exposed he makes a prostration. Otherwise he bows low to the cross.3
Then he goes up to the altar, puts the chalice covered on the gospel side, takes the burse, opens it, takes out the folded corporal and puts it on the altar. He puts the burse on the gospel side, leaning against the gradine or a candlestick. Then he spreads the corporal in the middle of the altar, and puts the chalice on it, with the chalice veil covering the whole chalice. He must take care to do this so that room is left in front of the chalice for him to kiss the altar. With joined hands he then goes to the missal at the epistle side and opens it at the introit of the Mass.4 He comes back to the middle, bows slightly to the cross,5 turns by the epistle side,6 and comes down to the ground in front of the steps in the middle. Here he again bows low, or, if the Blessed Sacrament be exposed, genuflects, this time on the lowest altar step.
1 Martinucci, I, i, p. 345; Van der Stappen, iii, p. 311 ; Le Vavasseur, i, 283.
2 S.R.C., 20 maii 1904, no. 2; Martinucci, I, i, p. 335, n. 2.
3 All such reverences as this are intended for the altar. He bows to the altar; but, in practice, he always does so towards the cross, as being in the centre of the altar.
4 At Low Mass by a priest he must always open the book and find the places himself. S.R.C., 7 September 18 16, no. 2572, ad V.
5 Martinucci, I, i, p. 347.
8 With the exceptions to be noted, the celebrant at Mass always turns from the altar and back to it by the epistle side, that is, on turning from the altar by his right hand, on turning back to it by his left. At High Mass the deacon stands on that side, so that he does not turn his back to him.
Xow flhass saifc b£ a B>rtest 45
§ 2. TO THE GOSPEL
Three tones of voice are used at Low Mass. All that, at High Mass, would be sung by the celebrant, at Low Mass is said aloud, so as to be heard distinctly by all who assist.1 The preparatory prayers are said in the same loud voice. All that at High Mass would be said secretly is said at Low Mass silently, that is, articulated in a whisper, so as not to be heard by bystanders; but the priest should hear himself.2 There is a third, medium, voice, namely audible but lower than the voice used where at High Mass he would sing. This is used for those prayers which, at High Mass, are said aloud but not sung. It occurs four times only : at the words Orate fratres, during the whole Sanctus and Benedictus, at the words Nobis quoque peccatoribus, at the words Domine non sum dig- nus, said thrice.
The celebrant makes the sign of the cross, standing before the lowest altar step, saying at the same time : In nomine Patris, etc. Then he says the antiphon Introibo ad altare Dei and the psalm Iudica me, the server answering the alternate verses. He bows at the. verse Gloria Patri and makes the sign of the cross again at Adiutorium nostrum. While he says the Confiteor he bows profoundly. He strikes his breast three times at the words mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. He does not turn to the server at the words vobis/ratres, vos fratres. He remains profoundly bowing while the server says the prayer Misereatur. Then he stands erect. He makes the sign of the cross again as he says Indulgentiam . . . He bows slightly during the verses Deus tu conversus, to the prayer Aufer a nobis.
During all this time, except when he makes the sign of the cross, the priest holds the hands joined before the breast.
As he says Oremus before the prayer A ufer a nobis he separ- ates the hands and joins them again, but does not raise them. Having said Oremus he stands erect and goes up to the altar, saying Aufer a nobis silently. Arrived at the middle of the altar he bows slightly, laying the joined hands on the altar, so that the ends of the longer fingers rest on it. So he says the prayer Oramus te Domine. At the words quorum reliquiae hie sunt he bends down, separates the hands, laying each with palm downwards on the altar, outside the corporal,3 on either side of him, and kisses the altar in the middle. This position
1 But not so loud as to disturb other celebrants {Ruhr, gen., xvi, 2).
2 lb.
3 During- Mass, except from the Consecration to the Communion, whenever the celebrant lays his hands on the altar, he places them, not on the corporal, but one on either side of it. Bel ween the Consecration and the Communion, when the forefingers and thumbs are joined all the time, he lays his hands on the corporal.
46 TOe Ifoolp Sacrifice
of the hands is to be observed every time he kisses the altar. To do so conveniently he should stand slightly away from it, so that, when he bends his head, he can just touch the altar with the closed lips, an inch or so from its outer edge.
Then, making no further reverence to the cross, he goes with joined hands to the missal at the epistle side. As he goes he continues the prayer Oramus te Domi?ie.
Here he reads the introit of the Mass in a clear voice. As he begins it he makes the sign of the cross laying, as always, the left hand on the breast.1 Joining the hands again, he con- tinues the introit. At the verse Gloria Patri he turns and bows towards the altar cross. In repeating the antiphon of the introit he does not again make the sign of the cross. When the introit is finished, he comes to the middle, makes no reverence to the cross ~ and here says the Kyrie eleison alter- nately with the server. If the Gloria i?i excelsis is to be said, he begins it as soon as the Kyrie is ended, standing at the middle of the altar. As he says the first words, he separates the hands, extends them, elevates them about to the height of the shoulders, joins them and bows at the word Deo. With joined hands he continues the Gloria in excelsis, reading it (if necessary) from the altar-card in the middle. He bows the head at the words Adoramns te, Gratias agimus tibi, lesu Christe, Suscipe deprecationem nostram. At the last words, Cum sancto Spiritu, he makes the sign of the cross, then lays the hands on the altar, and kisses it.
If the Gloria in excelsis is not said, he kisses the altar, in the same way, as soon as the Kyrie eleison is finished.
With joined hands he turns, by the epistle side, to face the people. He says Domimis vobiscum, at the same time extend- ing the hands and joining them again. Turning back by the epistle side he goes to the missal. Facing the altar he says Oremus. At the same time he extends the hands and joins them again, while he bows, slightly, to the cross. Then he reads the collect, holding the hands uplifted and extended, at about the height of the shoulders, the palms facing one another. When he says Per Dominum nostrum, etc., he joins the hands. He bows again to the cross at the holy Name, Iesum Christum.
1 This is the rule whenever he signs himself, that the other hand rest meanwhile on the breast. He must place the left hand below the lowest point of the cross he will form on himself.
2 There has been some discussion about this. Most of the older authors say that the celebrant bows to the cross every time he comes to, or goes from, the middle of the altar, unless he has some other reverence (such as kissing- the altar) to perform at once. So Merati's note on Gavanti, Thesaurus sacr. rit., Pars II, tit. iv, § 8 (ed. cit, p. 118). The modern authors nearly all deny this, saying- that in passing thus from one part of the altar to the other no such reverence should be made; Martinucci, I, i, 348; Van derStappen, iii, 321 (by implication); Le Vavasseur, i, 288. Soalso tin S.R.C., 12 November 1831, no. 2682, ad XXVII. De Herdt, however (i, 170), still favours the older view.
Xow /iDass saib b£ a ©rfest 47
In the same way he says the following collects, if there are several.
After the last collect he lays his hands on the book, one on either side, the palms downwards, so that the ends of the fingers rest on it, while he reads the epistle. It is usual in England to give a sign to the server when the epistle is ended, that he may answer Deo gratias. This is best done by raising slightly the left hand for a moment.
On certain days, notably the Ember days, there is a series of lessons each preceded by a collect, before the gospel. In this case Dominus vobiscum is said only before the collects preceding the last of these. Immediately after the Kyrie eleison the celebrant, instead of saying Dominus vobiscum, goes at once to the missal. He says each collect and the following lesson in the usual way. Then, at the place marked in the missal, he comes to the middle, says Dominus vobiscum, and continues as above.
If Flectamus genua is to be said, as soon as the celebrant has said Oremus he lays his hands on the altar and genuflects while he says Flectamus genua. The server at once answers Levate ; he rises and goes on with the collect.
After the epistle, the priest goes on at once to read, in the same tone of voice, the gradual, tract, Alleluia, or sequence, as these occur in the missal. Meanwhile he still holds his hands on the book.
In the collect, epistle, gradual, etc., if such a word occurs as is noted above (p. 23), that is, the holy Name, name of the saint of the day, of the blessed Virgin, he makes a reverence, as there described. At the epistle or gradual, he will genuflect, laying his hands on the altar in the usual way, when the rubric directs this.
He then comes to the middle of the altar with hands joined, leaving the book open at the epistle side. In the middle he looks up to the cross,1 then bows low, without laying the hands on the altar, and so says Munda cor meum and lube Domine 2 benedicere. Dominus sit in corde meo, etc. If for any reason the server does not carry the missal across to the gospel side, the priest does so first, bowing to the cross as he passes.3 He lays the missal on its stand or cushion at the gospel end diagonally, so that he will turn somewhat towards
1 See p. 49, n. 2.
2 At Low Mass the celebrant says " Domine," addressing- God. By a curious development the mediaeval form "domnus," really nothing- but a mispronunciation, is now looked upon as the correct one, when a merely human superior is addressed. So the rubrics in the Ordo Missae give the form, " lube domne benedicere " when the deacon at High Mass addresses the celebrant; but "lube Domine benedicere" when, at Low Mass, the celebrant prays to God. See Ducange, Glossarium tried, et inf. Latinitatis, s.v. " Domnus." Martinucci-Menghini is wrong here (I, i, ?• 35°)> contradicting the Missal.
" Martinucci, I, i, p. 350 ; Le Vavasseur, i, 292.
48 XTbe t>olp Sacrifice
the people when reading the gospel, then comes back to the middle and says Munda cor meum.
§ 3. FROM THE GOSPEL TO THE PREFACE
When the celebrant has said the prayer Dominus sit in corde meo, he comes with joined hands to the book at the gospel side. He does not here turn his back to the people, but he faces half towards them looking across the gospel corner diagonally. Without separating the hands he says Dominus vobiscum. Then Sequentia (or Initium) sancti evangelii secun- dum N., adding the name of the Evangelist, in the accusative case. As he says these words he lays the left hand on the book. He holds the right stretched out, the fingers joined, the palm downwards, and so makes the sign of the cross with the thumb on the book, where a little cross is printed at the beginning of the gospel. Then, still holding the hand stretched out in the same way, he makes the sign of the cross with the thumb on his forehead, lips and breast, laying the left hand on the breast.1 He must be careful not to make the cross on his lips while he is speaking. If he is saying the words Sequentia sancti evangelii, etc., he must pause while signing his lips. More probably he will have finished that formula by the time he signs his lips. When the server has answered Gloria tibi Domine, the priest reads the gospel, with hands joined. If in the gospel the holy Name occurs, or any other word at which he bows, he does so towards the book. If he has to genuflect at any words, he lays his hands on the altar and does so, also towards the book, unless the Sanctissimum be exposed. In this case he turns and genuflects towards the Blessed Sacra- ment.2
While reading the gospel, if he has to turn a page, then, as always, he does so with the right hand, laying the left mean- while on the altar.
When the gospel is finished he raises the book with both hands, bows his head and shoulders and kisses it at the place where the cross is marked, saying Per evangelica dicta, etc.3 He stands erect and replaces the book on the stand. Then he brings the missal to the middle of the altar, holding its stand with both hands. He places it here at the middle, but on the gospel side of the corporal, turning diagonally towards the middle. It should not stand on the corporal, but as near to it as possible.
If the creed is to be said, he begins it at once in the middle of the altar. As he says Credo in unum Deum he extends his
1 Below where he will make the sign of the cross. 2 See p. 67.
3 Merati {op. cit., i, p. 131, § 8) prefers that the celebrant say the first half of this verse (" Per evangelica dicta "), then kiss the book, then say the rest. So also De Herdt, i, p. 296.
%ow /I&ass sato bs a lpriest 49
hands, lifts them to the height of the shoulders, joins them as he says the word Deum, and bows the head. He says the creed with joined hands, reading- the text, if necessary, from the altar-card. At the holy Name he bows. As he says the words Et incarnatus est, etc., he lays the hands on the altar outside the corporal and genuflects on one knee. He does not rise from this genuflection till he has said Et homo f actus est. It is better to make the whole genuflection slowly, rather than to rest with one knee on the ground. He does not bow the head at these words. He bows at the word adoratur (of the Holy Ghost). As he says the last words et vitam venturi sae- cula, he makes the sign of the cross, laying the left hand on the breast.
After the creed he does not join the hands, but lays them on the altar at once and kisses it. Then he turns, by the epistle side, and says Dominus vobiscum in the usual manner (see p. 46).
If there is no creed in the Mass, he kisses the altar and turns to say Dominus vobiscum as soon as he is at the middle, after the gospel.
Facing the altar again, stretching out, joining the hands and bowing, he says Oremus. In the same tone he then reads the offertory.
The offertory act now follows. The celebrant takes the chalice veil from the chalice with both hands, folds it and lays it on the altar at his right, just outside the corporal.1 He lays his left hand on the altar, outside the corporal. With the right he takes the chalice by the knob of its stem and stands it outside the corporal, at his right side. He takes the pall from the chalice and lays it on the folded veil. He takes the paten, having on it the altar bread, and holds this, with both hands, over the middle of the corporal, at about the height of his breast. He should hold it with the thumb and first finger of each hand touching its edge, the other fingers under it. Holding it thus he looks up,a and then down at the bread, and says silently the prayer Suscipe sancte Pater. If other altar breads are to be consecrated at the Mass, they must be placed on the corporal before this offertory prayer is said. If
1 Some older authors say that he should hand the chalice-veil to the server to be folded. Merati (Pars II, tit. vi, § 2 ; ed. cit, vol. i, p. 141) says so, " if the server is a clerk in surplice." Le Vavasseur(i, p. 294) agrees, " even if he is a layman, if it be the custom." Martinucci (I, i, p. 351) and De Herdt (i, p. 300) leave it open, whether the celebrant or server fold the chalice-veil. Van der Stappen (iii, p. 336) says that the celebrant does so himself. This seems to be the usual custom in England. All the rubric of the missal says is, "discooperit calicem et ad cornu epistolae sistit " (Rit. eel., vii, 2).
2 In looking- up the celebrant always looks at the altar-cross, unless it stands beneath his eyes (S.R.C., no. 2960, ad III). This is only a cere- monial direction, that the action may be done uniformly. In principle he looks up to heaven, as so often in the New Testament {e.g., John, xi, 41).
8
50 XTbe 1bol£ Sacrifice
they are in a ciborium, it is put on the corporal and opened, then shut again after the priest has made the sign of the cross with the paten. If he has forgotten the other breads to be consecrated, he repeats the prayer or makes a mental offering.
When the prayer Suscipe sancte Pater is finished, the cele- brant lowers the paten ; still holding it as before he makes the sign of the cross with it over the corporal, tracing first a line towards himself, then one from left to right. He slides the altar bread on to the corporal in the middle, in front, without touching it. Then he lays the left hand on the altar, as always in such cases, outside the corporal. He puts the paten on the altar, at his right, and slips half of it under the corporal.
With folded hands he comes to the epistle corner. He takes the chalice at its knob with the left hand, and the puri- ficator (which lies on it) with the right. With this he wipes the inside of the chalice. Then, still holding the knob of the chalice in the left, he puts the purificator so that it hangs over the left thumb by the side of the chalice. He takes the cruet of wine from the server in his right hand and pours as much as is needed into the chalice,1 saying nothing. The server holds up the water cruet. The priest makes the sign of the cross over it, as he begins to say the prayer Deus qui humanae substantiae. He continues this prayer; as he says the words da nobis per huins aquae et vini mysterium he takes the cruet in the right and pours a little water into the chalice, one or two drops only. In some churches a little spoon is used to measure the water. In this case he takes the spoon, dips it into the cruet, and so puts one spoonful into the chalice. Then he wipes away any drops there may be at the sides of the chalice. As he says the holy Name at the end of the prayer he bows towards the cross. He puts the chalice near the corporal, with the left hand. He either lays the purificator at its place on the paten, or puts it near there and comes to the middle with joined hands ; or he may come still holding the purificator.2 At the middle he arranges the puri- ficator so that, folded lengthwise, it shall cover the half of the paten not already under the corporal. Meanwhile he lays the left hand on the altar. With the right he takes the chalice by its knob ; he holds its foot with the left, lifts it about to the level of the eyes, and so holding it says the offertory prayer: Offerimus tibi Dornine. When this is said, he makes the sign of the cross over the middle of the altar with the chalice; as before with the paten. To do so he lowers the chalice; he should take care not to extend the cross over the
1 Rather less than half what is in the cruet (see p. 62).
2 Martinucci (I, i, pp. 352-353) directs this last way; Van der Stappen (iii, p. 338) and Le Vavasseur (i, p. 295, n. 3) prefer that he should first lay down the purificator, then come to the middle with joined hands; so also Merati, Pars II, tit. vii, § 12 (ed. ctt, i, p. 144).
Xovv /IDass salt) bs a priest 51
bread. He then puts the chalice in the middle of the corporal, behind the bread. Laying the left hand on the foot of the chalice, he takes the pall with the right and covers the chalice. He bows slightly, lays the hands, joined, on the altar in front of him, and so says the prayer In spiritu humilitatis, silently. He stands erect, extends and raises the hands, looks up for a moment, then lowers the eyes and joins the hands before the breast. While doing so he says the prayer Veni sanctificator. At the word benedic he lays the left hand on the altar and with the right makes the sign of the cross over the bread and chalice together.
With joined hands he now goes to the epistle end of the altar. Facing the server, who stands there, he holds his hands over the dish, so that the server pours water over the thumb and forefinger of each. Then he takes the towel and dries them. In doing this he should hold the hands, not over the altar, but outside and in front of it. As soon as he begins to wash his hands he says silently the verses of the psalm Lavabo inter innocentes and continues while drying them. He stands at that end of the altar while saying these verses; if necessary he may read them from the altar-card. He bows towards the cross as he says the verse Gloria Patri. Then he comes to the middle with joined hands, while saying Sicut eraty etc. At the middle he looks up and then lowers the eyes. Laying the hands joined on the altar before him, and bowing slightly, he says silently the prayer Suscipe sancta Trinitas. Then, laying the hands palm downwards on either side, out- side the corporal, he kisses the altar. Joining the hands he turns by his right side to the people. Facing them he stretches out the hands and joins them again, as at the Dominus vobis- cum. Meanwhile he says Orate fratres in an audible voice.1 He turns back to the altar, by his right side (completing the circle), while he continues, ut meuni et vestrum sacrificiumy etc., in a low voice. The server answers Suscipiat Dominus, etc. If the server does not say this, for any reason, the cele- brant says it himself, altering the form to de manibus meis in- stead of tuis. At the end of this answer he says Amen in a low voice.
Then he extends the hands and joins them again, as before the collects. But he does not say Oremus. So he says the secrets, reading them from the missal. He says these silently, with hands extended. Only the first and last secrets have the conclusion per Dominum nostrum, etc. At the end of the last secret (therefore of the first, if there is only one) he says the words of the conclusion as far as in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus, like all the rest, silently. Then he pauses, lays the right hand on the altar, and with the left finds the place of
1 " Voce media," see p. 45.
52 TLhc Ibolp Sacrifice
the preface in the missal. When it is found he lays the left hand also on the altar and says aloud Per omnia saecula sae- culorum. The server answers Amen, and answers each verse of the following dialogue. The celebrant, keeping the hands on the altar, says Dominus vobiscum. Then he raises the hands to the height of the shoulders or breast, holding them with the palms facing one another, as during the collects and secrets. So he says Sursum corda. He joins the hands as he says Gratias agamus; as he says Deo nostro he looks up to the cross, then bows. As he begins the preface he holds the hands again extended on either side and remains in that position till it is ended.
At the end of the preface he joins his hands, bows over the altar slightly, not resting the hands on it, and says the Sanctus aloud, but less loud than the preface.1 As he says Benedictus qui venit he stands erect and makes the sign of the cross. Then, laying the right hand on the altar, he finds with the left the beginning of the canon in the missal.
§4. THE CANON TO THE COMMUNION
The celebrant looks up to the cross,2 extends and lifts the hands, then looks down, joins the hands, bows low, lays the joined hands on the altar, and so begins Te igitur. When he has said supplices rogamus ac pe timns he lays the hands on the altar, one on either side, outside the corporal, kisses the altar, then stands erect, joins the hands, lays the left hand on the altar, and with the right makes the sign of the cross thrice over the chalice and bread as he says haec + dona> haec + mu?iera, haec + sancta sacrificia illibata. After the third cross he does not join the hands, but holds them extended and up- lifted before the breast. This is the normal position of the hands throughout the canon.
At the words una cum f amnio tuo Papa nostra N. he adds the name of the reigning Pope in the ablative case,3 and bows towards the book. If the Holy See is vacant at the time, he omits this clause altogether. At the words et antistite nostro N. he adds the name of the Ordinary of the place where he says Mass. If the see is vacant he omits this clause.
As he says Memento Domine famulorum famularumque tua- rum he joins the hands. He then stands a moment in this position, bowing slightly while he remembers any persons for whom he wishes here to pray. The words N. et N. are not expressed in practice ; or rather, instead of them, he names
1 See p. 45. 2 See p. 49, n. 2.
3 Without the number of the Pope: "Papa nostro Benedicto," " Papa nostro Benedicto decimo quinto."
not
Xow flfoass satfc bs a priest 53
as many persons as he likes.1 Since this is his own private prayer he may make it in any form he likes, or entirely ment- ally. It is usual here to renew the special intention for which he offers the sacrifice. He should not delay too long at the Memento.2
Then, standing again erect with the hands extended, he continues et omnium circumstantium. In the prayer Com- municantes, he bows towards the book at the name Mariae\ he bows towards the cross and low at the words lesu Christi. If the name of the saint whose feast is being kept that day 3 is one of those in this list he bows again, slightly, towards the book as he says it. At the words Per eundem, etc., he joins the hands. As he begins the next prayer, Hanc igitur obla- tioneni, he opens the hands without disjoining them ; that is, he separates the lower part of the hands, keeping the thumbs and forefingers joined, the thumbs crossed, right over left, till the hands are spread out in the same horizontal plane. So he stretches them over the oblata, so that the extremity of the fingers is over the middle of the pall. He does not touch the pall. He keeps this position while saying the prayer and joins the hands again at the conclusion Per Christum Dominum nos- trum. So he continues the next prayer, Quam oblationem. He makes the sign of the cross thrice, as before, over the oblata, at the words bene + dictam, ascri+ptamy ra + tarn, rationabilem, acceptabilemque facere digneris. It will be convenient to pro- long this last sign of the cross a little, so that it take as long to make as it does to say these words. Then he makes the sign of the cross over the bread only as he says Cor + pus and over the chalice only as he says San +guis. He joins the hands and continues, bowing the head as he says lesu Christi. If he is to consecrate other hosts besides the one he will receive in Communion, he may here renew his intention of doing so. He will uncover the ciborium, if there is one on the cor- poral, covering it again after the consecration of the bread. All bread to be consecrated must be on the corporal at the time.
If necessary, he wipes the thumb and forefinger of each hand on the fore corners of the corporal. In any case it is well to rub these slightly together, so as to dispel any particles of dust on them.
As he says Qui pridie quam pateretur he takes the host be tween the thumb and forefinger of each hand. To do this
1 He may pray or schismatics, heretics, the excommunicate, even pagans, since this is not a public prayer of the Church. Merati, Pars II, tit. viii, § 7 (vol. i, p. 160); De Herdt, i, p. 319.
2 Nor should he make the memory of the living (and later, of the dead) too quickly. Gavanti says: "tu memento ne Memento in missa fiat in momento " (Pars II, tit. viii, n. 3; ed. ctt., i, p. 159).
3 Not at a votive Mass in honour of a saint. See p. 23, n. 1.
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more easily he may first lay the forefinger of the left hand on the upper part of the bread ; then he takes it by the lower ex- tremity of the circle with the thumb and forefinger of the right, then in the same way with those of the left. He so lifts the host a little from the corporal and places the other fingers of each hand, joined and extended, behind it. He rests the hands on the altar. Still standing erect he continues the words accepit panem, etc. As he says elevatis oculis in caelum he looks up to the cross and at once looks down. As he says gratias agens he bows. At the word bene + dixit he holds the bread in the left only, and makes the sign of the cross over it with the right. In doing this he does not keep the thumb and forefinger joined, but holds the hand straight out, in the usual way when blessing. Then, at once, he again holds the bread in both hands as before, and continues,//^*"/, deditque disci- pulis suis dicens: Accipite et manducate ex hoc omnes. He now bows over the altar, leaning the forearms on it. Holding the bread before him, he says, " secretely, distinctly, and atten- tively," ' the words of consecration, HOC EST ENIM COR- PVS MEVM.
He should say these words in a low voice, but so that he can hear himself.2
He does not touch any other hosts that may be present to be consecrated.
While saying the words of consecration it is usual to look at the bread he holds in his hands.
When the words have been said, without delay, he stands erect, then genuflects on one knee ; still holding the Host with both hands over the altar, as before. He rises at once and holds up the Blessed Sacrament, so that it may be seen by the people. He lifts it straight up before him to such a height that it may be seen from behind, over his head. He does this slowly, taking care to hold it over the corporal all the time. He lowers it again and places it reverently on the corporal, at the same place as before. He leaves it there, lays his hands on the altar, and genuflects again.3
i Rubric in the Mass.
2 Namely the form of the Sacrament is part of the visible, or audible, sign.
3 During the elevation ceremony the celebrant says no liturgical prayers. He may, therefore, say mentally a short private prayer at each elevation. In the Sarum rite there is a little prayer (there said just before Communion) which would be suitable: "Ave in aeternum sanctissima caro Christi [or ' caelestis potus,' at the elevation of the chalice], mihi ante omnia et super omnia summa dulcedo." Or this: "Credo et con- fiteor usque ad ultimum spiritum hoc esse vivificum corpus Emmanuelis Dei nostri, quod accepit a domina Dei genitrice sancta Maria pro nostra omniumque salute. Credo hoc in rei veritate ita esse. Amen." " Credo et confiteor usque ad ultimum spiritum hunc esse pretiosum sanguinem Emmanuelis Dei nostri, quern effudit pro nobis omnibus in cruce. Credo hoc in rei veritate ita esse. Amen " (from the Alexandrine Liturgy of
Xow /Ifcass saifc b£ a priest 55
From this moment till the ablutions at the end the celebrant keeps the thumb and forefinger of each hand joined, except when he touches the consecrated Bread. In turning" over pages, holding- the chalice, or doing" any other such action, he must be careful to use the other fingers, in such a way as not to separate these.
From now till the Communion every time he lays his hands on the altar he does so on the corporal.
Rising from the second genuflection he takes the pall from the chalice and lays it on the epistle side. Meanwhile he touches the foot of the chalice with the left.1 Then he rubs the thumb and forefinger of the hands over the chalice, to let any crumb there may be fall into it. He does this every time after he has touched the Host. Standing erect he says Simili tnodo postquam coenatum est. Then he takes the chalice in both hands, holding it between the knob and the cup by the stem ; he lifts it a little above the altar and sets it down again at once. He continues the words, still holding the chalice with both hands. As he says gratias agens he bows. As he says bene + dixit he makes the sign of the cross over the chalice with the right (keeping the thumb and forefinger always joined) and holds it, still in the same way, with the left. Then he holds the knob with the right hand and the foot with the left as he says dedit- que discipulis suis dicens: Accipite et bibite ex eo oimies. He bends over the altar, leaning the forearms on it. He lifts the chalice a little from the altar, putting the second, third and fourth fingers of the left hand joined under the foot, the thumb and forefinger of the same hand over the foot. He holds the chalice quite straight, not sloping towards him. So, in the same low but audible voice as before, he says the words of consecration over the chalice, " attentively, continuously and secretely," holding it a little lifted : HIC EST ENIM CALIX SANGVINIS MEI NO VI ET AETERNI TESTAMENT! MYSTERIVM FIDEI QVI PRO VOBIS ET PRO MVL- TIS EFFVNDETVR IN REMISSIONEM PECCA TOR VM. He sets the chalice on .the altar, stands erect, and says, HAEC QVOTIESCVMOVE FECERITIS IN MEI MEMORIAM FACIETIS.
Taking the hands from the chalice he lays them on the altar on either side (on the corporal) and genuflects. He stands, takes the chalice with both hands, holding the knob with the right and the foot with the left partly under it as before. So he elevates it to a height where it can be seen by the people above his head, lifting it slowly and straight up, so that it is always over the corporal. He sets it on the corporal, covers
St. Basil; Renaudot, Liturgiarum orientaluim collection 2nd edition, Frankfurt, 1847, Tom. I, pp. 23, 79-80).
1 This is the rule every time he covers or uncovers the chalice, namely he steadies it by laying the other hand on the foot.
56 Ube 1fool£ Sacrifice
it with the right hand, while he holds the foot with the left. Then he genuflects again as before.
Standing erect and holding the hands extended on either side, but now always keeping the thumbs and forefingers joined, he continues to say the canon at the words, Vnde et memores. As he says de tuis donis ac datis he joins the hands before his breast; then as he says hostiam + puram, hostiam + sanctam, hostiam + immaculatam he lays the left hand on the corporal and with the right makes the sign of the cross thrice over both the holy Bread and the chalice. Then as he says Panem + sanctum he makes the sign of the cross over the Host only. At calicem + salutis over the chalice only.
He extends the hands, as before, and says the prayer, Supra quae.
He bows profoundly, lays the joined hands on the altar before him, and so says Supplices te rogamus to the word quotquot. Here he lays his hands on the corporal on either side, and kisses the altar once in the middle. He stands erect, joins the hands and continues ex har, altaris par- ticipation, etc. At the word Cor + pus he makes the sign of the cross over the Host; at San-Vguinem over the chalice, as before. As he says omni benedictione caelesti, he signs himself with the cross, holding the left at the breast, but so that the thumb and forefinger do not touch the chasuble. Then he joins the hands. He extends them again as he says Memento etiam Domine. The words N. et N. are omitted. As he says in somno pact's he joins the hands, bows slightly, looks at the Blessed Sacrament before him and so prays silently for the faithful departed whom he wishes to commemorate. Then he stands erect again with hands extended and continues the prayer at the words Ipsis, Domine, et omnibus in Christo quiescentibus. At the conclusion, Per Christum Dominum nostrum, he joins the hands and bows.
As he says Nobis quoque peccatoribus he raises his voice so as to be heard by anyone near.1 At the same time he lays the left hand on the corporal and strikes his breast once with the right. He does so with the second, third and fourth fingers extended, not touching the chasuble with the thumb or forefinger. He continues famulis tuis, etc., erect, with hands extended. If the saint whose feast or octave is kept be named among those of this prayer, he bows slightly towards the book as he pronounces it. He joins the hands at the con- clusion, Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Amen is not said here. With joined hands he says, Per quern haec omnia ; then at the words sancti+Jicas, vivi+jicas, bene + diets,