Missale Romanum at Fifty

NOTE: Particularly if this article leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, you’ll want to read the follow-up. It is a sort of apologia.

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Missae by Pope Saint Paul VI in his Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum. There is, so far as I can tell, no mention of this made on any of the Vatican’s official news organs. Pope Francis did not mention it during his general audience today, which instead focused on his recent trip to Morocco.

Instead, we have two fascinating articles. The first is by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, published at Rorate Caeli. The second is by Dom Alcuin Reid, O.S.B., published at the New Liturgical Movement. Both discuss the promulgation of the new rite and touch on the unexpectedly revolutionary nature of this liturgical reform. They are both well worth a look.

I will leave it to those more learned than me to discuss the theological, pastoral, and historical arguments against or in favour of the reform the Council Fathers called for versus the reform we actually received, much less the wisdom of Saint Paul VI. Instead, I’d like to focus on some of the failures to actually implement the reform on a parish level.

There is a broad misconception that the reform abolished Latin, Gregorian Chant, and ad Orientem worship. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So here are some quotes from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. All are from the most recent version, promulgated in Latin in 2002 and found, in English, in the current Third Edition of the Roman Missal, published in 2011. Headings and emphasis in bold are mine.

First of all, I’ve even heard some call into question the authority of the General Instruction. This is nonsense. Since it is published within the Missal itself, it has exactly the same authority of the Missal.

The Mass is to be Chanted

40. Great importance should therefore be attached to the use of singing in the celebration of the Mass …. every care should be taken that singing by the ministers and the people not be absent in celebrations that occur on Sundays and on Holydays of Obligation. ….

41. The main place should be given, all things being equal, to Gregorian chant, as being proper to the Roman Liturgy. … Since the faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is desirable that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Profession of Faith and the Lord’s Prayer, according to the simpler settings.

48. [The Entrance] chant is sung alternately by the choir and the people or similarly by a cantor and the people, or entirely by the people, or by the choir alone. In the Dioceses of the United States of America there are four options for the Entrance Chant:

1. the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum as set to music there or in another setting;
2. the antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time;
3. a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms;
4. another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop.

If there is no singing at the Entrance, the antiphon given in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a reader; otherwise, it is recited by the Priest himself…

53. The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is a most ancient and venerable hymn by which the Church, gathered in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. The text of this hymn may not be replaced by any other. …

61. … It is preferable for the Responsorial Psalm to be sung…. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, instead of the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary, there may be sung either the Responsorial Gradual from the Graduale Romanum, or the Responsorial Psalm or the Alleluia Psalm from the Graduale Simplex….

74. The [Offertory] procession bringing the gifts is accompanied by the Offertory Chant … which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar. The norms on the manner of singing are the same as for the Entrance Chant (cf. no. 48).

87. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for singing at Communion:

1. the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another musical setting;
2. the antiphon with Psalm from the Graduale Simplex of the liturgical time;
3. a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms;
4. some other suitable liturgical chant … approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop.

This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or a cantor with the people.
However, if there is no singing, the antiphon given in the Missal may be recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a reader; otherwise, it is recited by the Priest himself after he has received Communion and before he distributes Communion to the faithful.

115. By Mass with the people is meant a Mass celebrated with the participation of the faithful. Moreover, it is appropriate, in so far as possible, and especially on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation, that the celebration take place with singing and with a suitable number of ministers. …

147. …. It is most appropriate that the Priest sing those parts of the Eucharistic Prayer for which musical notation is provided.

366. It is not permitted to substitute other chants for those found in the Order of Mass …

Gestures and Postures

42. The gestures and bodily posture of both the Priest, the Deacon, and the ministers, and also of the people, must be conducive to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity… Attention must therefore be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and by the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice. …

43. …. In the dioceses of the United States of America, [the faithful] should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer …. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.

137. The Symbol or Creed is sung or recited by the Priest together with the people … with everyone standing. At the words et incarnatus est, etc. (and by the Holy Spirit . . . and became man) all make a profound bow; but on the Solemnities of the Annunciation and of the Nativity of the Lord, all genuflect.

154. …. The Priest may give the Sign of Peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so that the celebration is not disrupted. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, for a good reason, on special occasions (for example, in the case of a funeral, a wedding, or when civic leaders are present), the Priest may offer the Sign of Peace to a small number of the faithful near the sanctuary.

274. …. If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is situated in the sanctuary, the Priest, the Deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.
Otherwise, all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.
Ministers carrying the processional cross or candles bow their heads instead of genuflecting.

275. …. A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.
A bow of the body, that is to say, a profound bow, is made to the altar; during the prayers Munda cor meum (Cleanse my heart) and In spiritu humilitatis (With humble spirit); in the Creed at the words et incarnatus est (and by the Holy Spirit . . . and became man); in the Roman Canon at the Supplices te rogamus (In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God). The same kind of bow is made by the Deacon when he asks for a blessing before the proclamation of the Gospel. In addition, the Priest bows slightly as he pronounces the words of the Lord at the Consecration.

Silence and Meditation

45. Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. … Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner.

56. The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. …

Homily

66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the Priest Celebrant himself or be entrusted by him to a concelebrating Priest, or from time to time and, if appropriate, to the Deacon, but never to a lay person. ….

Ministers of the Mass (or, whatever happened to Altar Servers?)

116. If at any celebration of Mass a Deacon is present, he should exercise his function. Furthermore, it is desirable that an acolyte, a reader, and a cantor should usually be there to assist the Priest Celebrant. Indeed, the rite described below foresees an even greater number of ministers.

120. When the people are gathered, the Priest and ministers, wearing the sacred vestments, go in procession to the altar in this order:
a) the thurifer carrying a smoking thurible, if incense is being used;
b) ministers who carry lighted candles, and between them an acolyte or other minister with the cross;
c) the acolytes and the other ministers;
d) a reader, who may carry a Book of the Gospels (though not a Lectionary), slightly elevated;
e) the Priest who is to celebrate the Mass.

133. [At the Gospel Procession] If the Book of the Gospels is on the altar, the Priest then takes it and approaches the ambo, carrying the Book of the Gospels slightly elevated. He is preceded by the lay ministers, who may carry the thurible and the candles. Those present turn towards the ambo as a sign of special reverence for the Gospel of Christ.

139. When the Universal Prayer is over … An acolyte or other lay minister places the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar.

140. …. The offerings of the faithful are received by the Priest, assisted by the acolyte or other minister. ….

142. After this, as the minister presents the cruets ….

144. …. While standing at the side of the altar, a minister incenses the Priest and then the people.

145. After the prayer In spiritu humilitatis (With humble spirit) or after the incensation, the Priest washes his hands standing at the side of the altar and, as the minister pours the water …

150. A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a minister rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Priest, according to local custom.
If incense is being used, when the host and the chalice are shown to the people after the Consecration, a minister incenses them.

Furnishings of the Mass

117. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth. In addition, on or next to the altar are to be placed candlesticks with lighted candles: at least two in any celebration, or even four or six, especially for a Sunday Mass or a Holyday of Obligation, or if the Diocesan Bishop celebrates, then seven candlesticks with lighted candles. Likewise, on the altar or close to it, there is to be a cross adorned with a figure of Christ crucified. The candles and the cross with the figure of Christ crucified may also be carried in the procession at the Entrance.

118. Likewise these should be prepared: … on the credence table: the chalice, corporal, purificator, and, if appropriate, the pall; the paten … the Communion-plate for the Communion of the faithful; and whatever is needed for the washing of hands.

It is a praiseworthy practice for the chalice to be covered with a veil, which may be either of the color of the day or white.

119. …. When the Entrance takes place with a procession, the following are also to be prepared: a Book of the Gospels; on Sundays and festive days, a thurible and incense boat, if incense is being used; the cross to be carried in procession; and candlesticks with lighted candles.

Choice of Eucharistic Prayer

365. The choice between the Eucharistic Prayers found in the Order of Mass is suitably guided by the following norms:
a) Eucharistic Prayer I, or the Roman Canon, which may always be used, is …. especially suited for use on Sundays, unless for pastoral reasons Eucharistic Prayer III is preferred.

b) Eucharistic Prayer II, on account of its particular features, is more appropriately used on weekdays or in special circumstances. ….

c) Eucharistic Prayer III may be said with any Preface. Its use should be preferred on Sundays and festive days. ….

d) Eucharistic Prayer IV has an invariable Preface and gives a fuller summary of salvation history. It may be used when a Mass has no Preface of its own and on Sundays in Ordinary Time. ….

Communion

160. The Priest then takes the paten or ciborium and approaches the communicants, who usually come up in procession.
It is not permitted for the faithful to take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one to another among themselves. The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).
When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.

And there’s lots more, of course. These are just the most common paragraphs to be ignored or abused – or at least the ones I’ve seen abused the most in my years as a Catholic.