Brevis Dictata
Father Magiera answers your questions about the Traditional Latin Mass
Newer questions at the top
Should I stand or kneel during the Sanctus and/or the Agnus Dei?
A good rule of thumb is this: If you’re singing anything or saying anything, stand. That’s the principle, short and sweet. More accurately articulated would be the following: The posture initiated by or appropriate to a (liturgical) event should be maintained for the duration of the event. Think of a hymn. No matter what, the appropriate posture for a hymn is standing. Up until recently, if hymns were sung at Mass at all, they were usually at the procession and recessional. Congregational hymns at the offertory and communion have only become the practice with the advent of the Ordinary Form. Hymns at those points are not the rule in the Extraordinary Form. Hence, the proper hymn posture rule, i.e., standing, holds for entrance and recessional hymns.
With regard to movements of the Mass ordinary in a Missa Cantata or Missa Solemnis, if (and this is the important thing) the congregation sings these movements, either completely or antiphonally (i.e., with the choir, alternating verse by verse) the congregation should stand. This holds true even when the celebrant goes to the sedilia and sits. The congregation stands until the movement ends. The same holds true for speaking.
So, categorically, when the congregation sings or prays communally the movements of the Mass ordinary, the posture is standing. This goes for: the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. A change in posture, if appropriate, then FOLLOWS. So, AFTER the Sanctus and Agnus Dei is sung or spoken, the congregation kneels. If, however (and this is specifically for the Gloria and Credo), a choir sings a Mass “setting,” for example, the Missa Brevis of Palestrina, the congregation stands only as long as the celebrant stands while reciting these prayers. The congregation should then sit when the celebrant sits at the sedilia. With regard to the Sanctus and Agnus Dei, when the choir sings a Mass “setting,” since the celebrant does not go to the sedilia, the congregation should kneel – with the bell at the Sanctus and after the Pax versicle and response prior to the Agnus Dei. In rare instances, and only when the choral Kyrie/Christe/Kyrie is extremely long, the celebrant MAY go to the sedilia to sit following the first incensation, and his own read Introit and Kyrie. This has only happened once in my experience, when the choral Kyrie was a full 20 minutes.
Is it appropriate to say that a Sung Mass is ‘layered,’ i.e., the choir and the priest aren’t singing/saying the prayers at the same time?
Simply stated, the answer is yes.
This is something one encounters only in the Extraordinary Form. In comparison to the Ordinary Form, which is strictly linear, the Extraordinary Form can be said to be “layered.” This does not mean that the priest omits even one syllable from the entire Mass text. He omits absolutely nothing. This rule is “eased” a bit in the Missa Solemnis, but only in two instances which I’ll address later.
In a Sung/Solemn Mass, while: the celebrant and servers/ministers (deacon and subdeacon) quietly say the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar; the celebrant incenses the altar and is, himself, incensed; while the priest quietly reads the Introit and says (with the master of ceremonies and/or ministers) the Kyrie, the schola and/or choir chant the Introit and sing the Kyrie. After the celebrant intones the Gloria, the schola or choir take over singing it. However, the celebrant continues the prayer quietly to its conclusion and then retires to the sedilia.
On a Sunday, First or Second Class Feast, this same procedure holds true for the Credo. After chanting the Epistle, the celebrant quietly reads the Gradual and Alleluia (or Gradual and Tract, through the seasons of Septuagesima and Lent; or the double Alleluia in Paschal Tide) while the schola chants them. Though it has nothing to do with the schola, the only time the celebrant does not quietly read the Epistle and Gospel is in the Missa Solemnis when they are chanted by the subdeacon and deacon respectively. Prior to the liturgical modifications of Pope John XXIII in 1962, the celebrant DID read them quietly at the altar. This same procedure of chanting/singing while the celebrant is quietly reading continues for the Offertory Antiphon, the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. The schola chants the Offertory while the celebrant quietly reads it. The celebrant then goes on with the rest of the Offertory ceremonies while the schola carries on and finishes the Offertory. After the Preface, the celebrant quietly prays the Sanctus while the choir sings it. The singing of the Sanctus/Benedictus, if chanted by the schola, ends shortly before the Consecration.
During this time, the celebrant will have read the six prayers of the Canon that precede the Consecration. If there is a choir singing a Mass setting, the Sanctus is sung through the first Hosanna in Excelsis. The choir pauses for the Consecration and then proceeds with the Benedictus and final Hosanna after the Consecration of the chalice. The celebrant simultaneously prays the rest of the Canon prayers. The same thing happens at the Agnus Dei. After praying it quietly, the celebrant continues with the prayers before his and the congregation’s Holy Communion.
At some point during the distribution of Holy Communion or the Ablutions, the schola chants the Communion antiphon. The celebrant, of course, still reads it quietly at the appropriate time, and then concludes Mass with the chanting of the Postcommunion, the Ite Missa Est V/R, the quietly read Placeat, the clearly spoken Final Blessing and the quietly read Last Gospel.
Is a Solemn Mass the same as a High Mass?
Short and sweet, no. However, this answer requires some explanation.
Generally, in the ‘Traditional Latin Mass,’ the ‘Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite,’ there are three “types” of Mass one is likely to encounter. Before going any further, the term “High Mass” should be explained first. The term “High Mass” can be used to describe two ceremonious “expressions” of the Mass. Both of these expressions involve the use of music. So instead of using the term ‘High,’ we shall use the terms ‘Missa Cantata’ and ‘Missa Solemnis.’ Both the Missa Cantata (Sung Mass) and Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass) designate ceremonious expressions in which those elements that are variable from Mass to Mass are sung. The only exception to this (for both expressions) is the variable part known as the ‘Secret.’ Though variable, this element is never sung but always prayed “sotto voce.”
Those variable parts are the: Introit, Collect (aka Prayer or Oration), Epistle, Gradual/Alleluia (or Gradual/Tract after Septuagesima; or Alleluia/Alleluia in Eastertide), Gospel, Offertory, Secret, Communion and Postcommunion. Also sung are the following elements of the “Ordinary of the Mass,” i.e., those elements that never change. These are the: Kyrie, Gloria (not present if the vestments are purple or black), Credo (only on Sundays and/or First and Second Class Feasts), Sanctus/Benedictus and Agnus Dei.
So far, it seems like these two expressions are identical. The difference is that, in the Missa Cantata, there is only the Celebrant, whereas in the Missa Solemnis, there are also the Deacon and the Subdeacon. Those are the sacred ministers who assist the celebrant. Though vested, they are not concelebrants. They both wear the maniple. The deacon wears a stole extending across his back and chest from the left shoulder down to the right hip where ends of the stole meet and cross. The deacon’s outer vestment is the dalmatic and that of the subdeacon is the tunicle. There is one other thing to be considered in these Masses, and that is the use of incense.
In the Solemn Mass, the use of incense is required. Though usually used in the Sung Mass, it is not required, strictly speaking. In fact, in the “old days,” incense was NOT used in the Sung Mass. Its use was finally permitted by indult. What it all boils down to is this: The term “High Mass” can be regarded as the genus and, along with the “Missa Cantata,” the “Missa Solemnis” is a species. Up until the tenth century or so, about the time that Masses began, for various reasons, to “multiply,” (and the “Low Mass” started to emerge) the Solemn Mass was the “Forma Normativa,” the normal form of the Rite of Mass.
What is a Votive Mass?
The word ‘votive’ comes from the Latin ‘votum, voti’ for a vow or prayer. A Votive Mass is any Mass the celebrant wishes to celebrate, provided there is no liturgical restriction. What would be a restriction? That a particular Mass MUST be celebrated on a particular day. For example, on a Sunday, the priest must celebrate the Sunday Mass. He has no choice in the matter. If a certain weekday is the feast day of a certain saint, the priest must celebrate the Mass of that saint’s feast.
This rule is easily followed, on days of the first, second or third class. Note: the term ‘class’ is only meaningful in the context of the Extraordinary Form. The Ordinary Form has designations, but are not referred to as “classes.” First class usually refers to major, universal feast days, such as All Saints Day or The Immaculate Conception. Second class feasts are important feasts but a bit “lower” in solemnity, for example, The Most Holy Name of Jesus, St. John the Apostle or The Holy Innocents. Third class feasts, though certainly still important, would be for saints like St. Cecilia or St. Charles Borromeo.
It’s on “ferial” days of the fourth class, i.e., those days not designated as a saint’s feast day or which do not commemorate a sacred event. On such days, a priest can celebrate any Mass he’s like, more or less. To be sure, weekdays have different votive Masses “assigned” to them. For example: Tuesday is the day for the votive Mass of the Angels, Friday is the day for the votive Mass of the Sacred Heart. However, a priest is not bound by this “guide.” A priest may have a special devotion to Our Lady and therefore, at every possible opportunity, he will celebrate, say, the Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Certainly, there are other restrictions and specifications that “fine tune” the whole votive Mass topic, but this is a basic definition and description of the term.
Why is the Epistle read facing towards the altar, and the Gospel read facing to the right of the Altar (from the altar’s perspective; from the perspective of the faithful, to the left)?
First and foremost, we must establish that proper orientation for the celebration of Mass is toward the East. That is, all prayers were directed toward God and all faced God in the same direction, i.e., toward the east. This begs the question: What if the sanctuary is NOT, technically, at the eastern extremity of the building. This happens a lot today. Very often, it is not possible to build churches with the proper orientation, technically speaking. How was this dealt with? The same way many things are dealt with today… by conferring “virtual” properties on them. Hence, even if the sanctuary is not at the eastern end of the “nave,” it is “virtually” considered so inside the church. When one enters the church, one leaves the world and things of the world. After all, at Holy Rosary, the Extraordinary Form, technically speaking, is celebrated facing north. The Ordinary Form, technically speaking, is celebrated facing south. However, for our purposes, we consider the Extraordinary Form in this Q/A forum.
Both readings in the Mass, i.e., the Epistle and Gospel, are primarily for the instruction of the faithful. The ancient practice was that the reader for both the Epistle and Gospel, faced the congregation. Over the centuries changes have occurred. Father O’Connell in his The Celebration of Mass, writes that the subdeacon, away from the altar, but in the sanctuary, may chant the Epistle facing the altar (as does the celebrant at Low Mass), but that it is preferable that he chant the Epistle facing the faithful. With regard to the Gospel: At Low Mass, the celebrant faces north-east, more or less. Some relevance for this may be found below. N.B. As the subdeacon mirrors the posture of the celebrant for the Epistle, so does the deacon for the Gospel. In the Solemn Mass, the deacon chants the Gospel away from the altar, in the sanctuary (room permitting) or, in the case of Holy Rosary – where room in the sanctuary is at a premium – in the nave transept, facing due north. Why? There are reasons, both conventional and anecdotal. First, there is always the necessity to show reverence. In this case, reverence for the altar which represents Christ and for the celebrant, alter Christus. The deacon should not turn his back to the celebrant or to the altar. Hence, he can not fully face the faithful. However, facing north, he is able to face the faithful “halfway” and, simultaneously, does not completely turn his back on the altar and celebrant. There may also be some truth in the following anecdotal reason: The Gospel is to be proclaimed to the heathen. From Rome’s geographical perspective, the heathen are to the north, i.e., the Franks, Celts, Vikings, Angles, Saxons, etc. Facing the north, the deacon proclaims the Gospel to the heathen.
Why does the server raise the bottom and/or side of the Priest's chasuble during the Elevation?
As Archbishop Sheen said - when he was only a monsignor, narrating a famous film (well, famous in Traditional Catholic circles) featuring the celebration of Solemn High Mass* on Easter Sunday 1940 (to the best of my knowledge), made at Our Lady of Sorrows Church (now Basilica) Chicago - "It is a long established principle of the Church never to completely drop from Her public worship, any ceremony, object or prayer which once occupied a place in that worship." This statement will hold true for many of the questions I answer in this forum and should be remembered by all who read these Q/As.
We must remember that the maxim always was and always must be "only the best for God," be that in the use of the finest fabrics for vestments, precious metals for sacred vessels, the most beautiful and appropriate sacred music, the most imposing and awe-inspiring church architecture, etc. Centuries ago (and we still see vestiges of this in heavy 'cloth of gold' vestments in use up until the time of the Second Vatican Council), vestments were ponderously heavy and stiff, having in addition, in the case of gold or silver vestments, a large metal content in the fabric. They were so heavy that, at the time of the Elevation following the Consecration, the celebrant needed assistance in raising the Sacred Host and Precious Blood. His servers assisted him by taking some of the weight off his arms by holding the chasuble and actually raising it with him during the act of elevation.
Today, vestments are not so heavy and the celebrant has no trouble in elevating the Sacred Host and Precious Blood. But folloing the principle quoted above by Archbishop Sheen (RIP), the practice is still retained in memory of what once was.
* This Mass was produced by "The Perpetual Novena in Honor of Our Sorrowful Mother" (begun in 1937 and probably defunct now, like so many other things) and is available on DVD, produced by Keep the Faith (www.keepthefaith.org) under the title "The Immemorial Tridentine Mass".
What is that piece of cloth on the left wrist of the Priest?
It is called the ‘maniple.’ The origin of the word is ‘manus/pleo,’ Latin for ‘handful.’ It is one of the six vestments the priest wears. For many years, vestments have come in “sets.” So the chasuble (the cape-like outer vestment), the stole (a long scarf-like cloth worn under the chasuble) and the maniple “match” in fabric, style and color. Historically, the maniple was a scarf-like or wide ribbon-like cloth that the celebrant held in his hand. It made no difference whether it was the right or left hand. There are two symbolic meanings I’m aware of: the maniple represented a napkin with which the priest, while laboring in the Master’s vineyard, wiped the sweat from his brow; it also represented a fine cloth (that might be scented) carried by a noble or royal person – the priest as king. Gradually, the practice of carrying this cloth (it must have been clumsy to deal with during Mass) gave way to its being worn on the left sleeve of the alb, the long white “foundation” garment.
Why do the servers kiss the hand of the priest and the object that exchanges hands?
These kisses are known as “liturgical kisses” and when they involve two individuals, for example, the celebrant and deacon, along with objects, they are marks of liturgical “politeness.” If it is just the celebrant kissing an object (the only “objects” being the altar, the book and the paten), it is a mark of reverence (the altar = Christ; the book = the Word; the paten = where the Body of Christ rests). Between the celebrant and deacon, then the deacon and subdeacon, and so on down the line, the kiss – now the Pax or Kiss of Peace – is a mark of reverent affection. There are other qualifications as well. The priest, in se, is “alter Christus,” and therefore – particularly when offering Mass – is shown reverence by the inferior ministers. The kiss is also a mark of humility on the part of the deacon, subdeacon or, in Low Mass, the server.
Our associate pastor, Father Michael W. Magiera, is a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Send your own questions to Father Magiera at brevisdictata@gmail.com.