We have previously considered the nature and value of the rubrics in general and we must now move on to examine the application of the rubrics.
There is a very solemn and significant stage in a Pontifical High Mass which clearly demonstrates the aim of the rubrics. The early part of the Mass takes place with the bishop at his throne in full pontifical vestments, including mitre and crozier. At the Offertory he comes in procession to the foot of the altar steps. His mitre and crozier are taken away and he mounts the steps. Shortly after, when he begins the Preface, his skull-cap is removed. From this moment on, bereft of his insignia and bare-headed, like any other priest, he stands before his God and ours to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. No further reverences are made to the bishop as everyone concentrates on what is happening at the altar.
Each rubrical movement has led us forward, step by step, to the awesome moment of the Consecration. After Communion the skull-cap is replaced and he is invested with mitre and crozier for the blessing and final procession.
We see here that all the honours given to the prelate, or indeed to any other celebrant in the external rite, show him to be the representative of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Stripped of all insignia he performs the greatest act on earth; a power denied to the angels, a power possessed by a priest alone, the power to change bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord. The power, in fact, to command Almighty God to be present on the altar, before whom even the prelate, be he pope or bishop, kneels in humble adoration.
Giving full consideration to these facts can anyone say that a priest is, or should be, regarded as any other man? It must further be noted that the celebrant never leaves the altar while the Blessed Sacrament is present. At the time of the 'Kiss of Peace' it is the assistants who come to him and not vice versa.
Studying and applying the rubrics is not merely a matter of learning a long list of do's and don'ts. It is essential to go beyond that and to look for the reasons. A feeling for the liturgy needs to be cultivated which leads to a realization that everything is important and that there are no spectators, but all are players. These points were stressed many times by Popes St. Pius X, Pius XI and Pius XII. The celebrant has the unique power to offer the sacrifice, but the liturgy does not fulfil its purpose unless each and every one of us offers himself to God as part of the sacrifice.
Mgr. Rudolph Michael Schmitz gives an admirable exposition of the true situation in his concluding remarks to the second colloquium of CIEL (International Centre for Liturgical Studies):
Worship "in spirit and in truth" cannot dispense with a correct exterior rite. Thus we see that the Church has taken a long time, not without problems, to establish this rite. For if one wants to produce a ceremonial worthy of the Sublime, then everything is important: each gesture, each vestment, each step. And this is why respect for the rubrics is important. It has nothing to do, as is so often supposed, with formalism or a cold legalism. The spirit created the rite so as to become communicable through the rite. The worship of God in spirit but without any exterior rite is thus a self-contradiction. Where there is no rite there is no adoration, only chaos.Rubrics do not stop with the clergy
The rubrics do not stop with the clergy. They are of equal concern to the servers. As there is only one way to say Mass, there is also only one way to serve Mass. The dignity of the ceremony is disturbed by poor pronunciation of Latin, by slovenly gestures and by an apparent unconcern for what is taking place at the altar. An almost military precision is required when two persons are involved in a similar movement. Two servers must bow or genuflect together.
It is for this reason that I strongly advocate strict adherence to the rubrics which require only one server in a low Mass. Likewise, the deacon and subdeacon, when changing places during the course of a High Mass, should synchronise their genuflections.
The training of servers is a serious responsibility requiring time and patience. Here again I repeat that reasons for all movements should be given. Correct training produces life-long good habits, but poor training will never rectify itself. The best way to acquire an understanding of ceremonial is to watch the British Army. Indeed all Masters of Ceremonies would benefit from a spell on a military parade ground!
The practice of servers standing for the Creed seems to stem from a preference to follow the congregation rather than the rubrics. The abominable habit of sitting during the distribution of Holy Communion has been dealt with in a previous article, but I make no apology for repeating it here.
If active participation as taught so energetically by Pius XII and Vatican Council II is to be achieved, the congregation cannot be freed from the rubrics. Although they do not bind the laity in the same way as they bind the clergy, they are, at least, guidelines which ensure full participation in the external rite and thus help towards raising the mind and heart to God - the essence of prayer.
Low Mass, because of the way in which it developed, is a quiet and private ceremony, although still very much part of the public worship of the Church. The priest encourages the laity with 'Dominus vobiscum' and 'Orate fratres'.
There are no rules for the laity. It is customary to kneel throughout except for the Gospel and Creed. As Pius XII taught, they are to take part in the Mass by using whatever method they find most useful. The 'dialogue Mass' is an attempt to bring the laity from private devotions into co- operation with the celebrant. Even so, Pius XII, while encouraging this method of celebration, writes in Mediator Dei:
Moreover the 'dialogue' Mass cannot be substituted for the solemn High Mass; this, even though celebrated with only the sacred ministers present, has a dignity all its own by reason of the solemnity of its rites and the splendour of its ceremonies; although such splendour and solemnity are greatly enhanced if, as the Church earnestly desires, a large and devout congregation assists at it.With this description we reach the pinnacle of ceremonial. Originally there was a Pontifical High Mass celebrated by the bishop surrounded by his clergy and laity. As Christianity spread and dioceses became enlarged, this was no longer possible for everybody. The solemn High Mass developed where the honours afforded to the bishop were transferred to the celebrant.
We must be quite clear at this point that although the deacon and subdeacon are usually, nowadays, ordained priests, there is no question here of concelebration. The ministers, as their title suggests, are simply the principal assistants to the celebrant, and should they receive Holy Communion they do so from the hand of the celebrant in the form of Bread alone.
Following the large increase in parishes with insufficient clergy, of which this country was a good example, the sung Mass was introduced. This form of Mass is nothing other than a solemn Mass without deacon and subdeacon. The acolytes serve as ministers to the celebrant and the MC, as far as possible, replaces the deacon. The ceremonial and the rubrics remain the same.
It is encouraging to see today that considerable effort is being made, particularly by the Society's representatives, to arrange for solemn and sung Masses wherever possible. This is not an easy task and it is fraught with danger. There are three essential requirements; a trained altar staff, including clergy, a trained choir and a trained laity.
A solemn Mass is not a theatrical production nor a musical extravaganza. It is, Mgr Schmitz tells us, what the Church, after a long process, has established as the highest worship of Almighty God. It is better, therefore, to avoid ceremonial until these requirements can be met.
We cannot pick and choose.
I was horrified, on one occasion, to read of a 'mini sung Mass'. Such a ceremony does not exist. We claim to follow tradition and therefore it is the traditional rules that we must observe. We cannot pick and choose which parts of the Mass we will sing. This is permitted during a low Mass where the celebrant is in no way involved, and such singing does not disturb the rite of Low Mass. If, however, the celebrant is to sing at all, we are immediately governed by the rubrics pertaining to a solemn Mass. Everything which is sung in a solemn Mass MUST also be sung in a Missa Cantata, including the Proper. The rubrics do not deal in options and if we fail to adhere to these rules we fall into the ways of modern liturgists in producing hybrid ceremonies.
The hidden danger is that in trying to enhance, as we think, the beauty of the altar or the dignity of the ceremony, we can in fact offend against liturgical law. Two simple examples of this are the use of more candles than are permitted for a particular ceremony and the overcrowding of the altar with flowers. At no time should flowers stand on the altar-table itself.
Not long ago it was decided in a church of my acquaintance, which is usually very correct, that the great feast of the Resurrection could be more fittingly celebrated by throwing off the tabernacle veil and displaying a bright shining door and also by lighting two sanctuary lamps. Both of these actions fell foul of the law. While we are not limited to a single sanctuary lamp, there is a numerical restriction to 1, 3, or 5.
There is a tendency today to think that we of the 20th century (it may be even more so in the 21st) are far more knowledgable than our ancestors. In the realms of technology, medicine, etc., this is undoubtedly true, but it is not the 20th century which is referred to as the 'age of faith'. It was during that age that the great cathedrals and abbeys were built and our ceremonies developed. However backward our ancestors may have been, they certainly knew something about the worship of God.
We must be guided by authority.
I can understand the aim to get as close to a solemn ceremony as possible, but this will not do. We must ask ourselves whether these ceremonies are for our own satisfaction or are intended for a genuine and serious worship of God. If the latter, then we must be prepared to be guided by the authority of the Church and we must follow the traditional rubrics to the letter. If we cannot do this, such ceremonies should be postponed until sufficient training has been given to enable all concerned to play the parts allotted to them for the greater glory of God.
A Low Mass celebrated with due decorum will have more spiritual benefit than an ill-prepared solemn function. Poor performance, from altar or choir, can be a severe distraction for the laity and defeats the whole purpose of the liturgy.
In complete contrast to a Low Mass, the sanctuary, in a High Mass becomes a hive of activity, and this quite naturally spills over into the congregation. Even fifty years ago a solemn High Mass was to many something of a rarity. It was so different from what usually happened that it could not possibly involve the laity who became spectators. This is not the mind of the Church. The congregation is expected to follow the rules laid down for the clergy when they are present in choir on the sanctuary. These rules are not difficult to follow, but there is a reluctance to have our accustomed procedures disturbed and to accept that standing and sitting can have equal value with kneeling in the appropriate places.
The greatest hesitation appears to be with regard to standing, especially after the Consecration, in a High Mass. Let us recall to mind that the celebrant stands throughout in a low Mass and all the servers stand for the greater part of a High Mass. Perhaps St. John may be more convincing when he relates in the Apocalypse:
After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and in the sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands.Perhaps a few well-versed members of the congregation could be persuaded to take up positions in the front benches to give the lead. It is liturgically inappropriate for such directions to be given from the sanctuary. Many years ago a well-known xylophonist, while playing popular melodies of the day used to shout "Sing". It was a successful operation and certainly achieved its aim in securing audience participation, but I cannot recommend the practice for a liturgical function.
The rules for the laity.
The basic rules for the laity at High Mass are as follows.
STAND for entrance procession and Asperges, if such should take place.
KNEEL for the prayers at the foot of the altar.
STAND when the ministers ascend the steps to the altar.
SIT when the celebrant sits for the Gloria (see note below).
STAND when he rises at the end of the Gloria.
STAND for the Collect(s).
SIT for the Epistle, etc.
STAND at Dominus vobiscum before the Gospel.
SIT when the celebrant sits for the Credo (see note below). Having genuflected with the celebrant as he recites the Credo, do not kneel for Et incarnatus est, when sung by the choir, if already seated, but bow with the celebrant.
STAND when the celebrant rises.
SIT after the Dominus vobiscum and Oremus, for the Offertory.
STAND for the incensation of the congregation, bowing to the thurifer before and after.
STAND at Per omnia saecula saeculorum before the Preface.
KNEEL after the Sanctus has been recited by the celebrant.
STAND after the Elevation of the chalice.
KNEEL while Communion is distributed.
SIT after the tabernacle has been closed.
STAND at Dominus vobiscum before the Postcommunion prayer(s).
KNEEL for the blessing.
STAND for the Last Gospel and until the procession has returned to the sacristy.
Note: When the congregation is singing the ordinary of the Mass with the choir all remain standing during the Gloria and Credo when the celebrant sits. There are some slight variations to these rules in the case of Masses celebrated in violet vestments and at Masses for the Dead.
KNEEL for the Collect(s).
KNEEL from the Sanctus until after Communion.
KNEEL for the Postcommunion prayer(s).
The standing position is one of rejoicing and is therefore not appropriate on penitential occasions. By following these simple rules it becomes clear that the congregation is truly taking an active part in the Holy Sacrifice.
Congregational singing.
We must say a word about congregational singing. The utility of Gregorian chant, quite apart from its status, cannot be over-emphasised. The responses to the celebrant are not difficult to learn, nor are the better known Masses, e.g. De Angelis and Cum Jubilo. Even with a trained choir the common parts of the Mass, i.e. Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei should all be sung by the congregation. When arranging the music for Mass, the congregation should always be kept in mind. By these means we will, in the words of Pius XI, "no longer have the spectacle of a congregation either not joining at all in the Latin or vernacular prayers of the community, or else contributing only a feeble murmur".
The position held by Gregorian chant in the liturgical worship of the Church is described by Pius XII:
Gregorian chant, which the Roman church regards as a thing of her own, having received it as a legacy from ancient times and preserved it throughout the ages under her special guardianship, and which she also exhibits to the faithful as their property and even imposes in certain parts of the liturgy, not only adds to the seemliness and splendour of the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries, but also contributes greatly to the faith and devotion of the congregation.This view was endorsed some 16 years later by no less an authority than Vatican Council II:
The Church recognises Gregorian chant as being specially suited to the Roman liturgy. Therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in the liturgical services.It is understandable that after 30 years experience of the Novus Ordo Missae some confusion will arise. This is especially so where people have the opportunity to attend the traditional Mass only occasionally. In the rules for a 'dialogue' Mass it is permitted for the congregation to recite the Pater Noster with the celebrant. This does not apply to a sung Mass where the celebrant alone sings the Pater Noster to which the congregation adds Sed libera nos a malo.
I should like to end with an appeal for the return of a customary practice. When the celebrant recites the Domine, non sum dignus before his own Communion, the bell is rung. This is an indication that the moment of general communion has arrived. At this point the communicants should make their way to the altar rails. This was the common practice that changed with the revised method of giving Communion in the Novus Ordo. A return to the former practice is important for us for two reasons. Firstly the celebrant should never have to stand awaiting the arrival of the communicants, and secondly, by responding to the bell, a more orderly and dignified approach to the altar rails becomes possible. It must be remembered, however, that any communicants who find themselves walking down the aisle or standing awaiting a place at the altar rails at the moment when the celebrant turns to hold up the Host, saying: Ecce Agnus Dei..., must immediately kneel until the completion of the Domine non sum dignus.
[Taken from the Latin Mass Society's May 2000 Newsletter.]