179. On Gregorian Masses

1. Copiosus, a priest, a stipend having been received, promised that he would celebrate thirty Gregorian Masses for the soul of the priest Iustus, recently deceased. But after ten Masses had been celebrated, he interrupted celebrating them for three days, since on those days he had received a very rich stipend for the application of the Mass. Then he celebrated another ten Masses not on the same altar, but on another altar, an unforeseen impediment having supervened. Finally, since he himself could not celebrate the remaining ten Masses, he committed them to another priest, who on days not impeded did not celebrate the Mass of Requiem, but according to the rite of the current day. - Did he act rightly?

R. Copiosus did not act rightly by interrupting the Masses. For the thirty Gregorian Masses, from the institution of St. Gregory himself, who first commanded that they be celebrated for the soul of a deceased monk, are to be celebrated on thirty continuous days, so that no day be omitted. - But that not all those Masses were celebrated on the same altar does not harm the special efficacy of the thirty Masses of St. Gregory. For St. Gregory prescribed nothing concerning the place of celebration, but only determined the time, on thirty continuous days, of offering the divine sacrifice. And this is confirmed from the S. C. Indulg., Jan. 14, 1889. - Likewise, it does not harm the aforesaid efficacy that the thirty Masses are not celebrated by one and the same priest. For although St. Gregory imposed upon one and the same priest that those Masses be celebrated, nevertheless from his words it clearly appears that their efficacy is to be sought only from the continued celebration of Mass for thirty days, and not from the priest celebrating: Take care that no day be omitted on which the saving Host is not offered for his absolution. And this is also confirmed from the S. C. Indulg., Jan. 14, 1889. - Finally, as regards the rite, it seems altogether more probable that the aforesaid Masses, on days not impeded, are to be celebrated in the proper rite for the dead, since St. Gregory says that the saving host is to be offered for the absolution of that deceased person, which in the obvious sense also includes the rite for the dead, when namely the rubric permits this; otherwise it will be enough to celebrate in the rite proper to the day. M. E. v. 12, p. 404 seqq.