Case III: Low Mass on Holy Thursday

We were asked, last year, shortly before Holy Week, by the pastor of a small country parish, whether it would be lawful for him to say a low Mass on Holy Thursday for the accommodation of his people, when it was practically impossible for him to carry out any of the other ceremonies of Holy Thursday or to say the Mass of the presanctified on Good Friday, or to perform any of the sacred rites of Easter Saturday. His people, he said, could not attend any other church on that day on account of the distance, nor would they understand why he did not say Mass on Holy Thursday, even though he could not hold services on Good Friday or Holy Saturday. His people were very anxious to hear Mass on that day above all others, and to receive Holy Communion, as it was the august anniversary of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, and he was very anxious to satisfy their desires, if it were at all lawful for him to do so.

Answer. Gasparri, tract. can. de Smo. Euch. n. 67, says: "The general principle that obtains in the Church to-day is, that Mass may be celebrated on any day in the year." “This discipline is in force today: namely, the general principle is that Mass can be celebrated on any day.” However, the Latin Rite excepts from this general rule, the three last days of Holy Week, viz., Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. But even as regards these three days, there is a great difference between Holy Thursday and the other two days. Holy Thursday has its own proper Mass, and is not a "dies aliturgicus," Indeed, formerly, three Masses were celebrated on Holy Thursday; one for reconciling penitents to the Church, the other for the consecration of the oils, and a third one in memory of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. It is a very ancient custom in the Church, that the clergy abstain from saying Mass on Holy Thursday, and assist at this third Mass. And thus the custom was gradually introduced, that on Holy Thursday a solemn Mass was celebrated, and all low Masses were forbidden. This is now the general rule for the whole Church; private Masses, or low Masses, are prohibited on Holy Thursday. But this rule again is not so absolute that it suffers no exceptions. “Moreover, that private Masses are prohibited on Thursday of Holy Week is the general rule; it is not, however, so absolute that private Masses may never be celebrated on this day for the convenience of the faithful.” (Ibid. n. 75.)

Among the exceptions, now, that writers on the sacred liturgy enumerate, when it is lawful to say a low Mass on Holy Thursday, we find the very case as stated in the beginning of this article.

In the year 1821, the following "Dubium" was laid before the Congregation of Rites:

May the custom be tolerated that obtains in some parishes, especially in the country, of celebrating a low Mass on Holy Thursday, when the other sacred rites, prescribed to be performed on that day and on Good Friday, can not be carried out, owing to the lack of clergy; or is the custom to be abolished?

“Whether the custom prevailing in some parishes, especially rural ones, of having the pastor celebrate a LOW MASS on Thursday of the Lord’s Supper, although because of a lack of clerics the other prescribed ecclesiastical functions cannot be performed on that day and the following day, is to be tolerated; or rather is to be abolished?”

The Sacred Congregation of Rites made reply, on June 28, 1821, as follows:

"Yes (the custom may be tolerated of saying a low Mass on Holy Thursday, even when it is impossible to carry out any of the other ceremonies) with certain restrictions; namely, that the Ordinary of the diocese endeavor to have the sacred rites and ceremonies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday carried out according to the small Ritual of Benedict XIII. published in 1725, in all parishes where at least three or four clergy can be had; as regards other parishes, where there are no clergy, the Ordinary may permit for the accommodation of the people, that pastors, having first obtained permission each year, celebrate a low Mass on Holy Thursday, provided the low Mass be said at an earlier hour than the Mass in the cathedral or in the parent church."

“The same Sacred Congregation, after the matter had been diligently discussed and the consultor’s opinion heard, judged that the answer should be: Affirmative, and according to the intention. The intention is that the local Ordinaries, with regard to parishes in which three, or at least four, clerics can be had, should endeavor to have the sacred functions performed on Thursday and Friday and on Saturday of Holy Week, the form of the small Ritual issued by command of Benedict XIII of holy memory in the year 1725 being observed; but with regard to other parishes which lack clerics, they may grant, for the convenience of the people, that pastors (permission being requested every year) may celebrate a low Mass on Thursday of the Lord’s Supper before the conventual Mass begins in the cathedral or mother church. And the matter is referred to the Lord Secretary to confer with His Holiness.”

This reply of the Sacred Congregation of Rites was approved and confirmed by Pius VII., on July 31, 1821.

If we enquire farther, as to the reason of the present discipline of the Church, which forbids low Masses on Holy Thursday, we find that it is owing not to the liturgical quality of the day, because Holy Thursday has its own proper Mass, but to the reverence due to the most sublime mystery of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. This reverence is emphasized by the priests abstaining from celebrating the divine mysteries, and receiving Holy Communion, after the manner of the laity, from the hands of the bishop or parish priest, who says the Mass. For thus they recall more vividly the scene of the Last Supper, when the disciples received the body and blood of our divine Saviour under the species of bread and wine, from the hands of the Saviour Himself.

"For as our divine Saviour," says Benedict XIV., "first partook of the divine mysteries Himself, and then gave to His apostles, so it is becoming that the priest having first received the Holy Eucharist himself, should thereupon distribute it to the other clergy, who are attached to the church where the holy sacrifice is offered" (in Inst. 38).

Since, however, there are many small country churches, where it is impossible to carry out the other rites and ceremonies of Holy Week, Benedict XIII. had a small ritual^* compiled for the use of poor parishes, which enables them to have very simple services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday and Holy Saturday. And this seems to have been the opinion of Benedict XIV., for when he was Archbishop of Bologna, he ordained “but if, apart from the PASTOR IN HIS OWN PARISH, any priest.... should have dared to celebrate Mass privately on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday of Holy Week, we shall punish him severely, etc.”

^* Appeared in English under the title: "The Ceremonies of Holy Week in Churches with Only One Priest." (Wagner, New York.)

Again the Sacred Congregation of Rites was asked: “Whether on Thursday of the Lord’s Supper one private Mass, besides the solemn Mass, may be celebrated in a church (not in a private hospital chapel, but in a public church) for the sick,” answered on March 27, 1773: “at the discretion of the Bishop.”

Again the Sacred Congregation was asked: “Whether it is lawful on the aforesaid Thursday to sing Mass without the consecration of another host and without a procession.” The reply was: “Affirmative, according to the decree of Pope Pius VII, provided at least that the bishop’s permission has been obtained.” D'Annibale, III., 402. not. 20, remarks that in many places the bishop's permission is not asked.

Fr. Schneider, S.J., interprets the words of the Congregation of Rites in the decree of June 28, 1821, "paroeciae quae clericis destituuntur" in this wise: "By parishes without clergy are meant not only parish churches, but other churches that rank lower than parish churches, but which have a priest attached to them, chapels in hospitals, in prisons, churches or chapels of small convents, of men or women, if they be cloistered and have their own priest and have the permission to reserve the Blessed Sacrament." (Manuale Sacerdotum, p. 532.)

To this Gasparri (de S S mo. Eucharistia, vol. I. n. 81) adds that in practice, a low Mass without any other ceremony, on Holy Thursday, may be said in the chapels of nuns who are in no sense cloistered, if it be inconvenient for them to go to the parish church, v. g., Sisters of Charity.

To sum up, therefore, we say that in churches where there is only one priest, he is obliged to follow the small Ritual of Benedict XIII., if he wishes to hold services on the three last days of Holy Week. But if this is impossible, and he desires only to say a low Mass on Holy Thursday, and to consecrate only one host and to have no procession of the Blessed Sacrament, then he is, generally speaking, obliged to get his bishop's permission for this, each year.