Case XII: Some Liturgical Questions Concerning Holy Mass

1. Is it permitted for the priest, while he genuflects and elevates the sacred species after the consecration of the Mass, to say some vocal prayers, like: Credo, Dme or Adoro te?

2. Is it right for another priest to take the ciborium that has just been consecrated in the Mass, immediately after the consecration, and to distribute holy Communion from it?

3. Is it permitted for the celebrant of a high Mass to recite his office while the choir sings the Gloria and Credo?

Answer.—1. It is not permitted for the celebrant of the Mass to say any vocal prayers during the Mass, except such as are contained in the Missal. Pope Pius V., in the Bull "Quo primum," which is inserted at the beginning of the Roman Missal, strictly ordains: They are not to presume to add or recite in the celebration of Mass any ceremonies or prayers other than those contained in the Missal. And the Council of Trent admonishes bishops that they take care that priests do not employ other rites, or other ceremonies and prayers, in the celebration of Masses (Sess. XXII. de observandis in celebratione Missae). It is permitted to pray mentally and to elicit acts of faith, hope and charity within the soul, but it is forbidden to express them with the lips or voice. If it were permitted to say vocal prayers during the Mass, one can easily imagine to what abuses it would lead in a very short time. There are some theologians, v. g., Noldin, S.J. (de Euch. 210) who say that it is permissible to recite vocal prayers in the Mass while genuflecting or incensing the altar, etc., as such a practise does not seem to be contrary to the rubrics. Still the practise does appear tobe contrary to the prescriptions of St. Pius V. and the Council of Trent and ought to be discouraged.

2. It is not permitted to distribute holy Communion to the faithful during Mass, from a ciborium consecrated in that Mass, unless after the communion of the celebrant.

The question was put to the Congregation of Rites at Rome, May 11,1878:

"Can the practice of certain churches be upheld, in which, because of the gathering of an immense crowd of people, when the quantity of hosts is insufficient for the multitude for Holy Communion, a new Mass having been celebrated, the distribution of Communion is resumed immediately after the consecration?" The Sacred Congregation answered: "The abuse is to be forbidden."

The reason of this answer is ready to hand. The sacred species contained in the ciborium that has just been consecrated are a part of the sacrifice of the Mass in which they have been consecrated, and as such should not be consumed until the communion of the Mass.

3. It is not strictly proper for the celebrant of a high Mass to recite his breviary while the choir sings the Gloria or Credo. The question was proposed to the Sacred Congregation of Rites, March 20, 1869: Whether the vested ministers, while solemn Mass is being sung, may privately recite the canonical hours? The Sacred Congregation answered: that the matter ought not even to be discussed, which means that it is so evident that the officers of a solemn Mass should not recite the divine office during the Mass, that the question should not be asked as being an idle one. This can easily be gathered both from the bull of Pius V. and the prescriptions of the Council of Trent, quoted above.

The singing of the Gloria and Credo, as well as of the other parts of the Mass by the choir, is a part of the liturgical service or rite of the Mass. To introduce the recitation of the breviary into them is certainly adding to the rite something external to it, which is not found in the Missal, and which is not authorized by the Church. Nor should the deacon or subdeacon of a solemn Mass recite the office during any part of the Mass. The same reasons apply to them as to the celebrant. Even during the sermon at a solemn Mass, the ministers of the Mass should not recite the divine office, but should rather listen patiently, if not piously, to the sermon, and thereby avoid disedifying or scandalizing the faithful.