Chapter IV — On the rite, or ceremonies, and rubrics with which Mass ought to be celebrated

I. QUESTION I. Of how many kinds is the ceremonial of the Mass? ANSWER. Twofold. Certain ceremonies go before, which regard the place, the time, and the person; others accompany, and are parts of the sacred Liturgy itself. Under the name of place are understood temples, altars, sacred vessels, and lights. The time indicates the hour of celebrating. To the person pertain the sacred vestments, and they are six: the amice, the alb, the girdle, the maniple, the stole, and the chasuble or planet, the use of which is most ancient. Those vestments ought to be blessed.

II. Outside a case of urgent necessity it is never lawful to celebrate without the sacred vestments. While the sacred vestments are put on, the prescribed prayers are to be recited devoutly.

III. Sacred vessels are necessary for the lawful celebration of Mass, namely a chalice and paten consecrated by the bishop. Necessary also are the linens, namely the corporal, the pall, and the purificator, similarly blessed by the superior. The corporal and the pall ought to be of linen, white, and clean. Upon the altar there must be three cloths, and a cross in the middle of the altar which bears the image of the Crucified, not painted but carved. The sacred vessels cannot be touched by laymen. There is required besides a veil with the burse, which can be touched by all. The host to be consecrated among the Latins ought to be of circular shape, whether large or small. The Greeks use a host of quadrangular shape. No one relying on memory ought to celebrate without a missal. If a missal be lacking, it is enough that he have the Mass written out.

IV. Priests ought to go to the church in a long garment. They do not dare, says Benedict XIV, Vol. 1, note 14, to sit before great men without a long garment; and afterwards they are not ashamed to depart from home clothed in a short garment, and with it to approach the temple of the Lord about to celebrate! See Vol. VIII, Book 3, dissertation 2, chapter 9. Concerning the periwig, commonly parrucca, many things would have to be said. In a few words I shall say that priests ought to celebrate with head bared. Some teach that some cause suffices for priests to celebrate with head covered. This Urban VIII forbids in the reformed Missal. The periwig Innocent XI expressly forbade in encyclical letters given to the Nuncios of the Apostolic See in the year 1689, which Fr. La Croix reports, Book 6, part 2, no. 401, who nevertheless adds: “Those things notwithstanding, we see daily priests celebrating in a false periwig, who think that by this they satisfy their conscience if they so celebrate, the judgment of one or another honest physician being had, that otherwise they could not without danger of grave inconvenience.” Nor does Fr. La Croix mutter anything against so great a corruption. We see also daily several priests celebrating Mass precipitately, or rather profaning it with unworthy gesticulations, reading most swiftly with a stammering tongue; and many other absurdities we behold daily. Why are physicians obtruded upon the scene? Has the nature of rich and noble priests been changed in our age, that they need false periwigs? Before these periwigs, which assuredly are not ancient, were introduced, did not noble and rich priests celebrate? And do not plebeian priests of middling condition celebrate today? Let those who cannot celebrate unless they be long-haired abstain from celebration. The rites of ecclesiastical discipline, not the vain axioms of flattering physicians, are to be consulted in the celebration of Mass.

V. QUESTION II. Into how many parts is the Mass distributed? ANSWER. It is distributed into four parts. First, from the beginning up to the offertory, and this is called the Mass of the Catechumens. Second, from the offertory up to the consecration. Third, from the consecration up to the communion. Fourth, from the communion up to the end.

VI. QUESTION III. Is it a mortal sin to neglect the rubrics in celebrating Mass? ANSWER. The affirmative opinion is common, unless smallness of matter excuse. Since by a grave precept from the Supreme Pontiffs, and especially from St. Pius V, the observance of them is commanded. There is a twofold kind of rubrics. Some are called preceptive, others directive. Preceptive are called those which command that celebration be made in a sacred place, on an altar, in sacred vessels and vestments, in the prescribed matter and form, with fasting going before, and many others. Directive are called those which according to the common sense of theologians do not oblige under mortal sin, as to pray before and after Mass, the number of collects, and many other things of that kind.

VII. QUESTION IV. Would one who should omit some part of the Mass sin mortally? ANSWER. The ordinary parts of the Mass are the confession, the introit, Dominus vobiscum, the collect, the epistle, the gospel, the offertory, the preface, the whole canon, and so forth. Not ordinary are the Gloria in excelsis, and so forth, the number of prayers, the Creed, the plurality of epistles, and so forth. He who deliberately omits a notable part of the canon sins mortally. He who should omit a light matter, even of the canon — say the name of one saint — would sin venially. He nevertheless who should deliberately omit something in the canon which would corrupt the sense would sin mortally. Nothing therefore is to be added and nothing omitted. But all things are to be pronounced clearly and distinctly. Many things would have to be said here of priests who are too hasty, who muttering within their lips truncate the words, who recite with a raised voice what is to be said with a lowered one, or the contrary. The congruous time for the celebration of Mass ought to be neither shorter than a third part of an hour nor longer than half an hour. The brevity of a compendium does not permit a fuller discourse upon this argument.