Article III. On Sacred Vestments, Etc

I. Sacred vestments, considered according to their importance, are distinguished into greater and lesser. The greater are the alb, chasuble, and more probably also the stole and maniple. The lesser are the amice and cincture (St. Alphonsus, VI, 377). The following things are to be explained:

1. The existence and object of the precept. "A priest about to celebrate Mass," says canon 811, § 1, "shall wear a becoming garment reaching to the ankles and the sacred ornaments prescribed by the rubrics of his rite." If such a garment cannot be had, for example by an outsider, there is an excusing reason. As regards the sacred ornaments, the amice, alb, cincture, stole, maniple, and chasuble are prescribed. Therefore the sacred vestments should be:

a) Made of the due material; likewise entire, becoming, clean, and beautiful.¹ As regards the material, the amice and alb should be of linen or hemp.² The cincture, without another material being reprobated, can be woolen,³ also silken, but more fittingly⁴ linen; it should not be a band but a cord.⁵ The stole, maniple, and chasuble, although they need not be made of silk, should nevertheless be made of precious material, not of cotton, linen, or wool; a semi-silk or silk-threaded material suffices.⁶

b) Made according to the customary form. The Sacred Congregation of Rites declared that "it is not lawful, in making and using vestments for the sacrifice of the Mass and sacred functions, to depart from the usage received in the Church, and to introduce another mode and form, even an ancient one."

c) Blessed.⁷ The blessing can be imparted by: 1. all Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and all bishops; 2. local Ordinaries lacking episcopal character, for the churches and oratories of their own territory; 3. the pastor for churches and oratories situated in the territory of his parish, and rectors of churches for their own churches; 4. priests delegated by the local Ordinary, within the limits of the delegation and of the jurisdiction of the one delegating; 5. religious superiors - and therefore even non-exempt superiors - and priests of the same religion delegated by them, for their own churches and oratories and for the churches of nuns subject to them (canon 1304).

A sacred vestment loses its blessing: 1. if it has undergone such injuries or changes that it has lost its former form, and is no longer held suitable for its uses (canon 1305, § 1, 1); and this is valid even if one vestment is made from another. Therefore the blessing is lost if the cincture is so broken that neither part suffices for girding the minister, if the alb loses a sleeve, if a maniple is made from a stole, etc. A sacred vestment loses its blessing, 2. if it has been used for indecorous uses or exposed to public sale (canon 1305, § 1, 2).

2. The gravity of the precept. a) It is mortal to celebrate without any sacred vestment; indeed, not even the ministering of Viaticum is held to be an excusing cause. It is disputed whether fear of death excuses, scandal and contempt being excluded (St. Alphonsus, VI, 377).⁸ Likewise it is grave to celebrate without any blessed sacred vestment.

b) It is also mortal to celebrate without an alb or chasuble, or with them unblessed; likewise to celebrate without a stole and without a maniple, or with them unblessed. A most grave cause would excuse, for example lest a dying person lack Viaticum (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.).

c) More probably it is mortal to celebrate without a stole or without a maniple, or with either one unblessed. The reason is that the aforesaid vestments seem, according to the mind of the Church, to be numbered among the greater; and this mind of the Church is evident both from the doctrine of the ancient theologians, who rather commonly hold the aforesaid vestments as greater, and from the fact that, just like the chasuble, they must be made from precious material. Nevertheless a grave cause excuses, for example that the people may hear the prescribed Mass (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.).

d) It is light to celebrate without an amice or cincture. A just cause excuses, for example "fervor of devotion or the opportunity of alms for a priest who is not wealthy" (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.).

e) The color assigned by the rubrics is of precept, as is clear both from what is to be said about rubrics in general (n. 270), and from responses of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.⁹ The obligation, however, apart from grave scandal, is light, so that a just cause excuses; indeed, as St. Alphonsus (VI, 378, doubt 5) teaches with Sporer, it is better "on any day whatever to say Mass in any color whatever than to omit it."

3. Things to be noted. a) Besides sacred vestments, it is prescribed that the priest about to celebrate Mass wear a becoming garment reaching to the ankles (canon 811, § 1). Moreover, he should be shod.¹⁰ The shoes should be such as approved clerics of the diocese commonly use in public.¹¹ "For this, however, it suffices that he be dressed in slippers commonly called pianelle or pantofele" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 402).

b) He should abstain from the skullcap and ring, unless he is a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, a bishop, or a blessed abbot, or unless an apostolic indult permits him to use them in celebrating Mass (canon 811, § 2).

Moreover, it would be mortal to use the skullcap throughout the whole Mass; outside the Canon, however, it is venial, scandal nevertheless being excluded. Hence it is not "illicit to celebrate without a dispensation with the skullcap (except during the Canon and with scandal set aside) for a reasonable cause, if it is evident to those standing by the celebration, for example because of the priest's old age or the coldness of the place, so that one could not celebrate with head uncovered without notable inconvenience" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 397, doubt 1).

c) The use of artificial hair is illicit.¹² Authors note, however, that this prohibition has become obsolete in many regions.

d) To no celebrating priest, except bishops and other prelates enjoying the use of pontificals, is it lawful, solely for the sake of honor or solemnity, to have an assisting priest (canon 812).

¹ Roman Missal, Rite to be observed, title II, n. 1.

² Linen and hemp are equated (n. 257).

³ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 23 December 1862, n. 3118.

⁴ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 22 January 1701, n. 2067.

⁵ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 24 November 1899, n. 4048.

⁶ Cf. Ephemerides liturgicae I, 24, 32; 9 December 1925 (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1926, p. 58).

⁷ Roman Missal, Rite of Mass, title II, n. 2; De defectibus, title X, n. 1.

⁸ Cf. Constitution of Benedict XIV, Aestas anni, 11 October 1828^†.

⁹ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 10 December 1829, n. 2675; 12 November 1831, ad 5, n. 2682.

¹⁰ Roman Missal, Rite to be observed, title I, n. 2.

¹¹ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 31 August 1872, n. 3268, ad 3.

¹² Sacred Congregation of Rites, 4 April 1699, n. 2027, ad 5; indeed it was prohibited by Innocent XI under pain of suspension (in St. Alphonsus, VI, 388).

II. The Missal is required, although the priest should know by memory the Mass which he intends to say;¹ indeed, considering the danger of erring gravely, it is commonly prescribed under grave obligation. Nevertheless, rather probably one celebrating without a Missal does not sin gravely "if he could not easily have one and, because of past experience, the moral danger of erring were absent. Hence they probably infer that a priest celebrates licitly who, because of weakness of sight, recites the Mass from memory, provided that, to avoid notice, he has the Missal on the altar, or another book in its place" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 390).

¹ Roman Missal, De defectibus, title X, n. 1.

III. A cushion or small lectern for the Missal, and the altar cards of the secrets, are not of precept; nevertheless they are fittingly used.

IV. A server assisting at Mass is required, and indeed a male. If a man is lacking, a woman can be employed for a just cause, under this law, however, that she answer from a distance and in no way approach the altar (canon 813). Even devotion alone involves a just cause for employing a woman. When the case occurs, however, everything required for the sacrifice should first be conveniently arranged (St. Alphonsus, VI, 392, doubt 2).¹ Moreover:

1. It is mortal to celebrate without any server; nevertheless a grave cause excuses, for example the necessity of ministering Viaticum; likewise, more probably, that the people may hear a Mass of precept. Besides this, rather probably, "once Mass has begun, especially if the oblation has been made, the celebrant is permitted to proceed without a server if the latter has gone away and is not going to return shortly" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 391, doubt 1). Indeed, since nowadays celebration without a server is easily conceded if no one can be found, and this even on a weekday and without a woman answering from afar, therefore, if unexpectedly a priest in a particular case lacks a server, it seems that permission can be presumed even by reason of devotion alone.

2. It is also mortal to employ a woman who ministers immediately; nor does grave necessity excuse, because it is preferable to celebrate without a server than with a woman immediately ministering.

3. It is more easily lawful to celebrate with a server who does not know how to answer than without a server; not, however, so easily as with a woman answering from afar. For the rest, "let the celebrant not make a scruple if the server pronounces badly, nor easily correct errors, lest he disturb himself or those standing around or the order of the Mass, although Croix with Gobat admonishes that the celebrant should supply what has been omitted by the server" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 391).

¹ Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, 27 August 1836, n. 2745, ad 8; 18 March 1899, n. 4015, ad 6.