3. Is it correct to say the Requiem aeternam after the prayer at lauds
when the Mass follows?
4. is it proper for the priest who presides in the choir to perform the
absolution after Mass?
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
1. It is not proper for the president of the choir to wear the alb and
cincture at matins and lauds. There is a decree of the Sacred Congregation
of Rites which appears to bear on this subject.
The question proposed was:
“Dubium LXI. Juxta Rituale, dum in officio dicuntur laudes:
sacerdos cum ministris paratur ad celebrandam missam solemnem pro
defuncto. Exinde autem oriuntur dubia de modo concludendi laudes:
nempe 1o Ubi sunt duo vel plures Presbyteri, alius debetne
concludere Laudes dum celebrans qui officium inchoavit paratur in
sacristia? 2. Ubi unicus est Presbyter debetne iste relinquere
officium Laudum sine Praeside et adire sacristiam ut paretur ad
missam et deinde opportuno tempore redire in Chorum, vel ante
Altare, alba, cingulo, et stola indutus ut concludat Laudes?
“Ad LXI. Affirmative ad primam partem. Quoad secundam debet
concludere laudes et postea sacristiam petere ut sese vestiat pro
Missae celebratione. Die 12 Augusti, 1864”.
It is evident from this decree that the vestments are not to be worn at
the office of the dead, for they are not allowed even in a case which
would appear one of necessity, viz.: when there is only one priest
present, and when some delay must necessarily occur between the office and
the mass, if the celebrant must wait to say the prayer at the end of Lauds
before he puts on the vestments. If in such an extreme case, when there
arises some delay between the office and mass, which is most objectionable
and always to be avoided in ceremonies, the alb and cincture cannot be
worn, they cannot surely be used on ordinary occasions when such necessity
does not exist.
2. With regard to the second question, the Roman Ritual does not prescribe
even the use of a stole or of a cope, as far as we are aware, and we think
that the practice of not wearing one or the other at the office is the
most correct and to be recommended, though we are well aware that the
contrary practice is adopted by many. The Roman Ritual, treating of the
procession in which the remains are carried to the church, has the
following words:
“Parochus indutus superpelliceo et stola nigra vel pluvali ejusdem
coloris, clerico praeferente crucem et alio aquam benedictam ad
domum defuncti una cum aliis procedit”.
But these words do not apply to the office. The Caeremoniale Episcoporum,
treating of the ceremony on All Souls’ Day, does make mention of the stole
and cope (book ii., chap. 10, n. 10):
“Haec ut dixi servantur si ipse episcopus sit in his vesperis aut
matutinis officium facturus; sin minus posset manere cum cappa in
choro in loco suo et Canonicus hebdomadarius paratus pluviali
nigro supra Rocchetum vel cottam aut saltem stola nigra faceret
aut diceret omnia praedicta”.
The words of the _Caeremoniale_ gave rise to the following question
proposed to the Sacred Congregation of Rites: “An in officio defunctorum
celebrans inducre debeat stolam vel saltem possit, uti erui posse videtur
ex Caeremoniali lib 2o. cap. 10.
“_Resp._ Negative extra casum in caeremoniali contemplatum. 7 Septembris,
1850”.
There is another decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites referring to
this matter:—
“Dubium LVIII. An sacerdos qui juxta Rituale, superpelliceo et
stola indutus praefuit clationi corporis debeat retinere stolam
dum praeest matutino et Laudibus quae immediate sequuntur? Saltem
si in hac Functione utatur Pluviali, quum in eo casu non possit
deponere stolam quin per aliquantis Pluviale exuat?
“Ad LVIII. In utroque casu licere. Die 12 Augusti, 1864”.
We may observe that a direct answer is not given to the question, which
was proposed with the view of ascertaining what should be done in two
special cases, and the only answer given was “in utroque casu licere”.
Hence a priest might wear the stole and cope, but should he not do so, he
would not follow a course at variance with this decree. No doubt, in some
rubrical works, express mention is made of the stole and cope, and still
more frequently of one or the other; but the Roman Ritual, as we said,
does not prescribe either at the office of the dead, and when their use is
pointed out, it generally refers to the cathedral churches, where the
ceremonies are carried out with greater pomp and solemnity, than in those
rural churches to which our correspondent refers. We may also observe that
the decree above quoted, does not contemplate the use of the stole and
cope apart from the procession. On the whole, considering the
circumstances of our churches, we would in practice dispense with stole
and cope at the office, while we would be slow to condemn the use of the
cope, if such a custom existed in any church that in other respects
carried out the ceremonies of the Church with accuracy and decorum. But we
consider that the decree of 7th September, 1850, above quoted, clearly
lays down that the stole ought not to be used, though we find it more
frequently used on such occasions than the cope, on the ground, perhaps,
that it is an emblem of jurisdiction in the person who presides.
3. In reply to the third question, we beg to say that the Mass should
commence immediately at the end of the lauds, which terminate with the
prayer, and after the prayer, the Requiem aeternam, etc., and Requiescant
in pace should not be said: it is only when the ceremony concludes that
these are to be said.
“In fine Laudum dicta oratione, non adduntur versus Requiem
aeternam, nec Requiescant, sive sequatur Missa sive hac omissa
statim procedatur ad absolutionem, quia hi versus, qui deserviunt
in ultimum vale defunctis, sunt in fine precum reservandi”.(64)
The prayer at the end of Lauds on such occasions should be said cum
conclusione brevi. We give the following extracts from Cavalieri, a
distinguished rubricist, who writes, in tom. 3, cap. 2, decr. 16, n. 13:—
“In Rituali oratio ponitur _cum conclusione brevi_, sed hoc ideo,
quia supponit, quod non ibi terminetur officium, sed continenti
filo pergatur ad exequias: quare ut ponatur concordia Rituals
inter et Breviarium, quod longiorem notat conclusionem,
concludendi orationes haec erit regula; quoties una tantum dicitur
oratio, et ibi terminatur officium, conclusio sit integra; brevis
vero quando sequantur exequiae, seu absolutio ab tumulum, sive
haec fiant praesente vel absente corpore sive diebus 3. 7. 30.,
anniversario, vel alio officio quolibet. Confirmatur ex Rubricis
Breviarii Romani trium Ordinum S. Francisci, quae approbatae
fuerunt a Pio VI. an. 1785. In die Commemor. omnium Fidelium Def.
additur haec annotatio: _Conclusiones (orationum in officio pro
defunct.) longiores adhibentur semper, quando unica dicitur
oratio; nisi statim sequatur Missa de Requiem, vel absolutio ad
tumulum; tunc enim dicitur conclusio brevis._
“(2) Cavalieri, _ib. n._ 14. quia Rituale, terminata oratione sub
brevi conclusione, non subdit versiculos _Requiem aeternam_, sed
statim transit ad Missam, et quatenus haec non sit dicenda, ad
orationem _Non intres_, nec dubitamus, quod praedicti versiculi
taceri debeant, quoties post Defunctorum officium sequitur Missa
de requiem, aut absolutio ad tumulum. Tunc enim ex hujusmodi
officiis fit unum veluti continuatum, unde versus illi, qui
deserviunt ad dandum ultimum vale Defunctis, sunt in fine precum
reservandi. Huic doctrinae conformis est praescriptio Rubricarum
in praedicto Breviario Fr. S. Francisci. Loco cit. dicitur: _Duo
autem Versiculi (Requiem aeternam, et Requiescant) post orationem
omittuntur, si statim sequatur Missa de Requiem, vel Absolutio ad
tumulum_”.
With regard to the fourth question the Roman ritual is quite clear.
“Finita Missa sacerdos deposita casula seu planeta et manipulo accipit
pluviale nigri coloris”.... It is always laid down that the celebrant of
the Mass, unless the bishop be present, performs this part of the
ceremony. The _Caeremoniale Episcoporum_, cap. 37, lib. 2o, has the
following words, which we here quote:—
“Aliquo die non impedito infra octavam Defunctorum arbitrio
Episcopi, Canonicus aliquis, seu dignitas Ecclesiae Cathedralis
celebrabit Missam pro animabus omnium Episcoporum et Ecclesiae
Cathedralis Canonicorum defunctorum cum paramentis nigris et
caeremoniis prout supra dictum est, cui Missae Episcopus praesens
erit cum cappa et in fine si voluerit, poterit, immo debebit
deposita cappa et accepto pluviali absolvere, prout dicitur capite
praecedenti.
“Quod si Episcopus hujusmodi Missae praesens non erit, vel
absolvere nequiverit, celebrans finita Missa, accedet ad cornu
Epistolae altaris, ubi in plano, deposita planeta et manipulo
accipiet pluviale nigrum et stans in dicto cornu Epistolae versus
ad altare expectabit finem responsorii”....
It is evident from all this what answer is to be given to the fourth
question, viz.: that in all cases the celebrant, and no other priest,
should give the absolution when the bishop is not present.