LITURGICAL QUESTIONS.

One of the objects which the founders of the Irish Ecclesiastical Record had proposed to themselves from the very beginning of their undertaking was to offer to the Irish clergy in its pages an appropriate place for the discussion of liturgical questions. They judged that they could not better recommend this object to their readers than by laying before them a sample of the actual working of the liturgical department of an ecclesiastical periodical of long standing and renown. With this view it was resolved to insert in our early numbers some of the questions which from time to time had been asked by French clergymen in the Revue des Sciences Ecclesiastiques (edited by the learned Abbé Bouix), adding in each case the answers given by those charged with that part of the Review. No official character has ever been claimed for these answers by their authors, who invariably give for what they are worth the arguments on which their answers rest. In the same way the excellent Archivio dell'Ecclesiastico of Florence devotes every month a portion of its pages to the liturgical questions which are continually addressed to the Editor by the clergy of Northern Italy. We are happy to announce to-day that several distinguished ecclesiastics who have devoted much time and study to liturgical pursuits have undertaken to attend to any similar questions that may be addressed to the Record by the clergy of Ireland. Following the custom of the periodicals just mentioned, all information shall be withheld concerning the sources whence the questions have come, except where publicity is expressly desired. Every question with which we may be honoured, shall be carefully attended to. We hope that every priest will assist us in this effort to make the Irish Ecclesiastical Record a work of practical benefit to the clergy of Ireland.

We give to-day a collection of the decrees of the S. Congregation of Rites on various points of the Rubrics of the Missal. We extract them from the first Ratisbon edition of the Manuale Ordinandorum, March 1842. In order that the words of each decree of the S. Congregation may be distinguished from those of the editors, the former are printed in Italics.

EX DECRETIS S. RITUUM CONGREGATIONIS.

Ad § II. De ingressu sacerdotis ad altare.

1. Acolythus aut alius accendens cereos ante Missam, aut ante aliam sacram functionem, incipere debet a cereis qui sunt a cornu evangelii, quippe nobiliori parte. 12 Aug. 1253 (Anal. II. p. 2201).

2. Non licet sacerdotibus deferre manutergium supra calicem tam eundo quam redeundo ab altari. 1 Sept. 1703 in u. Pisaur.

3. Sacerdos pergens ad celebrandum et calicem manu sinistra portans, ad ianuam sacristiae signet se, si commode fieri potest, aqua benedicta; sin minus, se abstineat. 27 Mart. 1779 in u. Ord. Min. ad 14.

4. Si sacristia est post altare, a sacristia ad illud e sinistra egrediendum, a dextera ad illam accedendum. 12 Aug. 1854 in u. Brioc. ad 17.

5. Sacerdos Missam celebraturus transiens ante altare, ubi fit populi Communio, non debet permanere genuflexus, quousque terminetur Communio. 5 Jul. 1698 in u. Collen. ad 17.—In quaestione: quomodo se gerere debeat sacerdos celebraturus, dum transit ante altare, in quo sit publice expositum Ss. Sacramentum? An post factam genuflexionem detecto capite, surgens debeat caput tegere, donec ad altare pervenerit? an vero detecto capite iter prosequi ob reverentiam tanti Sacramenti sic publice expositi, cum rubrica Missalis Romani non videatur loqui de hac praecisa adoratione in casu de quo agitur? servandae sunt rubricae Missalis Romani, quae videntur innuere, quod post factam adorationem genibus flexis, detecto capite, surgens caput operiat. 24 Jul. 1638 in u. Urb.

6. Tam in ingressu Sacerdotis ad altare, quam ante principium Missae, reverentia Sacerdotis debet esse profunda capitis et corporis, non capitis tantum, inclinatio, juxta rubricam 8. April. 1808. in u. Compostell. ad 5.—In accessu ad altare, in quo habetur Ss. Sacramentum, sive expositum, sive in tabernaculo reconditum et in recessu, in plano est genuflectendum; in infimo autem gradu altaris, quoties (alias ante altare) genuflectere occurrat (e. g. in principio Missae). 12. Nov. 1831 in u Mars. ad 51.—Inter Missam privatam a ministro in transitu tantum ante medium altaris genuflectendum, (si Ss. Sacramentum inclusum est in tabernaculo), vel inclinandum. 12. Aug. 1854 ad 70 et 71 (Anal. II. 2200).

7. Si multae sunt particulae consecrandae, satius est eas ponere in pixide;[7] si paucae poni possunt in alia patena; nunquam vero in alio Corporali complicato. 12. Aug. 1854 ad 19 (Anal. II. p. 2192)

8. In Missis privatis non potest permitti ministro aperire Missale et invenire Missam; et serventur rubricae. 7. Sept. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 11; neque potest permitti ministro, si fuerit sacerdos vel diaconus sive subdiaconus, ut praeparet calicem, et ipsum extergat in fine post ablutiones. Ibid. ad 12.

Ad § III. De principio Missae et Confessione facienda.

In Missa dicendum est Confiteor pure et simpliciter, prout habetur in Missali Romano, absque additione alicujus Sancti etiam Patroni, nisi adsit speciale indultum Apostolicae Sedis. 13. Febr. 1666 in u. Ord. Min. ad 5; Jul. 1704 in u. Valent.

Ad § IV. De Introitu, Kyrie, et Gloria.

In quaestione: an post signum crucis, quod fit in fine "Gloria in excelsis", "Credo" et "Sanctus" manus sint jungendae, etiamsi nihil hujusmodi praescribat rubrica? serventur rubricae, 12. Nov. 1831 in u. Mars. ad 30.

Ad § V. De Oratione.

Congruit, ut fert praxis universalis, praesertim Urbis, quod fiat inclinatio capitis, cum pronunciatur nomen Ss. Trinitatis, sicut fit, cum profertur nomen Jesus. 7. Sept. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 40.

Ad § VI. De Epistola usque ad Offertorium.

1. Juxta rubricas in elevatione oculorum crux est aspicienda. 22. Jul. 1848 in u. Adiacen. ad. 3.

2. Manus sinistra poni debet super missale ad Evangelium, cum dextera fit signum crucis super ipsum. 7. Sept. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 25.

3. In Missis privatis ad verba "Et incarnatus est", Celebrans genuflectere debet unico genu. 22. Aug. 1818 in u. Hispal. ad 10.

Ad § VII. De Offertorio usque ad Canonem.

1. In dubio: an in Missa privata, quando minister non est superpelliceo indutus, debeat eum, lecto Offertorio a Celebrante, ad altare ascendere, accipere et plicare velum calicis, vel hic ritus reservari debeat ministris superpelliceo indutis vel etiam Celebrans ipse debeat plicare velum et super altare ponere? servanda est consuetudo. 12. Aug. 1854 ad 69 (Anal. II. p. 2200).

2. In quaestione: utrum parvi cochlearis pro aqua in calicem infundenda usus sit omnibus licitus? servanda est rubrica. 7. Sept. 1850 in u. Rupel. ad 13.

3. Praxis extergendi calicem cum purificatorio ad abstergendas guttas vini adhaerentes lateribus interioribus cuppae calicis, quae aliquando resiliunt, dum praeparatur ipsemet calix, magis congruit et summopere laudabilis est. 7. Sept. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 28.—Relinqui vero potest Sacerdotis arbitrio utrum purificatorium ponere velit super pedem calicis dum praeparatur (vinum ad offertorium infunditur), vel potius super patenam. Ibid. ad 29.

4. Oratio "Deus qui humanae" incipienda est a sacerdote eodem momento, quo benedicit aquam; non vero prius aqua benedicatur nihil dicendo, atque tunc demum, facto signo crucis, illa oratio incipiatur. 12. Aug. 1854 ad d. 25. (Anal. Jur. Pontif. II. p. 2193).

5. Cruces quæ fiunt super oblata a sacerdote, non debent fieri manu transversa sed manu recta. 4. Aug. 1663 in u. Dalmat. ad 4.—In benedictionibus congruentior juxta rubricas et ritum videtur modus benedicendi manu recta, et digitis simul unitis et extensis. 24. Jun. 1683 in u. Abling. ad 6.

6. Congruit, ut fert praxis universalis, praesertim Urbis, quod fiat inclinatio capitis in fine Psalmi "Lavabo" (ad "Gloria Patri"), qui dicitur in Missa, sicut praescribitur in principio Missae. 7. Sept. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 37.

Ad § VIII. De Canone usque ad Consecrationem.

1. Ad quaestionem: an Sacerdos dicere debeat "Te igitur" in principio Canonis, dum elevat manus et oculos; vel incipere debeat, dum est jam in profundo inclinatus? servanda est rubrica de ritu servando in celebratione Missae tit. 8, num. 1, et altera Canoni praefixa. 7. Sept. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 33.

2. Omnes sacerdotes celebrantes, dum in Canone Missae Papam nominant, debent juxta rubricam caput inclinare. 23. Mai 1846 in u. Tuden. ad 6.

3. In Canone nomine Antistitis non sunt nominandi superiores Regularium 13. Febr. 1666 in decret. ad Missal. ad 11.—Ii Religiosi, qui, Antistitis nomine tacito, ejus loco in precibus sive in Canone suae Religionis Superiorem nominant, contra caritatem faciunt. 12. Nov. 1605 in u. Ulixbon.—In Canone et in Collectis omnino, facienda est mentio de Episcopo etiam ab exemptis 25. Sept. 1649 in u. Tornac. ad 6.

4. Debet Sacerdos pronuncians in Canone Missae nomen alicujus Sancti, de quo factum est Officium, vel saltem Commemoratio, facere inclinationem capitis. 7. Sep. 1816 in u. Tuden. ad 34—Nomen S. Joseph Sponsi B. M. V. non potest addi in Canone. Permittitur vero hujus nominis additio in Collecta "A cunctis". 17. Sep. 1815 in u. Urbis et Orbis.

5. A "Hanc igitur oblationem" manus sacerdotis ita debent extendi, ut palmae sint apertae, pollice dextero super sinistrum in modum crucis supra manus posito. 4. Aug. 1663 in u. Dalmat. ad 5.

FOOTNOTE:

[THE REMAINDER IN OUR NEXT.]