Monday 16 February 2009

The prayer Fidelium

Today is a feria in Sexagesima week and of simple rite. In the ferial Office the 'second scheme' of psalms at Lauds is sung (in effect the old ferial Lauds before the 1911-13 reform with some 'tweaking') and the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Prime a fourth psalm, Ps.46, is added that was displaced by the Miserere at Lauds. The Dominical preces are sung at Prime and the chapter is that used on ferial days, Pacem.

At Mass the texts of the Sunday are used but the Tract and Credo are not sung. The second collect is A cunctis, the third collect Fidelium for the Dead and the fourth collect one chosen by the celebrant or Dean.

Ferial Vespers have the Suffrage of the Saints and Dominical preces are sung at Compline.

The prayer Fidelium is added to the prayers prescribed by the rubrics, always in the penultimate place, on certain days. Outside November, Lent and Paschaltide Fidelium is sung on the first ferial day of each month for the souls of all the faithful departed. Outside Lent and Paschaltide it is also sung on any Monday which is ferial. Fidelium is not said, following the 1911-13 reform, if any of those days have an occuring Vigil or resumed Sunday Mass. In Conventual Churches the Chapter Mass is a Requiem on the first day of each month as above and may be a Requiem on the specified Mondays.

Fidelium Deus omnium Conditor et Redemptor, animambus famularum famularumque tuarum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum: ut indulgentiam, quam sempet optaverunt, piis supplicationibus consequantur.

O God the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, to the souls of Thy servants and Thy handmaidens grant the pardon of all their sins, that, through are devout prayers, they may rejoice in the full forgiveness for which at all times they have hoped.

Not surprisingly the prayer Fidelium is not said on these days following the 'liturgical books of 1962'. However on the first 'IV class feria' of each month outside of Christmastide, Paschatide and November a Conventual Mass would be a Requiem but without the prayer Fidelium. In the Office today the Suffrage is omitted at both Lauds and Vespers, at Prime the fourth psalm is not added and the chapter is always the festal Regi saeculorum . The Dominical preces are omitted at Prime and Compline and at Sung Masses there is only one collect permitted.

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