Getting it Rite

For those interested, and who have time this busy week, it is useful to see a visual comparison of the rites of Palm Sunday celebrated on opposite parts of the Globe.

From Australia a series of photographs of a celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the New rite can be seen here (large files).

In contrast, from London, photographs of the Traditional Rite of Palm Sunday may be seen here. Stunningly superb and so infinitely superior to the new rite in either of its forms.

Monday, Tuesday and Spy Wednesday in Holy Week

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week are privileged ferial days. Although of simple rite no feast may take precedence over them. A feast is either commemorated or transferred depending on its rank.

On Monday Mattins has one nocturn. The lessons are taken from a homily of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus, the responsories are proper. At the second scheme of Lauds the antiphons are proper, Faciem meam etc, the ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling. These antiphons are sung at the Hours. At Prime the chapter is the ferial Pacem. The ferial preces are also sung at the Hours, again the choir kneeling. At Mass, sung after None, the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, the second collect is Ecclesiae, for the Church, the preface is of the Cross, there is an Oratio super populum and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. Vespers are ferial with preces feriales sung kneeling and at Compline, at the usual time, the preces are also sung kneeling.

Tuesday follows a similar pattern. At the nocturn the lessons are taken from Jeremiah the Prophet, the responsories are proper. At the second scheme of Lauds the antiphons are proper, Vidi, Domine etc, the ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling. These antiphons are sung at the Hours. At Prime the chapter is the ferial Pacem. The ferial preces are also sung at the Hours, again the choir kneeling.

At Mass, sung after None, the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, the second collect is Ecclesiae, for the Church. Today the Passion according to St. Mark is sung, following the same rules as on Palm Sunday. The Passion consists of Mark 14: 1-72; 15: 1-46. The deacon of the Mass sings the last part of the Passion, Et cum jam sero...ad ostium monumenti, with the usual ceremonies for the Gospel at Mass. Thee preface is of the Cross, there is an Oratio super populum and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. Vespers are ferial with preces feriales sung kneeling and at Compline, at the usual time, the preces are also sung kneeling.

On Wednesday again a similar pattern is followed. At Mattins in the nocturn the lessons are again taken from the Prophet Jeremiah, the responsories are proper. At the second scheme of Lauds the antiphons are proper, Libera me etc, the ferial precesare sung with the choir kneeling. These antiphons are sung at the Hours. The ferial preces are sung, kneeling, at the Hours. At Prime the chapter is the ferial Pacem and in the Martyrology the first announcement is that of Maundy Thursday. After today the Martyrology is not read until Holy Pascha.

At Mass, sung after None, the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles. After the Kyrie the celebrant chants Oremus, the deacon Flectamus genua and then the subdeacon Levate. The celebrant then chants the collect Praesta, quaesumus etc. There follows an OT pericope from Isaiah. A Gradual is then sung. Then Dominus vobiscum etcis sung, without Flectamus genua and the collect of the Mass follows. The second collect Ecclesiae is added here. Then a second lesson from Isaiah follows and then the tract. On Wednesday in Holy Week the Passion according to St. Luke is sung at Mass. The text of the Passion is Luke 22: 1-71; 23: 1-53. The last part of the Passion, Videns autem centurio...haec videntes is sung by the deacon of the Mass with the usual ceremonies of the Gospel at Mass. The preface if of the Cross, there is an Oratio super populum and the dismissal is Bendicamus Domino.

On the evening of Spy Wednesday, Wednesday in Holy Week, Mattins and Lauds is sung in a special form known as Tenebrae.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' following the 'Restored' order of Holy Week dalmatic and tunicle are worn by the deacon and subdeacon rather than folded chasubles. No commemorations are allowed and there is no second collect in the Masses. Any text read by a lector, subdeacon or deacon is not read by the celebrant (extended throughout the year in the 1962 books). OHSI of 1955 orders the Orate fratres to be said in an audible voice and all present to respond. Ferial preces are sung only on Wednesdays at Lauds and Vespers only. The Passion according to St. Mark on Tuesday is shortened: Mark 14: 32-72; 15: 1-46 as is the Passion according to St. Luke on Wednesday: Luke 22: 39-71; 23: 1-53.

Dominica in Palmis - Palm Sunday

(A 15th century Russian Icon of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem from Wikipedia)

Palm Sunday is a privileged semi-double Sunday of the first class and the sixth, and last, Sunday in Lent. No feast can take its place. On a personal note it is the favourite day of this blogger's Liturgical Year and every year he sheds bitter and copious tears at its pernicious and shameful devastation in 1956, carried through into the 'liturgical books of 1962'. In his youth he would get up at 2:00am to drive to Newcastle for the 'Glover' ceremonies at the Royal Station Hotel - happy memories.

The Office began, as usual in Lent, with Vespers yesterday morning. Vespers were sung with the antiphons and psalms of Saturday. The chapter, from Philippians, Fratres: Hoc enim senite, was proper to the Sunday. The Office hymm Vexilla regis was sung. Commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. John of Damascus and the occurring Office of St. John Capistran. At Compline, sung at the usual time, the Dominical preces were omitted because of the ocurring double feasts at Vespers.

At Mattins there are three nocturns. In the first nocturn the book of Jeremiah the Prophet is read. In the second nocturn the lessons are a sermon of St. Leo the Great and in the third a homily of St. Ambrose. There is no Te Deum but a ninth responsory in its place. At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and the second scheme of Psalms is sung (50, 117, 62, Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and hymn is Lustra sex. A commemoration of St. John Capistran is sung.

The photograph below is from a celebration of Palm Sunday Mattins and Lauds, on the Saturday evening, at a private chapel in Central London from 1997. The large 'Rood Cross' should, of course, have been veiled but unfortunately this was not practically possible.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday. At Prime the antiphon is Pueri Hebraeorum (that will be heard later at the distribution of Palms) and psalms 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two stanzas of 118 are sung. The Dominical preces are not sung due to the occuring double feast and the short lesson is Faciem meam. At Terce the antiphon is Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta which again will be heard shortly afterwards at the distribution of Palms.

After Terce, as usual the Asperges ceremony takes place before Mass. The deacon and subdeacon wear violet folded chasubles. Being in Passiontide the Lesser Doxology is omitted after the verse of the Miserere. After the Asperges the celebrant and ministers proceed to the Epistle corner and begin the elaborate blessing of Palms. The rubrics give a direction that the Palms to be blessed are either to the Epistle side or be placed in the centre. The blessing starts with the celebrant reading an 'introit' Hosanna Filio David followed by a collect Deus, quim diligere. The normal ceremonies of High Mass are followed. The subdeacon removes his folded chasuble to sing the Epistle and the deacon removes his for the Gospel that follows the 'gradual'. After singing their pericopes the ministers again wear their folded chasubles.

The two photographs above and the others below are taken from the excellent series by Mark Coleman from St. Clement's Church in Philadelphia, USA. Note the folded chasubles and the deacon's broad stole when he is proclaiming the Gospel of the blessing of Palms.

Following the Gospel a further collect Auge fidem followed by a preface, Sanctus and four further collects Deus, qui dispersa, Deus, qui miro, Deus, qui per olivae and Benedic quaesumus. The celebrant then puts on incense and blesses it. The Palms are then aspersed with lustral water, the celebrant saying in a low voice Asperges me etc, and then censed. Another collect, Deus, qui Filium is then sung. The celebrant then receives his Palm from the senior canon present. If no other priest is present the celebrant kneels and takes the Palm from the of the altar, kisses it then passes it to the subdeacon who places it again on the mensa. The celebrant then gives Palms to the deacon and subdeacon and other ministers and then the people. The Palm is kissed first and then the celebrant's hand. During the distribution the antiphons Pueri Hebraeorum and Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta are sung. After the distribution the celebrant and ministers go back to the altar, bow to the Cross and then go to the Epistle corner where the celebrant's hands are washed. Then, at the missal, he sings the collect Omnipotens sempiterne.


Whilst the celebrant's hands are washed the Processional Cross is decorated with the blessed Palms A Procession is then formed, led by the thurifer, followed by the subdeacon bearing the Processional Cross. The deacon sings Procedamus in pace and the following antiphons are sung during the Procession Cum appropinquaret, Cum audisset, Ante sex dies, Occurrunt turbae, Cum angelis et pueris and Turba multa.


Ideally the Procession goes outside and around the church. Often circumstances dictate the Procession must simply go around the aisles of the church. Towards he end of the Procession some cantors re-enter the church and close the door. The beautiful hymn of Theodolph Gloria, laus, et honor is then sung in alternation between the cantors inside the church and everyone else outside. At the end of the hymn the subdeacon strikes the church door three times with the foot of the Processional Cross and the party enters to the singing of Ingrediente Domino.




The photograph above is taken from 'Cardinal Bourne - A Life in Pictures', a memorial tribute to Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster, and is from Palm Sunday 1919. Note the elaborate Palm the Cardinal is holding and the folded chasubles worn by the Canon Assistant Deacons (who are also wearing rochets). The photograph is at the stage when Gloria laus is being sung before the re-entry into the Cathedral.

Mass then follows the usual manner. The celebrant removes the cope and dons his chasuble. The preparatory prayers are said but with the psalm Judica me omitted. The introit is Domine, ne longe etc. There is no Gloria. No commemoration is made of an occuring Office on Palm Sunday so there is only one collect. Psalm 21 is sung in its entirety as a Tract. The major difference from any other Sunday is singing of the Passion according to St. Matthew by three additional deacons of the Passion. The text of the Passion is Matthew 26: 1-75; 27: 1-66. After the singing of the Passion the last part, Altera autem die...lapidem cum custodibus, is sung with the ceremonies of a Gospel by the deacon of the Mass (having removed his folded chasuble etc) to a most haunting tone. The people hold their Palms during the singing of the Passion. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Cross and the dismissal Benedicamus Domino.

Sext and None again have proper antiphons. At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. The chapter and hymn are as at Vespers yesterday. A commemoration is sung of St. John Capistran.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' rape might not be too emotive a word to describe what has happened to Palm Sunday. The official name of the day becomes the 'Second Sunday of the Passion or Palm Sunday'. Mattins has its usual truncation to three lessons. No commemoration is made of St John Capistran. Prime has psalms 53 and the first two stanzas of psalm 118. However, it is the blessing of Palms and Mass that have been mutilated.

The Asperges is suppressed. Why one might ask? The ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, along with the celebrant's chasuble of red colour for the blessing, what remains of it, and procession. (It would be too distracting to argue the point but when red was worn in Passiontide in Medieval times the colour was a distinctly different shade from the red of martyrs and a dull 'ox blood' red.)

The blessing of Palms takes place at a table facing the people in the sanctuary or may take place at another place, facing the people. The people may hold, unblessed, palms from the beginning.


The above is from J.B.O'Connell's 'The Ceremonies of Holy Week', Burns Oates, 1960. O'Connell mentions that the table may be placed on the footpace of the altar to facilitate the people's view. In that case he says, the celebrant kisses the table, ft.nt. 5, p.20 - kitchen tables in the sanctuary here we go!

In practice this parody of the former rite looks like the photographs below from the FSSP.



The collect Deus, quem diligere is suppressed, the Epistle Venerunt filii Israel in Elim is supressed, the 'gradual' Collegerunt is suppressed, the 'gradual' In monte Oliveti is suppressed, the collect Auge fidem is suppressed, the preface of blessing is suppressed, the Sanctus is suppressed, the collect Petimus, Domine is suppressed, the collect Deus, qui dispersa is suppressed, the collect Deus, qui miro is suppressed, the collect Deus, qui, per olivae is suppressed. The collect Benedic, quaesumus survives! The celebrant then sprinkles the palms with lustral water, not saying Asperges me etc. Then he puts incense on the coals of thurible and censes the palms. Here the stupidity of the wreckovators shows through. In the traditional rite incense was put on, then the Palms were aspersed and then incensed so that the incense would have a little time to fume! The palms are then distributed with the two Pueri Hebraeorum antiphons interpolated with the Bea version of psalms 23 and 46. There is no mention in the rubrics of the usual ceremonial oscula when receiving the palms. The Gospel follows, the ceremonies of Mass are not followed. The collect Deus, qui Filium is suppressed, the collect Omnipotens sempiterne Deus is suppressed.

The procession follows. In another break with tradition an additional subdeacon, rather than the subdeacon of the Mass, carries an unveiled Cross. The first three antiphons of the Old Rite are suppressed. The first antiphon sung is Occurunt turbae (with Hosanna in excelsis suppressed), then Cum angelis and Turba multa. Then a new antiphon Coeperunt omnes followed by the Gloria laus. However, vernacular hymns in honour of Christ the King may be sung. Then Lauda, Jerusalem, Fulgentibus palmis, Ave, Rex noster and Ingrediente. There is no ceremonial re-entry (although Econe would pick this and incorporate it into their adaptation of 1962, as they quietly ignore the kitchen table for the palms). When the ministers reach the sanctuary they reverence the altar then turn, versus populum, to sing a collect introduced to the rite Domine Jesu Christi, Rex ac Redemptor noster. This collect is found in many medieval uses as a collect said at the Rood.

The sacred ministers then change in schizophrenic style from red to violet. No folded chasubles of course, but dalmatic and tunicle. The prayers at the foot of the altar are suppressed and the celebrant merely kisses the altar and censes it. The deacons of the Passion receive a blessing, rather than the deacon of the Mass, and sing a cut down version of the Passion. The Passion text is Matthew 26: 36-75; 27: 1-54. The former Gospel is omitted both textually and ceremonially. Palms are not held during the singing of the Passion. The dismissal is Ite, missa est and the last Gospel is suppressed. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Shame on old Pius XII! A once beautiful day lies like a bleeding rape victim in the gutter. Whilst some of the traditional rite was undoubtedly less than a thousand years old it is rather beautiful and worked. More florid uses, such as Sarum, were arguably 'over developed' in the sense that the Procession of Palms became very complex in that the Palm Procession effectively merged with a Blessed Sacrament Procession etc. The old Roman form seems to get the balance right. The new form, a classic of inorganic committee work created liturgy, tried to give the Procession greater prominence but rather like a Victorian architect 'restoring' a medieval church mutilated it in the process. There is something intrinsically odd about wearing red vestments - a festive colour in the Roman rite - and then changing to a penitential colour for the Eucharistic Sacrifice. In the Roman rite this is an inversion of received praxis and hitherto whilst Processions may have been in violet penitential vestments the Mass afterwards, if there was a colour change, was always festive eg. Candlemass (violet to white), St. Mark as titular (violet to red). As on other days in the 'restored' Holy Week the opportunity was taken to make changes that would be later extended to the entire liturgical year e.g. the obsession with versus populum, introduction of the vernacular, the suppression of the preparatory prayers at the altar steps, the suppression of the last Gospel etc. Holy Week was used as a type of 'trial run' for some of the worst of the later reforms.

Rather ironically perhaps one can only cry out Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me!

The Seven Sorrows of the BVM

Today, Friday in Passion week, is the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the BVM. It is of greater-double rite. In the Breviary and Missal the texts for the feast are found in the Sanctoral at the end of March. The liturgical colour is white.

This year, because of the Annunciation yesterday, the feast begins with Mattins. The invitatory is proper. The hymn is Stabat mater dolorosa, displaced from the non-celebrated first Vespers. The antiphons and psalms are proper (the first antiphon Astiterunt, of course is the same antiphon sung at Tenebrae of Good Friday). The lessons in the first nocturn are from Isaiah. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Bernard. In the third nocturn the lessons are taken from a homily of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. The ninth lesson is the homily for Friday in Passion week. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons, Vadam ad montem etc, are proper and sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn at Lauds is Sancta mater, displaced from Mattins. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Passiontide feria.

At Prime and the other Hours the hymns are sung to a special tone of the Doxology: Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui passus es pro servulis, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the verse Qui passus es propter nostram salutem is sung. The short lesson is proper to the feast Generationem ejus etc.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of Friday in Passion week. After the Tract Stabat Mater is sung as a sequence. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM with the clause Et te in Transfixione and the last Gospel is of Friday in Passion week.

Private Masses may be of the Friday in Passion week with a commemoration (and last Gospel) of the Seven Sorrows.

In Cathedral and Collegiate churches the Mass of the Seven Sorrows is celebrated after Terce without a commemoration, or last Gospel of the Friday in Passion week. After None Mass is celebrated of the Friday in Passion week. The liturgical colour is violet and the ministers wear violet chasubles. The second collect is Ecclesiae, the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino and the last Gospel In principio.

Second Vespers are celebrated after Mass. All is as otherwise would have been celebrated at first Vespers except the Office hymn is Virgo virginum (displaced from Lauds), the versicle and response and antiphon on the Magnificat are proper to second Vespers. A commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. John of Damascus (with the antiphon for Doctors: O Doctor optime...beate Joannes...) and then a commemoration of the Passiontide feria is sung. At Compline Te lucis is sung to with the tone of the proper Doxology.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Office of the Seven Sorrows has been reduced to a commemoration in the Office of the Friday of the 'first week of Passion'. However a rubric in the 1962 Missal allows two Masses of the former feast to be celebrated for pastoral reasons here devotion to the feast exists.

A very valuable on-line resource from the Vatican.

A biretta tip, or a tip of whatever type of headgear one likes, to the Rorate Caeli blog for a post announcing that the Vatican has made the contents of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the AAS, (and the former series Acta Sanctae Sedis, ASS) available on-line from the Vatican website here.

The AAS contains the official text of decrees from the pope and the Roman Dicasteries. This is a truly invaluable resource for students of Liturgy, Canon Law and Church History.

I was planning a trip tomorrow to visit the library of Allen Hall Seminary where the only accesible set of 'on the shelf' volumes of AAS now exist in London (as far as I am aware). I have been researching editiones typicae of the Missal and their promulgation in an attempt to resolve a question raised by a friend in Newcastle. The Vatican has saved me the hassle and the tube and bus fare!

Having briefly purused the 1920 volume on-line a few moments ago and was able to find an answer to a question posed to me about today's great feast by a valued customer in Ireland that it had hitherto taken me over five years not to find an answer.

A brilliant resource - thank you Vatican Official whoever you are for the hours of work clearly involved.

The Annunciation of the BVM - Lady Day - 'Old' New Year's Day

Today is the feast of the Annunciation of the BVM. It is a double of the first class. Today is also 'old' New Year's Day, the Good News that the Archangel Gabriel brought to the Virgin was considered the dawn of the age of Redemption and a fitting date on which to celebrate the New Year. The English tax year, beginning on April 6th, represents the 'old' New Year's Day of March 25th with the difference between the Gregorian and Julian Calendars when England, rather sadly in my view, adopted the former in 1752.

This great feast began with first Vespers yesterday morning. The liturgical colour of the day is white. Where resources permit six pluvialistae assist the Hebdomadarius at both Vespers and Lauds. At Vespers the antiphons are proper, beginning with Missus est Gabriel Angelus ad Mariam etc. The psalms are those from the Common of the BVM (Pss.109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The chapter is proper to the feast, the beautiful Office hymn, Ave Maris stella, from the Common. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are proper. After the collect of the feast Wednesday in Passion week was commemorated with the antiphon Multa bona opera, V&R and collect Adesto supplicationibus nostris. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung. The hymn, Te lucis, was sung with the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc, with the hymn sung to the special tone used with that Doxology.

At Mattins the invitatory is Ave Maria gratia plena * Dominus tecum. The hymn, antiphons and psalms (with the exception of the ninth antiphon) are from the Common. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Prophet Isaiah. The responsories are proper to the feast and are paricularly beautiful. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon by St. Leon on the Nativity of the LORD. In the third nocturn the ninth antiphon is Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae etc. The lessons are from a homily by St. Ambrose's second book on Luke. The ninth lesson may be read as one with the eighth. The ninth lesson is of the commemorated Passiontide ferial day, a homily of St. Gregory: its three lessons may be joined and read as the ninth lesson. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons are those used before at Vespers. These are sung with the Dominical psalms. Again the chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus are proper, the Office hymn is from the Common. A commemoration of Thursday in Passion week is sung after the collect of the day.

At Prime the hymn is sung to the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation. In the short responsory the verse Qui natus es is sung and the short lesson is proper to the feast, Egredietur virga de radice Jesse etc. The antiphons of Lauds are used throughout the Little Hours. At all the Little Hours the hymns are sung to the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Terce. At Mass the Gloria is sung, the Passiontide feria is commemorated by the second collect. The Gospel pericope is from St. Luke and the account of the Angel Gabriel's visit to the Virgin. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM, with the clause Et te in Annuntiatione, the last Gospel is that of the commemorated Passiontide feria, also from St. Luke, Rogabat Jesum quidam de pharisaeis etc.

Vespers, even of this great feast, are sung before midday. The antiphons and psalms are sung as at first Vespers. The antiphon on the Magnificat is proper. A commemoration of Thursday in Passion week is sung. Tomorrow's feast of the Seven Sorrows is not commemorated at Vespers as it is considered, rubrically speaking, to be the same mystery. At Compline again the Dominical psalms are sung and Te lucis is sung to the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the hymns of the Little Hours do not have the Doxology or tone of the Incarnation. At Prime the short lesson is of the season not proper to the feast. At Mass there is no last Gospel of the Passiontide feria.

More Practical things

A friend of the Saint Lawrence Press has kindly offered some more 'cheat' sheets after reading my post on the cheat sheet for the Sacred Triduum.

Br. Alexis Bugnolo has produced a 'cheat sheet' for Mattins and Lauds, containing the Apostles Creed in Latin, Venite exsultemus, Te Deum and the Dominical Lauds psalms as used on Sundays per annum and feasts.

The other sheet gives the prayers before and after the Hours.

Br. Alexis wrote recently:

'On the Feast of St. Pius V, May 5, 2009, His Excellency Monsignor Ignazio Zambito, Bishop of Patti, Sicily, gave Br. Alexis Bugnolo (a former member of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate) the go ahead to form a community of traditional Franciscan religious and to accept vocations (priests & brothers). The community's charism will be the unmitigated observance of the Rule of St. Francis, according to the Pontifical Decrees of Popes Nicholas III, Clement V, and Bl.Innocent XI; and be dedicated to the exclusive use of the pre-bugninian liturgical books of the Order of Friars Minor. For more information please contact Br. Bugnolo by surface mail: via Umberto I, 261; 98030 Floresta (ME), Italia.'

Br. Alexis is fluent in both English and Italian. He has specifically requested that if anyone is interested in his community they contact him by writing to the address given above.

[Postcode above corrected - Thank you Br. Alexis]