Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: What a Concelebrant Must Recite
ROME, MARCH 13, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
After our Feb. 27 column on the parts of the Mass recited by concelebrants, some priests asked for further details.
One, from Pretoria, South Africa, asked: "Does the concelebrant remain seated for the concluding prayer of the Offertory before proceeding to join the main concelebrant at the altar at the opening of the Preface?"
In interpreting the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), one has to remember that the different forms of Mass are described in decreasing detail.
That is, the Mass of a single priest is described quite minutely. Elsewhere, the Mass with a deacon, the concelebrated Mass, and the Mass with only one minister, usually only detail what is different from the first form of Mass. The overall presumption is that whatever is not specifically mentioned in these celebrations follows what is described in the form of Mass with a congregation.
Taking this into account we can see two details from the GIRM.
No. 146 describes the posture to be adopted for the offertory prayer: "Upon returning to the middle of the altar, the priest, facing the people and extending and then joining his hands, invites the people to pray, saying, 'Orate, fratres' (Pray, brethren). The people rise and make their response: 'Suscipiat Dominus' (May the Lord accept). Then the priest, with hands extended, says the prayer over the offerings. At the end the people make the acclamation, Amen."
No. 215 describes the movement of concelebrants at this time: "After the prayer over the offerings has been said by the principal celebrant, the concelebrants approach the altar and stand around it. …"
Since nothing is stated about when the concelebrating priests stand, it is reasonable to presume that they do so at the same time as the people as indicated in No. 146.
Also, liturgical tradition would never condone anyone's remaining seated while the principal celebrant recited a presidential prayer such as the prayer over the gifts.
Another reader, from St. Paul, Minnesota, wrote: "I still have uncertainty about concelebrating Mass with a large group of priests. Do the concelebrants have to receive bread consecrated at that Mass to really have offered Mass? And do the concelebrants have to receive the Blood to have actually celebrated Mass?"
We have dealt with a similar question in an earlier column (see Oct. 12, 2004). In short, the Mass would be valid but illicit for the priests receiving the previously consecrated hosts or not receiving the Precious Blood, except in special cases of illness or alcoholism where a dispensation has been granted (see June 7, 2005; and June 13 and 27, 2006).
After our Feb. 27 column on the parts of the Mass recited by concelebrants, some priests asked for further details.
One, from Pretoria, South Africa, asked: "Does the concelebrant remain seated for the concluding prayer of the Offertory before proceeding to join the main concelebrant at the altar at the opening of the Preface?"
In interpreting the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), one has to remember that the different forms of Mass are described in decreasing detail.
That is, the Mass of a single priest is described quite minutely. Elsewhere, the Mass with a deacon, the concelebrated Mass, and the Mass with only one minister, usually only detail what is different from the first form of Mass. The overall presumption is that whatever is not specifically mentioned in these celebrations follows what is described in the form of Mass with a congregation.
Taking this into account we can see two details from the GIRM.
No. 146 describes the posture to be adopted for the offertory prayer: "Upon returning to the middle of the altar, the priest, facing the people and extending and then joining his hands, invites the people to pray, saying, 'Orate, fratres' (Pray, brethren). The people rise and make their response: 'Suscipiat Dominus' (May the Lord accept). Then the priest, with hands extended, says the prayer over the offerings. At the end the people make the acclamation, Amen."
No. 215 describes the movement of concelebrants at this time: "After the prayer over the offerings has been said by the principal celebrant, the concelebrants approach the altar and stand around it. …"
Since nothing is stated about when the concelebrating priests stand, it is reasonable to presume that they do so at the same time as the people as indicated in No. 146.
Also, liturgical tradition would never condone anyone's remaining seated while the principal celebrant recited a presidential prayer such as the prayer over the gifts.
Another reader, from St. Paul, Minnesota, wrote: "I still have uncertainty about concelebrating Mass with a large group of priests. Do the concelebrants have to receive bread consecrated at that Mass to really have offered Mass? And do the concelebrants have to receive the Blood to have actually celebrated Mass?"
We have dealt with a similar question in an earlier column (see Oct. 12, 2004). In short, the Mass would be valid but illicit for the priests receiving the previously consecrated hosts or not receiving the Precious Blood, except in special cases of illness or alcoholism where a dispensation has been granted (see June 7, 2005; and June 13 and 27, 2006).
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