As a general rule, churches
in which the Divine office is to be said publicly every day must also
have Mass said daily. This Mass is the "conventual" Mass (
missa conventualis);
it completes, with the canonical Hours, the official public service of
God in such a church. A conventual Mass then is to be sung or said in
all cathedrals and collegiate churches that have a chapter; in this
case it is often called the "chapter" Mass (
missa capituli),
though the official books constantly use the general name "conventual"
for this Mass too. A conventual (not chapter) Mass must also be
celebrated daily in churches of regulars who have the obligation of the
public recitation of the office, therefore certainly in churches of
monks and canons regular. Whether mendicant friars have this obligation
is disputed. Some authors consider them obliged by common law, others
admit only whatever obligation they may have from their special
constitutions or from custom. Some extend the obligation even to
churches of nuns who say the office in choir. That friars may celebrate
a daily conventual Mass according to the rule of monastic churches is
admitted by every one (de Herdt., I, 14). A chapter Mass then is a kind
of conventual Mass, and falls under the same rules.
The obligation of procuring
the conventual Mass rests with the corporate body in question and so
concerns its superiors (Dean, Provost, Abbot, etc.). Normally it should
be said by one of the members, but the obligation is satisfied as long
as some priest who may celebrate lawfully undertakes it. The conventual
Mass should always, if possible, be a high Mass; but if this is
impossible, low Mass is still treated as a high Mass with regard to the
number of collects said, the candles, absence of prayers at the end,
and so on. It may not be said during the recitation of the office, but
at certain fixed times between the canonical Hours, as is explained
below. The general rule is that the conventual Mass should correspond
to the office with which it forms a whole. It is not allowed to sing
two high Masses both conformed to the office on the same day. On the
other hand, there are cases in which two different conventual Masses
are celebrated. The cases in which the Mass does not correspond to the
office are these: on Saturdays in Advent (except Ember Saturday and a
Vigil), if the office is ferial the Mass is of the Blessed Virgin. On
Vigils in Advent that are not also Ember days, if the office is ferial
the Mass is of the Vigil commemorating the feria. On Maundy Thursday
and Holy Saturday the Mass does not conform to the office. On Rogation
Tuesday, if the office is ferial the Mass is of Rogation. On Whitsun
Eve the office is of the Ascension, but the Mass a Whitsun Mass. When a
Vigil, an Ember day or Rogation Monday falls within an octave (except
that of the Blessed Sacrament) the office is of the octave, and the
Mass of the feria commemorating the octave. Except in Advent and Lent,
on Ember days, Rogation days and Vigils, if the office is ferial and
the Sunday Mass has already been said that week, the conventual Mass
may be one of the Votive Masses in the Missal appointed for each day in
the week. Except in Advent, Lent and Paschal time, on the first day of
the month not prevented by a double or semi-double, the conventual Mass
is a Requiem for deceased members and benefactors of the community.
On doubles, semi-doubles
Sundays, and during octaves, the conventual Mass is said after Terce,
on simples and ferias after Sext, on Advent and Lent, on Vigils and
Ember days after None. There are also occasions on which several
conventual Masses are said on the same day. On ferias of Lent, on Ember
days, Rogation days and Vigils when a double or semi-double occurs, or
during an octave or when a Votive office is said, the Mass
corresponding to the office is said after Terce, that of the feria
after None. On eve, if a double or semi-double occurs, the Mass of the
feast is said after Terce, that of the Vigil after Sext, that of
Rogation after None. In the case of the conventual Requiem mentioned
above, if a simple occurs or if the Mass of the preceding Sunday has
not yet been said, the Requiem is celebrated after the Office of the
Dead, or if that is not said, after Prime, the Mass of the simple or
Sunday after Sext. On All Souls' day (2 Nov.) the Mass of the octave
(or feast) is said after Terce, the Requiem after None. When an
additional Votive Mass has to be said (for instance for the Forty Hours
or for the anniversary of the bishop's consecration or enthronement,
etc.) It is said after None. On the Monday of each week (except in Lent
and Paschal time) if the office is ferial the conventual Mass may be a
Requiem. But if it is a simple or a feria with a proper Mass, or if the
Sunday Mass has not been said, the collect for the dead (Fidelium)
is added to that of the day instead. These rules concerning the
celebration of two or more conventual Masses apply as laws only to
chapters. Regulars are not bound to celebrate more than one such Mass
each day (corresponding always to the office), unless the particular
constitutions of their order impose this obligation.
Written by Adrian Fortescue. Transcribed by Douglas J. Potter. Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ
The Catholic Encyclopedia,
Volume IX. Published 1910. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil
Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M.
Farley, Archbishop of New York
See the Rubrics of the Missal (Rubr. gen. tit. I-VII), where the Mass in question is primarily the conventual Mass, and any authorized book of ceremonial; DE HERDT, S. Liturgi Praxis (Louvain, 1894), 14-17; LE VAVASSEUR, Manual de Liturgie (10th ed., Paris, 1910), 205-221; DALE, Ceremonial according to the Roman Rite (London, 1906).
