PRIVILEGES OF
SACRED MINISTERS VERSUS INFERIOR MINISTERS
There are certain privileges that the sacred
ministers (i.e., the celebrant, deacon, subdeacon[1]) enjoy due to the dignity of
their office, but which the inferior ministers do not generally share.
These privileges are as follows:
- the ability to
genuflect on the predella in actu functionis[2],
- the ability to
genuflect on the first altar step in actu functionis
(with the exceptions noted below),
- the ability to
genuflect on the appropriate altar step when changing from one
side of the predella to the other (outside of the condition in
coram Sanctissimo).
UNIFORMITY OF
ACTION
Regarding uniformity of action, L. O’Connell
declares that “Nothing is more conducive to the smoothness of a
ceremony.”[3]
It follows then, that the servers should make every effort to
genuflect, to make the various liturgical gestures, to walk, to make
the responses in unison either with other servers, or with the sacred
ministers where this applies.
WALKING
By
Oneself
Always
walk erect and at moderate pace. One’s eyes should be slightly cast
downwards when walking out of reverence for the sanctuary.
Never walk sideways (i.e.,
sidestepping); rather, turn in the proper direction, walk the short
distance, and then turn back to face the former direction. Nor should
one
walk backwards; one is allowed to take one step back, but that is all.
When encountering obstacles, if possible, step off to the right of it.
When ascending steps, do so with your left foot first.
When
Walking Around The Foot
When walking around the foot, e.g.,
to go to the Credence, one should not “curb” it. Rather one should go
around the foot in a graceful,
elliptical manner, keeping about a foot away [“A foot for the foot”].
This will prevent one from hitting the steps accidentally with his
shoe, and will also prevent the “leaning towards the step” look that
normally accompanies “curbing” the steps.
With Another Server
When two servers are walking together, they always
walk shoulder to shoulder, not in single file.
When Two Servers Are Walking Around
The Foot
Again the same rule as for one server applies: The
inside server should keep a foot away from the foot.
Likewise, the inside server must go at a slow enough pace to allow the
outside server to keep up with the elliptical movement around the foot.
“Swing
Like A Door” Movement
There are times when two servers will need to
“swing like a door”
rather than turn inwards so as to continue walking shoulder to
shoulder. In this case, the inside server will swivel slightly towards
the direction in which the pair will proceed, while allowing the
outside server to keep up.
SITTING
One must sit straight and erect without leaning
against objects behind him.[4]
When sitting, the surplice should be positioned in one’s lap without
stretching it, so that the hem is slightly above the bend of the knee.
The hem should be arranged neatly, and the hands should be placed
inside the hem, palm down, with fingers extended and held together,
upon each knee.
POSITIONS
OF DEPORTMENT[5]
During Low Mass:
Servers kneel out of deportment[6], rather than out of
reverence, which is why they bow when kneeling, but sacred ministers do
not (when a sacred minister kneels, he does so
to show a reverence). However, there are a few exceptions:
Standing
- When servicing the
celebrant or performing a
duty.
Sitting
During A Missa Cantata
[8]
Or A Solemn
High Mass:
These are the general rules for the ministers:
When the celebrant sits, the ministers
sit (unless occupied with a duty), when the celebrant
stands the ministers stand, when the celebrant
kneels (for an objective reason), then the ministers kneel.
Servers generally stand[9] during these Masses with the
exception of these cases:
Sitting
- Whenever the
celebrant sits.
Kneeling[10]
- During the Preparatory Prayers at
the foot of the altar.
- (If the celebrant
does so) During the Credo when the choir sings
“…descendit de caelis” until “Et homo factus est” inclusively.
- During the Consecration
(but the servers stand immediately after the Consecration
actions are completed; i.e., the last
genuflection of the celebrant after consecrating the Precious Blood).
- During the second Confiteor.
- During the Distribution
of Holy Communion.
During A Requiem Missa
Cantata Or Solemn High Mass
As usual for High Mass, with these exceptions:
Kneeling
- During the Oratio
(Collect).
- During the Postcommunion.
During A Missa Cantata Or A
Solemn High Mass On An Ember Day
As usual for High Mass, with these exceptions:
Kneeling
- During the Oratio
(Collect).
- During the Postcommunion.
HANDS
(liturgical gestures)
General Rules
- Fingers are always
held closely together and extended for all actions listed below.
- When
performing an action with your hands, imagine taking your folded hands
apart and then performing the action with a slight modification (e.g.,
like slightly bending the right hand).
- When holding an
object, do not perform any actions with your hands (i.e.,
the sign of the cross, etc.).
- When one hand is in
use (usually the right hand), hold your free hand with fingers
touching, flat against your sternum.
Folded Hands
When one’s hands are not in use, hold them with
fingers touching, palm to palm with the right thumb over left thumb (“…in
modum crucis…” [11]), at about a twenty degree
angle just in front of the sternum (not actually touching the chest)[12].
Making
The Large Sign Of The Cross
While
keeping your right hand fingers together, touch your forehead, then
your sternum (just above your left hand), the top of your left
shoulder, then slightly twist your wrist and touch the top of your
right shoulder[13]. This sign should always be
made deliberately and reverently.
Making The Small
Sign Of The Cross (The Gospel Cross)
With
your right thumb pointing upwards, and your extended right hand
pointing left, take the fleshy side of your thumb and make a small
cross on your forehead, then your lips, and finally your chest (just
above your left hand). Each small cross should be a Greek cross
(equilateral) and made with reverence and care. Do not form your hand
into a fist when performing this action.
Striking The
Breast
Keep
your right hand extended, but slightly cupped, and strike your breast
on your sternum (just above your left hand held flat) noiselessly with
the tips of fingers. Do not form your right hand into a fist. The only
time one strikes his breast are for these occasions:
- Each Confiteor
of the servers: at each mea culpa.
- The Agnus
Dei: at miserere nobis and dona
nobis pacem.[14]
- The Domine
non sum dignus of the faithful: for the duration of each
clause.
- During the Leonine
Prayers for the response Miserere nobis or Have
mercy on us (out of custom, and then only
if the celebrant does so).
Do Not Strike Your Breast
For:
- The celebrant's
Confiteor.
- The Nobis
quoque peccatoribus.[15]
- The celebrant’s
Domine non sum dignus.[16]
- O clement,
O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, during the Leonine
Prayers.
CARRYING OBJECTS
When servers are carrying objects, they do not
make any of the usual liturgical gestures with their hands (e.g.,
during a blessing, the acolytes and crossbearer
neither kneel nor make the sign of the cross).
However, they do perform the usual bows (unless they are accompanying
an image of Christ; cf. below).[17]
Torches
Torches are always held in the outside
hand.
Exception:
There is an exception to this general rule: When the torchbearers
walk next to Blessed Sacrament (e.g., on either
side of canopy), torches are held
in the inside hand.
Books
Books are always placed with the opening facing left.[18]
When presenting a book to a superior minister, hold the book so that
the opening faces right. In this way, the minister does not have to
turn the book around when he receives it so that it will face left.
Books Can Be Carried In Two Ways:
- With both hands
under the bottom edge, with the top edge of the book resting against
one’s chest.
- With the right hand
on upper right corner, and the left hand under the bottom edge.
When A Minister
Is Reading From A Book:
Books are either held open:
- Against one’s chest.
- Against one’s
forehead.
This will depend on the situation. However, an
opened book is always held with both hands under the bottom edge of the
book (i.e., the cover boards), but so that the
pages can still be turned.
[1] And during a Pontifical Mass, the assistant priest and deacons.
[2] However, outside of a function, a major cleric is still required to genuflect in plano as he is no longer exercising one of the offices of sacred ministers. This is confirmed by the fact that the Ceremoniale Episcoporum assumes that the head MC will be at least a priest, and because this office is that of an inferior minister, he is thereby required to follow the various genuflecting rules for inferior ministers. If this occurs in functionis, then a fortiori, outside of a function, a major cleric would be required to also do so outside of a ceremony when no office is being enacted.
[3] The Book of Ceremonies, pg. 29.
[4] Only a bishop has the right to have a back to his seat, that is, the throne. Even the sedilia should not have a back.
[5]
For an excellent in-depth explanation of these principles, one should
consult Fr. Michael Simoulin’s article in the March 1997 issue of The Angelus, pages 13-19.
[6] The principle behind this is that the propers or Ordinary are not being chanted. When one sings, one generally stands.
[7] However, the servers should not sit at the sedilia, as this is reserved for the sacred ministers. Rather, they should sit at separate stools.
[8] Generally called “High” Mass.
[9] The reason for this, is that standing is the “liturgical position par excellence.” Fr. Simoulin, March 1997, The Angelus, pg. 17.
[10] In practice, this rule differs slightly for the torchbearers, who kneel upon being led into the sanctuary at the Sanctus, until they are led out after the Distribution of Holy Communion. However, the two senior torchbearers go to each side of the Communion rail and stand during Communion (after having themselves received).
[12] Folded hands represent a state of inactivity, so one should not receive the Lavabo towel on one’s folded hands, but rather in the thumbs and index fingers of one’s outstretched hands.
[13] This over-the-right-hand-shoulder action symbolizes the throwing off of sin.
[14]
But not at a Requiem Mass, as the words change, and so the meaning
changes to “may he rest in peace,” to which a striking of the breast is
not appropriate, as this action symbolizes contrition.
[15] This is a part of the Canon, and the celebrant is supposed to use the tone of aliquantulum voce to simply let those near him know where he is at in the Canon. L. O’Connell, pg. 161.
[16] The celebrant
is saying, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive;” therefore, it does not
make sense that anyone other than the celebrant should be striking his
breast. L. O’Connell, pg. 161.
[17] There is, however, a practical exception for the torchbearers:
When they are holding their torches and a moderate bow is prescribed,
they make only a simple bow, as it is impractical for them to make a
moderate bow.
[18] Exception: When a book is on the Gospel side of the altar, the opening faces right, i.e., towards the tabernacle.
Copyright ©
2007. Louis J. Tofari. All rights reserved.
