IN ACTU FUNCTIONIS (in the act of the function)
This
describes when a liturgical function is occurring, namely:
- During
Mass.
- During the
Divine Office (said in choir).
- During
any other type of official ceremony.
- All
of Good Friday after the unveiling of the cross
to the ceremonies of the Easter Vigil inclusive.
Where The Blessed Sacrament Is
Reserved
Genuflections are observed as required.
At An Altar
Where The Blessed Sacrament Is Not Reserved
Inferior
ministers genuflect as usual, even though the celebrant only bows.
Where The
Blessed Sacrament Is Exposed (in coram Sanctissimo)
All
ministers observe the special rules of genuflecting for in
coram Sanctissimo.
OUTSIDE A SERVICE
This
occurs when performing sacristy work, making preparations in the
sanctuary, or when lighting
candles.
Where
The Blessed Sacrament Is Reserved
Genuflections
are observed as required under the usual circumstances.
At An Altar Where The Blessed
Sacrament Is Not Reserved
Inferior ministers make
a moderate bow where they would normally genuflect.
Where The Blessed Sacrament Is
Exposed (in
coram Sanctissimo)
A
double knee genuflection is made where one would normally make a single
knee genuflection.
GOING TO AN OUTSIDE POINT
(LEAVING THE VIEW OF THE ALTAR)
When going to an
outside point, or out of the view of the altar,
a genuflection is required at the foot
(or near it) before leaving from and upon returning to the foot.
These Items Are
Not Considered To Be An Outside Point:
- The
credence
- The
sedilia
- Either
side of the altar (sanctuary) in plano.
These Items Are Considered
To Be An Outside Point:
- The
Communion rail
- The
chancel
- The
sacristy
- Therefore, when the
Communion cloth needs to be
turned, a genuflection must be at the foot
before departing and upon returning.
- Therefore,
during the reading of the Epistle at a Solemn
High Mass, a genuflection is made by the subdeacon
and MC before departing and upon returning, even though they are not
crossing the sanctuary[1].
- Therefore,
during Benediction, whenever a server or minister leaves the center of
the foot to go to the
credence, to the sedilia,
or to one of the sides of the altar a moderate bow is
not made before departing or upon returning.
IN CORAM
SANCTISSIMO (in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament [exposed])
This
condition of the Blessed Sacrament exists on these occasions[2]:
- When
It is in a monstrance.
- When
It is in a pyx.
- When
It is in a ciborium.
- On
Holy Thursday and Good Friday at the repository.
- When
Holy Communion is distributed (when the tabernacle
is open, etc.).
- At the Elevation.
- When
It is on the mensa from the Consecration
until the tabernacle is closed after Communion,
but not to the inferior ministers in plano except
when they ascend to or descend from the predella.[3] It is exposed, however, to
those who are on the predella.
WHEN CARRYING OR
ACCOMPANYING AN IMAGE OF CHRIST
When one is
carrying or accompanying an image of Christ or Christ Himself, one does
not make any sort of reverence (i.e., a bows, genuflections, or
kneeling).[4] This rule encompasses these
objects and persons at these times:
- Blessed
Sacrament (i.e., during the Distribution of Communion):
The celebrant and the
accompanying server(s)[5].
- Processional
cross: The crossbearer
and the acolytes.[6]
- Evangeliarium[7]: The subdeacon
(when the office of the Gospel is being performed
or, that is, when the book is open) and the acolyte (when they are
flanking it).
- Last Gospel card:
The subdeacon (at a Solemn High
Mass) or the MC (at a High Mass).
- Infant Child for
the creche (on Christmas Eve): The celebrant.
- Veneration
of the cross on Good Friday: The celebrant
and the acolytes accompanying with candles.
IN REGARDS TO MAKING REVERENCES
FOR A WORD OR PHRASE; WHOM TO FOLLOW, THE SACRED MINISTERS OR THE CHOIR?
The
rule for this is as such:
If
The Celebrant Is Reciting A Prayer:
- Follow
what the celebrant is saying and
perform those reverences in unison with the celebrant
as required.
If The
Celebrant Is Not Reciting A
Prayer (e.g., is at the foot
or at the sedilia)
- Follow
what the choir is singing and
perform those reverences in unison with the celebrant
as required.
CUM
RATIONE ACCOMMODATIONIS (with
rational accommodation)
This
is a principle of exception regarding the normal rules of when to
make reverences and it is sometimes employed for the sake of unity of
action. For the inferior minister, this will affect him at certain
times when he is next to a sacred minister.
One example of this is when the MC and thurifer
are assisting the celebrant incensing the altar
at a High Mass; they genuflect on the predella with the celebrant
(who has the privilege of genuflecting on the predella),
though by themselves, they would normally not be allowed to do so.
[1] This is done even when the subdeacon and MC do not go to an outside point. The reason for this is historical; at one time the Epistle was read at an ambo often located quite far from the altar, and so a genuflection was necessary. The rubrics have retained this reverence even where it is not necessary.
[2] These occasions are outlined by L. O’Connell, on page 38, footnote 18.
[3] L. O’Connell, pg. 38, ff. 18 & SRC 4135,3 and Callewaert, pg. 28.
[4] While this is not explicitly mentioned as a principle
in any of the books, that it is, can nevertheless be easily deduced by
a careful comparison of the various rubrics that describe all of the
conditions listed immediately below.
[5] This includes the torchbearers who are directly
accompanying the Blessed Sacrament. I.e., Tbs 1 & 2 when at the
edges of the Communion Rail during the distribution of communion.
[6]
L. O’Connell, pg. 43; Callewaert, p. 26; J.B. O’Connell, pg. 464. Even
so, there is one exception to this general rule: When a metropolitan or an archbishop in his diocese gives a blessing, the crossbearer kneels with the figure of Our Lord facing the prelate.
Most likely, this hearkens back to the practice when a corpus was not
used on the special cross carried in front of the archbishop.
[7] Or when a Missale Romanum is used to serve as a replacement.
Copyright ©
2007. Louis J. Tofari. All rights reserved.
