Because Arthur Roche is a busy man, I have drafted for him an Instruction which, I am confident, can be issued without the need for much emendation. I am offering curious readers a peep at my draft.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS
(1) It has come to the notice of this August Dicastery that some presbyters, even some bishops, select the Eucharistic Prayer they intend to use without any reference to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, paragraph 365 (322 in earlier editions). By ignoring the plain sense of the advice and directions there given, they are ignoring the Mind of the Church. Because, as every fule do kno, the Missal promulgated after the Council by S Paul VI is the Mind of the Church. Never forget, little people, that the Roman Rite has only one (unicus) Use. Ignoring paragraph 365, especially in as grave a matter as the selection of the Eucharistic Prayer, demonstrates a mind opposed to that of the Council as well as ... which is even worse ... to that of our Holy Father Pope S Francis I.
(2) Paragraph 365 makes clear that the only Eucharistic Prayer "which can always be used" is Prayer 1, the Roman Canon. According to the Mind of the Church, it should be used from Christmas Day until 1 January; on the Epiphany; at the Easter Vigil and until the Saturday after Easter; on the Ascension; at Pentecost; on All Saints' Day; at all celebrations of our Lady, S Joseph, S John Baptist, all and every one of the Apostles; on the festivals of Ss Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Laurence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, John, Stephan, Barnabas, Ignatius, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, and Anastasia.
(3) In addition, it should, according to the Mind of the Church, be used on all Sundays unless, for pastoral reasons, Prayer 3 be preferred.
(4) Prayer 2 is provided for use on weekdays, although it is made clear that Prayer 1 "can always be used". It is clearly contrary to the Mind of the Church for Prayer 2 to be used on Sundays, either on the Sunday itself or at vigil Masses.
(5) Prayer 4, originally provided for congregations learned in Holy Scripture, may now be used on Sundays. Most prayerfully, this Compassionate Dicastery wishes you the very best of luck if you do so.
(6) It is the desire of the Holy Father and of this vastly Majestic Dicastery that the abuse of using Prayer 2 at Sunday Masses should cease forthwith. In particular, no priest ordained after the promulgation yesterday of this Instruction may use this Prayer unless with permission from his Bishop. Before giving such permission, a Bishop should consult this Wondrous Dicastery ... did I say consult? Of course, I meant to say seek permission from. This is what the official Latin Version of the present Instruction makes clear ... or, rather, will do in six months time when piccolo Andrea has done the Latin Translation. At the moment, he says he has mislaid his copy of A Latin Dictionary For Weaker Students In Minor Seminaries, as well as his teddy bear. If anyone has seen either or both of them lying around ...
At the audience granted on ........ the Holy Father Pope S Francis I approved this Instruction and ordered it to be published.
4 comments:
Next you'll be suggesting that the deacon at Papal Masses say or sing the petitions of the prayers of the faithful, rather than a gaggle of layfolk, each rather patronisingly attired in the traditional costume of their respective ethnic group, each uttering one petition in a different language, as if to figure forth Babel.
I was present in the congregation when a current English Archbishop used EP2 at a main Sunday Mass. Painful.
DUBIUM: We are a flourishing NO community though we discourage concelebration except when unavoidable. On Christmas Day, our priests all celebrate their three masses privately back to back after the pontifical celebration at midnight. Until now they have used the Roman Canon for masses 1 & 3 but Canon Two for the middle one. Given that that mass is traditionally associated with St Anastasia as well as being a Christmas mass, is it the Sacred Dicastery's view that we are we obliged to use the Roman Canon for it as well?
RESPONSUM: Vituperative. Since presumably your priests mutter the prayers silently, it is doubtful whether anyone knows or cares what they do.
God Who sees all, knows very well what the priest is praying in a soft voice. The priest too knows what he himself is praying - to God's glory, to his own edification, and for the ghostly welfare of all christians, living and dead. And lastly, the faithful, who are want to follow the authentic roman rite of Mass, know fully well the words and meaning of the Roman Canon that the priest prays in a low voice. So it could hardly be called "mumbling".
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