The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-09-23
BY FIR. FREDERICK
r. McMANUS

rus ALI III 1896 along
the lines laid down by St. Pr
us x so years ago.
This latest fruit of the 10th
century liturgical> movement
is a new code of rules for the
Church calendar and for the
Mass and the divine Office.
Officially promulgated by His
Holiness Pope John XIII on
July Is to be effective next
Jan. /, its details have now
been published.
IN MAKING the announce
ment, Pope John explained
the partial and preliminary
nature Of these changes: "Af-
ter long and mature consid-
Grafton, We reached the opin-
ion that the more basic princi-
pies affecting the general
liturgical restoration should
be presented to the fathers at
the forthcoming ecumenical
council, but that the correc-
ton of the rubrics of the mis-
sal and breviary should not
be delayed any longer"
The most significant fea-
ture of the codification is the
renewed emphasis placed on
the temporal cycle of the
Church calendar, that is, the
Sundays of the year and the
feasts and seasons which eel
citrate the chief mysteries of
the Christian religion.
SUPERFlCIALLY, this may
appear to be a kind of down
grading of the feast days of
the saints.
In reality, it is a new re-
hinder that all feast days, in
Guiding the feasts of the
saints, must be centered upon
Christ Himself.
This reinforcement of the
chief feasts and seasons is ev-
ident, for example,, in the
new and higher ranking of
Sundays as first class" (Ad-
vent and Lent) and second
class" (other Sundays. Every
Sunday of the year is intend
ed to be a celebration of the
resurrection of Our Lord
from the dead and a day of
baptismal renewal. These con-
cepts, planned as one Of the
results of the 1855 reform of
the Holy Week and Easter
liturgy, should now be en-
HANGED by the technical clas-
sification of Sundays in the
missal and breviary.
a SECOND GOOD instance
of the same thing is the stress
laid on the quarterly ember
days by which the four sea-
sons of the year are conSe-
Grated to God. These periods
have received special recog-
milton as weekdays of sec
ond class - second only to
Ash Wednesday and the days
of Holy Week. With the same
emphasis, the Holy See In
1855 urged bishops to con-
fer Holy Orders on ember Sat-
urdays so that the prayer and
fasting of the people might
accompany the ordination of
priests, deacons, and other
clericS.
A whole series of small but
meaningful changes affects
the celebration of Mass. Some
are simplifications. On a few
occasions in the year the
preparatory prayers at the
foot of the altar will be omit
ted. The Greed will not be
said or sung at so many Mass
es. The solemn dismissal at
Mass will ordinarily be "Ite,
missa est" (Go, the Mass is
ended, with the alternative
phrase "Benedicamus Domi-
no" Get us bless the Lord
reserved for Masses followed
by a procession. The last Cos
pei will be omitted at such
Masses, and also at funeral
Masses because of the rite of
absolution which follows.
THE ADDITIONAL prayers
or collects at Mass will be
4 more strictly limited from
now on. Those sometimes re-
cuired by local bishops are Sc
verely restricted. They may
be ordered for grave and
public necessity or calamity"
but on a temporary basis
rather than permanently or
Indefinitely.
To emphasize more import
ant D; S of the Mass, the eel
ebrant of sung Mass is direct
ed to say the prayers at the
foot of the altar and the last
Gospel silently, not aloud.
FOR Low MASSES. priests
have been reminded again
as was done by the Holy See
in 1858 to recite the re-
uuired texts loudly, clearly.
and slowly. To increase the
dignity of the ordinary par
ish high Mass, the incensings
customary at solemn Mass
may now be added at all sung
Masses.
or REAL SIGNIFICANCE
for the piety Of the faithful
is the strong disapproval Civ
en- to the abuse of distribut
ing Holy Communion at ode
and improper moments dur
ing Mass: "The proper time
for distributing HOLY Com