That Praytell post I like by the good Deacon Fritz Bauerschmidt informed me of something I thought was just me and a few other liberals like me. Many progressive liturgists, like Paul Inwood, think the Eucharistic Prayer is boring as the priest drones on praying it in a kind of proclamation to the congregation or maybe in a monotone.
Deacon Fritz reminded those reading that a conservative bishop at Vatican II thought that the Eucharistic prayer should be reduced to simply the words of consecration and be done with it. WOW! I would not go that far as liberal as I am.
At least have the Epiclesis and anamesis and the per ipsum, please God! (Oh, I forgot, we have that, Eucharistic Prayer II!).
Inwood thinks that more refrains or acclamations need to be inserted into the EPs. Yes, like singing a 12 verse hymn with 12 refrains. That will go over very well.
Since I am liberal enough to celebrate both forms of the Mass and if I had permission, I would also celebrate the Ordinariate Mass, I think we need to recover an option possible in the Tridentine’s Roman Canon.
What is that you ask?
The Silent Canon, but the Sanctus chanted as an overlay to the Canon, with the Sanctus part chanted prior to the Hanc Igitur, then silence at that point through the two consecrations, and then the Benedictus chanted after the consecration. The per ipsum would be chanted aloud with the Great Amen as currently practiced in the OF Mass.
Can’t we dream and is this better than the bishop’s opinion which the deacon articulates and certainly eons ahead of the silliness of Inwood’s suggestion!
3 comments:
How about we put the mysterium fidei back where it was for 1500 years. in the Roman Canon it clearly refers to the Precious Blood, in EP1 most priests phrase it as a question presumably the answer to which would be the response of the people ( memorial acclimation). I have asked several NO priests what the words 'mystery of faith' refer to in EP1. I have gotten a variety of answers but none of them have said "the Precious Blood in the Chalice".
Saint Michael the archangel defend us in battle.
The splitting of the Sanctus and Benedictus in the older rite only applies in polyphonic settings. The rubrics for the newer rite enjoin the celebrant to say (or sing) the Sanctus and Benedictus along with the people. In a sung Mass this is hardly practicable unless the Sanctus from Mass XVIII (Ferias in Advent and Lent, and Masses for the dead) is used invariably, which is hardly desirable.
There is a second problem. Because of the linear nature of the Novus Ordo the priest cannot begin the Canon until the choir has finished singing the Sanctus and Benedictus. This isn't too much of a problem if a Gregorian setting is used, but becomes problematic with a polyphonic setting where the Benedictus would have been sung after the Consecration. The celebrant and ministers can be left standing at the altar for some considerable time - they cannot sit down, as they would (for example) during a sung Gloria.
The rank innovation of the 'memorial acclamation' gets in the way of a split Sanctus and Benedictus and along with GIRM 32 would appear to militate against a 'silent' Canon. When I attended Brompton Oratory in the 1970s and 1980s it was usual for the Canon to be sung at the Solemn Latin Mass; nowadays it is usually spoken in a slightly subdued voice. In a large church with 'ad orientem' celebration there is no danger that it should resemble a 'proclamation' aimed at the people.
John, my suggestion (thinking outside the box) is to return to the Roman Canon of the Tridentine Rite but inserted into the modern Mass. Thus, the priest would say the Sanctus to himself quickly as the congregation sings the first part of the Sanctus. Since it is the EF’s Roman Canon, there is no “Mystery of Faith” acclamation, just the EF’s formula for the consecrations. Thus after the consecration of the Precious Blood, the Benedictus is chanted. My one change is what was the first change of the canon in the 1965 Missal, the addition of the chanted Per Ipsum and Great amen.
The point of this is to engage the congregation during the lengthy Roman Canon by a chanting the Sanctus/Benedictus as an overlay to the very low voice canon rather than following Paul Inwood’s suggestion that we have many acclamations for the laity throughout the canon—no way Jose.
At the Cathedral’s EF Mass, the complete Sanctus is chanted while I quickly say it and go directly into the Canon. Normally I can go fast enough where I pause for the schola to conclude the Sanctus before I continue with the Hanc Igitur and the consecrations. Of course at the Cathedral there is no Benedictus after the consecration but simply my low voice praying of the Canon.
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