THE NEW 'RHUS SERVANDUS

New Zealand Tablet, 1 May 1913, Page 9

THE NEW 'RHUS SERVANDUS

We have been asked to reproduce the following notice of the new (English) Buns Strvandus, which appears in the columns of the London Tablet: The new Ritus S.ervandus in Solemni Expositione et Benedictione S SSi Sacramenti, expected for several years past, has at length been issued by Messrs. Burns and Oates in the name of the Bishops of England and Wales. Its observance is obligatory throughout the three Provinces of Westminster, Birmingham, : and Liverpool, and in the Preface their Lordships remind the clergy to study and put its regulations into practice with minute care. ,"

The former Ritus, issued in the year before the restoration of the hierarchy, was due to the initiative of Cardinal Wiseman, then Bishop of Melipotamus and Vicar-Apostolic of the London District. Throughout his episcopate he was animated by a keen desire to foster a greater devotion amongst the faithful to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. The third of the four resolutions which he wrote down during the retreat preparatory to his consecration as Bishop, in 1840, was ' to promote devotion to the Blessed Sacrament by Exposition and the Forty Hours' Adoration.' And he faithfully carried it into effect by introducing the practice of the Forty Hours' Prayer and by encouraging -more frequent Benedictions. But his characteristic love for the correctness and dignity of ritual was offended by the various abuses and the lack of uniformity that had crept into the Benediction service. We can, therefore, easily understand 'the motives that urged the Vicars-Apostolic to draw up the first Situs. In their own words: ' Vicariis Apostolicis visum est et divini cultus decori et fidelium aedificationi consultum fore, si unicus tantum modus tarn sacrum peragendi opus übique locorum constitueretur.' And the pattern on which they intended to model . this uniform rite was, as a matter' of course, the rite in use at Rome, as was expressly stated in the first Provincial Council of Westminster. f -.;-1-

Since Wiseman's day, Benediction has become more and more popular, until it now forms, if not the main, at least the most attractive element of Catholic devotion in the eyes of the faithful. It is, therefore, of the first importance that the performance of this sacred rite should be carefully regulated. But, as the Bishops point out in the ' Praemonenda ' to the new Bitus, the old Ritus. has long been out of date in many respects. Even in the beginning it did not precisely correspond with the use of Rome; and during the sixty-three years that have since elapsed many important laws have been made, always in the sense indicated by the 'practice of the City.' The old Bitus has therefore ceased to answer the wishes of its framers. In these circumstances, then, the Bishops, acting on the same motives as the Vicars-Apostolic (' quosque idem movet cum Romano more consensus'), caused a new Ritus to be drawn up, which should embody, in a brief and summary manner, the essential parts of the Church's legislation,. as far as it bears on the Benediction service.

As guaranty for the correctness of the new Bitus we have not only the fact that it is prescribed by the hierarchy of the three Provinces, but also the seal and the , formal sanction of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. The official approbation bears the signatures of the secretaries both of the Sacred Congregation of Rites and of the Liturgical Commission of the same

Congregation. The new Situs does not constitute new law. There is nothing in it which is not already contained in the Acts of the Holy See. All its regulations, certainly all the new ones, are based on authentic decrees, and many of them seem to be couched in the very words of the decrees. But existing legislation is here codified and authoritatively set before us by our Bishops, whose right and sacred duty it is to watch over everything connected with the worship of the Most Holy Sacrament. The plea of ignorance in good faith can no longer be alleged in palliation for breaches of the law.- '

The Situs is drawn up in the form of a ceremonial for Benediction, of which the first five paragraphs describe the preparation for the service.. A Preface, styled ' Praemonenda,' gives the Bishops' general directions on the manner in which it is to be observed. As it is written for the most part in the terse, legal phraseology of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, some comment is called for on the more important points in which it differs from the old Situs.

I. The most noticeable change concerns the construction of altars. (1) A ■permanent throne of exposition may not be built over the tabernacle. Of course, permanent thrones were never contemplated by the rubrics. The throne consists essentially of a small canopy with dorsal and base, specially designed to receive the monstrance during solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. By the nature of its function, therefore, it is a temporary structure, part of the preparation of the altar for the occasion of Exposition. When there is no Exposition, it is just as slovenly to leave the throne in position as it is to leave altar cards, missal, and lighted, candles' on the altar after the Masses for the day are ended. Nevertheless, outside of Rome and of places where sound tradition persists, a tacit toleration existed for the gratification of nuns and of Gothic architects, who found in permanent thrones an opportunity to indulge in more of the ornamental pinnacles they love. Apparently the new prohibition is restricted to permanent thrones on the tabernacle, and it would seem, in consequence, that their erection behind the tabernacle is still tolerated. The Situs does, indeed, say that ' the throne should be used only for Exposition, and should be removed afterwards.' But a broad interpretation, based on the original decree (S.C.R. 27 May, 1911, Westmonasterien), would limit this direction to the case of thrones on the tabernacle, or would regard it as a statement of the general principle. (2) The altar cross may never be placed in the throne, nor in any structure specially designed for Exposition. This prohibition is dictated by a desire to preserve the true meaning' of the throne. The essential element in the throne is the canopy, and it is intended to be a special sign of honor to the Blessed Sacrament. But if the altar cross be placed under the canopy, it is given a mark of honor due to the Blessed Sacrament alone, and the 'throne of Exposition ' at once loses all its significance. The legislation of the Sacred Congregation of Rites on this point is very strong. But it has been flagrantly disregarded, chiefly on account of the custom of building permanent thrones on the tabernacle. A projecting bracket in front of the throne to receive the cross is a specious device which does not overcome the difficulty; for to all appearance the canopy still forms a graceful ornament for the cross, and while this appearance exists the cross is still receiving a mark of honor that really belongs to the Blessed Sacrament alone. Here we have the reason why the Sacred Congregation of Rites insists on the unqualified prohibition of permanent thrones on the tabernacle. What is to be done in churches where permanent thrones on the tabernacle already exist? The obvious thing is to do away with the banner articles. As the Bishops state in the ' Praemonenda ': ' Potius curet ut ea quae obstant amoveantur, et magis locus ritui quam ritus loco accommodetur.' To remedy the defect, however, is often a matter of considerable difficulty and expense. In such cases the Bishop should be consulted. But, wherever possible, the necessary alterations will certainly be made; for a permanent

throne on the tabernacle, or an altar cross standing; in the throne, will henceforward be offensive to the eyes of the least-instructed person entering the church. With regard to new altars, there can be no question/ The Bishops' instructions are quite definite: ' Studeant pariter qui nova . altaria vel tabernacula construi faciunt ut hodiernae Ecclesiae disciplinae et adprobatis ritibus potiusquam antiquis quibiisdam et obsoletia legibus aptentur.' ~*... 11. A great point in the new 'Situs is that it makes the true > structure of the Benediction service stand out clearly. The service consists of three parts: first, the action of exposing the Blessed Sacrament; then the period of exposition with devotions; and, lastly, the action of terminating the exposition. Confusion often arises from ignorance of what precisely constitutes each of these parts. ■'-' The first • part consists essentially of placing the monstrance in the throne and of offering -incense. During these actions the general law of. the Church does not order any hymns or prayers; % and many authorities hold that they are best done in silence. In some places, one or -other of an appointed list of motets in honor of the Blessed Sacrament is sung. But in England the Bishops have laid down the rule that the O Salutaris must invariably be sung, because this is our English custom. This rule does not apply to the beginning of every Benediction service, but to the beginning of every Exposition. Thus in places where there is Exposition all day, the 0 Salutaris should be sung, and the Blessed Sacrament should be incensed at the moment of exposing the Blessed Sacrament in the morning; but at the evening Benediction the O Salutaris need not be sung, and incense must not be used until the Genitori. The last part of the Benediction service, often called the ' Reposition,' brings the Exposition to an end. It consists of the Ta n t U m Ergo, with incensation at the Genitori, the verse Partem de caelo, the prayer Deus qui nobis, and the Blessing. Having reference only to the Blessed Sacrament,., this portion of the rite, from the beginning of the Tantum Ergo to the end "of the Blessing, bears a liturgical character, and forms one solid liturgical block, unalterable apart from Roman legislation. For this reason it is forbidden to add any prayer, even an omtio imperata, to the Deus qui nobis. The only additional element that is permitted is the recitation of the Divine Praises after the Blessing. Since, then, the 0 Salutaris and the Tantum Ergo mark the extreme points of the Benediction service, the period of Exposition, during which devotions before the Blessed Sacrament should come, obviously lies between these points. Therefore dedications, acts of reparation, orationes imperatae, etc., intended to be said before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, must follow the 0 Salutaris or precede the Tantum Ergo: Thus the custom that has prevailed in many places of reciting certain prayers after the Blessing is contrary to the essential structure of a service with Exposition; for at the Blessing, the Exposition is already over. In the new Situs there is a rubric before the ' Prayer for England,' ordering it to be said after the Q Salutaris or before the Tantum Ergo at latest.' Except on days when certain prayers are ordered by ecclesiastical authority, there is no necessity to insert anything between the 0\ Salutaris and the Tantum Ergo. The Litany of Loretto does not form an integral part of Benediction; and, according to the new regulations, the ' Prayer for England' need only be said at the principal Benediction on Sundays and holy days of obligation. 111. Several of the purely ceremonial details call for notice. (1) Profound bows are never made by persons who are kneeling. On every occasion when the old Situs ordered a profunda inclinatio e.g., before rising to put incense into the thurible— a moderate inclination of head and shoulders is now to be made. (2) On several occasions both deacon and celebrant were ordered by the old Situs to genuflect on both knees on the predella. In the new Situs they are always told to genuflect only on one knee. This is only the application of the principle

that a■' double genuflexion,' or ' prostratio,' is never made 'on the predella. How the rule of the 'double genuflexion found its way into, the old .Situs is 'hard to understand. For the Roman custom always adhered • rigorously to the general principle, as was vouched for by Martinucci in 1870, Baldeschi in 1820, and Cavalieri in 1750. But the point has been settled once for all by the decree of July 29, 1904. (3) There is now ajchoice of two ways in which the celebrant may receive the monstrance in order to give the Blessing, and neither of these ways is precisely the same as any given in the old Situs. • (4) The paragraph on incensation will certainly puzzle the majority of readers. It runs thus: -' Sacerdos . . . SS. Sacramentum incensat ter duplici ductu (quae verba non idem significant ac "ter duobus ductibus").' The cryptic clause in parentheses is evidently introduced to discourage an incorrect way of censing, which unfortunately is almost universal. Everything turns on the meaning of ' duplex ductus,' a 'double swing.' ' Double' is not contrasted here with one,' but with 'simple.' It does not mean 'two,' but ' complex,' ' compound.' The deacon censes the book at the Gospel with three simple swings; but he should cense the celebrant with three more solemn, technically ' double,' swings. The difference is very clearly defined. The simple swing is made by holding the thurible on a level with the waist, then impelling it towards the object censed, and finally allowing it to fall back to the level of the waist again. The double swing is made by raising the thurible from the waist to ( the height of the face, then impelling it once towards the object, and finally lowering it to the waist again. A simple swing is a mere impulsion straight from the waist a double swing is compounded of an upward movement plus one propulsion, not of two similar propulsions. The performance that is commonly supposed to be a double swing is by no means a double swing in the true sense. When executed three times it merely results in six simple swings combined in pairs, a painfully long and meaningless proceeding. IV. Not only, however, has the Situs Servandus proper been brought into conformity with recent legislation, but the body of hymns and prayers that is usually bound up with it has been rearranged and completed. A glance at the table of contents will show that in doing this a logical order has been followed, which will enable the required item to be found with the minimum of research. Also, the text of the English prayers has been revised throughout, and the Latin prayers now appear in the correct formulae. The rubrics now inserted in the Litaniae in Oratione XL Horm-um should do something to remove the sad confusion that so generally prevails in the services for the Forty Hours' Adoration.

But apart altogether from the new legislation it contains and the re-editing it has undergone, the new Situs would impose itself if only by reason of its exceedingly pleasing appearance. The publishers arebe commended on their courage in providing a really beautiful book for the service of the altar.