Author Topic: Low Mass (Read 1685 times)

h1478971 · « **on:** March 12, 2011, 03:00:16 PM »

I have a queston. According to the Ritus Servandus of the 1962 Missal it says that there is a defect in the Mass if no servers are present. Does that mean that Low Mass without a server is not allowed?

How does the priest go about doing it if it is done?

By the way I have a copy of the Ritus Servandus.

romanitaspress · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2011, 06:24:28 PM »

Except in cases of absolute necessity, a priest should always have a server. If this is not possible, Canon (liturgical) Law also allows a woman to make the responses (and even ring the bell), but from outside the Communion rail.

The Church insists on this point, as every Mass is actually a public and social act of the Mystical Body of Christ, particularly of Church Militant.

In fact, it used to be prohibited to offer Mass without a server unless the priest had a special papal indult; Fr. Charles Foucauld had to wait 3 years to get one, because he was in the middle of the Sarah desert and no server was ever avaialble.

Hence, in the case of the rubrics of the 1962 missal, it would be a defect for a priest to offer Mass without a server, if the situation did not warrant it.

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:24:58 PM »

Wow thanks for posting this. Gives me even MORE reason to reject the changes, even in 1962. Thank God the priest at my church doesn't go along with them.

romanitaspress · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2011, 04:02:01 PM »

Why would this be cause for rejecting the legitimate reforms found in the 1962 Missale Romanum?

s2srea · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2011, 05:46:11 PM »

Quote from: romanitaspress

Why would this be cause for rejecting the legitimate reforms found in the 1962 Missale Romanum?

I would say, romanitas, that that person probably meant that anything post VII is heretical/ illegitimate etc...

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #5 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:14:32 PM »

Many priest don't have the luxury of altar boys saying Mass because of the very few that offer the Mass nowdays. So, to say that it is a defect in the rubrics to not have one, emphasizing community rather than a priest offering the Mass for everyone by himself, just reinforces the point.

It is not necessary to have an altar boy pre 1962 rubrics, but post 1962, from the above response, I gathered, IS defective. That's why I'm glad that there are still priests that don't go along with these changes.

s2srea · « **Reply #6 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:16:30 PM »

Got it parentsfortruth- I know there are many who differ on the subject. I believe, that the 1962 rubrics doesn't go against any Traditional teachings, but understand those who wouldn't want to use it either.

romanitaspress · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2011, 01:09:48 PM »

Dear ParentsforTruth,

The Church has *always* emphasized the social and public nature of the liturgy (a Greek word that means "public service"), particularly the Mass. Hence, why an altar server is normally required, because as St. Thomas Aquinas states, the server represents the faithful (who are missing at privately-offered Masses).

Also, the rule of allowing a priest to offer Mass without a server in a case of necessity dates from the 1920's when this rule was relaxed (just like the rules for fasting for Communion by Pius XII in 1953 and again in 1958), not in 1962 (not that this would matter in any case, since the '62 missal is completely orthodox).

The Novus Ordo unfortunately emphasizes this point incorrectly and for the wrong reason; just like they do with baptism, etc., etc., etc. This does not make the notion incorrect though, hence we do not throw out the baby with the bath water.

You might be interested in some articles that I wrote for The Remnant newspaper on the Dialog Mass which deals with a variety of liturgical issues (and misconceptions): http://romanitaspress.com/articles/dialog_mass.htm.