masses-of-requiem.pdf

Masses of Requiem

Masses of Requiem will be treated under the following heads:

I. Origins;

II. Formulary;

III. Colour of the Vestments;

IV. Conditions for celebrating;

V. Rite;

VI. Solemn Funeral Mass;

VII. Mass in Commemoration of All the Dead;

VIII. Mass Post Acceptum Mortis Nuncium;

IX. Masses of the Third, Seventh, and Thirtieth Days, and on Anniversaries;

X. High Mass;

XI. Low Mass.

I. ORIGINS

Requiem Masses are masses that are offered for the dead. They derive their name from the first

word of the Introit, which may be traced to the Fourth Book of Esdras, one of the Apocrypha,

at the passage "Expectate pastorem vestrum, requiem æternitatis dabit vobis . . . Parati estote ad

præmia regni, qui lux perpetua lucabit vobis æternitatem temporis" (IV Esd., ii, 34, 35). It is also

connected with a passage in Isaias, "Et requiem tibi dabit Dominus semper, et implebit

splendoribus animam tuam" (Is. lxviii, 11). The Antiphon is from Psalm lxiv. The date of the

adoption of this Introit is not well known, but it is found in the so-called Antiphonary of St.

Gregory Come of Albino (see the edition Rome, 1691. p. 226). In that work, however, there are

two other Introits for the Mass of the Dead, one of which is "Ego sum resurrectio et vita; . . .

non morietur in æternam"; and the other, "Rogamus te, Dominus Deus noster, ut suscipias

animam hujus defuncti, pro quo sanguinem tuum fudisti; recordare Domine quia pulvis sumus et

homo sicut foenum flos agri." Thereligious idea that the soul is immortal made even the Jews

hold that the just, after death, went to sleep with their fathers (cf. Genesis 47:30; 1 Kings 2:10; 2

Maccabees 7:45), and Christians believed with St. Paul that they slept in Christ (1 Corinthians

15:18). From the first century, therefore, prayers were offered that the dead might have eternal

rest. Gregory of Tours (Glor. Mart., I, lxv), speaking of a Christian woman who each day caused

the Divine Sacrifice to be offered for her deceased husband, says, "Non diffisa de Domine

miseracordia, quod haberet defunctis requiem." And St. Ambrose (Ob. Valentiniani imp, no. 56)

writes: "Date manibus sancta mysteria, pio requiem ejus poscamus officio." So originated the

Introit for the Mass for the Dead.

II. FORMULARY

The formulary of a Mass consists of the liturgical texts that constitute the variable parts of the

Mass, namely the Introit, Prayer, Epistle, Gradual, and Tract, and sometimes also the Sequence,

Gospel, Offertory, Secret, Communion, and Post-Communion. Now the Missal has four of

these formularies: (1) In commemoratione Omnium Defunctorum; (2) In die obitus; (3) In

anniversario; (4) In missis quotidianis; but the only variations among them are in the Prayer, the

Epistle, and the Gospel. In the Paris Missal of Ventimille, reviewed by Quelen (ed. Le Clere,

1841), there are five formularies and many other Epistles and Gospels, all of which deserved to

be considered, because they are all taken from the Scriptures, and are very appropriate. Guyet,

also (Heortol., IV, xxiii, 31), takes from local uses several formulæ for the Introit, etc. for the

dead. There is nothing to be said in regard to the Gradual, or to the Communion of the Roman

formulary. (In regard to the sequence, "Dies iræ", see DIES IRÆ.) A few remarks may be made,

however, in regard to the Offertory, concerning which many writers have published contrary

views (cf. Merati in "Not. Gavanti", I, xii, 2). The words "libera animas . . . de poenis inferni et

de profundo lacu" may be easily understood to refer to purgatory, or, like those that follow . . .

"libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum", as also the last ones,

. . . "fac eas Domine, transire de morte ad vitam", they may bear the interpretation which is most

in accord with history and with theology, i.e., the one given by Merati and by Benedict XIV (De

sacrif. mis. II, ix, 4), cited by Grancolas (Antiq. sacrament eccl., p. 536). This Offertory is among

the prayers that were formerly recited for the sick who were about to die, and was later adopted

in the Mass, in the same manner as the Church is wont to pray, in Advent: "Rorate coeli desuper.

Emitte agnum, Domine, dominatorem terræ. . . . O Adonai, veni ad liberandum nos", etc. . . . As,

therefore, the Church refers these prayers to the time when the prophets were longing for the

promised Messias, so also, she refers the Offertory of the Mass for the Dead to the time when

the soul has not yet left the body. The same pope cites also an explanation by Sarnelli (Epist.,

III, 62) which is accepted by Thiers (De superstit., X, 15), and according to which these words

refer to the lake and to the dark place of purgatory; but the words "Fac transire de morte ad

vitam" are opposed to this interpretation. The rubric after the fourth formulary of the Missal (In

missis quotidianis) leaves the celebrant free to select the Epistle and the Gospel, and

consequently there remain to be recited according to prescription only the Prayers, which must

be selected according to the indications of the Missal, in appropriate relation to the person for

whom the Divine Sacrifice is offered.

The ceremonies of the Mass of Requiem are the same as those of the so-called "Mass of the

Living" with the exception of a few omissions and variations indicated in Title XIII of the

Rubrics. The Psalm "Judica me" is omitted at the beginning; this omission certainly bears a

relation to the masses of Passion Time, in which that psalm is likewise omitted. It should be

noted, however, that the omission on Passion Sunday is due to the fact that the psalm is said in

the Introit, and could not be recited twice. As this psalm xlii was omitted in all the ferial masses

of Passion Time, that omission was regarded as a sign of mourning, and accordingly became a

characteristic of the Mass of Requiem, although the psalm itself is not at variance with the nature

of this Mass. The two doxologies and the Alleluia, which are regarded as expression of joy and

festivity, are naturally omitted, to express mourning, although the Alleluia was formerly used in

Masses of Requiem, as may be seen in the Antiphonary of St. Gregory mentioned above. (Cf.

Cabrol, "Diction." s. v., col. 1235.) With regard to the omission of the blessing of the water

which is poured into the chalice, rubricists, taking it one from the other, say with Gavantus

(Rubr. Mis. II, vii, 4, g.) "Non benedicitur aqua . . .quæ populum significat, . . . vel aqua hoc loco

significat populum Purgatorii, qui jam est in gratia." But, admitting that the water which is mixed

with the wine represents the people, as Benedict XIV shows upon the authority of St. Cyprian

(Sacr. Mis. II, x, 13), this mystic explanation does not show why the water should not be blessed.

It seems more probable that the explanation for this practice should be sought in the principle,

admitted in the Latin Rites, that, as evidence of mourning, all signs of reverence and salutations

are omitted, among them the blessing of objects and of persons, just as on Good Friday the

blessing of the water, all obeisances and salutations, and the blessing of the people are omitted.

III. COLOUR OF THE VESTMENTS

Requiem masses should always be celebrated with black vestments and ornaments, black, in the

Latin Rite, representing the deepest mourning; for, as the Church robes its ministers in black on

Good Friday, to show its greatest grief, caused by the death of the Divine Redeemer, while it

uses the mixed colour of violet during Passion Tide, so also, in celebrating the obsequies of the

dead, it uses the colour of greatest grief. The one exception to the above rule was made by the

Congregation of Rites (decr. 3177 and 3844), which prescribed that when the Blessed Sacrament

is exposed on All Souls day, in the devotion of the Forty Hours, the colour of the vestments

must be violet. In many places it was held that bishops and cardinals might use violet vestments

for the Mass of Requiem; and this opinion was put into practice. It may have originated in the

fact that the Mass celebrated by a bishop is considered more solemn than others; on the other

hand, it may be that, as the violet vestments were not used prior to the thirteenth century,

because Innocent III makes no mention of them (Mist. Mis., I, lxv; P.L., 217), while black was

used on penitential days, some bishops may have undertaken to substitute violet for black in the

Requiem Mass also. This practice has received no authoritative sanction; and as the bishop, while

officiating on a given day, must use vestments of the colour prescribed by the Rubrics for that

day, there is no reason why he should make an exception for the Requiem Mass. And in fact, the

cardinal who celebrates a solemn Mass for the dead in the pontifical chapel in the presence of

the supreme pontiff, on occasions of the greatest solemnity, always uses black vestments.

IV. CONDITIONS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF REQUIEM MASSES

The Mass of Requiem is by its very nature extra ordinem officii, according to the Rubric (Rubr.

Miss.); that is, it has no relation to the office of the day. From this point of view, the Mass of

Requiem may be rightly considered a votive Mass. Now, according to the laws of the Church

(Rubr. Miss. ante Mis. Vot.), votive Masses may not be celebrated "except for some reasonable

cause" (nisi rationabili de causa), since "the Mass should, as far as possible, accord with the

Office" (quod fieri potest Missa eum Officio conveniat); and therefore neither may requiem

Masses be celebrated without reasonable motive; and this reasonable motive does not exist when

the Mass is not to be offered for one, or several, dead, in particular, or for all the dead in general.

For that reason, the custom that has grown up in our days, even in some of the Roman

churches, of providing only black vestments in the sacristies on the days of Semi-double, Non-

festive, or Non-privileged, Rite, is not to be approved. It may be said, however, in justification of

this practice, that at present alms for Masses are given, in greater part, on behalf of the dead; yet

it is true that many stipends are paid with the intention of obtaining special graces in behalf of

the living, particularly at the sanctuaries to which the faithful resort to venerate the saints or the

Blessed Virgin. The priest, however, who knows that he should offer the Mass in behalf of living

persons, and not for the departed, has no reasonable cause to celebrate the Mass of Requiem,

and therefore may not licitly celebrate it. This seems to be a rule without exception. That Masses

that are said according to the Office of the day may be applied to the dead, is easily understood,

since the formulary of the Mass is separable from the application of the Sacrifice itself. So also,

there is no doubt about the application of the merits of the Sacrifice to the living, even though

the formulary be that of Requiem (cf. Bucceroni, "Enchr. Mor.", 3rd ed., p. 282); but it is not

licit, since the liturgical rules clearly and justly allow the reading of the Mass of Requiem only for

its application to one or more of the dead.

There are other conditions for the celebration of the Requiem Mass; one is that the rite of the

day should allow the celebration; another than the celebrant should not be obliged, by reason of

his official position, to celebrate a Mass of the living. More will be said in regard to this

impediment of the rite or of the solemnity of the day, when we come to speak of the various

masses of Requiem. As to the impediment that arises from the celebrant's official charge, we

may say at once that it can be either the obligation of saying the conventual Mass or that of

saying the parochial Mass on a feast day. It is known that the conventual Mass, which is

celebrated by chapters, in cathedrals and in collegiate churches, is never to be omitted, since it is

the chief and noblest part of the whole office (Benedict XIV, Constit. 19 Aug., 1744, n. 11); for

which reason, if there should be but one priest at a collegiate church, it would be his duty to say

the conventual Mass, even if the solemn obsequies of one deceased were to be celebrated, as the

Ritual expressly provides (VII, i, 5). The same is to be said of the parochial Mass, which the

parish priest is to celebrate pro populo on each feast day; for which reason, if there should be

but one parish priest at a parish church on a feast day, and he should not be privileged to say

more than one Mass, he may not celebrate the Mass of Requiem, even if it be a question of the

obsequies of the one deceased, præsente cadavere. The reason for this prohibition is the rigorous

obligation that binds each parish priests to offer the Mass on feast days for this people, an

obligation which, according to the Council of Trent (Sess. XXIII, I, de ref.) arises from the

Divine precept, for him who has the care of souls, "to offer sacrifices for the people" (offerre

sacrificia pro populo). Benedict XIV (op. cit., n. 2), declares: "Eos, quibus animarum eura

demandatum est, non modum sacrificium Missæ celebrare, sed illius etiam fructum medium pro

populo sibi commisio applicare debere", so that there is a common doctrine among the

canonists that has been confirmed at different times by the Congregation of the Council. Now, if

in order to celebrate the Mass of Requiem, the Mass must be offered for the dead, and if there is

only one Mass in a parochial church on a feast day which must be offered pro populo, it is

manifest that this Mass may never be one of Requiem, but, on the contrary, as the Congregation

of Rites has frequently declared, it must always be according to the Office of the feast. Also the

Congregation of the Council (16 June, 1770, in Fesulana), being asked "An parochi in Dominicis

aliisque festis diebus præsente cadavere, possint celebrare missam pro defuncto, et in aliam diem

transfere missam pro populo applicandam", answered: Negative.

The Monday Privilege

In the United States there is a faculty ("Fac. Ord.", Form I, 20) ordinarily communicated to

priests through the bishop which grants permission to celebrate a requiem Mass on Mondays

non impeditis officio novem lectionem. The phrase officio novem lectionem gave rise to a doubt

as to whether semi-doubles only were referred to, or if doubles also were understood. The

Congregation of Rites answered (4 Sept., 1875, no. 3370, ad. 1) that this Mass was allowed on all

Mondays during the year, except (a) on the vigils of Christmas and the Epiphany; (b) in Holy

Week; (c) during the octaves of Christmas, the Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi;

(d) holy days of obligation; (e) greater doubles and doubles of the first and second class. If the

enumerated cases hinder this Mass on Monday, the privilege is transferred to Tuesday, under the

same conditions, but it lapses after that day.

V. RITE

The Office and the Mass for the Dead, in their construction, as in their varied rite, are modeled

on the Offices and the Masses of the liturgical feasts, and these are divided by Double Rite and

Semi-Double Rite, with their various classes, so, also, are the Masses of requiem divided. As is

well known, it is characteristic of the Double Rite to double the Antiphon in the Office (Rubr.

Brev. I, 4) and to have only one prayer in the Mass (Rubr. Mis., I, 1); while in the Semi-Double

Office the antiphons are not doubled, and the Mass has several prayers. Now the same law

governs the Office and the Mass of the Dead; the Mass of Requiem will be of the Double Rite (a

single prayer), whenever the office to which it may be related is recited with double rite

(doubling the antiphons); it will be of the Semi-Double Rite (with several prayers), when it

corresponds to an Office which is recited with the Semi-Double Rite. The Decree of the

Congregation of Rites of 30 June, 1896, and the reformed Rubric of the Missal (V, 3) are

interpreted in that sense. Upon the basis of these principles it is easy to establish the division of

the Masses of Requiem according to the various rites. As the Rubrics of the Breviary (ante

Matut. in Def.) and of the Ritual (VI, iv) prescribe the duplication of the antiphons, in the offices

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