Altar Servers Clapping During the Sanctus?

[paramedicgirl]

I am looking for clarification on whether a priest should ask the altar servers to clap (make a joyful noise) during the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). Since 2 of the altar servers are ringing bells, and the reason for ringing bells is to create a joyful noise to the Lord, should the other altar servers be clapping to also contribute to this joyful noise? It should be noted that our priest is from Africa, where their culture is quite different than ours.

What does the GIRM say?

 

[AltarMan]

paramedicgirl:

I am looking for clarification on whether a priest should ask the altar servers to clap (make a joyful noise) during the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). Since 2 of the altar servers are ringing bells, and the reason for ringing bells is to create a joyful noise to the Lord, should the other altar servers be clapping to also contribute to this joyful noise? It should be noted that our priest is from Africa, where their culture is quite different than ours.

What does the GIRM say?

They should not be ringing bells during the Sanctus. They should be ringing bells at the epiclesis, at both elevations and as the priest completes his communion with the Precious Blood (optional.)

“Clapping” is never mentioned in the GIRM…

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Sounds appalling.

 

[slewi]

Well, as with most of the abuses that occur today, the GIRM does not mention clapping. Of course, I doubt that those who wrote it thought that people would actually clap at some point during mass, just as they probably didn’t expect people to pray the Our Father with their hands in the orans position. Which is the reason it’s not in there.

The GIRM is not a document stating which practices are to be avoided, like your local statutes of common law. It is a book of instruction telling you what to do during the mass.

Hopefully all of these abuses will be dealt with in a new papal document that we here can debate endlessly.

S

 

[paramedicgirl]

Thanks for the information. The altar servers are instructed to ring the bells for the entire Sanctus, with clapping optional for those who don’t have bells. When they ring the bells for the elevations, there is no clapping. This is something new our priest just started, I think to make him feel more at home, since he misses the way they do things in Africa.

 

[Mary1973]

Sorry that Father is home sick but when in Rome…

I believe you are supposed to follow the rubrics of the country that you are in.

 

[totustuusmaria]

paramedicgirl:

I am looking for clarification on whether a priest should ask the altar servers to clap (make a joyful noise) during the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). Since 2 of the altar servers are ringing bells, and the reason for ringing bells is to create a joyful noise to the Lord, should the other altar servers be clapping to also contribute to this joyful noise? It should be noted that our priest is from Africa, where their culture is quite different than ours.

What does the GIRM say?

Very very interesting take. One thing: neither tradition nor the GIRM mandates that the altar servers clap during the Sanctus. If neither tradition nor the rubrics call for it, I would think it would be an abuse for a priest to mandate it. In Ecclesia de Eucharistica JPM said that the faithful have a right to have the Mass offered as the Church wants it offered. If the Church hasn’t said “we desire all persons at the discretion of the priest to make a joyful noise to the Lord during the Sanctus” than the faithful (and the servers) have a right to not listen to the priest when it orders it.

(post scriptum) That’s kinda bazaar…i know traditionally one rings the bells three times during the sanctus but to have to servers ringing the bells and the rest clapping? It seems rather silly. I have a hard time imagining it done in such a way as to avoid caos and emphasise the right order which the Canon of the Mass shoud reflect.

 

[mosher]

Claping is a liturgical actions of affirmation and is prescribed in the announcing of a Bishop. Apart from that it has no liturgical character.