Candles at Easter Vigil Mass

[Cavaille-Coll]

Last year, the Easter Vigil Mass was one of most beautiful I have yet seen. Throughout the seven sets of readings (the Archbishop mandated that all seven be used!), the lights were kept off until the Gloria, while parishioners held the lighted tapers that they received at the beginning of the Vigil. It was truly inspiring and majestic, but was it rubrically correct to leave the lights off that long. I believe the rubrics call for the lights to be lit at or after the Exultet. Is this a legitimate option?

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

Let’s simplify this: at the Easter Vigil liturgy, is it mandated that the lights of the church be switched on at the Exultet, or may they be left off until the Gloria?

 

[stbruno]

Here is a link from the US Conference of Catholic bishops regarding the rules of the Easter Vigil mass.
Check it out.
usccb.org/liturgy/eastervigil.shtml

The places at which the proclamation, Light of Christ, are sung now differ from what was in the previous Missale.
The new places are: at the door of the Church (after which the priest lights his candle), in the middle of the Church (after which all light their candles), and before the altar, facing the people. The Missale instructs the deacon to place the candle in a large candle stand prepared either next to the ambo or in the middle of the sanctuary (EV, no. 17). The lights of the Church are then lit with the exception of the altar candles which are lit just before the intonation of the Gloria (EV, nos. 17 and 31)

 

[Elzee]

Sounds like we may be doing it slightly wrong too - our lights are left off until the Gloria. As the church bells ring during the Gloria the lights in the nave are gradually turned on. As we sing the the last “Glory to God”, ALL the lights in the sanctuary are turned on at the same time.

 

[Elzee]

Hmm - I just read the link above. In our parish, everyone holds a lighted candle (one is first it by the Paschal candle at the back of the nave and then each person lights the candle of the person next to him/her). Is this not allowed?

Our cantor also sings most of the readings - they’re not from the lectionary, but are revised to fit to music - in particular the reading from Genesis.

 

[John_Lilburne]

As it has at From usccb.org/liturgy/eastervigil.shtml "

The 1975 Roman Missal had:
“When the deacon arrives before the altar, he faces the people and sings a third time:
Deacon: Christ our light.
All answer: Thanks be to God.
Then the lights of the church are put on.”
(Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 173.)

Then there is the Easter Proclamation and this rubric:
“22. After the Easter proclamation, the candles are put aside and all sit down.”
(Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 187).

The 2002 Roman Missal seems to have the same instruction. As it has a usccb.org/liturgy/eastervigil.shtml :
“The lights of the Church are then lit with the exception of the altar candles which are lit just before the intonation of the Gloria (EV, nos. 17 and 31).”