"Commentator"

[JaMc]

I am planning on attending a Latin Mass tomorrow, and, looking through an old missal (the one immediately prior to the 1962 Missal, which, I was told on an earlier thread I started, shouldn’t be that much different), I noticed that, at certain points, it states that “in a dialogue Mass, the Commentator may…”

Who was the “commentator”? I asked my grandmother, who grew up during the Latin era, and she had never heard of it (or a “dialogue” Mass for that matter). Is that the same as the lector, was it a minor order, or is it something a layperson did?

 

[JuanCarlos]

All I know is that a dialogue Mass is one where the people respond instead of the altar servers.

 

[AJV]

I am planning on attending a Latin Mass tomorrow, and, looking through an old missal (the one immediately prior to the 1962 Missal, which, I was told on an earlier thread I started, shouldn’t be that much different), I noticed that, at certain points, it states that “in a dialogue Mass, the Commentator may…”

Who was the “commentator”? I asked my grandmother, who grew up during the Latin era, and she had never heard of it (or a “dialogue” Mass for that matter). Is that the same as the lector, was it a minor order, or is it something a layperson did?

A commentator was a person (priest, cleric, lay - in that order) who would read out an explanation of the part of the Mass going on, or a prayer, or an exhortation, or a vernacular translation of what the priest was reading*, or lead in a response. He would be facing the people while doing this, while the priest would be at the altar reciting a certain part of the Mass. I think it was the French liturgist Bouyer who made a comment about how in the future people would look back and think how strange it was two have two priests and sort of “two Masses”. I should find that quote.

*this could not be done for all parts of the Mass

 

[JaMc]

A commentator was a person (priest, cleric, lay - in that order) who would read out an explanation of the part of the Mass going on, or a prayer, or an exhortation, or a vernacular translation of what the priest was reading*, or lead in a response. He would be facing the people while doing this, while the priest would be at the altar reciting a certain part of the Mass. I think it was the French liturgist Bouyer who made a comment about how in the future people would look back and think how strange it was two have two priests and sort of “two Masses”. I should find that quote.

*this could not be done for all parts of the Mass

Was this ever common? I can see how it would be helpful in places where there would be a large number of converts, or at a Catholic school, but, in a normal parish, I agree it would seem sort of strange.

I would say, also, a commentator would be an excellent idea in a parish offering the E.F. for the first time since Vatican II.

 

[rwoehmke]

A commentator was a person (priest, cleric, lay - in that order) who would read out an explanation of the part of the Mass going on, or a prayer, or an exhortation, or a vernacular translation of what the priest was reading*, or lead in a response. He would be facing the people while doing this, while the priest would be at the altar reciting a certain part of the Mass. I think it was the French liturgist Bouyer who made a comment about how in the future people would look back and think how strange it was two have two priests and sort of “two Masses”. I should find that quote. *this could not be done for all parts of the Mass

I was a “commentator” for a time just as Vatican II ended and the Mass was evolving from the TLM to the N.O. There were three Sunday Masses in my parish and six commentators who served every other week. We were commissioned by our Bishop, at least we had a certificate that said so. We did it all; announcements and presentation of the theme of the days readings before Mass, serve as cantor for the various hymns, read the Epistle, and prayers of the faithful. We also would introduce some of the parts of the Mass as they came up. Somewhere along the line, accompanied by an altar boy with a paten(We still had altar rails then.) we became distributors of the Eucharist as well. Today most of these roles have become separate ministries, like Reader, EMHC’s, Commentator(Announcements before Mass, Theme of the readings, and then Prayers of the Faithful just before the Offeratory.) etc.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I was a “commentator” for a time just as Vatican II ended and the Mass was evolving from the TLM to the N.O. There were three Sunday Masses in my parish and six commentators who served every other week. We were commissioned by our Bishop, at least we had a certificate that said so. We did it all; announcements and presentation of the theme of the days readings before Mass, serve as cantor for the various hymns, read the Epistle, and prayers of the faithful. We also would introduce some of the parts of the Mass as they came up. Somewhere along the line, accompanied by an altar boy with a paten(We still had altar rails then.) we became distributors of the Eucharist as well. Today most of these roles have become separate ministries, like Reader, EMHC’s, Commentator(Announcements before Mass, Theme of the readings, and then Prayers of the Faithful just before the Offeratory.) etc.

This is interesting. I don’t remember anyone acting in this role in any of the parishes I belonged to pre-Vatican II. I never heard the term Commentor in relation to the Mass before. And I never received the Eucharist from anyone except a priest. Was this common only in certain parts of the country or what?

 

[rwoehmke]

This is interesting. I don’t remember anyone acting in this role in any of the parishes I belonged to pre-Vatican II. I never heard the term Commentator in relation to the Mass before. And I never received the Eucharist from anyone except a priest. Was this common only in certain parts of the country or what?

I don’t know. It was common in the Superior Wisconsin diocese. Somewhere I had read that it was the first US diocese to start the changes, but I can’t vouch for that. Our first commentator wore a cassock and surplice, but when the six of us started we wore suits or sport coats with tie.