Confiteor and Roman Canon are fading out of use

[HeDa]

The priest who has celebrated Mass in my parish for the past weeks has made the effort to keeping the Mass short due to the heat in the church building. Every year we have people passing out because of the heat in the summer months. The extra ventilation is not enough in temperatures over 25 degrees Celsius and it doesn’t help that we build houses to keep the heat in and not out. This past Sunday I was thinking: “Where will it be least painful to go to Mass including the travel to the church building?”.

When temperatures are “normal” there is a good mix of EPs and Confiteors, Latin, chant and the likes.

 

[Gorgias]

Half the time I go to mass the confiteor isn’t said, but some other shortened thing.

There are three legitimate options. There’s no requirement to do the same option each and every time.

Sometimes it’s like the priest just makes it up.

If memory serves, the rite allows the priest or deacon to use tropes of his own. I’ll have to look it up…

90% of the time I go to mass it is EP 2 which is so incredibly short.

Did you know that 90% of the statistics on the internet are made up?

I get what you’re saying. Still, though, EP II is a legitimate Eucharistic Prayer. Far better than having something improvised on the spot, no?

 

[Prodigal1984]

We have one priest who thinks Eucharistic Prayer II is not appropriate for Sundays

His priest is somewhat correct.
In the GIRM it says EP 1 and EP 3 are recommended for Sundays and Holy Days. EP 2 only was really meant for regular weekday masses. EP 4 can be used as well but only during Ordinary Time when there is no feast/memorial, since its preface cannot be changed.

 

[Prodigal1984]

Interestingly even though EP 1, 3, and 4 seem much longer than EP 2 on paper, in reality it only saves about 2 minutes using EP 2. It isn’t about “saving time” to begin with but in the situation you described I can understand it.

 

[DIERM]

Sometimes it’s like the priest just makes it up.

The Confiteor is said at our daily masses and on solemnities, but because the penitential rites also allow for the Kyrie, whether it is “fading out of use” doesn’t detract from the sacrifice of the mass.

And, I have never seen instances where the celebrant “just makes it up”.

Could that claim be an editorial comment because you prefer the Confiteor over the Kyrie? Do you still ask for forgiveness from and pray for your brothers and sisters no matter which form of the penitential rite is used?

To you have specific examples of liturgical abuse (to wit: “just making it up”), and if you do, have you spoken to the offending celebrant? If you haven’t, you may be an unwitting part of the problem, and not the solution!

 

[AngelusDomini]

In the Ordinariate Use the Roman Canon must be used on Sundays and Solemnities. The Penitential Rite is a significant ‘chunk’ of the liturgy.

 

[1ke]

Half the time I go to mass the confiteor isn’t said, but some other shortened thing.

There are three choices for the penitiential Rite.

That “some shortened thing” is a legitimate option, the Kyrie.

We use the confiteor almost every week.

Sometimes it’s like the priest just makes it up.

Uh, no. When using certain forms part of the prayer changes with the liturgical calendar.

90% of the time I go to mass it is EP 2 which is so incredibly short.

And still legitimately part of the mass.

 

[edward_george1]

Sometimes, especially if it’s the feast of an apostle or martyr who is named in the Canon.

 

[tafan2]

Thanks Father. I wish that were the case around here. I must admit, the improvements in the way our masses are celebrated throughout my diocese have been so vast, I feel like I have little room to complain. But I do love the Roman Canon, and very rarely get to hear it. It may seem ironic to some on this forum, that I would ever want it used for daily mass, as I have often advocated for short duration daily masses that fit into a working man’s schedule. But there are obvious exceptions, no argument can be taken as absolute. The way you do it seems ideal to me.

 

[Vico]

…

Options for Penitential Rite:

• Form 1 - Confiteor: I confess to almighty God …
• Form 2 - Have mercy on us, O Lord …
• Form 3 - freely composed, or by examples such as: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. … (seven more in the appendix M.R.)
• Rite of Blessing & Sprinkling of Holy Water.

 

[Prodigal1984]

Could that claim be an editorial comment because you prefer the Confiteor over the Kyrie?

The Kyrie is said after the Confiteor. It must be.

It doesn’t have to be when the penitential act already has used these other forms of it.

 

[pulchraesamicamea]

I’ve never had a Mass in Korea that didn’t use the Confiteor and the Roman Canon.

 

[Prodigal1984]

I hear it used very rarely.

I know. It is as if it is only used as some sort of a special occasion prayer. It actually is in the EF the only one. It was just called the Canon of mass. Though most of the private prayers of the priest before and after which very much refer to the sacrifice of the mass have been removed.
Also in the EF the confiteor is 3 Kyries, 3 Christies, and then 3 more Kyries.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The EF is not the OF.

I think this thread has sufficiently established that the Confiteor and Roman Canon are not in any danger of dying out.

There are many reasons why a priest might choose to use a different prayer. As others have mentioned, the Roman Canon is a longer prayer and sometimes it is better to try to have a shorter Mass due to people needing to get to work, the church being overheated in hot weather, or any number of other reasons such as the schedule of the priest that day.

 

[tafan2]

I think this thread has sufficiently established that the Confiteor and Roman Canon are not in any danger of dying out.

There is no doubt they are not in danger of dying out. That’s is a different question, the question posed was “are they fading out of use”. With regards to both, in this area, they were certainly fading out of use throughout the 80s and early 90s. At this point, with regards to the Roman Canon, the answer is still yes. Again, that is in the area I live (but it also seems to be the case in parts of the Midwest where I visit often).

 

[Prodigal1984]

It is sort of a myth that using it is saving much time. Maybe two minutes.

Comparing Canons

Does Using Eucharistic Prayer II Really “Save Time”?

www.ccwatershed.org

 

[Prodigal1984]

http://catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/RM3-EP1-4.htm

 

[Tis_Bearself]

That’s your opinion. The priest may feel differently, and it is his call to make.
He is not precluded from choosing one of the other prayers.

This is just another case of “I like Prayer A, why doesn’t the priest do what I want.”

 

[Prodigal1984]

Oh i know and it isn’t as if I have a problem with prayer 2. I wish there was more diversity among the prayers used. Some priests I have they use prayer 2 so often they hardly even need to look at the missal to recite it. It’s fine and all valid.
I was just showing that in reality

 

[Horton]

The Confiteor and the Kyrie is said at every Mass in my parish unless the sprinkling rite is used. The Roman Canon is also used.