Gospel

[TantumErgo90]

I read the English translation of the rubrics for the TLM and it seems that that the deacon is supposed to chant the gospel towards the people! I always thought he was supposed to chant it to the liturgical north. That’s how they do it when I go. I love the symbolism when it is chanted to the liturgical north. www.sanctamissa.org has the rubrics on it. The only thing I could think of is when it says people it doesn’t mean the congregation but to the un-evangelized, which North represents. Please explain.

 

[AJV]

I read the English translation of the rubrics for the TLM and it seems that that the deacon is supposed to chant the gospel towards the people! I always thought he was supposed to chant it to the liturgical north. That’s how they do it when I go. I love the symbolism when it is chanted to the liturgical north. www.sanctamissa.org has the rubrics on it. The only thing I could think of is when it says people it doesn’t mean the congregation but to the un-evangelized, which North represents. Please explain.

No it means people. The rubric is a carryover from the practice when facing North (or South as it was originally) actually meant facing the people. The explicit justification for facing North is found in the Ceremonial of Bishops.

The symbolism of facing the north either because of the devils, or the heathen or whoever, was only invented later as a means of explanation and to help meditate better on the Mass. The actual reason was to face the a section of “the people”- the men- as evidenced for example in the Micrologus (see here).

The rubrics are classified into various groups and when they seem to be contradictory, rubricians usually explained this by reference to decrees, customs and the work of other rubricians. Thus the rubric of the Caeremoniale is determined to be more accurate , and the rubric of the missal a “particular” or “local” rubric, only explained by reference to the layout of certain churches

Remember also that when the rubrics was written, naturally, it being a Roman document it reflected the layout of the churches in Rome. They didn’t really think international.

Until 1962, there were several rubrics of the same type that weren’t really followed. One was the rubric for the lighting of an additional candle at the Consecration. Another was the rubric that communicants took a purification of water and wine.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

No it means people. The rubric is a carryover from the practice when facing North (or South as it was originally) actually meant facing the people. The explicit justification for facing North is found in the Ceremonial of Bishops.
. . .

If the celebrant is facing east, back to the people, the people will be to the west, not the north.

 

[kleary]

The diagram from “The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described” by Fortescue and O’Connel, shows the Deacon facing to the “Liturgical North” direction. This would be facing to the left of the altar when singing the Gospel since the altar is facing “Liturgical East”.

The Deacon would not be facing West to the congregation, ever. That does not denote the Catholic teaching enshrined in that action of the Gospel being preached to the pagans.

Ken

 

[AJV]

If the celebrant is facing east, back to the people, the people will be to the west, not the north.

(Sigh!) My writing is never a modicum of clarity. But I’ll get there!

I was not referrign to a low Mass or to current usage. I was actually referring to a High Mass and the position of the deacon, and acient usage still preserved in the modern rubric. This ancient usage may or may not be present in modern churches depending on layout.

Putting it in a very simplified way, the deacon reading the Gospel originally faced the men. In a lot of churches of Rome this was technically South- but when the typography of the church was translated in Gaul, it became North. Some were unfamiliar with the reason for facing in a particular direction and merely faced that direction because it was the direction faced in Rome.

One piece of evidence for this is the Micrologus written in the 9th century- the author notes that the deacon is reading the Gospel to the North but he objects because this is the side of the women and not proper etiquette. The Roman custom, he says, is to read towards the South because that is where the men stand. The quotes you can find here

The Deacon would not be facing West to the congregation, ever. That does not denote the Catholic teaching enshrined in that action of the Gospel being preached to the pagans.

According to the Caeremoniale, he indeed may. The Caeremoniale allows the reading of the Gospel at a lectern or raised ambo, where they exist, and provides instructions for each. If the lectern then the subdeacon should stand behind the lectern ‘securing’ the book to the stand by holding it on both sides- if the ambo, the the subdeacon stands behind the deacon, and assists with the incense, and turns the pages.

If the lectern or ambo facing the people, the the deacon may indeed read it facing them. There is a picture given in one of Dom Cabrol’s books showing the Gospel being read at an ambo, but the deacon is not facing North.

The reason for facing North is not given in any official liturgical books. Rather it comes from popular commentaries and catechisms which interpret every action in the Mass in a symbolic way to assist in meditation for the Mass. These were attached much later after the practice. They were not the reason for the practice. Foe example, where it was read to the South a different explanation was put forward- either employing the Magi or St. Philip who was told to go to the South.

 

[kleary]

(Sigh!) My writing is never a modicum of clarity. But I’ll get there!

I was not referrign to a low Mass or to current usage. I was actually referring to a High Mass and the position of the deacon, and acient usage still preserved in the modern rubric. This ancient usage may or may not be present in modern churches depending on layout.

Putting it in a very simplified way, the deacon reading the Gospel originally faced the men. In a lot of churches of Rome this was technically South- but when the typography of the church was translated in Gaul, it became North. Some were unfamiliar with the reason for facing in a particular direction and merely faced that direction because it was the direction faced in Rome.

One piece of evidence for this is the Micrologus written in the 9th century- the author notes that the deacon is reading the Gospel to the North but he objects because this is the side of the women and not proper etiquette. The Roman custom, he says, is to read towards the South because that is where the men stand. The quotes you can find here

According to the Caeremoniale, he indeed may. The Caeremoniale allows the reading of the Gospel at a lectern or raised ambo, where they exist, and provides instructions for each. If the lectern then the subdeacon should stand behind the lectern ‘securing’ the book to the stand by holding it on both sides- if the ambo, the the subdeacon stands behind the deacon, and assists with the incense, and turns the pages.

If the lectern or ambo facing the people, the the deacon may indeed read it facing them. There is a picture given in one of Dom Cabrol’s books showing the Gospel being read at an ambo, but the deacon is not facing North.

The reason for facing North is not given in any official liturgical books. Rather it comes from popular commentaries and catechisms which interpret every action in the Mass in a symbolic way to assist in meditation for the Mass. These were attached much later after the practice. They were not the reason for the practice. Foe example, where it was read to the South a different explanation was put forward- either employing the Magi or St. Philip who was told to go to the South.

K…but try to employ that practice say at my parish…of having the Deacon face the congregation when chanting the Gospel…and you will have a lot of flack coming your way…since the practice of “facing liturgical north” has been customary and even shown in diagrams. I know the diagrams of it I see in the Ceremonies of the Roman Rite described but do not remember if they exist in the Missale Romanum 1962. Anyone who owns a 1962 Missal please comment on this. If the Deacon starts facing the people due to an “ancient liturgical practice” (such as promoters of “Mass facing the people” claim that practice to be)…it would cause dissent amongst traditionalists for sure.

Ken

 

[AJV]

K…but try to employ that practice say at my parish…of having the Deacon face the congregation when chanting the Gospel…and you will have a lot of flack coming your way…since the practice of “facing liturgical north” has been customary and even shown in diagrams. I know the diagrams of it I see in the Ceremonies of the Roman Rite described but do not remember if they exist in the Missale Romanum 1962. Anyone who owns a 1962 Missal please comment on this. If the Deacon starts facing the people due to an “ancient liturgical practice” (such as promoters of “Mass facing the people” claim that practice to be)…it would cause dissent amongst traditionalists for sure.

Ken

There are no diagrams in the 1962 missal, save for those indicating the incensing of the altar. The appropriate rubric reads:

…et osculata illius manu, praecedentibus thuriferario, et duobus acolythis cum candelabris accensis de credentia sumptis, vadit cum subdiacono a sinistris ad locum Evangelii contra altare versus populum, ubi, subdiacono librum tenente, medio inter duos acolythos tenentes candelabra accensa, dicit : Dominus vobiscum…

(Sorry, my ISP blocks SanctaMissa but the English rubric there will be under VI, no. 5)

So strictly speaking according to the Missal rubrics alone it will be towards the people (versus populum)

However, the missal rubrics alone are not taken into consideration. What is also taken into consideration is the rubric from the Caeremoniale which directs a north (or more accurately, north-eastish) position.

I was not trying to argue for the reintroduction of facing the people into present practise, but merely pointing out why there appears to be a difference between the missal rubric and what is commonly done. It is explained, as I wrote before, by the ancient usage, in which facing the North meant facing the people.

BUT there is one occasion where the Ceremoniale permits deviation from the North position and that is when there is a fixed ambo or lectern in the church. Prior to 1970’s this was not a requirement and found in very few churches.

 

[AJV]

There are no diagrams in the 1962 missal, save for those indicating the incensing of the altar.

and oblations.