High Mass or Solemn High Mass

[dadude]

Hello guys i’m in a quarrel with a friend of mine and he insists that a Solemn High Mass can be celebrated simply by a priest without a deacon and sub-deacon. I corrected him saying that would be simply a high mass. Could you please confirm that I am correct or correct me otherwise thanks a lot.

 

[FATIMAisUrgent]

Hello guys i’m in a quarrel with a friend of mine and he insists that a Solemn High Mass can be celebrated simply by a priest without a deacon and sub-deacon. I corrected him saying that would be simply a high mass. Could you please confirm that I am correct or correct me otherwise thanks a lot.

I don’t consider myself an authoritative source, but from everything I’ve read and heard, a “Solemn High Mass” requires a deacon, subdeacon, etc. while a “High Mass” is a sung Low Mass (even with incense I think). When I was new to the Traditional Latin Mass, I first heard of the terms Low Mass, Missa Cantata (Sung Mass), and High Mass (“Solemn”). But now more frequently I hear and see a Missa Cantata referred to as simply a “High Mass” while the ‘highest’ is “Solemn High Mass.” Hope that helps confirm your position.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Hello guys i’m in a quarrel with a friend of mine and he insists that a Solemn High Mass can be celebrated simply by a priest without a deacon and sub-deacon. I corrected him saying that would be simply a high mass. Could you please confirm that I am correct or correct me otherwise thanks a lot.

How does he think it differs from a Sung Mass [Missa Cantata]?

 

[bpbasilphx]

The terms “Solemn Mass” and “High Mass” are equivalent–a priest assisted by deacon, subdeacon, team of acolytes, and choir.

Frequently a Missa Cantata (Sung Mass)–celebrated by a priest without deacon or subdeacon, but with choir, team of acolytes, and if granted permission (which is usually done), incense–gets called “High Mass” but this is a misnomer.

 

[kleary]

Hello guys i’m in a quarrel with a friend of mine and he insists that a Solemn High Mass can be celebrated simply by a priest without a deacon and sub-deacon. I corrected him saying that would be simply a high mass. Could you please confirm that I am correct or correct me otherwise thanks a lot.

The “Solemn Mass” is Mass celebrated with deacon and sub deacon.

A “Missa Cantata - More Solemn Form”, as described by Fortescue and O’Connel, is “considered” to be “High Mass” but is actually “Low Mass” due to the lack of deacon and sub deacon.

At Mater Ecclesiae our “High Mass” is at 11:00 every Sunday, but usually without deacon and sub deacon. We use the “More Solemn Form” of the “Sung Mass/Missa Cantata” that entails the use of Gregorian Chant, Incense, Master of Ceremonies, Acolytes, Crucifer and torch bearers.

So technically, our High Mass on Sunday is actually Low Mass. The adaptation of the chant, incense, MC, etc to the Low Mass was to make the solemnities of the Solemn Mass available to those who did not have the deacon and sub deacon available.

Here in the US this Solemn Form of the Missa Cantata I heard was rarely used- only on special occasions like Christmas and Easter. Then again I heard in some areas they had Solemn Mass every Sunday. Fortescue and Oconnel describe “Low Mass” as not even being used in Rome- even for Daily Mass the Rite used was Solemn Mass because they always had the availability of ministers to fill the role of deacon and sub deacon.

Ken

 

[brotherhrolf]

I have to say that the entire time I was an altar boy before Vatican II, I never saw anything that even remotely resembled the liturgical “cast of thousands” I’ve seen at the Solemn High Masses on EWTN. Your average suburban parish back then had two priests and no permanent diaconate. So, a “Solemn High Mass” would have been limited to a priest and a deacon and then only on major feasts like Christmas and Easter.

The number and type of candles on the altar had something to do with it as well. If someone will jog my memory, we used smaller candles in 5 stick candelabra for one and six really tall candles (which were very difficult to light for short altar boys) for the other.

Incense was used at both.