Intercessory Prayers (Prayers of the Faithful) Procedure

[LilyM]

Hi guys

Here’s an interesting ‘improvement’ on Mass that I’d never seen before until very recently - having the intercessory prayers of the faithful read by members of the congregation who remained standing in their places while doing so.

What if any are the rules governing this?

 

[jbuck919]

Read? READ? In my college chaplaincy, and this was more than 30 years ago already, the petitions were just spontaneously uttered by anyone who wanted to make one (this is typical of many modern Protestant services and can go on for 15 minutes or more). I assume that was an abuse, but I don’t really know the official rules. The idea of a part of the liturgy being locally improvised like that in the first place, though we now take it for granted, makes no sense to me at all. All local improvisation IMO should take place between the reading of the gospel and the creed or offertory if it is not a feast.

 

[LilyM]

jbuck919:

Read? READ? In my college chaplaincy, and this was more than 30 years ago already, the petitions were just spontaneously uttered by anyone who wanted to make one (this is typical of many modern Protestant services and can go on for 15 minutes or more). I assume that was an abuse, but I don’t really know the official rules. The idea of a part of the liturgy being locally improvised like that in the first place, though we now take it for granted, makes no sense to me at all. All local improvisation IMO should take place between the reading of the gospel and the creed or offertory if it is not a feast.

I did say ‘read’. I meant to convey that they weren’t making up their own petiitions as far as content goes. The ones that were said were probably the same ones that were being said in all the churches of the area. It’s simply that they weren’t being read from the lectern, which I found a bit odd and offputting.

 

[John_Lilburne]

:It’s simply that they weren’t being read from the lectern, which I found a bit odd and offputting.

According to the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman MIssal (GIRM) n. 138: “Then the cantor, the lector, or another person announces the intentions from the ambo or from some other suitable place while facing the people, who take their part by responding in supplication.”

So it is wrong for people to be proclaiming them from their seats, where the will not be “facing the people”.

But it need not be from the ambo (i.e. lecturn used for the readings). This is made clear in 2002 GIRM n. 309: “From the ambo only the readings, the responsorial Psalm, and the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet) are to be proclaimed; it may be used also for giving the homily and for announcing the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful. The dignity of the ambo requires that only a minister of the word should go up to it.”

The 2002 GIRM also envisages one person announcing the intentions, from 2002 GIRM n. 71: “The intentions are announced from the ambo or from another suitable place, by the deacon or by a cantor, a lector, or one of the lay faithful.” Having two of the lay faithful is not “one of the lay faithful”.

The references to the GIRM can be looked up at romanrite.com/girm.html

 

[LilyM]

Sweet, that’s exactly the sort of information I was after. I tried (admittedly not awfully hard) to look it up meself, but thanks for the reference - I won’t need to bother you fine people again in the future

Edit - except that it only applies in America - have to find something specific to Australia sigh although if no other churches in the area have their prayers in this way it’s a safe bet it’s against our rules as well.

 

[John_Lilburne]

LilyM:

Sweet, that’s exactly the sort of information I was after. I tried (admittedly not awfully hard) to look it up meself, but thanks for the reference - I won’t need to bother you fine people again in the future

Edit - except that it only applies in America - have to find something specific to Australia sigh although if no other churches in the area have their prayers in this way it’s a safe bet it’s against our rules as well.

The 2002 Missale Romanum does not just apply to America, but for the Roman Rite anywhere. The Latin text of 2002 GIRM n. 138 is “versus populum”. Any priest should be able to work out this means “facing the people” – even if their conference of bishops does not have an approved translation after four years.

 

[LilyM]

John Lilburne:

The 2002 Missale Romanum does not just apply to America, but for the Roman Rite anywhere. The Latin text of 2002 GIRM n. 138 is “versus populum”. Any priest should be able to work out this means “facing the people” – even if their conference of bishops does not have an approved translation after four years.

Fair enough - I should :tsktsk: the priest about this.