Is the maniple actually suppressed or is it merely no longer required?

[Duesenberg]

Is the use of the maniple actually suppressed or is it merely no longer required? I set-up and served yesterday’s First Friday (OF) Mass at my parish. We had a quite young visiting priest as celebrant for the Mass. While vesting I said “whoa, padre, a fiddleback AND a maniple! Looking sharp!” He smiled and gave me a knowing wink.

I noticed the parish’s “liturgy coordinator” turning an odd shade of red/purple. Her response made me think there was something wrong with the maniple (as I know the fiddleback chasuble is perfectly OK)? Does anyone here know for sure? It would make little sense to formally suppress the maniple, even if it’s no longer mandatory.

 

[AngelusDomini]

The maniple is no longer required; it may still be used if desired. Our parish priest wears one at each Mass and we have maniples to match the Gothic chasubles.

 

[Duesenberg]

The maniple is no longer required; it may still be used if desired. Our parish priest wears one at each Mass and we have maniples to match the Gothic chasubles.

Thanks…

Can you even see the maniple under the Gothic chasuble?

 

[AngelusDomini]

Not usually. Just the fringe/edge sometimes depending on the cut of the chasuble and the stance of the priest. Father prefers to wear one though anyway.

 

[FrDavid96]

It actually lies somewhere in the middle.

Catholic Liturgical Laws say “Do this. Do exactly this.”

Liturgical Laws don’t operate the same way civil laws operate—where they either prohibit something (like burglary) or they require something (like a license to operate a restaurant).

It is a misunderstanding of liturgical laws to say “if it’s not forbidden it’s allowed.” Liturgical laws say “this is how it’s done. Do it this way.”

The maniple was never suppressed. However, it is not described in the Roman Missal anywhere. Therefore it is no longer a part of the vestments. It was simply omitted (intentionally) from the description of the vestments in the Missal.

Wearing one does not have any actual impact on the vestments–in other words, this is not like wearing an overcoat on top of the chasuble, or wearing a secular hat on ones head. It is similar (though I’m not saying equivalent) to a priest carrying a handkerchief in case he sneezes or wearing a sweater beneath the alb if it’s cold.

I wear one sometimes, but very rarely.

 

[FrDavid96]

Thanks…

Can you even see the maniple under the Gothic chasuble?

My Gothic chasubles are very narrow. I like them that way, and so do a lot of priests. Some prefer the wider ones that come down to the writs or farther—I don’t like those.

So it all depends on the length of the chasuble and the arms, whether or not the maniple can be seen.

 

[PiusOfTheCross]

The maniple has been omitted ever since the new liturgical norms, for a simple reason. It is no longer needed, unfortunately. First, it was used for the purpose of wiping a priests brow when he sweated during Mass(poor guys didn’t have an AC back then!). The cool part though, is that it was also used to wipe the tears of the priest when he CRIED tears of passion during the Consecration. Wow. I can’t wait for th day I see a priest so passionate and fervent that he cries during the Consecration.