Litany of the Saints during ordination - orientation, language?

[eekiee]

Okay, so… ever since I was a kid, the Litany of the Saints has always been my favorite part in ordinations. There’s just something magical about it, especially when the whole congregation chants and responds in Latin (and also because my uncles have always described it to me as “a way of [desperately] knocking on the heaven’s gates, asking grace from the Triune God to bless the ordinari”).

This year, I was able to witness two episcopal ordinations (both are bishops, one being auxiliary). But the most recent one… somewhat irked me. Not sure if I was just being overly sensitive because it was the first time I witnessed something out of the ordinary. Ok, but to sum it up:

1. It wasn’t in Latin. Everyone was chanting, of course, but it was my first time hearing “Pray for Us” instead of “Ora pro nobis.” That’s why this part of the ordination seemed a little too fast-paced. (The first ordination I’ve attended this year - we spent almost 3 hours in the Cathedral. While this one… 1 hour and 50 minutes?)
2. The archbishop, priests, and principal co-ordinating prelates faced the ordinari instead of the altar. They were looking at him directly.

Is this… okay? Legitimate? It’s my first time witnessing such and I’m really bothered.

Thank you.

 

[otjm]

The vernacular has been around for 50 years.

And I attended ordinations (not of bishops, but of priests and deacons) and at least part of the time, the archbishop was facing them.

Latin is nice; it is part of the heritage of the Church, but it is not mandatory.

 

[rightness]

I think it’s more important to not think that something is invalid because it isn’t done in “the most sacred way” in terms of feelings. It leads to pride, thinking that a person is better because they do it in a more “traditional” way. It’s how Sedevacantism started, thinking modernism and the new mass of Paul VI is heretical, thus they broke off from the church.

Think like how High Mass is much longer than the one hour Sunday mass most of us are used to. It doesn’t make a participant of a High Mass better than a participant of a low mass. Another example is partaking of the body and blood. Receiving the body and the blood together doesn’t make someone more holy than someone who just takes either. The Council of Trent would define taking body or blood enough as Jesus is present in full in either species.

On another note, I really don’t like John Becker’s Litany of Saints because it has unconfirmed Saints (not of tradition or through canon), like having Solomon and Origen in there, however, I don’t think it will invalidate an ordination.

 

[InThePew]

The archbishop, priests, and principal co-ordinating prelates faced the ordinari instead of the altar. They were looking at him directly.

Not having a copy of the Roman Pontifical to hand, I can’t check but from memory the rubrics simply require all to kneel (except during the Easter season) while the ordinand prostrates himself. I don’t recall anything about what direction they face (if anything this would depend on the seating arrangements).

As for the length, it depends on a number of factors - such as the choice of hymns, number of saints included in the litany and how many other bishops are present. I would expect though that there would be more formality around the ordination of a diocesan bishop than an auxiliary.

 

[awesomecatholic]

To me, the Litany of the Saints is very magical, even when it is not in latin. Latin can be cool, but does not have to be used. I have seen several ordinations where the Litany of the Saints was in English. I don’t think the celebrants have to face the altar.