Omission of Gloria, Kyrie, and Creed

[Gabrielap6]

Today at Mass, we said none of the three above prayers. We did have a rite for the Catechumens, which took all of about 5 minutes, since there were only 6 of them and it was done as a group. Then the pastor took an extra few minutes after his homily to send around the Annual Appeal envelopes AGAIN (last week this was IN PLACE of the homily, a gross liturgical abuse). When I asked him after Mass why we hadn’t said the Gloria, Kyrie, or Creed, he said it was because we had the rite instead. I can’t find anything that says those should be omitted even when there’s something else happening. And today is the last Sunday that the Gloria can be sung, since Ash Wednesday is coming up, so it seems a shame. Anyway. Is my pastor correct? Does a rite of some kind supercede the recitation of these three prayers?

 

[peter26]

I know that the Creed is omitted when there is a Baptism or Confirmation, so it is possible. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Phemie]

I know that the Creed is omitted when there is a Baptism or Confirmation, so it is possible. Welcome to the forum.

The ceremonies involving the catechumen usually take place after the Homily so would have no impact on the Kyrie or Gloria… If they are dismissed, it would normally be before the Creed, so…

 

[Gyro]

We also had the rite for the Catechumens and Candidates at our Mass today. Praise God in all His glory!

The Kyrie and Gloria were acclaimed prior to the rite. It is my understanding that the rite should occur following the homily. Hence, all that precedes that moment would be a natural part of the liturgy. The catechmens and candidates are dismissed after the Universal Prayer (commonly referred to as the Prayer of the Faithful), and that’s because the congregation of the faithful are called upon to pray for the catechumens and candidates in their presence. Once the dismissal occurs and the C & C’s have left the worship space, the Credo is then recited. The celebrant priest can determine to omit the Creed for reason of time if there is a need to continue the Mass. I suspect that your priest was confused. It only happens once a year, so that may lead to confusion.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

There are rites of RCIA that replace the items you mentioned. Without knowing which specific ceremony, I can’t say if it was licit or not, but there is a high probability that it’s fine.

 

[JohnLilburne]

I answered a similar question in February 2007, with:

“The liturgical book “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults” is unclear on this Rite of Acceptance.

Part of it suggests that the Rite of Acceptance is not to be part of Mass. For example, it begins:

“48. … As the priest or deacon, wearing an alb or surplice, a stole, and, if desired, a cope of festive color, goes to meet them …”.

There is no mention of a chasuble, which a priest would wear if it were a Mass. But other parts indicate, clearly, that it can be part of a Mass:

“67. If the eucharist is to be celebrated, the catechumens are normally dismissed at this point …”.

The ceremony is described with the invitation for them to enter, without a Penitential Rite or Gloria. But does it mean this for a Mass?

The 2002 Roman Missal includes a Mass for the Rite of Election and Scrutinies. But not for this Rite of Accpetance. So the uncertainty remains.

My opinion is that just as the priest should realize he should wear a chasuble for Mass, so he should realize that he should include a Gloria on Sunday. The Penitential Rite can be replace with a sprinkling of holy water, so I am less certain on whether it can be omitted in this case.

But on the Profession of Faith it is explicit:

“68. When the eucharist is to follow, intercessory prayer is resumed with the usual general intercessions for the needs of the Church and the whole world; then, if required, the profession of faith is said. But for pastoral reasons these general intercessions and the profession of faith may be omitted . …”.

(The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 66).

This is specific permission to omit the Profession of Faith in this Mass. So can the other things be omitted? Hence the uncertainty.

So I think the priest may be honestly doing his best to follow the liturgical books with some complicated instructions.”

From What is this RCIA ritual called / Parts of Mass skipped? - #5 by John_Lilburne

 

[JohnLilburne]

In 2020 I continue to have difficulty with what the RCIA book presents. Should Mass begin without the Sign of the Cross? Without the Collect? Is it really describing a Mass, or a Celebration of the Word? Does it expect the usual things for a Mass to be included?

In the book “Documents on the Liturgy 1963 – 1979” (ISBN 0814612814) there is an Introduction to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults that is different to that it in the usual liturgical book. It has, at n. 2399, about the Rite of “Entrance Into the Order of Catechumens”:

“72. The rite, which consists of the reception of the candidates, the liturgy of the word, and their dismissal, may also be followed by the eucharist.”

I think this would make more sense, and perhaps follows the original Latin more closely.

But the forward of the RCIA book for the USA, dated 13 March 1988 has: “This new edition of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was approved for use in the dioceses of the United States of America by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on 11 November 1986 and confirmed by the Apostolic See on 19 February 1988 (Prot. N. 1192/86).”

What this communicates to the Priest is that the Mass begins without Penitential Rite and Glory to God. Not by saying this explicitly, but by describing a rite without it.

[Excerpts from the English translation of Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, © 1985, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]