Palm Sunday Readings

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Hi,

I know that there are different options regarding the type of procession that takes place before the Palm Sunday mass. Normally, I see the Gospel read in the back of the church, then the procession, then the readings, then the Passion Reading.

Yesterday at mass, our priest processed in, did the opening prayer, then had everyone be seated for the passion reading. He completely skipped all the readings and the responsorial psalm. Is that allowed for a priest to do? I mean, I thought the readings are a pretty important part of the mass. Any ideas?
 
cstheriot said:
Hi,

I know that there are different options regarding the type of procession that takes place before the Palm Sunday mass. Normally, I see the Gospel read in the back of the church, then the procession, then the readings, then the Passion Reading.

Yesterday at mass, our priest processed in, did the opening prayer, then had everyone be seated for the passion reading. He completely skipped all the readings and the responsorial psalm. Is that allowed for a priest to do? I mean, I thought the readings are a pretty important part of the mass. Any ideas?
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No it is not allowed.

Hopefully, it was just a mistake. Such things can happen.

It is very easy to get confused during Holy Week.
 
FrDavid96 said:
No it is not allowed.

Hopefully, it was just a mistake. Such things can happen.

It is very easy to get confused during Holy Week.
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Yes, I can imagine that it does get confusing at times. However, I am the music leader over there, so I happened to be at 2 masses with him that weekend. I don’t like to talk bad about my priests, but he did do the same thing for both masses, even after I asked him about it before the second mass. I guess he could still have been confused, but I am not sure why he would still insist on it even when I questioned him about it.
 
cstheriot said:
Hi,

I know that there are different options regarding the type of procession that takes place before the Palm Sunday mass. Normally, I see the Gospel read in the back of the church, then the procession, then the readings, then the Passion Reading.

Yesterday at mass, our priest processed in, did the opening prayer, then had everyone be seated for the passion reading. He completely skipped all the readings and the responsorial psalm. Is that allowed for a priest to do? I mean, I thought the readings are a pretty important part of the mass. Any ideas?
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That is very odd. There are three forms of the entrance on Palm Sunday in the OF: procession, solemn, and simple. The only thing that should have been omitted would be the penitential rite. There is no penitential rite when the procession or solemn entrance is used. The simple entrance does retain the penitential rite, however.

I think it would technically be a liturgical abuse to omit the readings and psalm. What was his response to you when you asked him about it?
 
CatholicZ09 said:
That is very odd. There are three forms of the entrance on Palm Sunday in the OF: procession, solemn, and simple. The only thing that should have been omitted would be the penitential rite. There is no penitential rite when the procession or solemn entrance is used. The simple entrance does retain the penitential rite, however.

I think it would technically be a liturgical abuse to omit the readings and psalm. What was his response to you when you asked him about it?
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I didn’t really get into it with him regarding whether we could or not. I just asked him if we were going straight to the passion reading again, and he replied “yes, since it is so long”. I have had some disagreements with him in the past, and didn’t feel like it was the right time to have one of those right before the mass (he comes in church right before mass starts). Also, I wasn’t sure if he maybe knew of some kind of option that I wasn’t aware of (like the different procession options), so I didn’t want to argue with him if there was an option… I wasn’t sure whether I should approach it with him now, I mean its done, right?
 
FrDavid96 said:
No it is not allowed.

Hopefully, it was just a mistake. Such things can happen.

It is very easy to get confused during Holy Week.
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Yes, that definitely happens.

At Saturday evening’s Mass, after the homily, Fr. sat with, I think, the intent to give us a minute or so to reflect on the Passion and the homily. But as time stretched on, seemingly interminably, the ushers got up and started to take up the collection and the impromtu cantor led us in an Offertory Hymn.

While he does seem to take short cuts during Mass – for example in the Prayer over the Offerings he includes both the bread and the wine together requiring only one “Blessed be God forever” response – I don’t think his intent here was to omit the Creed and Prayer of the Faithful.
 
cstheriot said:
I didn’t really get into it with him regarding whether we could or not. I just asked him if we were going straight to the passion reading again, and he replied “yes, since it is so long”. I have had some disagreements with him in the past, and didn’t feel like it was the right time to have one of those right before the mass (he comes in church right before mass starts). Also, I wasn’t sure if he maybe knew of some kind of option that I wasn’t aware of (like the different procession options), so I didn’t want to argue with him if there was an option… I wasn’t sure whether I should approach it with him now, I mean its done, right?
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I guess I would just let it slide. I think he might’ve been overwhelmed since Holy Week is such a busy time for our priests. If this continues to happen, however, I would be concerned.
 
Phemie said:
Yes, that definitely happens.

At Saturday evening’s Mass, after the homily, Fr. sat with, I think, the intent to give us a minute or so to reflect on the Passion and the homily. But as time stretched on, seemingly interminably, the ushers got up and started to take up the collection and the impromtu cantor led us in an Offertory Hymn.

While he does seem to take short cuts during Mass – for example in the Prayer over the Offerings he includes both the bread and the wine together requiring only one “Blessed be God forever” response – I don’t think his intent here was to omit the Creed and Prayer of the Faithful.
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Each year, my pastor always forgets to introduce the Prayers of the Faithful after he is finished with the renewal of baptismal promises and sprinkling on Easter Sunday. He usually says the concluding prayer of the sprinkling and then sits down to begin the offertory until the sacristan motions the reader to start the intercessions. I think he is just so exhausted on Easter after the events of Holy Week; it’s easy for some things to be forgotten.
 
From #1: “He completely skipped all the readings and the responsorial psalm. Is that allowed for a priest to do?”

Yes.

The lectionary gives the option of just reading the Gospel:
“Or he may, if necessary, read only the story of the Passion, even in its shorter form.”

There are three forms of beginning the Mass.
First form: The Procession (can only be done at one Mass).
Second form: The Solemn Entrance “13. Holding branches in their hands, the faithful gather either outside, in front of the church door, or inside the church itself.” This also has the Gospel reading of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem. (Can be done at Masses that are usually celebrated with a large gathering of people.)
Third form: The Simple Entrance. With this Mass begins in the usual way. So there should have been a Penitential Act or blessing and sprinkling with water, before the Opening Prayer.

So if it was the third form, assuming there was an entrance song, the only thing the Priest did incorrectly was to omit the Penitential Act.
 
John_Lilburne said:
From #1: “He completely skipped all the readings and the responsorial psalm. Is that allowed for a priest to do?”

Yes.

The lectionary gives the option of just reading the Gospel:
“Or he may, if necessary, read only the story of the Passion, even in its shorter form.”

There are three forms of beginning the Mass.
First form: The Procession (can only be done at one Mass).
Second form: The Solemn Entrance “13. Holding branches in their hands, the faithful gather either outside, in front of the church door, or inside the church itself.” This also has the Gospel reading of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem. (Can be done at Masses that are usually celebrated with a large gathering of people.)
Third form: The Simple Entrance. With this Mass begins in the usual way. So there should have been a Penitential Act or blessing and sprinkling with water, before the Opening Prayer.

So if it was the third form, assuming there was an entrance song, the only thing the Priest did incorrectly was to omit the Penitential Act.
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The third form does exclude the reading of the Lord’s entrance, but does it exclude the other readings? As I see it, there are different options up to the opening prayers, but after that, should be standard, right? 1st reading, responsorial psalm, 2nd reading, Gospel (or passion reading). Can you just choose to skip the first 3 readings?
 
Perhaps this more complete quote will help. It is from the Lectionary, an official liturgical book. The part I quoted above I have put in bold text.

“It is strongly recommended that, unless there is some overriding pastoral reason to the contrary, all three readings given for the Sunday be used.
In view of the importance of the reading of the Passion of the Lord, the priest may, taking into account the particular character of his congregation, read only one of the readings which precede the Gospel. Or he may, if necessary, read only the story of the Passion, even in its shorter form. But this may be done only at Masses celebrated with a congregation.”

The quote is from the Lectionary Study Edition, first published 1983, approved for Australia and New Zealand, 12 June 1981, Volume 1, page 338, isbn 000599764-X. It is before the Mass readings of Palm Sunday. It is after the Procession Gospel readings.

In the Latin edition of the lectionary these instructions are after the readings, on page 26, of Ordo Lectionum Missae, Editio Typica Altera, published by Liberia Editrice Vaticana, 1981, isbn 88-209-1356-9.
 
Perhaps the argument of FrDavid96 will be along these lines.

On 16 January 1988 the Congregation for Divine Worship issued Paschale Solemnitatis
which is at ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWEASTR.htm#2 .

It includes:

“33. … For the spiritual good of the faithful the passion should be proclaimed in its entirety, and the readings which precede it should not be omitted.
34. After the passion has been proclaimed, a homily is to be given.”

The document also has:

“5. With these points in mind, the Congregation for Divine Worship, after due consideration, thinks that it is a fitting moment to recall certain elements, doctrinal and pastoral, and various norms which have already been published concerning Holy Week. All those details which are given in the liturgical books concerning Lent, Holy Week, the Easter Triduum and paschal time retain their full force, unless otherwise stated in this document.”

Therefore, regarding the readings before the Gospel, “should not be omitted” reverses the permission to omit them in the 1981 Lectionary.

I have problems with this.
  1. Interpreting “should not be” as “must not be”. I think it is more reasonable to take “should not be” as conveying the same as the Lectionary’s "It is strongly recommended that, unless there is some overriding pastoral reason to the contrary, all three readings given for the Sunday be used.” This seems to another reasonable interpretation.
  2. How, for example, would this part be interpreted: “For the spiritual good of the faithful the passion should be proclaimed in its entirety”. Does it mean “It is forbidden to use the shorter forms of the Gospel given in the 1981 Lectionary.”? Or is it an encouragement to use the longer form? I think an encouragement to use the longer form.
  3. Status of a document without papal authority to reverse what is in a liturgical book with papal authority. The 1983 Code of Canon Law highlights the status of the liturgical books in this respect, canon 846: “The liturgical books approved by the competent authority are to be faithfully observed in the celebration of the sacraments …”. The decree publishing 1981 Lectionary includes: “Pope John Paul II has by his authority approved this second edition of the Order of Readings for Mass …”.
  4. Recent changes have been made to the liturgical books. But look at the process and language of the decrees at vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20130501_san-giuseppe_en.html (adding St Joseph to the Eucharistic Prayers) and en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/01/21/pope_changes_holy_thursday_decree_all_people_of_god_/1202821 (modifying the rules of washing the feet for Holy Thursday).
  5. The fact that homily is optional in the 2010 Roman Missal, for Palm Sunday: “22. After the narrative of the Passion, a brief homily should take place, if appropriate. A period of silence may also be observed.” Compared to the 1988 Paschale Solemnitatis “34. After the passion has been proclaimed, a homily is to be given.”
 
John_Lilburne said:
  1. Status of a document without papal authority to reverse what is in a liturgical book with papal authority. The 1983 Code of Canon Law highlights the status of the liturgical books in this respect, canon 846: “The liturgical books approved by the competent authority are to be faithfully observed in the celebration of the sacraments …”. The decree publishing 1981 Lectionary includes: “Pope John Paul II has by his authority approved this second edition of the Order of Readings for Mass …”.
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Take into consideration that what was approved for your part of the world in 1981 is not necessarily what has since been approved in other parts of the world. Both Canada and the US have Lectionaries that were promulgated long after yours (US 1998, Can. 2008) and long after the promulgation of Paschale Solemnitatis. They may not contain that permission.
 
Phemie said:
Take into consideration that what was approved for your part of the world in 1981 is not necessarily what has since been approved in other parts of the world. Both Canada and the US have Lectionaries that were promulgated long after yours (US 1998, Can. 2008) and long after the promulgation of Paschale Solemnitatis. They may not contain that permission.
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The US Lectionary does contain that possibility (at least it did, as I am reading from an older printing at the moment). However, what the OP actually described is not an option.

Read the O.P. again, carefully, as if reading it for the first time. It does not match any of the 3 options given for Palm Sunday.

As I wrote earlier, mistakes can happen, and I’m holding out hope that it was just a mistake. Nevertheless, what was actually described does not match any of the 3 given forms.
 
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