Skipped reading on sunday?

[nas_matko]

Last sunday priest skipped first reading and shortened second and gospel.

Does order of mass allow this? If yes under which circumstances?

Thank youi for your answer.

 

[John_Lilburne]

It may have been legal to skip and shorten the readings.

The 1973 Directory for Masses with Children has in Chapter 3 “Masses with Children in Which Only a Few Adults Participate”:
“42. With regard to the number of readings on Sundays and feast days, the decrees of the conference of bishops are to be observed. If three or even two readings appointed on Sundays can be understood by children only with difficulty, it is permissible to read two or only one of them, but the gospel reading should never be omitted.”

Chapter 2 in entitled “Masses with Adults in Which Children Also Participate”. It concludes: “19. … Wherever the bishop permits, in addition to the adaptations already provided in the Order of Mass, one or other of the particular adaptations described later in the Directory may be employed in a Mass celebrated with adults in which children also participate.”

So if the bishop permitted, children were present and the Conference of Bishops had nothing decreed to the contrary then the first reading could be skipped.

The Directory for Masses with Children also has: “43. … If, because of the limited capacity of the children, it seems necessary to omit one of other verse of a biblical reading, this should be done cautiously and in such a way “that the meaning of the text or the intent and, as it were, style of the Scriptures are not distorted.””

 

[nas_matko]

But this particular mass was celebrated in hospital chapel and no children were present.

Was this legal to skip and shorten readings?

 

[Titus]

Skipping, I think no, but don’t have CCL reference.

Shortening, there are quite often shorter versions available in the Lectionary for various readings- this could be what happened, but in the context, that sounds doubtful.

 

[John_Lilburne]

But this particular mass was celebrated in hospital chapel and no children were present.

Was this legal to skip and shorten readings?

With no children present I am not aware of any justification for shortening or skipping the readings for the Roman Rite of 14 January 2007, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Lectionary does not provide a shorter version of the readings for this day, in Year C.

However there could be alternative readings.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“32. Special celebrations of Mass should observe the guidelines established for them: For Masses with special groups, cf. Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, Instruction Actio pastoralis, on Masses with special groups, 15 May 1969 …”.

This 1969 Instruction includes: “6. … e. In the liturgy of the word, depending on the actual situation, texts may be chosen that are more suited to the particular celebration, provided they are chosen from the texts of an approved lectionary.”
(From Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1982, ISBN 0-8146-1281-4, page 674).

Another way to have different readings would be to have a Funeral Mass, Ritual Mass (eg. wedding), Votive Mass or Mass for Various Needs and Occasions. From the 2002 GIRM:

“374. In cases of serious need or pastoral advantage, at the direction of the diocesan Bishop or with his permission, an appropriate Mass may be celebrated on any day except solemnities, the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, days within the Octave of Easter, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day), Ash Wednesday, and Holy Week.”

 

[nas_matko]

Thank you John for answer.

Do you think that is would be appropriate if go and speak with that priest about it?

 

[John_Lilburne]

Thank you John for answer.

Do you think that is would be appropriate if go and speak with that priest about it?

Yes, I think it may be helpful. He may have a particular reason or explanation. If he is breaking the rules it may help correct the situation if he is aware that people are noticing.