Vigil Mass ante-Vatican II

[J1Priest]

Hello,

Was there a vigil Mass before Vatican II?
If not, what prompted the Council Fathers, or the post-conciliar documents, implemented this?

God bless

Juan J

 

[Yerusalyim]

Well, the Easter Vigil has been celebrated for almost 2000 years, but I suspect you mean the Vigil Mass that anticipates Sunday. That, as a regular institution, comes from the 1960’s when local bishops were given an indult to allow (or not allow) a vigil mass on Saturday night). Rules on times and numbers of vigils (usually limited to one) vary from Diocese to Diocese.

 

[Digitonomy]

This is not the first time this has been asked…
Here is a superb answer from Chatter163 in this thread:

Chatter163:

The eucharistic fast was changed from midnight to three hours before communion by Pope Pius XII in 1953, with his decree. *Christus Dominus. *This originally was for Sundays and holy days only.
papalencyclicals.net/Pius12/P12CHDOM.HTM

Its guidelines were extended by Pius XII in 1957 to include weekday Masses.
ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/P12FAST.HTM

The one-hour fast was established in 1966 by Pope Paul VI, at which time he also gace bishops’ conferences authority to determine rules of Friday abstinence. adoremus.org/PaulVI-Penance.html

Permission for Saturday evening anticipated Masses (a somewhat different concept from a traditional Vigil Mass) was given in different times and locations, but it was universally recognized in 1967 by Paul VI in number 28 of Eucharisticum Mysterium.
adoremus.org/eucharisticummysterium.html

So clearly it could not have occurred prior to 1953 when the midnight fast was replaced, and probably not before 1957. At various points after that, local indults were issued until the universal norm was established in 1967.

That does not definitively answer whether the first approved Saturday vigil mass occurred before Vatican II, but I think the chances are good.

 

[Corki]

I remember when our Church first started offering the Saturday vigil. I am not exactly sure of the year but it must have been pre-1967 because we moved then. It was kind of a big deal and involved our parish growing too fast to accomodate everyone on Sundays in our rented space (we were just building a new Church). It was by special permission.

That would have been during the council.

 

[Chatter163]

http://www.sofacinema.co.uk/guardian/images/products/0/3620-large.jpg

 

[J1Priest]

Thanks guys.

Me and my friends were watching a video on how “Sunday is not the Sabbath” and all that anti-Catholic stuff, and it dawned on my friend that it seemed that the Sunday Vigil seemed like some Ecumenical approach.

Though we were joking about it, it does make one wonder…

God bless

 

[1ke]

Thanks guys.

Me and my friends were watching a video on how “Sunday is not the Sabbath” and all that anti-Catholic stuff, and it dawned on my friend that it seemed that the Sunday Vigil seemed like some Ecumenical approach.

Though we were joking about it, it does make one wonder…

God bless

Ecumenical with who?

No mainline Protestant denomination considers Sunday worship to be at issue, in fact very few of them would consider a Saturday evening worship service in their own churches.

The only people who have issue with Sunday/Sabbath are fringe groups, not exactly the main target of ecumenism.

 

[puzzleannie]

Hello,

Was there a vigil Mass before Vatican II?
If not, what prompted the Council Fathers, or the post-conciliar documents, implemented this?

God bless

Juan J

if you are speaking about the Mass celebrated on Saturday evening which fulfills the Sunday obligation, that is more properly called an anticipated Mass, not a vigil.
a vigil properly is the Mass the day before a major solemnity or feast, and yes there were dozens of them in the old liturgical calendar.