Why don't we pray the "Confiteor" at Mass?

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Is there any reason why we don’t say the “Confiteor” at Mass? I thought this was a necessary part of the Liturgy.
I confess to almighty God,
and to you my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
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we do
we pray the penitential rite at the beginning of each Mass daily or Sunday (unless it is replaced by another rite such as when baptisms or some of the RCIA rites are celebrated).
there are 3 forms
the first form uses the confiteor
the other two do not, but ask us to recall and express contrition for our sins silently.
it is the priest’s choice, so ask him why he does not use first form, if it matters for you.
 
The “Confiteor” is one of three options for the penitential rite in the ordinary form of Holy Mass. While I prefer the Confiteor and I am lucky that the Priests here use it often, the other options are legitimate alternatives. The Pope has the authority to issue new, or alter existing, Mass texts. Paul VI used this authority when issuing his new missal in 1970 and the options for the penitential rite were added then.
 
We always do at my church. But one priest I know uses something different than the Confiteor. I only know the words in Swedish and wouldn’t want to translate but the priest says something and the congregation answers along the lines of “have mercy upon us Lord”. Three times I think. That might be what you are doing in your church, too?

(wow this was a reply in shocking need of some actual terms and decent vocabulary. sorry!)
 
Lampo said:
Is there any reason why we don’t say the “Confiteor” at Mass? I thought this was a necessary part of the Liturgy.
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Who doesn’t say the Confiteor? I know I do, whenever the priest chooses to.

However there are several options by which the Confiteor may be omitted.

tee
 
Theophorus said:
The “Confiteor” is one of three options for the penitential rite in the ordinary form of Holy Mass. While I prefer the Confiteor and I am lucky that the Priests here use it often, the other options are legitimate alternatives. The Pope has the authority to issue new, or alter existing, Mass texts. Paul VI used this authority when issuing his new missal in 1970 and the options for the penitential rite were added then.
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I tried finding an official Church document stating this. No luck. Could you point me to it or at least where to look? Thanks.
 
The Three options of the penitential rite can be found at:

catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm

the new English translation: usccb.org/romanmissal/OrdoMissaeWhiteBook.pdf

Pope Pauls decree issuing the new right of mass, which includes the options:
vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19690403_missale-romanum_en.html

On the issue of Papal authority in these matters Pius V decreed that the roman missal would be the standard missal in 1570. It was the standard in Rome and large parts of Europe for centuries beforehand. He himself added the feast of our lady of the Rosary. Subsequent popes have made changes all the way along from Pius X, Pius XII, John XIII and Paul VI who introduced a new Missal. Indeed The Most recent edition of the Roman Missal we use at Mass issued by the authority of Pope John Paul II also has the Options. Found in the new English translation above.

God Bless
 
Our priest does not say the Confiteor at Mass because he is not happy with the current English translation of it. He chooses to use the Kyrie instead. Some priests use both. It is their choice. The new liturgy should correct this and other poor translations that are currently used in our liturgy. Father Mitch Pacwa, on ‘EWTN Live’ a week or two ago dedicated the program to this topic. It was interesting and encouraging.
 
A quick comparison, for the record, of the translations:
I confess to almighty God,
and to you my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Click to expand...
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
Then they continue:
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Click to expand...
 
Lampo said:
Is there any reason why we don’t say the “Confiteor” at Mass?
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Priests in my area often do choose the option with the Confiteor. 🙂

I wish they chose Eucharistic Prayer IV more often.
 
Lampo said:
Is the latter what is coming in the new liturgy? In the new liturgy, will priests still have other options?
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Yes and yes,the new translation will maintain the options (in my mind unfortunately).
 
Lampo said:
Is the latter what is coming in the new liturgy? In the new liturgy, will priests still have other options?
Click to expand...
The new English translation of the Mass (probably Advent of 2011) will have that new translation of the Confiteor. And yes, the priest will still have three forms of the Penitential Act to choose from: A. the Confiteor, B. a call-and-response (rarely every used), or C. an embellished Kyrie. Forms A and B are followed by the Kyrie, but Form C already incorporates the Kyrie.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the new translation (or about the contents of the prayers of the Mass), I recommend my book. See below.
 
In our EF mass, the faithful recite the Confiteor twice: First, during Prayers at the Foot of the Altar and again between the Agnus Dei and reception of Holy Communion.

Confíteor Deo omnipoténti,
beátæ Maríæ semper Vírgini,
beáto Michaéli Archángelo,
beáto Joánni Baptístæ,
sanctis Apóstolis Petro et Paulo,
ómnibus Sanctis, et tibi pater:
quia peccávi nimis cogitatióne, verbo et ópere:
mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa.
Ideo precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem,
beátum Michaélem Archángelum,
beátum Joánnem Baptístam,
sanctos Apóstolos Petrum et Paulum,
omnes Sanctos, et vos, fratres,
oráre pro me ad Dóminum Deum nostrum.
Amen.
 
DomusAurea said:
We always do at my church. But one priest I know uses something different than the Confiteor. I only know the words in Swedish and wouldn’t want to translate but the priest says something and the congregation answers along the lines of “have mercy upon us Lord”. Three times I think. That might be what you are doing in your church, too?

(wow this was a reply in shocking need of some actual terms and decent vocabulary. sorry!)
Click to expand...
I know that when I still went to Mass we had something like that too… Depending on which priest was there we had that one or the Confiteor… Our Pastor preferred it as you described and another priest who frequently helped out preferred the Confiteor in almost any case…
I couldn’t say the words in English either. As far as I know it’s basically the Kyrie (did I spell that right?)… I know it in German, but from singing enough Masses in choir I’d say you are basically referring to that…
Invocation - Kyrie eleison
Invocation - Christe eleison
Invocation - Kyrie eleison
It’s either Greek (as this one) or in whatever language the mass is in.

Your sister in Christ,
Janet

PS: I think I overlooked the link. What I described is basically option 3 if it is in the native tongue.
Looking at the texts I can still recite all of it in German… including the priests part (I trained altar servers to listen to the wording to react).
 
mick321 said:
In our EF mass, the faithful recite the Confiteor twice: First, during Prayers at the Foot of the Altar and again between the Agnus Dei and reception of Holy Communion.
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In earlier editions of the Roman Missal (before 1962 and maybe even before 1960), the Confiteor was prayed three times: once by the priest during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, once by the server/congregation during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, and once (a third time) by the server/congregation immediately before receiving Holy Communion. In the 1962 Missal, this third Confiteor is not present. It is a vestige from the “Rite for Holy Communion outside of Mass” in the Rituale Romanum.

While this third Confiteor is not present in the Roman Missal in the Extraordinary Form, I believe there is an indult or permission granted for its inclusion. Such a permission is required, since the General Rubrics of the 1962 Roman Missal states:
503. Quoties sancta Communio infra Missam distribuitur, celebrans, sumpto sacratissimo Sanguine, omissis confessione et absolutione, dictis tamen Ecce Agnus Dei et ter Domine, non sum dignus, immediate ad distributionem sanctae Eucharistiae procedit.

(503. When Holy Communion is distributed within Mass, the celebrant, once the Most Holy Blood has been consumed, the confession and absolution having been omitted, Ecce Agnus Dei and Domine, non sum dignus having been said thrice, procedes immediately to the distribution of the Holy Eucharist.)
 
Lampo said:
I tried finding an official Church document stating this. No luck. Could you point me to it or at least where to look? Thanks.
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the official document is the GIRM, which governs the sacramentary for Mass. The form for Mass is in your missal or missalette. you seem to have an issue about this would you care to state it? this is not the forum btw for discussing the EF or pre-1962 Latin Mass rite.
 
puzzleannie said:
the official document is the GIRM, which governs the sacramentary for Mass. The form for Mass is in your missal or missalette. you seem to have an issue about this would you care to state it? this is not the forum btw for discussing the EF or pre-1962 Latin Mass rite.
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I don’t believe that your GRIM applies to the Mass of All Time.
 
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