Why no Confiteor?

[billpenn]

Good morning all,

As I anticipate going to my usual Mass this morning - the 10:45 - I was reflecting that we do not pray the Confiteor at this Mass (Monsignor is the celebrant). All of the other Masses throughout the day pray the Confiteor.

We go straight from Monsignor saying “in order to prepare ourselves for what we are about to do, let us call to mind our sins” to the Kyrie. Unfortunately, there’s not enough time for me to pray a mental Confiteor between the two!

I wonder why. Apparently, it is not a requirement…

 

[MyPhilomena]

I believe it is said at all TLM’s is it not? I love the Confiteor, and I say it at home.
doesn’t the NO say a shortened version of it?

 

[billpenn]

I believe it is said at all TLM’s is it not? I love the Confiteor, and I say it at home.
doesn’t the NO say a shortened version of it?

There is a shortened version of it, but our Monsignor does not have us pray it at the Mass he celebrates; all of the other priests do…

 

[CatholicNerd]

There is a shortened version of it, but our Monsignor does not have us pray it at the Mass he celebrates; all of the other priests do…

Rest assured that it is a legitimate (though in the opinion of most, distasteful) option. According to the IGRM (The General Instruction on the Roman Missal):

*The Act of Penitence:
51. Then the priest invites those present to take part in the Act of Penitence, which, after a brief pause for silence, the entire community carries out through a formula of general confession. The rite concludes with the priest’s absolution, which, however, lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance.
On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of Penitence, from time to time the blessing and sprinkling of water to recall Baptism may take place.56

The Kyrie Eleison
52. After the Act of Penitence, the Kyrie is always begun, unless it has already been included as part of the Act of Penitence. Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy, it is ordinarily done by all, that is, by the people and with the choir or cantor having a part in it.

As a rule, each acclamation is sung or said twice, though it may be repeated several times, by reason of the character of the various languages, as well as of the artistry of the music or of other circumstances. When the Kyrie is sung as a part of the Act of Penitence, a trope may precede each acclamation.
*

The priests at my parish here all do this, and while I don’t like it, there’s absolutely nothing that explicitly defends doing things the way I’d like to do them in the GIRM, so I guess it’s been relegated to being a matter of personal opinion. And with that said, it’s time for me to take my opinion and prepare for the 9:30 Mass.

 

[juno24]

There are 3 options for the Penitential Rite:
The Confiteor is Option A.

(from Catholic-Resources.org)
Option B:
Priest: Lord, we have sinned against you:
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord, show us your mercy and love.
All: And grant us your salvation.
Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.

**Option C: **
The following or other invocations may be spoken by the priest or another minister, but the priest always gives the final blessing.]

Minister: You raise the dead to life in the Spirit: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy. Minister: You bring pardon and peace to the sinner: Christ, have mercy.
All**: Christ, have mercy.**
Minister: You bring light to those in darkness: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
*All: *Amen.

If Option A or B is used, then you go directly into the Kyrie. If Option C is used, then you move directly to the Gloria, as the Kyrie is included in that option for the penitential rite

The pastor at my church always uses Option B or C, but the new priest (ordained just this year) always uses Option A. Personally, I prefer Option A just because it is a solid expression of repentance and helps me to focus on asking forgiveness for my sins.

 

[jbuck919]

Interesting. I recently watched the movie Amistad, which gets the story pretty right, with exceptions of couse. The case was tried three times for political reasons, and the second judge in the case, a young man who happened to be a Catholic (an extreme rarity in those days), before he makes his (correct) judgment, walks into a church and prays the confiteor. Of course, no catholic of any time would have done such a thing. The confiteor requires the presence of others (et tibi, pater, or et vobis, fratris), and the common prayer of confession has always been delivered in the vernacular.

 

[billpenn]

Monsignor uses option B.

There are 3 options for the Penitential Rite:
The Confiteor is Option A.

(from Catholic-Resources.org)
Option B:
Priest: Lord, we have sinned against you:
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord, show us your mercy and love.
All: And grant us your salvation.
Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.

**Option C: **
The following or other invocations may be spoken by the priest or another minister, but the priest always gives the final blessing.]

Minister: You raise the dead to life in the Spirit: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy. Minister: You bring pardon and peace to the sinner: Christ, have mercy.
All**:** Christ, have mercy.
Minister: You bring light to those in darkness: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
*All: *Amen.

If Option A or B is used, then you go directly into the Kyrie. If Option C is used, then you move directly to the Gloria, as the Kyrie is included in that option for the penitential rite

The pastor at my church always uses Option B or C, but the new priest (ordained just this year) always uses Option A. Personally, I prefer Option A just because it is a solid expression of repentance and helps me to focus on asking forgiveness for my sins.

 

[LilyM]

Interesting. I recently watched the movie Amistad, which gets the story pretty right, with exceptions of couse. The case was tried three times for political reasons, and the second judge in the case, a young man who happened to be a Catholic (an extreme rarity in those days), before he makes his (correct) judgment, walks into a church and prays the confiteor. Of course, no catholic of any time would have done such a thing. The confiteor requires the presence of others (et tibi, pater, or et vobis, fratris), and the common prayer of confession has always been delivered in the vernacular.

The confiteor is always listed as one of the options for Night Prayer (Compline) in the Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hours/Little Office.

I’ve never been aware of any requirement that it be reserved for public prayer - after all, ‘tibi pater’ could equally apply to God the Father, I suppose, and ‘vobis fratris’ could indicate the saints and angels (who, after all, do listen to our prayers)

 

[introibo]

The Rite of Sprinkling can also be substituted for the entire Penitential Rite. However, I have never -ever- seen this done. I wish more priests would make use of it.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

The Rite of Sprinkling can also be substituted for the entire Penitential Rite. However, I have never -ever- seen this done. I wish more priests would make use of it.

Our parish does this a lot during Easter.

 

[CRW]

Good morning all,

As I anticipate going to my usual Mass this morning - the 10:45 - I was reflecting that we do not pray the Confiteor at this Mass (Monsignor is the celebrant). All of the other Masses throughout the day pray the Confiteor.

We go straight from Monsignor saying “in order to prepare ourselves for what we are about to do, let us call to mind our sins” to the Kyrie. Unfortunately, there’s not enough time for me to pray a mental Confiteor between the two!

I wonder why. Apparently, it is not a requirement…

At the NO Mass the priests has 3 options available. In place of the Confiteor: I confess to almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters…etc. is one of the options.

 

[Elzee]

Our priest says the Confiteor at daily Mass sometimes, but never on Sunday. The reason is on Sundays he has a deacon assisting. The reason given is he wants to involve the deacon as much as possible so he lets him read the penitential prayers. The deacon always reads the gospel too. I haven’t heard our priest read the gospel during Sunday Mass in over a year.

 

[CatholicNerd]

Our priest says the Confiteor at daily Mass sometimes, but never on Sunday. The reason is on Sundays he has a deacon assisting. The reason given is he wants to involve the deacon as much as possible so he lets him read the penitential prayers. The deacon always reads the gospel too. I haven’t heard our priest read the gospel during Sunday Mass in over a year.

Wow! It’s great that your deacon is able to be something other than a glorified altar boy at Sunday Mass (unlike here) But I’m sure he’d have no problem stepping aside to let the priest lead the Confiteor. Remember that the Kyrie follows the confiteor, so he could intone that! I think it would add an even greater depth of solemnity to your Mass.

 

[MichiganTrumbul]

… Personally, I prefer Option A just because it is a solid expression of repentance and helps me to focus on asking forgiveness for my sins.

Me too! What I would really like to see is a more loyal translation of the Confiteor in English-language Masses:

“I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints, and you, brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God.”

MT

 

[CatholicNerd]

Me too! What I would really like to see is a more loyal translation of the Confiteor in English-language Masses:

“I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints, and you, brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God.”

MT

Our dear friends St. Michael, St. John the Baptist, and Saints Peter and Paul got short shrift. The Latin text of the confiteor in the Pauline Mass doesn’t match the Latin of the Tridentine missals. The “new” confiteor reads:

Confiteor Deo omnipotens et vobis, fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, omnes Angelos et Sanctos, et vos, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

 

[MichiganTrumbul]

Our dear friends St. Michael, St. John the Baptist, and Saints Peter and Paul got short shrift. The Latin text of the confiteor in the Pauline Mass doesn’t match the Latin of the Tridentine missals. The “new” confiteor reads:

Confiteor Deo omnipotens et vobis, fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, omnes Angelos et Sanctos, et vos, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

True. And I wish it would be changed back.