people, sings, with hands joined, and in a ferial tone, the Dominus vobiscum; he then adds Oremus, making only an inclination to the Cross (Nicolaus de Bralion, part iii. cap. v. n. 4), and afterwards the four following Prayers. When he blesses the ashes, he places his left hand on the Altar, the Deacon in the mean time raising the right border of the cope. (Gavanto, ibid. in Rubr. iii.; Bauldry, ibid.) He will do the same when the Celebrant uses the aspersory and the thurible.

10. At the commencement of the Prayers, the Thurifer proceeds to put fire in the thurible, and when concluded, goes to the Epistle side, together with the first Acolyte, who, being at his right, bears the vessel of holy water and its aspersory. Both having made the due reverence on the pavement, the Thurifer ascends the step to receive the incense as usual; he then retires to the pavement with the thurible, and yields his place to the Acolyte, who presents the aspersory to the Deacon. This latter, taking it by the centre, presents it with the usual kisses to the Celebrant, who thrice sprinkles the ashes,-first in the middle, next on the right, and afterwards on the left (Gavanto, ibid. in Rubr. iv. litt. H.), saying, Asperges me, &c., without singing, and without the Psalm (Merati, ibid. n. 10); the Deacon then returns the aspersory to the Acolyte, and having taken the thurible from the Thurifer, presents it with the usual kisses to the Celebrant, who thrice incenses the ashes in the manner laid down for the aspersion (Rubr. ibid.), without using any form of words.

11. After the incensation, the Thurifer takes the thurible, and having with the Acolyte made the due reverence to the Altar, they return to deposit all in their proper places. (Bisso, ibid.; Bauldry, ibid. n. 7.) See the article on the Palms.

12. The Celebrant having completed the blessing, proceeds with his Ministers to the centre of the Altar, to make the distribution, having the Deacon on his right, with the vessel of ashes in his hand, and the Subdeacon on his left (Merati, ibid. n. 12; Bauldry, ibid. art. ii. n. 1): all three should turn towards the people, and the Celebrant remain uncovered. (Sac. Cong. of Rites, July 18, 1626.)

13. Before the Celebrant turns towards the people, the second Master of Ceremonies will apprise the principal Dignitary in the choir, who will be vested in his choral habit, without the stole (Sac. Cong. of Rites, Feb. 14, 1705), to hold himself in readiness on the lowest step, and, after having

made a profound reverence to the Celebrant, to ascend to the highest step, where standing, he places ashes on the head of the latter, who will stand with head uncovered and hands joined. (Bisso, ibid. § 6; Bauldry, ibid. n. 2.) He will form the sign of the Cross on the Celebrant's head, saying in the mean time, Memento homo, &c. (Merati, ibid. n. 13.)

14. After the Celebrant has received the ashes from the principal Dignitary of the choir, he takes some from the vessel held by the Deacon, and, repeating the Memento homo, &c., places them on the head of the Dignitary from whom he received them, who should then be kneeling on the highest step. (Bauldry, ibid. n. 3; and Sac. Cong. of Rites, Feb. 14, 1705.) After the due inclinations have been made, he returns to his place, accompanied by the second Master of Ceremonies, who will now see that the clergy approach in proper order.

Note. If there be not a Priest vested in cotta to give the ashes to the Celebrant, he kneels on the predella towards the Altar, and signs his own forehead with the ashes, omitting the Memento, &c. Although the Deacon who serves at the Altar be a Priest, serving in quality of Minister at such function, he should not place the ashes on the Celebrant. (Bisso, ibid.; Bauldry, ibid. n. 8; Merati, ibid. n. 14.)

15. When the distribution has commenced, the Cantors sing the antiphon Immutemur habitu, &c., and that which follows (Rubr. ibid.; Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. xviii. n. 10), repeating it during the distribution, if occasion require. (Merati, ibid. n. 15.)

16. The Priest who has placed ashes on the Celebrant having departed, the Deacon gives the vessel containing the ashes to the Master of Ceremonies, who places it on the Altar; after which, he descends to the step together with the Subdeacon, and both kneeling down on the predella, receive the ashes from the Celebrant. The Deacon then turns to the right, where he retakes the vessel of ashes, and Subdeacon to the left. (Bisso, ibid. § 10; Castaldi, lib. iii. sess. iv. cap. iii. n. 8.) The Celebrant afterwards distributes the ashes to the clergy, and then to the Clerks (Rubr. ibid.), all approaching two and two.

17. The distribution of the ashes being over, the Deacon gives the vessel to the Master of Ceremonies, who will place it on the credence; after which, the three proceed in cornu Epistola, where the Celebrant washes his hands (Carem.

Epis. ibid. cap. xix. n. 6; Bauldry, ibid. n. 9), first rubbing them with the crumb of bread, the Acolyte ministering the water, and the sacred Ministers the towel. (Merati, ibid. n. 19.)

Note.-If it be customary for the Celebrant to distribute ashes to the people, he will proceed to the balustrade (the Ministers being in attendance as above) to distribute them, observing, while giving the ashes to the women, not to place it on their veils, but on their hair only. (Gavanto, ibid. in Rubr. vi. litt. R.) The distribution of ashes over, the sacred Ministers return before the Altar; the Deacon and Subdeacon make a genuflection on the lowest step, and the Celebrant the due reverence. They then proceed in cornu Epistola, where the Celebrant washes his hands in plano, as above.

18. The Celebrant, after having washed his hands, will sing the Dominus vobiscum, and afterwards, with hands joined, and in a ferial tone, the Prayer, Concede nobis, &c. (Rubr. ibid.) The choir having answered Amen, they make an inclination to the Cross, and proceed per breviorem to the seat, where the Celebrant takes off the cope, and vests in the maniple and chasuble, and the Ministers in their maniples only. (Merati, ibid. n. 20.) The Priest who blessed the ashes, and not any other, then sings the Mass. (Sac. Cong. of Rites, June 12, 1627.)

ARTICLE III.-The Mass.

19. The Ministers having departed from the seats, make the usual inclinations to the choir, and, on arriving before the steps of the Altar, the due reverence to the Cross; after which the Mass is commenced and continued more solito, excepting in the following particulars: At the Confiteor, and at the Prayers, the choir and Clerks who serve at the Altar kneel; and likewise from the Sanctus to the Agnus Dei exclusively. (Bisso, litt. M. n. 249, § 2; litt. G. n. 29, § 9; Bauldry, part vi. cap. iv. art. ii. n. 11; Merati, part iv. tit. vi. n. 20; Castaldi.)

20. When the Celebrant sings the last Prayer before the Epistle, the second Acolyte takes off the Subdeacon's chasuble, and places it on the seat, restoring it when, after the conclusion of the Epistle, he shall have kissed the Celebrant's hand. While the Celebrant is reading the Gospel, the Deacon, having taken off the chasuble, puts the large stole over the

small one; he will resume the chasuble, after having transferred the Missal for the Communion. (Merati, ibid. tit. i. n. 4.) He will convey more solito the book of the Gospels to the Altar.

21. The Celebrant, while reading the Adjuva nos, &c., will not genuflect. After having finished reading the Gospel, he returns more solito to the middle of the Altar, where, with the Ministers, he puts incense into the thurible, and waits until the Adjuva nos, &c., is sung, when the three kneel down on the edge of the predella, and at which time the Deacon says the Munda cor meum. The Adjuva nos, &c., being ended, they rise, and proceed as usual to sing the Gospel.

22. The Acolytes continue to kneel with their torches lighted from the Sanctus until after the Communion of the Celebrant.

23. At the Prayer which is said super populum after the Post-Communion, the Deacon, after the Celebrant has intoned Oremus, turns towards the people by his right shoulder, and sings, Humiliate capita vestra Deo. (Merati, ibid.)

SUPPLEMENTARY ARTICLE.—The Blessing of the Ashes by the Bishop.

1. The benediction of the ashes is performed in the same manner as that of the candles on the Feast of the Purification. (See page 163.) The Bishop will occupy the throne, and be vested more solito. The Assistant to the throne, and the Canons, will also be parati et induti. The Celebrant of the Mass, and his Ministers, will be found at their seat on the Epistle side, when the Bishop arrives. (Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. xviii. n. 3.)

2. The Bishop being vested, the Subdeacon of the Mass, or one of the Beneficati of the church, vested in purple folded chasuble, goes with the proper reverences to the Altar, from whence he takes the vase of ashes, and proceeding with it to the throne, holds it with both hands before the Bishop, until the end of the distribution: he remains kneeling at the right of the Bishop. The Ministers of the book and bugia having approached, the Bishop commences the Benediction as in the Missal. (Ibid. n. 5, 6.) Towards the end of the Prayers, the Acolytes of the Holywater, and the Thurifer, come to the throne. The ashes are aspersed and incensed more solito. (Ibid. n. 7.)

3. The Benediction over, the Bishop sits without mitre or

birretta, and the Celebrant of the Mass places ashes on his head, saying, Memento homo, &c. (Ibid. n. 8.) This over, the Bishop sits, receives the mitre, and the white gremial veil, which is held by two Acolytes. The Celebrant, stand

ing inclined, receives ashes, and without kissing the hand of the Bishop, retires to his place. The Canons and clergy receive ashes, each in his own proper order. In the mean time the choir sing Immutemur habitu, &c. (Ibid. n. 8—18.)

4. The distribution over, the Bishop sitting, washes his hands more solito; then, rising without mitre, he sings the Dominus vobiscum, Oremus, and Prayer; the Acolytes, with lighted candles, being at a convenient distance. (Ibid. n: 14.)

5. Should the Bishop not wish to celebrate, the Canons will take off their sacred vestments, but the Bishop may retain his, or assume the cappa, as he may deem proper. He will descend to commence the Mass more solito. The Bishop will kneel at his faldstool during the Prayers, at the Adjuva nos, Deus, from after he has said the Sanctus until the Per omnia sæcula, &c., before the Pax Domini, and during the Prayers of the Post-Communion. (Ibid. n. 15-20.)

6. Should the Bishop celebrate a solemn Mass, he commences None after the Prayer at the end of the distribution, and in the mean time receives the buskins and sandals. None over, the Bishop washes his hands, as at the end of Terce at other Masses: he is vested by the Deacon and Subdeacon, more solito. Before the first Prayer in the Mass, the Bishop does not say Pax vobis, but Dominus vobiscum. At the Adjuva nos, Deus, the Bishop kneels at the throne, and not at the faldstool. (Ibid. n. 22—25.)

CHAPTER III.

LÆTARE AND GAUDETE SUNDAYS.

THERE are three particular things to be observed on these Sundays: First, at solemn High Mass the organ is played (Carem. Epis. lib. i. cap. xxviii. n. 2); and also at Vespers, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated April 2, 1718. Secondly, the purple ornaments of more than ordinary costliness should be used. Thirdly, the Deacon and Subdeacon, instead of folded chasubles, should