PART II.

OF SOLEMN VESPERS.

CHAPTER I.

PARTICULAR RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN CHOIR DURING SOLEMN VESPERS AND COMPLINE.

THE Ecclesiastics who assist at Solemn Vespers, besides the general instructions given for the Mass, should observe also the following:

1. At Solemn Vespers they should not enter choir during the singing of the Deus in adjutorium, the Gloria Patri, the prayers, the Capitulum, or during the last strophe of the Hymn. They should not enter also during the first strophe of the Ave maris stella, or Veni Creator, nor during the last two strophes of the Pange, lingua, or Vexilla Regis prodeunt.

2. At Compline, besides the above, they should not enter during the Confiteor. Should, however, any person make his entry at any of these times, he will remain in the centre of the choir, either kneeling or standing, according to the posture retained by the clergy.

3. They should kneel to say Aperi, &c., as soon as the Officiant arrives at the Altar; also, during the first stanza of the hymns Ave maris stella, and Veni Creator; during the singing of the stanza Tantum ergo, in the Pange, lingua, provided the Blessed Sacrament be present, either exposed or enclosed in the Tabernacle; and during the singing of the stanza, O crux, ave, spes unica, of the Vexilla Regis prodeunt. (Ex Decr. S. R. C. 31 Julii, 1665.) They should remain kneeling during the whole stanza of these hymns, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated Nov. 14, 1676, even in Paschal time, as is commonly asserted by all authors. They kneel also during the ferial prayers; and the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin, which terminates the office with the Pater, Ave, and Credo; except, however, after Vespers on Saturdays, all Sundays, and in Paschal time, on which occasions they kneel only at the Sacrosanctæ.

4. All stand up while they are saying the Pater, Ave, &c., until the intonation of the first Psalm. When an antiphon is intoned, they alone stand up who are on that side of the choir where it is intoned. It is as well here to remark, that when there are cantors vested in copes, those in choir should rise at the time these present themselves. All stand also at the Capitulum and from the Hymn until the end of Vespers, except during the singing of the antiphon of the Magnificat by the choir, at which time they sit, provided the incensing of the choir be finished; and, finally, from the prayer and commemorations until the conclusion.

5. At Compline they remain standing from the commencement until the intonation of the first Psalm; from the intonation of the Hymn until the end: during the rest of the office they sit, except on those occasions specified for kneeling.

6. They should take off their berrettas, and make an inclination at the Gloria Patri; when pronouncing the names of JESUS, &c., as we have elsewhere remarked; at the last stanza of the hymns, which contains the Doxology of the Blessed Trinity; at the words, Sit nomen Domini benedictum, of the Psalm Laudate pueri; and during the Confiteor of Compline.

CHAPTER II. ·

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ACOLYTES.

1. THE Acolytes having laid their berrettas1 on their seats in the choir, and having lighted the candles of the Altar and those in their own candlesticks, proceed to the choir in the manner specified for Mass.

2. The Officiant having arrived at the Altar, they turn round and genuflect, whilst he makes the usual reverence; they then place their candlesticks, each on his side, upon the steps of the Altar, extinguish them (Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. iii. § 2), and proceed to their places.2

1 This, of course, supposes the Acolytes to be clerics.

2 According to the Ceremonial of Bishops, the Acolytes should place their candlesticks upon a step of the Altar, or on the pavement, " super gradu vel plano inferiori," while the Officiant makes his prayer at the foot of the Altar.

3. Towards the end of the last Psalm they lay aside their berrettas, and proceed to light their candles, observing, that at the Gloria Patri they should stand still, and incline towards the Cross. At the Sicut erat they take their candlesticks and pass to the centre of the choir, before the steps of the Altar, where having genuflected together on the pavement, they proceed to the Officiant. (Carem. Epis. ibid. § 9.)

4. They salute him on arriving, and place themselves before his lectern, where they remain (having their faces turned towards each other), until he has intoned the Hymn; and if it be the Ave maris stella, or Veni Creator, until after the first stanza, during which they do not kneel as the others. They then return to the Altar, having saluted the Celebrant, and turned round in such a manner as not to have lost their proper sides. They now make a genuflection, replace their candlesticks, and, without extinguishing them, retire to their places. (Carem. Epis. ibid.)2

5. After the Gloria Patri of the Magnificat they take their candlesticks, and again proceed to the Celebrant; having made the usual inclination, they stand as before (Cærem. Epis. ibid. § 13), until after the Dominus vobiscum, at the conclusion of the prayers, when they make the usual inclination, and proceed to the middle of the Altar to await the Officiant. Having genuflected with him and saluted the choir, they return to the sacristy.

Note. If the clergy also leave the choir, they do not genuflect when the Officiant arrives at the Altar, but invariably continue standing until after the recital of the antiphon, usually said after the office. After the Divinum auxilium, &c., they genuflect and retire as after Mass.

This lectern, or book-stand, is used at Rome in parish and other churches, where the Officiant at Vespers is somewhat separated from the choir.

2 On account of the incensation about to take place, they will be careful not to deposit their candlesticks in an inconvenient position. As the Altar (out of Mass) is usually covered, it will be necessary that the Acolytes should turn back the cover during the Antiphou before the Magnificat. They should proceed to the corners of the Altar, and fold it in the centre. (Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. i. n. 13; Bauldry, pars ii. c. xi. art. i. n. 30.) Should other Altars be incensed during the Magnificat, the Acolytes, having turned back the cover of the Altar, will take their candles to the entrance of the Sanctuary, and precede the procession in the usual manner.-See Nos. 13-19 of the Instructions for the Master of Ceremonies (page 65). The Altar at which the Vespers are sung having been incensed, and the Celebrant and his Assistants having retired, the Acolytes will again ascend to the corners of the Altar and unfold the cover, leaving it as at first.

CHAPTER III.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE THURIFER.

1. Ar the proper time the Thurifer should prepare fire in some convenient place, as also the thurible, and the boat containing incense.

2. He will proceed to choir with the others, and place himself in a situation from which he can readily make an exit whenever occasion requires. The Hymn being intoned (and if there be no Hymn, as during the octave of Easter, a little before the place which it would occupy), he genuflects, and proceeds to prepare the thurible.

3. When the Officiant, after the Magnificat is intoned, arrives at the Altar, he also approaches, and having genuflected, ministers with the incense. When the incense is blessed, he resigns the thurible and receives the boat; he then immediately passes to the left of the Officiant, without making an inclination or genuflection in the centre, but deferring to do so until he has arrived. He holds the cope raised during the incensing, and invariably genuflects with the Master of Ceremonies whenever the Officiant genuflects, or makes a profound inclination.2

4. The Altar having been incensed, he goes to the Epistle corner, where having received the thurible from the Master of Ceremonies, he places the boat on the credence; he returns the thurible to the Master of Ceremonies, when he is about to incense the Officiant, stands at his left, and accompanies him in a profound inclination before and after. Having again received the thurible from the Master of Ceremonies, he incenses the clergy in the manner specified for the Deacon in the Mass (see page 39).

5. After the clergy, he incenses the Master of Ceremonies with one double swing, and then the Acolytes and people, in the manner already specified in the instructions for the Mass. This over, he proceeds to empty the fire from the thurible, and returns to the choir, observing the usual reverences on departing and returning.

Note. If there be assistants in copes, one of them will attend at the left of the Officiant while the Altar is incensed,

This supposes that the Officiant has no regular assistants. 2 See note 1 at the end of the present chapter.

and it will devolve on the first assistant in cope to incense the choir, and the Thurifer to accompany him as he would the Deacon, keeping the cope a little raised with his right hand, so that he may incense with greater freedom. The choir and the other assistants in copes being incensed, the Thurifer receives the thurible from him, and incenses him in cornu Epistolæ, with two double swings, then the Master of Ceremonies with one double swing, and, finally, the Acolytes and people in the manner above mentioned.

Note 2.-If there be a second Altar to be incensed, the Thurifer will act in uniformity with the instructions for the Master of Ceremonies. (Nos. 13-19, page 65.)

CHAPTER IV.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES.

1. HAVING prepared all things which are necessary, and placed the markers in the Officiant's book, he will, at the proper time, assist him to vest in cotta and cope.1 When all are in readiness, he announces to the clergy the Vespers, commemorations, or other things peculiar to the office, and then makes a sign for the Acolytes to proceed.

2. The clergy having departed, he invites the Officiant to proceed, and accompanies him to the Altar, in the mean time presenting holy water to him. Having arrived at the Altar, he genuflects on the pavement, at the right of the Officiant, and having said the Aperi, &c., in a kneeling posture, he rises and directs the Officiant to do the same.

3. Having again genuflected while the Officiant makes the proper reverence, he salutes the choir, first on the side of the Gospel, and then on that of the Epistle: he then accompanies the Officiant to his seat, where he stands at his right, to receive and tender his berretta, with the usual kisses, at the proper times; as also, to turn the leaves of his book; to point out the Psalms, antiphons, and everything he ought to recite or sing; and to raise the cope when he has occasion to make the sign of the Cross. (Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. iii. n. 5.)

He does not wear the stole, according to the decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, Sept. 7, 1816, and Sept. 11, 1847.