Mass is then continued as usual until the Placeat, as in Chapter I.

21. The last Dominus vobiscum being sung by the Bishop, the Deacon, turned towards the Altar, sings Requiescant in pace, the Bishop also saying it in an undertone, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, Sept. 7, 1816.

22. The Bishop having said the Placeat, kisses the Altar, and, omitting the benediction, recites as usual the last Gospel, the Ministers standing, as in Chapter I. n. 58; which being finished, the Deacon puts on his mitre, and all proceed by the shortest way to the faldstool, having first made an inclination to the Cross.

23. The Bishop having taken his seat, the Ministers lay by their maniples (Carem. Epis. ibid. n. 9), and the Assistant Priest his cope, which the Bishop will use at the Absolution. (Grassi, lib. ii. cap. xxxix. and Bauldry, lib. ii. chap. xi. art. i. n. 11.) The two Ministers will divest the Bishop of the maniple, mitre, chasuble, dalmatic, and vest him with the cope and mitre.

ARTICLE V.-The Absolution at the Catafalque. 2

24. The Bishop being vested in cope and mitre, the two sacred Ministers make an inclination to him; the Deacon then stations himself on his left, and the Subdeacon takes the processional Cross, and, placing himself between the two Acolytes with lighted candles, goes with them to the centre of the choir, preceded by the Thurifer, and Clerk who carries the vase of holy water and the ritual. Having arrived in the centre, the Thurifer and Clerk bearing the holy water genuflect, and proceed towards the catafalque. The clergy of the choir, walking two and two, follow the Cross, having first genuflected at the Altar. The Deacon, wearing his berretta, attends on the left of the Bishop to raise the border of his cope, to invite him to make the due reverence to the Altar, and to follow the clergy. (Carem. Epis. &c.)

25. Having arrived at the head of the catafalque, the Thurifer and Clerk place themselves on the right of the fald

1 The Ceremonial of Bishops (book ii. cap. xi. n. 14) supposes an Assistant Priest to assist at the Absolution vested in cope; it would therefore be more convenient to have one prepared especially for the Bishop.

2 On these occasions, where a catafalque cannot be prepared, in lieu of it a black cloth may be spread beneath the steps of the Altar or Sanctuary.

monies, genuflects with the others, and acts in the usual

manner.

ARTICLE IV. From the Offertory to the end of Mass.

14. The Offertory being read, the Bishop takes his seat, and the Deacon having put on him the mitre, his hands are washed, and in the interim the Assistant Priest carries to the Altar the cushion, or reading-stand, with the Missal, canon, and bugia, as in Chapter I. n. 41.

15. After his hands are washed, the Bishop proceeds to the Altar, and the Subdeacon takes the chalice and burse from the credence without the humeral veil, and proceeds to the Altar, where he ministers for the Offertory as usual, but without having the water blessed. (Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. xi. n. 6.) He then stations himself at the left of the Bishop, and to the right of the Assistant Priest, a little behind.

16. The Bishop, having said the Veni Sanctificator, blesses the incense, and incenses the oblata more solito, the Deacon and the Subdeacon assisting on either side, and the Assistant Priest, in due time, removing the Missal from the Altar. After the incensing, the Master of Ceremonies puts on the Bishop's mitre. The Deacon incenses the Bishop only (Carem. Epis. ibid.); and having given the thurible to the Thurifer, will hold the towel conjointly with the Subdeacon, while a servant, or some other person, in a kneeling posture, pours the water on the Bishop's hands.b

17. The Bishop's hands being washed, the Deacon takes off the mitre, and all three proceed unus post alium to the centre of the Altar, where the Deacon in due time answers the Suscipiat, &c. living or le

18. At the Sanctus they will proceed on either side of the Bishop, the Subdeacon placing himself a little behind. At this time four Clerks, with their torches, leave the sacristy, and remain at the Altar until after the first ablution.ll

19. At the words Quam oblationem, the Subdeacon, having genuflected in the centre, proceeds on the Epistle side to offer incense at the Elevation, it having been already prepared by an Acolyte. (Carem. Epis. ibid. n. 8.) After the Ele the Subdeacon returns to his place behind the Bisho 20. When the Bishop has arrived in the Pat

the words Et dimitte nobis &c., the De

Mass is
Chapter

2. Tr

the I pace

to & B

161

est. (Carem. Epis.

orpse is present.

he corpse is present, tioned at the head of

. die 3 Septembris, t the feet. (Carem.

e faldstool, and the 1 stand and say, in a dicium servo tuo, &c., into serva tua, if the ding to a decree of the 21, 1741. The Clerk or No. 29. This over, the inue as above.

ately carried to the grave, the Prayer Deus cui prohe the antiphon In paraconformity to the prescripxequiis. On their return

sacristy, the Bishop will ates, and the Cantors the om. ibid.; S. R. C. 28 Julii,

ith carried to the grave, the

Deus cui proprium, &c., antors the Psalm Benedictus antiphon having been repeated ay the Kyrie, and intone the pse three times from his place, ceremony, as directed in the

of a Cardinal, Bishop, or Sacera King, the prescriptions of the quiis, and the Cæremoniale Epie to be followed

Jaced with the feet

CHAPTER IV.

MASS SUNG IN PRESENCE OF A BISHOP IN HIS OWN

DIOCESE.

1. THE Bishop in his own diocese may assist at Solemn Mass either in cope and mitre, or in cappa and berretta. "In solemnioribus festivitatibus Episcopus erit semper cum pluviali... Poterit tamen, si magis placuerit, hujusmodi Missa in festis minus solemnibus cum sua cappa pontificali interesse." (Cærem Epis. lib. ii. cap. ix. n. 4.) Whether the Bishop assists in cope and mitre, or in cappa and berretta, he may occupy the throne,1 and be assisted by an Assistant Priest and two Deacons, if possible Canons, in habitu canonicali. (Ibid. n. 2, 4.) Unless the Bishop assists at the throne vestitus sacris indumentis, he does not use the crosier.

2. Whenever the Bishop is present either in cope or cappa, he should be saluted in particular, and not by a common salutation to the whole choir. According to the Ceremonial of Bishops, he could be saluted with a genuflection from all except Canons and the Celebrant, who make a profound inclination. (Ibid. lib. i. cap. xviii. n. 3.)

3. The Celebrant and his Ministers, preceded by the Acolytes, will enter the choir a little before the arrival of the Bishop. They will make the proper salutations to the Altar, and then proceed to their seats. The Celebrant and his Ministers will rise as the Bishop approaches the choir.

4. On entering the church, the Bishop will receive the aspersorium, with the usual oscula, from the highest Dignitary of the chapter, if at the cathedral, or from the Rector, who will have come to receive him at the entrance of the parish church. He first receives holy water himself, and afterwards asperses those present. He then goes to the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament, where, kneeling on a cushion at a "genuflexorium" prepared for the purpose, he says a short prayer. Afterwards he proceeds to the High Altar, or to some chapel in which his vestments may have been prepared. (Ibid. cap. xv. n. 7.) It is proper, at least on feast-days, to play the organ when the Bishop enters the

1 The Bishop will sometimes occupy the principal seat in the choir, as, for instance, when a superior Prelate takes the throne (Carem. Epis. lib. i. cap. xiii. n. 4), he then assists in mozetta, or even, in some cases, in mantelletta (ibid. cap. iv. n. 7).

church. (Ibid. n. 3, 4.) The Ecce Sacerdos may also be sung.

5. Should the Bishop assist in cope and mitre, he will be vested in rochet, amice, alb, girdle, pectoral Cross, stole, and cope. These will be brought in succession by the Clerks, in the manner given in Chapter II. n. 44, page 108, on the Episcopal Offices.

6. If the Asperges be given, the Celebrant, having aspersed the Altar, leaves his Ministers at the steps, and, accompanied by the second Master of Ceremonies, goes to present the aspersorium, with the usual oscula, to the Bishop. Having taken holy water himself, the Bishop asperses the Celebrant and his own Assistants. The Celebrant then returns to the Altar, asperses the sacred Ministers, and continues as usual, except that he is not accompanied by the sacred Ministers.

7. At the proper time, the Bishop comes to the middle of the Altar, with his Assistants, who then retire behind. The Celebrant is at the Bishop's left, the Deacon at the left of the Celebrant, and the Subdeacon at the left of the Deacon. All the Ministers should be a little in the rear.1 The Bishop, having given up the crosier and mitre, commences the Mass. The Celebrant and his Ministers respond, and turn towards him when saying, Et tibi Pater et Te Pater. After the Bishop has said Indulgentiam, &c., he retires to the throne, where he says, conjointly with the Celebrant, Deus Tu conversus, &c., as far as the Aufer a nobis, exclusively. When the Bishop is about to retire, the Celebrant and his Ministers will fall back a little, to allow him to pass, and then the Deacon will place himself at the right of the Celebrant.

8. The Bishop will always bless the incense, aided by the Assistant Priest, who presents the boat. The Thurifer will present the thurible kneeling.

9. The incense being blessed, the Thurifer retires, and having made the proper reverences to the Bishop and to the Altar, passes over to the Epistle side, where he presents the thurible to the Deacon.

10. When the Bishop is present, the Celebrant is incensed

1 Dum Episcopus, Missæ per alium cantatæ assistens, Missam cum Celebrante incipit ante infimum gradum Altaris, Presbyter assistens et Diaconi assistentes ubi stare, et quid agere debent ?-Resp. Presbyter assistens cum aliis canonicis, Diaconi vero assistentes a tergo Episcopi et Celebrantis. (S. R. C.)