Celebrating Alone An Introductory Note This is exactly NOT how the Mass should be celebrated. From its inception at the (not taking its Old Testament background into consideration), it has always been a communal act. At present, with the Covid-19 Pandemic which has sent ripples of fear around; especially that of deadly contagion, the solemn community celebration of the Liturgy of the has to face a number of challenges. Touch has become taboo. Proximity is dreaded now. Distance, Isolation and total insulation has become the order of the day. Churches are closed in many places and community celebrations are a luxury. People are getting used to the liturgical anomalies and they are slowly becoming the norm. In the long run, these can lead to deformities, remedying which, would be an uphill task. From a purely Ministerial Priesthood perspective, priests are left with a serious spiritual concern. When community Mass is not possible, and when one is all by oneself, what would be the option? Celebrate Mass alone, or not celebrate at all, because Mass is essentially an act of the whole Mystical .

An Outline of its History In the apostolic communities and thereafter, Mass was the Breaking of Bread by the community. Even after the 4th century it remained so for a long time.

The first signs of isolation appeared with the transition of the language of the liturgy from Greek to . The original quality of the Latin language used in the Roman Rite was more poetic and scholarly; and it required some effort to participate actively. The consequence was the assimilation of liturgical roles by the clergy hitherto performed by the laity. This and many other reasons, some of which are political, lead to the gradual decadence of the Liturgy in Rome. Partially due to political reasons, Emperor Pepin and his son Charles the Great stepped in and became messiahs for the declining Roman Liturgy. For some time the Roman Liturgy was a priority of the Charlemagne empire. This resulted in many Gallican elements mixing into the Roman Rite and eventually what reappeared in Rome by the 10th century was a hybrid rite. These reasons also alienated the laity farther and by the early middle ages the celebration of the Roman Liturgy was highly clericalized. Besides, there were some other aberrations which had crept in, and those who pioneered the Reformation thrived during this time.

Even before the the so-called Private Masses began to appear. As anyone would expect, the Reformists became quite vocal and protested against this practice. Contrary to expectation, the Council of Trent defended ‘Private Mass’. This is what chapter VI of session 22 of the Council had to say about this subject:

CHAPTER VI.

On Mass wherein the priest alone communicates.

The sacred and holy Synod would fain indeed that, at each mass, the faithful who are present should communicate, not only in spiritual desire, but also by the sacramental participation of the Eucharist, that thereby a more abundant fruit might be derived to them from this most holy sacrifice: but not

1 therefore, if this be not always done, does It condemn, as private and unlawful, but approves of and therefore commends, those masses in which the priest alone communicates sacramentally; since those masses also ought to be considered as truly ; partly because the people communicate spiritually thereat; partly also because they are celebrated by a public minister of the Church, not for himself only, but for all the faithful, who belong to the body of Christ.

By the 17th century in many European monasteries monks began to celebrate Mass by themselves. Consequently, the monasteries being quite populated places, the so-called Side Altars began to appear in them, and at each, a priest could be seen celebrating Mass by himself. However, the motives of such Masses became somewhat controversial over the years as many began to see such Private Masses as having no spiritual connection with the theology of the Mystical Body of Christ. Josef Jungmann, in his detailed scholarly work about the history of the Roman Rite defined such Masses in the following manner: “…a Mass celebrated for its own sake, with no thought of anyone participating, a Mass where only prescribed server is in attendance or even where no one is present, as was the case with Missa Solitaria” (The Mass of the Roman Rite, Westminster Christian Classics, 1986, Vol. 1, p. 215).

What we infer from above is that there was only one server present, and at times even that did not happen; that it was done for the sake of mere celebrating a Mass and that it had no community sense at all. The celebrant disregarded the presence of the faithful even when they were in the vicinity, and continued to say the Mass in sub voce. No wonder that this came to be known as the Missa Solitaria or Missa Privata. To remedy this situation, by the time of the the following regulation was enforced. Canon 813 read in the following manner: “A priest is not to celebrate Mass without a server a server to assist him and make the responses”

Can. 813. § 1. Sacerdos Missam ne celebret sine ministro qui eidem inserviat et respondeat.

The second part of this Canon is interesting to note. It is about the role of women around the . Of course, this is not history, but worth noting the phases of development that we have passed.

§ 2. Minister Missae inserviens ne sit mulier, nisi, deficiente viro, iusta de causa, eaque lege ut mulier ex longinquorespondeat nec ullo pa cto ad altare accedat.

Canon 813, § 2. “The mass server should not be a woman, unless no man can be found and there is a good reason, and then on this understanding that the woman responds from a distance and does in no way approach the altar.”

Re-endorsement. “How far the liturgical task of women, to which baptism gives them a right and duty will go, still needs to be studied further; but, in the actual organization of the liturgy, women do not fulfil a ministry around the altar, that is certain. For their ministry depends on the will of the Church and the has not ever entrusted liturgical ministry to women. Therefore, every arbitrary innovation in this matter shall be considered a

2 grave infringement of ecclesiastical discipline and will need to be suppressed with firmness.” (Liturgical Commission, 25 January 1966).

“According to the liturgical norms handed on in the Church, women, whether young girls, married women or nuns, are forbidden to serve the priest at the altar, whether in church, in a home, a convent, a college or an institute for women” (Third Instruction on the implementation of the Constitution on the Liturgy, Acta Apostolicae Sedis 62 (1970) p. 700).

(Source: Codex Iuris Canonici, ed. Herder, Freiburg 1918. Translation from the Latin by John Wijngaards).

Pope John XXIII removed the word private from the title due its theological discrepancy against the Mass with a community of the faithful. In 1960 he promulgated the which is a liturgical document with three parts. It was legal in nature and comprised liturgical and sacramental laws governing the celebration of the Eucharist and the Divine Office of the Roman Rite. In Number 269 the following is found: Sacrosanctum Missae Sacrificium, iuxta canones et rubricas celebratum, est actus cultus publici, nomie Christi et Ecclesiae Deo redditi. Denomination proinde “Missae private’ vitetur”.

“The holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrated according to the canons and rubrics, is an act of public worship, rendered to God in the name of Christ and the Church. The expression ‘Private Masses’ is therefore to be avoided”.

Then there appeared the all-important , the Dogmatic Constitution of the Vatican II Council on Sacred Liturgy, which laid down the general principle which governs the celebration of the Liturgical Actions. As far as possible the Liturgy should be celebrated as an ecclesial action, and any tendency which makes it look like a private act should be always avoided. In number 27 it says: "It is to be stressed that whenever rites, according to their specific nature, make provision for communal celebration involving the presence and active participation of the faithful, this way of celebrating them is to be preferred, so far as possible, to a celebration that is individual and quasi-private.

Almost simultaneously with the conclusion of the Vatican II Council, Pope Paul VI promulgated the Encyclical Mysterium Fidei on , that is the Eucharist, and in No 32 said the following:

“It is also only fitting for us to recall the conclusion that can be drawn from this about "the public and social nature of each and every Mass." For each and every Mass is not something private, even if a priest celebrates it privately; instead, it is an act of Christ and of the Church. In offering this sacrifice, the Church learns to offer herself as a sacrifice for all and she applies the unique and infinite redemptive power of the sacrifice of the Cross to the salvation of the whole world. For every Mass that is celebrated is being offered not just for the salvation of certain people, but also for the salvation of the whole world. The conclusion from this is that even though active participation by many faithful is of its very nature particularly fitting when Mass is celebrated, still there is no reason to criticize but rather only to approve a Mass that a priest celebrates privately for a good reason in accordance with the regulations and legitimate traditions of the Church, even when only a server to make the

3 responses is present. For such a Mass brings a rich and abundant treasure of special graces to help the priest himself, the faithful, the whole Church and the whole world toward salvation—and this same abundance of graces is not gained through mere reception of Holy ”.

Hence, instead of using the term Private Masses the Church began to call it the Masses celebrated without people (Missis sine populo celebratis).

Canon 906 of the present Code of Canon Law says the following regarding the Masses celebrated without people: “A priest may not celebrate the eucharistic Sacrifice without the participation of at least one of the faithful, unless there is a good and reasonable cause for doing so.”

Masses with at least one Server

Many scholars are of the opinion, that with relevant exceptions, priests could simply follow the guidelines laid down by the GIRM for the celebration of Mass with at least one server. This will justify some of the greetings such as ‘The Lord be with you’. I quote the relevant GIRM numbers below:

III. MASS AT WHICH ONLY ONE MINISTER PARTICIPATES

252. At a Mass celebrated by a priest with only one minister to assist him and to make the responses, the rite of Mass with a congregation is followed (cf. nos. 120-169) the minister saying the people’s parts as appropriate.

253. If, however, the minister is a , he performs his duties (cf. nos. 171-186) and likewise carries out the other parts, that is, those of the people.

254. Mass should not be celebrated without a minister or at least one of the faithful, except for a just and reasonable cause. In this case, the greetings, the introductory or explanatory remarks, and the blessing at the end of Mass are omitted.

255. Before Mass, the necessary vessels are prepared either at the or on the righthand side of the altar.

The Introductory Rites

256. The priest approaches the altar and, after making a profound bow along with the minister, venerates the altar with a kiss and goes to the chair. If he wishes, the priest may remain at the altar; in this case, the is likewise prepared there. Then the minister or the priest says the Entrance .

257. Then the priest, standing, makes with the minister the as the priest says, In nomine Patris (In the name of the Father). Facing the minister, he greets the minister choosing one of the formulas of greeting.

4 258. Then the Act of Penitence takes place, and, if required by the rubrics, the and Gloria are said.

259. Then, with hands joined, the priest says, (Let us pray). After a suitable pause, with hands extended he says the . At the end the minister makes the acclamation, Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

260. The readings should whenever possible be proclaimed from the ambo or a lectern.

261. After the collect, the minister reads the first reading and Psalm, the second reading, when it is to be said, and the verse for the or other chant.

262. Then the priest bows profoundly and says the Munda cor meum (Almighty God, cleanse my heart) and, afterwards, reads the . At the conclusion he says, Verbum Domini (The Gospel of the Lord), to which the minister responds, Laus tibi, Christe (Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ). The priest then venerates the book with a kiss, saying quietly the Per evangelica dicta (May the words of the Gospel).

263. Afterwards, if required by the rubrics, the priest says the Creed together with the minister.

264. The Prayer of the Faithful follows, which may be said even in this form of Mass. The priest introduces and concludes it, with the minister announcing the intentions.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

265. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, everything is done as in a Mass with a congregation, with the following exceptions.

266. After the acclamation at the end of the that follows the Lord’s Prayer, the priest says the prayer Domine Iesu Christe, qui dixisti (Lord Jesus Christ, you said). He then adds, Domini sit semper vobiscum (The peace of the Lord be with you always), and the minister answers, Et cum spiritu tuo (And also with you). The priest gives the sign of peace to the minister, if appropriate.

267. Then, while he says the (Lamb of God) with the minister, the priest breaks the host over the . After the Agnus Dei, he performs the commingling, saying quietly the Haec commixtio (May this mingling).

268. After the commingling, the priest quietly says the prayer Domine Iesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God) or Perceptio (Lord Jesus Christ, with faith in your love and mercy). Then he genuflects, takes the host, and, if the minister is to receive Communion, turns to the minister and, holding the host a little above the paten or the , says the Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God), adding with the minister the Domine, non sum dignus (Lord, I am not worthy). Facing the altar, the priest then partakes of the Body of Christ. If, however, the minister does not receive Communion, the

5 priest, after genuflecting, takes the host and, facing the altar, says quietly the Domine, non sum dignus (Lord, I am not worthy) and the Corpus Christi custodiat (May the Body of Christ bring) and then receives the Body of Christ. Then he takes the chalice and says quietly, Sanguis Christi custodiat (May the bring), and then consumes the Blood of Christ.

269. Before Communion is given to the minister, the Communion Antiphon is said by the minister or by the priest himself.

270. The priest purifies the chalice at the credence table or at the altar. If the chalice is purified at the altar, it may be carried to the credence table by the minister or may again be placed on the altar at the side.

271. After the purification of the chalice, the priest should observe some moments of silence, after which he says the prayer after Communion.

The Concluding Rites

272. The concluding rites are carried out as at a Mass with a congregation, but the formula is omitted. The priest venerates the altar in the usual way with a kiss and, after making a profound bow with the minister, departs.

The Present Situation

Having traced the history briefly, we shall now look at the reality of the present situation. With Covid-19 haunting and paralyzing the world, and rendering such a tech-savvy breed of the modern folk to utter helplessness, Masses celebrated by priests even without a single server around is becoming common, rather than an exception. People are either locked down or isolated, and the rate of contagion is unnerving, so much so, community Masses have now become a rare blessing. Priests are confined to the parish houses; probably with only one domestic helper who may not be always a Catholic, or who may not be willing to be the eager server by the side of an altar. But the Priest is earnestly recommended to celebrate Mass daily, for the sake of the whole world and for the sake of his personal spiritual sustenance. Hence, he is now compelled to celebrate all by himself.

I am not the first one to write guidelines for priests who have to celebrate without even a server around. There have been many studies and articles, and they are truly relevant. Hence, I simply repeat below what some erudite scholars have written before me. However, at the end I have my own mite to contribute. One such is Fr Edward McNamara, professor of Liturgy of the Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. I am not the first to quote him. His answer to the query about celebrating Mass alone appeared in Zenit (14th November 2006). After an introduction to the question he has the following guidelines laid down, mostly based on the GIRM quoted above:

Therefore, when a priest celebrates alone, he does the following:

6 — After kissing the altar he recites the entrance antiphon and makes the sign of the cross.

— He omits the greeting at the beginning of Mass ("") and the invitation at the beginning the penitential rite ("Fratres, agnoscamus ..."). The rest of the penitential rite is as normal.

— He recites the invitation to the orations ("Oremus"), for these are not just invitations directed to the people but invitations in which he himself is included. The same criterion is obeyed for the introduction to the Our Father which is not omitted.

— He includes the introduction to the readings and Gospel ("Lectio sancti ...") but does omit the greeting of the people at the Gospel ("Dominus vobiscum"). He includes the conclusion to the readings and Gospel ("Verbum Domini"). These are also for his benefit and not just greetings to the people.

— At the presentation of gifts he recites the prayers offering the bread and wine but omits the response "Blessed be God ...." He also omits the "Pray Brethren" ("Orate, fratres") along with the response "May the Lord accept ...."

— Unlike the other "Dominus vobiscum," I believe that the one which forms part of the initial protocol of the dialogue should always be said. The norms are clear that the Eucharistic Prayer always be said integrally and that it retains its plural form even when the priest is alone. As this dialogue is inseparable from the Eucharistic Prayer it should always be recited.

In support of this interpretation of the particular character of this "Dominus vobiscum" is the fact that even when Mass was generally celebrated toward the east, the rubrics did not ask the priest to turn toward the people at this moment as happened in almost every other case, but rather to look at the altar cross.

— Although the Eucharistic Prayer must be said in its entirety, the acclamation ("Mysterium fidei") does not form part of the prayer. Therefore both introduction and

7 acclamation are omitted. This rubric is explicitly stated in some orders for when only priests are present at the Mass.

— The giving of the peace ("Pax Domini sit semper ...") is omitted.

— The moment of showing the host is easily confused. In fact we have two prayers which are placed one beside the other.

Here, the norm of No. 268 of the GIRM is followed: "If, however, the minister does not receive Communion, [or there is no minister] the priest, after genuflecting, takes the host and, facing the altar, says quietly the 'Domine, non sum dignus' (Lord, I am not worthy) and the 'Corpus Christi custodiat' (May the Body of Christ bring) and then receives the Body of Christ. Then he takes the chalice and says quietly, 'Sanguis Christi custodiat' (May the Blood of Christ bring), and then consumes the Blood of Christ."

— After holy Communion the priest recites the Communion antiphon before purifying the sacred vessels.

— After a period of silent thanksgiving the priest says "Let us pray" and recites the prayer after Communion.

— Both the final blessing and the "Ite missa est" are omitted. Mass ends with the "Through Christ our Lord. Amen" of the closing prayer, followed by kissing the altar and either a bow toward the altar or a toward the tabernacle, as the case may be, before withdrawing.

These gestures are considered as sufficient forms of conclusion. There is no need to add other gestures not foreseen in the ritual such as making the sign of the cross.

Of course, this in no way excludes the recommendation that, immediately after Mass, the priest dedicates some moments to personal thanksgiving for the grace and privilege of having celebrated the Holy Sacrifice.

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My Reflection on the Subject 01. In the first place, as priests we need to understand that we are so because of the Eucharist. No Eucharist, No Priest! To live we need Oxygen, and to live as Priests, we need the Eucharist. It is part and parcel of our identity. A Priest who does everything else well, and does not find himself at home at the celebration of the Eucharist is in identity crisis. A Priest who opts not to celebrate the Eucharist, but would rather be busy with other activities is in spiritual crisis. Hence, for us Priests, it is imperative that we celebrate the Eucharist daily, and fervently so. 02. Actually, Mass without people is a better way of identifying this particular circumstantial celebration. Although people are absent, the Blessed Mother, the Saints and the Angels and the Souls on way to the final glory are all part of the celebration. This is a celebration of the whole Communion of Saints, and not just that of a community of believers physically present. Hence, the Priest who celebrates alone is actually not alone. He can be more conscious about the presence of the Communion of Saints when he celebrates alone because when he celebrates with people, he could be overwhelmed by a church full of vibrant human participants. 03. We could also, in the same line of thought, be connected to the whole world during these personal celebrations; to pray for intentions which go far beyond ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses and the local churches; to pray for the missionaries in the world who work under trying circumstances amidst life- threatening persecutions; to pray for world bodies that design and decide policies for the entire world, such as those connected to the environment, world economies, and health issues. 04. In the Rite of Mass according to the Missal of Pius V, which was followed until 1970, and in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass of the present day, Priests are expected to celebrate Mass facing the Altar turned away from the congregation. The motive behind was not to reject the presence of the people, but to acknowledge the all- pervading divine mystery at work during this celebration. The Priest turned towards ‘heaven’, and not towards the world, and he was expected to lead the people who follow him to heavenly mysteries. For the sake of active participation, we turned towards the congregation, and the people focused on us and the action at the altar. But this distracted our attention from heavenly mysteries. After several decades of such celebrations, we now begin to realize how insipid and mundane our celebrations can be, when celebrants and people are focused more on making the celebration appealing and even entertaining to one another. Masses alone can imbue in the Priest once again this dying fervour of the heavenly mysteries. 05. At Masses celebrated by the Priest by himself, there is ample time and scope to use the available options in the Missal, which are ordinarily avoided within busy schedules. One such is the use of various Eucharistic Prayers, such as the Roman Canon, and Eucharistic Prayers with special theological themes. They have their own theology and spirituality, and would offer us unlimited inspiration. This is better than getting stuck with the mechanically repeated Second Eucharistic Prayer, which many of us can pray by heart. There are many Prefaces which are hardly used in circumstances, and when permitted, certain Votive Masses could be celebrated by

9 the Priest. For instance, during epidemics and pandemics, there are special Masses in the Missal which can be chosen and celebrated. 06. For those Priest who are able to use other languages, especially Latin, Masses celebrated without a congregation, would be ideal to slowly get accustomed to the uniqueness of such celebrations. Latin was never abolished, as people mistakenly think. was the exception. In no time Vernacular became the norm and the Liturgical language of the Church was discarded. Happily there is some resurgence and renewed interest in the Latin language once again in many parts of the world. 07. It is also possible for Priests to delve deeper into selected segments of the Mass each day; to become conscious and contemplative within those moments, to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. The ordinary tendency is to rush through the formulae. This could especially be done about the structure of the Eucharistic Prayer. For instance, special attention could be paid on the Preface, Epicleses, Institution Narratives, etc. taking one at a time each day. 08. The contemplative reading of the day’s Word of God would be done by us during these celebrations. In these celebrations we perform also the Ministerial Functions in addition to the Presidential Functions. This will help us to appreciate the role of the Ministerial Functions within the Liturgy, which are normally taken for granted. Moreover, we could be reminiscing gratefully and joyfully the Ministry of the we received while being trained in the Seminary. Slow, contemplative and conscious reading would make this a rewarding experience of Lectio Divina. 09. While engaging in a sort of a mystical experience, celebrating Mass alone would also make the celebrant prepare the altar before the Mass and restore sacred , sacred vessels and Liturgical books back to their places after the Mass. This is the duty of the Sacristan which is mostly taken for granted and overlooked as menial work. The way we vest and the way we prepare the altar for the Mass is actually part of the celebration. The way we vest for a function will already indicate the dignity of the event, and the way we prepare a meal, with love and care, already indicates the quality and the nutrition we are bound to receive. Shoddy preparation for Mass demeans its sacredness. How we rearrange the place is like putting things back in our homes after a festive meal. Leaving things unattended brings in a putrid atmosphere and is as good as desecration. 10. The world is fast losing the sense of the sacred. False interpretations of what is sacred is fast being imposed on the minds today. Although celebrating Mass without a congregation is only an exception, it can surely be an enriching experience for our personal priestly spirituality. Speed and noise are the germs which attack what is of the divine realm. Silence and solitude are the balms that hydrate the arid spaces in order to prepare an atmosphere of holiness. Celebrating Masses by ourselves will provide the opportunities to welcome what is conducive to sacredness, and to combat and reject what is detrimental to same.

Fr Cecil Joy Perera, Rector, Daham Sevana Seminary, Kaluthara. 20th May 2021

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