Q: Our diocese just celebrated the right of election and many people complained that the bishop did not sign the book of elect. Can you explain to me why it is not proper for the bishop to sign the book of elect? A: The signatures that belong in the book are those of the catechumens being numbered among the elect. The bishop’s signature has never been a part of this ceremony, not even in early church history. However, after the implementation of the post-Vatican II RCIA, some publishers began printing Books of the Elect with a place for the bishop …
Altar server and incense
A: May an altar server incense the priest and the people when a deacon is assisting at mass? Or is the incensation proper to the role of a deacon? (See GIRM 178). Q: The vocabulary around acolytes is particularly difficult to follow in the GIRM. At times it is definitely referring to an instituted acolyte, but other times it seems to refer to an altar server. In fact, the word “servers” appears only once in the GIRM, both in the US and in Canada, and that is in 339, where it speaks about the local custom of vesture. The word …
Confirmation during lent
Q: If we have confirmation during Lent, do we omit the Gloria? A: It depends on what day it is. If the confirmation takes place on a Sunday in Lent, then there is no Gloria. You do the complete Lent liturgy and shove in the parts that pertain to confirmation. The presidential prayers and readings all stay the same for the Lenten Sunday. The same applies to Ash Wednesday and to weekdays of Holy Week. But I hope you’re not having confirmation on one of those days. if it’s St. Joseph Day or the Annunciation, then you celebrate that solemnity with the …
Rite of Baptism for Children
Q: My Rites class has enjoyed your Let Us Pray immensely. Thank you. A question came up about infant baptism today. Are one of the two formulas before the pre-baptismal anointing to be said in addition to the short formula or does the short formula+anointing substitute for them? I was sure you’d know the answer. A: Thanks for your comments about my book Let Us Pray. I’m very grateful to you for sharing it with your class. The Rite of Baptism for Children offers two possible prayers of exorcism at #49. One of those is to be prayed. Then in #50 there is …
Veneration in a funeral mass
Q: At the end of the funeral Mass, does the presider (bishop or priest) return to the altar to venerate it (as at any Mass) or does he, because he is already down by the casket, simply start the procession? Neither the Order of Christian Funerals nor the Ceremonial of Bishops mention him going back to the altar. A: I’m going to say no, he does not return to the altar to kiss it. But I admit it’s hard to argue from silence. I think you could argue that he should bow to the altar from where he is because …
Non-Catholic confirmation
Q: We have a situation here in which we were told about a person who is of another Christian tradition and has been baptized and confirmed in their faith tradition. Would that person need to be re-confirmed upon entering into the Catholic faith? Is there a book or article that we could also refer to for information of this type? Thank you for whatever help you can give us. A: The only non-Catholic confirmations we recognize are those from Orthodox Churches. Other Christian churches who practice confirmation do not regard it as a sacrament, and we do not recognize …
Deacons and preaching
Q: Preaching is another concern. There are two schools of thought: 1) Deacons should preach regularly and often. 2) The one who breaks open the bread should break open the Word as well. In this mindset the deacon should rarely preach at Mass yet should at Sacraments and other functions. Your thoughts? Thanks A: At mass, the celebrant may ask the deacon to preach (GIRM 66, 171c). So I can’t agree with those who say that the one who breaks open the bread should always break open the word. One of the responsibilities of a deacon is to preach. In …
Viaticum
Q: I have questions concerning Viaticum. Can a deacon or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion give Viaticum? If so, can they administer the Apostolic Pardon? Thanks A: Here’s an article I wrote several years ago: http://paulturner.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/death.htm. (Sorry, the formatting is not great right now.) In short, yes a deacon and communion minister may administer viaticum, but only a priest gives the Apostolic Pardon.
Call to Continuing Conversion
Q: Do baptized Catholics come to the “Call to Continuing Conversion”? We do the combined Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion, and the white RCIA study edition seems to indicate that baptized Catholics are included. see par. 411 and par. 547. Thank you. A: They may be included, yes – if they have been baptized but have not received confirmation nor first communion. Then they are eligible.
Purifying sacred vessels
Q: Just another question on purifying sacred vessels. When I was in diaconate formation, we were told that when we purify the vessels that we also say the prayer during purification. While at a convocation, a priest mentioned that only the priest says the prayer. In the Roman Missal, it states that a Priest, Deacon or an acolyte can purify. But it also states “while he carries out the purification, the priest says quietly…… If a deacon is purifying vessels, should the deacon say the prayer quietly or is that reserved for the priest only? A: You are citing the …