Q: Question regarding OCIA.

For candidates being received into full communion at any point (not danger of death), since the bishop is the expected minister to receive the candidates to full communion, if it is done by a priest, would the priest need to get permission according to the order?

For catechumens receiving the sacraments of initiation outside of the Easter Vigil, since priests have faculties by law to confer the sacraments of initiation to catechumens, does the OCIA order expect a permission request if done anytime outside of the vigil? (no danger of death)
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A: See canons 883 §2 and 885 §2.

The priest does not require permission from the bishop to confirm a baptized candidate whom he receives into the full communion of the church at any time of year. (In fact, Fr. Riley pulls his hair out any time some priest asks for this permission.) Not only MAY the priest confirm, he MUST confirm on that occasion. This also applies when the candidate is a child of catechetical age.

A priest wishing to baptize an adult or child of catechetical age outside the Easter Vigil needs permission from the bishop. If the bishop consents, then the priest should expect to conduct a rite of election six weeks before the baptism, as well as the three scrutinies. It’s more than just the initiation sacraments.

See OCIA 34 §2, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. You may also find 331 good to know.

Q: The 2021 book “Guide for Servers, Second Edition” is by you with Corinna Laughlin and D. Todd Williamson. Pages 35 and 36 describe some entrance processions as having candle bearers on each side of the person carrying the Book of the Gospels in the entrance procession. Page 52 has: “At the beginning of Mass, you carry candles with the Book of the Gospels”. But the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, n. 120 and Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 128 do not describe this in the entrance procession. Only the cross bearer has candle bearers on either side. The Dicastery for Evangelization website has a Liturgical and Pastoral Handbook for the 2025 Sunday of the Word of God, which has on page 17, describing the entrance procession: “The deacon (in his absence, the presbyter may perform the same sign) processionally carries the Book of the Gospels, holding it somewhat elevated, if possible also accompanied by two lit candles.” Is this permitted on other days of the year?

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A: The missal makes no specific call for candles accompanying the Book of the Gospels in the Entrance procession. 

However, GIRM 120 c lists among the ministers in the opening procession “the acolytes and the other ministers.” This is vague enough that it would allow an interpretation of additional ministers carrying candles.

Q: Sorry to double up ..I think you addressed this matter in a recent post. Please clarify this question from my music director:

“Next Sundays readings complicated because of All Souls Day.  Wide range of readings suggested which makes hymn choice difficult    Any ideas Re which readings you will use?  “Also. Lots of controversy, it seems,  re Gloria and Creed.   Some say both should be omitted. Seems that most likely best way to go is omit Gloria but keep Creed.   Again, your thoughts?” 

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A: Regarding the readings, you may choose any you wish — just as for any funeral Mass. If it helps, you can see the choices of the USCCB here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110225.cfm I don’t know if your New Zealand conference has something similar.

For the Gloria and the Creed, https://paulturner.org/gloria-and-the-creed/. GIRM 68 calls for the Creed on Sundays. It makes no exception for Advent, Lent—or All Souls Day.

In the proper of Saints, the singing of the Gloria is indicated when applicable. It’s not there for November 2. So even though GIRM 53 calls for singing the Gloria on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, the customs pertaining to Masses for the Dead apply. There are no exceptions to the Creed on Sundays. There are exceptions to the Gloria.

Q: I’m looking at the RCL for Advent III, which gives an option for the Psalm as the ‘Magnificat’ verses in Luke.  

Can you bestow your knowledge upon me about why that would be given as an option?

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A: The annotated edition of the Revised Common Lectionary gives this explanation: “The option of the Magnificat (Song of Mary) as a response to the first reading is introduced in RCL, as found in Advent 3B of earlier Lutheran and Episcopal lectionaries.”

Q: This morning, a father approached me regarding his son’s girlfriend who has Mexican citizenship but lives and works here.  She is baptized Catholic, 24 years old but not yet confirmed and has not received first communion yet.  What is the way for me to help this woman to get the Sacrament of Confirmation and First Communion?  Does she need OCIA classes?  Can she just have first communion only and confirmation later?  Thanks.
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A: God bless you for helping her. 

OCIA #400 considers her case among the candidates. She may receive preparation with the group and receive those two sacraments together. However, either she presents herself for an upcoming celebration of confirmation with your bishop, or you need to ask the bishop for permission to confirm her yourself.

Q: When choosing the optional memorial for the celebration of Mass, do I have the option of choosing either the vestment color appropriate for the season or the color appropriate to the optional memorial? The USCCB website seems to say so: “In the liturgical calendar, the color for each day corresponds to that day’s main liturgical celebration, even though Optional Memorials (perhaps with a different color) might be chosen instead.” (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/understanding-the-liturgical-colors).

If the memorial is for a saint to whom I might wish to call more attention I might chose the color appropriate to that saint. Otherwise, I might choose the color of the season. Do I understand correctly?  Are there other considerations that would be helpful?

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A: That part of the USCCB website concerns “prayer and worship” and does not always have the clearest liturgical advice.

When you decide to adopt an optional memorial, you treat it as a memorial, complete with the appropriate vestment color of the saint. So, in Ordinary Time you wear white or red for that Mass, not green.

However, for Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, it’s acceptable to use the presidential prayers while wearing the color of the liturgical time (GIRM 347).

Q:  With a funeral on Saturday, Nov. 1 (holyday with no obligation), do I have this correct?

• Greeting at the Door
• Sprinkling with Holy Water
• Placing of the Pall
• Entrance Hymn
• Penitential Act (?)
• Glory to God (omit)
• Orations: Collect, etc. (All Saints)
• Readings of the Day (All Saints)
• Homily
• Profession of Faith (?)
• Liturgy of the Eucharist – Preface of All Saints
• Prayer after Communion
• The Final Commendation
• Song of Farewell, etc.

As always, thanks for your invaluable assistance.

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A:  On a solemnity that is not a holyday of obligation, the funeral mass may be celebrated in its entirety. You treat it the same way as if the funeral were on October 31. The readings and prayers are those of the funeral, not those of All Saints.

Q: At our 9am Sunday Mass, our assigned Priest was out of town and the priest who was supposed to fill in, never showed up.  As a deacon, I instead led a communion service and fortunately we had enough Hosts reserved in the tabernacle.

After my initial blessing and Kyrie, the musicians motioned that they could not sing the Gloria.  Afterwards, they told me they could only sing it during a mass.  

Is this true?  Can the Gloria be sung during a communion service on Sunday? 

Thanks for your guidance.

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A: The service comes from the 2012 edition of Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest. https://ltp.org/products/details/ESCAP/sunday-celebrations-in-the-absence-of-a-priest-rev-ed

Does your church have a copy of that book? If not, it’s pretty important to have one on hand.

The Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion is detailed in Chapter II. Indeed, there is no Gloria. Nor is there a penitential act or Kyrie.

Q: Last May 9, I asked the question about the memento of the Eucharistic Prayers, where we have to mention the pope or the bishop. I wanted to know if we have to mention also the title and rank. Your answer was that the custom is to say the first names of the pope and bishop – no numbers or titles. I have hard time to make my brother priests accept this. They prefer to mention pope Leo XIV. Could you help us with some references or liturgical references where it is explained, or why are we not supposed to mention the numbers or titles; and also could you provide us with the theological explanation behind.

Thank you very much.

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A: All I can give you is my own experience and the words of the missal. I’m 72 years old, so I remember hearing (or saying) in the vernacular “Paul our pope,” “John Paul our pope,” and “Benedict our pope.” Maybe priests in your country said it differently, but that’s what I remember growing up in middle America.

Here’s a telecast from the archdiocese of Chicago. Cardinal Cupich says “Leo our pope” at about 22:15. https://radiotv.archchicago.org/broadcast-masses

The missal uses the letter “N.” which infers that the name is supplied—just as it is for the orders of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and ordination. Once the priest has said “Leo our pope,” there shouldn’t be any question about which Pope Leo this is. 

If priests insist on saying “Leo XIV our pope,” I suppose that’s up to them. But I’d like to know where they see the instruction to add a number when the missal just calls for a name.

Q: I hope you are well, and thanks, as always, for your invaluable help.

Gleaning from your many writings (some of which are below), could you let me know if the following would be correct:

Confirmation, on a Sunday in Advent, at 2pm, not a regularly scheduled Sunday Mass:

• Yes Advent readings
• No Gloria
• Yes Creed

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A: Yes, that is how I put the parts together.

Thanks for your comments on my work.