Q: I am happy to note that you are again taking an online module of our Taking Liturgy Seriously course. Am looking forward to it.
A couple of questions about the Christmas Proclamation, if I may.
May it only be sung before the ‘Midnight’ Mass or, in a parish that doesn’t have a Midnight Mass, may it be sung before the earlier Vigil Mass?
Is it appropriate for the Proclamation to be sung from the Ambo?
Many thanks.
==
A: Nice to hear from you, and I look forward to the module with you all.
My copy of your Missal from England and Wales does not include the Christmas Proclamation from the Roman Martyrology—probably because it’s not in the Latin original of the Missal.
The US edition does include it at the end of the first appendix. Not sure how we got away with that, but we did.
I’ll respond from what I read in our edition, though you may have different information over there.
Ours says this: “This text, The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, may be chanted or recited, most appropriately on December 24, during the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours. It may also be chanted or recited before the beginning of Christmas Mass during the Night. It may not replace any part of the Mass.”
The Roman Martyrology itself sheds no more light on your questions.
So, to the first question, remember that there is no “Midnight Mass” in the missal. It’s called “Mass during the Night.” It may be used at any late afternoon or evening Mass on December 24, and I recommend it for the Masses when people come in great numbers on Christmas Eve because it has the prayers and readings that they yearn to hear. Therefore, at an earlier Vigil Mass, you may use the Mass during the Night, and the proclamation may precede it. But, as I read it, the proclamation is sung only once.
I see no information about where it is to be proclaimed. Because GIRM 309 is rather persnickety about the uses of the ambo, I vote no, the Christmas proclamation should not be sung from the ambo. Rather, the place where the cantor or songleader assists the faithful becomes the appropriate place.