Q: In the 2010 English translation of the Roman Missal it has for the Feast on 2 February: “8. As the procession enters the church, the Entrance Antiphon of the Mass is sung.”
This is a strange instruction, since the General Instruction of the Roman Missal describes the Entrance Antiphon as something recited when there is no singing. For example: “198. If there is no singing at the Entrance or at Communion and the antiphons given in the Missal are not recited by the faithful, the reader may read them at an appropriate time (cf. nos. 48, 87).”
In a 1985 Roman Missal the sentence is “As the procession enters the church, the entrance chant of the Mass is sung.”
In the 2002 Missale Romanum the sentence is: “8. Ingrediente procession in ecclesiam, cantatur introitus Missæ.”
The heading for the Entrance Antiphon is “Ant. ad introitum”. So it does not seem to be referring to that. It would seem to be referring to the standard entrance chant of GIRM 48: “It is possible to use the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum or the Graduale Simplex, or another chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, and whose text has been approved by the Conference of Bishops.”
Does the more recent edition of Missale Romanum have something different that would justify “the Entrance Antiphon of the Mass is sung”?
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A: You’re reading too much into this. In Latin, “Ant. ad Introitum” is how the missal indicates every one of its entrance antiphons, not just the one for February 2.
The entrance antiphon may be sung or recited. Or it may be replaced with another song, hymn or chant in accordance with GIRM 48.
The mass on February 2 begins in a chapel or another fitting place with a blessing of candles. When the preliminaries are completed, the mass proceeds as usual with the entrance antiphon, which may be sung or recited or replaced.