Thesaurus responsorum ex « Notitiae » - Notitiae Response Database
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Hoc in situ interretiali ordinantur responsiones, explanationes, et decreta ex « Notitiae » aliisque interdum fontibus (ut AAS) deprompta. Finis est praestare textum originalem, versionem anglicam, et exemplar PDF paginarum pertinentium ex « Notitiae » vel alio fonte. Praesens igitur inceptum opusculum « Ordo Missae locis correspondentibus illustratus » aliquatenus extendit. Est enim labor imperfectus quem, cum operae mihi est, suscipio. Denique Reverendo domino Danieli Gill, domino Radosław Gosiewski, et domino Abram Córdova y Muenzberg, qui nonnullas ex responsionibus transcripserunt, gratias refero, item etiam domino Ioanni Oliveire dominaeque Cristae Mootz, qui in linguam anglicam responsiones quasdam verteri adiuvaverunt. Exemplaria PDF exstant etiam textuum nondum transcriptorum. This website organizes responses, explanations, and decrees from Notitiae and sometimes from other sources (such as AAS. The goal is to provide the original text, an English translation, and a PDF scan of the relevant pages from Notitiae or other source. In some ways, the project is a further development of my Cross-Referenced Ordo Missae. This is an ongoing prject which I work on in my spare time. I am also grateful for the help of Rev. Daniel Gill, Mr. Radosław Gosiewski, and Mr. Abram Córdova y Muenzberg in transcribing some of these responses and also to Mr. Johan Oliveire and Miss Crista Mootz for helping to translate certain responses into English. PDFs are available even for texts that have not yet been transcribed.
Fac Patrem Dylanum Schrader certiorem si habes proposita vel corrigenda. Contact Father Dylan Schrader with suggestions and corrections.
N.B. In « Notitiae » 1 (1965) et 2 (1966), supra responsa, invenitur monitio: Solutio quae proponitur nullam induit vestem officialem. Solummodo habet valorem orientativum: solutiones enim ex officio publici iuris fient, si casus fert, a competenti Auctoritate in « Acta Apostolicae Sedis ». N.B. In Notitiae 1 (1965) and 2 (1966), this notice appears above the responses: The solution which is proposed takes on no official character. It has only an orientative force; solutions will be published officially, if the case warrants, by the competent Authority in « Acta Apostolicae Sedis ».

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27. Utrum in Missae celebratione ritus « Lavabo » omitti possit?

Resp.: Nullo modo. Nam:

1. Sive Institutio generalis (nn. 52; 106; 222) sive Ordo Missae (cum populo, n. 24; sine populo, n. 18) tanquam unum e ritibus normativis praeparationis donorum « Lavabo » ostendunt. Agitur, evidenter, de ritu non maioris dignitatis, tamen non omittendus ob eius significationem, quae ita indicatur « quo ritu desiderium internum purificationis exprimitur » (I. G., n. 52). In decursu laborm « Consilii » pro Ordine Missae disceptationes haud paucae de valore, et loco « Lavabo » collocandi, de silentio servando vel de textu forsitan ritum comitante factae sunt: sed quoad eius conservationem omnes unanimes fuerunt. Etsi actio ipsa lotionis manuum inde a media aetate scopum practicum non habeat, eiusdem symbolismus clarus est ac facile ab omnibus intelligitur (cf. Const. de Liturgia, n. 34). In omnibus liturgiis occidentalibus ritus in usu est.

2. Constitutio de sacra Liturgia (nn. 37-40) praevidet rituales aptationes a Conferentiis Episcopalibus eventualiter proponendas atque Sanctae Sedis approbationi subiciendas. Tales aptationes oportet seriis fundari argumentis, ex. gr. particulare populi ingenium vel peculiaris animus, habitudines contrariae et inexstirpabiles, impossibilitas practica novum aliquem ritum, genio populi extraneum, aptandi, et ita porro.

3. Praeter libertates a rubicis praevisas necnon varias textuum populares interpretations (cf. Instructio « Consilii » diei 25-1-1969), Ordo Missae proponitur ut quid unicum, suius generalis structura necnon varia constitutiva elementa adamussim retinenda sunt. Rituum arbitraria selectio ex parte sive individui sive cuiusdam communitatis, brevi ad ruinam aedificii tam patienter ac graviter constructi verteret.

27. Whether in the celebration of Mass the « Lavabo » rite can be omitted?

Resp.: In no way. For:

1. Both the Institutio generalis (nn. 52; 106; 222) and the Ordo Missae (cum populo, n. 24; sine populo, n. 18) show the « Lavabo » to be one of the normative rites for the preparation of the gifts. It is a question, evidently, of one of the less important rites, but, nevertheless, one which should not be omitted on account of its significance, which is indicated as « a rite in which the internal desire for purification is expressed » (I. G., n. 52). In the course of their work, the « Consilium » had not a few discussions about the value and place of the « Lavabo », on keeping silence or on the text that should accompany it: but as regard to keeping it, they were all unanimous. Even if the action itself of washing the hands no longer has its practical scope since the middle ages, the symbolism of the same is clear and easily understood by all (cf. Const. on the Liturgy, n. 34). In all western liturgies, this rite is in use.

2. The Constitution on the sacred Liturgy (nn. 37-40) foresees that ritual adaptations will eventually be proposed by Episcopal Conferences and submitted to the Holy See for approval. Such adaptations need to be founded on serious reasons, e.g., the particular character of a people or a particular frame of mind, contrary customs that cannot be rooted out, the practical impossibility of adapting some new rite that is foreign to the nature of a people, and so forth.

3. Besides the liberties foreseen by the rubrics and various popular translations of texts (cf. Instruction of the « Consilium » of 25-1-1969), the Ordo Missae is proposed as something unique whose general structure and various constitutive elements are to be retained exactly. The arbitrary selection of rites whether on the part of an individual or on the part of a certain community, will lead in short order to the ruin of an edifice that has been so patiently and seriously built up.

Notitiae 6 (1970): 38, n. 27hermeneutics, lavabo, offertoryPDF of Notitiae 6 (1970): 38