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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TextUnofficial English TranslationCitationTagsPDF of the original document

7. Utrum liceat altare in medio ecclesiae exstruere, ut Missa semper celebretur versus populum?

Resp.: Instructio non loquitur de « centro mathematico » ecclesiae, sed tantum de « centro ideali », uti dicitur, « quo totius congregationis fidelium attentio sponte convertatur » (n. 91).

7. Whether it is permitted to erect an altar in the middle of the church so that Mass can always be celebrated facing the people?

Resp.: The Instruction does not speak of the « mathematical center » of the church but only of the « ideal center », as it is called, « to which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful is spontaneously drawn » (n. 91).

Notitiae 1 (1965): 137–138, n. 7altar, location, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 137–138

8. Utrum liceat, donec ecclesia opportune reficiatur, collocare altare portatile, forma simplicis mensae, ante altare maius fixum ex marmore pretioso confectum, ut adhibeatur pro celebratione Missae versus populum?

Resp.: Affirmative, dummodo a) spatium vere notabile inter utrumque altare intercedat; b) optandum vero est ut altare portatile extra sanctuarium ponatur, quo autem in casu, circa se habeat spatium sufficiens ad modum presbyterii, ab aula ecclesiae opportune distinctum.

8. Whether it is permitted, until the church can be properly renovated, to place a portable altar in the form of a simple table in front of a high altar which is fixed and made of precious marble so that it might be used for the celebration of Mass facing the people?

Resp.: In the affirmative, as long as a) a truly notable space intervenes between each altar; b) but it is to be preferred that a portable altar would be placed outside the sanctuary, in which case it should have a sufficient space around it, after the manner of the sanctuary, properly distinct from the nave of the church.

Notitiae 1 (1965): 138, n. 8altar, location, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 138

48. Vidi Missam lectam « versus populum » celebratam, in qua Epistola lecta est a dexteris celebrantis, Evangelium vero a sinistris. Quaeritur, utrum talis modus sit correctus, an procedere debet sensu opposito, sicut fiebat in antiquis basilicis?

Resp.: Si unus tantum habetur ambo, omnes lectiones ex eo proferantur. Unicus autem ambo a dexteris vel a sinistris altaris collocari potest, prout, iuxta ecclesiae et presbyterii structuram, magis opportunum videtur.

Si ecclesia duos habet ambones ita quidem extructos ut unus maior pro Evangelio, alter minor pro Epistola sint constituti, lectiones ex iisdem ambonibus proferantur iuxta cuiusque destinationem.

Si vero duo ambones aequales sunt, aut duo sunt extruendi, Epistola legatur in ambone, qui est ad sinistram, Evangelium in ambone, qui est ad dexteram celebrantis stantis ad sedem in abside ecclesiae, retro altare.

48. I saw a Missa lecta celebrated « versus populum » in which the Epistle was read at the right of the celebrant and the Gospel at the left. It is asked whether such a practice is correct or whether it should be done in the opposite way as it was in the ancient basilicas?

Resp.: If there is only one ambo, all the readings are proclaimed from it. A single ambo can be located either at the right or the left of the altar, as seems more opportune according to the structure of the church and the sanctuary.

If the church has two ambos that are constructed so that one is greater for the Gospel and another less for the Epistle, the readings are proclaimed from the same ambos according to each one's purpose.

If the two ambos are equal, however, or if two are to be built, the Epistle should be read from the ambo which is at the left, the Gospel from the ambo which is ad the right of the celebrant standing at the seat in the apse of the church behind the altar.

Notitiae 1 (1965): 187, n. 48ambo, epistle, gospel, location, orientation, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 187

62. Utrum stabiliter extrui liceat altare portatile ante altare maius ad celebrandam Missam versus populum?

Resp.: Per se licet, sed non consulitur. Nam Missa ad normam novi Ordinis celebrata, optime participatur a fidelibus etiam si altare ita extruitur ut celebrans terga ad populum vertat. Tota enim liturgia verbi celebratur versus populum, ad sedem vel ad ambonem.

Si autem, his non obstantibus, ecclesiae rector aestimaverit aliud altare, partatile, [sic] collocare ante altare maius, hoc ponatur ad tempus, et inter utrumque altare intervallum vere notabile intercedat, et altare portatile circa se habeat satis magnum spatium ad modum presbyterii.

Notitiae 1 (1965): 251, n. 62altar, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 251

63. Utrum, si altare maius versus populum exstruitur, ad mentem Constitutionis et n. 95 Instructionis SS.ma Eucharistia asservari conveniat in altari minori ab altari principali distincto?

Resp.: Affirmative.

Notitiae 1 (1965): 251, n. 63altar, tabernacle, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 251

65. Utrum liceat celebranti in Missa versus populum celebrata, dicere preces ad gradus altaris terga vertens populo?

Resp.: Licet.

Notitiae 1 (1965): 251, n. 65prayers at the foot of the altar, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 251

67. Utrum celebrans, deficiente lectore seu ministrante idoneo, praeter lectiones, proferre possit ex altari « versus ad populum » etiam Graduale, Alleluia, Tractus, etc., si non cantentur vel legantur a schola vel a populo?

Resp.: Potest.

Notitiae 1 (1965): 252, n. 67alleluia, gradual, lector, tract, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 1 (1965): 252

101. Estne adhuc ponenda crux in altare versus populum?

Resp. Difficultas movetur ex imaginibus propositis in Notitiae (2 [1966] 176) ad illustrandas quasdam ecclesias ad novas liturgiae pastoralis exigentias aptatas, in quibus crux super altare non apparet. Immo in quadam nota explicativa (p. 162) dicitur: « Unica magna crux in medio absidis totum Coetum liturgicum dominatur ».

Praescriptio Codicis Rubricarum, n. 527, per se adhuc viget: « Super altare adsit in medio Crux satis magna cum Crucifixo ». Quae crux iuxta Caeremoniale Episcoporum (lib. I, c. 12, n. 11), « cum imagine Crucifixi, versa ad interiorem altaris faciem » esse debet.

Tamen Ritus servandus anni 1965 amplius non praecipit sacerdotem debere oculos ad crucem elevare durante Missae celebratione. Insuper « crux et candelabra, de iudicio Ordinarii loci, etiam extra ipsum poni possunt » (Instructio, n. 94).

Si altare ponitur versus populum, opportunius videtur hac facultate frui, secus aut tantum littera legis servatur et adhibetur crux ita parva ut aliquando fere invisibilis sit, aut crux impedimento est ut fideles ritus, praesertim ad elevationes et ad per ipsum, bene conspiciant.

Extra altare triplex datur possibilitas: ponendi crucem processionalem ante altare, facie versa ad celebrantem, quod non semper cum aliis elementis presbyterii bene cohaeret; adhibendi magnam crucem ex alto pendentem vel in pariete absidis positam. Neque, in ultimis duobus casibus necessaria est altera crux pro altari, sed sufficit unica magna crux, quae, in celebrationibus versus populum, non incensatur primo loco, sed cum sacerdos, altare circumiens, coram ipsa sistit ad alteram altaris faciem.

Notitiae 2 (1966): 290–291, n. 101altar, cross, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 2 (1966): 290–291

39. An in ecclesiis, ubi altare versus populum non habetur, sacerdos in Missae celebratione dicens: « Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum » et « Offerte vobis pacem », se vertere debeat ad populum?

Resp. Affirmative. Rubrica, quae habetur in n. 128 Ordinis Missae cum populo in novo Missali, statuit ut locutiones illae, populum respicientes, versus populum fiant.

39. In churches where there is not an altar facing the people, when in the celebration of Mass the priest says « The peace of the Lord be with you always » and « Let us offer each other the sign of peace », whether he should turn toward the people?

Resp. In the affirmative. The rubric found in n. 128 of the Order of Mass with the People in the new Missal establishes that the expressions that regard the people should take place facing the people.

Notitiae 6 (1970): 264, n. 39ad orientem, sign of peace, versus populumPDF of Notitiae 6 (1970): 264

Prot. No. 2036/00/L

A response from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, n. 299, on the celebration of Mass versus absidem (ad orientem) and versus populum.

Communicationes 32 (2000): 171–173ad orientem, altar, hermeneutics, versus populumPDF of Communicationes 32 (2000): 171–173