11 August 2009

Is Fr Zed infallible?

Something on WDTPRS about whether the priest, when praying secreto in the EF Mass, should be audible. Fr Zed says that the authorities say that the server should be able to hear him.

Not what I was taught in Mass-practices in seminary in the pre-Novus Ordo days. So I looked in the Rubricae Generales and found that the priest should not be heard by the 'circumstantibus'; which O'Connell glosses as 'those nearby'.

Does anybody know whether there is any authority for Fr Zed's utterance? Or is it an example of how, when he is very busy indeed, even Homer nods?

5 comments:

Chris said...

At High Mass, Fortescue says "It is usual that [the deacon] stand back a step or two at the commemoration of the living and of the dead, that he may not hear the names spoken by the celebrant." Clearly, then, if he were standing closer he might - but he would be considerably closer than the server at Low Mass.

Anonymous said...

But Father, agent Zee definately has more time to figure it out than you or me...I thought that's why they force him to be a celibate! I suggest, get him a good wife a brood of children and then let's see what he can do - Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out! They say that if you want something done and done right, you must ask the busy man.

Unknown said...

I used to serve as MC at Sung Mass as well as chaplain at Low Mass celebrated by a bishop (both in what we now call the EF). In both cases I stood right beside the celebrant, more so than does the deacon who is behind the priest when he is not needed.

Yes! We did step back during the "Mementos" but had we remained in place we still would not have been able to hear the celebrants who were always inaudible to us.

J. B. O'Connell says that the priest, under normal circumstances (e.g. inter alia, assuming that the organ isn't playing too loudly), should be able to hear himself.

I think that in this instance Fr. Zed is wrong. If his server in a Low Mass can hear him from down on the step at the end of the altar his Mass must be a cotinuous hiss of stage whispers. I doubt this is the case.

Rubricarius said...

Zee is joke in bad taste not to be taken remotely seriously IMHO.

Our learned blog host has more liturgical knowledge in the tip of his smallest finger than Zee ever will have.

Chris said...

A thought: O'Connell and Fortescue both say that the priest should be able to hear himself. In the case of a priest who is not as young as he used to be, and whose hearing is failing, this might well result in his being audible at the side of the altar.