without moving from his place. (Bauldry, ibid. n. 12.) The Ministers then change places, making both on leaving and arriving a genuflection at the sides of the Celebrant. The Subdeacon cleanses the chalice, covers it as usual, and retires a little, while the Celebrant says Dominus vobiscum. He then genuflects on the predella, as also on the lowest step, in passing before the Blessed Sacrament; having conveyed the chalice to the credence, he proceeds behind the Deacon.

18. The Celebrant having consigned the chalice to the Subdeacon, genuflects, and proceeds to read the Communio. Then, having returned to the centre and genuflected with the Deacon, he kisses the Altar, and, turning towards the people by the side of the Gospel, in such a manner as not to turn his back to the Blessed Sacrament, sings Dominus vobiscum. (Carem. Epis. ibid. n. 7.) This over, he genuflects with the Ministers, and proceeds to sing the Prayer, after which he returns to the centre, genuflects with the Ministers, and, turning round as above, sings Dominus vobiscum. The Deacon having repeated the genuflection, and having turned round as the Celebrant, sings Ite missa est. This over, all three genuflect, the Celebrant says the Placeat, and the Ministers kneel on the predella more solito for the benediction.

19. The Celebrant having said the Placeat, kisses the Altar, and after the Benedicat vos, &c., instead of inclining his head, he genuflects, and turns, as at the Dominus vobiscum, to bless the people. Then, without completing the circle, or repeating the genuflection, he turns by his left shoulder to say the last Gospel (Bauldry, ibid. n. 13), signing himself, and not the Altar. (Rubr. Miss. ibid.; Cærem. Epis. ibid. n. 9.) When saying the Et Verbum caro factum est, he genuflects towards the Blessed Sacrament. (Bauldry, ibid.)

20. The Mass over, the Ministers ascend the predella to the sides of the Celebrant, where, having genuflected unico genu, they proceed per breviorem to the seat.

ARTICLE III.-The Procession to the Altar of Repose.

21. The Ministers having arrived at the seat, divest the Celebrant of his maniple and chasuble, and vest him in the cope. They then take off their own maniples. As incense is not put in at the bench (Rubr. Miss. ut in die), they proceed with the Celebrant to the centre, raising the borders of his cope. Having genuflected in plano utroque genu, they rise, and kneel on the lowest step, where they make a short

prayer of adoration. (De Bralion, part iii. cap. xvii. n. 1; Merati, part iv. tit. viii. n. 10.) At the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, they rise, and incense is put into the thuribles without being blessed. They then kneel, and the Celebrant incenses the Blessed Sacrament (Rubr. ibid.), during which the Ministers raise the borders of his cope. (Merati, ibid.) The procession to the Altar of Repose proceeds per longiorem, but should not pass outside the church. (S. R. C. 6 Aug. 1591.)

22. Whilst the Blessed Sacrament is being incensed, the Master of Ceremonies takes the humeral veil from the credence, and puts it on the Celebrant, when he has returned the thurible to the Deacon. The two Thurifers proceed on either side of the Altar, and the Clerks appointed distribute the staves of the canopy amongst the Priests vested in cottas, or other persons, according to the custom of the Church.

23. The Blessed Sacrament being incensed, the three sacred Ministers ascend upon the second step, where the Celebrant and Subdeacon remain kneeling; the Deacon ascends the predella, where, having genuflected unico genu, he takes the chalice prepared, and holding it per nodum with his right hand, and by the base with his left (Merati, ibid.), consigns it to the Celebrant, who, taking it per nodum with his left hand, places the right on the top: the Deacon then covers it with the two extremities of the humeral veil. (Mem. Rit. tit. iv. cap. ii. n. 2.) This being done, the Deacon genuflects, and returns to the right of the Celebrant, when all three rise, ascend upon the predella, and turn towards the people in such a manner that the Deacon will stand on the right, and the Subdeacon on the left of the Celebrant; both relieve the borders of his cope. A Clerk, appointed to this office, opens the small canopy. The Cantors then intone the Pange lingua (Carem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. xxiii. n. 12), and the procession moves forward in the following order :

24. The Acolytes having taken their candlesticks from the credence, station themselves at the sides of the Subdeacon, who carries the Cross, and who will have come to the Altar during the incensation; they proceed to the entrance of the choir, where they remain with their faces towards the Altar. The first line of the Pange lingua being intoned, they turn without making a genuflection, and proceed with a grave pace towards the chapel of the sepulchre; after them the clergy, with lighted candles, advance two and two, after having genuflected utroque genu before the Blessed Sacrament.

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25. Finally, the sacred Ministers descend, and, placing themselves under the canopy, follow the clergy; the two Thurifers, walking immediately before the Blessed Sacrament, lightly swing their thuribles.

26. During the procession, the Celebrant recites submissa voce, alternately with his Ministers, the Psalms or Hymns (Merati, ibid. n. 14), without saying the Gloria Patri at the end of the former. The Cantors continue singing the Pange lingua.

27. The Acolytes and Cross-bearer having arrived at a convenient distance before the entrance of the chapel of the sepulchre, retire a little on one side to allow the clergy to pass; they continue standing with their faces turned towards the procession, which enters in the following manner :-The first two of the procession remain nearest the Cross, with their faces turned towards each other; they who follow will place themselves at their sides, so that the last of the procession may be nearest to the Altar of Repose. (Merati, ibid. n. 14; Castaldi, lib. iii. sess. vi. cap. iv. n. 5.) All will place themselves so as to allow a passage to the Celebrant, sacred Ministers, and Thurifers, who, having arrived in the chapel, will cease to swing their thuribles. (Merati, ibid.; Bauldry, part iv. cap. ix. art. iii. n. 20, 22; Bisso, litt. F. n. 42, § 14.)

28. When the Celebrant with his Ministers have arrived before the Altar, they ascend the steps, where the Deacon, after having genuflected on the predella, receives the Blessed Sacrament, and rising, waits until the Celebrant has adored It (Castaldi, ibid. n. 6; Merati, ibid. n. 15); he then places It on the Altar (Rubr. ibid.), genuflects, and proceeds to kneel at the right of the Celebrant. At this moment the Cantors intone the Tantum ergo; at the Genitori, genitoque, incense is put in by the Celebrant, who makes the incensation as usual. This over, the Deacon, or another Priest with stole, with the proper genuflection, places the Blessed Sacrament in the urn, and at the termination closes it. (Rubr. ibid.)

Note.-The Ceremonial of Bishops prescribes (lib. ii. cap. xxiii. n. 13) that the Deacon, having taken the chalice, as already stated, will place it not on the Altar, but in a place prepared for the purpose, that is, in the urn, leaving it open until the Blessed Sacrament will have been incensed. (Castaldi, ibid.; Merati, ibid. n. 16.) He will then close it, and

consign the key to the Sacristan, or Master of Ceremonies. (Bauldry, ibid. n. 24; Castaldi, ibid. n. 7; Merati, ibid.) He should observe not to give it to a Laic, although invested with a title, according to several decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

ARTICLE IV.-The Vespers and Denudation of the Altars.

29. The Blessed Sacrament being placed in the urn, the Clerks appointed take the torches and candles, and the clergy having made a short prayer, unite, at the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies; they genuflect utroque genu to the Blessed Sacrament, and return to choir, the highest in dignity walking in advance.

30. Having arrived in choir, each makes the usual genuflection in the centre, retires to his place, where standing, he says in secret the Pater and Ave. The first Dignitary then intones, with a voice of moderate elevation, but without singing, the first antiphon of the Vespers, which are recited more solito. In due time, he will also intone the antiphon of the Magnificat, the Miserere, and afterwards recite the Prayer.

Note.

During Vespers, the candles on the Choir Altar should continue lighted.

31. The clergy having departed from the chapel of the sepulchre, the Ministers genuflect in plano utroque genu, unitedly with the Thurifers, and, having received their birrettas, retire to the sacristy, preceded by the Thurifers, followed by the Subdeacon bearing the Cross between the Acolytes with lighted candles. (Bauldry, part iv. cap. ix. art. iii. n. 26; Merati, cap. iv. tit. viii. n. 16.) The Celebrant, with the Deacon and Subdeacon relieving the borders of the cope at his sides, walk last. Having arrived in the sacristy, they make a profound inclination, with head uncovered, to the Cross or image, and take off the white vestments. (Bauldry, ibid. n. 27; Bisso, litt. F. n. 42, § 17; Merati, ibid.) The Celebrant and Deacon put on purple stoles.

32. Towards the end of the Miserere, the Celebrant with the Ministers depart from the sacristy unus post alium with head uncovered, preceded by the Acolytes, with hands joined, and accompanied by the Master of Ceremonies. On entering the choir, the Acolytes separate, and receive the Ministers between them, who, having given the birrettas, without kisses,

to the Master of Ceremonies, salute the choir. All having genuflected to the Cross, except the Celebrant, who only makes a profound reverence (Bauldry, ibid. art. iv. n. 2), they ascend the predella, where they wait until the Prayer is concluded. The Celebrant then commences, with a moderate voice, and without singing the antiphon, Diviserunt sibi, &c., which the choir afterwards takes up (Castaldi, lib. iii. sess. vi. cap. iv. n. 11; De Bralion, part iii. cap. ix. n. 11) with the Psalms Deus, Deus meus, &c., observing to terminate with the antiphon, when the Celebrant returns to the High Altar, after having denuded the others.

33. During the denuding of the Altars, the Celebrant with the Ministers recite the Psalms submissa voce. (Bauldry, ibid. n. 3; Merati, ibid. n. 17.) The Altars are denuded in the following manner :-They first remove the upper cloth, and then the others; the Acolytes take away the antependium, the Altar-cards, the carpeting, and other ornaments of the Altar, leaving only the lighted candles and the Cross. (Castaldi, ibid.; Merati, ibid.) The Ministers then descend in plano, where with the Acolytes they genuflect, but the Celebrant makes a profound reverence; they also make the usual inclinations to the choir, and putting on their birrettas, proceed unus post alium (the Acolytes walking in advance) to denude the other Altars in the manner just stated. When passing the Altar of the sepulchre, they genuflect utroque genu. (Merati, ibid.)

Note. In those churches where there are many Altars, whilst the Celebrant denudes the principal one, other Priests, vested in cotta and purple stole, may denude the remainder; they will recite the same Psalm. (De Bralion, ibid. n. 14; Merati, ibid.)

34. The denudation of the Altars being finished, the Celebrant returns with his Ministers to the High Altar, where they wait until the choir has repeated the antiphon; they then make the proper reverences, retire to the sacristy, and unvest more solito. (Merati, ibid.)

Note. During these three last days of Holy-week, the blessed water should be removed from the stoups of the church, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, 12th Nov. 1831.