to the Confiteor, and signs himself with the Celebrant, &c. He inclines moderately towards him when saying the Misereatur, and profoundly towards the Altar when saying the Confiteor. He turns a little towards the Celebrant at the words Et tibi Pater...et te Pater (Rubr. Miss. part ii. tit. iii. n. 9); he becomes erect at the Indulgentiam, and again makes a moderate inclination from the Deus tu conversus until the Oremus, inclusively.

Note. He usually holds his hands joined before his breast, except when he sits, or is occupied with some functional duty. When he ministers with the right hand, he extends the left upon his breast. If at the side of the Celebrant when he genuflects, he performs a similar movement, sustaining him with one hand when he rises. If he hold a lighted taper, he should not make the genuflection.

6. The Celebrant having said Oremus, he ascends with him to the Altar, raising with one hand the extremity of his vestments;1 he then receives the incense-boat from the Master of Ceremonies, kisses the spoon, and presents it to the Celebrant, kissing at the same time his hand; he says, Benedicite Pater reverende. (Rubr. tit. iv. n. 4.) Should the Celebrant be a Prelate, he says, Benedicite, reverendissime Pater.

7. The incense being put into the thurible, he receives the spoon from the Celebrant, first kissing his hand and then the spoon. (Rubr. ibid.) He will, for the most part, observe the same on analogous occasions. The incense being blessed, he takes the closed thurible in such a manner as to have his right hand towards the extremity of the chains near the small cover, and the left near the large cover; he thus presents it, first kissing the extremity of it, and then the right hand of the Celebrant (Rubr. ibid.), placed between his

own.

Note. Although the Deacon be a canon, he should not omit the usual oscula of which we speak, as the Sacred Congregation of Rites has decreed, April 2, 1690, and June 4, 1817. The same rule applies also to the Subdeacon.

8. While the Celebrant incenses the Altar, he stands at his right, a little behind, raising the chasuble with the left hand, and genuflecting whenever they pass before the Cross. (Rubr. ibid. n. 7.)

'According to Merati, he genuflects when the Celebrant kisses the Altar.

9. The incensing being finished, he receives the thurible from the Celebrant, kissing his right hand, which is placed upon it; he then takes the upper extremity of the chains with his left hand, and the lower extremity near the cover with his right, and having descended in plano in cornu Epistolæ, incenses the Celebrant with three double swings, making a profound inclination before and after. He then presents the thurible to the Thurifer, and ascends to the right of the Celebrant upon the step near the predella. (Rubr. ibid.) He indicates the Introit of the Mass, signs himself simultaneously with him, and responds to the Kyrie, &c. He continues in the same position, or, at the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, proceeds to the seat with the Celebrant and Subdeacon (Rubr. Miss. part i. tit. xvii. n. 6), having previously made a moderate inclination towards the Altar, in the spot where he was stationed.

10. At the singing of the last Kyrie, if seated, he returns to the Altar, in the manner prescribed for the close of the Gloria and Credo. If not seated, at the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, he proceeds behind the Celebrant (Rubr. Miss. part ii. tit. iv. n. 4) to the centre, upon the step immediately under the predella. When the Celebrant intones the Gloria, he makes an inclination of the head at the word Deo, ascends to the right of the Celebrant, and continues the Gloria (Rubr. ibid.), making also with him the inclinations, and at the end the sign of the Cross. Having genuflected conjointly with the Subdeacon, he proceeds to take his seat, walking either in advance of the Celebrant or at his left.

11. On arriving at the seat, he takes the berretta of the Celebrant, and tenders it to him with the usual oscula, first on the berretta and then on the hand; afterwards he takes his own, and, conjointly with the Subdeacon, makes an inclination to the Celebrant, sits down and puts on his berretta. While sitting, he keeps his hands extended on his knees,1 and when, at the signal of the Master of Ceremonies, he uncovers, he places the berretta on his right knee.

12. Towards the conclusion of the hymn, at the words Cum Sancto Spiritu, he rises and places his berretta on the seat; he then receives that of the Celebrant, first kissing his hand and then the berretta, and places it also on the seat.

'It is the practice at Rome to place the hands on the vestments, not under them.

Proceeding to the altar, together with the sacred Ministers, he salutes the choir,-first, on the side of the Epistle, and after some paces, on that of the Gospel, observing to stand at the right of the Celebrant.

13. Having arrived before the Altar, he genuflects on the first step, raises the extremity of the Celebrant's vestments, and takes his place behind him on the highest step, below the Celebrant. After the Dominus vobiscum, he proceeds to the Epistle side (Rubr. ibid. tit. v. n. 5), making neither a genuflection nor an inclination of the head; he there continues while the Celebrant sings the Collects, observing to accompany him in the inclinations.

Note.-If the Flectamus genua be said, after the Celebrant has said Oremus, the Deacon will sing it as he genuflects, rising when the Subdeacon has sung the Levate. (Rubr. ibid.)

14. When the Celebrant has finished the last Collect, the Deacon proceeds to his right on the highest step in cornu Epistolæ, and at the conclusion of the Epistle, which the Celebrant reads in an undertone, he answers Deo gratias, and there continues until the Celebrant has commenced the Gospel. (Rubr. ibid. tit. vi. n. 4.)

15. At the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, he descends in plano, and receives from him the Missal in such a manner that he may carry it before his breast with the opening towards his left, and elevated nearly to the height of his eyes. Having saluted the choir, first on the Epistle side and then on that of the Gospel, he proceeds to the centre of the Altar, where he genuflects on the lowest step, ascends, and places the closed book on the middle of the Altar (Rubr. ibid.), with the opening towards the side of the Gospel; he there remains without making another genuflection.1

Note. If the Deacon wear the folded chasuble, at the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, while the Celebrant is reading the Gospel, he descends in plano, and there, assisted by an Acolyte, divests himself of it, and puts on the large stole, which he will wear until he has transferred the Missal in cornu Epistolæ for the Post-Communion, at which

'He does not go to the left of the Celebrant, but, according to most authors, retires a little towards the Epistle side. (Merati, pars ii. tit. vi. n. 5; Gavanti, lit. c.; Bauldry, pars i. cap. xii. art. i. n. 26.) Such, also, is the practice in Rome.

time he again resumes the folded chasuble. Having vested himself in the large stole, he receives the Missal from the Master of Ceremonies, and proceeds as above.

16. At the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, he assists at the blessing of incense, more solito; he then descends to the next step, kneels on the edge of the predella, and being profoundly inclined, says the Munda cor meum. After the prayer he rises, and having taken the book, kneels upon the predella, with his face turned towards the Celebrant, and says to him, Jube, Domne, benedicere. (Rubr. ibid.) The Celebrant, in the mean time, is turned towards him.

17. Having received the benediction of the Celebrant, he kisses his hand, which is placed on the book; then rising and making an inclination to him, he descends in plano, genuflects to the right of the Subdeacon, and, having saluted the choir, walks either in a line with or behind him to the place where the Gospel is to be sung. He then gives the book to the Subdeacon, opens it, and with hands joined intones the Dominus vobiscum. While saying Sequentia Sancti Evangelii, he makes with the thumb of his right hand the sign of the Cross at the beginning of the text of the Gospel, holding his left hand open upon the book; he then makes the sign of the Cross on his forehead, mouth, and breast, having his left hand extended on his breast. Having taken the thurible, he incenses the book with three double swings; the first towards the middle, the second towards the right, and the third towards the left: then, having restored the thurible to the Master of Ceremonies, he joins his hands and sings the Gospel (Rubr. ibid. n. 5), inclining his head or genuflecting towards the book whenever occasion requires. (Rubr. Miss. part i. tit. xvii. n. 4; part ii. tit. v. n. 2)

18. Having terminated the Gospel, he points out the commencement of it to the Subdeacon; then, standing in cornu Evangelii, he incenses the Celebrant with the usual three swings (Rubr. ibid.), making a profound inclination before and after.

19. Having returned the thurible, he ascends behind the Celebrant to the second or to a higher step, according to the altitude of the Altar, and then genuflects unitedly with the Subdeacon and Thurifer. When the Celebrant intones the Credo, he makes an inclination of the head at the word Deum, proceeds to his right, and after having performed all the ceremonies specified in the case of the Gloria (Rubr. Miss. part ii. tit. vi. n. 5), he goes to his usual seat.

20. After the choir has sung Et homo factus est, he rises, and leaving his berretta on the seat, with hands joined makes an inclination to the Celebrant, and proceeds to the credence to take the burse, which he carries with both hands, elevated usque ad oculos (Rubr. ibid. n. 7), keeping the aperture towards himself. In passing before the Celebrant he salutes him, afterwards the choir, first on the side of the Epistle, and then on that of the Gospel. Having genuflected on the lowest step, he ascends to the predella.

21. He then places the burse on the Altar, takes the corporal out, and places the burse against the step, in parte Evangelii. He extends the corporal (Rubr. ibid.),1 and places the Missal in a convenient position for the Celebrant; then, making a genuflection without putting his hands on the Altar, he returns per breviorem to the seat, where before sitting he will make an inclination to the Celebrant. Towards the end of the Credo, at the words Et vitam, or a little previously, he returns to the Altar with the others, as at the conclusion of the Gloria.

2

Note. At the three Masses of Christmas, and on the Feast of the Annunciation, he kneels during the singing of the Et incarnatus est. If the Feast of the Annunciation be transferred, the genuflection is made in die translationis tantum. (Sacred Congregation of Rites, June 16, 1663.)

22. When the Celebrant says Oremus, the Deacon makes an inclination of the head, and ascends to his right. The Subdeacon having arrived with the chalice, he uncovers it and takes off the pall, which he places near the corporal. If it be a Mass at which the Credo is not said, he will previously take the burse and extend the corporal. He presents the paten with the Host to the Celebrant, as usual, kissing first the object presented, and then the hand of the Celebrant. (Rubr. ibid. tit. vii. n. 9.)

23. If it be necessary to consecrate Particles for the Communion of the clergy, he uncovers the ciborium, and while

The corporal is placed in such a manner that the Cross worked on it may be in front; for when the Celebrant kisses the Altar, he does so on the Cross of the corporal itself. (Merati, pars ii. tit. vi. n. 7, lit. t; Bisso, Bauldry, Lohner, and others.)

2 It is a general rule that only the Celebrant places his hands on the Altar when making a genuflection.

3 Should the Blessed Sacrament be in the Tabernacle, he genuflects before going up. The Subdeacon has been instructed by the Author to genuflect even when the Blessed Sacrament is not present.