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PAGE 4A—The Southern Cross—Savannah. Ga.—Oct. 29, 1964
(d) At the end of the rite the blessing shall al- •
ways be imparted to the spouses, even in the pro
hibited season and even if one or both of the spouses
is entering a second marriage, according to the
ormula which is found in the Roman Ritual, tit.
‘/Ill, cap. Ill, unless another blessing is given in
particular rituals.
75. If marriage is celebrated during the pro
hibited season, the pastor shall advise the spouses
to take into account the special character of this
liturgical season.
VI. Sacramentals (Const., Art. 79)
76. In the blessing of candles on Feb. 2 and in
the blessing of ashes at the beginning of Lent, a
single prayer from among the prayers which are
found in the Roman Missal for these blessings may
be said.
77. Blessings which have been reserved up to
the present time and which are tontained in the
Roman Ritual, tit. IX, cap. 9, 10, 11, may be given
by any priest, with the exception of the blessing of
a bell for the use of a blessed church or oratory
(cap. 9, n.ll), the blessing of the first*stone for the
building of a church (cap. 9. n. 16), the blessing of
a new church or public oratory (cap. 9, n.17), the
blessing of an antimension (cap. 9, n. 21), the bless
ing of a new cemetery (cap. 9, n. 22), the papal
blessings (cap. 10, n.1-3), and the blessing and erec
tion of the stations of the Way of the Cross (can.
11, n.l) inasmuch as this is reserved to the Bishop.
CHAPTER IV
The Divine Office
I. The Celebration of the Divine Office by
Those Bound to the Obligation of Choir
(Const., Art. 95)
78. Until the restoration of the Divine Office is
completed:
(a) Communities of canons, monks, nuns, and
other regulars or religious bound to choir by law or
constitutions must celebrate the entire Divine Of
fice daily in choir, in addition to the conventual
Mass.
Individual members of these communities who
are in major orders or are solemnly professed, ex
cept for the conversi, even if they are lawfully dis
pensed from choir, must recite individually each
day the canonical hours which they do not celebrate
in choir.
(b) Cathedral and collegiate chapters must
celebrate those parts of the Office in choir which
are imposed upon them by the common law or by
particular law, in addition to the conventual Mass.
Individual members of these chapters, in addi
tion to the canonical hours which all clerics in ma
jor orders are bound to celebrate (cf. Const., art.
96 and 89), must recite individually those hours
which are celebrated by their chapter.
(c) In mission lands, however, while preserving
the religious or capitular choral discipline esta
blished by law, religious or members of chapters
who are lawfully absent from choir by reason of
the pastoral ministry may enjoy the concession
made in the apostolic letter Saeram Liturgiam, n.
VI, with the permission of the local Ordinary, but
not of the vicar general or delegate.
II. Faculty of Dispensing From or Commut
ing the Divine Office (Const., Art. 97)
79 The faculty conceded to all Ordinaries of
dispensing their subjects, in individual cases and
for a just cause, from the obligation of the Divine
Office in whole or in part or of commuting it, is
also extended to major superiors of non-exempt
clerical religious institutes and of societies of clerics
who iive the common life without vows.
III. Short Offices (Const., Art. 98)
80. No short offices is considered as drawn up
after the pattern of the Divine Office which does
not consist of psalms, lessons, hymns, and prayers
and which does not take into some account the
hours of the day and the respective liturgical sea
sons.
81. In order to celebrate the public prayer of
:he Church, for the interim those short offices rqay
be used which have been lawfully approved up to
the present time, provided that they have been
drawn up according to the requirements enumer
ated in No. 80.
New short offices, however, must be approved
ay the Apostolic See in order to be used for the
public prayer of the Church.
82. The translation of the text of a short office
into the vernacular language for use as the public
prayer of the Church must be approved by the com
petent territorial ecclesiastical authority, the de
crees having been approved, that is, confirmed bs
the Apostolic See.
83. The competent authority for conceding the
vernacular in the recitation of a short office to those
who are bound to this office by the constitutions, or
for dispensing from or commuting the obligation of
recitation, is the Ordinary or the major superior of
the respective subject.
IV. Divine Office or Short Offices Celebrated
in Common by Members of Institutes Dedicat
ed to Acquiring Perfection (Const., Art. 99)
84. The obligation of celebrating in common the
Divine Office or a short office or parts of either
imposed by their constitutions on members of in
stitutes dedicated to acquiring perfection does not
take away the faculty of omitting the hour of prime
and of selecting from among the other minor hours
one that best suits the time of day (cf. apostolic
letter Saeram Liturgiam, n. VI)
V. The Language to Be Used in the Recita
tion of the Divine Office (Const., Art. 101)
85. In the celebration of the Divine Office in
choir, clerics are bound to retain the Latin langu
age.
86. The faculty granted to the Ordinary of con
ceding the use of the vernacular language, in in
dividual cases, to those clerics for whom the use of
Latin constitutes a grave impediment to their pray
ing the office properly, is extended also to the ma
jor superiors of nonexempt clerical religious in-
stitues and of societies of clerics who live the com
mon life without vows.
87. The grave obstacle which is required for
the grant of the preceding concession must be
weighed by taking into consideration the physical,
moral, intellectual and spiritual condition of the
petitioner.
Nevertheless, this faculty, which is granted
solely to make the recitation of the divine office
easier and more devout, is in no way intended to
detract from the obligation incumbent upon priests
of the Latin rite to learn the Latin language.
88. The vernacular translation of the Divine Of
fice according to a rite other than the Roman rite
shall be prepared and approved by the respective
Ordinaries of that language, employing for ele
ments common to both rites those translations ap
proved by the territorial authority, and then
proposed for the confirmation of the Apostolic See.
89. Breviaries to be used by clerics to whom the
use of the vernacular language in the celebration
of the Divine Office is conceded in accordance with
art. 101, No. 1, of the constitution, should contain
the Latin text in addition to the vernacular transla
tion
CHAPTER V
Proper Construction of Churches and Altars
In Order to Facilitate Active Participation
Of the Faithful.
I. The Arrangement of Churches
90. In the new construction, repair, or adapta
tion of churches great care shall be taken that they
are suitable for the celebration of divine services
according to the true nature of the services and
for the active participation of the faithful (cf. Const,
art. 124).
II. The Main Altar
91. It is proper that the main altar be con
structed separately from the wall, so that one may
go around it with ease and so that celebration may
take place facing the people; it shall occupy a place
in the sacred building which is truly central, so
that the attention of the whole congregation of the
faithful is spontaneously turned to it.
In choosing the materials for the construction or
ornamentation of the altar, the prescriptions of law
shall be observed.
Moreover, the presbyterium or sanctuary area
around the altar shall be of sufficient size that the
sacred rites may be conveniently celebrated.
III. The Seat of the Celebrant and Ministers
92. The seat for the celebrant and ministers, ac
cording to the structure of individual churches,
C ,
shall be so placed that it may be easily seen by
the faithful and that the celebrant may truly appear
to preside over the entire community of the faithful.
Nevertheless, if the seat is placed behind the
altar, the form of a throne is to be avoided, as
this belongs to the Bishop alone.
IV. Minor Altars
93. The minor altars shall be few in number.
In fact, to the extent permitted by the structure
of the building, it is highly suitable that they be
placed in chapels in some way separated from the
principal part of the church.
V. Ornamentation of Altars
94. The cross and candlesticks, which are re
quired on the altar for the individual liturgical
services, may also, in accordance with the judg
ment of the local Ordinary, be placed next to it.
VI. The Reservation of the Most Holy
Eucharist
95. The most holy Eucharist shall be reserved
in a solid and inviolable tabernacle placed in the
middle of the main altar or of a minor, but truly
outstanding, altar, or, according to lawful customs
and in particular cases to be approved by the local
Ordinary, also in some other noble and properly
adorned part of the church.
It is lawful to celebrate Mass facing the people
even if there is a tabernacle, small but suitable,
on the altar.
VII. The Ambo
96. It is fitting that there be an ambo for the
proclamation of the sacred readings, so arranged
that the ministers can be easily seen and heard by
the faithful.
VIII. The Place of the Schola and Organ
97. The places for the schola and the organ
shall be so arranged that it will be clearly evident
that the singers and the organist form a part of the
united community of the faithful and so that they
may fulfill their liturgical function more suitably.
IX. The Places of the Faithful
98. The places for the faithful shall be arranged
with particular care, so that they may participate
in the sacred celebrations visually and with proper
spirit. It is desirable that ordinarily benches
or seats be provided for their use. Nevertheless,
the custom of reserving seats for certain private
persons is to be reprobated, in accordance with art.
32 of the Constitution.
Care shall also be taken that the faithful may
not only see the celebrant and the other ministers
but may also hear them easily, with the use of
present-day technical means.
X. Baptistry
99. In the construction and ornamentation of
the baptistry, care shall be taken that the dignity
of the Sacrament of Baptism is clearly apparent
and that the place is suitable for the community
celebration of the sacrament (cf. Const., art. 27).
The present instruction, prepared at the com
mand of Pope Paul VI, by the Commission for the
Implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred
Liturgy, was presented to His Holiness by James
Cardinal Lercaro, president of the commission.
The Holy Father, after having given due con
sideration to this instruction, with the help of the
abovementioned commission and of this Sacred
Congregation of Rites, in an audience granted to
Arcadio Maria Cardinal Larraona, prefect of the
congregation, on Sept. 26, 1964, approved it in a spe
cial way as a whole and in its parts, confirmed
it by his authority, and ordered it to be published,
and to be diligently observed by all concerned, be
ginning the First Sunday of Lent, March 7, 1965.
All things to the contrary notwithstanding.
Rome, Sept. 26, 1964.
James Cardinal Lercaro, Archbishop of Bologna,
president of the Commission for the Implementa
tion of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.
Arcadio M. Cardinal Larraona, Prefect of S.R.C.
Henry Dante, Titular Archbishop of Carpasia,
Secretary of S.R.C.
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