What was the pope saying?

A friend of mine noticed that at a papal Mass the pope ends the Mass differently (than just the "The Lord be with you," "and also with you." "May almighty God bless you ...") and asked me what he was saying.

I'm not sure exactly what Mass she saw, so I'm not sure if there was anything different at that Mass. However, bishops have a slightly different ending "part."

Usually it goes like this:

Bishop: Dominus vobiscum (The Lord be with you)
People: Et cum spiritu tuo (and with your spirit)
Bishop: Sit nomen Domini benedictum (May the Name of the Lord be blessed)
People: Ex hoc nunc et usque in saculum (both now and forever)
Bishop: Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini (Our help is in the Name of the Lord)
People: Qui fecit caelum et terram (Who made Heaven and earth)
Bishop: Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus. (May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
People: Amen.

* I believe that abbots may have the same priviledge to use this formula too.

RS

Liturgical "loophole" for another plenary indulgence

Given that in the Extraordinary Form All Souls cannot fall on a Sunday, and so with it being moved to today this year, I would say that it would be possible to obtain another plenary indulgence for a soul in Purgatory today.

I'd also encourage any priests who are saying the Extraordinary Form to say all three Masses which they are allowed to say on this day.

This being the eve of election day, we need all the help from Heaven and Purgatory we can get.

RS

Another typo in the 2002 Missale Romanum

I think I have found another typo in the 2002 Missale Romanum. Apparently I have read that there are quite a few typos in the Vatican's printing.

Anyway, in Preface I for the Dead (which is the same preface as the only Preface of the Dead in the Extraordinary Form), the word in the 2002 Missale "condicio" should be "conditio."

I swear, some of these typos are as if someone was reading the prayers out loud to someone who was typing them.

EDIT - Fr. Z. has corrected me in the comments. I looked through my hand missals, and of the three the two newer ones (1962) have "conditio" and an older one (1930) had "condicio."

RS

Interesting liturgical details on the paten

Given how I enjoy liturgical minutiae, I found this article at the New Liturgical Movement rather interesting.

Liturgical Variations in the Most Unlikely of Places: The Paten

Well, actually categorizing it under liturgical minutiae is not accurate. Given it has to do with the rubrics the priest must follow using the paten, the layman in the pew wouldn't be informed about this. Still, the details are interesting, and you could go into further details by looking at the Eastern rites and how they use the paten, as some of their liturgical actions are even more complex (as in how they arrange the pieces of bread on the paten before the Consecration).

Could you imagine trying to slide some of the huge "bowl-like" patens used at modern Masses under the corporal?

RS

Imposition of Ashes question

I have a question for my readers since I get many hits from around the world.

How are ashes imposed upon you?

Here in the United States, the custom is that the priest or minister will dip his thumb in the ashes then mark a cross on your forhead.


It's rather inconsistent as some make a HUGE cross which almost looks like a sniper target on your forehead, while others make a cross so small it just looks like you have a smudge the size of a thumbprint on your forehead so that all day long people tell you that "you've got some dirt or something on your forehead."

I prefer the way they do it in Italy. On Ash Wednesday when I received ashes at Saint Peter's Basilica, they just sprinkle the ashes on top of your head in the form of a cross.


So, just curious if there are any other customs or where the two customs above are used.

And where did the American forehead custom come from?

Anyway, post your country if you reply.

RS

Fr. Z. answers a Roman Sacristan question.

Altar set up at the Mass for Deceased Pontiffs, the first Mass with Mons. Guido Marini as MC.
Wow, I was honored to see that Fr. Z. blogged about a question which I sent to him. It feels like when a little kid gets a reply to his letter from his favorite sports athlete.

I know the question seems to be liturgical minutia, but I was honestly surprised to see the altar crucifix facing that way given what I have been used to seeing in the past at Saint Peter's with Archbishop Piero Marini at the MC helm. I am also interested in liturgical minutae because I just want to learn liturgy as best I can, and because I respect the liturgy. When you don't pay attention to detail, the liturgy can get sloppy. I can say this from experience. Knowledge and planning of the liturgy can make a world of difference.

But the question came up because I have seen priests make a big deal about this. At our parish, the priest has the crucifix facing him (as in the picture above). But at another place I go to Mass (which I would say is pretty conservative compared to many other places in the diocese), the powers that be insist the altar crucifix HAS to face the people.

It's good to have a reasonable answer now.

RS