Text and rubrics of the Roman Canon
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The text and rubrics of the Roman Canon have undergone revisions over the centuries, while the
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
itself has retained its essential form as arranged no later than the 7th century. The text consists of a succession of short prayers with no clear sequence of thought. The
rubrics A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the la, rubrica, meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th cen ...
, as is customary in similar
liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
books, indicate the manner in which to carry out the celebration. The two most recent revisions of the text and rubrics of the canon have been the insertion of the name of Saint Joseph on 13 November 1962 by order of
Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
and the more general revision of 3 April 1969 under
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...
, which made some modifications in the text, but somewhat more significant changes in the rubrics. Although the latter revision was published in the '' Order of Mass'' issued along with promulgation of the revision, it was in the following year that the edition of the ''
Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of th ...
'' containing the revised Roman Canon along with three newly composed eucharistic prayers was issued. This revision of the Roman Canon will be referred to in this article as the 1970 text. Both the 1962 and the 1970 revisions of the canon are authorized for public liturgical use in the Roman Rite of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, that of 1970 in the form of
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...
in general use, that of 1962 in the form permitted under certain conditions in '' Traditionis custodes'' by
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
. This article does not deal with the significance and history of this Eucharistic Prayer (see
History of the Roman Canon *''This article is mainly a transcription of the section headed "History of the canon" of the article "Canon of the Mass" by Adrian Fortescue in the 1908 ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', now in the public domain. It has been updated to take account of the ...
), but only with the text and rubrics of the Canon from the ''Te igitur'' to the final doxology, omitting consideration of the
Preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often close ...
and the ''
Sanctus The Sanctus ( la, Sanctus, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' ( el, ἐπινίκιος ὕμνος, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition. In Western Christianity, th ...
''. The English translation used in this article is that in the 1902 English version of Nicholas Gihr's ''The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass'' (1902), originally published in German in 1877. The current official English translation (2011) is under copyright, but is available on many sites on the Internet.


Audibility of recitation

The 1962 canon, according to the ''Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae'', IX, of the 1962 Roman Missal, is spoken in a tone described as ''silentio'', a word that in the context of liturgy is officially translated into English as "quietly". The English version of Nicholas Gihr's book on the Mass translates ''secreto'' as "silently", but explains that it means that the canon is to be said not in absolute silence but "in a voice so subdued that the celebrant may hear himself, but not be heard by those around him". However, the rubrics of the canon indicate that, when saying the phrase "''Nobis quoque peccatoribus''", he raises his voice a little (''elata aliquantulum voce''), while the final "''Per omnia saecula saeculorum'' is to be spoken understandably (''intelligibili voce''). Audible recitation of the whole 1962 Roman Canon was permitted in 1967. Such post-1962 permissions are not envisaged in the authorization granted by Pope Benedict XVI's ''Summorum Pontificum''. The ''
General Instruction of the Roman Missal The ''General Instruction of the Roman Missal'' (GIRM)—in the Latin original, ''Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani'' (IGMR)—is the detailed document governing the celebration of Mass of the Roman Rite in what since 1969 is its normal form. ...
'', which covers the ground previously occupied by the ''Ritus servandus'' of pre-1970 editions, states: "The nature of the 'presidential' texts demands that they be spoken in a loud and clear voice and that everyone listen with attention." In addition, in a Mass with a congregation, "it is very appropriate that the priest sing those parts of the Eucharistic Prayer for which musical notation is provided". The whole of the 1962 canon and of the preceding offertory prayers was recited aloud by newly ordained priest(s), along with the ordaining bishop, in the Mass of their ordination. The words of consecration in particular were to be said "slowly and rather loud". The canon was also recited jointly by the ordaining bishop and by the bishop he ordained in the rite of episcopal ordination. These were the only
concelebration In Christianity, concelebration (from Lat., ''con'' + ''celebrare'', to celebrate together) is the presiding of a number of presbyters (priests or ministers) at the celebration of the Eucharist with either a presbyter or bishop as the ''principal ...
s admitted within the
Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...
at that time. That by newly ordained priests was limited in that they received communion only under the form of bread, reception from the chalice being reserved for the bishop. Different reasons are proposed to explain why from the seventh century, beginning in Gaul, priests in the West came to pray the Roman Canon inaudibly for all but themselves. According to Elizabeth Harrington, "by the late 800s it came to be considered too holy to be heard by the people and was prayed in a low voice". The spread of the practice from East Syria, where it had originated, to the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire is witnessed to by Emperor Justinian's legislation against it in 565, a time when it was still unknown in Rome.Uwe Michael Lang
"The Liturgy and Sacred Language"
pp. 11–13 of an extract fro
''T&T Clark Companion to Liturgy''
Alcuin Reid (editor), Bloomsbury 2015, pp. 372–373.
Uwe Michael Lang proposes another factor for its adoption in the West: the impossibility for the priest of making his voice heard in the vast Roman basilicas and other large churches.


''Te igitur''

While the 1962 and 1970 texts are identical, the 1962 rubrics indicate that the priest, who has joined his hands at the ''Sanctus'', extends them, raises them a little and again joins them. Then, bowing profoundly before the altar, he speaks the words of the prayer as far as "''rogamus et petimus''", at which point he kisses the altar and joins his hands in preparation for making the sign of the cross three times over host and chalice together at the words "''haec dona, haec munera, haec sancta sacrificia illibata''". He says the rest of the prayer with hands extended within the limits then indicated for that posture: neither higher nor wider than the shoulders, with fingers joined and palms facing each other. According to the 1970 rubrics, the priest simply begins the prayer with hands extended in an unspecified way and at the word "''benedicas''" makes a single sign of the cross over host and chalice, the only time in the whole course of the Roman Canon that he makes the sign of the cross over either, in contrast to the 1962 rules, which have the priest do so 25 times within the Canon, 15 of them after the consecration. The 1962 ''Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae'' laid down that in praying for the Pope the priest should bow his head at the mention of the Pope's name, as at the name of Jesus (bowing towards the cross) or of the Blessed Virgin Mary or another saint (bowing toward their image, if present). The 1970 rules require such a bow only "when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honour Mass is being celebrated" and do not specify the direction of the bow. In the 1970 text a footnote after "''et Antistite nostro N.''" indicates that at that point mention may be made of the coadjutor bishop or auxiliary bishops. The oldest texts of the Roman Canon mention only the Pope. The addition of the local bishop and "all the worshippers of the orthodox, catholic, and apostolic faith" (not limited to clergy) is found in manuscripts from the mid-ninth century on, often with the mention of the civil ruler ("''et rege nostro''"). Because of the diversity of religious attitude of civil rulers in the 16th century,
Pope Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...
omitted mention of the king in the
Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of th ...
that he issued in 1570 in response to the decrees of the
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. The omission of the king's name led to a probibition in France of Pius V's Missal, while Philip II of Spain (1556–1598) obtained authorization for mention of his name in his kingdom, as did Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
of France in 1855. In English-speaking lands the practice was in evidence in the 19th century. Editions of the Roman Missal continued to be printed in various places with "''et rege nostro N.''", such as one in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
in 1853, only a few years before the overthrow of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The practice continued in
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and
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until well into the 20th century. Neither the 1962 nor the 1970 editions of the Roman Canon show any trace of it.


Commemoration of the living

At the indication "''N. et N.''", a rubric states that the priest joins his hands and prays briefly for those for whom he intends to pray. Older manuscripts of the Roman Canon had "''qui tibi offerunt''" ("they offer it") without the preceding "''pro quibus tibi offerimus vel''" ("for them we offer you ... or"). Like Fortescue who also views the phrase as a later addition, Bradshaw and Johnson see as significant this addition of an originally alternative phrase that later became part of the fixed text: without it, the persons named were those who offered; with it, it was the priest who offered for them, a step towards considering irrelevant the actual presence of laypeople at the celebration of Mass. "Sacrifice of praise" is a phrase taken from Psalm 49/50:23. The word "salus" can refer either to bodily health or to spiritual salvation. In a concelebrated Mass, it is appropriate that this prayer and the following one (the ''Communicantes'') be assigned to one or other concelebrant to pronounce alone with hands extended.


''Communicantes''

In the 1962 Canon, the priest joins his hands at the conclusion of this prayer, as with all prayers that conclude with "''Per (eundem) Christum Dominum nostrum''", and extends them again at the start of a following prayer. The words "''et beati Ioseph, eiusdem Virginis Sponsi''" ("blessed Joseph, Spouse of the same Virgin") were added by
Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
in 1962. In the 1970 Canon, it is optional to say the bracketed parts: the names of saints from James (the brother of John) to Damian, and the conclusion "''Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.''" Also to be noted with regard to such conclusions is that in the 1962 Canon whenever the Lord Jesus Christ has previously been mentioned, the word "''eundem''", meaning "the same" is added between the "''Per''" and "''Christum''" of the conclusion. In the 1970 Canon, "''eundem''" is eliminated irregardless of whether or not Christ is previously mentioned. In manuscripts and early editions of the Roman liturgy, the variations that on certain feasts replaced the normal ''Communicantes'' prayer were given immediately after the proper preface of the feast and were distinguished from the preface by the heading "''Infra Actionem''", which meant "within the canon". This custom was maintained in the original Tridentine edition of the ''
Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of th ...
'' and in later editions printed before 1962. In these editions the normal text of the prayer is also headed ''Infra Actionem''.
Adrian Fortescue Adrian Henry Timothy Knottesford Fortescue (14 January 1874 – 11 February 1923) was an English Catholic priest and polymath. An influential liturgist, artist, calligrapher, composer, polyglot, amateur photographer, Byzantine scholar, an ...
explains the presence of this heading within the Canon by saying that the heading was by then looked on as the title of the prayer in any of its forms and was therefore added also to the normal text of the prayer.Adrian Fortescue, ''The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy'' (Longmans, Green and Co. 1917; 1950 reprint), pp. 330−331
/ref> The 1962 edition no longer printed the by then reduced number of variants of the ''Communicantes'' prayer with the prefaces and placed them instead within the Canon after the standard form of the prayer. The surviving proper ''Communicantes'' were five: for
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and its octave;
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; the period from the
Easter Vigil Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a liturgy held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this liturgy that people are ...
to the following Saturday; the Ascension of the Lord; and from the Vigil of Pentecost to the following Saturday. Those in the 1970 Roman Missal are the same five, but are designated for "the Nativity of the Lord and throughout the Octave"; "the Epiphany of the Lord"; "from the Mass of the Easter Vigil until the Second Sunday of Easter"; "the Ascension of the Lord"; and "Pentecost Sunday".


''Hanc igitur''

The 1970 text differs from that of 1962 only in omitting a comma and in bracketing the conclusion, which the priest may either say or omit. In either case he joins his hands after the preceding words, ''grege numerari''. In the 1962 Canon, the priest holds his hands spread out over the offerings during this prayer, a gesture that Prosper Guéranger likened to that of the Old Testament priest who thereby consecrated to God and removed from profane use an animal for sacrifice or laid on the scapegoat the iniquities of the people. Others also linked the ''Hanc igitur'' prayer to the scapegoat ceremony. Michael Witczak sees the gesture rather as indicating the object of an
epiclesis The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
. The gesture, whatever meaning it may have had, was a late introduction into the Canon, appearing for the first time in the fifteenth century and limited to the Roman Rite, not being accepted in the
Carmelite Rite The Rite of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly called the Carmelite Rite, is the liturgical rite that was used by the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, Hospitallers, Templars, Carmelites and the other orders founded within the Latin Patriarchate of J ...
and the
Dominican Rite The Dominican Rite is the unique rite of the Dominican Order of the Roman Catholic Church. It has been classified differently by different sources – some consider it a usage of the Roman Rite, others a variant of the Gallican Rite, and still ...
. Its use at the ''Hanc igitur'' prayer was not carried over into the 1970 Canon, in which the chief celebrating priest says the prayer with hands extended as usual, and in which a similar gesture by all the celebrating priests occurs during the following ''Quam oblationem'' prayer. A special mention of the newly baptized is inserted in the ''Hanc igitur'' prayer at the
Easter Vigil Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a liturgy held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this liturgy that people are ...
and throughout the
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.


''Quam oblationem''

In the 1962 Canon, the priest says the prayer with hands joined, except while making five signs of the cross to accompany the five adjectives ''benedictam'' etc. In the 1970 Canon, the priest recites the prayer while extending his hands over the offerings while reciting it, as he does where the other three eucharistic prayers have an explicit pre-consecration
epiclesis The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
. That the Roman Canon has an epiclesis in this prayer is one of five existing opinions; the other opinions are: that the preceding ''Hanc igitur'' prayer, during which the 1962 canon has the priest extend his hands over the offerings, is the epiclesis; that the epiclesis is the ''Supplices te rogamus'' prayer after the
words of institution The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharist ...
; that the Roman Canon has no epiclesis; and that the mere gesture of the imposition of hands is a silent epiclesis. From the ''Quam oblationem'' prayer to the ''Supplices te rogamus'' prayer, inclusive, two prayers that have been likened respectively to a pre-consecration and a post-consecration epiclesis, the words of the Canon are spoken or sung by all the concelebrants together.


''Qui pridie''

Of the words that the 1962 text attributes to Jesus, it puts in large print only the five words "''Hoc est enim Corpus meum''" (which it calls "the words of consecration") and does not include in the words of Jesus the phrase "''quod pro vobis tradetur''"; the 1972 text includes this phrase and prints in large type all the words it attributes to Jesus, beginning with "''Accipite et manducate ex hoc omnes''". The actions and words of Jesus in these accounts are not exactly those that any one of Gospels gives in speaking of the
Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
. None of them mentions Jesus' raising his eyes to heaven, but
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states that it is a tradition that Christ did so, as He did at the miracle of the loaves and fishes as noted in the Synoptic Gospels' accounts of the feeding of the five thousand. The mention of Jesus' raising his eyes to God at the Last Supper is also found in the text of the ancient anaphora of the
liturgy of the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions The Liturgy of the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions is a complete text of the Christian Divine Liturgy and found in the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions. It is the oldest known form that can be described as a complete liturgy and ...
. In recounting the Last Supper, Mark has "Take; this is my body"; Matthew has "Take, eat; this is my body"; Luke has "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me".; and the First Epistle to the Corinthians has "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me". The word "''enim''" ("for") has been added, apparently by analogy with the words spoken at the consecration of the chalice. As directed by the rubrics in all versions of the Roman Canon, the priest accompanies with similar actions the words about taking and looking up, but does not break or distribute the bread at this point. The 1962 Canon has him make the sign of the cross over the host at the word "''benedixit''". Except in the original 1570 edition of the Roman Missal, the rubrics of the Canon down to 1962 direct him to bow his head at the words "''tibi gratias agens''". The 1970 rubrics direct the priest to bow slightly while reciting all the words of Jesus and to pronounce them "clearly and distinctly, as the nature of these words requires". The 1962 ''Ritus servandus'' tells him instead to put his elbows on the altar as he recites, with head bowed, only the words "''Hoc est enim Corpus meum''", referred to as "the words of consecration", and to hold the host with his thumbs and index fingers alone, keeping the other fingers extended and joined together. In the 1962 Canon, the priest, immediately after pronouncing "the words of consecration", genuflects in adoration of the consecrated host, rises and "shows it to the people" ("''ostendit populo''") − the action commonly called the
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, since the ''Ritus servandus'' tells the priest to raise it as high as he comfortably can − after which he replaces it on the
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
, keeps his thumbs and index fingers joined, and then genuflects again. From this point, until his hands are ritually washed at the ablutions after communion, he keeps his thumbs and index fingers joined except when he touches the host. The reason is that lest any crumb of the consecrated host may have remained between his fingers. In the 1970 Canon, the priest shows the host to the people immediately after the consecration, replaces it on the
paten A paten or diskos is a small plate, used during the Mass. It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Western liturgical denominations, the p ...
and genuflects in adoration, and has no obligation to keep thumbs and index fingers joined. At
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, the ''Qui pridie'' prayer adds the phrases "''pro nostra omniumque salute''" ("for our salvation and the salvation of all") and "''hoc est hodie''" ("that is today") thus: "''Qui pridie, quam ''pro nostra omniumque salute'' pateretur, ''hoc est, hodie,'' accepit panem ...''" The
General Instruction of the Roman Missal The ''General Instruction of the Roman Missal'' (GIRM)—in the Latin original, ''Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani'' (IGMR)—is the detailed document governing the celebration of Mass of the Roman Rite in what since 1969 is its normal form. ...
, which applies to the 1970 Canon, states: "A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a server rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Prest, according to local custom." The signal preceding the Consecration is not mentioned ìn relation to the 1962 Canon, but its ''Ritus servandus'' directs that a server, while lifting the rear of the priest's
chasuble The chasuble () is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments, primarily in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. In the Eastern ...
during the elevations, should with his right hand ring a bell three times or continuously. This direction was not in the original Tridentine Roman Missal, being inserted only in 1604.


''Simili modo''

The words attributed to Jesus regarding the chalice are based on Matthew 26:27−28, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins"; Mark 24:24, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many"; Luke 22:17−20, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ..Do this in remembrance of me. ..This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood"; and 1 Corinthians 21:25, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." Adrian Fortescue remarks that two elements of what is attributed to Jesus, "''et aeterni''" and "''mysterium fidei''", "are not in the New Testament at all".Adrian Fortescue, "Canon of the Mass" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (New York 1908)
/ref> The
Letter to the Hebrews The Epistle to the Hebrews ( grc, Πρὸς Ἑβραίους, Pros Hebraious, to the Hebrews) is one of the books of the New Testament. The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. Most ...
does have the prayer, "May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant (Vulgate: ''in sanguine testamenti aeterni'') equip you with everything good" On "''mysterium fidei''", see the following section. In the consecration of the chalice, as in the consecration of the bread, the 1962 Roman Canon prints in large letters only some of the words that it attributes to Jesus: it presents in the same type as the narrative account the initial phrase, "''Accipite et bibite ex eo omnes''", and the final phrase, "''Haec quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis''". The 1962 Canon separates the latter phrase from the other words of Jesus by an action that excludes them from the act of consecration, instructing the priest to say it when already genuflecting before the chalice in adoration. The exclusion was still more obvious in the original 1570 edition of the Tridentine Roman Missal, which had the priest say the phrase ''after'' adoring the chalice and while displaying the chalice for the veneration of the people ("''surgit et ostendit populo: dicens. Haec quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis''"). The 1970 Canon treats all the words that it ascribes to Jesus as having equal dignity. It replaces the statement, "''Haec quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis''" ("As often as you do these things, ye shall do them in remembrance of me"), with the instruction, "''Hoc facite in meam commemorationem''" ("Do this in memory of me").


''Mysterium fidei''

The 1962 and earlier forms of the Roman Canon included among the words attributed to Jesus in connection with the consecration of the chalice the phrase "'' mysterium fidei''". It has been suggested that this was an anti- Manichaean addition by Pope Leo the Great (440-461), insisting on the goodness of material things: the material blood of Christ and the material elements used in the Eucharist. Another proposed explanation is that originally the phrase was not spoken by the priest but was a calling to attention by the deacon. In the 1970 Roman Canon, the phrase "''Mysterium fidei''", removed from the context of the words of Jesus, is said or sung by the priest after consecrating the chalice, showing it to the people, and genuflecting in adoration. It serves as an introduction to the acclamation by the people. The people respond by acclaiming: ''Mortem tuam annuntiamus, Domine, et tuam resurrectionem confitemur, donec venias.''
(We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.)
Or:
''Quotiescumque manducamus panem hunc et calicem bibimus, mortem tuam annuntiamus, Domine, donec venias.''
(When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.)
Or:
''Salvator mundi, salva nos, qui per crucem et resurrectionem tuam liberasti nos.''
(Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.) Of these acclamations, the first two are closely based on Saint Paul's comment in , "As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes", making explicit the reference to the resurrection of Christ implicit in the comment. The third derives from the third antiphon which the Roman Missal prescribes that the choir chant while the Blessed Sacrament is brought to the altar after the Veneration of the Cross during the Good Friday Liturgy. The Good Friday antiphon is ''Salvator mundi, salva nos, qui per crucem et anguinem redemistinos uxiliare nobis te deprecamur Deus noster''
(Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and
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us; come to our aid, we beseech you, our God.)


''Unde et memores''

This prayer is an anamnesis, a solemn recalling, immediately after the
Words of Institution The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharist ...
, of Christ's death and resurrection (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26), to which the Roman Canon adds a mention of his ascension. The 1962 rubrics, but not those of 1970, prescribe that, at the mentions of the words "''hostiam''", "''Panem''" and "''Calicem''", the priest make five signs of the cross over the consecrated bread and wine, the first of a total of fifteen to be made after the consecration.


''Supra quae''

The earliest attestation of the Roman Canon is in the ''De sacramentis'' of Ambrose (c. 340 – 397). At that time the prayer ''Supra quae'' came after what is now the following prayer, ''Supplices'', and the two formed a single prayer, a structure corresponding exactly with that of the Anaphora of St Mark, which demonstrates that "the Roman canon, too, has had a history involving an evolution, development and reworkings".


''Supplices te rogamus''

The 1962 and 1970 texts differ only in the 1970 bracketing of the conclusion and the omission in it of the word "''eundem''". In the 1962 rubrics, the priest, bowing profoundly, places his joined hands on the edge of the altar until the mention of the altar, at which point he kisses it, and then makes the sign of the cross over the consecrated host at the word "''Corpus''" ("Body"), over the chalice with the consecrated wine at the word "''Sanguinem''" ("Blood") and finally over himself. In the 1970 rubrics, the priest says this prayer bowing with joined hands until the phrase "''omni ... gratia repleamur''" ("may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing"), which he says standing erect and signing himself with the sign of the cross. Scholars disagree on whether, in spite of the lack of explicit mention of the Holy Spirit, this prayer can be considered an
epiclesis The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in reli ...
(cf. what is said above with regard to the ''Quam oblationem'' prayer) and who is the "Angel" mentioned in it.


Commemoration of the dead

The 1970 text differs from that of 1962 only in bracketing the prayer conclusion and in not including in the conclusion the word "''eundem''". Both the 1962 and the 1970 rubrics direct that, after the words "''dormiunt in somno pacis''" ("rest in the sleep of peace"), the priest joins his hands and prays briefly for the dead for whom he wishes to pray. In a concelebrated Mass, this prayer is said by an individual concelebrant. Writing in 1908,
Adrian Fortescue Adrian Henry Timothy Knottesford Fortescue (14 January 1874 – 11 February 1923) was an English Catholic priest and polymath. An influential liturgist, artist, calligrapher, composer, polyglot, amateur photographer, Byzantine scholar, an ...
noted: "At the final clause "Per eumdem", etc., the priest not only folds his hands but bows the head — a unique case in the Roman Rite, for which there has not been found any satisfactory explanation. Benedict XIV quotes from Cavalieri a mystic reason — because Christ bowed His head when He died, and we here think of the dead. The rubric occurs in Pius V's Missal." The peculiarity of this rubric was noted also by Prosper Guéranger: "The Priest terminates the Prayer, in the usual manner: ''Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen''. Besides this, there is a special rubric which bids him bow his head whilst saying these concluding words, which is not prescribed in the case of closing other prayers." The rubric of which they speak was still present in the 1920 typical edition of the Roman Missal, but was omitted in the 1962 edition and has not been included in the Vatican II editions.


''Nobis quoque peccatoribus''

Apart from a minuscule matter of punctuation, the texts differ only in the bracketing of the saints not mentioned in the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
and whose names the priest may in the 1970 form choose either to include or to omit. The full list consists of
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, seven male and seven female saints. The rubrics in all forms of the Roman Canon indicate that the priest who recites the prayer (a concelebrant in a concelebrated Mass) strikes his breast when saying the first three words, "''Nobis quoque peccatoribus''", and that he then continues with hands extended. Concelebrants also strike their breast at the same words. These are the only words between the ''Sanctus'' and the closing "''Per omnia saecula saeculorum''" that, in the 1962 Canon, the priest speaks audibly enough to be heard by anyone other than himself ; even then he does so only "raising his voice a little", and only at Low Mass. In the 1970 Canon every word is to be spoken "in a loud and clear voice" and "it is very appropriate that the priest sing those parts for which musical notation is provided".''General Instruction of the Roman Missal'', 32 and 147


''Per quem haec omnia''

This short prayer, spoken by the principal celebrant in a concelebrated Mass, grammatically continues the preceding prayer, whose final "''Per Christum Dominum nostrum''" is not followed by a concluding "''Amen.''". The 1962 rubrics instruct the priest to make the sign of the cross over host and chalice together when saying each of the three verbs "''creas, sanctificas, vivificas''".


''Per ipsum''

The 1970 Canon indicates that the "Amen" response should be given by the people. The 1962 Canon does not specify. According to the 1970 rubrics, the priest sings or recites the prayer while raising the chalice and the paten with the host. If a deacon participates, he raises the chalice while the priest raises the paten with the host. The ceremonial of the 1962 rubrics is more complex: the priest uncovers the chalice, genuflects, takes the host between his right thumb and forefinger and, holding the chalice in his left hand, with the host makes the sign of the cross three times from lip to lip of the chalice, while saying inaudibly: "''Per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso''"; he then with the host makes the sign of the cross twice in the space between him and the chalice, saying: "''est tibi Deo Patri omnipotenti, in unitate Spiritus Sancti''"; next he raises chalice and host slightly, while saying: "''omnis honor et gloria''"; finally he replaces the host on the
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
, covers the chalice with the pall, genuflects, stands up, and says in a voice that can be understood or sings: "''Per omnia sæcula sæculorum.''"


See also

* Canon of the Mass *
History of the Roman Canon *''This article is mainly a transcription of the section headed "History of the canon" of the article "Canon of the Mass" by Adrian Fortescue in the 1908 ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', now in the public domain. It has been updated to take account of the ...
*
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...
*
Pre-Tridentine Mass Pre-Tridentine Mass refers to the variants of the liturgical rite of Mass in Rome before 1570, when, with his bull ''Quo primum'', Pope Pius V made the Roman Missal, as revised by him, obligatory throughout the Latin Church, except for those plac ...
*
Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...
*
Mass of Paul VI The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It is a form of the Latin Church's Roman Rite and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, published by him in the 19 ...
* English Missal


Notes


References


External links


Text of Vatican II ''Missale Romanum'', third edition
hosted by Universalis Publishing Ltd
Official English translation of Vatican II Roman Canon arranged for printing as a bookletBlack-and-white reproduction (rubrics appear in black) of the 1962 ''editio typica'' of the ''Missale Romanum''
The canon begins at p. 299
Benziger ''iuxta typicam'' printing of the 1962 ''Missale Romanum''English translation of the 1962 ''Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Canon Catholic liturgy Eucharist Anaphoras (liturgy)