This just in by e-mail (edited):
As a regular reader (and occasional comboxor) of your blog, I wanted to write and share with you the news of my recent engagement, especially given that my fiancee and I are planning to celebrate the sacrament of marriage according to the 1962 Missal. … The wedding Mass will take place in her hometown, with (hopefully) my parish priest being able to offer the Mass.
I am hoping that we do not encounter any "wrinkles" once our intentions are expressed to her parish priest. In that regard, if you have any suggestions as to how best to go about this, I would most sincerely appreciate hearing from you (although, as I understand it, no "permission" is no longer needed, and thus my plan is to simply treat it as if we were intending to have a "regular" Mass).
Likewise, I have searched but have not found any explanatory resources re: a wedding Mass per the 1962 missal. I have seen the missalette published by the Coalition Ecclesia Dei, but beyond the text of the nuptial (and the Mass itself) I know very little about "what" to do. Do you know of any such resources?
I would be happy to keep you informed about the progress of our plans. If it works out, we will also be blessed with chant from a few members from [a] schola. Bold plans, no doubt, but we are both extremely excited and looking forward to all this!
This sounds like a wonderful event. Congratulations in advance.
However, remember that when it comes to weddings, the local parish priest is the one who gets to say if a visiting priest can do anything. Period. A visitor really doesn’t not have the right to come into a parish and just do what he chooses. Therefore, it is very important to approach the parish priest where the wedding is to take place with great diplomacy. Make sure the priest who is to do the Mass is involved and ready to answer any and all questions about the differences in the rite, etc. Remember to review the paragraph in Summorum Pontificum which says that the older form of Mass and the Rituale Romanum can be used for "occasional" celebrations, which would include weddings (see below):
Some readers here might be able to point you to printed resources you can put in the hands of the congregation, just in case the local priest is worried about "participation", or people running screaming from the church, etc.
Good luck!
Art. 5 § 3. Fidelibus seu sacerdotibus id petentibus, parochus celebrationes, hac in forma extraordinaria, permittat etiam in adiunctis peculiaribus, uti sunt matrimonia, exsequiae aut celebrationes occasionales, verbi gratia peregrinationes.
WDTPRS VERSION: Let the pastor permit to the faithful or priests requesting it, celebrationes in this extraordinary form also in particular circumstances as are marriages, funerals, or celebratory occasions, for example, pilgrimages.
Art. 9, § 1. Parochus item, omnibus bene perpensis, licentiam concedere potest utendi rituali antiquiore in administrandis sacramentis Baptismatis, Matrimonii, Poenitentiae et Unctionis Infirmorum, bono animarum id suadente.
WDTPRS VERSION: Similarly, a pastor, everything having been well thought through, can grant permission for using the older Ritual in order to administrate the sacraments of Baptism, Matrimony, Penance and Annointing of the Sick, as the good of souls suggests.
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I dont know how a TLM wedding is done, but I have heard people say they had their wedding at an FSSP chapel. Given that I think the best advice is to send the FSSP an email asking them what/how things are done.
Under the Extraordinary Form, it is done outside of, and right before the Mass.
However, it is my understanding that the PCED previously authorized a wedding to occur within a Mass by authorizing the use of Ordo Celebrandi Matrimonii Sacramentum, which was published in 1964.
It can be found here. http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/TextContents/TextIndex/12
I had the pleasure of singing in a schola for a nuptial Mass celebrated according to the Missale Romanum 1962 (at St. Augustine Catholic Church, So. St. Paul MN), and have a photocopy of the service booklet (44 pages, cover to cover) supplied to the congregation. The couple went to a great deal of trouble to ensure that everything necessary for the “full participation” of the congregation was available. (I’d be happy to send you a hard copy, if it can be arranged).
I might add that there were 2 scholae (is that the correct plural?) there; one to sing polyphony (the one I sang with, from St. Louis, King of France, St. Paul), and the resident mens’ schola to sing the chant propers.
Perhaps one of the ways the extraordinary form (of the Marriage Rite) might influence – for the better – the ordinary form is for the Exhortation Before Marriage to reappear as THE wedding homily. With all due respect to the clergy, I have NEVER heard a contemporary homily that even comes CLOSE to that Exhortation, not only in the solid meat of Catholic teaching but even in the extraordinary beauty of the words. Perhaps Fr. Z would post it or give us a link to it.
It starts out:
“My dear friends: as you know, you are about to enter a union which is most sacred and most serious; a union which was established by God Himself. By it, He gave to man a share in the greatest work of creation, the work of the continuation of the human race . . . ”
There is a part of it which says:
“That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its successes and its failures, its pleasures and its pains, its joys and its sorrows is hidden now from your eyes. You know that these elements are mingled in every life and so are to be expected in your own.”
Another line says:
“Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy, and perfect love can make it a joy. We are willing to give in proportion as we love, and when our love is perfect, the gift of self is complete. God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son. The Son so loved us that He gave his very life: Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friends.”
I wish I could remember it all. I wrote those lines down.
My marriage to my wife was celebrated using the extraordinary form of the Roman rite
on 4/20/07. The Nuptial Mass is really not that different
than a regular Mass according to the extraordinary form. Below are some instructions I made
for my priest beforehand:
Instructions for Nuptial Mass
• Priest will wear Mass vestments except for the maniple which is placed on credence table beforehand
• priest comes with server and reverences Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and then gives instruction concerning marriage standing at the entrance of the sanctuary as found in Roman Ritual.
• all sit for instruction
• after insturction all stand for the consent
• the man stands at the right of the woman before the priest
• the witnesses stand at their sides
• the server holds the book for the priest
• the priest will then asks first the question to the man to which he answers, “I will.”
• the priest asks the same question to the woman and she answers, “I will.”
• then the priest asks the man and woman to join right hands
• If convenient, the priest circles their joined hands with the ends of his stole.
• then at the direction of the priest the man says the form given for him
• and then the woman at the direction of the priest says the form given her
• After this the two keep their hands joined and the priest makes the sign of the cross over the persons saying, “Ego conjungo vos in matrimonium. In nomine Patris, &c.”
• the priest then sprinkles them thrice with lustral water (in front, to his left and to his right)
• the best man then places the rings on the salver held by the server
• the priest then recites the blessing using the plural form, if there are two rings.
• after this the priest sprinkles the rings once with lustral water
• the husband takes the ring from the hand of the priest and places it on the woman’s left ring finger, saying the words after the priest.
• the wife then does the same, taking the ring from the priest and placing it on the man’s left ring finger, saying the words after the priest.
• then after this the priest makes the sign of the cross over the spouses, saying, “In nomine Patris, &c.”
• he then concludes with the prayers in the Roman Ritual
• this being concluded the witnesses take their places
• the priest will then go and vest with the maniple
• the Introit is began after the priest vests with the maniple
• the priest comes to the center. With the altar server kneeling on his left on the ground, they begin the prayers at the foot of the altar
• the Mass from here to the Pater Noster inclusively is celebrated as normal using the Pro Sponsis Votive Mass.
• the Gloria is said but the Credo is not
• after the the priest chants the Pater Noster, the choir sings, “Sed libera nos a malo.” To which the priest adds secretly, “Amen.”
• then after saying, “Amen.” and before continuing with the “Libera nos”, the priest genuflects and goes to the Epistle corner and turns towards the spouses who are kneeling (turning of course to his left so that the back is not turned to the Blessed Sacrament on the altar)
• the altar server stands on his left with the Roman Ritual
• the priest then, with hands joined, says the prayers “Propitiare Domine” and “Deus, qui potestate virtutis tuae” as found in the Roman Ritual
• when “Oremus” and the Holy Name of Jesus is said during these prayers, the priest keeps his feed grounded and turns his body and bows his head to the Blessed Sacrament on the altar.
• when finished the altar server takes the Roman Ritual back to the credence table
• the priest goes back to the center of the altar, genuflects, and continues Mass starting with the “Libera nos.”
• after the priest says, “Ite, missa est.” and the people respond he stays turned towards the spouses who will be kneeling at the middle on their prie-dieux as usual.
• the altar server will again bring the Roman Ritual to the priest and stand to his left
• the priest says, with hands joined, the prayer “Deus Abraham”
• the priest now addresses the husband and wife on the duties of married life as found in the Roman Ritual.
• as he does this the server goes to get the lustral water and brings it to the priest
• after the priest is done addressing the spouses he sprinkles them thrice with lustral water (in the centre, to his left and to his right)
• he then turns back to the altar and immediately begins the “Placeat tibi” and finishes Mass as usual.
I’m not well versed in the older liturgy, but I believe the old rite of Matrimoni is in the Rituale Romanum (Roman Ritual).
But I agree with Nick. You should write a community that preserves the older form and ask them (ie the FSSP, the Institute of Christ the King, etc.).
David Andrew,
I would be greatful if you would contact me about getting a copy of the
wedding program, as I’m preparing for my own nuptuals in May.
Thanks,
Matt
mightyduk@gmail.com
I was married in the old rite last year. My problem was that I wanted the wedding liturgy to be as it was practically done before Vat II, which – as far I can ascertain – involved using a lot of English – the trasnslation in the Rituale (was it ’61 or ’63?) is completely permitted for public use in the liturgy. So the vows, of course, ARE IN THE VERNACULAR, and the nuptial blessing goes “May the God of etc etc”. There is, I think, a lot of false tranditionalism even among clergy that says “everything must be in Latin”.
In short, what we need is an absolutely accurate description of how the marriage ceremony was actually celebrated. Otherwise, if it is all in Latin, it becomes fetishist. I speak as sopmeone who loves the traditional liturgy. I just think that to be truly traditional means following the custom, whatever that was!
I was married in the old rite last year. I had no problem getting permission for the 1962 rite from the bishop. My problem was that the priests didn’t seem to know how the marriage rite was done in practice before Vat II, which – as far I can ascertain – involved using a lot of English – for the translation in the Rituale (was it \’61 or \’63?) is completely permitted for public use in the liturgy.
So the vows, of course, ARE IN THE VERNACULAR, and the nuptial blessing goes “May the God of Abraham etc etc”. There is, I think, a lot of false tranditionalism even among clergy that says “everything must be in Latin”. But I don’t think it was for baptisms and marriages.
In short, what we need is an absolutely accurate description of how the marriage ceremony was actually celebrated. Otherwise, if it is all in Latin, it becomes fetishist. I speak as sopmeone who loves the traditional liturgy. I just think that to be truly traditional means following the custom, whatever that was!
My wife and I had a “1962 wedding” (two years ago) at an FSSP parish. As I recall it was much as Michael Garner describes above, with one surprising difference that he didn’t mention. The priest gave Communion to me and my wife immediately after his own Communion — and then, if I’m not mistaken, proceeded with the “ecce Agnus Dei”. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I admit I may not be remembering it clearly; I was a bit pre-occupied at the time.
Ben,
This would not be correct if he did this. One difference between the 1962 missal and the 1969 missal is that the priest’s communion is seperate from the people’s communion in the ’62 missal. The priest prepares for his own communion even with his own Domine non sum dignus 3x prayer and then receives and then he turns around and shows the host to the people saying Ecce Agnus Dei and then the people respond Domine non dignus 3x and then they receive.
Rob, I would say that doing things as per the 1962 missal is tradition whereas an excessive concern with doing things as they were in 1962 is fetish. Like expecting a 60s plastic black and white TV as a wedding present instead of a contemporary TV.