Priests have written, one with some precise notes and cites, and I’ve seen one piece in my email by Louis Tofari, who knows his way around an Ordo.
QUAERITUR:
With the death of Francis, what do priests say in the Roman Canon where they were to say his name?
John Paul died on 2 April 2005. Benedict was elected on 18 April 2005. We had the sede vacante for about two weeks. Benedict abdicated on 28 February 2013 and Francis emerged on the loggia on the 2nd day of the conclave 13 March 2013, sede vacante just about two week (yes, I know some say the See has been empty since 2013 or 1958 or whatever).
Assuming that priests are in their right minds and that a) they pay attention and b) are not cretins (not lightly to be passed over) and c) say the Roman Canon (as they ought in the Roman Catholic Church) what shall we say?
Sticking to the Vetus Ordo, because it is the unquestionable Roman Rite and must be the point of reference for the Novus Ordo because that’s the only thing which makes any sense at all of the Novus Ordo, pace those who risibly think the NO is the “unique expression”, etc., the rubrics of the Vetus Ordo, the TLM, say that that the entire clause “una cum famulo tuo Papa nostro N.” is omitted:
“Ubi dicit: una cum famulo tuo Papa nostro N., exprimit nomen Papæ. Sede autem vacante verba prædicta omittuntur.”
For those of us IN ROME, there is another instruction: Since the Pope is the local bishop, we leave out the business about “et Antístite nostro N” and skip to “et ómnibus orthodóxis, atque cathólicæ et apostólicæ fídei cultóribus.”
So, IN ROME … and this is the third time I’ve had to do this… I would early this morning have said (had I known):
…in primis, quæ tibi offérimus pro Ecclésia tua sancta cathólica: quam pacificáre, custodíre, adunáre et régere dignéris toto orbe terrárum et [pro being understood here] ómnibus orthodóxis, atque cathólicæ et apostólicæ fídei cultóribus.
I think that priests would not go to liturgical jail in this life or liturgical purgatory in the next were they to say IN ROME:
in primis, quæ tibi offérimus pro Ecclésia tua sancta cathólica: quam pacificáre, custodíre, adunáre et régere dignéris toto orbe terrárum: una cum … ómnibus orthodóxis, atque cathólicæ et apostólicæ fídei cultóribus.
Outside of Rome, it seems that priests ought to say:
in primis, quæ tibi offérimus pro Ecclésia tua sancta cathólica: quam pacificáre, custodíre, adunáre et régere dignéris toto orbe terrárum et [pro is understood] Antístite nostro N. et ómnibus orthodóxis, atque cathólicæ et apostólicæ fídei cultóribus.
Again, no severe punishment would be due were Father to slide an extra “pro” in there or even – gasp – say “una cum” before the name of the local bishop.
If there is a local bishop! That’s another thing. I guess you would just do it like in Rome were there no bishop to cite.
We want to do this right. Right? However, anyone who would fret about this a lot or who would suffer from scruples, fearing that by saying an extraneously “una cum” or “pro” which would make the whole text smoother and more intelligible ought to sit down, have a beer from Norcia or wine from Le Barroux (not immediately before Mass) and breathe deeply and calmly for a while. If he is still worked up, he should seek help.
This is help.
Relax. Figure it out.
How about the English of the Novus Ordo? I don’t care. Just look at it and figure it out. As a matter of fact, if memory serves, is there even a rubric about this in the Novus Ordo Missale Romanum?
Hmmm… perhaps that is a subtle additional puzzle piece as to how detached the Novus Ordo from Romanitas.
A good question for the readers: is there a rubric in the Novus Ordo for this?
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It would seem that only the English Wikipedia has a distinct article about the “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis” – apparently since 2022. Searching for the expression “rite of ascertainment of death” brought me there – an expression I found in the English Vatican News article entitled “Cardinal Farrell to preside at rite of ascertainment of Pope Francis’ death” and dated “21 April 2025, 12:49″. I could not immediately find a corresponding Italian (much less Latin) version of this Vatican News article, leaving me wondering more intensely what could be meant by a quotation attributed there to the not further described ” Mr. Bruni”: “The translation of the Holy Father’s mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful”. “Veneration”? ‘Subito Santo – aut “Venerabile”‘, at least? (!)
But, what liturgical – or merely historical – precedent is there for a “rite of ascertainment of death” of a Pontifex Romanus (prior to the Ordo edition “first authorized in 1998 and published in 2000 and the second authorized and published in 2024”), which the Wikipedia article seems to associate with “The official in charge of the Vatican’s health service determines the cause of death and produces a report”?
I’m not sure of the exact rubric for the English version, but here’s what Grok had to say about the question:
“When a pope has died and the papal seat is vacant (a period known as sede vacante), the priest omits the pope’s name and the entire phrase referring to the pope in the Eucharistic Prayer. The prayer typically includes only the local bishop and the clergy, adjusted to the specific form of the prayer being used.
“For example, in Eucharistic Prayer II, the priest would say: ‘Together with N. our Bishop, and all the clergy,’ omitting any reference to the pope.
“In the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), the phrase ‘together with your servant N., our Pope’ is entirely omitted, and the prayer continues with the mention of the local bishop, such as ‘and N., our Bishop.’
“This practice is followed until a new pope is elected and his name is announced for inclusion in the liturgy. The omission reflects the Church’s tradition during an interregnum, ensuring the prayer remains focused on the unity of the Church through the local bishop and clergy.”
I don’t know what they call it in Latin or Italian, but the Camerlengo taps on the Holy Father with a mallet, and calls his birth name.
I don’t think it’s a “rite.” It’s pretty much secular in nature.
I respect your opinion fr, but my friend annibale bugnini had a different idea.
The USCCB has provided formulas for each of the Eucharistic Prayers:
https://www.usccb.org/resources/liturgical-notes-pope-francis-ENG.pdf
Suburbanbanshee,
Thank you! Upon reading your comment, vague memories of that aspect returned – and I now see (thanks to the New Advent homepage) that Deacon Thomas L. MacDonald has an interesting little – illustrated – post entitled “Are popes hit on the head when they die? And is there a special hammer for that?” from 21 April on his Weird Catholic substack.