The Mass as it was in the City of Rome: The Ordo of St. Amand, part 4

THE POST-COMMUNION, THE DISMISSAL and THE BLESSING (cf. The Mass as it was in the City of Rome, part 9)

15. The Collect having been finished, the Deacon (not he who reads the Gospel, but another) says, "Ite, missa est!"

Then the Pontiff comes down from the Altar, and the Deacons with him, and the Subdeacon who has been mentioned above goes before him with the Censer, as also the candlesticks carried by the Acolytes; and as he passes down through the midst of the Presbytery a Subdeacon of the Choir says, "Jube, benedicere!"

And the Pontiff gives the Prayer, and they answer, "Amen." And when he goes out of the Presbytery, the judges next say, "Jube, domne, benedicere." And when the blessing has been given, they answer, "Amen."

And the Acolytes come before the Pontiff with their candlesticks, and stand before the door of the Sacristy until he is gone in; and then they put out their lights.

16. Then the Pontiff takes off his vestments, and the Subdeacons take them and hand them to the Chamberlains. The Deacons, however, unvest outside the Sacristy and their Acolytes take their vestments.

And when the Pontiff sits down, the chief Sexton of the church comes with a silver bowl (spelled as "bacea" in the original text="bacchia") with little round loaves on it (or if there is none of silver, with a bowl of some sort [catino]), and stands before the Pontiff; and there come in order the Deacons, then the Chancellor and the Secretary and the Papal-Vicar and the Subdeacons, and they receive little loaves or cakes from the Pontiff's hand. Then a drink is prepared for the Pontiff and the rest above mentioned.

All having been finished, the Pontiff gives a blessing, and they go out of the Sacristy.

APPENDIX: WHEN THE MASS IS CELEBRATED BY A BISHOP OR PRIEST

17. And this which we have omitted, we recall to mind; that is, that if the Pontiff should not make his appearance, the Deacons set out as is said above. And if there should be no Deacons, the Presbyter proceeds in their place from the Sacristy with the candlesticks to set before the Pontiff's throne, and he can read the Gospel in the Ambo divested of his planeta like a Deacon, and on coming down from the Ambo he puts his planeta on again.

And when the Deacons or Presbyters come before the screen, the Bishop or Presbyter who is going to celebrate Mass that day comes from the left side of the presbytery, and the Deacon who is going to read the Gospel that day gives him the Kiss of Peace. And when the Choir have finished "Kyrie Eleison", the Bishop goes to the right side of the Throne within the screen, and says, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo."

But if it should be a Presbyter who is celebrating, he does not say Gloria in Excelsis Deo, but only advances and says the Collect. And when that is over, he returns to his place until the Gospel is read. When that is over, he advances as above, and says, "Dominus vobiscum", then, "Oremus"; and everything is done as it is described above.

And when he comes to, "Omnis honor et gloria" [at the end of the Canon], the Deacon does not lift up the Chalice as he does for the Pontiff, but the Bishop or Presbyter [who is celebrating] lifts up two loaves, and touches the Chalice with them as he says, "Per omnia saecula saeculorum."

The Niche of the Pallia in St. Peter's Basilica. Newly-blessed palliums are placed inside the urn seen in this photograph overnight before the pallium ceremony (June 29th, the feasts of Sts. Peter and Paul). They rest in this spot that is very close to the bones of St. Peter (in fact, just behind this niche lies a 2nd-century structure built over the Apostle's tomb).

THE FERMENTUM

And when he is going to say, "Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum", the Subdeacon holds a piece of the Holy Element, which the Pontiff has consecrated, at the right corner of the Altar; and the Deacon takes it and hands it to the Bishop or Presbyter, who thereupon makes a Cross with it over the Chalice, saying, "Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum."

Then he kisses the Altar, and the Deacon gives the Kiss of Peace to the Subdeacon. Then another Bishop comes from the left side [of the Presbytery], and they both hold their hands over the loaves and break them; and then the [second] Bishop goes back again to his place. The Bishop or Presbyter who is celebrating the Mass then hands one whole Loaf, and a portion of one which has been divided, to the Deacon; and he puts the portion on the Paten, and that which is whole into a little sack held by an Acolyte.

The latter then goes to the Archpresbyter for him to break the Loaf, but the bishop stands at the left side of the Altar until the loaves have been transferred to the little sacks of the Acolytes, as is the custom. Then the Bishop turns back before the Altar, and breaks the portion of the Loaf which was left there. And as soon as the Fraction has been completed, the Deacon announces the next Station, as is the custom.

Then both Bishops and Presbyters come before the Altar to communicate; and the Bishop [who is celebrating] places two fragments in the hand of the first of the [other] Bishops, and he who receives them returns one of the fragments to the celebrant, and he holds the fragment in his right hand until they have communicated,
as described above. Then he who is celebrating the Mass places his hands upon the Altar, and communicates. Then the Deacons communicate, and the Bishop or Presbyter who first communicated administers the Chalice to them; and he holds the Chalice, and accomplishes all things as is written above.