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Text and rubrics of the Roman Canon
The text and rubrics of the Roman Canon have undergone revisions over the centuries, while the canon itself has retained its essential form as arranged no later than the 7th century. However, there have been changes between the 1962 and 1970 versions outside of the preface and the Sanctus, specifically the 1902 English version of Nicholas Gihr's The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (1902), and the version of the text from 1970. The rubrics, as is customary in similar liturgical books, indicate the manner in which to carry out the celebration.
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.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 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 concelebrations admitted within the Latin Church 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 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.
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.
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Text and rubrics of the Roman Canon
The text and rubrics of the Roman Canon have undergone revisions over the centuries, while the canon itself has retained its essential form as arranged no later than the 7th century. However, there have been changes between the 1962 and 1970 versions outside of the preface and the Sanctus, specifically the 1902 English version of Nicholas Gihr's The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (1902), and the version of the text from 1970. The rubrics, as is customary in similar liturgical books, indicate the manner in which to carry out the celebration.
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.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 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 concelebrations admitted within the Latin Church 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 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.
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.