In the revision of 1961, the traditional order of the anointing of the altar and that of the consecration crosses (described in the previous article in this series) is reversed. The blessing of the door, previously done immediately before the relics were brought into the church, is moved to the middle of the anointing of the consecration crosses.
The anointing of the crosses is given a new rubrical title, “The Consecration of the Church.” As before, the bishop begins with the cross closest to the Gospel side of the altar, anointing each in turn with Chrism. The formula of the anointing is changed so that only one cross is made at the place noted below; no crosses are made with the hand, and the words given here in italics are omitted. The ministers now add “Amen” at the end.
The anointing of the crosses is given a new rubrical title, “The Consecration of the Church.” As before, the bishop begins with the cross closest to the Gospel side of the altar, anointing each in turn with Chrism. The formula of the anointing is changed so that only one cross is made at the place noted below; no crosses are made with the hand, and the words given here in italics are omitted. The ministers now add “Amen” at the end.
Let this temple be sanctified and consecrated. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit, unto the honor of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and to the name and memory of Saint N. Peace be to thee. R. Amen.
The bishop then incenses each cross three times, as before, and moves to the next one. The candle in the bracket beneath the cross (or above it) is then lit; in the previous version, the candles are lit from the very beginning of the ceremony. On reaching the door, the bishop signs it with Chrism once, saying:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. Door, be thou blessed, sanctified, consecrated, sealed, and given over to the Lord God; be thou the entrance of salvation and peace; be thou the door of peace, through Him, who called Himself the door, Jesus Christ our Lord, who with the Father etc. (italics omitted from the previous version. The door was formerly anointed three times, once at the naming of each person of the Holy Trinity.)
The bishop resumes the anointing of the consecration crosses, continuing from the door to the altar up the Epistle side of the church; previously, the last six crosses were done starting from the Epistle side of the altar, and moving to the door.
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| H.E. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz anoints one of the consecration crosses during the dedication of the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. Photo © 2010 F.S.S.P. www.fssp.org |
Meanwhile, the choir sings the same chants as in the previous version. The antiphon “All thy walls” is no longer intoned by the bishop; it is now sung after every two or three verses of psalm 147, and Gloria Patri is no longer said at the end. A new rubric provides that the Vesper hymn of the Dedication of a Church Caelestis urbs Jerusalem may also be sung.
After the twelfth cross, the bishop comes to the altar, and says the following prayer, which was formerly said before he began to consecrate the sepulcher. The prayer itself is unchanged, but is now preceded by “Dominus vobiscum”; the bishop now says it with his hands closed, and facing the people in the nave.
After the twelfth cross, the bishop comes to the altar, and says the following prayer, which was formerly said before he began to consecrate the sepulcher. The prayer itself is unchanged, but is now preceded by “Dominus vobiscum”; the bishop now says it with his hands closed, and facing the people in the nave.
O God, who of Thy clemency and kindness art present in every part of Thy dominion to dedicate it, hear us, we beseech Thee, and grant that henceforth, the building of this place remain inviolable: and may the society of all the faithful, which Thee imploreth, merit to receive the benefit of Thy favor. (short conclusion.)
He now anoints the altar with the Holy Chrism, in the usual five places, first the middle, then the upper left, lower right, lower left and upper right. The formula of the anointing is changed so that only one cross is made at the place noted below; no crosses are made with the hand, and the words given here in italics are omitted. Where the word “stone” was said in the previous version, the revised version has “altar”; the word “sealed” is a new addition. The ministers now add “Amen” at the end.
Let this altar be sealed, sanctified and consecrated. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit, unto the honor of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and to the name and memory of Saint N. Peace be to thee. R. Amen.
The bishop then anoints the front of the altar, and the four corners where the mensa meets its supports. In the Pontifical of 1595, these are anointed at the end of the ceremony, with accompanying chants and prayers, all of which are now suppressed. (These will be described in a later article.) At each point, the bishop says “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.”, anointing once, where he previously anointed three times, once at the naming of each person of the Holy Trinity.
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| H.E. Bishop James Timlin anoints one of the side altars during the dedication of the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. Photo © 2010 F.S.S.P. www.fssp.org |
During the anointing of the altar, the choir sings the following antiphon, and repeats it after every two verses of psalm 44, from which it is taken, without Gloria Patri at the end. It is no longer intoned by the bishop.
God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, above thy fellows.
The incensation of the five crosses on the mensa is suppressed.
The four incensations of the altar by the bishop, formerly interspersed between the various anointings of the mensa, are all suppressed.
The responsory Dirigatur which accompanied them all four times is suppressed.
The prayers said after them are suppressed.
The two anointings of the crosses on the mensa with the oil of the Catechumens are suppressed.
The spreading of the oil of the Catechumens and the Holy Chrism together over the mensa is suppressed.
All the antiphons and psalms which accompanied them are suppressed.
The continual incensation of the altar by a priest while the bishop anoints the altar is suppressed.
The exhortation said before the blessing of the consecration crosses is suppressed.
The final incensation, and the antiphon which accompanies it, (“Moses built an altar”), are suppressed. The prayer said immediately after it is moved towards the end of the service, and slightly altered, as will be described in an upcoming article.
