Today, our Ordinary has provided the Ordinariate with Guidelines on how we are to celebrate the Mass.The full guidelines can be found here.As far as Buckfast Ordinariate Mission is concerned many of the recommendations have been implemented by us already. Here are a few comments (numbers refer to original document above) :
4. Calendar - Most noteable are "Sundays after Trinity".
5. Ad orientum - When possible we have been facing liturgical east for Mass.
9. We use incense every Sunday, and have gradually sung more and more of the mass, even the priests who are not musically trained (like me).
15. With help we have sung more and more plainchant.
20. We are confident singing the simple mass of the Missal.
21. We are currently singing Mass VIII: Gloria, Sanctus & Agnus in Latin. We haven't as yet sung the Creed or Our Father.
22. We have used the Advent Prose and Lent Prose for the last two years (from the English Hymnal). We only sing the Marian antiphons (Angelus & Regina Caeli) in English as yet.
23. We have used the RSV 2nd Ed exclusively since our first Sunday.
25. We now use the RSV psalter at mass. Considering singing it to plainsong instead of responsorially.
26. We have not yet used the mass of the Book of Divine Worship.
36. Up until just recently we have been celebrating mass in a chapel with communion rails and used them. We are currently in another chapel which does not have a rail (so we are receiving standing but several of us don't like it).
37. NOTE I still do not think this gives enough detail. I.e. is it dignified to lift the sacred body with finger and thumb, or should one lift palm to mouth?
38. This is very helpful guidance.
Generally I much prefer to be told what to do liturgically, than have to work it out from first principles, not least because it is less time consuming, less individualist, and more likely to result in consistency between groups. I welcome these guidelines.
Fr Ian Hellyer
Pastor of the Buckfast Ordinariate Mission
