Gregp:

you ask a question similar to mine, in that in the N.O. the answer to your question as well as mine would be that a lay cantor can do it if a capable priest or deacon is not available. Here we have something good from the N.O. that could be used in the E.F. without losing anything in the way of solemnity or reverence. A lay person vested with an alb does the job very nicely. In the Vatican Basilica one sees clerics not yet deacons singing wearing an alb and it looks very dignified. And you are lucky that at least your priest sings the EF.

I need to add that my recolection is that 40 years ago most priests would sing and do a decent job of it. They didn't all sound like angels, and not all of them liked to do it, but most viewed it as part of their job. It is clear to me that we are suffering from deficiencies in seminary training for an entire generation of priests.

> I had read somewhere that even in the NO the part of Jesus is to be sung by the priest

In principle, yes. The passion should be sung by three deacons. If deacons are not available, lay people may read C and S, but + ought to be reserved to the priest...

...if this is possible. Check rubric 21 of Palm Sunday in the 2002 Missal: «Historia Passionis Domini legitur absque luminaribus et absque incenso, sine salutatione et signatione libri. Legitur autem diacono vel, ipso deficiente, a sacerdote. Legi potest etiam a lectoribus, parte Christi, si fieri potest, sacerdoti reservata. Diaconi, non autem alii, ante cantum Passionis, petunt benedictionem sacerdotis, ut alias ante Evangelium.»

(The narration of the Passion of the Lord is read without candles and without incense, without salutation and without making the sign of the cross on the book. It is read by the deacon, or, if there is no deacon, by the priest. It may also be read by lectors, the part of Christ, if possible, being reserved to the priest. The deacons, but not the others, before singing the Passion, ask the blessing of the priest, just as before the gospel.) (My translation, with an apologise for any mistake.)

As a practical matter, based on my experience, the Passion can be sung by laymen who are commissioned for the duty. While I have known the part of Christ to be sung also by a layman, I would strongly advocate this remain a clerical role (though desperation sometimes calls for desperate measures). As for singing it in English, I would say positively not. Besides running counter to the traditional Mass, it would also offend against singing only Latin in the context of Missa cantata (assuming you are talking about Missa cantata otherwise). The work-around I've most often seen adopted is for the priest to then read the abbreviated English version, as provided in the Missal, rather than the full Passion again.

The consensus from other forums where I posted the question also seems to be: no, laymen cannot; must be a deacon or above. Summorum Pontificum does not make an exception for non-deacons reading the Passion the way it does it for the vernacular. However, given the exception for the vernacular, it seems so very reasonable an exception that I decided to write Msgr. Perl (Ecclesia Dei) and see what he says. Hopefully he will have the time to reply.

To be clear: The readings may be pronounced in the vernacular only, if it is a Low Mass; a Sung Mass requires Epistle and Gospel to be sung in Latin. This does also pertain to the Passion. They may of course be pronounced in the Vernacular from the pulpit, but a Sung Mass definitely requires the Readings sung in Latin (cf. Universae Ecclesiae).

At the EF Masses here in London, we have always had Cantors (laymen) chanting the C and S parts, with the schola singing the relevant parts of the Synagoga. Christus is always by the priest (celebrant). Last Palm Sunday we sang the polyphonic choir parts. Our cantors vest in choir dress.

@ Jeffrey Morse, we hardly ever have translations of the readings read out at our Masses. Over half of our congregation follow the Mass using hand missals / UVOC style Propers sheets. At least some of the rest who are not following are listening to the latin! I find hearing the readings in English to be quite distracting, as I find I am thinking more about the quality of the translation.