Singing of the Passion
  • sacristanus
    Posts: 11
    Hello everyone!

    This year we will be doing the pre-1955 Holy Week. Is it possible to someone in the minor orders to sing the Synagoga for the Passion? I have heard someone say there is an 1850s indult for minor clerics to do so.

    I know that in the pre-55 rites the Gospel is not the Passion. The Gospel is sung later on.

    Can anyone help or offer some sources?
    Thanked by 1Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    I think that you should begin with this article by Fr William Rock, FSSP and go from there. I personally don't have a problem with it, if it's the difference between a third voice and probably solemn Mass. I think that reading the Passion at sung Mass is usually necessary and customary, but reading it in parochial churches even at solemn Mass and where enough deacons would be present is lame…

    (Also, while I appreciate that the clergy may be more scrupulous than the laity, in my experience, it's the other way around, but it's nevertheless still the pastor's call, and I can only argue against it when they insist on a cleric who can't sing singing it over a seminarian or esteemed man of the parish singing on what amounts to a technicality.)
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Well it is supposed to be sung by Deacons... Although we have Cantors singing the Cronista and Synagoga (We sing the Victoria setting of the crowd parts).
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 623
    NLM did an article about this a few weeks ago.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    From that NLM article -
    Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis juxta Ritum Romanum by Jean Baptiste de Herdt, censor of the Roman Sacred Liturgy Academy. In ninth edition (1894), de Herdt gives the following options for the celebration of the Passion (III, 27)
    ...
    The celebrant, when unaided by other ministers, is able to sing the Passion with two others. Here he references a decree from the Sacred Congregation of Rites (S.R.C.) from 10 January 1852 (n. 5166, 2 [1]). According to de Herdt, these two others need to be at least minor clerics, that is tonsured, who would be vested in surplice.

    However later in the article it is said that this indult was revoked, by default, in 1900. And concludes with various later directives that if the proper ministers are not available the Passion must be read and not sung.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    Interesting that the turba parts of the Passion may be sung by a lay choir, while if there is no choir, they must be done by a cleric.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    (The link to the NLM article is in the very first reply…)

    But this is why it’s the pastor’s call. Having a solemn Mass only to read the Passion is the very definition of stupid, nonsensical rule-following. On the other hand, singing two voices in the Gospel tone, which seems to be the least satisfactory option besides reading it, not only eliminates the drama but makes it a little too theatrical.

    I don’t think that Fr Rock fully reached a conclusion. There is no summary which says “you must do this, not that.” You may interpret his discussion of the post-1900 collection of decrees as such, but I’m not alone in thinking that if you have a cleric, not even a layman in the traditional sense, you should have him sing if it makes a major difference in the quality of the singing, especially if the alternative is reading the Passion even at solemn Mass. Doing that is incongruous.
    Thanked by 4tomjaw CHGiffen trentonjconn Andrew_Malton
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    UPDATE - NLM now has part 2 of Fr Rock's comments.
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    “Further alterations in the mid-20th century allowed the congregation to take the part of the Synagogue / Crowd, and a lay reader to take the part of the Narrator.” from the above, although not (in situ) with references.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    Yes, I came to share part II as well. My takeaway is that, behind all of these dubia, is that there have always been laymen and minor clerics or subdeacons singing the Passion in lieu of three deacons or at least the ministers of the Mass.
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