What's the deal with the Responsorial Psalm?
  • E_A_FulhorstE_A_Fulhorst
    Posts: 381
    Just went through line by line with between my CTS Novus Ordo Missal and the Angelus Press TLM Missal, giving the widest possible benefit of the doubt to the Novus Ordo. (Happily, not as much of a rout as I'd imagined --- but this is, again, assuming the celebrant uses the Asperges, the Roman Canon, one of the surviving traditional prefaces, and all the propers.)

    Having been under the impression that the Psalm was the option for spoken Masses and the Gradual was intended for sung Masses, there being no such red text in the CTS struck me as odd. Rubrically, may the Psalm be substituted out or not? After all, doesn't Dr. Mahrt use the Gradual instead of the Psalm?
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 1,000
    First of all, the Responsorial Psalm isn't intended for spoken Masses. The Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum of Pope Paul VI says:
    Quod reliquum est, licet textus Gradualis Romani, ad cantum saltem quod attinet, nοn fuerit mutatus, tamen, facilioris intellectus gratia, sive Psalmus ille Responsorius, de quο S. Augustinus et S. Leo Magnus saepe commermorant, sive Antiphonae ad Introitum et ad Communionem in Missis lectis adhibendae, pro opportunitate, instaurata sunt.

    (Even though the text of the Roman Gradual, at least that which concerns the singing, has not been changed, still, for a better understanding, the responsorial psalm, which St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great often mention, has been restored, and the Introit and Communion antiphons have been adapted for read Masses.)

    So, only the Entrance and Communion antiphons in the Roman Missal are intended for spoken Masses.
    According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the preferred text to be used after the first reading is the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary for Mass. Moreover (GIRM 61):
    Præstat psalmum responsorium cantu proferri, saltem ad populi responsum quod attinet.

    (It is preferable that the responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people’s response is concerned.)

    But the gradual from the Graduale Romanum may be sung in its place (also GIRM 61):
    Loco psalmi in lectionario assignati cani potest etiam vel responsorium graduale e Graduali romano, vel psalmus responsorius aut alleluiaticus e Graduali simplici, sicut in his libris describuntur.

    (The following may also be sung in place of the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary for Mass: either the gradual from the Roman Gradual or the responsorial psalm or alleluia psalm from the Simple Gradual as found in these books.)

    I agree that the US adaptation of this last part is a bit strange, suggesting that the proper or seasonal antiphon and Psalm from the Lectionary are found in the Roman Gradual or the Simple Gradual, which is of course not true.

    So, in short: the Responsorial Psalm from the Lectionary has preference and should be sung when possible; but it is also allowed to sing the gradual from the Graduale Romanum.
    Thanked by 3Paul F. Ford CHGiffen Ioannes Andreades
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    Did anyone else read the title of this thread in Jerry Seinfeld's voice?
    Thanked by 4ScottKChicago E_A_Fulhorst ryand noel jones, aago
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Not until now.
    Thanked by 3E_A_Fulhorst ryand noel jones, aago
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the preferred text to be used after the first reading is the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary for Mass. Moreover (GIRM 61):

    I've always read that "preferable" as expressing a preference for a sung responsorial psalm vs. an unsung responsorial psalm.

    My Latin is not good enough to be sure if this is backed up by the Latin of the GIRM, but certainly in the English, this is required by the sense. "at least as far as the people’s response is concerned" only makes sense if "preferable" refers to the singing choice of text.
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 1,000
    The Latin quote I used certainly refers to the preference for singing the responsorial psalm. But the text to be used should also be taken from the Lectionary. GIRM 61 also says:
    Psalmus responsorius unicuique lectioni respondeat et e Lectionario de more sumatur.

    (The responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary.)
    Thanked by 3Paul F. Ford CHGiffen Ioannes Andreades
  • ScottKChicago
    Posts: 349
    In the mid-1970s, in the days of the Monthly Missalette, there was a period during which we read the responsorial psalm in unison, top to bottom, starting with the antiphon and then straight through the verses as given in Palatino type on newsprint. Didn't repeat the antiphon. And no music...just reciting, even at Masses with music. Would that be licit now?

    Now as an Episcopalian, I again am used to reciting the psalm at Mass in unison (the celebrant starting us off with the first half-verse) from the prayer book. It's considered the preferred way of reciting the psalm without music. Antiphonal recitation (side to side) is recommended for the psalms in the Daily Office; most churches do these responsively, though, between leader and people by whole verse.
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 1,000
    Yes, recitation of the psalm would be a licit option (it is mentioned in GIRM 61), but only if the psalm could for some reason not be sung. It is to be sung whenever possible. The singing of the psalms are more in keeping with the very nature of these prayers, as the General Introduction of the Liturgy of the Hours confirms (GILH 268).
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,223
    As usual, it's worth checking texts found on-line. There seems to be a typo in the text Steven quoted from the Apostolic Constitution: "commermorant". The Vatican web site has it that way, too. But the 2002 Missale on-line has the typo fixed:
    Quod reliquum est, licet textus Gradualis Romani, ad cantum saltem quod attinet, non fuerit mutatus, tamen, facilioris intellectus gratia, sive psalmus ille responsorius, de quo S. Augustinus et S. Leo Magnus sæpe commemorant, sive antiphonæ ad introitum et ad Communionem in Missis lectis adhibendæ, pro opportunitate, instaurata sunt.


    [I posted a proposed translation here, but I'll re-post it below, taking into account the pointer from Ioannes, following:]
    Thanked by 1E_A_Fulhorst
  • Ioannes Andreades
    Posts: 311
    licet here means "although" and is a conjunction rather than a verb.
    Thanked by 2chonak E_A_Fulhorst
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    Having been under the impression that the Psalm was the option for spoken Masses and the Gradual was intended for sung Masses, there being no such red text in the CTS struck me as odd.

    Either can be used. Official documents differ as to which is "preferred." Regarding the notion that the Responsorial Psalm can only be used if sung, see this [PDF] explanation, which is linked to at [article] "Sung vs. Spoken Propers?.

    If all this is totally confusing, please see this website.
    Thanked by 1E_A_Fulhorst
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,223
    I'd render the text of that passage above this way (though perhaps someone else can improve on it; thanks to Ioannes for the pointer above):
    For the remainder, although the text of the Graduale Romanum is not to be changed, at least in what pertains to singing, yet, for the sake of easier understanding, both the Responsorial Psalm, to which St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great often make reference, and the Antiphons to be used at the Entrance and at Communion in read Masses, if appropriate, have been restored.


    It's a little unclear whether the "pro opportunitate" ("if appropriate") is intended to relate to just the Antiphons mentioned or also the Psalm. The following verb instaurata sunt relates to both, so maybe the "if appropriate" does too.
    Thanked by 1E_A_Fulhorst
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