25. The censer-bearer will return promptly from the sacristy with censer, containing burning coals, accompanied by the boat-bearer with incense-boat, containing incense and spoon, and both will kneel on the sanctuary floor, at Epistle end of altar, facing the altar.

CHAPTER II.

THE PROCESSION BEFORE THE SOLEMN MASS.

In accordance with ancient custom1 a solemn procession may take place immediately before the principal or Solemn Mass on the greater festivals.

1. When there is to be such a procession, the entrance of the Celebrant and his attendants, from the sacristy to the altar, will be ordered as directed above (page 10), except that the Celebrant will wear a cope of the colour of the day, and the maniples will not be put on until the Celebrant is about to begin the Mass. The chasuble to be worn at the Mass, and the maniples of the Celebrant and his sacred ministers, will be placed on the sedilia at the Epistle side of the sanctuary. On entering the sanctuary from the sacristy the sacred ministers will walk on either side of the Celebrant and support his cope.

2. When all have made due reverence towards the altar, the Celebrant, accompanied by the sacred ministers who support his cope, ascends the steps of the altar and kisses the altar in the midst. If the Blessed

1 "Processio ante Missam antiqua est." Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. tit. ii., rub. v.

Sacrament be reserved in the Tabernacle, the sacred ministers genuflect on the foot-pace on either side of the Celebrant, when he kisses the altar, otherwise they bow profoundly. After the Celebrant has kissed the altar, the censer-bearer attended by the Master of Ceremonies and followed by the boat-bearer, comes up to the foot-pace from the floor at the Epistle end of the altar; or all three go directly up the altar steps from the places where they stood when they arrived before the altar. Incense is then put into the censer and blessed, all being done as directed at the time of the Introit on page 18. When the incense has been blessed by the Celebrant, the censer-bearer closes the censer, and after due reverence towards the cross, returns to the floor of the sanctuary, attended as before by the Master of Ceremonies and followed by the boat-bearer.

3. Then the censer-bearer, having the boat-bearer on his left hand, goes to the midst before the altar, at a convenient distance from the lowest step, where he stands facing the altar. The Master of Ceremonies goes to his place before the Epistle corner of the altar, first taking up and carrying with him the birettas to be worn by the Celebrant and the Deacon. Meanwhile the Sub-Deacon, after due act of reverence towards the cross, turns by his right and goes directly down to the floor, where facing the altar he genuflects; or, if the Blessed Sacrament be not in the tabernacle, bows profoundly; then he receives from an acolyte the processional cross, and at the same time the two candlebearers take up their candlesticks and go before the

Merati, in Gav.. pt. iv., tit. vii., Observ. xxii.

altar, behind the Sub-Deacon, and after due act of reverence towards the altar they advance and stand, the first on the right hand, and the second on the left hand of the Sub-Deacon; then all three go and stand in front of the censer-bearer, where facing the altar, they await the signal from the Master of Ceremonies to begin the procession.

4. When the Sub-Deacon goes away from the place where he received the processional cross, the Celebrant and the Deacon, without any further act of reverence turn towards the people, the Celebrant by his right and the Deacon by his left, and come down to the floor; where facing the altar they make due act of reverence towards the altar. Then the Master of Ceremonies gives to the Deacon the Celebrant's biretta, which the Deacon presents to the Celebrant with the accustomed salutations, and then receives his own biretta from the hands of the Master of Ceremonies. The Celebrant and the Deacon put on their birettas.*

5. When the Celebrant covers his head, the Master of Ceremonies signals the censer-bearer to go forward. Immediately after due reverence towards the altar, the censer-bearer and the boat-bearer turn towards the people and begin the procession; the boatbearer walks at the left of the censer-bearer, holding the boat as usual; and the censer-bearer will carry and

Bauldry, Man. Sac. Carem., pt. iv., cap. 3, art. iii. In the Processions on Candlemas and Palm Sunday, the Deacon, before descending to the floor goes to his step behind the Celebrant, and facing the people, sings "Let us go forth in peace," to which the choir sing in response, "In the Name of Christ, Amen.' (Baruffaldo, Ad Rit. Rom. Com., tom. ii., tit. lxxvii., sec i.)

"

4 Within the church no one other than the Celebrant and his sacred ministers wears the biretta. Cp. De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., lib. i., cap. 3.

swing the censer* as directed on page 11. If, during the progress of the procession, there be need to put more incense in the censer, the censer-bearer will stand still for an instant, raise the top of the censer, and the boat-bearer puts incense therein; then the censerbearer closes the censer and immediately proceeds as before. The censer-bearer will hold himself erect, keep his eyes cast down on the way before him, and walk slowly in a reverent and dignified manner.

6. The course of the procession (within the Church) will be ordered according to the custom of the place and to the space available. Regularly, the procession will move from the left to the right, going forth on the Epistle side of the Church and returning by the Gospel side. Thus the course may be either of the following, as may be convenient: The procession may go forth from the chancel, then through the transept to the south side, then to the west end of the Church, and returning by the central passageway to the chancel; or it may go from the chancel directly down the central passageway to the west end, thence to the north aisle and so returning to the chancel; or continuing on past the high altar to the south aisle it may go again to the west end, and then return by the central passageway, to the chancel.

As soon as the censer-bearer has begun to move, the cross-bearer and the two candle-bearers, turning to the right without changing their relative positions, and without any further act of reverence, follow the censerbearer. While thus carrying the cross and lighted

"Præcedit semper ministrum crucem gestantem, tenens Thuribulum prope cooperculum manu dextra, et illud continuo ante crucem leviter agitans." Van der Stappen, Sac. Lit., tom. v., p. 33.

candles in procession, the cross-bearer and the two candle-bearers make no act of reverence, not even to the Blessed Sacrament which may be reserved on an altar which the procession passes by, or which is being elevated by a Priest saying Mass. The cross will be carried with its figure turned forward and the back part looking towards the procession which follows. The candlesticks will be carried as directed above, on page II.

The Master of Ceremonies having made due reverence to the altar takes his place in the procession. He will ordinarily walk behind the cross-bearer; yet he has no fixed place, but may walk in advance of the clergy or the acolytes or the Celebrant, or wherever he may best perform the duties of his office, and so may change his position, if need be, in a quiet and reverent manner during the procession.

The choristers walking two by two, and the juniors preceding, make due act of reverence towards the altar as they come to the midst before turning to follow in procession after the cross-bearer and the Master of Ceremonies. The choir will begin their song at at signal from the Master of Ceremonies, immediately before the censer-bearer begins to move.

After the choristers come the clergy, who may be present, walking two by two, and duly vested in surplices. Then the acolytes, and lastly the Celebrant, with the Deacon on his left hand, not supporting the cope. If they do not hold books, the Celebrant and the Deacon will have their hands joined before the

Bauldry, Man. Sac. Carem., pt. ii., cap. xiv., sec. xv.

In cathedral churches the singers may go in procession, in advance of the censer-bearer. Ibid. sec. xvii., and pt. v., lib. ii., cap. xvi., sec. xix.