Dominica in Palmis – Part II

Part I

The structure of Palm Sunday in the pre-1955 rite is very similar to that found in the Bragan missal. Historians tell us that on this day there were two Masses, the palms being blessed in the first. The rite of blessing of the palms still follows the structure of a Mass in both the Bragan missal and the pre-’55 rite. Bearing that in mind, where are the differences?

Besides the textual differences mentioned in the previous post, the way the texts are distributed also varies.

In the Bragan missal we have:

• Introit – Collegerunt Pontifices
• Interruption for Terce
• Epistle reading – Isaiah
• Gradual – Christus factus
• Gospel– Mateus
• 5 Collects
• Preface
• Aspersion and incensing of palms
• Collect
• Distribution of palms
• Procession
  • Antiphons
  • Ave Rex Noster
  • Gloria laus
  • Attollite portas
• Ingrediente Domino

In the pre-’55:

• Introit – Hosanna filio David
• Colect
• Epistle – Exodus
• Gradual – Collegerunt pontifices or In monte Oliveti
• Gospel – Mateus
• Collect
• Preface
• 5 Collects
• Aspersion and incensing of palms
• Collect
• Antiphon
• Distribution of palms
• Collect
• Procession
  • Deacon says to congregation Procedamos in pace; to which choir replies In nomine Christi, Amen.
  • Antiphons
  • Gloria laus
• Ingrediente Domino

As can be seen, the structure is ver similar. As mentioned before, the antiphons vary in certain places, as well as the collects. The procession would be the place where most differences abound: notice that in the Bragan rite it is the celebrant who strikes the door thrice, while in the Roman it is the subdeacon, and only once. We saw that, contrary to the Roman, the processional cross is unveiled. The palms are placed on a table previously prepared, not on the altar as is the Roman custom.

The Roman rite of the blessing of the palms was severely altered with the reform of Holy Week in 1955. Gregory di Pippo has done a comparison of the differences between the pre- and post-’55 rites, so instead of repeating them here we direct you  to his excelent work at New Liturgical Movement. The differences between them are, grosso modo, the same between the Bragan and the post-’55.

Relatively to the rite in the ’62 missal, there are some “new” elements that coincide with the Bragan:

• unveiled processional cross;
• palms are not placed upon the altar;
• a hymn in honour of Christ the King is suggested in the ’62 missal in the place where the Bragan prescribes the singing of the Ave rex noster.

The 1955 reforms only affected the Bragan rite as pertains to the time of the celebrations. In the Bragan, deacon and subdeacon still wear folded dalmatics; the color of the day is still violet; the Preface for the blessing has not been removed.

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For those interested in the texts of the pre-’55 rite, you can find it here.