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APOSTOLIC NORMS FOR THE CULTS OF HOLY WEEK
We, Supreme Pontiff, Vicar of Christ, Successor of Saint Peter, Servant of the Servants of God, Patriarch of El Palmar de Troya.
We as Universal Doctor of the Church wish to establish certain rubrics for the rites of Holy Week.
Most dearly beloved children of Our heart, although there still reverberates the jubilant pealing of these festive days of the Nativity of the Lord, already, with volcanic impetus, We speak of the Sacred Passion of Jesus and Mary. We exhort you once again to give thanks to Jesus and Mary for having granted to Holy Mother Church in these last times a Sevillian Pope, since for this reason, this Pope who is speaking to you knows how to feel in the depth of his soul, sorrow and joy at the same time. And it is precisely in this sublime marriage of sorrow and joy, that there is born a glorious mystery, since it is the union of sorrow and joy that make of the mysteries of our Catholic Faith a glorious triumph. In this sublime mystical doctrine, the Church manifests to the world the triumphant majesty of the Cross. She manifests this triumph in such wise, that sorrow becomes joy, and joy sorrow. And thus is vividly expressed the triumph of the Church.
We desire to open your filial hearts and flood them with the delicate liquor that fills Our paternal heart. This delicate liquor is not other than Our delight in the glorious mystery that comes from the mystical marriage of sorrow and joy. The majestic death of Christ on the Cross which, sad to say, for many signifies foolishness, for others absurdity, signifies for us triumph,- since it is not the failure of one defeated, but rather the majestic victory of a conquering King. From this infallible doctrine there follows another infallible doctrine which vividly expresses the Glorious and Triumphant Death of Our Exalted King, Christ Jesus, with black vestments and at the same time with unspeakable joy. Because the Death of Christ is life for us, since without the Death of Christ we should all be dead. Therefore let this sublime truth cause the Holy Church of God to exult with joy.
Dearly beloved children of Our soul, it is necessary for all of us to preach to the world the Glorious Death of Christ, so that the world find life, And not only mankind, but every creature, each according to its kind, since without the Death of Christ, all creation would keep on groaning. Because Christ is He who renews all things.
Dearly beloved, We wish with jubilant vehemence to declare for you with all authority that together with the Glorious Death of Christ on the Cross we must necessarily speak of the Glorious Death of the Divine Mary at the foot of the Cross.
We, as Universal Doctor of the Church, without more preamble wish to treat the liturgical question of the solemn days of Holy Week. To wit:
We, as Universal Doctor of the Church, with Our Apostolic authority establish the following:
1. In the solemn rites of Palm Sunday, We separate the Blessing and Procession of the Palms and Olive Branches from the Mass, in which is sung the Passion of the Lord, in order to give a more triumphant character to the Sacred Entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem. In the solemn rite of the Blessing and Procession of the Palms and Olive Branches, the officiant and principal ministers will wear white vestments, and the rest of the accompanying clerics can be vested in all the liturgical colours but black and violet.
2.- We ordain a Mass of the Triumphant Entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem, with proper preface, Communicantes, Hanc Igitur as well as a proper Sequence. At the Gloria in Excelsis, the bells will ring as in a victory, in order to proclaim to the world the Kingship of Christ. Naturally the vestments will be white in this Mass.
3.- We establish the order of the Masses of Palm Sunday as follows: The First Mass will be of the Triumphant Entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem. The Second, the Traditional Mass of this day.
4.- We ordain the following: All priests assisting at the solemn pontifical masses celebrated in the Cathedral Basilica of El Palmar will omit obligatorily in their masses the reading of the Passion and will read only the last part, exactly as the rubrics of daily mass prescribe.
5.- The cults of Palm Sunday will be performed as follows:
At midnight, the beginning of Sunday, the Most Solemn Pontifical Mass of the Sacred Entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem. Two hours after this Pontifical Mass, the Blessing and Procession of the Palm and Olive branches, after which will follow the continual masses and penitential rosaries. These will be terminated at 4:30 in the afternoon, when the Temple will be closed. The second Pontifical Mass, in which the Passion of the Lord will be sung, will commence at 6:00 in the evening. The vestments of this Mass will be violet to express the proximity of the Death of the Lord. After a brief rest, there will follow the procession of the Holy Face with the Holy Way of the Cross, after which turns of masses and penitential rosaries until 8:30 in the morning.
6.- The Pontifical Masses of Holy Monday, Holy Thursday and Holy Wednesday, will commence at 10:00 in the morning. Following which, there will commence the masses and turns of the penitential rosaries until 5:00 in the evening, when the Temple will be closed. At 6:00 in the evening, masses on all the altars with the Holy Way of the Cross. After a brief pause, there will follow the procession. That of Holy Wednesday will be of the Most Holy Christ of El Palmar, Light of the World. At the end of which will commence the masses and turns of the penitential rosary. On Holy Wednesday, all the masses have to be terminated at 11:00 o'clock at night, due to the prohibition of private masses on the following days. The last mass ended there will continue the penitential rosaries, without mass, until 7:00 in the morning.
7.- Holy Thursday: At 8:00 in the morning, the Pontifical Mass "In Coena Domini" (Divine offices of the Institution of the First Mass and the Blessing of the Oils). Following which will commence the turns of adoration with penitential rosaries before the Holy Sepulchre until the Mass of the Presanctified of Good Friday. At 8:00 in the evening, procession with the Holy Way of the Cross.
Good Friday: At 2:00 in the morning, procession of Our Father Jesus carrying the Cross, in rigorous silence, with appropriate hymns at the stations.
At 8:00 in the morning, Pontifical Mass of the Presanctified (Divine offices of the Death of Christ). After which penitential rosaries in turns. At 3:00 in the afternoon, adoration of the Holy Cross for the nuns and the faithful according to the traditional rite, since in the Mass only the clerics will do so. After which, turns of the Penitential Rosary before the Cross.
At 8:00 in the evening, procession of the Holy Burial of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in rigorous silence, with appropriate canticles at the Stations. After which, turns of the penitential rosary before Christ Recumbent until the Mass of the Paschal Vigil of Saturday of Glory.
Saturday of Glory: At 2:00 in the morning, Procession of Our Mother of Sorrows of El Palmar. At 8:00 in the morning the Pontifical Mass of the Paschal Vigil. After which, turns of the Penitential Rosary. At 8:00 in the evening, procession with hymns of triumph.
Easter Sunday: At midnight, Pontifical Mass of the Triumphant Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. After which, turns of the penitential rosary.
At 8:00 in the morning, Grand Eucharistic Procession, as on the Feast of Corpus Christi. After which the Temple will be closed.
At 6:00 in the evening, Holy Mass in honour of Our Crowned Mother of El Palmar. After which, the Temple will be closed for a brief period.
Following which, the traditional Kissing of the Hand of Our Crowned Mother of EI Palmar. The Most Blessed Image will be exposed for the veneration of the faithful during the Pascual Triduum, during which there will be continual turns of masses and penitential rosaries.
We with Our apostolic authority grant to all the faithful in general assisting at the cults of the Cathedral Basilica of El Palmar the following:
Plenary Indulgence for each of the cults for those who assist, under the usual conditions, and recite after each of the cults a complete Pater Noster for Our intentions, another for the general intentions of Holy Mother Church, and the third for the Holy Souls of Purgatory, as well as a Creed.
The faithful can apply these indulgences for their deceased, for the conversion of their families, friends and countrymen.
We with Our apostolic authority ordain the transference of the Sacred Triduum of Tenebrae to the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after the first Passion Sunday, considering the most solemn and numerous cults in the Cathedral Basilica of El Palmar de Troya.
We as Common Father of all the Church, address Our paternal word to all the faithful: We exhort you with great vehemence to do what you can every year to sacrifice your vacations and devote the time to assist at the most solemn cults of El Palmar in Holy Week.
We, as Universal Doctor of the Church establish the following:
In the Chrismal Mass of Holy Thursday, besides the observance of the Tridentine-Latin-Palmarian rite, there will be celebrated the following:
The rite of the Washing of Feet, from now on, will take place before the offertory in the presbytery to recall the order followed by Christ in the Last Supper, and to recall as well the moment in which Our Lord Jesus Christ conferred the deaconate on the apostles. With this disposition We declare solemnly as truth of faith revealed by God the moment of the divine institution of the deaconate.
We with Our apostolic authority ordain that the Washing of Feet, from now on may only be celebrated with clerics in their various grades, from the deaconate and above. It is strictly forbidden for clerics of inferior grade to the deaconate, and of course for the laity, under pain of excommunication. The number of clerics will be twelve.
We, with Our apostolic authority ordain in this Mass that the Bishop Celebrating give the Kiss of Peace to the usual ministers, the 12 priests, the 7 deacons and the 7 sub-deacons.
We as Universal Doctor of the Church ordain the following: In the Mass of the Presanctified of Good Friday, besides the traditional rite, the following rubrics will be observed: During the incensation of the oblata will be sung the Stabat Mater, since, if this hymn is justifiable in daily mass, it is more than justifiable on this day. When the celebrant elevates the Sacred Host for all to adore, the Host is incensed as usual. The usual Agnus Dei will be sung, since if it is justified in daily mass, it is not less so in the mass of this day. The mass continues until the Communion as in the Palmarian rite. The kiss of peace is given, since, if this is fitting in other solemnities, it is so also in the solemnity of this day that in a special manner shows us Christ our Peacemaker. After the Communion, the thanksgiving of the celebrant as usual, while the choir sings the Benedicite. And then Mass continues according to the rubrics.
We, as Universal Doctor of the Church, ordain the following:
In the Mass of the Paschal Vigil of Saturday of Gloria, immediately after the Creed, the clerics, in their own name and in the name of all the Church, will renew solemnly the promises of Holy Baptism.
We as Universal Doctor of the Church, with Our apostolic authority ordain:
From now on, in the processions of the Sacred Images during Holy Week, the Officiant and the principal ministers will vest in the seven liturgical colours. To wit:
In the procession of the Holy Face, on the evening of Palm Sunday, red vestments to remind us of Christ, Martyr of martyrs, the Man of Sorrows.
In the evening of Holy Monday, rose vestments, since on this day the Passion is not sung.
In the evening of Holy Tuesday and that of Holy Wednesday, violet vestments.
In the evening of Holy Thursday, celestial blue to remind us that Heaven is with us, and surrounds us, and to recall the presence of the Eucharistic Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
In the early morning of Good Friday, violet vestments to indicate the penitential character of the day.
In the evening of Good Friday, black vestments to recall the Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the early morning of Saturday of Glory, green vestments to express the hope of our future resurrection.
In the evening of Saturday of Glory and the morning of Easter Sunday, white vestments to express our joy in the triumph of Christ and Mary, as well as of all the Mystical Body of Christ.
With these seven liturgical colours during the processions of Holy Week, We wish to express with great vehemence, the rainbow representing the Salvific Work of our Redemption.
Also by means of these seven colours we preach to the world the existence of the seven Sacraments, the channels through which passes the Saving Blood of Jesus and Mary in order to course through our veins so that all the Mystical Body of Christ be elevated to the Hypostatic Order.
These seven liturgical colours, in themselves, are an efficacious sermon on the seven virtues contrary to the seven capital sins.
We address Our Paternal word to Our daughters of Spain (and as well of other nations if these desire to imitate the good taste of the custom):
We exhort with vehemence that, on the solemn days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, in the Eucharistic procession, those who can, use the classical Spanish mantilla.
We, howbeit with sorrow, due to the numerous tasks occasioned by the Great and Holy Palmarian Council, wish to terminate the present document, but not without having announced with great joy Our decision to send you divided into sections the Treatise on the Mass, within a short time.
Given in Seville at the Apostolic See, the 13th January, Feast of the Baptism of Christ, in the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ MCMLXXXII, the fourth of Our Pontificate.
