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Liturgy Led by Lay People

Started by wandering_cath, January 25, 2023, 03:36:35 PM

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wandering_cath

Today in the current Church environment, they are advancing lay-led liturgies of the Word, that is, a celebration which is akin to a mass, but said by a lay person and without the sacrificial elements nor the consecration.
Such lay led liturgies or "Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest" can also have distribution of pre-consecrated Hosts.

This is one such example: Diocese of Portland
Some dioceses even have approved rites for this: Diocese of Hamilton

I have searched for the origins of such practice, but to no avail. I find references to the missa sicca and similar like missa nautica and missa venatoria.
William Durandus speaks of the dry mass, in Rationale Divinorum Officiorum, Book 4, Chapter I, p. 23 (available in English by Fons Vitae - that book is an incomplete translation by Fr. Rama Coomaraswamy), but as a practice of priests.

Is there any historical reference to this practice of having lay people do this kind of practice?

JuanaGarcia

Quote from: wandering_cath on January 25, 2023, 03:36:35 PMToday in the current Church environment, they are advancing lay-led liturgies of the Word, that is, a celebration which is akin to a mass, but said by a lay person and without the sacrificial elements nor the consecration.
Such lay led liturgies or "Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest" can also have distribution of pre-consecrated Hosts.

This is one such example: Diocese of Portland
Some dioceses even have approved rites for this: Diocese of Hamilton

I have searched for the origins of such practice, but to no avail. I find references to the missa sicca and similar like missa nautica and missa venatoria.
William Durandus speaks of the dry mass, in Rationale Divinorum Officiorum, Book 4, Chapter I, p. 23 (available in English by Fons Vitae - that book is an incomplete translation by Fr. Rama Coomaraswamy), but as a practice of priests.

Is there any historical reference to this practice of having lay people do this kind of practice?
The Missa Sicca, also known as the "Dry Mass," is a term used to describe a simulated or symbolic Mass that is performed outside of a formal liturgical setting. This practice is typically associated with military or emergency situations, where access to a priest or proper liturgical materials may be limited.

While the Missa Sicca is primarily associated with priests and religious figures, there is some evidence to suggest that laypeople may have also participated in this practice in certain circumstances. For example, in some historical accounts, laypeople are said to have performed the Missa Sicca during times of war or persecution when access to priests was limited.

However, it's worth noting that the Missa Sicca is not a widely recognized or sanctioned practice within the Catholic Church, and it's not clear how common or widespread the involvement of laypeople was in this practice throughout history.