More than five years after their implementation, there’s still confusion among Australian Catholics regarding the changes to the Order of the Mass.
The main confusion appears to be regarding when members of the congregation should stand during the Preparation of the Gifts.
Parishes in Perth, as well other dioceses around Australia, have recently included reminders in their parish bulletins about the correct practice.
Since May 11, 2008, congregations have been required to stand as they respond to the priest’s invitation to pray.
The Roman Missal states that, after the priest’s invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), “the people rise and reply: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands…”
RCIA coordinator in Perth and liturgy field officer Karen Hart said the majority of people in her parish stand during the priest’s invitation to pray, which is incorrect.
“These days people often don’t have their own Missal and follow the power-point. If that is not clear then the assembly will not know,” she said.
The source of the confusion could be a contradiction present in the preliminary instructions in the Roman Missal, which states that: “The faithful should stand… from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren)”.
But this is at odds with the section in the Missal that details the Order of the Mass, where the aforementioned instruction to “rise and reply” occurs.
Fortunately, for Australia, the situation appears to have been clarified.
In both the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the St Paul’s Weekday Missal, published in 2012, the instruction to stand from the priest’s invitation to prayer is made irrelevant.
Both publications include a side note titled ‘In Australia’, that affirms that the faithful “should stand… from the completion of the priest’s invitation”.