DECREE TOUCHING THE THINGS TO BE OBSERVED AND TO BE AVOIDED IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE MASS

How great care is to be taken, that the sacred and holy sacrifice of the mass be celebrated with all religious service and veneration, each one may easily make an estimate, who considers, that, in holy writ, he is called accursed, who doth the work of God negligently. And if we must needs confess, that no other work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery itself, wherein that life-giving victim, by which we were reconciled unto God the Father, is daily immolated on the altar by the priests; it is also sufficiently clear, that all industry and diligence is to be applied to this end, that it be performed with the greatest possible inward cleanness and purity of heart, and outward show of devotion and piety. Whereas, therefore, either through the wickedness of the times, or through the carelessness and unworthiness of men, many things already seem to have crept in, which are alien from the dignity of so great a sacrifice; to the end that the honour and worship due thereunto may be restored, unto the glory of God and the edification of the faithful people; the holy synod decrees, that the ordinary bishops of places shall diligently take care, and be bound to prohibit and abolish all those things which either covetousness, which is a serving of idols, or irreverence, which can scarcely be separated from impiety; or superstition, the false imitatress of true piety, have introduced.

And that many things may be comprised in few words: first, as relates to covetousness, they shall utterly prohibit all manner of conditions and bargains for recompenses, and whatsoever is given for the celebration of new masses; also the importunate and illiberal exactions, rather than requests, for alms, and other things of the like sort, which are but little removed from simoniacal taint, or at all events, from filthy lucre.

Furthermore, that irreverence may be avoided, let each, in his own diocese, forbid that any wandering or unknown priest be permitted to celebrate mass. And, moreover, they shall not allow any one who is publicly and notoriously a criminal, either to minister at the holy altar, or to assist, at the sacred services; nor shall they suffer this holy sacrifice to be celebrated, either by any seculars or regulars whatsoever, in private houses, or anywhere, out of the church, and those oratories dedicated solely unto divine worship, and which are to be designated and visited by the said ordinaries; and not then, unless those who are present shall have first declared, by their decently composed external appearance, that they are not present there in body only, but also in mind and devout affection of heart. They shall also keep from the churches all those kinds of music, in which, whether by the organ, or in the singing, there is mixed up anything lascivious or impure; as also all secular actions; vain and therefore profane conversations, all walking about, noise, and clamour; that so the house of God may truly seem to be, and may be called, a house of prayer.

Lastly, that no place may be given to superstition; they shall by edict, and under penalties laid down, that priests take care not to celebrate at other than due hours, nor make use of other rites, or other ceremonies and prayers, in the celebration of masses, besides those which have been approved by the Church, and have been received by a frequent and laudable usage. They shall wholly remove from the Church the observance of a fixed number of certain masses, and of candles, as being invented rather by superstitious worship, than by true religion; and they shall instruct the people, what is, and from whom especially is derived, the fruit so precious and heavenly of this most holy sacrifice. They shall also admonish the same people, to repair frequently to their own parish churches, at least on the Lord’s days and the greater festivals. All these things, therefore, that have been summarily enumerated, are in such wise propounded unto all ordinaries of places, as that according to the power given them by this sacred and holy synod, and even delegates of the Apostolic See, they may prohibit, command, reform, and ordain, not only those very things aforesaid, but also whatsoever else shall seem to them to appertain hereunto; and may compel the faithful people inviolably to observe them, by ecclesiastical censures and other penalties, which may be appointed at their pleasure; any privileges, exemptions, appeals, and customs whatsoever, to the contrary notwithstanding.