Monday, March 9, 2020

Dominican Rite Absolution Cards Available

A couple weeks again a Dominican priest from another province who regularly hears confessions at a local Extraordinary Form parish told me that he did not now that there was a Dominican form for the absolution in the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation.  I gave him one of the wallet cards that I made up for this a few years ago.  I still have about a dozen of these cards available.

If you are a Dominican priest (or transitional deacon) and would like one of these cards, please mail a stamped self-addressed envelope to me at my St. Albert the Great Priory, Oakland CA, address and I will use it to drop a plastic-laminated card to you in the mail.  If you are a Dominican brother (or any other interested person) do the same, indicating you are not a priest or deacon, and I will mail you an un-laminated copy.

For those interested in the Dominican Rite absolution as it compares to the Extraordinary Form Roman, I have prepared a Latin and an English parallel comparison below.  I might point out some interesting differences.   The Dominican form pronounces (if needed), the absolution from censures before hearing the confession. This reflects the logic that censures need to be removed before a sacrament can be received.  The Roman simply combines this absolution with the the absolution from sins.  The Dominican absolution from sins places the rite in an ecclesiastical and sacramental context, restoring the penitent to the "communion and union" of the Faithful.  It also has an eschatological component as it references not only this earthly existence but also the soul's presence before the divine throne in heaven.  The Roman, omitting the part on censures, is very concise.

The are also a couple interesting, although less striking, differences. The Dominican absolution is given with a triple Sign of the Cross, something reserved to bishops in the Roman liturgy. And the closing prayer, optional in both, adds reference to the penitent's future intentions and St. Dominic to the simpler Roman form. Finally, the optional prayers for Divine Mercy that come after an expression of sorrow, both taken from the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, each reflect the form of the these take in each respective rite.

Here is the Latin:

Here is the English version:


I hope that readers who do not hear confessions will find this comparison of interest.

Photo Post: The Old Rite in a New Place

At Camberwell, Victoria, Australia, the Dominican Friars of the Province of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary have just celebrated the Dominican Rite for the first time since the Dominican Rite was abandoned in favor of the Roman Ordinary Form by the Order.

This Solemn High Mass, fittingly, was the Mass of St. Thomas Aquinas on his traditional feast day of March 7th, January 28th being the old feast of the translation of his relics, now the universal feast, so that his feast would fall outside of Lent in the Ordinary Form.

The celebrant was Fr. Thomas Azzi, OP, assisted by Fr. Christopher Dowd, OP as deacon, and Fr. Robert Krishna, OP as subdeacon.

The Dominican Church at Monash University

The altar is prepared

The ministers process toward the entrance

The procession arrives at the altar

Officium and Kyrie

The subdeacon prepares to bring the sacred vessels

The subdeacon pours the wine and water, after asking for the priest's blessing ("Benedicite")

Fr. Azzi, OP, preaching on the Universal Doctor

Incensing the altar

Incensing the ministers

Sanctus candles are lit

The priest blesses the host right before Consecration at the word "benedixit"
Elevation of the Host

Elevation of the Chalice

Unde et memores

The deacon offers the Pax to be kissed.

Absolution at Second Confiteor.

Purification of Vessels is finished

Postcommunion Prayer

Final blessing

An excellent turnout!
We thank Mr. Nicholas Morlin for sharing these pictures with us.