The Good Friday oration as defined in the rubrics in the light of the twentieth-century liturgical reforms

Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to analyse the changes in the Good Friday oration in the light of the rubrics. This was made possible thanks to the analyses of the changes within certain categories in the liturgical books. The source material included Benedict XV’s Roman Missal, Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae Instauratus and two typical editions of the revised Roman Missals from 1970 and 2002. The paper was divided into six parts. Firstly, the Good Friday oration was placed within the whole liturgy and its structure was presented. The next parts showed the question of the persons involved in the liturgy and their liturgical vestments. Finally, the place and manner of saying the oration were discussed. The analyses have led to the conclusion that the scope of the changes introduced in the rubrics was relatively large. While the place of the Good Friday prayer within the entire liturgy was not changed, its order was significantly modified. The categories of persons who directly participated in the prayer were changed. Another modification was related to the liturgical vestments and their colour. The places from which the Solemn Intercessions were said were clearly defined, and another way of praying the oration was added.