Compendium of the 1961 Revision of the Pontificale Romanum - Part 2.12: The Anointing of the Altar and Consecration Crosses (1595)

The bishop imposes and blesses incense as at Mass, and incenses the mensa of the altar, passing the thurible in a cross over the same five places where he has previously made crosses with the Gregorian water, and in the same order: first in the middle, then the upper left, lower right, lower left, and upper right. He then imposes and blesses incense again, and intones the following responsory. (Although so named in the Pontifical, it is really a gradual, the same also sung on the 19th Sunday after Pentecost and the Ember Saturday of Lent. I will refer to it later by its first word in Latin, Dirigatur.)

Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice.

As the choir chants it, the bishop incenses the altar three times, going around it from right to left, or if it is attached to the wall, incensing first the right side, then the left. Having finished the third turn, he hands it over to a priest vested in a surplice, who from the floor (in plano), incenses the altar continually with single swings, walking around it counter-clockwise. This priest incenses the altar in this manner whenever the bishop is not using the thurible himself.

The bishop now intones the following antiphon; it is completed by the choir, who sing it with psalm 83 Quam dilecta, without Gloria Patri at the end. (This is the sixth antiphon of Matins of the Dedication of a Church.)

Jacob raised up a stone as a title, pouring oil from above.

While these are sung, he anoints the altar with the oil of the Catechumens in the same five places where he had previously made crosses with the Gregorian water, and has incensed just before this, in the same order. At each cross he says:

Let this stone be sancti + fied and conse + crated. In the name of the + Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy + Spirit, unto the honor of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and to the name and memory of Saint N. Peace be to thee.

(This formula is similar to one used with the Gregorian water, but slightly re-ordered, with the addition of “and consecrated.”) As with the earlier anointing of the sepulcher, the bishop makes two crosses with the oil in each place, one at the word “sancti + fied”, and a second at the word “conse + crated.” He then makes the sign of the Cross three times with his hand over each place at the words “In the name of the Father etc.”

An illustration from a 1595 edition of the Pontifical, showing the anointing of the altar. (Permission to use this image has been very kindly given by the Pitts Theological Library, Candler School of Theology at Emory University.)

The priest who has been in the meantime incensing the altar brings the thurible to the bishop, who imposes and blesses incense as before, then intones the responsory Dirigatur a second time. The choir repeats it, while the bishop incenses the altar as before, this time going around it only once. Returning the thurible to the priest (who resumes incensing), he stands before the altar and says with the ministers, “Oremus. Flectamus genua. Levate.”, and the following prayer.

May the ineffable tenderness of Thy mercy be present, o Lord, and pour Thou forth upon this stone the aid of Thy + blessing (he makes the sign of the Cross; likewise in the following prayers), so that of Thy bounty, whoever offereth here his prayer may take away his reward. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

The bishop intones another antiphon; it is completed by the choir, who sing it with psalm 91 Bonum est confiteri Domino, without Gloria Patri at the end.

Jacob rising in the morning, set up a stone for a title, pouring oil from above; he made a vow to the Lord, saying, ‘Truly this place is holy, and I knew it not.’

As these are sung, he repeats the anointing of the altar with the oil of the Catechumens exactly as before. The priest then brings the thurible to the bishop, who imposes and blesses incense again, and intones the responsory Dirigatur a third time. The choir repeats it, while the bishop incenses the altar as before, again going around it only once. Returning the thurible to the priest (who resumes incensing), he stands before the altar and says with the ministers, “Oremus. Flectamus genua. Levate.”, and the following two prayers.

Be present, o Lord, at the dedication of this Thy table, and upon it, that has been anointed by us unworthy with holy oil, pour forth the power and consecration of Thy + blessing and sancti + fication. Who livest and reignest God, for ever and ever. R. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, sanctify this altar, which we unworthy consecrate to Thy honor, and to the memory of Thy Saint N., by the power of Thy + blessing, and to all who here call upon Thee, and hope in Thee, show forth the gift of Thy aid; that the gifts placed on this altar may ever find acceptance of Thy condescension, the Sacraments their power, and each prayer its effect. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

The bishop intones another antiphon; it is completed by the choir, who sing it with psalm 44 Eructavit cor meum, without Gloria Patri at the end.

God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, above thy fellows.

As these are sung, he repeats the anointing of the altar exactly as before, but with the Holy Chrism, rather than the oil of the Catechumens. The priest then brings the thurible to the bishop, who imposes and blesses incense again, then intones the responsory Dirigatur a fourth time. The choir repeats it, while the bishop incenses the altar as before, going around it only once, and from left to right, rather than right to left. (As with the external aspersion of the church, the bishop incenses the altar twice counter-clockwise, and once clockwise, in the same manner as the incensation during the Offertory of the Mass.) Returning the thurible to the priest (who resumes incensing), he stands before the altar and says with the ministers, “Oremus. Flectamus genua. Levate.”, and the following prayer.

Let Thy Holy Spirit descend upon this altar, we beseech Thee, o Lord, our God; that He may sanctify the gifts of ourselves and of Thy people upon it, and graciously cleanse the hearts of those that receive (them.) Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

The bishop intones another antiphon; it is completed by the choir, who sing it with psalm 45 Deus noster refugium et virtus, without Gloria Patri at the end. (In the Office of a Dedication, it is sung with the Magnificat at first Vespers.)

The Lord hath sanctified his tabernacle, for this is the house of God, in which His named shall be invoked; of which it is written: And my name shall be there, sayeth the Lord.

As these are sung, he pours both the oil of the Catechumens and the Chrism together on the middle of the altar in a straight line from the epistle side to the gospel side, then rubs the holy oils over the entire surface of the altar with his right hand, saying nothing. After cleaning his hands, the bishop intones the following antiphon; it is completed by the choir, who sing it with psalm 86 Fundamenta ejus, without Gloria Patri at the end, and without repeating the antiphon.

Behold the odor of my son, like the odor of a plentiful field that the Lord hath blessed. May my God make thy increase like the sand of the sea, and give thee blessing from the dew of heaven. (Genesis 27, 27-28; 28, 3; 32, 12)

After this the bishop says:

Dearest brethren, let us pray that our Lord may bless and consecrate this stone, on which the oil of sacred unction is poured, to receive the prayers and sacrifices of His people, and may that which has been anointed by us, be anointed in His name; that He may receive the prayers of the people, and that we ourselves, in placing on this altar, made perfect by holy unction, the propitiation of holy (sacrifices), may deserve to become propitiators of God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with him and the Holy Spirit etc.

The bishop intones another antiphon; it is completed by the choir, who sing it with psalm 147 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum, with Gloria Patri at the end. The choir continues with two responsories from the series which are sung in the Divine Office during the third week after Easter. (The former is not used in the Roman Rite, but may be found in the Cistercian and Premonstratensian Breviaries, among others.)

Ant. All thy walls are precious stones, and the towers of Jerusalem shall be built with gems.

R. This is that great and heavenly Jerusalem, adorned as the spouse of the Lamb. * Because she hath become a tabernacle, alleluia. V. Her gates shall not be closed by day, for there shall be no night in her. Because she hath become a tabernacle, alleluia.

R. Thy streets, o Jerusalem, shall be paved with pure gold, alleluia, and in thee shall be sung the song of joy, alleluia. * And through all thy ways shall be said by all, alleluia, alleluia. V. Thou shalt shine with splendid light, and all the ends of the earth shall adore thee. And through all thy ways shall be said by all, alleluia, alleluia.

While these are sung, the bishop goes to the first of twelve crosses on the walls of the church. These may be painted, or made of marble or metal, and fixed to the walls, about seven to eight feet off the ground; above or below each cross is fixed a bracket for a single candle. These crosses are set with two on either side of the main altar, two on either side of the main door, and four on either wall, as evenly spaced as possible. Starting with the cross closest to the Gospel side of the altar, the bishop ascends a movable platform made for this purpose, together with the deacon and subdeacon. The bishop anoints each cross with the Chrism, saying:

Let this temple be sancti + fied and conse + crated. In the name of the + Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy + Spirit, unto the honor of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and to the name and memory of Saint N. Peace be to thee.

(This is the same formula used for the anointing of the altar, with the word ‘temple’ in place of ‘stone’.) As with the earlier anointings, the bishop makes two crosses with the oil in each place, one at the word ‘sancti + fied’, and a second at the word ‘conse + crated.’ He then makes the sign of the Cross with his hand three times over it at the words “In the name of the Father etc.” He descends from the platform, which is moved to the next cross; he then imposes incense in a thurible and blesses it as at Mass, and incenses the cross three times, bowing to it before and after. This is repeated at each of the other crosses, moving down the church from altar to door on the Gospel side, and again down the church from altar to door on the Epistle side, adding incense to the thurible when necessary.

The bishop returns to the altar, where the priest who has in the meantime been continually incensing it brings him his thurible. Incense is imposed and blessed again by the bishop, who then intones the following antiphon, which is completed by the choir without a psalm.

Moses built an altar to the Lord God, offering upon it burnt offerings; and slaying victims, he made an evening sacrifice, unto the odor of sweetness to the Lord God, in the sight of the children of Israel.

He then says:

Dearest brethren, let us humbly implore the mercy of God the Father almighty, that besought by the ministry of our voice, He may sanctify with the present + blessing this altar that is to be imbued with spiritual sacrifices, and that He may ever deign to + bless and sancti + fy the offerings of His servants laid upon it, made in the zeal of holy devotion; and being appeased by the spiritual incense, most readily be present to hear the prayer of His family. Through Christ our Lord R. Amen.

The Church of the Holy Cross in Krakow. Two of the consecration crosses can be seen; one in the lower left next to the door of the pulpit, the other on the right, incorporated into the painted decorations of the arch.