REVIEWER

FOR THE SYNODAL

EXAMINATIONS
I. LECTORATE

SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM (4 DECEMBER 1963)

1. Why was there a need for the liturgy to be reformed?
-In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an
abundance of graces from the sacred liturgy.
-The liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted,
and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to
be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the
intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the
liturgy or have been unsuitable to it. (#21)

2. May an ordained minister or a priest add/change anything in the

liturgy on his own authority?
-The regulation of the liturgy depends solely on the authority of the
Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws determine, on the
bishop.
-In virtue of the power conceded by law, the regulation of the liturgy
within certain defined limits belong also to various kinds of
competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.
-No other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change
anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

3. What was Sacrosanctum Concilium all about and when was it

promulgated?
-The first document of the council promulgated in December 4, 1963;

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-Translation: “This sacred council”
-It laid out the general principles for the restoration and promotion
of the liturgy.
-It is divided into the following parts:
a. Nature and Importance
b. Promotion of liturgical instruction and active participation
c. General Norms
d. Eucharist
e. Sacraments and Sacramentals
f. Divine Office
g. Liturgical Year
h. Sacred Music
i. Sacred Art & Furnishings

4. What was one of the cogent reasons in liturgy, specifically in the

Eucharist, that was brought forward for undertaking the reform
and promotion of liturgy?
-For the liturgy, “through which the work of our redemption is
accomplished,” most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is
the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their
lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real
nature of the true Church.
-Because the liturgy daily builds up those who are within into a holy
temple of the Lord, into a dwelling place for God in the spirit, to the
mature measure of the fullness of Christ, at the same time it
marvellously strengthens their power to preach Christ, and thus
shows forth the Church to those who are outside as a sign lifted up
among the nations under which the scattered children of God may be
gathered together until there is one sheepfold and one shepherd. (#2)

5. The full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be
considered before all else in the promotion and restoration of
Sacred Liturgy. Why is this so?

-Full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy by the

Christian people is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

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They are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
redeemed people” (1 Pt. 2:9)
-For it is the primary and indispensable source from which the
faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit. (#14)

LUMEN GENTIUM (21 NOVEMBER 1964)

6. Describe the Church as instituted by Christ Jesus.
-It is the Kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, growing
visibly through the power of God in the world. (#3)
-From all eternity, the Church was prepared by the Father to gather
those whom he had chosen in Christ. Carrying out his will, Christ
inaugurated the Church through his paschal sacrifice. When Christ
accomplished his work on earth, the Holy Spirit was sent to the
Church in order to continually sanctify and guide it. The Holy Spirit
continually renews it and leads it to perfect union with its Spouse.
Thus the Church has been seen as a people made one with the unity
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Cf. #2-4)
-Sacrosanctum also made use of some metaphors taken from the
Scriptures in order to describe the mystery of the Church:
a. A sheepfold whose one and indispensable door is Christ.
b. A piece of land to be cultivated; it is the tillage of Christ.
c. The Building of God
d. The “Jerusalem which is above”, “our mother” – the Bride of
Christ (#6-7)

7. What does “People of God” mean?

-They are the Christian faithful who, inasmuch as they have been
incorporated in Christ through baptism. Since they have become
sharers in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal office, they are
called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the
Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to
each one. (CIC # 204)

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8. Who are the Laity?
-They are the Christian faithful, except those in Holy Orders and
those in the state of religious life approved by the Church. By
baptism, they are made one body with Christ and are constituted
among the People of God. They are in their own way sharers in the
priestly, prophetic, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry
out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in
the Church and in the world.
-What specifically characterizes the laity is their secular nature.

9. Why is the Church called to be holy?

-Because her nature is to be indefectibly holy because her origin, the
Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ in particular, is acclaimed as the “Holy
One.” Holiness is one of the four notes/marks of the true Church.
-She is the Bride of Christ without blemish, for whom Christ
delivered himself up to death in order to sanctify her (Ep. 5:25-26).
-“This is the will of God your (our) holiness” (1 Thes 4:3)
-This holiness is manifest in those who live the evangelical counsels
of poverty, chastity, and obedience (the religious), fruits of grace
produced by the Holy Spirit.

10. What is the role of Mary in the Church?

- She is the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, Head of the Church,
thus the faithful reverence her. (#52)
- She is hailed as a pre-eminent and singular member of the Church,
its type and exemplar in faith and charity. Thus, she occupies a
place in the Church which is the highest after Christ and yet very
close to us. (#53-54)
- She is the model and type of the Church, sanctified and glorified.
(#65)
- She is the sign of created hope and solace to the wandering people
of God. (#68)

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 PRESBYTERORUM ORDINIS (7 DECEMBER 1965)
11. What does Presbyterorum Ordinis refer to?
-Promulgated on December 7, 1965, it is one of the twelve decrees of
Vatican II. The document concerns the ministry and life of priests.

12. What are the functions of priests?

a. Ministers of God’s word. They have the primary duty of
proclaiming the Gospel of God to all. (Mark 16:15) (#4)
b. Ministers of Sanctification through the Sacraments and the
Eucharist. They are made sharers in the priesthood of Christ that they
might act as his ministers in performing sacred functions. (#5)
c. Guides and Educators of God’s People. They exercise the office of
Christ the Shepherd and Head, in the name of the bishop. They
gather the family of God together and build up the Church. (#6)

13. Can a priest be extracted from his own diocese and transferred
to other dioceses which lack priests?
-Every priestly ministry shares in the universality of the mission
entrusted by Christ to his apostles. It is not a limited and narrow
mission but a wide and universal mission of salvation “to the ends of
the earth” (Ac 1:8)
-This priesthood is intended for all peoples and all times, knows no
limits of blood, nationality or time.
-Care for all the churches is their intimate concern of every priest.
Hence, priests of such dioceses as are rich in vocations should show
themselves willing and ready, with the permission of their own
bishop, to volunteer for work in other regions, missions or
endeavors which are poor in numbers of clergy.

14. Why must a priest celebrate the Mass daily?

-Priests fulfil their principal function in the ministry of the
Eucharistic sacrifice in which the work of our redemption is
continually carried out, hence daily celebration of Mass is strongly
urged, even when there cannot be present a number of the faithful.

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-When priests join in the act of Christ the Priest, they offer
themselves entirely to God, and when they offer themselves entirely
to God, and when they are nourished with the body of Christ they
profoundly share in the love of him who gives himself as food to
the faithful. They are united with the intention and love of Christ.
(#13)

15. Is there such a thing as Private Mass?

-The Mass, even though it is celebrated privately is still not private,
but it is the act of Christ and the Church. The church in the sacrifice
which she offers, learns to offer herself as a universal sacrifice of the
cross to the whole world for its salvation. For every mass that is
celebrated is offered not merely for the salvation of some souls but
for that of the whole world.

OPTATAM TOTIUS (28 OCTOBER 1965)

16. How should students or seminarians study theological subjects

under the tutelage of the magisterium?
-The theological disciplines, in the light of faith and under the
guidance of the magisterium of the Church, should be so taught that
the students will correctly draw out Catholic doctrine from divine
revelation, profoundly penetrate it, make it the food of their own
spiritual lives, and be enabled to proclaim, explain, and protect it in
their priestly ministry. (#16)

Here are the following theological subjects to be taught in seminaries,

as specified by Optatam Totius:
a. Study of the Bible – as the soul of theology; initiated carefully
into the method of exegesis; great themes of divine revelation;
b. The contribution of the Fathers of the Eastern and Western
Church to the faithful transmission and development of the
individual truths of revelation. (e.g. Patristics)
c. History of dogma
d. Speculation, under the guidance of St. Thomas
e. Moral theology

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 f. Canon Law
g. Liturgy

17. What are the different principal aspects of pastoral training that
should be taught for those students who are aspiring to become a
priest?
-That pastoral concern which ought to permeate thoroughly the
entire training of the students also demands that they be diligently
instructed in those matters which are particularly linked to the sacred
ministry, especially in catechesis and preaching, in liturgical
worship and the administration of the sacraments, in works of
charity, in assisting the erring and the unbelieving, and in the other
pastoral functions.
-They are to be carefully instructed in the art of directing souls,
whereby they will be able to bring all the sons of the Church first of
all to a fully conscious and apostolic Christian life and to the
fulfillment of the duties of their state of life.
-Let them learn to help, with equal solicitude, religious men and
women that they may persevere in the grace of their vocations and
may make progress according to the spirit of their various Institutes.
- They should also be taught to use the aids which the disciplines of
pedagogy, psychology, and sociology can provide, according to
correct methodology and the norms of ecclesiastical authority.
-Likewise, let them be properly instructed in inspiring and fostering
the apostolic activity of the laity and in promoting the various and
more effective forms of the apostolate.
-Let them also be imbued with that truly Catholic spirit which will
accustom them to transcend the limits of their own diocese, nation, or
rite, and to help the needs of the whole Church, prepared in spirit to
preach the Gospel everywhere.

18. Why is there a need for the Church to establish seminaries for
priestly training? (OT, #4)
Because here the entire training of the students are oriented to the
formation of true shepherds of souls after the model of our Lord

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Jesus Christ, teacher, priest and shepherd. They are prepared for the
ministry of the word: that they might understand ever more perfectly
the revealed word of God; that, meditating on it they might possess it
more firmly, and that they might express it in words and in example;
for the ministry of worship and of sanctification: that through their
prayers and their carrying out of the sacred liturgical celebrations
they might perfect the work of salvation through the Eucharistic
sacrifice and the sacraments; for the ministry of the parish: that they
might know how to make Christ present to men, Him who did not
"come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for
many" (Mark 10:45; cf. John 13:12-17), and that, having become the
servants of all, they might win over all the more (cf. 1 Cor. 9:19).

19. What is the reason why philosophical subjects are being taught
in the seminary? (OT, #?)
-so that the students are first of all led to acquire a solid and
coherent knowledge of man, the world, and of God, relying on a
philosophical patrimony which is perennially valid and taking into
account the philosophical investigations of later ages.
-that in studying the history of philosophy and the ultimate
principles of the various systems, seminarians will hold on to what is
proven to be true therein and will be able to detect the roots of
errors and to refute them.
-so that they will be helped to perceive the links between the
subject-matter of philosophy and the mysteries of salvation which
are considered in theology under the higher light of faith.

20. Why should the Program for Priestly Training of each nation or
rite adopt the circumstances of time and place in initiating this
program?
-since only general laws can be made as there exists a wide variety
of nations and regions;
-so that priestly training will always be in tune with the pastoral
needs of those regions in which the ministry is to be exercised;

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 MISSALE ROMANUM (1969)
21. The Second Vatican Council, by its Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, laid the foundations for the general revision of the
Roman Missal. What then are its decrees?
-Both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more
clearly the holy things which they signify.
-The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic
nature and purpose of each parts, as also the connection between
them, may be more clearly manifested.
-Promote full, conscious, and active participation.
-The treasures of the Bible be opened up more fully, so that richer
fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word.
-A new rite of concelebration should be drawn up and inserted into
the Pontifical and Missal.

22. What are the main features of the newly revised Roman Missal?
a. A general instruction to the missal
b. Three new Eucharistic prayers
c. A revised Order of Mass
d. A revised and modified Temporal (Proper of Seasons),
Sanctoral (Proper of Saints), Common of Saints, the Ritual Masses,
and the Votive Masses.
e. Revised Orations (Prayers)

23. What is the purpose and use of the Institutio Generalis or

General Instruction?
-Serves as a preface to the book.
-New norms are given for the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice,
regarding both the rites to be carried out and the functions proper to
each person present and participating and to the furnishings and the
places necessary for the conduct of divine worship.

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24. What is the point that the Roman Missal intend to enforce and
accomplish?
-That it will be received by the Christian faithful as a help in
witnessing to and strengthening the unity of all, by means of which,
in the variety of so many languages, one and the same prayer of all
will rise up, more fragrant than any incense, to the heavenly Father,
through our High Priest Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit.

25. According to the document Missale Romanum, the most

remarkable of the new features are those which concern the great
Eucharistic prayer. What are the new features?
-The endowment of the Eucharistic Prayer with a number of
Prefaces, either taken from the earlier tradition of the Roman Church
or now newly composed, so that through them particular parts of the
mystery of salvation may become more clearly evident and more
numerous and richer motives for thanksgiving;
-Three new Canons be provided, added alongside the Roman Canon.
-The words of the Lord (institution narrative) have been maintained
one and the same in each formula of the Canon.
-The words Mysterium fidei, removed from the context of the
words of Christ our Lord and spoken by the Priest, these open the
way, as it were, to the acclamation of the faithful.

MINISTERIA QUAEDAM (1972)

26. What is the office of the lector? (Vatican II, #5, p. 430)
-It is the office concerned with reading the word of God in the
liturgical assembly.
-Accordingly, the lector is to proclaim the readings from sacred
Scripture, except for the gospel in the Mass and other sacred
celebrations; he is to recite the psalm between the readings when
there is no psalmist; he is to present the intentions for the general
intercessions in the absence of a deacon or cantor; he is to direct the
singing and the participation by the faithful; he is to instruct the
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faithful for the worthy reception of the sacraments. He may also,
insofar as may be necessary, take care of preparing other faithful
who are appointed on a temporary basis to read the Scriptures in
liturgical celebrations.

27. What is the office of the acolyte? (Vatican II, #6, p. 430)
It is the office concerned with assisting the deacon and the priest. It
is his duty to attend to the service of the altar and to assist the
deacon and the priest in liturgical celebrations, especially in the
celebration of Mass.
-He is also to distribute communion as a special minister when the
ministers spoken of in the Codex Iuris Canonici can. 845 are not
available or are prevented by ill health, age, or another pastoral
ministry from performing this function, or when the number of
communicants is so great that the celebration of Mass would be
unduly prolonged. In the same extraordinary circumstances an
acolyte may be entrusted with publicly exposing the Blessed
Sacrament for adoration by the faithful and afterward replacing it,
but not with blessing the people. He may also, to the extent needed,
take care of instructing other faithful who on a temporary basis are
appointed to assist the priest or deacon in liturgical celebrations by
carrying the missal, cross, candles, etc., or by performing other such
duties.

28. Is it a must/prerequisite for the candidates to the diaconate and

priesthood to receive the ministries? (Vatican II, #11, p. 431)
-Yes. Unless they have already done so, candidates for ordination as
deacons and priests are to receive the ministries of reader and
acolyte and are to exercise them for a suitable time, in order to be
better disposed for the future service of the word and of the altar.
-Dispensation from receiving these ministries on the part of such
candidates is reserved to the Holy See. The conferring of ministries
does not bring with it the right to support or remuneration from the
Church.

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29. What was the decree of the Second Vatican Council regarding
the different orders and ministries in liturgical celebrations?
(Vatican II, par. 1, p. 428)
-Vatican Council II decreed that "in liturgical celebrations each one,
minister or layperson, who has an office to perform, should do all of,
but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of
the rite and the principles of liturgy."

30. What are the conditions to be fulfilled before admitting a

person to the ministries? (Vatican II, #8, p. 431)
a. The presentation of a petition that has been freely made out and
signed by the aspirant to the Ordinary (the bishop and, in clerical
institutes, the major superior) who has the right to accept the petition;
b. a suitable age and special qualities to be determined by the
conference of bishops;
c. a firm will to give faithful service to God and the Christian people.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ROMAN MISSAL (2003)

31. Is the announcing of the intentions of the prayers of the
faithful proper to a duly instituted lector?
No. They are announced from the ambo or from another suitable
place, by the Deacon or by a cantor, a reader (lector), or one of the
lay faithful.

32. What is the basic duty of a lector? (GIRM 2003, Chapter 3, p. 37

no. 99)
Introductory Rites
In the procession to the altar, in the absence of a Deacon, the reader,
wearing approved attire, may carry the Book of the Gospels,
slightly elevated. In that case, the reader walks in front of the Priest
but otherwise walks along with the other ministers.
Upon reaching the altar, the reader makes a profound bow with the

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others. If he is carrying the Book of the Gospels, he approaches the altar and
places the Book of the Gospels upon it. Then the reader takes his own place in the
sanctuary with the other ministers.

The Liturgy of the Word

The reader reads from the ambo the readings that precede the
Gospel. In the absence of a psalmist, the reader may also
proclaim the Responsorial Psalm after the First Reading.

In the absence of a Deacon, the reader, after the introduction by the

Priest, may announce the intentions of the Universal Prayer from
the ambo.

If there is no singing at the Entrance or at Communion and the

antiphons given in the Missal are not recited by the faithful, the
reader may read them at an appropriate time.

33. What is the basic duty of the acolyte? (GIRM 2003, Chapter 3,
p. 36 no. 90)
The functions that the acolyte may carry out are of various kinds and
several may occur at the same moment. Hence, it is desirable that
these duties be suitably distributed among several acolytes. If, in
fact, only one acolyte is present, he should perform the more
important duties while the rest are to be distributed among several
ministers.
The Introductory Rites
In the procession to the altar, the acolyte may carry the cross,
walking between two ministers with lighted candles. Upon
reaching the altar, however, the acolyte places the cross upright near
the altar so that it may serve as the altar cross; otherwise, he puts it
away in a dignified place. Then he takes his place in the sanctuary.

Through the entire celebration, it is for the acolyte to approach the

Priest or the Deacon, whenever necessary, in order to present the
book to them and to assist them in any other way required. Thus it
is appropriate that, in so far as possible, the acolyte should occupy a
place from which he can easily carry out his ministry either at the
chair or at the altar.

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 The Liturgy of the Eucharist
In the absence of a Deacon, after the Universal Prayer and while the
Priest remains at the chair, the acolyte places the corporal, the
purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar.
Then, if necessary, the acolyte assists the Priest in receiving the
gifts of the people and, if appropriate, brings the bread and wine
to the altar and hands them to the Priest. If incense is being used,
the acolyte presents the thurible to the Priest and assists him
while he incenses the offerings, the cross, and the altar. Then the
acolyte incenses the Priest and the people.

A duly instituted acolyte, as an extraordinary minister, may, if

necessary, assist the Priest in distributing Communion to the
people. If Communion is given under both kinds, in the absence
of a Deacon, the acolyte administers the chalice to the
communicants or holds the chalice if Communion is given by
intinction.

Likewise, after the distribution of Communion is complete, a

duly instituted acolyte helps the Priest or Deacon to purify and
arrange the sacred vessels. In the absence of a Deacon, a duly
instituted acolyte carries the sacred vessels to the credence table and
there purifies them, wipes them and arranges them as usual.

After the celebration of Mass, the acolyte and other ministers return
together with the Deacon and the Priest in procession to the sacristy,
in the same manner and in the same order in which they entered.

34. May a duly instituted acolyte purify the sacred vessels on the
altar table?
No. In the absence of a Deacon, a duly instituted acolyte carries the
sacred vessels to the credence table and there purifies them, wipes
them and arranges them as usual.

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35. In the celebration of the Eucharist, in what way can a deacon
exercise his ministry?
When he is present at the celebration of the Eucharist, a Deacon
should exercise his ministry, wearing sacred vestments. In fact, the
Deacon:
a. assists the Priest and walks at his side;
b. ministers at the altar, both as regards the chalice and the
book;
c. proclaims the Gospel and may, at the direction of the
Priest Celebrant, give the Homily (cf. no. 66);
d. guides the faithful people by giving appropriate instructions,
and announces the intentions of the Universal Prayer;
e. assists the Priest Celebrant in distributing Communion,
and purifies and arranges the sacred vessels;
f. carries out the duties of other ministers himself, if necessary,
when none of them is present.

ECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA (2003)

36. The Eucharist is a “reminder” of the Lord’s passion and death.
True or false? Explain your answer.
The Mass makes present the sacrifice on the cross; it does not add
anything to that sacrifice nor does it multiply it. What is repeated is
its memorial celebration, its “commemorative re-presentation”
(memorialis demonstratio), which makes Christ’s one, definitive
redemptive sacrifice always present in time. The sacrificial nature of
the Eucharistic mystery cannot therefore be understood as
something separate, independent of the cross or only indirectly
referring to the sacrifice of Calvary.

37. Is it possible for a Christian to receive bodily resurrection in

the here and now?
Yes. Because the Eucharist is a straining toward the goal, a foretaste
of the fullness of joy promised by Christ; it is in some way the
anticipation of heaven, the “pledge of future glory”. Those who
feed on Christ in the Eucharist need not wait until the hereafter to
receive eternal life: they already possess it on earth, as the first-fruits

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of a future which will embrace man in his totality. For in the
Eucharist we also receive the pledge of our bodily resurrection at
the end of the world (Cf. Jn. 6:54).This pledge of the future
resurrection comes from the fact that the flesh of the Son of Man,
given as food, is his body in its glorious state after the resurrection.
With the Eucharist we digest, as it were, the “secret” of the
resurrection. For this reason St. Ignatius of Antioch defined the
Eucharistic Bread as a “medicine of immortality, an antidote to
death.”

38. What is the reason why only a priest can recite the Eucharistic
Prayer and the people can only participate in faith and silence?
-The Church is apostolic in the sense that she continues to be taught,
sanctified, and guided by the Apostles until Christ’s return, through
their successors in pastoral office.
- Succession to the apostles in the pastoral mission necessarily entails
the sacrament of Holy orders. This succession is essential for the
Church to exist in a proper and full sense.
-The Eucharist also expresses this sense of apostolicity. As the
Second Vatican Council teaches: “the faithful join in the offering of
the Eucharist by virtue of their royal priesthood,” yet it is the
ordained priest who, “acting in the person of Christ, brings about the
Eucharistic Sacrifice and offers it to God in the name of all the
people”. For this reason, the Missal prescribes that only the priest
should recite the Eucharistic Prayer, while the people participate in
faith and silence. (#28)

39. If the Eucharist is the center and summit of the Church’s life,
what is then the center and summit of priestly ministry? (EE, p. 34)
-Still the Eucharist, because it is the “principal and central raison
d’etre of the sacrament of priesthood, which effectively came into
being at the moment of the institution of the Eucharist.
-The Second Vatican Council saw in pastoral charity the bond which
gives unity to the priest’s life and work and this flows mainly from
the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

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40. If Mary is the woman of the Eucharist, how did she live her
Eucharistic faith?
Mary lived her Eucharistic faith even before the institution of the
Eucharist, by the fact that she offered her virginal womb for the
Incarnation of God’s Word.
-The Eucharist, while commemorating the passion and resurrection,
is also in continuity with the incarnation. At the Annunciation, Mary
conceived the Son of God in the physical reality of his body and
blood, thus anticipating within herself what to some degree
happens sacramentally in every believer who receives, under the
signs of bread and wine, the Lord’s body and blood. (#55)

REDEMPTIONIS SACRAMENTUM (2004)

41. What is the translation of the title of the instruction
Redemptionis Sacramentum?
-The sacrament of redemption

42. Why is Redemptionis Sacramentum being published?

-to take up within the Instruction some elements of liturgical
norms that have been previously expounded or laid down and even
today remain in force in order to assure a deeper appreciation of the
liturgical norms;
-to establish certain norms by which those earlier ones are
explained and complemented;
-and also to set forth for Bishops, as well as for Priests, Deacons and
all the lay Christian faithful, how each should carry them out in
accordance with his own responsibilities and the means at his
disposal.

43. How does this affect the role of the laity at Mass?
The second chapter concentrates on the participation of the lay
faithful in the Eucharistic celebration. Baptism is the foundation
for the common priesthood (Instruction, 36, 37). The ordained priest
remains indispensable for a Christian community and the roles of
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the priests and of the lay faithful should not be confused
(Instruction, 42, 45). Laypeople have their proper role.
The Instruction stresses that this does not mean that everybody has to
be doing something. Rather it is a question of being fully alive to the
great privilege that God has given them in calling them to participate
with mind and heart and their entire life in the liturgy and through it
to receive God's grace. It is important to understand this properly
and not to suppose that the Instruction is somehow biased against
laypeople.

(From the letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship accompanying

Redemptionis Sacramentum)

44. What roles are available to the laity? Can any lay person be a
liturgical minister?
-For the good of the community and of the whole Church of God,
some of the lay faithful according to tradition have rightly and
laudably exercised ministries in the celebration of the Sacred
Liturgy.
-Notable among these ministries are the lectorate and acolytate,
either instituted or by temporary deputation.

45. What abuses are described concerning the Eucharistic prayer?

a. Priests taking upon themselves the right to compose their
own Eucharistic Prayers; changing the same texts approved by the
Church, or introducing others composed by private individuals.
b. Some parts of the Eucharistic Prayer are recited by a Deacon,
a lay minister, or by an individual member of the faithful, or by all
members of the faithful together.
c. Prayers, singing, or playing of the organ and other
instruments while the priest is reciting the Eucharistic prayer;
d. Priests breaking the host at the time of the consecration in the
Holy Mass.
e. Omitting the name of the Pope and the bishop in the
Eucharistic Prayer;
f. Introduction of unapproved acclamations into the prayer;

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 ____________________________________________________________

II. ACOLYTATE

All the above documents, including the following:

PASTORES DABO VOBIS (25 MARCH 1992)

1. Please relate something about the background of the publication
of PDV? (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 25 March 1992).
-Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, that came out as a
response to the 1990 Synod of Bishops on the theme: “the formation
of priests in circumstances of the present day;
-A product of the reflections, endeavors, and indications that were
made before and during the Synod;
-Concerned about the challenges facing priestly formation at the
close of the 2nd millennium;

2. Pope John Paul II discussed in the document about priestly

service and pastoral charity. What did the Pope say about it?

-Pastoral charity is the internal principle, the force that animates and
guides the spiritual life of the priest inasmuch as he is configured to
Christ the Head and Shepherd;
-It is the virtue by which the priest imitates Christ in his self-giving
and service;
-It is expressed in the ‘gift of self’ that is directed to the Church;
-Distinguishes the exercise of the priestly ministry as an “amoris
officium”;

3. How did Pope John Pau describe the major seminary in PDV?
-It is the best place of formation, the normal place for community
and hierarchical life;
-Considered as both a place and a period: and educational
community in progress;

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-A possibility of reliving the experience of formation provided by
the Lord for the Twelve Apostles;
-Thus, it is an original experience of the Church’s life.

4. How did Pastores Dabo Vobis give importance to the formation

in celibacy for the Candidates of the priesthood?
-Celibacy is a special grace, a gift. “Not all men can receive this
saying, but only those to whom it is given” (Mt. 19:11).
-It is to be presented to the seminarians clearly, without ambiguities,
and in a positive fashion.
-Candidates to the priesthood should have a sufficient degree of
psychological and sexual maturity (affective maturity) as well as an
assiduous life of prayer;
-As a further help, the candidate must put himself under the
direction of a spiritual director;
-It in necessary that the candidate should have a knowledge of the
documents of Vatican II on this matter, namely:
a. Sacerdotalis Coelibatus (Paul VI)
b. Instruction for Formation in Priestly Celibacy (1974)

5. Who are the agents of priestly formation according to PDV?

a. The Bishop
b. The Seminary
c. Theology Professors
d. Communities of Origin:
-Family, Parish Community, Associations and Youth
Movements
e. The Candidate himself

DIRECTORY ON THE MINISTRY AND LIFE OF PRIESTS

6. What is the distinction between common and ministerial
priesthood? (CCC # 1546-1547).
-Both are participations in the priestly office of Christ.

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-The common priesthood is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal
grace, while the ministerial/hierarchical priesthood is at the service
of the common priesthood

7. What are the Theological-Spiritual motives of Celibacy?

Based on the directory, these can be summarized into four points:
a. Eschatological – “for the sake of the Kingdom”
b. Nuptial – the priest reflects the exclusive love of Christ for the
Church in his celibate lifestyle;
c. Christological – after the example of Jesus who was celibate
himself;
d. Pastoral – so that the priest can serve God and the Church
with an undivided heart;

8. How do Priests become in Communion in the Ministerial

activity?
-By having a deep and filial bond of charity with the person of the
Holy Father;
-In fidelity and service to the authority of his bishop. With full
respect and rapport for hierarchical subordination, the priest will
promote a genuine rapport with his bishop, indicated by sincere
confidence, cordial friendship, and true effort towards consonance
and convergence in ideals and programs. Nothing should take away
from the intelligent capacity for personal initiative and pastoral
enterprise.

9. What is the Missionary nature of the Priesthood?

-The priest, profoundly aware of his priesthood, should be in
harmony with the Church who feels to send her ministers to places
where their mission is more needed and to work toward a more
equal distribution of the clergy;
-The spiritual gift received at ordination prepares priests for a wider
mission of salvation
-As they are closely associated with the Episcopal body, they have
the mission to announce the Gospel “to the ends of the earth.”

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-Priests share in the care and solicitude for all the churches.

10. How do Priests become in communion in the priesthood?

-Every priest is united to other priests by specific bonds of apostolic
charity, ministry, and fraternity; -This bond does not come from
blood but from the grace of Holy orders;
-Upon ordination priests are inserted into an ordo, the Order of
Presbyters.

SECOND PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES

11. When and where was the Second Plenary Council held?
-At the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, Makati, from January 20 –
February 17, 1991

12. When we say Christian hierarchy, does it mean it destroys the

equality in Christian dignity?
-This hierarchy is a hierarchy of service, and not of Christian
excellence;
-The hierarchy which exercises leadership in the Church is willed by
the Lord.
-A person is not a better Christian simply because he is a bishop,
presbyter, or deacon. The Christian dignity of the ordained is
measured by the sincerity and genuineness of their service rather
than the office they hold.

13. Why is inter-religious dialogue necessary?

In order to promote and work for the unity which our Lord prayed
for in his Priestly Prayer: “Ut unum sint” (John 17) – that all may be
one.

14. Describe the Basic Ecclesial Communities?

They are communities of Christians, usually of families who gather
around the Word of God and the Eucharist. These communities are

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united to their pastors but are ministered to regularly by lay leaders.
The members know each other by name, and share not only the
Word of God and the Eucharist but also their concerns both material
and spiritual. They have a strong sense of belongingness and of
responsibility for one another.
-Emerging at the grassroots among poor farmers and workers
-They strive to integrate their faith and daily life.
-They are guided and encouraged by regular catechesis.
-In many dioceses, they are a pastoral priority.

15. What then is the “Church of the Poor”?

-It means a Church that embraces and practices the evangelical
spirit of poverty, which combines detachment from possessions
with a profound trust in the Lord as the sole source of salvation.
While the Lord does not want anyone to be materially poor, he wants
all his followers to be “poor in spirit”.

CATECHISM FOR FILIPINO CATHOLICS

16. How does Christ share his Priesthood?
-With his definitive sacrifice on the cross, Jesus communicated to all
his disciples the dignity and mission of priests of the new and
eternal covenant.
-For the sake of this universal priesthood, he called and appointed
the Twelve Apostles with a specific and authoritative mandate.
-Christ shares his priesthood in a twofold manner:
a. Through the Royal/Common priesthood
b. Through the Ministerial priesthood

17. How are these two priesthoods (ministerial & common)

interrelated?
-Though they differ in essence and in degree, nevertheless they are
ordered to one another.

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-The priestly ministry tends to make the faithful aware of their
common priesthood and to activate it. It reminds the faithful that
they are the People of God and enables them to offer spiritual
sacrifices.
-Although ordered and directed to each other, each identity is
constituted as a distinct mode of Christ’s priesthood.

18. What are the two basic relationships of the Priest?

-By his ordination in the sacrament of Holy orders, the priest is
specially related to, and functions in the name of:
a. Christ, Head and Spouse of the Church in whose name the
priest labors;
b. The whole Church, in which the priest is a constitutive
element in his being and action.

19. What are the three degrees of the Sacrament of orders?

Episcopate
-Possesses the fullnes of Holy orders: sanctifying, teaching, and ruling;
-Entrusted with a particular diocese;
-With the other bishops, he has care for all the churches;
-Legitimate successor of the apostles;

Presbyterate
-Subordinate degree to the bishop’s ministry and function;
-Vatican II identifies three functions of this order:
a. preaching the gospel
b. shepherding the faithful
c. celebrating divine worship as priests of the new covenant
Diaconate
-Ordained not to the priesthood, but to the ministry;
-at the service of the liturgy, Gospel, and charity;

20. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy
Orders? (CFC 1987)
-The Holy Spirit configures the ordinandi to Christ, Head and
Shepherd of the Church, by a special grace, and confers an indelible

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character which marks the priest for special ministry in the Church.
(Cf. Rom 11:29)

CODE OF CANON LAW

21. Does a territorial Bishop out of his subject ordain to the
diaconate or presbyterate without a dimissorial letter from his
proper ordinary? (cn. # 1015, commentary)
No. Each candidate is to be ordained to the priesthood or to the
diaconate by his proper bishop, or with lawful dimissorial letter
granted by that bishop.
-Anyone entitled to give dimissorial letters for the reception of the
orders may also himself confer the orders if he is a bishop.

22. Could a residential bishop ordain his subject outside his

jurisdiction? (cn. # 1017, commentary)
-A bishop may not confer orders outside his own jurisdiction except
with the permission of the diocesan bishop.

23. What would be the most important character that the competent
authority should consider that makes the ordination invalid? (cn. #
1025, paragraph 2)
-The candidate is beneficial to the ministry of the Church.

24. On the part of the ordinand, what would be the most serious
thing to consider that makes the Ordination invalid?
(cn. 3 1026 commentary)
-He must have the requisite freedom.

25. What would be the required ministries that a candidate should

take before he be admitted to the ordination?
(cn. # 1035)
-Before anyone may be promoted to the diaconate, whether
permanent or transitory, he must have received the ministries of
lector and acolyte.

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 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
26. How is the sacrament of Holy Orders given? (CCC # 1536-1600)
-It is normally given within the Eucharistic celebration, preferably in
the Cathedral either on a Sunday or Holy Day or even on a
weekday, and where many of the faithful can take part.
-The essential rite of ordination is the laying on of hands together
with the consecratory prayer which signifies the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit.
-Only bishops can confer Holy Orders. They confer it in three
degrees, namely: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.

27. Who may lawfully receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

-Only a baptized man can be ordained (vir baptizatus).
-No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders, or to
claim it for himself; he is called to it by God.
-Church authority alone has the responsibility and right to call
someone to receive Holy orders.
-The Latin Church normally confers it on candidates who are ready
to embrace celibacy freely, and who publicly manifest this
intention, for the love of God’s kingdom and the service of men.

28. How many degrees are there in the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
(CCC # 1536-1600)
There are three degrees, namely:
Bishops
-Has the fullness of the sacrament;
-Successor of the Apostles;
-Called the High Priesthood; acme, summa of the sacred ministry;

Priests
-Co-worker of the bishop;
-Sharer in his consecration and mission;
-The function of the bishop’s ministry have been handed over to him
in a subordinate degree for the proper fulfilment of the apostolic
mission.

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Deacons
-Ordained in order to serve (diakonia);
-At the lower level of the hierarchy;
-He receives the imposition of hands not unto the priesthood but
unto the ministry.
-Only the bishop imposes his hand on the deacon at ordination,
which signifies his special attachment to the bishop in the task of
diakonia.

29. When and how did Christ institute the Sacrament of Holy
Orders?
-Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders at the Last Supper
when he said to his apostles: “Do this in memory of me.” In their
turn, in the time of the apostles, they ordained new priests and
bishops through the laying on of hands and prayer;

30. What is the difference between Ministerial Priesthood and

Common Priesthood? (CCC # 1536-1600)
-Christ has one priesthood. Christians participate in it in a twofold
manner- through the common priesthood and the ministerial
priesthood.
-The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common
priesthood because it confers a sacred power (sacra potestas) for the
service of the faithful.
-Ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by:
a. Teaching (munus docendi)
b. Divine worship (munus liturgicum/sanctificandi)
c. Pastoral governance (munus regendi)

DOMINICAE CENAE
31. What is the sacred character of the Eucharist? (DC # 8)
-The Eucharist is an essentially holy and sacred action because of the
continual presence and action of Christ.

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-Through the celebrant, Christ makes his entrance into the sanctuary
and proclaims his Gospel.
-“He is the offerer and the offered, the consecrator and the
consecrated.”
-Because it constitutes the sacred species, (the sancta sanctis), the
holy things of Christ given to the holy;
-The sacred and sacramental character of the Eucharist are willed by
Christ and transmitted by the Church. It is not a sacralization added
by men.

32. Why is the Eucharist called “a common possession of the

Church?” (DC # 12)
-Because it is the greatest gift in the order of grace and of sacrament
that the divine Spouse (Jesus) has offered and unceasingly offers to
His Spouse (the Church).
-It is a common possession of the Church since it is the sacrament of
her unity.
-And thus, the Church has the strict duty to specify everything which
concerns participation in it and its celebration.

33. What are the main parts of the Eucharist that are called two
tables of the Lord in the letter Dominicae Cenae? (DC # 10 and 11)
-The Table of the Word of God and the Table of the Bread of the
Lord.

34. What is the Living fruit of the Eucharist? (DC # 1)

-It is the perfecting of the image of God that we bear within us, an
image that corresponds to the once that Christ has revealed in us.
-Thus, we become adorers of Christ in spirit and in truth (Jn. 3:26).
-We mature in an ever fuller union with Christ.

35. Where does this worship of the Eucharistic Mystery directed

to? (DC # 3)
-This worship is directed towards the Father through Jesus Christ in
the Holy Spirit.
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 SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS (2007)

36. The Structure of the Eucharistic Celebration (#43)

-Pope Benedict XVI mentioned about specific parts of the Mass that
require attention at the present time:
a. The Liturgy of the Word
b. The homily
c. The presentation of gifts
d. The Eucharistic Prayer
e. The sign of peace
f. The distribution of the Eucharist
g. The dismissal “Ite missa est”

37. The intrinsic unity of the liturgical action (#44)

-In catechesis and in actual celebration, one must avoid giving
impression that the two parts of the rite are merely juxtaposed (put
together)
-There is an intrinsic bond between Word and Eucharist.
-From listening to the Word, faith is born and strengthened. In the
Eucharist, the Word made flesh gives himself as our spiritual food.
-From the two tables of the Word and the Body of Christ, the Church
receives and gives to the faithful the Bread of Life.
-The Word leads to the Eucharist as to its own connatural end.

38. The Liturgy of the word (#45)

-It must be carefully prepared and celebrated.
-Readings must be entrusted to well-prepared readers/lectors.
-Where Scriptures are read, God himself speaks to his people.
-Brief words of introduction could be helpful.
-The faithful should be helped to appreciate the riches of the
Scripture found in the lectionary through pastoral initiatives,
liturgies of the Word, and the lectio divina.
-In praying the psalms and the readings of the Divine Office, we can
come to a deeper experience of the Christ-event and the economy of
salvation, which in turn can enrich our understanding and
participation in the celebration of the Eucharist.
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39. The homily (#46)
-The Word of God is important, thus the quality of homilies should
be improved.
-It is an integral part of the liturgical action.
-It is meant to foster a deeper understanding of the Word.
-Ordained ministers must prepare the homily carefully, based on
adequate knowledge of Sacred Scripture.
-Generic and abstract homilies should be avoided.
-Relate the Word to the sacramental celebration and the life of the
community.
-Offer to the faithful thematic homilies based on the three-year
lectionary cycle and the four pillars of the catechism.

40. The presentation of the gifts (#47)

-It is not simply a kind of interval.
-A very significant gesture: in the bread and wine we bring to the
altar, all creation is taken up by Christ the Redeemer to be
transformed and presented to the Father.
-In this way, we bring to the altar all the pains and sufferings of the
world, in the certainty that everything has value in God’s eyes.

41. The Eucharistic Prayer (#48)

-It is the center and summit of the entire celebration.
-The different Eucharistic Prayers come to us through the Living
Tradition of the Church. They are notable for their theological and
spiritual richness.
Basic elements of the Eucharistic Prayer:
a. thanksgiving
b. acclamation
c. epiclesis
d. institution narrative and consecration
e. anamnesis
f. offering
g. intercessions
h. final doxology

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42. The sign of peace (#49)
-By nature the Eucharist is the sacrament of peace. This dimension
finds specific expression in the sign of peace.
-In this time, this gesture has become particularly eloquent.
-The Synod discussed about the exaggeration and distraction just
before communion.
-The spirit of the celebration is preserved when the sign of peace is
restricted to one’s immediate neighbors.

43. The distribution and reception of the Eucharist (#50)

-To ordained ministers and those authorized to distribute the
Eucharist: make every effort that this simple act preserves its
importance as a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus in the
sacrament.
-All Christian communities are to observe the current norms
faithfully.
-The precious time of thanksgiving after communion should not be
neglected, besides the singing of an appropriate hymn, it can also be
most helpful to remain recollected in silence.
-Remind those present of the meaning of sacramental communion
and the conditions required for its reception, especially in Masses
where non-Catholics attend and those who are in an irregular state.

44. The dismissal: “Ite, missa est” (#51)

-Helps us to grasp the link between the celebration and the mission
of Christians in the world.
-This rite expresses the missionary nature of the Church
-The Synod proposed the addition of new texts for the prayer over
the people and final blessing.

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