of the Missal, after the Mass "In Dedicatione Ecclesiae;" (d) The Votive Masses at the end of the Missal, which follow these twelve; (e) The Votive Masses of Feasts celebrated throughout the year.

II.--" Rationabilis Causa," and "Res Gravis," "Publica Ecclesiae Causa."

The only matter in Division (1) that requires additional explanation is the Missa "pro re gravi." We take occasion to explain the whole question of the cause that will justify Votive Masses of any kind.

In Tit. IV., which treats of Votive Masses, these words occur: "Id vero passim non fiat nisi rationabili de causa.”

Some Rubricists understand these words to mean that Votive Masses may be said occasionally, but not passim-as a rule-without a reasonable cause. Others, as De Herdt, Vavaseur, &c., seem to regard the clause "nisi rationabili de causa as an explanation of passim :-This is not to be done passim (at random, indiscriminately), i.e. without a reasonable cause. This latter interpretation is supported by the sentence of the Rubrics which immediately follows: Et quoad fieri potest, Missa cum officio conveniat."

But what is considered a 66 causa rationabilis" for a Low Mass or an ordinary High Mass?

At ordination every young priest is ordered by the ordaining bishop to say three Masses. These must be Votive. To discharge this duty would certainly be a sufficient reason.

A special devotion to a saint or mystery would also suffice. But the devotion must be special; the honour paid to a saint by a Votive Mass in addition to what would be paid to him by a Mass secundum ordinem officii, is evidently from the Rubric not a sufficient reason.

Again, if a person were to give an honorarium with a special desire that the Mass should be Votive, this would be a sufficient reason.

But such trivial reasons as the shortness of a Votive Mass would not be sufficient.

It is noteworthy that, though the permission for Requiem Masses is given in almost precisely the same words, as that for Votive Masses, the restricting clause is not added. Does not this plainly imply that the Church considers the congruity of celebrating Masses for the Dead in black vestments to be always of itself a causa rationabilis for the difference between the Mass and Office on days on which this difference is at all allowed?

But a High Mass, "pro re gravi," "pro publica ecclesiae causa," requires, as is evident, a grave cause.

This grave cause must be something that considerably affects the temporal or spiritual interests of the whole or, at least, the greater portion of the community; such as to obtain peace, or fine weather: to acquire some great public benefit or avert some great public calamity; to procure the restoration to health of the Pope, bishop or sovereign; to return thanks for some great blessing received. The opening of a great mission, too, would, says De Herdt, be a sufficient reason for a Mass of this kind on one occasion, but not for its celebration on every day during the mission.

The following would not be considered "res graves:" the election of the Superioress of a Convent, the reception or profession of a religious; a novena; a priest's first Mass, and such like.

This Mass differs from an ordinary High Mass only in (a) the matter of the Gloria and Credo, (b) the days on which it may be celebrated, and (c) the fact that it is necessary to have for it the order or, at least, the sanction of the Ordinary, with whom it will rest to judge of the gravity of the cause.

III.— The Votive Masses granted July the 5th, 1883.

We now come to Division (2), regarding the quality of the Masses.

The Votive Masses granted July 5th, 1883, have been fully treated of in the IRISH ECCLESIASTICAL RECORD for 1884, vol. v., p. 331. But we may briefly repeat here the substance of that exposition.

If the Votive Office be said, then the corresponding Mass is not strictly Votive, but secundum Ordinem Officii. Hence it is that the special Rubric of these Masses orders the Gloria and the last Gospel of the Feria: the Mass is said not more votivo, but modo ordinario. But if, as may happen, the Office be said "de ea," or of a simple Feast, and the Mass celebrated be one of the six, then it really is a Votive Mass-extra ordinem Officii, and the Gloria would not be said, nor the last Gospel of the Feria, but the last Gospel according to St. John.

The privilege of saying these Votive Masses does not in any way interfere with the old privilege of the General Rubrics.

IV.-Masses extra Ordinem Officii for Certain Days. These days are: 1. The Saturdays of Advent. If the Office be of the Feria, the Mass will be of the B.V.M.

2. Vigils during Advent. If the Office be of the Feria, the Mass will be of the Vigil, with a commemoration of the Feria.

3. Vigils, Feriae of Quarter Tense and Rogation Monday during an Octave other than that of Corpus Christi. If the Office to be said be of the Octave, the Mass will be of the Vigil or Feria, with a commemoration of the Octave.

4. Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday.

5. The Vigil of Pentecost.

Full directions for these Masses are given in their special Rubrics.

V.-The Twelve First Votive Masses at the end of the Missal.

These may be seen at once in the Missal. They may be assigned to the different days of the week: "De SS. Trinitate," to Monday; "De Angelis," to Tuesday; "De SS. Apost. Petro et Paulo," to Wednesday; "De Spiritu Sancto," or "De SS. Eucharistiae Sacramento," to Thursday; "De Cruce," or "De Passione," to Friday; and "De S. Maria," to Saturday.

From the Special Rubric of these Masses it might be thought that this arrangement is in no way obligatory: "Cuique autem diei, propria Missa assignari potest, ut Feria II. Missa de SS. Trinitate." But in the General Rubrics Tit. iv. n. 3, we find the following:-" Aliis diebus dici potest aliqua ex Missis Votivis etiam in principali Missa quae vocatur conventualis, secundum ordinem in fine Missalis assignatum Quae tamen Missae et omnes aliae Votivae in Missis privatis dici possunt pro arbitrio sacerdotum." Hence we must make a distinction: the arrangement is assigned for Missae Conventuales, not for Missae non-Conventuales.

(To be continued.)

P. O'LEARY.

[We regret that owing to pressure on our space, we are obliged to hold over for the present our answers to several inquiries, both liturgical and theological. We shall, however, post our answers to those correspondents whose address accompanied their questions; but we do not feel ourselves obliged to take account of mere anonymous inquirers.-ED. I. E. R.]

VOL. VI.

U

CORRESPONDENCE.

"O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria!"

TO THE EDITOR OF THE IRISH ECCLESIASTICAL RECORD.

DEAR SIR,-There are several renderings of the above words in English prayer-books. As a rule, a difference in this respect will be found between prayer-books printed in Dublin and prayer-books printed in London. In any of the Dublin prayerbooks I have seen, I find the words translated :-"O clement! O pious! O sweet Virgin Mary!" or with the words in the superlative. Every person must have observed that "O loving!" is substituted for "O pious!" in the authorized prayer to be said after Mass. St. Bernard is said to have added these words to the "Salve Regina," and to have explained the "antiphon" or prayer itself. I have not St. Bernard's works to refer to, but I have a Latin Dictionary, and with the aid of it, I shall try to translate the Latin words referred to. I must premise that I believe they form a climax, as I shall make plain from my explanation. "Clemens" (from which probably the French word "calme" and our "calm" have come) refers originally to the weather-we still speak of the inclemency of the season-but in the above case it is used figuratively, and is applied to a person. It may be translated "gentle."

Listen, gentle Queen of Heaven,

Listen to my Vesper prayer.

She is

The Blessed Virgin is all gentleness, so that neither saint nor sinner should find the least difficulty in approaching her. Not only is she all gentleness, but she is something more. possessed of the peculiar gentleness and tenderness of a mother. Hence a stronger expression is found to express this qualityO pia! Riddle explains "pius":-"Entertaining sentiments of affection and attachment towards parents, children, masters one's native country," &c. The best rendering then is "O loving!" "O kind!" which is found in prayer-books across the water is too weak. The climax is reached in "O dulcis !" Not only does the Blessed Virgin bear maternal affection (pia) towards us, but she does so in a degree beyond all other mothers. Hence she is the dearest of mothers-O dulcis Virgo Maria! Among the Romans "dulcis " was a strong term of endearment-" dulcissime rerum," "my dearest friend!" occurs in Horace. "Sweet" as a rendering of dulcis" used figuratively is scarcely in accordance with the genius of the English language. After all I have written then, my translation of the words at the head of this letter would be:"O gentle! O loving! O dear Virgin Mary!" "Pious" should

be eliminated from our home editions of the prayer-books and "loving" substituted in its place. The other translations may be left to stand, as in the prayers authorized to be said immediately after Mass. Out of curiosity I have looked through Father Nolan's Irish prayer-book to see how he has translated the words in question. I find he gives "ceannsa" for "clemens." Nothing could be better. But I find he gives an Irish word for "pia which means "religious" "devout"! What an anti-climax! The Blessed Virgin devout! Well, rather! A Catholic lady assured me she always thought the expression "O pious!" in the Salve Regina very strange. It must be surely somebody's business to revise and correct these home editions of our English prayerbooks. They are found in all styles of get-up and binding, reminding me forcibly of the words of our Lord about making "clean the outside of the cup and of the platter." In conclusion, I have only to add that I unreservedly submit to whatever interpretation the Church puts upon her own words.-Yours, M. J. O'BRIEN.

Father Hand

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Founder of All Hallows College for the Foreign Missions. The Story of a great servant of God. By Rev. JOHN MACDEVITT, D.D., Professor of the Introduction to Scripture, Ecclesiastical History, &c., All Hallows College, Dublin. Dublin: M. H. GILL & SON. New York: F. R. PUSTET & Co.

The life of one who, to a marvellous extent, and recently among us, was the instrument of God's providence unto the accomplishment of great designs, is a record in which every Irish Catholic takes a lively personal interest. This being so, it is well that the laborious though pleasant task of painting the man and his works should fall to the lot of an author qualified for its discharge by the gift of a clear and picturesque style of writing in addition to ardent sympathy with the subject of his sketch. These and other qualifications enable Dr. MacDevitt to present a narrative of much variety and attractiveness. True, the history of good and even eminent priests is often told in a few pages, instead of the handsome volume. But this could not be for Fr. Hand. Great ends, in the world of public action, are seldom attained without overcoming many difficulties interesting in detail to the reader. It was so with the Founder of All Hallows College, the centre of Irish foreign missions, whose full measure of rapid success is an honor to everyone connected with the institution and the crowning