Journal
1056 L Thu 28 Mar 2002
I received an email this morning about whether the Sequence should be before or after the Alleluia.
According to the 2000 Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, n. 64:
The Sequence is optional, except on Easter Sunday and Pentecost. It is sung after the Alleluia.
This is an unofficial translation (which seems correct to me) of:
Sequentia, quae praeter quam diebus Paschae et Pentecostes, est ad libitum, cantatur post Alleluia.
The "after the Alleluia" part was not in the 1975 Roman Missal, n. 40. This simply had:
Sequences are optional, except on Easter Sunday and Pentecost.
I have not seen the Order of Mass in the 2002 Roman Missal which was published last week. Perhaps it has something there I am unaware of. But with this publication I believe the liturgical law now in force is that the Sequence should be after the Alleluia.
The Australian translation of the Lectionary for Mass has them in the opposite order for the Easter Sunday Mass (Volume 1, page 409):
SEQUENCE Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended: combat strangely ended!
Life's own Champion, slain, yet lives to reign.
Tell us, Mary: say what thou didst see upon the way.
The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ's glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen: he goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ has become our paschal sacrifice; let us feast with joy in the Lord.
Alleluia
I expect that this is the order they appear in every lectionary in every Catholic church using the Roman Rite. So what will happen on Easter Sunday? Have people been studying the Institutio Generalis since its publication in 2000? Are the ready to implement its changes when the new Roman Missal is published? I guess people will see for themselves on Sunday.
1700 K Thu 4 Apr 2002
Today I find a different instruction in the 2002 Roman Missal, n. 64:
cantatur ante Alleluia.
The Latin word "ante" means "before". So the Sequence is to be before the Alleluia according to the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, not after it as in the 2000 GIRM.
Copyright J.R. Lilburne, 28 March 2002. Last updated 4 April 2002.