The Arrival of a Bishop Celebrant

62. A bishop celebrant should be received at a church by the clergy, either at the church door or the vesting room. (CB 79).

63. When the bishop enters a church, a senior cleric may offer him blessed water and a sprinkler, with which the bishop sprinkles himself and those who accompany him. This is not done when the Penitential Rite of the Mass is replaced by Blessing and Sprinkling of Water. (CB 111).

64. The bishop celebrant may go to the church in procession with clergy, wearing choir dress. If the bishop is not an archbishop, he leads such a procession. But if the bishop is an archbishop, it is lead by an acolyte, carrying a cross. At the door of the church the senior presbyter hands the bishop the sprinkler, (unless the the Penitential Rite of the Mass is replaced by the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water). The bishop sprinkles, returns the sprinkler, goes in procession to the place of reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, prays there and then goes to the vesting room. (CB 79).

65. There he is assisted by deacons and other ministers who have vested beforehand, at least for a Stational Mass (CB 126). The bishop washes his hands, puts on the amice, alb, cincture, pectoral cross, stole, dalmatic and chasuble. A deacon then places the miter on his head. If the bishop is an archbishop, the first deacon hands him the pallium, before the miter is put on.

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