The Zairean Rite
Or, I Know Something You Don't Know

Obviously, I've always read very avidly about all things Catholic. In high school especially, I had a lot of time to surf the web exploring whatever interested me, and I spent a couple months reading about the different rites. First, of course, I was fascinated to learn that Eastern Rites existed, and found a lot to read about them. In the process, I was fascinated to learn that non-Roman Wesetern Rites (Ambrosian, Mozarabic, Anglican-use, etc.) existed, and found a lot to read about them. In the process, I was again fascinated to learn that a new sub-rite of sorts in Zaire existed -- and found absolutely nothing to read about it.

My quest to learn about this "Zairean Rite," more appropriately entitle the "Roman Missal for Use in the Dioceses of Zaire" (a name only a curate could love) proved fruitless. I found a few entries online admitting that, perhaps, this new rite existed. No one knew any more than that.

Ah, but then, bright guy that I am, two and half years after arriving at the "bastion of American Catholicism" (read: Notre Dame), it occured to me to ask a professor in the liturgy department for a copy. And yes, he found one.

I am now holding in my hands a copy of this long-sought (and quite fascinating) Rite. I couldn't wait to blog it right here, on the Shrine. A liturgical scoop! How often does that happen?

And yet, alas, the text is a translation. A copy-righted translation. Which I can't post online.

And so you see, I know something you don't know. But I'll try to share.

The Zairean Rite, for which composition began in the late 1960's but which was finished and approved only in the lat 1980's, is rooted in the Roman Missal, but departs so significantly that it is rightly called a Rite in its own right, I would say.

The opening line is an invocation to Holy Mary, Mother of God, to be with us as we celebrate this Mass, followed by an invocation of the local saints, all the saints of heaven, and, my favorite (as anyone who has heard me speak of The Ancestors would know), an invocation of our holy ancestors who served God in good conscience. The opening rites are completed with a Gloria and the opening prayer from the Roman Missal.

The Liturgy of the Word follows along as usual, save for a "Verbum caro factum est" to introduce the Gospel. The Homily, the Creed... and then the Penitential Rite, with a fascinating Confiteor, invoking all the saints and comparing the evil that infects our lives to a mosquito's bite. And afterwards, the Asperges. Now the sign of peace is exchanged, an adaptation that I have always liked -- shouldn't the sign of peace be offered *before* the Sacrifice? Afterall, Christ tells us to make peace with our brothers before bringing a sacrifice to the altar. Indeed, Card. Ratzinger agrees with me on this point, and praises the Zairean rite for this practice, in his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy."

Now the Eucharist. Some fascinating parts, but perhaps (for me) the only dissapointing part of all the adaptations. The Canon is a variation of sorts on Eucharistic Prayer II, except with a constant dialog between priest and people. Although, who wouldn't admire a gong rung at the moment of consecration?

The Communion Rite is next, with the Our Father, the fraction, the Communion, and the Concluding Rite more or less as we know them in the Roman Missal.

For those interested in learning more, visit Les sommaires de La Maison-Dieu.