[Question:]{.underline} What is a Requiem Mass?
[Answer:]{.underline} Masses in the Church’s calendar all take their names from the first words of the Introit, which is the first part of the Proper which is sung. Thus it is that the Mass from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary is called Salve, sancta parens, that for the Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete, and that for the Fourth Sunday of Lent Laetare.
All the Masses that are specifically offered up for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, whether they be funeral Masses, or the Masses for All Souls Day, or anniversary Masses, or the daily Mass for the faithful departed, have the same Gregorian Propers, the Introit of which begins with Requiem aeternam. Hence they are all called Requiem Masses, although each of the six different Masses has different readings and prayers, begging in a variety of ways for the eternal rest of the departed souls now suffering in Purgatory. They are characterized by the use of black vestments. It is a very sad for the poor souls, the suffering of whose separation from God on account of their sins is represented by black. It is also a betrayal of the charity upon which they depend that the liturgical revolution of 1969 did away with Requiem Masses altogether, and this despite the condemnation by Pope Pius XII, as recently as 1947, of those who “wish to radically suppress black from the liturgical colors” (Mediator Dei).
The Church requires that a priest celebrate a Requiem Mass in the case of funerals, and on All Souls’ Day. At other times they are optional, but may be said, according to the rubrics, such as for anniversaries, or the daily Mass for the faithful depa
rted on ferial days. However, it is not only Requiem Masses that are offered up for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. Every Mass is offered for this intention, and it is a part of the General Fruits of every Mass that it is offered up to obtain the relief of the temporal punishment of the suffering souls in Purgatory, as is specifically prayed for in the Canon of the Mass at the Memento for the faithful departed.
In addition, the Mass of the liturgical day that a priest celebrates every day can be offered up for the repose of one or more departed souls, and frequently is. When this special intention is requested of a priest, this intention obtains the Ministerial Fruit of the Mass, namely the effect of impetration, propitiation and satisfaction which comes from a priest applying the Mass to the special intentions that are requested of him. When a priest receives a donation, or Mass stipend, he takes upon himself, in justice, the obligation of applying the Ministerial Fruit for the particular intention of the person who offers the stipend.
The Ministerial Fruit can be applied either to the living or to the dead, or to both. This fruit depends upon the sacrifice of the Mass itself, and the intention of the priest in applying it. It does not essentially depend upon the rubrics or ceremonies followed. Thus it is not essential to the ministerial fruit that the Mass offered up be a Requiem Mass. It is for this reason that “the theologians commonly teach that the obligation of celebrating a Mass for the living can be satisfied by a Requiem Mass, and that the obligation of celebrating for the faithful departed can be satisfied by a Mass in honor of a saint” (Prummer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis, III, p. 193-194).
This being said, when a priest accepts a Mass stipend, he implicitly agrees to accept the particular conditions under which that stipend is given, at least under pain of venial sin. Consequently if a priest accepts to celebrate a Requiem Mass, rather than simply to celebrate a Mass for the repose of a particular soul, then he is bound to celebrate it as a Requiem Mass. The faithful should be mindful, though, that they make it very difficult for the priest if they ask him to celebrate a Requiem Mass, and this only for an accidental gain of some additional prayers for the poor souls. For one, the rubrics frequently forbid it, and secondly it makes it very difficult if the priest has to celebrate Mass for a community or parish, in which for the common good he is bound to celebrate the Mass of the liturgical day. Consequently, when Masses are offered for the repose of the faithful departed, the faithful ought not to ask for Requiem Masses, unless they first of all check with the priest that he is able to celebrate them as such, as he will willingly do for anniversaries of death, for example.
Answered by Father Peter Scott, SSPX.