On the Use of Altar Bells

MAGTANONG KAY FATHER: On the use Altar bells

Paul Cardenas asks 

“Father, tinanong ko po ang sakristan namin , kung bakit kapag Consecration, mahaba po ang pag kling kling ng bell, habang naka taas ang kamay ng pari, at kapag magkokomunyon naman, 3 kling kling lang. di nya po masagot.”

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SHORT HISTORY

Ang paggamit ng malaking bell o batingaw sa simborio bilang pantawag ng atensyon sa mga tao sa iba’t-ibang pagdiriwang ng sakramento gayundin sa mga panahon ng sunog, delubyo at iba pang kasiyahan tulad ng pagpuputong ng korona sa mga Catholic kings and queens ay nagsimula pa noong Medieval period.

Bagamat ibang-iba ang function, ang altar bells or sanctus bells na ginagamit mismo sa misa ay basically pantawag din nang atensyon sa tao.

May gumagamit na nito noong 13th century pa lamang bagamat walang nabanggit tungkol dito sa original 1570 Roman Missal ni Pope Pius V (first typical edition ng Tridentine mass). Furthernore, hindi rin ito na-introduce sa mga Papal Masses until the time of Pope John Paul II. (Sa mga parishes ginagamit na ito pero sa Papal masses halos kamakailan lang.)

Noong unang panahon, ang mga tao ay talaga namang physically separated sa altar. Di po ba may communion rail pa nga na nagse-separate sa nagsisimba at sa altar. At in some cases, talagang hindi na nakikita ng tao ang altar kaya’t ang tanging signal lamang nila na may mahalagang nagaganap (ie consecration) ay ang bell ng sakristan. 

Matapos ang ilang centuries, ginamit din ang bell sa Sanctus (Santo, Santo) at bago mag-Communion.

FROM THE INSTRUCTION

I. G.I.R.M. of the 2005 ROMAN MISSAL

Ayon sa General Instruction on the Roman Misssal (2005), no. 150:

“A little before the Consecration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.”

Himay-himayin natin ang provision na ito:

1. “A little before the Consecration” –  wala namang binaggit kung kailan specifically itong “a little before the Consecration” na ito kaya we shall provide it based on traditional and contemporary use:

a. Traditional: during the Sanctus (Santo, santo) in the pre-1970 Roman Missal

b. Contemporary: during the epiclesis [when the priest, invoking the Holy Spirit, say (if he uses Eucharistic Prayer II) “Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body + and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”] while he stretches out his hands over the host and the chalice.

NOTE: Ringing the bell at both the Sanctus and the Epiclesis was a common practice in the first half of the twentieth century.

2. “when appropriate” – ibig sabihin judging sa prudence ng priest, ide-decide nya kung naayon ba ito sa local custom. So pwedeng merong bell “a little before consecration”, pwede ding wala.

3. “According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.” – So hindi rin obligatory ang pag-bell sa consecration mismo pero kung local custom ito, ibig sabihin noon pa’y ginagawa na, e di dapat gawin na din.

II. RUBRICS of the 1962 ROMAN MISSAL

-          Ang 1962 Roman Missal (extraordinary form of the Mass – Tridentine) ay may mga specific provisions kung paano mag-bell na wala sa GIRM ng 2005 Roman Missal (ordinary form of the Mass).

-          Ito ang sinasabi:

Note: Celebrant = yung nagmimisa

           Minister = yung sakristan

"When he [priest] says Sanctus. with his hands joined before his breast, he continues, inclined and in an ordinary voice, the minister ringing in the meantime a small bell." (Source: Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, VII, 8 )

- There is a provision of ringing the altar bells during the sanctus. Hence, they are called sanctus bells.

“When the consecrated Host has been replaced upon the Corporal, he genuflects and venerates it. If there is another vessel of Hosts, he covers it with a Paten or Pall, as above. The minister signals the faithful a little before the Consecration with a ring of a small bell. Then, when the celebrant elevates the host, the minister elevates with his left hand the posterior fringes of the Chausuble , so it may not hinder the celebrant in raising his arms, (which is also done during the elevation of the Chalice), and his right hand rings the small bells three times at each elevation, or continuously  until the celebrant replaces the host upon the corporal. The minister does the same a little bit later, at the elevation of the chalice.” (Source: Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, VIII, 6 )

-          So hindi rin na-specify kung kailan yung “a little before the consecration”. We relied sa nakaugaliang custom as given above.

-          Pero sinabi ang manner ng pag-bell sa consecration itself: pwedeng three times bawat elevation at pwede ring continuous until maibaba na sa Corporal.

-          Sa isang provision naman sinasabi:

“If there are some to receive holy communion during the Mass, the minister signals them a little beforehand with the ring of the bell." (Source: Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, X, 6 )

POINT BY POINT

Going back to the question, ”kung bakit kapag Consecration, mahaba po ang pag kling kling ng bell, habang naka taas ang kamay ng pari, at kapag magkokomunyon naman, 3 kling kling lang?”

Ang mga ginagawang ito ng inyong sakristan ay based sa 1962 Roman Missal na ginagamit sa Tridentine mass. Hanggang ngayon ay pinapayagan ang Tridentine Mass bilang extraordinary form of the mass at yung Vatican II mass bilang ordinary form of the mass.

May mga nakasanayan nang mga movements na na-carry over mula sa pre-vat II hanggang sa vat II bilang bahagi ng local custom. Pinahahalagahan ng Simbahan ang ating mga local customs kahit na minsan ay wala naman itong practical use or can be omitted. Actually, kung magmisa ang isang pari na walang bell, misa pa din yun di ba.  Tunay ngang wala na ang practical reasons for ringing the bell pero it can still serve another purpose as an extra aid to call attention to the moment of the consecration, lalo na yung mga lumilipad ang isip sa misa at ito rin ay isang useful catechetical tool for children and adults alike. A long-standing custom should not just be swept away unless more is to be gained by dropping it than retaining it. 

Mahaba ang kling-kling sa bell sa consecration upang i-highlight ang mystery na nagaganap, the bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. Depende ang haba sa tagal ng elevation ng pari. Pwedeng three bells with interval or pwede ring continuous na syang ginagawa ng sakristan ninyo, Paul/.

Maikling kling-kling lang a little before communion to signal na maari nang i-receive ang consecrated host sa holy comunion.

Kung sarili kong salita ang gagamitin, ito ang akong interpretation:

Mahabang kling-kling – "Maniwala kayong may nagaganap na misteryo."

Maikling kling-kling – "Pila na at tanggapin ang misteryo sa banal na komunyon."