Presidential Prayers of the Mass are prayers addressed to God by the priest who presides in the person of Christ and in the name of the entire holy people, especially the Collect, Prayer over the Offerings, and Prayer after Communion.
Prayer in the name of the Church
The General Instruction places the Eucharistic Prayer first among the parts assigned to the priest and then identifies the three orations: the Collect, the Prayer over the Offerings, and the Prayer after Communion. Because the presiding priest offers them to God for the assembled people and in the name of the Church, they are called presidential prayers. Presidency here is sacramental and ecclesial service, not ownership of the liturgy.
The texts are proclaimed aloud and clearly while the assembly listens attentively; other prayer, singing, and instruments are silent. The people make the prayer their own through the acclamation Amen. The priest is bound to the approved text and its rubrics, since an oration of the Church is not an opportunity to replace the liturgical book with an improvised private composition.[1]
The Collect
After the invitation to pray, all observe a brief silence so that they may become aware of God's presence and formulate their petitions inwardly. The priest then gathers, or collects, the prayer in the appointed oration. The Collect concludes the Introductory Rites and expresses the character of the celebration; the assembly's Amen is integral to this dialogical form.
The two concluding orations
The Prayer over the Offerings concludes the preparation of the gifts and prepares for the Eucharistic Prayer. The Prayer after Communion completes the people's prayer at the end of the Communion Rite and asks for the fruits of the mystery celebrated. Each has its own liturgical position and object; neither is another Eucharistic Prayer or a blessing directed to the congregation.
One proper text in its proper place
The Roman Rite ordinarily uses one Collect, one Prayer over the Offerings, and one Prayer after Communion, chosen according to the celebration and the rules of precedence. A pastor does not combine several formularies to recognize every devotion or local interest. Lawful options, commemorations, ritual Masses, and Masses for Various Needs and Occasions are governed by the Missal and calendar rather than by accumulation.[2]
The presidential orations are distinct from the Prayer of the Faithful, which contains intentions announced for the assembly; from the Eucharistic Prayer, the center and summit of the celebration; and from quiet priestly prayers said in the priest's own name. Calling every sentence spoken by the celebrant a presidential prayer obscures these ritual differences.
Translation and delivery
Approved vernacular translations transmit the prayer of the Roman liturgy under the competence established by the Church. The priest should proclaim them intelligibly, neither rushing the syntax nor adding commentary inside the text. Explanations foreseen by the rite are brief and occur at their appointed places; they do not interrupt the presidential prayer or compete with its theological density.
References
- 1.Sacrosanctum Concilium — Vatican II teaching on liturgical prayer, full participation, the Divine Office, and the reform of the Psalter
- 2.General Instruction of the Roman Missal — The authoritative structure and rubrics of Mass, including memorial commemorations and Masses chosen for serious needs