The “Solita Oscula” (“With The Customary Kisses”). How, And When, They Are Given.

Chalice in the Vestry of The Ipatevskii Monastery

Kostroma, Russia.

Date: 1911.

Source: This image is available from

The United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division

under the digital ID prok.01289.

Author: Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944).

(Wikimedia Commons)

This Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,

ROMANITAS PRESS

By: Louis J. Tofari.

The Latin words “Solita Oscula” (pronounced soh-lee-tah ohs-coo-lah) mean “with the customary kisses” and refer to some of the Ceremonial kisses made during The Liturgy.

There are actually several kinds of kisses used in The Liturgical Ceremonies, for example those given to the Altar, the Book of the Gospels, the Paten and Chalice, Sacramentals and, even, the “Pax” (Kiss of Peace), but, to keep this Article brief, here we will cover those made by just The Inferior Ministers (i.e., Servers).

Like the Roman custom of genuflecting, the “Solita Oscula” were derived from Royal Court etiquette, and the Rubrician, L. O’Connell, attests to the act as an “ancient sign of respect and reverence”[1], while Wapelhorst expounds that these kisses, given either to Sacred things or The Celebrant, signify respect to The Person of Christ that they represent[2] and The Celebrant’s hands which are a symbol of power, protection, assistance and Blessing.[3]

A Scruple Spoon being used by The Celebrant during The Divine Holy Mass.

He is taking Holy Water from The Water Cruet prior to

putting it in The Chalice.

Illustration: SSPX MANILA (TWITTER)

Callewaert also comments, saying these kisses exist to give Solemnity and signify joy,[4] and we will discover later how this symbolism causes them to be occasionally omitted.

Before we cover what is kissed, let us first examine how the “Solita Oscula” are used. First, they are given only to The Celebrant and never to the other Sacred Ministers (e.g., the Deacon or Sub-Deacon), even if these positions are being exercised by a Priest.

When making the “Solita Oscula”, these should be made inaudibly with closed lips. The order[5] of making the “Solita Oscula” is simple:

When a Server is giving an object to The Celebrant: Kiss the object, first, then The Celebrant’s hand, second.

Thurible.

Illustration: LUZAR VESTMENTS

When a Server is receiving an object from The Celebrant: Kiss The Celebrant’s hand, first, then the object, second.

There is, however, an exception to this rule: When receiving a Sacramental (e.g., a Blessed Candle during Candlemas, or, a Palm on Palm Sunday), it is kissed, first, then The Celebrant’s hand, second. The reason for this is that the Sacramental take precedence over The Celebrant.[6]

Now, the items (and to what part of each) the “Solita Oscula” are given by the Servers:

The Biretta: On one of its four sides;
The Aspergilium: On the end of the handle;

[Editor: And, presumably, The Scruple Spoon, as well, as it is offered to The Celebrant];

The Incense Spoon: On the end of the handle;
The Thurible: On the Disk (where the Chains are attached).

French Antique Baroque

Chalice and Paten.

Illustration: LUZAR VESTMENTS

You may have noticed that I left out the Cruets, and this is due to some special considerations.

First, the Cruets are kissed alone [Editor: The Wine Cruet on its own, when being given to The Celebrant, and The  Water Cruet on its own, when being given to The Celebrant] and just during the Offertory.[7]

They should be kissed on the Cruet side, and never on their pouring channel, as this is unsanitary. Also, the Cruets should be kissed between the bows made to The Celebrant (i.e., bow, kiss, present, receive, kiss, bow).

During the Lavabo and Ablutions however, no kisses are made whatsoever to the Cruets, as the Servers are simply pouring the Cruets and not presenting them to The Celebrant.

There is one other thing to note regarding the “Solita Oscula”. As mentioned, above, these can signify joy, hence they are omitted for Funeral Rites and, also, Mass and on Good Friday.

A Server's Cotta (Surplice).

Illustration: LUZAR VESTMENTS

They are also omitted under the condition of “Coram Sanctissimo” [Editor: In the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament] as all Reverence is given to Our Lord when He is exposed, or, if the local Ordinary [Editor: Bishop] or a greater Prelate is present (as a mark of hierarchical respect).[8]

Nevertheless, you will notice that some type of kisses are still retained (e.g., the kissing of the Paten and the Chalice) because these form “an intrinsic part of The Mass Ceremonies”.[9]

Footnotes

1 L. O’Connell, The Book of Ceremonies (1958), p 40.

2 It should be remembered that every Sacramental represents Christ in some fashion, e.g., Holy Water as the regenerative Water of Baptism and Blessed Candles as The Light of Christ. This includes Consecrated items used during The Liturgy, e.g., the Altar (or Altar Stone), the Chalice and Paten, as well as Blessed items such as Vestments (which, for Servers, includes the Surplice [Editor: Cotta]; so yes, you are supposed to kiss it before putting it on).

3 Wapelhorst, Compendium Sacræ Liturgicæ (1931), p 414; this is a paraphrased rendering of the Latin Text.

4 Callewaert, Cæremoniale in Missa, Privata et Solemni (1941), p 38; again, a paraphrased rendering of the Latin Text.

5 This general principle is mentioned throughout the Cæremoniale Episcoporum (1886), specifically in Liber I, chap. XVIII, n. 16, and legislated by the SRC’s rescript 3139.

6 L. O’Connell (p 41, ff 25) gives this (“if the object is Blessed”) as a general principle which makes sense. The two regular instances when it is enacted are for the aforementioned Feasts, for which the Cæremoniale Episcoporum, Liber II, chap. XVI, n. 9, Martinucci, Manuale Sacrarum Cæremoniarum (1879), pp 146 and 166, Le Vavasseur, Haegy & Stercky, Manuel de Liturgie et Ceremonial (1936), p 127, Van der Stappen, Cæremoniale (1935), pp 355-356 & 366) and Stehle, Manual of Episcopal Ceremonies (1961), vol. II, pp 59 & 74, give this as a specific Rubric, while others such as De Herdt in Sacræ Liturgiæ Praxis (1894), p 26, and The Ceremonial For The Use Of The Catholic Churches In The USA (1926), pp 339 and 345, imply this rule.

A Biretta.

Illustration: LUZAR VESTMENTS

7 This is a relic of an old direction, now defunct, that The Inferior Ministers were to kiss the item, but not The Celebrant’s hand, when enacting the “Solita Oscula”. It is interesting to note that this was specific to the positions of the Acolytes and MCs (Rubricians list at least two during Pontifical and even Solemn Ceremonies) who often had contact with The Celebrant, the former which Rubricians presumed would be enacted by Clerics with that Minor Order, while the latter (during Pontifical functions) would have the first MC position fulfilled by a Priest and the second MC position by a Sub-Deacon.

Callewaert (p 37) explains that this distinction demonstrated the hierarchy of The Liturgical Offices. This distinction was gradually diminished as High Masses (“Missa Cantatas”) without Sacred Ministers, but with Incense, became more frequent (circa 1864, the SRC was already granting such an Indult to various Dioceses).

Another contributing factor was that, during the 20th-Century, a few Rubricians (e.g., Fortescue, The Ceremonies Of The Roman Rite Described; 1917-1962 eds.) and even the Guild of Saint Stephen's “The Altar Servers' Handbook” (1962) had the Server (including non-Clerics) render the “Solita Oscula” like the Sacred Ministers during Low Mass and High Mass. However, SRC’s rescript 4193,2 and The Missale Romanum (1962), “Ritus Servandus”, VII, 4) still prescribe the original practice for presenting the Cruets during the Offertory.

8 Regarding the four reasons for omitting, this is briefly stated in the “Cæremoniale Episcoporum”, Liber I, chap. XVIII, n. 16, and all Rubricians agree on these points.

9 This is more or less the exact wording that the majority of Rubricians give for this reason.