Since the pre-Lenten season is approaching, I reviewed my past posts on church flowers for that season in general and for Candlemas in particular. Some of the sources I relied on had changed. I took down those posts and consulted AI.
What I found that way made sense and cited pre-Vatican II authority. The answer was essentially that the traditional general rule was no flowers during the pre-Lenten season with certain exceptions, one of which was February 2 (Candlemas).
Here is the result:
To AI "Please provide the authority for your statement of the pre-Vatican II rule for the Feast of the Purification."
Answer from AI: The authority for the pre-Vatican II rules regarding the Feast of the Purification (February 2) is derived from the
Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites and the Caeremoniale Episcoporum (Ceremonial of Bishops), which governed the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (the 1962 Missal and earlier).1. Authority for Floral Prohibitions (Septuagesima)
During the pre-Lenten season of Septuagesima, the general rule forbidding flowers is found in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum (Book I, Chapter XII, No. 12).
This document specifies that while flowers may be placed between
candlesticks on the altar gradine (shelf) on festive occasions, they are
to be removed during penitential times, which include both Lent and the
pre-Lenten Septuagesima weeks.
2. Authority for the Exception on February 2
The
specific exception for the Feast of the Purification, even when it
falls during a penitential season like Septuagesima, is rooted in the
liturgical classification of the day as a Feast of the Lord.
- Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (SCR): Under the traditional rubrics, the SCR (the body then responsible for liturgical law) established that on Feasts of the Lord and solemnities, the restrictive rules of the penitential season are briefly suspended to reflect the joy of the specific mystery being celebrated.
- Gradual Transition: The 1962 Ordo and traditional commentaries note that Septuagesima takes on the "sobriety" of Lent without its full "stringency." This allows for exceptions on major feasts like February 2, where the use of flowers and white vestments is permitted for the Mass.
- Liturgical Practice: Manuals like The Celebration of Mass by J.B. O'Connell (a standard pre-Vatican II authority on rubrics) confirm that while flowers are forbidden during the blessing of candles and the procession (if the purple vestments are used), they are permitted on the altar for the Mass of the Purification itself, as it is a festive liturgy of the second class.
3. Summary of Rules (Pre-Vatican II)
| Season/Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| Altar Flowers | Vestment Color | |
| Septuagesima | Forbidden | Violet |
| Purification (Feb 2) | Permitted (for Mass) | White |
| Lent | Forbidden | Violet |
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