From a reader:
For a traditional Latin Solemn High Nuptial Mass with three priests, are there any known restrictions on which priest may administer the nuptial blessing, and which priest may deliver the homily?
In other words, may the priest acting as deacon deliver the sermon in the middle of Mass, and the priest acting as subdeacon administer the nuptial blessing before the Mass? Or must the celebrant administer the nuptial blessing and deliver the homily?
My sources indicate that the nuptial blessing at the end of Mass is to be given by the celebrant even when another priest witnessed the marriage. Since the rubric in the 1962MR connects the blessing and the little sermon at the end before the blessing, the celebrant is to give both.
A priest acting as the deacon, could give the sermon after the Gospel reading during Mass.
A priest acting as the subdeacon could witness the marriage before the Mass.
This was an interesting question for me. I have never married anyone in the older rite, and so I haven’t studied the rubrics very carefully. I look forward to doing this someday.
