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V.

DECREE IV.

THE ROMAN MASS TO BE TRANSLATED INTO SYRIAC.

Forasmuch as the Syrian Mass is too long for priests that have a mind to celebrate daily, the Synod doth grant license for the translating of the Roman Mass into Syriac, desiring the reverend father, Francisco Roz, of the Society of Jesus, to undertake the work, which mass together with all the Roman ceremonies the priest may say on particular occasions, but the solemn and sung masses of the day shall be always the Syrian, as they shall be amended by the most reverend Metropolitan : and such priests as are able to say masses both in Latin and Syriac in the churches of other dioceses, may say it in Latin, but not in this bishopric, in which to avoid confusion, it shall be said only in Syriac. Wherefore the Synod desires the bishops of those parts to give license, that the priests of this diocese, having letters dimissory from their prelate, that do not know how to say mass in Latin, may be permitted to say the Syrian mass in their churches, or at least the Roman translated with all its ceremonies into Syriac; the schism which this church has been in, being now through the goodness of God removed, entreating the most illustrious Metropolitan, the president of this Synod, that he would be pleased to present this petition in behalf of the priests of this diocese to the first provincial council that shall be celebrated in the province, that so if the fathers shall think fit, it may pass into a decree.

DECREE V.

SUBDEACONS ONLY TO HANDLE THE HOLY VESSELS.

Whereas the power of handling the holy vessels is given particularly to the order of the Subdeacon, this Synod doth command that from henceforward if the minister that assists at the mass be not a subdeacon, that the priest shall not put the patin into his hand, when he is ordered by the Syrian mass to do it, such a one having no authority to touch it; but he may lay his hand only on the stone or wood of the altar, so as not to touch the patin, which is according to the rubric of the missal, which supposes the person that assists at the mass to be a deacon, ordering expressly that the priest shall put the patin into the hand of the deacon.

DECREE VI.

THE STOLE TO BE WORN ONLY BY DEACONS.

Whereas the Stole that is thrown over the shoulders is the particular Badge of the order of deacon, it is not lawful therefore for any person that has not taken the said order, to use the stole in the church with any public ceremony; and whereas hitherto all of the clergy that have assisted at mass, though but in inferior orders, or without them, have worn the said stole over their shoulders, no less than the deacons, contrary to the ceremoniale, which supposeth him that assists at the mass to be a deacon; the Synod doth therefore ordain and command, that from henceforward the chamazes, who do assist at the mass, and are not deacons, be not permitted to wear the stole; it would also be decent for the deacons when they wear the stole, to be in a surplice, and to have a towel, and not to have it over their ordinary wearing clothes, as has been hitherto the custom.

DECREE VII.

STAMPS TO BE MADE FOR THE WAFER, OR HOST, USED AT MASS.

The Synod doth command, that in all churches there be stamps of hosts (or instruments wherewith to print the wafers that are to be consecrated) which shall be bought forthwith out of the fabric-money, or the alms of the church; and that the vicars take care to be always provided of the flour of wheat, for the making of them, which they must be sure not to mix with any thing else, as is done commonly in other bread, for fear there should be no consecration therein; wherefore they must either make themselves, or employ such as are of known skill and fidelity to do it, and the same care shall be taken of the wine that it be no other than that of Portugal, and that it be not mixed with the juice of raisins, or with any other wines of the country for the same danger.

DECREE VIII.

WHAT WINE IS TO BE USED IN THE EUCHARIST.

The Synod doth earnestly recommend it to the priests of this diocese to take heed in what wine they celebrate, having

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SESSION been informed, that as some churches, by reason of their poverty, are without Portugal wine, so where it is that the priests keep it in glass bottles, where being in a small quantity, and kept a long time, it must necessarily decay and turn to vinegar, with which they celebrate notwithstanding, not considering the danger there is of there being no consecration; for remedy whereof the Synod in the strictest manner that it can, doth command, that in every church there shall be in the vicar's keeping a sweet pipe, or small runlet of wood, or a flask, in which the wine for the masses shall be kept, and that the vicars be extremely careful, that the wine do not decay or turn to vinegar; which if it should happen so as to have lost the essence of wine in the opinion of those that have good palates, they shall not then celebrate therewith, it being a great sacrilege to do it, seeing there can be no consecration.

DECREE IX.

THE KING OF PORTUGAL TO BE ENTREATED TO SEND SUFFICIENT
WINE ANNUALLY FOR THE PURPOSE.

Whereas for want of Portugal wine, it many times falls out that there are no masses celebrated in this diocese, to the great prejudice of the faithful Christians, who for that reason are several months without hearing mass, and without an opportunity of receiving the most holy sacrament, and the sick of receiving the holy Viaticum; wherefore the Synod, for remedy hereof, doth entreat his majesty the King of Portugal, out of his great piety, and as he is protector of the Christians of these parts, once a year to send us an alms, a pipe and half, or two pipes of Muscatel wine of Portugal, to be distributed among the Christian churches of this bishopric, and of the whole Indies; and till such time as an answer shall be returned to this petition, the most illustrious Lord Archbishop of Goa, Dom Frey Aleixo de Menezes, Metropolitan of this church, primate of India, and president of this Synod, is pleased to give the said quantity of wine to be distributed among the churches of this bishopric, the distribution whereof shall be made by the prelate according to the informations he shall receive of the necessities of every parish, and whereas all the successes of this life are uncertain, if this should happen to fail at any time, the prelate shall then at his visitation take so much out of the stock of every church as shall suffice to purchase what wine is necessary, and the wine shall be committed to the vicar, who shall make use of it only in the masses that are said in the church, and order shall be taken

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that the mass of the day, which belongs to the whole parish, SESSION and is the chief obligation of the church, shall be celebrated without fail.

DECREE X.

STONES OF THE ALTAR TO BE CONSECRATED AND CUPS
PROVIDED.

This Synod being very doubtful whether the stones of the altar, on which the masses are said in the churches of this diocese, be consecrated with holy oil, or truly blessed, by reason of the small care and knowledge which the former prelates coming from Babylon had of such matters, doth command, that all such as are not well known to have been lawfully consecrated, shall be brought to the most reverend Metropolitan that they may be consecrated by him, whom the Synod doth intreat to provide such churches with stones as want them: commanding likewise, all cups that are not of gold, silver, copper or tin, to be broken, and no cups to be used but what are made of one of these metals, and that mass be never said in any of these after they are broken; and seeing there are many churches that for want of cups have no masses, the lord Metropolitan is desired to give order, that all churches be furnished with cups.

DECREE XI.

ECCLESIASTICAL VESTMENTS TO BE PROVIDed.

Whereas there are many poor churches in this bishopric, and especially in the heaths that have no consecrated vestments for the saying of mass, and for that reason have but few said in them, to the great prejudice of the faithful parishioners; therefore the Synod doth command, that out of the alms of the parish the most reverend Metropolitan may provide all churches with holy vestments, so that none may be without them, and for that reason be without having masses every Sunday; and in those parishes where the alms shall not be found to be sufficient to do it, the said lord Metropolitan is desired to take such order therein, that they may be some way or other provided, and have so great a want supplied.

SESSION
V.

DECREE XII.

ALL PERSONS COMMANDED

TO ATTEND MASS CONSTANTLY IF NOT IMPRACTICABLE.

Whereas the Christians of this diocese have not hitherto heard mass as upon obligation, having never imagined that the not hearing thereof upon some particular days was a mortal sin; for which reason, some have without any scruple neglected going to hear it, and others have not staid to hear it out; therefore the Synod doth declare, that it is the precept of the universal church, and that upon penalty of a mortal sin, that all Christians, men and women, having no lawful impediment, do hear an entire mass upon every Sunday and holiday that is commanded to be kept, if they have the opportunity of a priest to say it to them. As also, that all masters of families are obliged by the said precept, to make their children, and such of their servants and slaves as are Christians, and all other persons living in their families, to go every Sunday and holyday to hear mass, which every one shall endeavour to hear at his own parish church, or at the place where he then happens to be; and as for those who with just reason are afraid to leave their houses alone without any body in them, and especially such as live in heaths, and are a great way from any church, they shall so order the matter, that all in their families shall take their turns of going to mass and staying at home on Sundays; and the vicars of the churches must be careful to mark all such as are negligent herein, and reprove, admonish, and punish them, so as they shall judge necessary: and where there is any number of clergy, they shall sing the mass on Sundays and holydays: and when there is not a competent number, there the mass shall be said at a convenient hour, the whole parish being present, and he shall at the same time preach, publish their admonitions, the banns of matrimony, and whatsoever else is necessary in the church.

DECREE XIII.

REGULATIONS FOR PERSONS HERETOFORE NEGLIGENT OF HEAR-
ING MASS.

The Synod being informed that most of all the Christians that live out of towns and villages in the heaths, being a great