y
immediately after the office, the Benedictus, and the prayer, etc.,
having been said, the _Anima ejus et animae_, etc., is also to be said.
In such a case there is no doubt, inasmuch as the Ritual lays down the
entire order of the ceremony, and ends with the words _Anima ejus_,
etc., in full without any comment. If the remains are brought to the
cemetery the same practice is to be observed, for at the sepulchre the
same prayers are prescribed by the Rubrics, and there is no change
mentioned. Hence, we consider we are correct in stating that the _Anima
ejus_, etc., is to be said at the end of the prayers for burial,
praesente corpore, whether these are recited in the church or in the
cemetery. But is the verse _Anima ejus_ to be said at the end, after the
_Requiescant in pace_, if the remains are not present? There is no
mention of this in the Ritual nor in the Missal, and it is certain that
on All Souls' Day, when the remains, as a rule, are not supposed to be
present, the _Anima ejus_ is not to be said. There is a decree of the
Sacred Congregation of Rites referring to this subject.

"Dec. 2924. An post absolutionem quae fit super cadaver in
die obitus, vel supra tumulum in die anniversario aut super
lecticam seu castrum doloris in die commemorationis omnium
fidelium defunctorum, dicto versiculo requiescant in pace,
subjungi debeat Anima ejus et animae omnium, etc.

"Resp. Servetur Rituale: et in commemoratione omnium
fidelium defunctorum nihil superaddendum. Die 2 Decembris,
1684".

We do not mean to say that this decree decides the point clearly in our
favour, but the Ritual certainly does not prescribe it. We have before
us an excellent ceremonial published in Bologna by a missionary priest
of St. Vincent, and he is clearly of opinion that the _Anima ejus_
absente cadavere ought not to be said, and adduces the decree above
quoted referring to the office on All Souls' Day.

With regard to the third question, it is well we should observe, in
order to avoid any misunderstanding, that we are speaking of the _De
profundis_ which is said after Mass at the end of the absolution, when
the clergy are proceeding to the sacristy. The Rubrics are clear as to
when the _De profundis_ is to be said at the end of Lauds: "Psalmus
lauda anima mea in vesperis similiter et Psalmus _De profundis_ in fine
laudum non dicuntur in die commemorationis omnium fidelium defunctorum,
neque in die ob