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Altar cards are three cards placed on thealtar during theTridentine Mass.[1] They contain certain prayers that the priest must say during the Mass, and their only purpose is as a memory aid, although they are usually very beautifully decorated.
Altar cards were not used before the sixteenth century, and even today they are not used when abishop celebrates the Tridentine Mass, because he reads the entire Mass from the Pontifical Canon.[1] WhenPope Pius V restored the Missal, only the card at the middle of the altar was used, and it was called the "Tabella Secretarum".[1] The left card was added first, and then the right one was added for the sake of symmetry.[1]
The altar card on the left contains theLast Gospel (John 1:1–14), which is said at the very end of the Mass. The card on the right contains the prayer for blessing the wine and water ("Deus qui humanæ substantiæ") and theLavabo ("I shall wash", from the words ofPsalm 26[25 in the Septuagint/Vulgate]:6–12).
The larger, centre card contains theGloria, the prayerMunda cor meum recited before reading the Gospel, theCredo, the prayer for offering theHost (Suscipe, Sancte Pater), theWords of Consecration, and portions of theCanon of the Mass. Usually, the card's centre contains a picture of theCrucifixion.
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The altar cards may only stand on the altar during Mass. The center one stands against theTabernacle,altar cross or other support, and the left and right ones stand against either the candlesticks or thesuperstructural steps (each called a "gradine") of the altar.
After Mass, they must either be removed or placed face downwards under the altar cover.[1] The cards must be removed for theExposition of the Blessed Sacrament.[1]
