Part of this laudable pastoral initiative involved the division of the proclamation of the Passio in parts. A precedent for this practice was found in the Passio which was solemnly sung by three sacred ministers. Unlike the traditional sung Passion, however, the newly developed Passion was divided into four parts, the new part being assigned to the entire assembly of the faithful. To the congregation present was given the collective parts of observers, witnesses to the trial and death of Jesus, and "the crowd" which surrounded him during his Passion.

So the tradition is that the Passion was sung by three priests or deacons with the parts of Narrator, Christ, and Others; this was adapted after Vatican II into a four-part narration with single speakers separated from the "crowd".

There is a warning that assigning the phrase "Crucify him" to the congregation not be seen as a condemnation of the Jewish people as responsible for the crucifixion, and that participation does not prevent the congregation from properly receiving the proclaimed Gospel.