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Friday, May 26, 2017

IS GRATUITOUS CONCELEBRATION A POST-VATICAN II FORM OF CLERICALISM? IT MAY WELL BE!

I happen to love this picture of George and Jane Jettson's Catholic Church! I love the futuristic architecture. But please notice that this photo taken prior to Vatican II shows something that many might miss. There is absolutely no, and I mean no concelebrating, to include the bishop who is simply presiding due to his rank over the celebrant who is simply a lowly priest.

All the other priests are sitting in the congregation wearing "choir dress" as is the bishop. They will remain there throughout the Mass and observe every single posture of the laity sitting behind them or on the other side of the Church. They will not leave the nave for the sanctuary during the Roman Canon and when it is time for Holy Communion the bishop as well as the priests in choir dress will receive Holy Communion as the "more lowly" laity did prior to Vatican II, the bishop kneeling at a kneeler and the priests at the altar railing and horrors of horrors, the same railing as the laity, and receiving only the Host and on the tongue as do the laity!  Talk about no clericalism for this bishop and priests! Thank you pre-Vatican II sensibilities!

Most priests today don't even know what choir dress is!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Most priests today don't even know what choir dress is!"

You mean this literally? Surely they know what a cassock is. And what a surplice is. Put them both on together, and they're in choir dress. Assuming they know to put the surplice on over the cassock, not under it. Well, ok, I agree this might be a bit much to assume for that clueless generation of priests who received essentially no formation as Catholic priests in the seminaries of the 70s and 80s.

Rood Screen said...

I understand concelebrating on special occasions with a bishop. But otherwise, it seems concelebrating priests are depriving the faithful of other opportunities to assist at Mass. Surely it's better to have several Mass opportunities in a day than just one concelebrated Mass.

I doubt there are many priests who don't know what choir dress is, although I also doubt there are many priest who have a cassock and surplice.