I written this before, but the spirit of Vatican II has exacerbated the narcissism of the clergy and laity of the Church to reach the highest levels of Holy Mother Church.
I think one of the foundational culprits for this narcissism on steroids is Mass facing the people and the ad libs and creativity of priests and yes some laity as well as making the priest and his face front and center exuding as much saccharine piety as possible to make him look holy, or at least engaged!
It turns the priest into an actor on a stage.
But what is a church in New Jersey to do when Cardinaless McCarrick is featured in one of its stained glass windows concelebrating a papal Mass in New Jersey with now Pope St. John Paul II?
If this Mass had been depicted in an ad orientem way, no problem, no one would know who any of the three priests are, but alas, we have to know and see their faces. SAD! But maybe they can reverse the image by turning it around?????
But in this ad orientem Mass, who cares who the celebrant is. It could be any pope, other bishop or priest--it doesn't matter who the priest is as long as the High Priest, Jesus Christ, is there.
I think one of the foundational culprits for this narcissism on steroids is Mass facing the people and the ad libs and creativity of priests and yes some laity as well as making the priest and his face front and center exuding as much saccharine piety as possible to make him look holy, or at least engaged!
It turns the priest into an actor on a stage.
But what is a church in New Jersey to do when Cardinaless McCarrick is featured in one of its stained glass windows concelebrating a papal Mass in New Jersey with now Pope St. John Paul II?
If this Mass had been depicted in an ad orientem way, no problem, no one would know who any of the three priests are, but alas, we have to know and see their faces. SAD! But maybe they can reverse the image by turning it around?????
12 comments:
When are you implementing ad orientem at your parish?
If I was pastor at that parish, I would have a company there today....taking the window out!
TJM, ad oriented must be restored with the backing of the pope and each local bishop and with proper catechesis as to its symbolic and spiritual significance. At the bare minimum it has to have the local bishop’s support show that ad oriented in any parish isn’t just the personal preference of the priest but something confirmed by the bishop and in place despite the priest assigned to the parish. We can’t constantly yank the laity around liturgically or otherwise.
Father McDonald,
The political climate must have changed in your diocese inasmuch as you introduced ad orientem worship at your former parish. Sad
I have the feeling that Fr. McDonald got the St. John Cantius treatment for having actual liturgical progress and renewal at St. Joseph's in Macon. Actually implement the reform of the reform and get moved out of the way or at least to a less prominent posting.
But what Fr. McDonald says is true, nonetheless. If you don't have your bishop behind you, your entire vocation is at risk. Bishops can be very supportive and they can just as easily destroy a priest. Where Hartmayer stands in this milieu is anyone's guess, but we sure aren't going to hear about it from his priests.
"If this Mass had been depicted in an ad orientem way, no problem, no one would know who any of the three priests are,..."
Really? Is that how stupid you think the people in the pews are?
Uh, Anon 264---I think Fr. M had been at St. Joseph's for 12 years. Most Catholic parishes don't keep the same pastor for 20 or 30 years. Rotation time. And I would probably rather live in Richmond Hill than Macon anyway---wouldn't you?!?!?
"I have the feeling that Fr. McDonald got the St. John Cantius treatment for having actual liturgical progress and renewal at St. Joseph's in Macon. Actually implement the reform of the reform and get moved out of the way or at least to a less prominent posting."
Complete and utter bunk and an unwarranted attack on our bishop.
The problem with Fr McDonald's take on this (and other matters liturgical) is that he is looking in vain for a top-down reform, whereas it has to be bottom-up. Benedict XVI would not impose anything, since he believed that the imposition of drastic liturgical reform by his predecessors (principally Paul VI, but not forgetting Pius XII and Pius X) had not always had happy results. Francis isn't particularly interested in liturgy, and most bishops are happy to go along with whatever prevails in the parishes they are visiting.
So waiting for orders from a superior authority is simply a recipe for inertia. There is a parish near me which only does the Novus Ordo in English, but for some years have faced liturgical east for the Liturgy of the Eucharist - the faithful were prepared for this, and the only objection was from a visiting priest. A couple of years ago the parish priest was on sabbatical for some weeks. The stand-in priest removed the crucifix from the centre of the altar so that he could celebrate versus populum.
In this case, who was 'yanking the laity around'?
Anonymous Kavanaugh,
Thanks for the laughs. It is obvious to all other than you that the local bishop is anti ad orientem or Father McDonald who catechize his current congregation just like his last one.
John Nolan,
It sounds like the visiting priest was a major league jackass and I would have called him out for his autocratic behavior if I had been there.
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