Does this priest and do these kids really believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. Yes, this is casualness to an extreme. But the question must be asked, why in the name of God and all that is Holy, did this priest think celebrating Mass this way was a good idea? And what malformation did it bring to the kids in this photo?
Recently I saw a video of a bishop exhorting his priests to use a variety of orthodox videos to promote orthodox belief in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Fine! But so much more is required and this bishop doesn’t seem to get it as don't most bishops unfortunately.
Belief in what the Magisterium teaches, what the Sacraments are in general and the Real Presence of Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament in particular, has to be supported by solemn right praxis not sloppy, casual praxis.
Yet, the revival of the 1960’s and 70’s by Pope Francis and other prelates his age is placing casualness and cavalier attitudes about solemnity, orthodoxy and reverence to the test.
I look at prelates the first day of the synod all wearing what Pope Benedict required at Vatican settings the Episcopal Cassock and zucchetto and two days later at the encouragement of the pope to wear more casual suits. The synod looks casual and sloppy now and not to be taken seriously (which depending on what the pope approves, might be a good thing!). At a point when the Church isn’t taken seriously by 80% of Catholics and about 99% of the world, do we need to encourage this ambivalence and outright hostility to the Church by this casualness and sloppiness?
I can sympathize with Pope Francis in terms of not being able to genuflect properly due to knee issues when he is in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament be it at the consecration or when praying before the Blessed Sacrament. But when I see him on both knees on the floor without assistance, groveling before secular leaders and begging for peace as he kisses their feet or receives a blessing from charismatic leaders, I just have to wonder and many others do too.
But in terms of the bishop I sight above, I would tell him, look Bishop, tell your priests to celebrate Mass with attention to detail. Tell your priests to allow for kneeling to receive Holy Communion and encourage receiving on the tongue. Tell your laity to dress properly for Mass, and anyone having a official liturgical role to wear appropriate clothes. I am beginning to think that a white alb should be mandated for lay lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion given what I see in my parish and other parishes in terms of Sunday apparel.
The place that most Catholics will be properly formed in what the Church believes is at Mass. And the Mass as celebrated in 99% of Ordinary Form parishes is abysmal. In terms of orthodox belief, reverence and seriousness of celebration, bishops would do well to tell priests to learn how to celebrate the EF Mass and experience its celebration by attending EF Masses. They might not like the Latin or the orientation or the complexity of ceremony, but they should love and respect the reverence of the priest and the laity who attend the EF Mass.
The Ordinary Form can learn much from the Extraordinary Form!
Recently I saw a video of a bishop exhorting his priests to use a variety of orthodox videos to promote orthodox belief in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Fine! But so much more is required and this bishop doesn’t seem to get it as don't most bishops unfortunately.
Belief in what the Magisterium teaches, what the Sacraments are in general and the Real Presence of Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament in particular, has to be supported by solemn right praxis not sloppy, casual praxis.
Yet, the revival of the 1960’s and 70’s by Pope Francis and other prelates his age is placing casualness and cavalier attitudes about solemnity, orthodoxy and reverence to the test.
I look at prelates the first day of the synod all wearing what Pope Benedict required at Vatican settings the Episcopal Cassock and zucchetto and two days later at the encouragement of the pope to wear more casual suits. The synod looks casual and sloppy now and not to be taken seriously (which depending on what the pope approves, might be a good thing!). At a point when the Church isn’t taken seriously by 80% of Catholics and about 99% of the world, do we need to encourage this ambivalence and outright hostility to the Church by this casualness and sloppiness?
I can sympathize with Pope Francis in terms of not being able to genuflect properly due to knee issues when he is in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament be it at the consecration or when praying before the Blessed Sacrament. But when I see him on both knees on the floor without assistance, groveling before secular leaders and begging for peace as he kisses their feet or receives a blessing from charismatic leaders, I just have to wonder and many others do too.
But in terms of the bishop I sight above, I would tell him, look Bishop, tell your priests to celebrate Mass with attention to detail. Tell your priests to allow for kneeling to receive Holy Communion and encourage receiving on the tongue. Tell your laity to dress properly for Mass, and anyone having a official liturgical role to wear appropriate clothes. I am beginning to think that a white alb should be mandated for lay lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion given what I see in my parish and other parishes in terms of Sunday apparel.
The place that most Catholics will be properly formed in what the Church believes is at Mass. And the Mass as celebrated in 99% of Ordinary Form parishes is abysmal. In terms of orthodox belief, reverence and seriousness of celebration, bishops would do well to tell priests to learn how to celebrate the EF Mass and experience its celebration by attending EF Masses. They might not like the Latin or the orientation or the complexity of ceremony, but they should love and respect the reverence of the priest and the laity who attend the EF Mass.
The Ordinary Form can learn much from the Extraordinary Form!
8 comments:
Amazon synod slogan
'New Ecological Sins - because we've stopped feeling guilty about the old ones.'
With regard to the picture above, could the priest have at least found a bigger table for an altar? And could the boys in the background at least have worn shirts?!? And you wonder what would have been next, maybe baptisms in the pool?
No amount of catechesis in the world will bring faith in the Real Preence if what they see in front of their own eyes undermines that very teaching.
This photo of the hapless priest having Mass poolside has made the rounds on the Internet for awhile. I myself have laid into the priest (or whoever else engineered the fiasco depicted) for the many errors on display. It appears to be a cascade of poor decisions. (Why right at the pool? There really was NO where else? And the boys couldn't put on any more clothing?)
That said, I do kind of feel sorry for the priest in the picture, who I suspect has been pilloried over and over for this, since this may have been just one poor decision in an exemplary career; and it may have been some overbearing coach who engineered this, with the priest just trying to make the best of it.
Maybe someone can enable him -- anonymously -- to give his defense?
Jesuit ?
If only that sinful woman had not come in and touched Jesus, everything would have been okay.
The progressives made the Mass so "intelligible" following Vatican Disaster II, that a majority of Catholics no longer understand or believe in the Real Presence. Congratulations for turning the majority into garden variety Protestants
Anonymous at 10:33:
Sorry, I am too tired or too stupid to understand your point. Please have mercy on me and explain it. Thanks.
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