This papal requiem Mass for a Cardinal shows a certain excess that one can understand needs to be cleaned up. Even the chaotic movements of the clergy surrounding Pope St. John XXIII screams for reform.
I have consistently written that Sacrosanctum Concilium’s calls for liturgical reform were inspired by the excesses of pontifical liturgies of this sort, not your normal parish’s Low, Sung or Solemn Sung Masses.
Although, I would be honored to accept all those candles around my casket!
I have consistently written that Sacrosanctum Concilium’s calls for liturgical reform were inspired by the excesses of pontifical liturgies of this sort, not your normal parish’s Low, Sung or Solemn Sung Masses.
Although, I would be honored to accept all those candles around my casket!
6 comments:
Yes, way too many candles. Can hardly see the altar. But I like the cope the pope was wearing for the liturgy.
Cardinal Tardini was fortunate not to have lived to see the destruction of the Roman Rite
Agree. However, the rites/ceremonial (if, that is what is/was called) needed to be cleaned up, not scorched-earth reformed. Watching the old clips, it seems that only Dante knew where to stand, where to go and had his hands full playing traffic cop for many. Too complicated for too little gain. The beauty could have been retained, just simplified.
What you are seeing here is full papal court ceremonial, which was rarely used. Pius XII had little time for it, and preferred to celebrate the papal Low Mass, or preside without celebrating. There is an interesting YouTube clip of Pius celebrating a PLM in 1942. John XXIII, on the other hand, rather enjoyed all the pomp and circumstance. At his coronation he even revived elements which had fallen into disuse.
Paul VI could have done away with most of the court ceremonial yet left the liturgy intact. Unfortunately he threw out the baby with the bathwater.
But then there is the other extreme---the funeral of the "sainted" John Lewis at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church this past Thursday. No candles...no altar...really no structure, virtually just a parade of endless platitudes, including one from the most recent former president who at one time lamented voters who "stuck to their guns, their religion" and so on. And he accuses Trump of being a divider?!? Ok, there were a few scripture readings and at least the (pro-choice) pastor had a ministerial robe on, but compare that with a Catholic funeral where the focus, thankfully, is not on endless eulogies!!!
Concerning the John Lewis funeral. How many priests can speak about politics in the pulpit and get away with it? And there was no social distancing. Another mortal sin.
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