This is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at Saint James Cathedral in Seattle, Washington prior to the liturgical changes in the very post-Vatican II Church. Please note how clean, crisp and uncluttered the sanctuary is and how central the altar is, magnificent in its noble decorations:
This photo is a few years after the post-Vatican II changes. This is truly peculiar. The magnificent high altar is still present, but then slightly lower there is a free standing altar present along with yet another free standing altar below it. Three altars! What the H?
Then in the early 1990’s, the powers that be decided that Vatican II demanded a complete reordering of the cathedral, out with all of the previous altars and in with the completely new and reoriented floor plan for the cathedral. It is mind-blowing to say the least. While the shell of the cathedral is beautifully painted and decorated, the layout of the cathedral is mind-numbing. It is a hodgepodge of liturgical silliness beginning in the 1970’s and culminating in 1994 in Seattle.
It is iconoclasm on many levels and an insult to the heritage of the Cathedral and the Church in general: It shows the liturgical confusion that still reigns in the progressive Church. Could you imagine this being done to any of the major basilicas in Rome. No major basilica in Rome has ever been completely reordered with Vatican II being made the scapegoat. Why? Because Vatican II did not envision this kind of layout for a Catholic cathedral or church. What a travesty!
3 comments:
For the progressives and modernists, nothing--not the Masses the laity have devoted so many hours to, the buildings the laity have devoted so many millions to, the beliefs the martyrs died for--to be spared from tampering, marring, or outright destruction for their own desired ends.
Nick
How to transform a beautiful cathedral into Grand Central Station in three easy lessons, the intermediate phase being to convert marble floored sanctuary into a Putt-Putt course, explaining the extra altar before the water wheel was installed.
I DO kinda like the suspended pool noodles over the baptismal font...gives it a "fun" feel often lacking in baptisms....it truly is now a beautiful classic appearing place for a mass transit hub, very art deco.
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