As a child, I do not recall from memory scenes like the ones in these photos, where several Masses were going on at the same time except when I was visiting Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome as late as 2016.
If you arrived at the Basilica when it opened at 7 AM, I think, you would see priests at all the side altars of the Basilica celebrating Mass. Some were using the modern Missal and others the 1962 Missal. All were welcome, todas, todas, todas.
But Pope Francis changed all of that. Maybe four or five years ago, no longer are priests allowed to say Mass at side altars as I experienced up until 2016. They have to concelebrate at regularly scheduled Masses.
Thank God, that with all the liturgical problems that the Church experiences with the wild and individualistic celebrations of the Modern Mass, that Pope Francis saw fit to kill the TLM’s celebration at St. Peter’s and those dastardly priests who like multiple Masses going on at the same time at all the various altars in St. Peter’s.
I can sleep better at night knowing this.
10 comments:
Religious orders often have the ones who are priests say their daily Masses at the same time at the numerous side altars.
When we went to the SSPX chapel, there were multiple masses every morning — sometimes 4 at the same time. I even served some of these masses.
It seemed really neat to me at the time. But with hindsight, I think this practice places an incorrect emphasis on what it is to be a priest. These masses are like personal acts of piety for the priest, which is somewhat antithetical to (what I think is) a better understanding of priesthood as a man set apart for his community.
Also I’m fairly certain this practice didn’t develop until after the 13th century (going by memory on that).
They ARE personal acts of piety for priests when there are more priests than "regular" masses, and priests required to offer masses daily as part and parcel of their vocation, where them doing so in private would seem more objectionable by that criteria.
I may be wrong, but I don’t think multiple Masses would occur in a normal Sunday parish, even if staffed by multiple religious order priests. Even in religious house, I would think that multiple Masses would not happen at the principal Mass of the day, Sunday or otherwise, but i might be wrong.
Individual private masses may not take place when a concentrated mass is taking place in the same church. Of course this was rarely relevant prior to Vatican 2. I imagine back in the day, private masses would be said around the same time early in the morning ie before breakfast, hence needing so many.
I went to our Cardinal’s (Vincent Nichols) allocated Church of Sant'Alfonso de' Liguori (also referred to as Santissimo Redentore e Sant'Alfonso) in Rome. I was amazed that behind the main altar were around 12 altars built into the back of the reredos and around the apse wall so that private masses could be said without being seen in the main church.
There is no requirement that a priest celebrate mass daily.
The mass, by its nature, is never an act of personal piety. Even if celebrated with one server present, the celebration of the mass is an action of the Church in communion with the Trinity, the angels, the Church Triumphant, the Church Militant, and the Church Suffering.
Only by the grace of God my seminary chapel, St. Mary’s Roland Park, Baltimore, was never renovated or wreckovated after Vatican II! The only change was the stripping of the old high altar and moving the tabernacle to a side chapel, quite lovely btw, and a free-standing altar placed before the older one. However, in the link below, on either side of the last pews, arranged choir style, are hallways and there are side chapel altars along that hall way for private Masses. These were not used in any way after the 1970 Missal was mandated, but the altars are still there but not vested.
https://stmarys.edu/seminary/about/community-life/student-facilities-and-amenities/chapel/
I should also say, that some years ago, the old high altar was once again decorated in the traditional way with six candlesticks and the tabernacle replaced on it—quite shocking to me in terms of what I experienced there in the late 70’s!!! Quite shocking!
True the mass is never an act of personal piety but I can see that a priest without the option of celebrating mass with a congregation might want to celebrate quasi privately to sustain his faith. Personally I feel such instances should be rare but the rubric is vague.
I can’t remember which saint when imprisoned couldn’t celebrate mass for lack of wine so did so with crumbs and water. We had a discussion in class about if God can change bread / wine into his body / blood whether he could do so in such adverse circumstances.
It was Father Bughnini then Archbishop btw, never just a bishop!
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