OUR LADY…MAGNIFICENT COPE, DALMATICS AND SINGING 🎶

 Magnificent Vespers in Notre Dame…

To you who celebrate the Eucharist each day, I ask you to ensure that the liturgical celebrations are always carried out with dignity and reverence, even where smaller communities gather. Be conscious heirs of the Church Fathers and saints who, over the centuries, have handed down to us the profound meaning and beauty of the liturgy, always giving an example of great humility before the Mystery that is celebrated. 

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH THE BISHOPS, PRIESTS, 
DEACONS,  CONSECRATED MEN AND WOMEN AND SEMINARIANS

HOMILY OF POPE LEO XIV

Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral
Friday, 25 September 2026

___________________________________

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are gathered for Evening Prayer in this place which, more than any other, has invited the people of Paris for centuries to lift their eyes towards heaven. Seven years have passed since the whole world, holding its breath, watched as the cathedral was engulfed in a terrible fire. At that time, we also watched anxiously, conscious of how powerless humans are in the face of the unforeseen. That pain was felt not only by Catholics, nor only by believers. Indeed, in that tragic moment we came to realize that Notre-Dame is more than a monument. The collective effort to rebuild it, and the splendour of the result reveal that the heart of a people beats here, and that here we stand at the living center of a civilization, where past and future embrace, where heaven and earth meet.

It was my wish to meet you here, in this symbolic place of the Church in France. It is a joy for me to have crossed its threshold a short while ago, as thousands of brothers and sisters do each day, coming here from every corner of the world. Simply entering this place brings us face to face with a beauty that speaks to our restless hearts and calls them to peace. Following the restoration of this sacred space for all humanity, it is rightly recognized how each visitor can be renewed by what he or she sees, hears and experiences. The public, private and ecclesial institutions involved in the restoration of Notre-Dame have each contributed, in their own way, to reawakening the cultural, existential and spiritual journeys that the cathedral opens up before us. In this context, the Church has understood her mission not only in terms of preservation but also of creativity, by keeping tradition alive with the boldness of those who have faith and are guided by hope. I wish to thank the Archbishop, his co-workers and the diocesan community of Paris, who have also developed a pastoral pathway of initial proclamation and Christian initiation open to all. The baptismal font is a sign of this, situated at the entrance as a blessing and an invitation.

The rebuilding of the Cathedral was an opportunity for an encounter that has expanded horizons of welcome and participation beyond the boundaries of ecclesial affiliation. Dear bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians of France, let yourselves be inspired by what has happened here! Make the vision of Evangelii Gaudium your priority, namely the missionary conversion which Pope Francis spoke of in his first Apostolic Exhortation.

In the Letter to the Galatians, we heard the reason why we should not be afraid: “God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4). He sent him among us, into our world. In Saint Paul’s words, the verb describes a real, historical event, not some ideal set of circumstances. Christians do not flee from complexity, for God himself has called them to follow his Son in a world that is already inhabited, already in motion, already marked by both human misery and goodness. The way of the Cross certainly reveals the darkness that runs through our world, but even more profoundly, it reveals the love of God that triumphs over death.

The Cathedral’s cruciform layout, where stone and light come together, evokes the meeting of earth and heaven. It gathers and orders the events of history, woven with human joys and sufferings. It holds them together in a symbolic dynamic that transforms these diverse expressions into a living language, uniting them into a whole.

Dear friends, it is from the Incarnation — “God sent forth his Son” — that the identity of the Church flows, for she is called always to be a Church “going forth”. As disciples of Christ, you know well that the Christian community is not a refuge into which we withdraw in order to protect ourselves from our age. On the contrary, like the cathedrals of old, the Church is a place of welcome, respect, revelation and meaning for everyone. The strength of a living Church lies in welcoming those on the peripheries who already have a place in her heart; welcoming those who are far away but in reality are already near; welcoming the stranger, in whom Christ is already knocking at the door.

If Notre-Dame is a sign of this encounter at the heart of Paris, then the other cities and regions of France, even the most remote and rural, can be transformed all the more by a simple and welcoming missionary presence. Such a presence can help to bring cultural differences into harmony and to heal the wounds present in our societies. From the northern coasts to the Mediterranean, from the inland regions to the overseas departments, be a living, diverse and close Church. A lack of material resources does not prevent mission, for it is the grace of God that gives rise to interior freedom and simplicity of life, enabling us to reflect an evangelical way of life. In all this, confidently value the missionary presence of the lay faithful, who are the living front line of the Church at the crossroads of everyday life.

At the same time, brothers and sisters, we must not forget that this Cathedral, like every other church, was built for the purpose of prayer and the worship of God. It is the place where the Christian community celebrates the highest form of prayer and worship, renewing in the Eucharist the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. This Cathedral is not merely a stone structure to be admired; instead, it lives by the sacred mystery celebrated within it. Without the liturgy, it would lose its soul. Here at Notre-Dame, this truth is made evident by the placement of the altar at its center. The community gathered to praise the Lord thus stands at the heart of the building, while visitors, even during celebrations, walk around it and observe it. Here the Church appears for what she is, namely a living organism, a believing community that gathers into its praise everything that culture and tradition have handed down to her. She is a body which, through her celebration, tells each person the reason for her existence.

Today, more than ever, we live in an age that seems deprived of fullness, depth and promise. The noble simplicity of song, spoken word and liturgical gesture can be for many a glimmer of hope, an oasis of peace in a hyper-connected and noisy society, where we can experience the presence of the Author of the greatest love: “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4). The celebration of the liturgical year, of Sundays and feasts, also makes us companions of Christ, attentive to the different moments of his life, which he gave entirely to the Father for the sake of the world. In this way, we become more sensitive and more open to the signs of the times. Indeed, our prayer and listening together to the Scriptures enable us to see the events of history in the light of God, making us more aware of our responsibilities, allowing us to unmask unjust relations of power and sow the seeds of justice and peace. It is hope that drives us therefore, not resignation. And from this arise bonds of greater fraternity and networks of solidarity, the fruit of communion in the one Sacrifice of Christ.

To you who celebrate the Eucharist each day, I ask you to ensure that the liturgical celebrations are always carried out with dignity and reverence, even where smaller communities gather. Be conscious heirs of the Church Fathers and saints who, over the centuries, have handed down to us the profound meaning and beauty of the liturgy, always giving an example of great humility before the Mystery that is celebrated. The Second Vatican Council, whose richness owes much to France, gathered up and deepened this heritage in an eminent way, recognizing the liturgy’s central role in the life of the Church (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10). I therefore exhort all of you, bishops, priests, deacons and consecrated persons, to cultivate an authentic love for the liturgy and to be witnesses and servants of the prophetic, priestly and kingly vocation of the entire People of God.

In this respect, the liturgy remains a reflection of life. Eucharistic joy takes root and spreads wherever harmony is restored, wherever dignity is renewed, wherever authority becomes service, and wherever freedom is able to flourish again. This is the greatest gift we can share. Therefore, place communion with the successor of Peter and with the Church before your personal preferences, so as to foster the unity of God’s people. Thus, together, we will bear prophetic witness to the possibility of a reconciled world.

Dear bishops, priests, seminarians and consecrated persons, you who have been called to follow Christ, I thank you for your response and your fidelity to the Lord. Never neglect this friendship desired by the Lord, which must be cultivated in personal prayer, and is the foundation of every vocation. As Madeleine Delbrêl said: “Without prayer, we would not love the God of love. We might perhaps be his servants, his warriors, or even his disciples; but we would be neither the loving children of our Father nor the friends… of Jesus Christ” (Notre vie, Œuvres complètes vol. XV, Nouvelle Cité, 2017, p. 41). Nurture, then, your interior life with the Lord, following the example of the many saints who have gone before you, always drawing from the source of God’s infinite love in silent prayer. Your mission flows above all from this intimate relationship with the Lord, who awaits you there.

At the heart of the city, the open Cathedral is a sign of a community that praises the Lord and lives hospitality not as an occasional gesture, but as the very form of its existence, so that all may feel at home, no longer dominated or marginalized in a changing world. “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, […] so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5). And “if a son, then you are also an heir” (ibid 4:7). Heirs by grace, brothers and sisters gathered here, it is now up to each of you, this praying and living assembly, to become the flesh and voice of this promise. Clergy and consecrated persons of France, you are called to be the first guardians of this open house, the living stones of a Church that hopes and does not fear the future. This Cathedral has been reborn so that you too may be reborn with it in a new impetus towards holiness and daily mission. In the midst of your people, be a clear expression of the divine motherhood of the Church, who, by bearing witness to God’s love, restores and heals the human family.

Let us lift our eyes towards the fourteenth-century statue of the Virgin and Child, which was untouched by the fire and now shines once again before us. May Mary, who carried the Word in her womb, keep you faithful, and may she be the star that guides the mission of the Church in France. Holy Mary, Our Lady of Paris and Mother of the Church, pray for the French people, sustain their pastors, and walk always at our side.

SAVOIR-FAIRE

Savoir-Faire is the smooth, French-Canadian mouse antagonist from the 1960s animated television series Klondike Kat.Here are the key details about the character:

Role: He is the main rival to the feline Mountie, Klondike Kat, constantly stealing food around Fort Frazzel.

Catchphrase: He is famous for saying, "Savoir-Faire eez everywhere!"

Companionship: He travels with a versatile sled dog named Malamutt who can play the piano and violin. 

 

Full speech of Leo XIV before the French authorities

Mr. President,
distinguished Authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps,
ladies and gentlemen:

It is a great joy for me to be among you today. I am particularly grateful to you, Mr. President, for your cordial invitation to visit France, and I thank you for the words of welcome you have addressed to me. Through you, I also greet all those who inhabit this country of vast cultural and religious heritage. Together they form a people in which the diversity of origins contributes to enlivening and enriching coexistence and democratic life. I also wish to assure you, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, that France is very often at the center of the Pope’s prayers, who does not forget his Norman and Béarnese family origins.

My journey to France begins in the capital of your country, Paris, frequently defined as the Ville lumière. For centuries France has shone as a cultural, artistic and spiritual beacon, not only in Europe, but also in the world. Strengthened by its cathedral schools, its universities and its academies, essential places for the search for truth, France has contributed to forging the intelligence of peoples far beyond its own borders. The enlightenment of exceptional French minds, who were at the same time great Catholics, underlines to what extent the sciences, the arts, literature and philosophy can contribute to the good of humanity when they are oriented toward the search for the beautiful, the good and the true, so that the world may have life.

French savoir-faire is synonymous with excellence in numerous fields. It has distinguished itself in a particular way in the great work of restoration of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, in which numerous institutions, both private and public, participated from the beginning, and to which you, Mr. President, have dedicated particular attention, for which I thank you. I gratefully pay homage to all the artisans and professional categories who have dedicated their efforts to it. The recent reopening of the cathedral for divine worship, as well as for visitors from all over the world, is not only the culmination of a technical enterprise, but the symbol of a recovered hope, the proof that what was believed to be destroyed forever can be reborn thanks to the collaboration of all and the testimony of a unity achieved in common effort. Such a beautiful result should inspire all actors in the political, social and religious life of the country with a new impulse to work unceasingly in a spirit of unity, with the strength of a living hope.

France is also a land of rich Christian roots. Since the times of Saint Irenaeus and the baptism of Clovis, the soul of your homeland has developed by taking from Christianity a spiritual, cultural, intellectual, artistic and missionary genius that today shines throughout the world. Thus, in sixteenth-century France, humanism flourished, seeking to unify the Greco-Roman heritage and the Christian faith. The celebrated thinkers of the Renaissance, and later of the Grand Siècle, were followed by those of the Enlightenment, and France then brought to the world true conquests; among them, the recognition of the rights of man inherent in the nature of the human person, in particular religious freedom. This constant attention to the intrinsic dignity of every human person finds an echo in your national motto. Liberty, equality and fraternity are not simple words engraved on the pediments of your public buildings, but refer to universal ethical demands that also find in the Gospel message an inexhaustible source of inspiration and realization.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed in this city of Paris —and in whose elaboration the French jurist and Nobel Peace Prize winner René Cassin played a leading role— had the purpose of creating a general awareness of the inalienable dignity of the human person. Saint John Paul II, who considered this document «a true milestone on the path of moral progress of humanity,» was aware that «every threat to human rights, both in the sphere of material goods and in that of spiritual goods, is equally dangerous for peace, because it always affects man in his integrity.»

The question of respect for human dignity and the fundamental rights and freedoms that derive from human nature arises in every age and must accompany the evolution of society and technical progress. Indeed, «technological development has contributed over the centuries to a significant improvement in the living conditions of humanity; at the same time, each phase of progress has also shown the ambiguous face of instruments capable of causing harm when they are not oriented toward the good» (Encyclical Letter Magnifica humanitas, 4). Already in his time, Georges Bernanos intuited the risk of seeing blind obedience and irresponsibility become masters of a «Paradise of Machines.» He emphasized how, to escape from it, French civilization had worked for centuries in the formation of free men, fully responsible for their actions.

For this reason, it seemed indispensable to me to address, in my first Encyclical Letter, the theme of Artificial Intelligence, in order to return the human person to the center of all reflection. So as not to lose our humanity in the midst of the «paradise of machines» that invades and conditions our daily life, it is urgent to form minds for an ethical discernment capable of recognizing what is morally good. This requirement is fundamental for recognizing the true good that makes man grow according to his primordial vocation, respecting unconditionally his interior freedom and his sacred dignity. In this regard, I would like to recall that «an authentically free society does not impose uniformity, but protects the diversity of consciences, preventing authoritarian drifts and promoting an ethical dialogue that enriches the social fabric» (Address to the Diplomatic Corps, January 9, 2026). This dialogue is even more urgent in the context of present-day France, where people of different cultural and religious backgrounds are called to live together and contribute to the construction of society.

It is precisely thanks to the richness of its social fabric that, for centuries, France has distinguished itself by its attention to diversity and a strong desire for solidarity. Thanks to the illustrious work of men and women who remained faithful to their humanity and the values of the Gospel, the Catholic Church in France has never ceased to work for the good of the most needy, becoming the living face of God’s tenderness and compassion. Let us think of the works of Saint Vincent de Paul, of the charitable renewal of the seventeenth century and, still today, of the numerous Catholic institutions in which health workers accompany brothers and sisters weakened by suffering. Their testimonies of attention and service constitute a true school of humanity on the greatness of care and a vibrant reminder of the unique and irreplaceable value of every human being. They are also an invitation to renewed fraternity that requires learning to welcome life without conditions, to sustain fragility with tenderness, to accompany with respect and mutual trust each stage of existence and to defend with courage and compassion those who have no voice or do not feel sufficiently supported. Therefore, I reiterate «with force that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of any other human right» (ibid.).

Today there exists the temptation to expect from science a solution and a consolation for all our sufferings. The risk is often to fall into illusion. When science and technology are not guided by conscience, they can propose immediate solutions that seem to respond to the desires and sufferings of men and women, but which in reality can seriously distance them from the good to which they deeply aspire. Sometimes I note with concern the current drifts of societies that run the risk of distorting science and technology by transforming them into lucrative enterprises that favor genetic manipulations, surrogacy, the purchase of organs or the offer of a programmed death. Let us not forget that mutual respect and the protection of the life of every human person are a responsibility of each and all, which begins with a conversion of the intellect and the heart and requires a real and disinterested commitment toward our brothers and sisters.

How can we not see in such a commitment also the expression of the just secularism of the earthly city? The Christian committed to public life, who acts in the light of his conscience illuminated by faith, cannot be considered a proselytizer or a threat to the unity of the homeland. Indeed, true secularism does not exclude the religious dimension, but on the contrary knows how to take advantage of it as an educational resource (cf. Address to participants in the national meeting of Catholic religion teachers, April 25, 2026).

Precisely for this reason, Catholic schools occupy a prominent place in the educational landscape of a country like France. «This is part, moreover, of a broader attitude, indispensable for all dialogue, both in school and in society: to know and love what one is, in order to know how to meet the other with respect and openness» (ibid.).

A just secularism does not therefore consist in excluding religion from the public sphere or from education, but in committing ourselves so that the State and religious institutions dialogue with each other and unite their forces in the service of the common good, so that the world may have life. In this regard, I express my appreciation for the work carried out within the framework of the Dialogue Instance between the Holy See, the Catholic Church in France and the French Government. Indeed, the tireless work of the Catholic Church, through the richness of its expressions and institutions, is certainly precious and worthy of praise for the well-being of the entire society. These exchanges illustrate in a very positive way that healthy complementarity reaffirmed during the Second Vatican Council, in the sense that «[the political community and the Church], although by different title, are at the service of the personal and social vocation of the same men. This service they will carry out all the more effectively, for the good of all, the healthier and better the cooperation between them» (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Past. Const. Gaudium et spes, 76).

I also note with joy that this same will to serve together each person, regardless of their origin, has for centuries inspired cooperation between France and the Catholic Church in the service of Christians of the East. The educational, social, cultural and humanitarian action developed in the countries of the Middle East, in collaboration with various associations such as Aid to the Church in Need or Œuvre d’Orient, constitutes a valuable contribution to dialogue between peoples and to the protection of the rights of each person.

This is an eloquent testimony in which culture and faith present themselves as the pillars that favor harmony between different peoples and religions in the service of peace and mediation among men. Also in this field, education constitutes a particularly important challenge. It remains, in fact, one of the main sectors of cooperation, finding especially a concrete and fruitful expression through the Fund for Schools of the East. In this regard, I wish to express my gratitude to all the people committed to this project which, since its foundation in 2021, has made it possible to provide support to more than two hundred and sixty educational centers in the Middle East, including seven universities in Lebanon and Bethlehem University.

But how can we evoke this region of the world, where two thousand years ago the Prince of Peace was born, without also thinking of all the populations struck by the consequences of conflicts and of all those who suffer the scourge of war? We cannot remain indifferent to these sufferings that wound human dignity and cry out for justice to God. The gravity of these situations must challenge us and calls each one, wherever he may be, to a true conversion of heart and a change of attitude. Recognizing humbly the need we have for one another, we will be able to commit ourselves together more intensely to the construction of the civilization of love at the heart of our world, which has become so complex and interdependent (cf. Encyclical Letter Magnifica humanitas, 182). At the same time, as my holy predecessor John XXIII already affirmed in his time, «justice, right reason and the sense of human dignity urgently demand that the arms race cease; that, on one side and the other, the nations that possess them reduce them simultaneously; that atomic weapons be prohibited; that, finally, all peoples, by virtue of an agreement, arrive at a simultaneous disarmament, controlled by mutual and effective guarantees» (Encyclical Letter Pacem in terris, 60). Indeed, the erroneous conviction is spreading more and more that the possession of nuclear weapons constitutes a guarantee of security, fueling a new arms race that is difficult to control (cf. Encyclical Letter Magnifica humanitas, 194). In reality, peace is not a balance of forces, but is built every day through dialogue and justice.

I therefore exhort you never to resign yourselves to the perspective of war considering it «inevitable,» but to tirelessly promote dialogue and diplomacy, in order to preserve peaceful societies, respectful of the dignity and rights of the person and of peoples. Faced with rumors of war and the multiple crises that shake our world, France has the vocation to continue being an untiring artisan of peace and multilateralism, particularly within our beloved Europe. May France, faithful to its own values, open the furrow of an unarmed and disarming peace and responsibly offer its irreplaceable contribution in favor of peace. May its freedom grow unceasingly in commitment to the common good; may its fraternity embrace all humanity; and may the equality to which they aspire always be founded on the foundations of justice and charity, without eliminating the differences between persons, but making them bear fruit harmoniously for the benefit of the entire society.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to express to you once again my gratitude for this meeting which, taking up the —significant for each one— words pronounced by Your Excellency to the bishops of France in 2018, makes manifest how «a Church that pretended to be disinterested in temporal questions would not fully fulfill its vocation; and a President of the Republic who pretended to be disinterested in the Church and Catholics would fail in his duty.» Be assured of my fervent prayer for your beautiful nation.

May God grant it peace, unity and prosperity so that the world may have life. I entrust these desires to the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Principal Patroness of France.

God bless France and all the French!

MY CRITIQUE OF THE BEATIFICATION MASS OF NOW BLESSED FULTON J. SHEEN

I post the Beatification of Blessed Pope John Paul I by Pope Francis I as a better example of how a Beatification Mass should be celebrated. Of course the Vatican knows how to do these!

I want to be charitable to the planners of the Beatification Mass in a civic arena with thousands and thousands of people, but there are some issues that go beyond a Mass in a non-church/cathedral setting that should be called out. Ordinations tend to become very triumphalist because of the choice of music, instrumentation and other accoutrements. 

The Roman/Latin Rite Mass prior to Vatican II and after Vatican II is suppose to be marked by sobriety, not triumphalism. Even the pre-Vatican II Mass could suffer from triumphalism by the use of Concert “Masses” of the past—the use of these concert Mass settings replacing Gregorian Chants. I believe Pope Pius X tried to rein that in.

So, here goes my critique, both positive and negative:

1. The civic arena was set up very well and tastefully for Mass—the “props” used for the “sanctuary” were very nice and creative. Perhaps those setting it up have read my rants about floral arrangement placed in front of the altar and thus hiding it. The altar had a central crucifix but the six candles, very tall at that, were not on the altar but on either side of it but not in the catafalque sort of way and the flowers were in front of the candlestick but not hiding them. 

2. The procession to begin the Mass was well organized but way, way, way, did I write way?, long! Most of those in the procession,  seminarians, deacons and priests, should have been seated earlier—that’s how the Vatican does it for outdoor and indoor Masses. It would have been much better for just the bishops along with cardinal-bishops to have been in the processions to begin the Mass. 

3. The music was well done or executed, but way too disjointed and eclectic.  Because the procession was so dang long, there were a variety of hymns and chants sung along with instrumental music. Many times, there was dead silence as transitions were being made from one hymn or chant to another. The procession had no musical unity whatsoever, but the main problem was that it was way too long and done only to show in a triumphal way how many clerics and want to be clerics were in the procession.

4. I believe at the beginning of the procession the official Latin Introit was chanted which was very nice and sober followed by all the other hymns, mostly in English. There was another Latin Introit toward the end of the procession which was not Gregorian Chant, perhaps polyphony, and included the pre-Vatican II use of the Gloria Patri, but following that was another traditional English hymn. Whiplash!

5. Cardinal Tagle has a nice presence as celebrant and did not ad lib. However, after the greeting, there was the unnecessary and non-liturgical welcome of His Eminence by the local archbsihop. It was mercifully short, but nonetheless a break in the trajectory of prayer. 

6. Then followed the Rite of Beatification. I post the Rite of Beatification, perhaps Pope Francis’ last one, for Blessed Pope John Paul I. That beatification was crisp and clean and not overextended—it was sober. Unfortunately Blessed Sheen’s rite was overdone, to wordy and too much music and not what the rite suggests for music. The Pope Francis’ beatification follows the proper formula and was beautiful because of its sobriety. 

7. The Gloria, Sanctus, Mystery of Faith and Agnus Dei were singable English settings. However I would have preferred for those part to have been in a simple version of Latin chant, the Jubilatio Deo version.

8. The first reading was spoken in Spanish with the English, “The Word of the Lord” and the second reading read in Portuguese but again with the English “The Word of the Lord”. I am not sure why there needed to be those languages for those readings. Since the vast majority could not understand those readings in the language used, why not just use Latin, or better yet, the official language of the USA—ENGLISH!

9. The Responsorial Psalm, while well executed, was too theatrical, triumphantly sung and sounded like what you might hear at a Broadway musical in the style in which it was sung. UGH! 

10. The Alleluia was sung in a way too triumphal way too. No sobriety. Quite often, way too often, trumpet and tympani accompanied the instrumentation—nothing sober about that.

11. Cardinal Tagle’s homily was interesting, kept my attention but a bit too long and at times he used Blessed Archbishop Sheen to harangue a certain element in the Church today—a kind of Pope Francis’ negativity toward those who pushed back against His Holiness.  

12. The General Intercessions was a disaster. When deacons are available, just have a deacon read or chant them. But the planners had a variety of people reading each petition but the choir had a choral response, but the readers didn’t seem to know that that was the case—did I say the execution of the intercessions was a disaster? 

Overall, though, I think the laity there and the clergy there, less negative in critiquing liturgy than I am, loved the entire experience but maybe for the wrong reasons—the drunken triumphalism rather than the true ethos of the Latin Rite, sobriety. 

BEATIFICATION OF ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN, SAINT LOUIS…

 I can remember when I was in the seminary hearing many in the seminary declaring that Archbishop Sheen’s talks and homilies were soooo-pre-Vatican II and no longer relevant for the Church after Vatican II…he was sooo outdated!

What nonsense! But we bought that hook, line and sinker! Sad, so very sad!

He who has the last word, has the last laugh!

VINDICATION!

A GREAT SERIES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUGNINI MASS

The series can be found at facebook:

 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18GWmDQu2V/?mibextid=wwXIfr

SERIES SUMMARY

This series will have six parts.

Introduction to the series.

Part 1 – A New Liturgy: How the ‘reform before the reform’ was understood. This installment explores how the first liturgical changes were understood and received by the laity. Were these “interim” liturgical changes viewed as minor modifications to the familiar pre-conciliar Latin Mass, or something more significant? How were the “interim” liturgical changes viewed in relation to the larger, more substantial changes which were introduced in 1970?

Part 2 – Polls & Surveys: Assessing popular opinions on the reform. This installment explores how popular the initial liturgical changes were. Did the laity like and support these initial “interim” liturgical changes? Did the clergy? Did the success of the initial modest liturgical changes drive interest or demand for further, larger changes?

Part 3 – “Missal-bound resistance”: A study of lay & clerical reaction. This installment explores if and how unhappiness with the initial liturgical changes drove active resistance by Catholics in their normal parishes, unrelated to any of the nascent traditionalist movements. When did active resistance begin, end, and what forms did it take? Was it limited to the laity, or did it extend to parish priests?

Part 4 – “What went wrong?”: Pastoral Accompaniment, Disillusionment, and Blame. This installment explores how the church provided pastoral care and accompaniment to the laity during the initial liturgical changes, and how the laity and clergy dealt with confusion, frustration, shifting expectations, and feelings of failure.

Conclusion to the series

READ THE ARTICLES

Click the posts below to read each installment in the series: series:

The “New Mass” of 1964: Introduction

September 8, 2025 

This multi-part study seeks to explore how the laity experienced and reacted to the very first post-conciliar liturgical changes.

Read More

The “New Mass” of 1964: Part 1

September 15, 2025 

Part 1 – A New Liturgy: How the ‘reform before the reform’ was understood

Read More

The “New Mass” of 1964: Part 2

October 6, 2025 

Part 2 – Polls & Surveys: Assessing popular opinions on the reform

Read More

The “New Mass” of 1964: Introduction

September 8, 2025 

This multi-part study seeks to explore how the laity experienced and reacted to the very first post-conciliar liturgical changes.

Read More

The “New Mass” of 1964:

BLAST FROM THE PAST, FEBRUARY 1999….

 Before the downfall of Archbishop Weakland, one of the most “progressive” archbishops in the country and an expert on the Bugnini Mass, which he helped to fabricate, of course claiming tradition as the guiding principle, Weakland, God rest his soul and have mercy on him, began to question the prevailing view of progressive liturgists and liturgies throughout the world. But of course his Archdiocese was a hotbed for the very thing he eventually decried.

The following is a summary of what Weakland wrote in 1999 by Michael Daniel. I highlight in blue what is interesting even today!

Archbishop Weakland finds defects in the post-Vatican II liturgy

Michael Daniel, June, 1999

Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee is widely regarded as one of the more outspoken of the 'liberal' US bishops. His periodic comments on Church authority and teachings have caused concern both to the Holy See and to orthodox Catholics. In the light of this, his recent analysis of the liturgy, published in a lengthy article in the Jesuit monthly, 'America', has more than usual significance. While his opposition to restoration of the Tridentine Mass and calls to rectify Vatican II's poorly implemented liturgical "renewal" were predictable, his critical comments on practical aspects of the new Mass - largely echoing the sentiments of readers of this journal - were less expected.

Archbishop Rembert Weakland is well known for his outspoken comments and liberal perspectives on various aspects of the contemporary Catholic Church, including that of liturgy. His recent article, "Liturgy and Common Ground", published in the February 1999 edition of America, presents some interesting perspectives and what is arguably a devastating critique of the current state of the liturgy in the Western Rite of the Catholic Church.

His critique is particularly significant because it comes from one who was in the forefront of implementing in the United States the liturgical reforms that followed Vatican II - reforms which he continues to endorse wholeheartedly.

Weakland begins his article with the perceptive observation that disputes about the Church's liturgy are such that "something that should be a point of unity in the church, the Eucharist, has now become the most conspicuous point of disagreement and tension". He advocates dialogue between the various factions, which he divides into three broad categories, each of which he then critiques.

His criticisms of the first two categories - those advocating restoration of the pre-Vatican II liturgy and those who claim the new Mass does not accurately reflect the intentions of Vatican II - are not unexpected.

However, the Archbishop devotes the bulk of his analysis to the third category to which he claims membership - "Those seeking to better the reform". This group, he says, believes that the liturgical reforms that have followed Vatican II are the product of and a true expression of the liturgical reforms which the Council called for.

Finally, in this section, Weakland points to the poor quality of much contemporary Church music: "Unfortunately, most of the new music created for the liturgy has been and continues to be trite in both musical form and text, more fit for the theatre and the pub than for church ... Children learn no consistent repertoire of liturgical music that belongs to the Catholic tradition and that will serve them for their whole lives".

More damning, though, are Weakland's "Questions of a Theological Nature". He suggests that too many liturgical celebrations emphasise the human element at the expense of the Divine: "Has the reform respected the nature of sacramentality as a free gift from God, as a 'given', or have our people drifted into a more horizontal and purely human activity"?

The Archbishop argues that this "desacrilisation" is caused partially by "creativity", that is, "do it yourself" prayers, readings, etc, which have created the impression that being as creative as possible, rather than the worship of God, is the focus of the liturgy: "Has the community or parish at times distorted the rite by seeking to do its 'own thing' - as creative as it may have seemed to the assembled group or the specialists who guided it - and thus lost contact with the living tradition of the universal Church itself?" He observes further: "Unfortunately, many of these adaptations É are accompanied by little knowledge of liturgy and its essential nature".

Real Presence

Most striking is his following question: "Has the reform at times led to a diminution of respect for and belief in the real presence in the Eucharist?" He points in particular to "the tendency to stand, not kneel, no more genuflections, the placement of the tabernacle in the church away from the central axis [and] the abuses concerning care for the Eucharist after Mass, and so on".

The Archbishop queries, among other things, the role of the sign of peace when it becomes "a moment for greeting everyone in the church - to the detriment of the symbol and breaking the liturgical moment of preparation for Holy Communion." All too many Novus Ordo celebrations, he concludes, "have reduced the sense of the transcendent and an appreciation for God's presence and role in the liturgy".

Does the Novus Ordo of itself convey a lack of transcendence and appreciation of God's presence, as many of those who argue for a "Reform of the Reform" allege; or is this lack of a sense of the transcendent, as Weakland argues, merely the by-product of the manner in which the Novus Ordo is celebrated?

Michael Daniel teaches at an Independent school.

DOES VERSUS POPULUM TURN THE MASS INTO A MEAL RATHER THAN A SACRIFICE? YES, IN THE MINDS OF MANY HETERODOX PROGRESSIVES AND MAYBE IN ORTHODOX CONSERVATIVES, BUT NOT EVERYONE BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION: READ ON…

Parris Island Marine Corps Base’s one chapel, the left photo for the Protestant Lord’s Supper and the right photo for the Catholic Modern Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, using the early Church’s ancient practice of ad orientem:

Anthony on another post made this insightful comment:

 

While some will insist that with versus populum the priest and people are still directed in their heart to God, the undeniable truth is that visually ad orientem communicates this better. And while I have heard many defenses of versum populum as just as good as ad orientem I have heard no explanation of why the latter should be banned.

Versus populum was first introduced by Martin Luther to de-emphsize the Mass as sacrifice and reduce it to a communal meal. The use of it in the new Mass, which is not required by the new missal, has had the same effect, whether intended or not.

My affirming comments:

When I first experienced Versus Populum with the 1965 Roman Missal around 1966, my reaction and the reaction of many parishioners in my parish was that it seemed like we were at the Last Supper with Jesus and His Apostles.

As the 1960's turned to the 1970's, progressive spirit of Vatican II theologians declared that we should emphasize the Meal aspect of the Mass now considering that Trent overemphasized the sacrificial aspect of the Mass and sacralized the priest too much in making him one who offers sacrifice rather than an animator of the community at their convivial Last Supper Meal.  Thus the priest came to be known as the presider rather than the priest-celebrant. And minister was probably a better name for the priest.

These liturgical same theologians declared that Transubstantiation was overemphasized in the post Trent era and that any and all things pre-Vatican II needed to be updated according the spirit of Vatican II. The presence of Jesus could be experienced in a variety of equal ways, the Eucharistic Bread being only one vehicle to experiencing Christ. 

And the use of the term Mass and certainly the use of the term the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should give way to the term Eucharist or Liturgy. That is what Vatican II wanted.

But very early on, and while still a lay teenager, I wasn't buying it. What I did not buy in particular was the Mass as a festive Meal. This Italian boy knew what a meal was and a disc of Bread a meal did not make! In fact, it can't even be called an antipasto or even a "sample"!

Food? Or yes. Jesus Christ truly present under the Form of Bread is Food for the soul and our journey or pilgrimage to heaven. 

I also came to the dogmatic conclusion that the Mass was not a re-presentation of Holy Thursday’s Last Supper but rather the re-presentation of Good Friday’s One Sacrifice of the Cross of Jesus Christ, but in an “unbloody” way, an eternal and glorified way through the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ crucified and Risen and sending us His Holy Spirit. That Sacrifice captured in time in the Holy Mass is eternal and available at all times and places until Jesus Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. 

Holy Thursday was a true meal with other food and drink, it was only the bread and wine that Jesus changed into His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that Jesus emphasized as the means by which we would remember not a convivial meal, but rather His Suffering and Death on Good Friday, His one Sacrifice as well as His Glorious Resurrection. The Mass is not a meal about ordinary bread and wine, it is a Sacrifice by which we receive the Crucified, Risen and Glorified Lord Jesus Christ as Food for soul on our journey to heaven. 

But after about 1,900 years, in 1969, ad orientem all but disappeared from the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. Thanks be to God the Eastern Rites and their schismatic brothers and sisters maintained the ancient custom of ad orientem.

By looking at the Modern Mass and a Protestant Communion Service, one would think that the Latin Rite prefers the Protestant theology of "the Lord's Supper" rather than the Catholic theology of the pre-Vatican II Latin Rite and the Eastern Rite even in the post-Vatican II age. What a pity.

Restore the Ad Orientem to the Latin Rite for the Liturgy of the Eucharist just like Pope Francis approved the restoration of ad orientem to the Syro-Malabar Rite. Pope Francis understood that ad orientem is necessary to dispel heterodox views concerning the Mass and Real Presence of Christ. 

Thank you very much!