DOES YOUR ORDINARY FORM PONTIFICAL MASS LOOK LIKE THIS?
And yes, this is the Ordinary Form of the Mass, or should I say, given my promulgation, the Reformed Ordinary Form Mass, (ROF!). Does it look like any pontifical Mass in the ROF! that you've attended? A picture is worth 1,000,000 words.
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The bishop in the Roman chasuble looks like Cardinal Burke (I guess I should say if it is Cardinal Burke then what do you expect--from a man who has been photographed actually wearing a red galero!) He's one of my favorite Cardinals (along with Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige). Ranjith forever won my respect when he said that bishops who obstruct Summorum Pontificum are allowing themselves to be "instruments of the devil."
Yes, in my dreams it always looks like this. Until Phyllis Diller starts complaining about the temperature in the nave.
Actually, it looks not wholly unlike some of the recent OF Masses celebrated by Pope Benedict in St. Peter's Basilica.
But I've never fully understood why some of those who most avidly support the new Mass respect it so little that they think it should look and sound trashy.
My own feeling is that the OF missal is full of textual riches that are obscured by its typically mediocre appearance and celebrations.
Yes, it's Cardinal Burke all right, pictured at the end of the Mass he celebrated in the London Oratory on 26 May (St Philip's Day). I can even spot myself in the congregation. He obliged us by entering in Cappa Magna and when he emerged from the sacristy vested for Mass he wore gloves and buskins. There were deacons at the throne and an Assistant Priest in cope. The Epistle was in English, but everything else, including the Gospel, was in Latin. The Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei were from Haydn's Theresienmesse.
I'm happy to let the party know that Cardinal Burke is indeed the celebrant. This is the London (Brompton) Oratory and is a Mass on the Feast of St. Philip Neri, which is actually a Solemnity at Oratories and not a Feast.
This IS indeed an OF Mass.
His Eminence processed in cappa magna, :). He also wore buskins and the pontifical sandals (shoes made of silken cloth with a ribbon closure), and a pontifical dalmatic. He also wore a mitre, a mitre which would make me go broke if I bought it :( (6000 Euros).
He was assisted by two deacons, a priest assistant in cope, and two Deacons of Honor at the throne. This certainly isn't in the "Spirit" of Vatican II or whatever, but since the OF's rubrics are so horribly lax, you can get away quite licitly with EF-izations like these.
I am not sure of the music used, but needless to say, it was probably magnificent.
Now if we could only place a tiara on his head and a fanon on his shoulders...
PS, here is the text of his homily and a picture of him in cappa:
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2012/05/29/never-cease-to-centre-your-lives-in-the-sacred-liturgy-the-full-text-of-cardinal-raymond-burkes-homily-at-the-london-oratory/
And Father Shelton, when you're made bishop, please make sure to do things like this. You will be entitled to a cappa magna of wool at that time.
Ugh, John Nolan beat me to it.
Yes he was there and is in the picture. Is hr the balding one? How cool and weird is that?
I could post a link to the parish in which I am registered, but I am not soliciting condolences. ;)
'Fraid so; I'm the follicly challenged one on the left of the centre aisle.
In case you're wondering why they didn't go the whole hog and simply use the EF (one of their daily Masses is Low EF and they do occasionally celebrate it solemnly)you need to see it in context. The Oratory was long renowned for its liturgical and musical excellence and believed (quite correctly) that this could be maintained using the New Rite. They established a benchmark for NO celebration which put Westminster Cathedral to shame (although things have improved there recently)and it is no coincidence that there are more sung Latin OF Masses in London than in the rest of the British Isles put together.
Those who pack the Solemn Mass Sunday after Sunday know what to expect - an objective, God-centred Latin liturgy, exquisite music, and an attention to detail worthy of the Brigade of Guards.
Mr. Nolan, since the Feast of St. Philip was celebrated at Brompton as a solemnity, I assume there was a Credo. Was it also from the Theresienmesse?
I ask this, noting that when in papal Masses nowadays the rest of the Ordinary is polyphonic, the creed typically reverts to ground-level Credo III so all the folks can singalong. For instance, on this past Pentecost Sunday at St. Peter's, after Palestrina for the Kyrie and Gloria, Credo III sounded a bit jarring. (Maybe like hearing Amazing Grace in one of Fr. McDonald's otherwise faithful Masses? Well, no, admittedly that's a stretch.)
Henry, the Credo was Credo III and the Haydn Benedictus was not sung (the latter does present problems in the OF). I have never heard a 'composed' Credo at the London Oratory, and can assume that the reason is liturgical. Twenty years ago there was one at the Birmingham Oratory (Haydn, Heiligmesse I think) but there was an orchestra and I suppose they wanted their money's worth!
Also London always uses Credo III on Sundays, whereas Birmingham rings the changes and often does I or IV.
For what it's worth, there is a new Oratory here in the USA. I believe it is in Cincinatti, and there is currently one priest and two soon-to-be-ordained, cassocked (!) seminarians.
Not yet...sadly..
is an assistent pries allowed to wear a cope in the NO?
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