UPDATE, THE FULL PAPAL MASS AT SANTA ANNA'S PARISH THIS MORNING:
I am watching a live feed from the Mass within the Vatican at Santa Anna parish. The altar is dressed in the free standing altar is dressed in the Benedictine fashion as it was in the Sistine Chapel. The Holy Father is wearing a different miter from the Sistine Chapel and bit more elegant but still simple.
His alb of course is still a very nice, full plain one, like the ones that I like to wear, but he is wearing an amice which I don't, so I guess I'm more like St. Francis in this regard, than Pope Francis.
The Mass is in Italian which should become the official language of the Liturgy!
The Holy Father doesn't sing himself and I pray that it is because he can't and that this isn't some kind of sign of simplicity for the Mass! I actually like the fact that the Ordinary Form of the Mass has more flexibility for the priest singing or not singing and still having the laity's parts sung, like the Kyrie, Gloria, Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, Credo, Sanctus, Mystery of Faith, Great Amen, Pater Noster, Agnus Dei and not to mention the Propers.
Oh and yes, the Proper Introit was chanted not some inane hymn although I like hymns, but let's do the liturgy!
The Holy Father preaches standing and from the ambo. I like that actually. His preaching style is quite simple, and I see no notes! He speaks of those who hear the word and then those who are trying to accuse the women caught in adultery, but they don't hear the word. We too are the people some of whome listen to Christ and others who like to cause trouble for others and condemn others. Jesus message is one of mercy.
This is the Lord's strongest message to us, "Mercy!" He comes for the sinner, not for the just. The Lord's mercy is an abyss that we can never really understand!
When anyone comes to the Father and is ashamed to recount their sins, we should not support ourselves in that way and run to God's mercy! The Lord will embrace and welcome us. Jesus then will not condemn us and will say go and sin no more!
After a month or so we find ourselves in sin and we go back to the Lord and go back again and again. The Lord doesn't tire of us, but we tire of asking God of asking for forgiveness. But God does not tire of us and our asking.
Folks, the Holy Father just gave a five minute homily and I have written it as I heard it in Italian!
Several children and adults offer the Universal Prayer.
The Preface and Eucharistic Prayer are in Italian and it is Eucharistic Prayer III. The Holy Father must not be able to sing a word, because another bishop sang "Mystery of Faith" and began the singing of the "Through Him..."! The Pater Noster is spoken not sung, sad!
He is not able to genuflect evidently but gives a very nice bow that looks kind of like a genuflection. He has long elevations of the elements and these are elevated but not overly high.
The sign of peace is in the Roman Style thank God and he offers it to his MC Marini!!!!!!!!
And now, the moment of truth is coming up, how will he distribute Holy Communion to the faithful? Standing or kneeling??????
.....BOMBSHELL! AND TWICE A BOMBSHELL! THE HOLY FATHER DISTRIBUTES HOLY COMMUNION TO THE TWO DEACONS AS THEY KNEEL BEFORE HIM AND BY WAY OF INTINCTION! BUT THE HOLY FATHER SITS AND HOLY COMMUNION IS DISTRIBUTED AND DOES NOT DISTRIBUTE! AND ON TOP OF THAT NONE OF THE BISHOPS OR PRIEST DISTRIBUTE HOLY COMMUNION, ONLY THE TWO DEACONS AND AT THE CENTER OF THE CHURCH (OTHER PRIESTS MAY BE DOING ELSEWHERE, I CAN'T SEE!)
THE COMMUNICANTS ARE KNEELING TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION AND ONLY FROM THE HOSTS!
The Holy Father acknowledges a priest from South America after the Mass and then the recessional and Pope Francis is greeting people outside as any priest would do and people are going wild and kissing him, his ring, genuflecting to him.
I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, THIS MAN IS VERY ITALIAN IN HOW HE RELATES TO THE LAITY!!!! THIS IS GOOD!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
BOMBSHELL, THE HOLY FATHER GIVES HOLY COMMUNION TO THE DEACONS BY WAY OF INTINCTION AS THEY KNEEL BEFORE HIM AT THE PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT ANNA'S AND THEN DOES NOT DISTRIBUTE HOLY COMMUNION TO THE LAITY NOR ANY OF THE BISHOPS, THE TWO DEACONS DISTRIBUTE ONLY THE HOSTS TO THE LAITY AS THEY KNEEL TO RECEIVE!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
This seems fine. I almost posted this comment in the previous thread but did not out of concern that it be interpreted as insulting to the Holy Father: could it simply be that he is not very adept socially? Perhaps he is truly a simple man and not given to false pride and does not, therefore, give thought that simple actions would offend others. I do hope that he sees his Mass as instructional in some aspects, I.e. kneeling and intinction.
I've been to Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
The daily Mass prayed there is simple and dignified, accompanied only by organ (with carefully chosen hymnody; no "On Turkey's Wings" and "Gather Us In, the Nice and the Naughty"), and prayed ad orientem. And the organ isn't even a grand pipe organ; just the kind that you'd usually find in your average parish, placed at the back, where it should be. I hadn't realized this, but placing the organ and choir loft at the back not only allows the organist and choir to not make things all about performance, but it makes them observe the Mass, and whether they're following and complementing it, more easily.
So a simple, dignified Novus Ordo, where the priest has not turned it into a Clown Mass and is not spouting heresy from the pulpit instead orthodoxy, is possible. My only lament is that there wasn't at least *some* Latin in it, so that we have both Latin and vernacular (just like the Ukrainian Catholic liturgy is prayed in both Ukrainian and English-- why is this not a problem for Byzantine Catholics, but many Latin Rite Catholics, probably mostly in the English-speaking world, kick up such a big stink about vernacular only and booting Latin out completely?).
And at least the Holy Father's way of relating to the laity doesn't involve the priest coming down from the pulpit during his homily, and milling around the aisles like what probably happens in some Protestant congregations (this happened with a visiting priest at my parish once, and it was distracting. Sorry, Father. Get back up there and stay there. Save the quasi-meet-and-greet thing for after Mass). And I think that I know what you mean about Francis's genuine ability to warmly relate to the laity. One of the reasons that I dislike the kind of glad-handing pandering that at least over here we tend to think of as "welcoming" is that it comes off as phony.
This is a significant change. Even when celebrating Mass in Italy Pope Benedict used Latin for the Canon. Italian is a bastardized form of Latin and should not, I say again not, become the official language of the liturgy. Apart from anything else, the current Italian translation is like ICEL 1973 which you, Father, were glad to see the back of. I assume HH said 'per tutti' and not 'per molti'.
Make sure you record Tuesday's installation Mass. It is surely Guido Marini's swansong, and the last echo of Benedict's ROTR. Pope Francis celebrates in a dignified manner, following the rubrics of the OF (as did Benedict) without any histrionics and exaggerated gestures. I like his direct extemporized preaching style - he has a sharp intellect and is not afraid to call a spade a spade.
There will be a lot less Latin in future papal liturgies - I'm thinking particularly of Vespers, the last celebration of which from St Peter's was entirely in Latin - since the new Pope doesn't like the language and although Latin-literate is not a Latinist in the way that Benedict was.
Retention of Latin means retention of Chant which grew up with the Latin liturgy and is inseparable from it; it's the only thing that makes the Novus Ordo Mass Catholic; and I do not wish to hear the Latin Rite in any other language, although sometimes I am constrained to do so.
To take previous remarks one step further I hope Pope Francis does not either reverse the meager use of Latin we are seeing these days (Doubtful) nor let the Bishops constrain it.
It seems that if Pope Francis allows for clown masses, as appears he does, then he will also allow for TLM. He should continue to allow for the demand of the stable groups of the faithful who are willing and ready to support it.
The Pope doesn't speak Latin well, if at all. Review his first Mass and the Confiteor. He stopped speaking several times because he could not pronounce the words while the Cardinals and those present continued. Many have been brushing up on their Latin and have learned the Consecration and Prayers since Latin has been used over the last few years and Pope Benedict pointed out what the Second Vatican Council says about Latin. That the people have an obligation to learn the Ordinary of Mass and the parts that pertain to them in Latin. We are doing our part by having Latin and vernacular in Mass. I happen to feel it makes the Mass well rounded. Obeying the Council on the use of the vernacular and retaining Latin. Does Pope Francis uphold this declaration from the Ecumenical Council? Are their Latin workshops in his former Diocease? Or is the picking and choosing what one likes to be implemented going on once again? Very disappointing to those who have taken the time to learn and now will have to watch it disappear. This Pontificate is setting up a quasi rich against the poor class war that is all too common in Latin American countries and is now being imported into the Vatican. A Pope is supposed to unify and bring more people under the umbrella of Catholicism, not split or offend one group in favor of another. This is not a good way to do things. There are many, many people offended or upset by the actions so far from Pope Francis. And they have reason to be. Pope Francis simply has no reason to do it. A bad move on his part. And a sad time for the Church as it is not necessary. A poor Church can not generate monies to give to the poor. All sides, factions, and groups are needed and should be given respect. To anger people is not a good way to force them to me more charitable. In fact it may produce the opposite effect.Pray for Holy Church and the Pope.
Is that what he means by poor? I know many liberals think 'poor' meant money. I don't think that is so clear. I am predisposed to the idea of humility before God and knowing our actual place in His order. We are pretty pathetic in that regard although we don't seem to realize it.
Why wouldn't St. Francis never have used an amice? Didn't he ever serve at Mass as a deacon?
I am going to add a new petition into my daily prayers. Not going to make a big deal of it, just a simple sentence that will take up a second or two of time:
"Lord, if it be your Holy Will, please let Msgr Guido Marini be elected Pope in the future."
Msgr Marini has done much good - unlike his predecessor, the other Marini. Unfortunately, his high pitched voice is not what we need, to say the least.
I think there is still an excellent change we may get Cardinal Ranjith as pope. He is only 65. My guess is Francis will have a short papacy, much like Benedict, perhaps even shorter. Ranjith could be in his very early 70s for the next conclave, the prime age for a papabil. Cardinal Burke may fare even better, since he is 2 years younger than Ranjith, and Francis busted the "glass ceiling" for a pope from the Americas.
Okay, I admit it, geek that I am: when people knelt to receive Communion during that Mass, I cheered.
...and when those present clapped and cheered for Pope Benedict at Mass on Ash Wednesday, I snickered, knowing what he wrote about "applause during Mass" in Spirit of the Liturgy. I think our Pope emeritus was bewildered, surprised, touched, and embarrassed, all at once (probably with a little, "gee, did none of you guys read what I wrote?" thrown in). But, sweetheart that he is, he gently brought everyone to order with a simple "Preghiamo."
Dang, guys. At least wait 'til he stops breathing before you bury him. How about trying to creatively support and succeed at what he teaches, when he finally gets a chance.
I dearly love Pope Emeritus Benedict. (We probably don't need to number the Pope Emeriti). And I really love the dignity and beauty of Solemn Mass with my priest decked out in the finest vestments. But dignity and fine vestments are independent of each other. Even Liturgical forms do not define a proper Mass. Those things will come from a desire to present to God the best we have, but they are not a positive indicator or reverence or even validity. I have recently attended a wedding in a Protestant church that was fabulous, beautiful, the music was incredible, the liturgy was fine prose and poetry, and the preaching heartfelt. But it was, in the end, a heartfelt but empty act, a shallow imitation that missed the point in every way. Its was about everyone except God. Even a clown or puppet Mass is about God at some point. Maybe this is Pope Francis' lesson.
At 43:41, two priests, wearing stoles, retrieved ciborium bowls at the altar, presumably for distribution of the Blessed Sacrament to the faithful elsewhere in the church.
rcg said "...wait 'til he stops breathing before you bury him".
Do you realise how inappropriate that remark is considering the pope has only one lung?
rcg makes good points about creatively supporting and succeeding what Pope Francis is trying to teach us.
This is where we can build on what the EF has taught us-- by plugging it into the OF and watching it all unfold. By all means, we should love the EF, be grateful for B16 even letting us have it freely in the first place, and promote it. But we should not hide behind it, either (that last sentence, by the way, is not to cast any aspersions on anyone; I'm only describing what I almost did, and what I learned from it).
For one thing, if even a clown or a puppet Mass is about God at some point, here's what you do: realize that at some point, you already know how to "find Jesus in the Mass" because of what the EF has taught you. Know also that it all comes down to this in the end: we either have the Real Presence, or we don't.
Plugging the EF into the OF will center you and help you to focus on what is essential, and you will be able to tune out the wacko stuff and the crap if you encounter it, unless of course Father goes off the deep end and does stuff that makes the Mass invalid, whereby that should be a definite red flag. At some times, this will be harder than others, but you can and will learn to persevere.
There will be some things that are truly problematic, even from people who mean well-- like some kinds of energetic strumming and guitar cadences that can break people's concentration and sense that the Mass itself is a coherent and cohesive prayer, given the more linear form of the OF (the best way to experience a no-B.S. OF apart from a really beautifully celebrated OF is to attend a daily one with no music). And that does not mean that we should stop being critical about these things, because there are good reasons to be. But being as gentle as one is firm, and even praying for the grace to be charitable when you feel the temptation to get irritated helps. Pray also for the grace to share what you love about the EF with people who don't know any better, including the fact that there is nothing to be afraid of regarding Latin and the EF, period, and pray that if and when others discover these things, they will discover how much the EF does involve learning how to have "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" for the simple reason that it allows Him to be Himself. It's both/and, guys, and as Catholics, we're supposed to be good at the both-and thing.
You know, when I returned to the Church, one of the biggest things that gave me a feeling of relief was knowing that Jesus Christ was not, well, "Buddy Christ." And in that regard, B16 and the EF were there for me; they helped me connect the dots and still do.
This is just speculation on my part, but I don't think that it would be altogether wise for Pope Francis, or any Pope, to roll back Summorum Pontificum and suppress the EF: there's the matter of SSPX to think about, which Summorum Pontificum only put more squarely on the table. Francis isn't afraid to call a spade a spade, and he does not dumb down the letter of the law to condone people's sins out of a sense of false compassion, but tries to find ways to bring them back into the Church-- he's already done this among the poor in making sure that they receive the Sacraments. So if I were to make a wild guess, I don't think that he'll do anything to further alienate SSPX on purpose (at least I hope and pray not, anyway). Francis is a prudent man, and from what I'm reading so far, doesn't seem like the type to stick it to traditionalists and SSPX (or anyone, for that matter...) "Just Because." That might be a cherished liberal fantasy, but until I know more, that's all it is for now.
And as I've suggested elsewhere on this blog, having freer access to the EF has already let the toothpaste out of the tube, and it ain't going back in: nothing in the likes of "Sacrosanctum Concilium" mandates hippie Masses and folk music, and anyone who tries to pull a "haven't you guys ever heard of Vatican II?" (I'm now quite convinced that the most abused words after the word "love" are "Vatican II") to justify any manner of self-centered rubbish they can think of would be skating on very thin ice, anyway. And if you want to have some fun with them, tell 'em to "celebrate diversity."
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking that if Francis or any Pope did suppress the EF, say, it's not as though he can suppress chant and polyphony, given that "Sacrosanctum Concilium" already stresses its importance, anyway. Any real battle would be with any "liturgists" at the parish level, and they're getting older, anyhow, for all of their insistence on "relevance." If you appreciate chant and polyphony, and can foster the interest of others in the same in service of the Mass, then you have a far greater chance of taking the fight to the ground level and home turf (once again, charitably, humbly, and warmly) than if you essentially hide behind the EF and won't touch the OF.
Post a Comment