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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

PHOTOPLAY:WHAT IS SO PECULIAR ABOUT THIS PHOTO?

17 comments:

Marc said...

The Missal seems to be facing an odd direction.

TJM said...

Marc, bingo! Another thought I had it that it shows a true Catholic priest offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the EF, something many Catholic priests are incapable of doing.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

What about the position of the bald headed priest in cassock, surplice and stole facing the bishop and standing during the elevations????????? There is something very weird about this photo!!!!

Marc said...

I’m thinking this might be a Novus Ordo, and that other priest might be “concelebrating.”

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

I think this is an EF Mass because Bishop Schneider is wearing a maniple. this is more and more curious.

Marc said...

I don't think the wearing a maniple necessarily means that this isn't a Novus Ordo. Bishops and priests do all sorts of bizarre things at the Novus Ordo.

Still, my new working theory is that the standing priest is simply doing the wrong thing. The presence of the coped assistant priest leads me to think this is a Pontifical Mass. I'm still unsure why the Missal would be turned to face the side of the altar and why it would be on the Epistle side during the Canon, though.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

The photo I think is photo shopped if that is the correct word. Even the reredos is weird looking in its placement and the bald headed priest directly behind the altar for an EF Mass and looking on? Come on! That wouldn't happen even in a ad orientem OF Mass. It reminds me of the days when we developed photos and we would get a double exposure back--but no such thing today unless a seamless photo-shopped "double exposure" exists. Like the Mass, the photo is a MYSTERY! on many levels.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Look at the three candles on the altar! Shouldn't there be three more to the right of that???? and those candles seem to go down from the Missal which is in the wrong direction. Explain that, please.

Marc said...

I think I've found where this photo is from! More photos are here. The vestments and backgrounds appear to match.

Based on that, I assume there is a newly ordained priest hiding in this photo (behind the bishop), and he is concelebrating. The priest in the photo wearing only a stole would be the assistant to the new priest. That would make some sense, except I've never seen a newly ordained priest concelebrate at the altar like this.

As for the candles, the small candle whose flame is visible in the photo is likely the seventh candle that is proper to the Pontifical Mass.

Marc said...

And yes, I've confirmed my suspicions. The Missal is that way because there is a new priest concelebrating at the altar. Here are better photos: MORE.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

KOOL! I'VE UPDATED THE POST--THE MIRACLE OF THE INTERNET STRIKES AGAIN!

TJM said...

Marc,

Thanks. These are magnificent!!! Deo Gratias

Anonymous said...

The Mass is the ordination of two Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem in WV in 2015. The photo is taken from an odd angle. The newly ordained are concelebrating with the archbishop at each end of the altar, as I believe is done in the EF ordination rite. The missal stand at the strange angle is for the newly ordained Fr. Alban who can't be seen because of the archbishop.
The bald priest in surplice and stole is assisting Fr. Alban. In another photo I've seen from this Mass one can see Fr.John the second ordinand of the day concelebrating at the left end of the altar from a separate missal.

Bro. Augustine, ofm,Conv

Anonymous said...


Thanks Bro.Augustine for Identifying the Mass. It was the ordination of Dom John Berchmans Tonkin, CRNJ & Dom Alban Baker, CRNJ - Saturday, October 17th, 2015
St. James Church, Charles Town, W.V.

Marc said...

“The newly ordained are concelebrating with the archbishop at each end of the altar, as I believe is done in the EF ordination rite.”

I’m sure there is legitimate variation due to custom, but among the major traditional groups, this is not how the concelebratikn is done. Typically, the new priests kneel away from the altar at their own kneelers to concelebrate the mass.

Perhaps the variation from that in these photos is due to this being a religious order? At any rate, it is an interesting way to do the concelebration. And the photos are excellent!

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Marc, it is Pope Benedict's mutual enrichment at work at this con-celebrated EF and in an OF designed church.

Marc said...

To my way of thinking, it is not "mutually enriching" to have to offer the liturgy in a building that is improperly designed for that purpose. Neither the traditional mass nor the Novus Ordo service are enriched by such a thing. The people are enriched to some degree because seeing the mass offered in such a building may open their eyes to the incredible rupture that took place and continues to manifest itself in the post-Conciliar Church. Perhaps that, along with the inherent beauty of the liturgy, even when offered in a man-centered Novus Ordo building, could bring more people to traditional Catholicism.