Pope Francis promulgated in Italian his revision/reform of the Roman Curia. For the most part, it seems good to me except for the 1970’s theological ideology that blurs the distinctions between the baptismal priesthood and the ordained priesthood. That was corrected in subsequent decades, but going back to the past happens not to be just the problem of those who like the 1950’s Church over the post-Vatican II Church. It appears that the heterodox and orthodox are cut from the same cloth after all.
But after the Holy Father promulgated his new decree, and named the pre-Vatican II liturgical books by Pope Benedict’s name, Extraordinary, he took it back a couple of days later and returned to the “pre-Vatican II liturgical books” nomenclature. No big deal or is it?
This is what a commenter at Praytell who broke the bombshell naming of the older books by Benedict’s name, extraordinary, had to write about the bombshell imploding the change a couple of days later:
And here was poor me thinking that an Apostolic Constitution was the kind of thing that isn’t normally tweaked once it was promulgated!!!!!!!
And then there is this photo that captures the 1970’s in an way that makes one lose their appetite and food just consumed:
When I was at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore from 1976 to 80, our Masses in the chapel seem to be in constant reform depending on who the celebrant was. While we seminarians when serving or reading simply wore lay clothing, the deacons and priests were properly vested.
That was not the case for our small group Masses in priest’s apartments in our seminary building. Often the priest would not wear any liturgical garb. They would sit at their couch in front of their coffee table upon which the Eucharist was confected. One priest, who was the rector of the place, did place the stole, folded, on the coffee table, but his clerical collar was open to make the Mass even more casual. That description of the Mass was traditional compared to others I attended with different priests who reformed the Mass in different more radical ways.
But never did I see concelebrants stand at the altar and concelebrate Mass in our chapel without at least an alb and stole.
What was Pope Francis thinking, if he was, and what message was he sending when as pope he concelebrated Mass without any liturgical vestments whatsoever. What did that gesture mean and what processes was he hoping to start and what is the logical conclusion?
I guess one is rigid if one expects priests, to include the pope, to wear proper vestments at liturgical functions and to follow the GIRM and liturgical and canon law.
But, let’s be realistic, that is not how we do things in the return of the 1970’s because that was not done when it was the 1970’s!
