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Saturday, December 16, 2023

BISHOP GUIDO MARINI OF THE DIOCESE OF TORTONA HAS GOTTEN SCRUFFY LOOKING BUT NICELY SO…

 Besides the scruffiness, let’s note a couple of liturgical niceties and oddities (for him, at least):



Of noteworthy significance: 

1. Please note the liturgically correct use of silver candlesticks for penitential seasons, like Advent and Lent!

2. Please note, that true traditionalists, know that you don’t wear frilly lace albs during penitential seasons like Advent and Lent!

3. Please note the non-descript, but not ugly, certainly tasteful, podium for holding the Roman Missal at the throne. I have come to like this instead of having someone hold the book in odd ways. This stand is certainly non-ambo looking and does not draw attention to itself. 

4. Now for the major oddities and perhaps Bishop Marini wants to wait longer before he makes his move. But the faux altar, much lower and not as beautifully vested as the original altar, has not been removed in favor of the true altar behind it. 

5. Short of removing the faux altar, there is not the Benedictine altar arrangement that Bishop Marini use to insist upon when he was the Papal Master of Ceremonies for both Benedict and Francis. What’s up with that? I would have thought there would have been a crucifix on the center of the altar facing the celebrant by this point in time. 

6. O my, and the humanity of it all—is that a green and insignificant plant on the true altar and during the penitential season of Advent. Certainly it isn’t a souvenir from Pope Francis’ pacha-mama debacle, given by the pope to Bishop Marini as a going away gift? 

4 comments:

the Egyptian said...

Per the crucifix on the altar and other things, he doesn't want to create any waves so that he loses his pension also, you know lay low. Once Francis is gone things might change

Fr. Michael J. Kavanaugh said...

From the Rule of Life handbook of Mt. St. Mary's Seminary: "Several days' growth of beard would not be a presentable appearance for a cleric, and hence it is also inappropriate for a seminarian called to be a public person." (page 32)

I would not that there was no such "Rule of Life" handbook when I attended the Mount. I suppose the Power That Be in those days did not find it necessary to regulate such inconsequential matters, or to impose their views of what is or is not "appropriate" on men in formation.

The same handbook goes intrusively far into the seminarians' lives as to forbid growing facial hair when on break! Lordy......

Anonymous said...

I am glad that seminary formation in working to instill discipline in those being formed for the priesthood, as whole, integrated persons rather than sacramental technicians or simply as intellectuals. But did they ever teach about excluding very non-penitential plants from the liturgy during penitential seasons?!

Nick

Fr. Michael J. Kavanaugh said...

Ol' Nick - So not growing facial hair when on break from seminary leads to a man being a whole, integrated person?

I wonder if they are planning to add sections on toenail trimming and ear wax removal.