THE PAPAL ALTAR ARRANGEMENT IN FLUX AND A SIGN OF THE TLM PULLING ON POPE LEO???

In the last year of Pope Francis papacy, the papal Master of Ceremonies has been playing around with the altar arrangement for papal Masses. 

First, the central crucifix was replaced with the Processional Cross placed to the side of the altar. It looks so out of place at Saint Peter’s.

But back and forth it went during Pope Francis’ last days as Pope.

That fiddling with the altar arrangement saw a throw-back to St. Pope John Paul II’s days with only four, not six candlesticks on the altar and on the Gospel side the tall crucifix between two of the candlesticks. 

It isn’t horrible, but go back to Pope Benedict’s preference or at least his MC, Msgr.Guido Marini’s preference. 

Facebook points out that at both Sunday’s Mass outdoors and Monday’s Mass indoors, the new altar arrangement seems to have caught Pope Leo off balance which indicates the MC did not communicate this to the Holy Father prior to the Masses! You can see that the Pope is caught off-guard if you view the video of both Mass at the time of incensing the altar. 

And then I noticed at Monday’s Mass in the Basilica for the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, that as Pope Leo incensed the altar, his lips were moving which makes me think he was praying Psalm 140 from the TLM’s rubrics for incensing the offerings. That is good news if indeed that is what he was reciting!