TO INCULTURATE SUPERFLOUS THINGS INTO THE MASS (CULTURAL ACCRETIONS) OR NOT TO INCULTURATE CULTURAL ACCRETIONS: THAT IS THE QUESTION?

 One of the things that liturgists told us in the post-Vatican II era was that the Mass had to be simplified and stripped of cultural accretions, like unnecessary repetitions, things added to the vesture of priest for Mass and other such things, like Latin, ad orientem, kneeling for Holy Communion and receiving Holy Communion on the tongue, male altar boys and the like. 

Then comes the push for various cultures, but certainly not Western European Culture, to add to the Mass things to their celebration of the Mass which are “meaningful” to the people of various cultures, except of course, if you are of a Western European culture. 

There is an African Rite now that has Roman approval and was celebrated by Pope Francis (or maybe he was presiding not the celebrant?). 

There is a “yet to be approved” Filipino Rite often celebrated in the Philippines:

The "Misa ng Bayang Pilipino (MBP)" (a rite without any recorded approval from Rome) being celebrated at the National Meeting of Diocesan Directors of Liturgy. As of the moment of writing, no formal ascent or approval has been given by Rome for the celebration of the rite which includes supposed "inculturated" elements such as incense burned in clay braziers (Palayok) rather than censers, the celebrant carrying the crucifix at the introit procession and using it for blessing, and the showering of petals by altar servers during various points of the mass. Despite the lack of approval, this form has been frequently promoted to liturgists in the Philippines especially during Nation-wide Liturgical conferences in an attempt to showcase a "Filipinized" liturgy.

Here are some photos, with my astute comments about the photo:

This is a pet peeve of mine: celebrants, wear a long sleeve white or black clerical shirt, preferably with cuff links, so your bare, naked arms aren’t on display, especially at the elevations! UGH!

Kudos, here! When vesting a free-standing altar, make sure both sides are properly vested even if the “backside” not seen by the congregation, only by the priest(s)!

I wonder, where in non-Catholic Filipino culture is incense burned by placing it in a bowl and prancing it about? Does that need to be dragged into the Mass as a cultural accretions? And nothing is worse than a traditional censor used at Mass where the incense won’t burn and thus the priest is swinging a thurible with no smoke happening. The only thing worse than that is a bowl with no incense! What the????

But most peculiar is the celebrant carrying a crucifix in procession and blessing the people with it. It isn’t clear to me when that blessing takes place. Why isn’t it sufficient for the altar server to carry it in to lead the procession, a new kind a clericalism to have the priest celebrant do it, no? And the blessing, is it at the end of Mass instead of the priest using his hand to make the formal blessing??? Why do this during Mass instead of some kind of “Benediction” devotion?” Should some of this stuff be in devotions and not dragged into the Mass????