Update on "The Lyonese Rite" Translation

I recently appealed to the NLM readership for a donor for the book, L'ancienne liturgie Romaine, le rite Lyonnais. I am pleased to report that through the generosity of one of our British readers, the book has now been purchased and is en route to the translator.

If we have any French readers who might be able to help me in my search for any standing copyright issues from the original publisher, I'd be much obliged to hear from you.

As regards the Italian side of this question, that publisher is still extant, and so we are presently inquiring about the ability to translate and have published Il Rito Ambrosiano, as well as seeking out a copy of the work to serve as a working copy for the translator.

I am hopeful we might be able to translate the work on the Ambrosian Breviary as well. But that would be a future project.

St Catherine's Trust Family Retreat

As usual, this Easter I attended, and sang at, the Fraternity of St Peter's Easter Triduum services in Reading, England. This year is the third time they have done these, and the first in St William of York, where we did not have to schedule the services to avoid a novus ordo set of services in the same church. As St William of York is the less-used of two churches in the parish, we had the run of the place. Fr Benjamin Durham FSSP was the celebrant, assisted by a Fraternity seminarian, Marek Grabowski (who had coincidentally taught at the St Catherine's Trust Summer School in 2007). The picture shows Fr Durham blessing the Easter fire; there are some more pictures here.

This is also the third year the St Catherine's Trust has held a Family Retreat, which we run n addition to our Summer School for children. In recent years there have been a number of other Retreats which use the Traditional Mass (usus antiquior), either in England or from England, based in a monastery on the Continent, but there is nothing large-scale which can accommodate families with small children. This year we had about 150 people all told, up from 13o last year and 100 in 2006, from Easter Friday afternoon to Low Sunday lunch.

The inspiration for the Family Retreat is the Easter Retreats at the big English monasteries, which have been going in some cases for many decades. Ampleforth, Downside and until recently Worth Abbey all let in hundreds of people for three or four days over the Triduum, when their schools are on holiday. With some activities laid on for children, parents can attend the spiritual talks, and of course everyone can participate in the liturgy. Clearly there was a gap in the market for something along these lines with the Traditional Mass, and although it would be difficult to call the necessary priests, servers and singers away over the Triduum, we can do it either over the weekend of Passion Sunday (as we did, with the later Easter, in 2006) or Low Sunday (as we did last year and this).





The St Catherine's Trust Family Retreats have each year been led by Fr Andrew Southwell; this year we were privileged to have Fr Thomas Crean OP to assist him, especially in hearing confessions. This proved particularly providential as Fr Southwell lost his voice in the course of the weekend, and Fr Crean was able to celebrate Sung Mass on Sunday. With two priests we were able to have Low Mass before breakfast as well as Sung Mass later in the day (before lunch), and on Saturday Fr Crean celebrated Low Mass in the Traditional Dominican Rite.

In addition to Sung Mass each of the three days, we had Sung Compline on Friday and Saturday, and Sung Vespers on Saturday, as well as public
Rosary each day, and spiritual conferences from Fr Southwell and Fr Crean. The children, divided into two age-groups, also had talks from Fr Southwell, and other talks and activities.

On Saturday evening we had a fascinating talk from a visiting speaker, Mrs Daphne MacLeod, about how to teach the faith to one's children. Mrs MacLeod, the redoubtable Chairman of Pro Ecclesiae et Pontifice, was a teacher in Catholic schools, and latterly a headmistress, over herlong career, and told us about the training she had received before the 'New Catechetics' were introduced after Vatican II, both as a teacher and as a member of the Catholic Evidence Guild under Frank Sheed. The claim is frequently made that it is impossible to introduce complex doctrines, like the Trinity, to children, but Mrs MacLeod explained that in the old days not only did they think it perfectly possible but they were actually trained in the appropriate techniques. In the case of the Trinity this included St Augustine's famous analogy of the Mind, its Knowledge of itself and the Love between the Mind and its Knowledge. Traditional Catholic catechetics was not stopped because it didn't work, or because it failed to produce Catholics who maintained their practice of the faith, or vocations, but because of a rejection of the doctrines it was successfully imparting to the young. An article by Mrs MacLeod on how the New Catechetics were introduced can be read here; her new book 'Will Your Grandchildren be Catholic?' can be bought from PEEP.

At the Sung Masses we had a small liturgical schola, and you can hear them in the first video, which goes from the end of the Epistle to the beginning of the Gospel on Low Sunday, taking in the Alleluia and Greater Alleluia, and in the second video, which is the Offertory of Friday's Mass followed by the Vespers Hymn (we frequently sing the corresponding Vespers Hymn at the Offertory). Low Sunday weekend is a particularly joyful time, liturgically speaking, including the end of the Easter Octave. The Octave is closed with the Gospel of St Thomas the Apostle, whose incredulity is changed to the great confession of faith: "My Lord and my God!" As the Commion verse has it (see the final video), 'noli esse incredulus, sed fidelis'.

Cardinal Zen's Pontifical Mass and Vespers

Here at the NLM, one of the things we enjoy doing is reporting upon liturgical news from all reaches of the globe. So I was particularly pleased to receive a report from a reader from Hong Kong of Cardinal Zen's pontifical Mass in the usus antiquior:

In [Cardinal Zen's] homily, His Eminence linked the traditional liturgy and the hisotrical role it played in nourushing the the faith (Gospel of the Day spoke about Thomas the doubter) of so many faithful who have suffered during the years of hardship in China. And this is also the liturgical form that nourished his vocation and fostered the devotion and respect for the majesty of God in the Holy Eucharist.

A few more images are available on the website linked to above.

Prayer intention

In your charity, would some of you please keep a very special prayer intention of mine in mind for this week?

Priests, if you have any opportunity in your Masses this week...

Compline, free and printable

Here is a printable program for a compline service in English that you can use at home or in your parish. It was prepared by Richard Rice with the assistance of William Mahrt. It will be used for night prayer at the Sacred Music Colloquium this year.

The Pope on community worship and the Golden Calf

In light of some of the unfortunate liturgical developments surrounding the Pope’s visit to the United States, particularly the variety show currently being planned for his Mass at Nationals Stadium in April 17, I’ve been rereading the Pope’s 2000 book The Spirit of the Liturgy.

It is far more impressive than I recall from having read it when it first appeared. It makes one understand the roots of the liturgical problems in our time are only tangentially related to the externals such as architecture and music. The core of the issue concerns the very meaning and purpose of liturgy itself, and this is the topic that Cardinal Ratzinger deals with extensively, along with applications to the specifics.

In particular, I want to draw attention to his unforgettable critique of the notion that liturgy needs to serve the community in a way that is relevant to their needs and desires. Once you hear what he says, many issues become much clearer. He begins with a discussion of the Hebrew scriptures.

“In the Old Testament,” he writes, “there is a series of very impressive testimonies to the truth that the liturgy is not a matter of ‘what you please.’ Nowhere is this more dramatically evident than in the narrative of the golden calf (strictly speaking, ‘bull calf’).”

Why do they make this calf? Ratzinger gives two reasons. The first is the desire to making God more tangible. The people “cannot cope with the invisible, remote, and mysterious God. They want to bring him down into their own world, into what they can see and understand. Worship is no longer going up to God, but drawing God down into one’s own world. He must be there when he is needed, and he must be kind of gold that is needed. Man is using God, and in reality, even if it is not outwardly discernible, he is placing himself above God.”

The application to the claim that the primary duty of liturgy is to somehow speak to us should be more than apparent.

Now to his second reason, which I urge everyone to read in full, even though this is a blog:

The worship of the golden calf is a self-generated cult. When Moses stays away for too long, and God himself become inaccessible, the people just fetch him. Worship becomes a feast that the community gives itself, a festival of self-affirmation. Instead of being worship of God, it becomes a circle closed in on itself; eating, drinking, and making merry. The dance around the golden calf is an image of this self-seeking worship. It is a kind of banal self-gratification.

The narrative of the golden calf is a warning about any kind of self-initiated and self-seeking worship. Ultimately, it is no longer concerned with God but with giving oneself a nice little alternative world, manufactured from one’s own resources. Then liturgy really does become pointless, just fooling around. Or still worse it becomes an apostasy from the living God, an apostasy in sacral disguise. All that is left in the end is frustration, a feeling of emptiness.

So the questions present themselves in ways that should make everyone involved in parish liturgical life—priests, musicians, and everyone—somewhat uncomfortable. We all tend to be ever focused on the supposed needs of the community and on the need for affirming every group, making sure that people are pleased with what we do and are pleased to do what we ask them to do. We want there to be a “good show.” We seek praise for this work. The more praise we get, the more that people participate, the more we do that that thing for which we have been affirmed.

But a passage like the above serves as a grave and unforgettable warning about this path. All of us can learn from it.

How we can avoid this trap is dealt with extensively in this volume too. We must be humble and show deference to what the Church asks of us--now and in the whole of Christian history--concerning worship. The liturgy is not created by us, but given as a gift to us. We must do not what we please--"a festival of self-affirmation" leads only to "banal self-gratification"--but what is handed to us by the deeper, universal, and timeless practice of the Church.

Requiem Mass in the Ancient Form in Cathedral of Siena

I was browsing through an Italian forum when I ran into this report on a forthcoming requiem Mass in one of the chapels of the Cathedral of Siena:

In Siena, Saturday 12 April 2008, at 10.30, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the transfer of Msgr. Mario Ismaele Castellano, Archbishop Emeritus of Siena, there will be celebrated a solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Roman rite in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Siena at the San Bernardino (right transept, at the monument to Pope Alexander VII), which is on the burial ground of archbishops.

This is the third ancient Mass since the promulgation of the Motu proprio, to be celebrated in Siena.

The celebration is organized by the Militia of the Temple - the Poor Knights of Christ (Milizia del Tempio – Poveri Cavalieri di Cristo)...

I found this interesting on two fronts. One is the mention of Siena in relation to the ancient form of the Roman rite. If any of our readership have any information on either of the two Masses mentioned (and it is difficult to tell if the author is speaking to the city or the cathedral) in the form of photos, please contact me. As well, the NLM would also be interested in any pictures and reports from the forthcoming requiem Mass.

Second, this was of interest because it put me to mind again of the glorious and unique Cathedral of Siena. This cathedral is one of the greatest treasures of Christendom in my opinion and quite unique in many regards.






(One of the many chapels)


(The cathedral is famed for its incredible floor designs)




(The baptistry. Do also look at the ceilings. This cathedral and its associated buildings are filled with such art.)

On the Importance of Beauty in the Liturgy

Conventional wisdom has it that beauty is skin deep. There is nothing substantial to it; beauty is all vanity. This little kernel perhaps sums up best a puritan attitude which disregards beauty in general, whether in the form of a person, in nature, or in the arts, which are often considered mere extravagance.

This attitude, however, is not in keeping with the millenia-old Western tradition. The Greek philosophers waxed eloquent about beauty, and so have many Christian theologians. The Medievals said that beauty is comprised of unity, variety, and goodness of form. This is echoed in the traditional definition of art as “a thing well-made.” More than that, however, beauty was defined as that which “brought delight to the senses,” as St. Thomas Aquinas said. Sometimes, without any time to think about how “well-made” a thing is, we are simply dazzled by its beauty. In Medieval times this was considered to be particularly true with respect to colors.

In spite of all this, beauty was always tied in with other considerations, namely goodness, truth, and unity. The aesthete’s sole concern with “prettiness” was not well-regarded. Beauty was in many ways based upon virtue: an object was considered beautiful if it was well-made; and a person who was ugly, e.g. a leper, was considered to be somehow un-virtuous (a most unfortunate byproduct of a very beautiful philosophy).

St. Augustine of Hippo said that God reaches people through four means: 1) goodness; 2) truth; 3) beauty; and 4) unity. Everyone is drawn to God via one of these things, or by some combination of them. How are men drawn to God through beauty? Pope Benedict XVI discusses the power of beauty, for instance a Bach cantata or an icon, to draw us in and bring us into contact with the truth. One could perhaps say that beauty “woos” us so that we will come closer, and by coming closer, we encounter God. Isn’t this true when a lover meets his beloved for the first time? Though many do not believe in love at first sight, it is nevertheless this first glance which draws each person to the other. Thereafter they get to know each other and get to see not only the other’s “skin deep” beauty, but also the beauty that flows from their goodness, their honesty (“truth”), and their integrity (“unity”).

All of these principles apply to the liturgy. The beauty of the liturgy, which is manifested in architecture, artwork, vesture, music, etc., draws us in closer, so that we may more fully experience an encounter with Christ and see His Beauty, even if it is only a ray of it. This beauty is one of the things which helps us to bring the infinite into definite form; it brings God within the realm of our limited human senses, so that we cannot only think about Him but truly experience His presence. (In this way, beauty is “sacramental,” just like the Eucharist.) Then we will experience His goodness, truth, and unity in ways that make theological discourse look like “so much straw.”



This was originally put together for a parish bulletin; it is hoped it will be of some value to NLM's readers as well.

Event Announcement: Notre Dame Eucharistic Procession

[The following announcement came to the NLM.]

On Sunday April 20th, 2008 the University of Notre Dame will hold its 4th annual Eucharistic Procession. All are welcome to join the Reverend David T. Tyson, Provincial Superior, Indiana Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the Notre Dame community as they celebrate and give witness to Christ's presence in the Eucharist. Co-sponsored by many different groups from Notre Dame, St. Mary's, and Holy Cross College, the procession is a revival of an old tradition at the University.

Join us for the 11:45 Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame followed immediately by the procession and a picnic lunch provided by the campus Knights of Columbus. If you intend on participating, please visit the Sign-up page to register.

To arrange for an interview with the priest supervisor or the student organizers, please contact Fr. Kevin Russeau, C.S.C. at Kevin.M.Russeau.3@nd.edu or (574) 631-7295.

Final Triduum Post [Updated]

A final post on the Triduum which will mainly be comprised of links.

John Sonnen has more vigil photos from the ceremonies of the Roman FSSP on Orbis Catholicus.

Schola Sainte Cecile have some from the Parisian church of St-Eugene.

Jeffrey Bebeau has some from the FSSP in Calgary, Alberta.

Diane has a single post covering Assumption Grotto in Detroit, MI.

Carlos Antonio Palad send us images from The Philippines.

An Australian reader sent in these photos.

Finally, a picture sent in from the Anglican use congregation of St. Athanasius in West Roxbury;

UPDATE: Well, I cannot resist something from the Holy Week ceremonies from Wigratzbad, the FSSP seminary in Europe. A very nice gothic set pictured here as well.

More on Cobh Cathedral

One of our Irish readers, who was at the Mass recently reported upon in Cobh Cathedral, sent in a couple of more photos and also an article on the event taken from the Irish Daily Mail. Click on the thumbnail to make the story large enough to read.

First, here is the story:

Now the images sent in:

A Lost Ward Classic is Back

Well, this is a treasure, and I'm betting that very few people alive have ever seen this:

This masterful guide to advanced studies in chant by Justine Ward, enormously rare, is now in print again for the first time since 1949.

It is her most detailed and high-level guide to understanding and singing Gregorian chant. It assumes familiarity and experience with the basic, and moves on to cover the management of dynamics, the singing of the Psalms including intonations and rules for adapting syllables to melodic formula, the three styles of chant, the treatment of accents, varieties of notation, forms of composition, the diagramming of chants, centonization, interpretation, chironomy and conducting, expression and accompaniment, as well as the origin, evolution, and regeneration of the chant.

If you have only thought of Mrs. Ward in connection with children's pedagogy, this book will amaze you. It is probably the most advanced guide to the practical singing and understanding of the details of Gregorian chant ever written. It certainly embodies a height of classical Solesmes styling. While there is probably plenty here with which today's experts will disagree, she demonstrates vast knowledge and experience as well as intimate familiarity with the chant repertoire. It is a must for anyone who aspires to mastery.

Now, a couple of things. One is that the CMAA changed the name of the book. It was called Gregorian Chant Volume II, but that is just too confusing. The current title better reflects the contents.

If you want to look at the book, you can see or print it here. As you can see, it is an enormously technical volume. It boggles my mind.

Scott Turkington tells a funny story of having briefly seen a copy in Ted Marier's trunk. He said "hey, what's that??!!" And then Ted said, oh that's a 1949 book on chant by Ward, and closed the trunk! That was it.

Anyway, I excited about it, and more excited to discipline myself to read it in print than online. I can't ever be a master but this book can teach me so much. I'm especially happy that it shows off her capacity as a scholar. It's one of many treasures that might have been lost but for new technologies that make the whole of history so accessible.

New Hardcover Reprint of "The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy" by Fr. Adrian Fortescue

A pleasant surprise awaited me today as I was sent two new publications by Preserving Christian Publications.

The first is The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy by Fr. Adrian Fortescue. This book has been in print for awhile of course, but what makes this reprint stand out is that it is an attractive hardcover reprint, complete with a very nice dustjacket as well. While that might seem like a small deal to some, for others it represents a welcome development. Hardcovers tend to last longer than softcovers, standing up to the test of time.

Fortescue's work on the Roman liturgy is, of course, one of the standard historical treatments on the development of the Roman liturgy and therefore belongs on the shelf of everyone who is interested in that topic.

The 428 page work is available for the very reasonable price of $32.00 USD. It is well worth the price -- which is quite reasonable.

In addition to this work, I was also sent A Dictionary
of the Psalter by Fr. Matthew Britt, OSB (author of The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal)

The nature of this particular title is perhaps explained better by the subtitle than by the title:

"Containing the Vocabulary of the Psalms, Hymns, Canticles, and Miscellaneous Prayers of the Breviary Psalter"

The author introduces the purpose of the text accordingly:

"The purpose of this text is to give meaning, or the various meanings, of the 2700 words that make up the vocabulary of the psalms, hymns, canticles, and miscellaneous prayers of the Breviary psalter... it concerns itself primarily with the Vulgate text..." (See a sample page)

The book is bound in a very nice green hardcover. If there were any word of critique, it would be that the interior text plates are a bit light, but still nonetheless perfectly legible.

The book is priced at $30.00 USD.

Thanks go out to the publisher for sending me these. They are both welcome additions to my library.

New Prefect of the CDW? [UPDATE]

[I am moving this particular story back to the top of the posts as the NLM is doing some follow-up on this story. The selection of the prefect for this office has profound implications as regards the sacred liturgy.

We will be watching this story very closely in the coming hours and days -- Shawn]

Andrea Tornielli, vaticanista of Il Giornale, reports that Archbishop Angelo Amato SDB, current Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, might succeed Cardinal Arinze as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. His successor as Secretray of the Holy Office would be Msgr. Rino Fisichella, rector of the Lateran University and Auxiliary Bishop of Rome.

This is the article in my translation:

Amato to become “Minister” for Liturgy, Fisichella to the Holy Office

Change of guard in sight at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Vatican "ministry for liturgy": the Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze (he has completed his 75th year last november) could soon leave and there could arrive at his post - the conditional is obligatory - the Salesian Archbishop Angelo Amato, 70 years old next June, currently Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This last office would thus become free for Msgr Rino Fisichella, esteemed rector of the Lateran University. For some time it has been known that Amato, who took the post which Bertone left in 2003, was a candidate for a cardinalatial office. But his arrival at Worship would be a surprise, given that until today his name had been "made" for the dicastery of the [Causes of the] Saints or for Catholic Education. Many, in fact, held that the "natural" candidate for the succession of Arinze would be current Secretary of the Congregation, the Ceylonese Archbishop Malcom Ranjith Patabendige Don, who had already been in the Roman Curia as number two of Cardinal Sepe at Propaganda Fide, had then been sent to Indonesia as Apostolic Nuncio, and had then again been recalled to Rome by Benedict XVI who had wanted to name him to Divine Worsip, a key dicastery in the vision of Pope Ratzinger. Ranjith has never made a secret of his ideas: about the motu proprio which liberalized the Tridentine Mass, about the dialogue with the Lefebvrians, about the fight against liturgical abuses. It is also true that according to curial praxis only in rare cases the number two becomes Prefect of the same dicastery and that Ranjith has only just completed his 60th year. If this hypothesis proves true, Fisichella could be the successor of Amato as number two at the ex-Holy Office. A crucial and important rôle.

The Music of Francis Poulenc

In all the hustle and bustle to find church music which is "relevant" to modern ears, the name of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) is one of many that seems to be unjustly forgotten. His music is thoroughly 20th century, and yet it possesses a kind of mouvement which is in perfect harmony with Gregorian chant.

Have a listen to his Salve Regina.

And to the Gloria from the Messe en Sol Majeur.

Poulenc converted to Catholicism later in life; I'm not sure of the exact time. That was when he wrote the penitential motets. The above Gloria comes from a time before his conversion. [Correction: Not true. His conversion took place in 1936; the Mass in G Major was written in 1937.]

Translation project: An NLM Reader's Help Sought After

A few weeks ago, I reported on the project the NLM was pursuing of seeking to gain approval and have translated a few important liturgical studies that are not presently in the English language; one on the Lyons rite (Lyons is the primatial see of the Gallican church); and at least one -- possibly two -- on the Ambrosian rite.

One of our tasks is to acquire the actual texts, and of course this is not free.

I have found a copy of Le Rite Lyonnais and have a competent translator who is prepared to begin work. We are still in the midst of seeking out any rights, but translation work can begin immediately regardless -- as is usual in these sorts of projects.

What is Needed: To acquire the book and ship it will likely require $90-95 USD.

If we have any reader who feels this project is worthwhile to pursue and would like to contribute to it in some way, we would be grateful if someone was willing to purchase the book for this purpose.

The idea would be that the "donator" of the book would purcashe it online and have the seller ship it directly to the translator.

If you would like to contribute to this project in this way, please contact me by email (stribe@rogers.com) so that I can arrange with you the details of where to purchase the book, as well as to provide you with the translators shipping address.

Brace yourself for the Pope's Mass in D.C.

It will take place on April 17, and might end up as the defining moment of Benedict XVI's trip to the United States. Liturgically, however, this Mass could be a great disappointment, especially in light of all that this Pope has written in the last thirty years, and given his desire to connect us more closely to our heritage, and because his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum specifies that the distance between the old and new Mass is not a matter of rite but of form, and considering his repeated reiteration of the truth concerning music at Mass: it is something given to us by the Church in the form of chant and its stylistic descendants.

The Archdiocese of Washington has made an announcement about the music that is as skimpy as it is troubling. It begins as if it were announcing a talent show for the Pope rather than a liturgical event: "When Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass at Nationals Park on April 17 he will hear four choirs totaling 570 members from across the Archdiocese of Washington, singing in ten languages."

The announcement does not provide specifics. We are given only highlights:

• All choirs performing the opening Spiritual “Plenty Good Room,” newly arranged by Washington Symphonic Brass founder, Phil Snedecor. (Here is a video of this very nice spiritual, different arrangement, that has no place in Catholic liturgy.)
  
• The Children’s Choir singing “Send Forth Your Spirit” by Andrew Wright (sound file) and “Ave Verum” by Mozart.
  
• The Gospel Choir singing “I Call upon You God” by Leon Roberts (GIA!) (sound file here) and “Lord Make Me an Instrument” by Roger Holland (GIA!).
  
• The Papal Mass Choir singing “Sing Aloud Unto God Our Strength” by Daniel Nelson (sound file) and “Spirit of God Within Me” by Robert LeBlanc.
  
• The Intercultural Choir singing “Let’Isikia” (sound file) arranged by Tracy McDonnell and “Source d’eau Vive” by C.E. Haugel.

That's all they provide but it indicates that, contrary to assurances we were given only last week, this list originally posted ten days ago, was not made up out of whole cloth. It includes mostly Gospel numbers, some rock/blues thrown in ("Jesus is Here Right Now"), together with the "Mass of Creation" Sanctus and Amen.

The forums are already registering protest.

On the plus side, it does seem that the Gloria will be Gregorian (though of course the choir is using a copyrighted edition/arrangement that is for sale from GIA). And Ave Verum is a liturgical text and a nice piece of music that seems to make only a perfunctory appearance here. In all of the press so far, there has been no mention of a schola assigned to sing the propers of the Mass. We can hold out hope that this is taking place in secret. If so, the secret is well kept.

The director Tom Stehle says that the music announced so far "represents our long Catholic and Christian tradition and the current diversity of our church."

I can't understand the implication that our diversity as Catholics is somehow "current" and not part of our past. This usually comes with the claim that the music of our past is bound up with Eurocentric sensibilities and unsuitable for a diverse age. Actually, a defining mark of true liturgical music is its universality over time and space, and chant and its elaborations certainly have that mark of universality about them. Its universality is one of the most remarkable discoveries made by musicologists who have looked at chant in the first millennium. And this feature is not only part of the history of chant; it is also an embedded melodic feature of Gregorian plainsong that it strives to transcend time and place.

All of this I learned from reading the Pope's own writings on liturgy and music.

Moreover--and this pains me to think of it--our current "multicultural" obsessions are more than a little insulting to racial minorities and especially African American Catholics. It is a caricature of the worst sort to assume that only Gospel spirituals somehow "represent" their culture and people, and to further imply that chant is somehow incomprehensible to them. I can only speak from my own experience in this regard: the African Americans in parishes I've worked in are among the most passionate supporters of authentic sacred music, precisely because it is an aid to prayer, which, after all, is the core of liturgical art.

From what we have seen so far, the music at the D.C. Papal Mass is not a progressive program. It is a pre-Benedict program with a utility-oriented lineup focussed on making some kind of cultural/political/sociological statement to someone (American Catholics? The Vatican? The Pope?) through the liturgy. There is no evidence of change, growth,and development toward ideals.

To those who would complain, the Archdiocese assures us as follows: "The musical program for the Mass was chosen by an archdiocesan committee, with approval from the Vatican."

And that is that.

Historical Pictures: Ambrosian rite

Continuing our mini-series of historical photographs that have some liturgical interest, I present to you two from the Ambrosian rite.

(I shall note immediately that the majority of the information presented here comes from Nicola de Grandi, our resident Ambrosian rite expert.)

The first here is Blessed Cardinal Schuster, giving Benediction:

Other than Blessed Cardinal Schuster himself, what helps identify this as "Ambrosian" are a couple of things.

For one, you will note the cardinal's alb has the grammatae on it; an apparel. Apparels are not unique to the Ambrosian rite of course, but they are typical in it -- and as my own personal aside, the use of it on the lace alb is something that I have tended to see mainly in the Ambrosian rite.

The other thing notable here is the monstrance, whose shape is typical for the Ambrosian rite. Not that this form is specifically Ambrosian, rather it is a case of an otherwise more common form of monstrance as found in the middle ages and renaissance that the Ambrosian rite simply didn't change.



The second picture is taken in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Milan and is of Archbishop Montini (the future Pope Paul VI) assisting "in cappa" at a Pontifical Mass celebrated by the Canons of the Metropolitan Chapter.

The Canons of the Metropolitan Chapter were given the right of pontificals even though they are not bishops. Nicola informs me that this was officially sanctioned by Clement XI and Alexander VII, but the custom itself was established much earlier.

Aside from the Canons celebrating the Mass, some of the assisting Canons can be seen in the choir stalls and you will note they are wearing an ermine cappa.

There are four prelates wearing the mantelletta on the left; these are auxiliary bishops. You will note that they are not wearing birettas. In the Ambrosian Rite, no priest assisting in choro covers his head during Mass.

The priest standing on the right in the photo is Msgr. Borella, Archiepiscopal Master of Ceremonies, wearing the traditional purple "toga magistrale".

Thanks again to Nicola for this information.

New NLM Translation Feature

Recognizing the fact that the NLM has a significant international readership, I have added a translation section over on the sidebar. Now this is a machine translation, and anyone with experience with tools like Google Translator, Babelfish and so on, are going to be quite aware that machine translation is not a perfect art by any stretch.

That said, they still have value and can allow those who are less familiar with a language to at least get a basic sense of what is being said, of navigating a site and its links and so forth.

As well, for those of our readership who may already do this, this perhaps provides you with a quicker, more convenient means to do this.

I hope you will find this helpful.

Interview with Cardinal Castrillón on the Motu Proprio - updated

Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos has granted an interview to L'Osservatore Romano. (Since the articles there stay only up for a day, see also here on the Papa Ratzinger blog).

I have now translated the entire piece by Gianluca Biccini. I have highlighted some especially interesting, important and/or beautiful passages.

In the Liturgy the Sense of Catholicity and Unity

"Benedict XVI's apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform carried out in 1970 is making return to full communion with Rome also some non-Catholics. Requests in this sense are arriving after the pope has renewed the possibilty to celebrate according to the old rite." This says cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, who in this interview with our newspaper, after the publication of the papal document on Acta Apostolicae Sedis, clarifies its contents and highlights its importance as a means to conserve the treasure of the liturgy that dates back to St. Gregory the Great and for a renewed dialogue with those who, because of liturgical reform, have distanced thmeselves from the Church of Rome. The publication on the Acta preceded by a few days the appointments by Benedict XVI of Monsignor Camille Perl, the previous secretary, as vice president of Ecclesia Dei, and of Monsignor Mario Marini, the previous adjunct secretary, as secretary.

The letter, in the form of motu proprio, does not refer to the present normal form - the ordinary form – of the Eucharistic liturgy, which is that of the Roman missal published by Paul VI and then reissued on two occasions by John Paul II, but refers to the use of the extraordinary form, which is that of the missale Romanum prior to the Council, published in 1962 with the authority of John XXIII. This is not a case of two different rites, but of a twofold use of the one Roman rite. It is the form of celebration – explains the Colombian cardinal - "that has been used for more than 1400 years. This rite, which we could call Gregorian, has inspired the Masses of Palestrina, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, great cathedrals and wonderful works of painting and sculpture."

"Thanks to the motu proprio not a few have requested the return to full communion and some have already returned - the president of Ecclesia Dei adds -. In Spain, the "Oasis of Jesus the Priest", an entire cloistered monastery with thirty sisters led by their founder, has already been recognized and regularized by the Pontifical Commission; then there are cases of American, German and French groups on their way of regularization. Lastly there are single priests and lay people who contact us, write to us and call us for a reconciliation, and on the other hand there are so many other faithful who express their gratitude to the pope and their gladness for the motu proprio."

Osservatore Romano: Some have accused the Pope of wanting to impose a liturgical model in which the language and gestures of the rite appear as the exclusive monopoly of the priest, while the faithful would be extraneous and therefore excluded from a direct relationship with God.

Cardinal Castrillón: On the occasion of the Baptism of the Lord, for example, Benedict XVI actually celebrated in the Sistine Chapel with the face towards the crucifix. The Pope celebrated in Italian according to the ordinary form, which does not exclude, however, the possibility of celebrating towards the altar and not versus populum, and which also foresees celebration in Latin. Let us remember that the ordinary form is the Mass that normally all the priests say, according to the post-conciliar reform; while the extraordinary form is the Mass prior to the liturgical reform, which according to the motu proprio today everyone can celebrate, and which has never been prohibited .

OR: Yet some criticisms seem to come even from bishops?

C: One or two have difficulties, but those are a few exceptions, because most agree with the Pope. Rather, we find expressed some practical difficulties. We need to be clear: this is not a return to the past but a step forward, because this way you have two treasures, rather than only one. This treasure, therefore, is being offered, respecting the rights of those who are particularly attached to the old liturgy. There then may follow some problems to be solved with common sense. For instance, it can happen that a priest does not have the appropriate preparation and cultural sensitivity. Only think of priests that come from areas where the language is very different from Latin. But this does still not mean a rejection: it is the presentation of a real difficulty, which is to be surmounted.

Our own Pontifical Commission is thinking about organizing a form of aid to seminaries, to dioceses and to bishops' conferences. Another possibility being studied is to promote multimedia resources for coming to know and learning the extraordinary form with all the theological, spiritual, and artistic richness also linked to the ancient liturgy. Furthermore it seems important also to involve groups of priests who already use the extraordinary form, who will offer thmeselves both to celebrate and to demonstrate and teach the celebration according to the missal of 1962.

OR: So the problem does not exist?

C: It is rather a dispute which has arisen from acertain lack of knowledge. Some ask permission for example, as if it were a concession or an exceptional case, but there is no need: the Pope has been clear. It is a mistake of some people and some journalists to believe that the use of the Latin language pertains only to the ancient rite, whereas, to the contrary, it is also foreseen in the missal of Paul VI.

Through the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum" the Pope offers to all priests the possibility to celebrate Mass in the traditional form, and to the faithful to exercise the right to have this rite when the conditions specified in the motu proprio are met.

OR: How have groups such as the Fraternity of St. Pius X reacted, which refuses to celebrate the novus ordo Mass established after the Second Vatican Council?

C: The Lefebvrians from the outset have maintained that the old form had never been abolished. It is clear that it has never been abrogated, although before the motu proprio many have deemed it forbidden. But now, it may be offered to all the faithful who wish it, depending on the possibilities. But it is also clear that if there is not a priest adequately prepared, it can not be offered because it is not only about the Latin language, but also about knowing the old use as such. We must comprehend some differences: the larger room for silence for the faithful, that fosters contemplation of the mystery and personal prayer. Finding again spaces of silence is today for our culture not only a religious necessity. I remember having participated as a bishop in a high-level business management course, where there was talk of the need for the manager to have available a half-dark room where to sit down to think before deciding.

Silence and contemplation are necessary attitudes also today, above all regarding the mystery of God.

OR: Eight months have passed since the promulgation of the document. It is true that it has attracted a lot of supporters also in other ecclesial realities?

C: The pope offers to the Church a treasure which is spiritual, cultural, religious and catholic. We have received letters of agreement also from prelates of the orthodox churches, from anglican and protestant faihtful. Lastly there are some priests of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X who, singly, are seeking to regularize their position. Some of them have already signed the formula of adhesion. We are informed that there are traditionalist lay faithful, close to the Fraternity, who have begun to frequent Masses in the older rite offered in the churches of the dioceses."

OR: How is a return to "full communion" possible for people who are excommunicated?

C: The excommunication concerns only the four bishops, because they have been ordained without the mandate of the Pope and against his will, while the priests are only suspended. The Mass they celebrate is without a doubt valid, but not licit and, therefore, participation is not recommended, unless on a Sunday there should be no other possibilities. Certainly neither the priests, nor the faithful are excommunicated. Let me reiterate in this regard the importance of a clear understanding of things to be able to judge correctly.

OR: Do you not fear that the attempt to bring back inside the Church men and women who do not recognize the II Vatican Council could provoke an alienation in those faithful who see in Vatican II a compass for navigating the barque of Peter, especially in these times of constant changes?

C: First of all, the problem regarding the Council is not, in my opinion, as grave as it might seem. In fact, the bishops of the Fraternity of St. Pius X, headed by Monsignor Bernard Fellay, have expressly recognized Vatican II as an Ecumenical Council and Monsignor Fellay has reiterated this in a meeting with Pope John Paul II, and more explicitly in the audience of 29 August 2005 with Benedict XVI. Nor can it be forgotten that Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre has signed all the documents of the Council.

I think their criticism of the council concerns rather the clarity of certain texts, in the absence of which the way is opened for interpretations which are not in accordance with the traditional doctrine. The biggest difficulties are interpretative in nature or have to do with some gestures in the ecumenical field, but not with the teaching of Vatican II. These are theological discussions, which may take place inside the Church, where in fact there are different discussions regarding the interpretation of the texts of the Council, discussions which can continue also with the groups returning to full communion.

OR: So the Church extends her hands to them, also through this new motu proprio on the ancient liturgy?

C: Yes, certainly, because it is precisely in the liturgy that the whole sense of Catholicity is expressed and it [the liturgy] is a source of unity. I really like the novus ordo which I celebrate daily. I had not celebrated anymore according to the missal of 1962, after the post-conciliar liturgical reform. Today in resuming sometimes the extraordinary rite, I myself have rediscovered the richness of the old liturgy that the Pope wants to keep alive, preserving that age-old form of Roman tradition.

We must never forget that the ultimate point of reference in the liturgy, as in life, is always Christ. We have therefore no fear, also in the liturgical rite, to turn towards Him, toward the crucifix, together with the faithful, to celebrate the holy sacrifice, in an unbloody manner, as the Council of Trent has defined the Mass.

Images from the Pontifical Mass in Cobh Cathedral

I was very pleased that these photographs, taken by Michael McSweeney of Pro vision in Cork, Ireland, where graciously made available gratis of the recent Pontifical Mass in Cobh Cathedral, Ireland.

What is Quasimodo Sunday?

I'm reposting this from last year because confusion still persist on why this coming Sunday is called Quasimodo Sunday. It is the Second Sunday of Easter, sometimes called Low Sunday. It is called Quasimodo after the first words of the Introit, which, if we were achieving the ideals of the Graduale, would be heard in every parish across the land.

This beautiful and unforgettable song is dedicated to first communicants (children or new converts), an instruction about how to proceed and growth in faith. It is especially compelling to us because of our literary and pop-culture knowledge of the bell ringer in "Hunchback." It is good know the original meaning and idea -- and also to sing the real song as the Introit at Mass.

Several people once asked our schola why were were using the name of a Disney character as the name of the Mass. Actually, the Disney character is based on a novel by Victor Hugo, which, in turn, named his character because he was born on this day and also because he had the character of a child.

What does this Introit say to and about first communicants? It counsels the first communicant or the convert, likened to a newborn child, to desire the milk of the mother, to receive that nourishment and grow. Properly disposed, the new communicant doesn't need to be told this. But the rest of us sing about this as a reminder that there are children among us who need to be cared for, and that we all should preserve the spirit of the children of God and remain humble and submissive to the Divine Will.

Musical commentary from Johner: "The song is extremely simple, almost naive. After it has risen to the tonic of the sixth mode (f), it clings to it as if in fear. It moves about this note, several times descends lower, but always strives toward it against. This is especially shown with infantes, al-(leluia). The plagal form of the F mode could scarcely be evidenced more clearly. Melodically, rationabiles, with its harmonious line, is the highest point of the song. Its constituent notes are but a syllabic part of the psalm-verse of the Introit: adjutori nostro. The Introit for the vigil of Christmas resembles this melody to some extent. After sine dolo there is a sort of break.... Of the three alleluia the second forms a single note. After the preceding d, the first sets in on c, while the third sets in on d after the preceding c; thus the beginnings are pleasantly varied."

Heralds of the Gospel Triduum

A commenter has directed me to a video site of the Heralds of the Gospel. There you can watch videos of their Maundy Thursday (click on "5ª Feira Santa") and Good Friday (click on "Sexta Feira Santa 2008") liturgies in the ordinary form of the Roman rite (there is also one of Easter Sunday [click on "Domingo da Ressurreição 2008"], but it's mainly the sermon). While the chivalric flair of their habits and movements may not be to everyone's liking, and some of the ceremonial might be deemed a little "over the top" by some, I think these are very dignified celebrations, with the Good Friday Passion in the vernacular, but sung to the traditional chant tone, and the prayers in Latin, as on Maundy Thursday. There are certainly points that could be improved (it may be hoped, especially, that at some point they adopt the versus Deum position, or at least the "Benedictine" altar arrangement), but this is very encouraging indeed, especially for a country like Brazil, particularly seeing the vast numbers of young, earnest and devoted men they have. The liturgies are celebrated in their new church of Our Lady of the Rosary to the north of São Paulo, Brazil, which was only dedicated last 24 February by Cardinal Franc Rodé (Prefect of the Congregation for the Religious; you can view a video of the beautiful dedication by clicking on "Dedicação da primeira igreja dos Arautos" [short summary, 5 min.] or "Dedicação da Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário" [full version, over two hours]).

Maundy Thursday: The translation of the Blessed Sacrament:





A very evocative Stripping of the Altars:




Good Friday


The have veiled the entire apse:



Their impressive choir:


The apse unveiled on Easter morning:



Speaking of the Heralds, this is the Church they have been given in Rome: San Benedetto in Piscinula.


This is were St. Benedict lived while he studied in Rome at the end of the 5th century (on this site was originally the house of his family [gens], the Anicii). His cell has been preserved:


The rector of this church, Mgr Angelo di Pasquale, is reportedly involved with the Benedictine restoration of papal ceremonial, as has been mentioned here. As I found out while perusing their site in different languages, this Rome apostolate of theirs has its own blog, http://sanbenedettoinpiscinula.blogspot.com (in Italian). There you can find this image of their Holy Sepulchre on Maundy Thursday evening:

The choir loft question

On this thread, I discussed the positioning of the choir.

I just received this response in my inbox, and it is worth sharing:

The issue of the proper (and older, that is, ancient) placement of the choir goes far deeper than the proposed continued use of the choir loft; in fact, such a proposition is based upon a generally-held misconception, especially in the United States. For starters, in the States choir lofts in "Pre-Vatican II churches" have been of course the norm. In Europe however, choir lofts were not the norm in ancient churches (i.e., far older than 200 years, the age of the oldest substantially-sized church in the United States) for simply the fact that the location of the choir (referring to the space, aka the presbyterium or chancel) was properly located within the sanctuary. Unfortunately in the United States, most sanctuaries were designed and constructed without a chancel, as opposed to those in England, which as a matter of course, even the smallest of slipper chapels had a chancel, if only able to accommodate a prie dieu on each side!

During the Baroque period, the placement of the choir (meaning the people) was forcibly and drastically changed when mixed choirs of men and women replaced scholas formed of men and boys (males) in order to accommodate the operatic music that unfortunately came into vogue (and which subsequently was thankfully prescribed under St. Pius X's reform of sacred music). As women were prohibited from the sanctuary during the liturgical services, the placement of the choir (people) was required to be shifted outside of the sanctuary, thus the creation of the choir loft, of which formerly, the only such structure in a church was normally an organ loft.

One could digress on how this unfortunate state of affairs had disastrous consequences for the Roman liturgy, but suffice it to state here that the most crucial negative effect was the practical abolishment of the choir as a liturgical office in parishes and even in cathedrals (other than a few cathedral choirs, the only substantial parochial holdout against this state of affairs was in England, thankfully to their liturgical sensibilities of "the dogma of good taste").

It was Pope St. Pius X per his motu proprio on the restoration of sacred music (Tra le sollecitudini), particularly of Gregorian chant, who worked to have mixed choirs replaced by actual scholas of men and boys (a desire reiterated by Pope Pius XII in his decree on sacred music in the liturgy in 1958), who as males, could exercise this role as a liturgical office as was intended (i.e., vested in cassock and surplice and situated within the sanctuary). The women meanwhile, could of course sing the Kyriale and other hymns from their proper places in the pews (obviously an exception exists for female religious in their own convents). There were some tolerances made as to mixed choirs and even women executing the propers (clearly stated for extraordinary situations only), but again, these were supposed to be exceptions to the rule, not the norm.

Finally, in essence I agree with Bishop Herzog's assessment of the inadequacy of the choir loft for purposes of proper participation of the faithful during the liturgy. It is a proven fact that from the chancel a schola meister can effectively direct the faithful for their parts of the Kyriale, etc., as witnessed in many churches where this proper arrangement has been restored. And as His Excellency rightfully points out, the faithful are better united ─visibly, directionally and acoustically ─to the schola, and thereby the official liturgical actions. Also, the proper use of the chancel has acoustical benefits that a choir loft does not, usually in the form of enclosing walls (or even a rounded apse), which prevents the "singing in a wind tunnel" effect that choir lofts always seem to have, especially in larger churches. A very small, but well-trained schola can actually sound louder situated in the chancel, then a choir of 50 in a choir loft located at the far end of the nave (we actually experienced this scenario at St. Vincent de Paul Church, where we do have a chancel, and a choir loft at the rear of the large church). I would finally add that from a practical standpoint, when such a schola sings from the chancel, microphones are completely unnecessary, both for those in the nave, and even more importantly, to the ministers in the sanctuary (with whom the schola is more closely united and thereby coordinated with).

My 2 cents worth.

Louis J. Tofari
Kansas City, MO

Easter Triduum: Church of St John of Jerusalem and Others (Usus Antiquior)

Today's Triduum photos come from the Church of St. John of Jerusalem in London, UK.

(More photos from St. John of Jerusalem)

Photos ©2005-2008 Vernon Quaintance


St. Clement's in Ottawa, Canada (FSSP)




St. Peter's, Merchantville, NJ



(More pictures from St. Peter's)


St. Augustine's, St. Paul, MN.


(Fr. Zuhsdorf was the celebrant)

Church for Juventutem Celebrations during World Youth Day in Sydney announced

Juventutem has announced that St Augustine's Church, Balmain, Sydney, has been assigned to them for their usus antiquior celebrations during the World Youth Day in Sydney. This is the programme (there is also a programme for the week before in Melbourne). You can register here.

Tulsa World: Inside Clear Creek Monastery

A reader sent in this interesting piece in Tulsa World: Inside Clear Creek Monastery.

The item carries with it stories as well as images.

Triduum Ceremonies with the ICRSS in Gricigliano, Italy

The following images come from the Triduum ceremonies celebrated by the ICRSS at their seminary in Italy, near Florence.

HOLY THURSDAY





(The altar of repose)

GOOD FRIDAY


EASTER VIGIL






EASTER MORNING








To see all the pictures, click here.

Solemn High Mass and Architectural Presentation This Sunday at the Church of Our Saviour, Park Avenue

Proposed temporary chapel for St. Agnes Catholic Church, New York City, by Dino Marcantonio

This event is sponsored by the good folks at the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, and clearly worth your attention. Previous masses at Our Saviour's by the Society have been truly moving experiences of exemplary liturgical quality. Mr. Marcantonio, the featured lecturer, is a very talented architect and also a great devotee of the Tridentine liturgy. Don't miss this!

As was previously announced, the Society is sponsoring a Solemn High Mass at the Church of Our Saviour, New York City, on Low Sunday, March 30 at 5:00 pm. Following the Mass in the undercroft of the church, the Society will present Dino Marcantonio, AIA, architect and lecturer at the Yale School of Architecture. Mr. Marcantonio's talk is entitled "The Dome on the Square in the City of God."

Dino Marcantonio is a long-time advocate of traditional architecture. He has practiced architecture in New York and Washington, DC and taught at Notre Dame and Yale. He has authored articles on the subject of traditional architecture for such journals as Latin Mass, American Arts Quarterly, Sacred Architecture, and The Classicist. He currently teaches classicism in the graduate program at the Yale School of Architecture.

Interesting liturgical images from Seville, Spain

I came across two rather interesting liturgical images that come from Seville, Spain. In the case of the first photo, you will note that the (quite young) acolytes and thurifer are wearing apparelled alb, possibly amices, and they are also in tunicles.

In the second photo, you can see some of this in action in the context of a Palm Sunday procession in Seville:



I haven't had time to put much research into this yet, but I know we have readers from the region of Seville. If they or anyone else has any historical and liturgical insight to offer, please feel free.

More from the Triduum; Two Reform of the Reform Parishes and a Cathedral

A parishioner at the Birmingham Oratory sent in this beautiful image of the sanctuary of that church, setup for the Vespers of Easter Sunday:

We also received some images from St. Gabriel's in Stamford, CT.





I am told that thw Mass setting for Easter Sunday was Mozart's Sparrow Mass. It is not something I am familiar with, but it sounds intriguing.

Finally, the altar of Repose at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, Sioux Falls, SD:

Holy Week & Triduum at Blackfriars, Oxford

Part of the problem of being the community photographer and a singer and sacristan is that it means that taking photos during liturgies is almost impossible... Below are some photos taken during the past week from the Dominican priory (Blackfriars) in Oxford, UK:

On Holy Monday, the community hosted an ecumenical Stations of the Cross. It was a chance for us to introduce the 14 Stations to other Christian communities in central Oxford and Dominican friars and others gave brief reflections at each station.

This act of witness to our faith in Christ's saving death was expressed more publicly on Spy Wednesday as we walked through the busiest streets of Oxford, carrying a cross and giving out leaflets to shoppers and passers-by on the true meaning of Easter:



During the Triduum, the Office of Tenebrae was celebrated. A hearse of 15 unbleached candles is prepared and similarly unbleached candles are placed on the High Altar. In the Dominican custom, these are all gradually extinguished as the Office progresses.



The Office ends with a short litany at the foot of the Altar sung by four cantors alternating with the friars' choir and it ends, not with a strepitus, but the words "Mortem autem crucis" are sung loudly and at a high pitch, after which the cantors prostrate themselves dramatically as the friars in choir kneel in prayer.





Above, the Altar of Repose on Maundy Thursday.

The Good Friday liturgy is very well-attended and many come, I suspect, for the distinctive Dominican way of performing the Veneration of the Cross. As has been posted here previously, the friars creep to the Cross by prostrating themselves three times. A relic of the True Cross is embedded in the cross which is held for veneration by the friars and the faithful, who come up, genuflecting thrice as they approach.



Moreover, the beautiful High Altar (seen below after the Liturgy) is used for the 'Mass of the Pre-Sanctified':



Finally the bleakness and austerity of Good Friday gives way to the light and richness of Easter Sunday. Below are photos from Solemn Vespers on Easter Sunday:

St. Colman's Cathedral news

One of our Irish readers sent this story into us earlier today:

...the TLM resumed this morning at St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork after more than 40 years. It was celebrated by Bishop John Magee who celebrated the Mass piously, attentively and reverently. He knows how to celebrate the TLM very well and has an excellent command of the rubrics.

The congregation filled most of the central nave of the cathedral with a scattering in the side aisles. In all about 400-500 people attended the TLM -this would be the average attendance at one of the Sunday morning Masses in the Cathedral.

[...]

The size of the congregation should put pay to the folly that there is no demand for the TLM in Ireland in general and in Cork in particular. It was noticeable that the congreagtion thinned at Holy Communion time as people returned to their work before for the end of the lunch break which suggests that had the Mass been scheduled for the evening the congregation would have been even bigger.

Great thanks are due to St. Colman's Society for Catholic Liturgy for making this happen and for taking serious lay initiative to ensure implementationin Ireland of the Holy Father's wishes for the liturgy. We now look forward to the restoration of the TLM in Cobh Cathedral on a regular basis.

The NLM will be providing more coverage of this shortly.

The Triduum (Ordinary Form) at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. - Part I

This magnificent neo-Gothic redoubt of the Order of Preachers near the campus of the Catholic University of America is also blessed with an impressive liturgical tradition, one that extends beyond the Triduum to other events, such as their famous All Saints' Day Vigil Service and Procession. I have encountered a massive collection of photos of their Holy Week liturgies up on flickr.com, but for reasons of space and internet speed will only post a few. I heartily encourage our readers to study them in great detail. More forthcoming.

SPY WEDNESDAY - TENEBRAE





HOLY THURSDAY - EVENING MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER





GOOD FRIDAY - SOLEMN LITURGY OF THE PASSION

Mid-west chant conference

Andrew Mills, organist and chant master, is conducting a chant workshop, July 10-12, 2008, Atchison, Kansas, at the Benedictine College. More information here. Mills is certainly a master of the art, and he is assisted by Lucas Tappan, who is also wonderful.

It is a splendid thing to see such outstanding talents involved so deeply in the restoration of the sacred.

See other events, including the famed Sacred Music Colloquium, which already has 150 people registered to attend.

My people, what have I done to you?

The new bishop of Chur (Switzerland), H.E. Msgr. Vitus Huonder, who has already said and done important things for the cause of orthodoxy and orthopraxis since taking office last September in this difficult diocese, has given a wonderful sermon during the Maundy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper in his cathedral. He had chosen the improperia of Good Friday as leitmotif for all his Holy Week sermons, and on this occasion, after briefly explainig what we celebrate on Maundy Thursday, he gave his entire homily in the form of the popule meus, focusing on the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Blessed Sacrament, instituted on this day by our Lord. Here it is in my translation:

My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me! What have I done to you that you so unworthily treat this Sacrament? What have I done to you that you spread teachings about this Sacrament which are not in accord with my institution; that you say this were common bread and common wine, and it were unthinkable that the changing of the bread into my sacred Body and of the wine into my precious Blood were possible? I myself after all have said: "This is my Body, this is my Blood." Why do you not believe in my words?

My people, what have I done to you that you do not raise the children in awe and love before this most holy Sacrament anymore; that you do not impart to them the truth of this Sacrament anymore; that you do not tell them either that they are to receive this Sacrament with a pure heart free of sins? My people, what have I done to you? Answer me!

What have I done to you that you no longer want to acknowledge this Sacrament as the Sacrament of my Sacrifice on the Cross; that you say that holy Mass were not the making present of the Sacrifice of the Cross; that you want to avoid the word sacrifice, although I have said: „This is my Body which will be given up for you“? What have I done to you that you have made out of this holy celebration a meal of amusement and of your self-affirmation? My people, Answer me!

My people, what have I done to you that the Sacrifice of the Mass is worth to you so little; that you do everything else but participating in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and stay away Sunday after Sunday? What have I done to you that you overlook and despise my Presence in the tabernacle? What more could I have done for you than giving you this Sacrament and thus let my Sacrifice of the Cross remain efficacious through all times and for all men? What more could I have done for you than commanding my Apostles: „Do this in memory of me?“ My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me! Amen.

Sights of Easter Sunday: Usus Antiquior

Dignare Me Laudare Te, Virgo Sacrata informs the NLM that he has images up from the Easter Sunday Mass (usus antiquior) from Georgetown University as well as from Baltimore.

Other pictures in the usus antiquior from Easter Sunday:

Holy Trinity, Boston, MA.


Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Colorado (More pictures)

EWTN on the 3rd Sunday of Easter

On the 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 6th), EWTN is going to air another Solemn Mass according to the 1962 liturgical books. The Mass will be at 8:00AM EST.

Fr. Joseph Fessio speaks to the NLM about the Usus Antiquior and the Reform of the Reform

NLM Preface

One of the issues of recent decades was that within the movements for liturgical continuity and tradition, the "reform of the reform" and usus antiquior movements came to understand themselves in fairly defined "silos". The reform of the reform was about the modern Roman liturgy; the usus antiquior movement was about the ancient form of the Roman liturgy.

It is arguable that this vision was defined by the realities that shaped the times. They were in their infancy and adolescence, and their approaches and ideas were formed by the liturgical climates and law of those periods.

The ancient form of the liturgy was understood as an indult and so it required special episcopal permission for a priest to even celebrate it. This created a barrier, both in terms of practice and also psychologically. To even practice it would require effort to gain that permission, but perhaps greater still was this status of "indult" which had a negative connotation as an exemption to the law -- in other words, from what should otherwise be so. Beyond that, there yet remained in those times a greater defensiveness about the Second Vatican Council even as regards it implementation; it was rather a "sacred cow" if you will in terms of critical questions being asked, and to celebrate the older form of liturgy bore with it a stigma of rejection of the Council (something not entirely yet absent, but still greater in earlier decades.) Each of these aspects could cause a priest concerned about continuity in the liturgy to at least ask themselves whether they shouldn't rather just focus upon the modern Roman missal therefore. Of course, others may have not just made a strategic decision, but could have even had their own principles formed by these ideas. In other words, they may have themselves determined that this was the wrong area to focus.

On the other side, the usus antiquior was a movement that faced extreme marginalization, such that they might have been classed as "the new lepers", pushed to the fringes of ecclesial life and fighting against the stigmas mentioned above -- and in some cases, even acquiescing to those stigmas. Further, those attached to the ancient form of the liturgy were likewise themselves the subject of polemics, which couldn't help but to foster a climate of polemicism generally. Beyond that, the climate of restless liturgical change (likewise still not absent) created a certain understandable, principled protectiveness and defenseness about liturgical development generally, resulting as well in a certain stand-offishness about the reform of the reform or most anything to do with the by-products of liturgical change. Each of these things helped to shape the earliest form of the usus antiquior movement, which couldn't help but to contribute as well to the siloed approach of which I speak.

Now, there was a softening of these lines and a greater amount of cooperation since Ecclesia Dei Adflicta, but it is particularly with the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum that we are now finally at the beginning of a new stage of evolution in which we can begin to see even greater cooperation and mutual advancement. For one thing, this idea of an "indult" has been erased. Whether or not the "ordinary form" of the Roman liturgy hits more of the faithful, the "extraordinary form" is of no less centricity in the life of the Church and is not a second-class citizen within it. Second, the aspect of episcopal permission has also been erased. Priests and parishes may decide for themselves. By consequence, what one sees is more priests who have, to date, celebrated the modern form of the liturgy exclusively, picking up upon the ancient form of the liturgy. All of this constitutes a de-marginalization of this form of the liturgy, and suddenly communities and priests who have been more exclusively dedicated to this form are finding themselves in greater demand -- thus making them less marginalized as well.

In both cases, what we are seeing is that factors are now put in place that are beginning to change the climate that had been established previously, allowing for the beginnings of a greater trust and cooperation. You will note I speak of beginnings. What has been developed over a few decades cannot be erased overnight. There will still be elements of mistrust that will be manifest and need to be overcome and this will only happen with time and particularly with new generations who don't carry the weight of the same baggage as those who have been involved in these matters for decades. That said, as with Benedict's own liturgical reforms at the Vatican, so too in this area are things seemingly happening at a fairly rapid speed, all things considered.

The common thread found between these two movements is the recognition of a problem; a problem of rupture. There is a recognition that the liturgy is not as it ought to be, not only in practice, but that there are even problems within the very liturgical reform itself.

The reform of the reform for its part recognizes the need to re-reform a missal (and parish practice) that effects most of our Roman rite parishes and faithful at this time. The usus antiquior movement recognizes a need to preserve, promote and foster the ancient Roman liturgical tradition, continuing to make that received Roman liturgical tradition a living, breathing reality giving witness to the liturgical tradition of the Roman church.

One example of this fading of the lines might be seen in the many reform of the reform parishes and priests who have taken up the usus antiquior or are at least learning about it.

Recently the NLM reported upon the fact that Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. has started to offer the usus antiquior in a regular way -- in addition to his celebration of the modern form of the Roman liturgy. We deemed this significant because Fr. Fessio was one of the founding proponents of the reform of the reform and one of its leading voices in the English speaking world. Few people are as identifiable with that movement as is he and yet here he was "going unto the altar of God, to God who gives joy unto my youth" according to the 1962 liturgical books. Precisely because of his intimate involvement with the reform of the reform, some might have seen his celebration of the usus antiquior as rather surprising; perhaps even a contradiction. Of course, this idea is informed by the very approach of which we have been speaking.

It seems to me that Fr. Fessio, by his actions, is speaking to his own understanding that there is no contradiction between advocating the reform of the reform and likewise celebrating the ancient form of the Roman liturgy. Indeed, far from being contradictory it is rather complementary and strategically smart. After all, the usus antiquor, besides being a necessary point of reference to any deeper reform of the modern Roman missal, can likewise be a leaven for the reform of the reform. This aspect clearly comes out in the thought of Ratzinger-Benedict who likewise has never made a harsh distinction between these two liturgical movements.

Beyond that, it is also seem to me to be a recognition of the liturgical value of this form of the Roman liturgy.

Bearing that in mind, the New Liturgical Movement determined to speak to Fr. Fessio, not so much about the motu proprio itself (we touch upon this, but this is a topic he has already spoken publically about quite a bit) but rather about the nature of the reform of the reform, his view of the usus antiquior both generally and in relation to the reform of the reform, and also what deeper reforms he would like to see as regards the Missal of Paul VI.

Here is that discussion.

The Interview

NLM: Fr. Fessio, sometimes the "reform of the reform" is understood as simply meaning improving the music and general ethos of the celebration of the modern Roman liturgy -- something that is very important of course. Others propose that this is only one aspect of the reform of the reform, and that there is also a need to propose reforms of the modern liturgical books themselves. What is your thought on the matter?

Fr. Fessio: First, let me give a general overview of my view of the “Reform of the Reform” with respect to the Moto Proprio and the easing of restrictions on the celebration of Mass according to the Missal of 1962.

Behind the idea of the “Reform of the Reform” is the fact that the implementation of the renewal of the liturgy called for by the Second Vatican Council went far beyond what the Council anticipated and constituted what Cardinal Ratzinger called a “breach” or “rupture” in the liturgical tradition that was unprecedented. What was intended to be organic growth was replaced by a “fabrication” of the professoriate. This was the reform that needed to be reformed. To reform it meant to bring it back into continuity with tradition to the extent possible.

This idea of reform of the reform led Ignatius Press to publish a booklet called “The Mass of Vatican II” which is simply the Mass of the Missal of 1969, which has many options, celebrated in such a way that wherever there is an option, the one chosen is the one most in continuity with the Missal of 1962. So for example, having at least the ordinary parts of the Mass in Latin, facing East, using the Roman Canon, having Gregorian Chant, using an altar rail for people to kneel at Communion, etc.

As you can see, this reform of the reform was a way of bringing the form of celebration of the 1969 missal more in harmony with the previous form of celebration of the 1962 missal. However, what is implied here is that there are people who believe in organic growth, in liturgical continuity, and also believe that the Second Vatican Council—while it might have been called at a time which later proved to be unpropitious--is nevertheless a valid Council called by the Church, whose declarations on the liturgy represent the authentic mind of the Church. The reform of the reform is an attempt to approximate, from within the Novus Ordo, what the 1962 Missal would have become had it undergone a modest and organic reform guided by the explicit demands of the Council. We think, therefore, that the 1962 missal was meant to remain within a living tradition where the typical organic growth could continue within the liturgy.

It is demonstrable that the Holy Father did not want simply to restore the status quo ante in giving permission to all priests and stable groups of the faithful to have the Missal of 1962. In his covering letter he specifically talked about mutual enrichment in which there could be some changes to the 1962 missal. In the Motu Proprio itself, he gave permission for the readings to be in the vernacular. In his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy," he says that some of the reforms of the last century should not be rejected. He specifically mentions moving the altar away from the apse towards the transept, the separation of the ambo from the altar, and having the readings in the vernacular.

Therefore, I think it is more than arguable that the Holy Father’s intent is that the Mass should celebrated in a way somewhere in between the Missal of 1962 as it was in 1962 and the Missal of 1969 as it is celebrated today. There can be great differences of opinion on where that in between point is. But you can get to the point from two directions. 1) From the Missal of 1969 moving backward, by reforming the reform; or 2) by taking the Missal of 1962 and moving forward using the Second Vatican Council as a hermeneutical guide for continuity and organic growth.

NLM: There is evidently merit and necessity in approaching the matter of the liturgy from the starting point of either Missal, would you agree?

Fr. Fessio: Yes. Let’s have a “pincer movement” and close the gap between the two Missals. But taking seriously paragraph 23 of Sacrosanctum Concilium: “Finally, there must be no innovations unless the good of the Church genuinely and certainly requires them; and care must be taken that any new forms adopted should in some way grow organically from forms already existing”.

NLM: Some believe that the spread of the "usus antiquior" into parish liturgical life, or even just the fact of priests learning about the "usus antiquior", aside from being of benefit to those attached to that form of the Roman liturgy, can also be a leaven for the reform of the reform. Does the new situation created for priests and parishes by the motu proprio create new terms in which we should strategically look at and consider the project of reforming the reform? Would you say that the "usus antiquor" is even a contributor in the project of reforming the reform?

Fr. Fessio: I do think that the spread of the use of “usus antiquior” in parish liturgical life will in fact act as a leaven. I can say from my own experience now that learning to celebrate the extraordinary form has already affected the way I celebrate the Novus Ordo.

NLM: How so? Can you elaborate what your own personal experience has been so far in this regard?

Fr. Fessio: For example, when possible I recite the prayers at the foot of the altar as I’m approaching the altar. I make the sign of the cross with the paten and chalice before placing them on the corporal at the offertory. I add the prayer “Corpus tuum quod sumpsi” after the “Quod ore sumpsimus” during the ablutions.

NLM: Focusing just upon the "extraordinary form", do you think this liturgical form has an important place in the life of the Church even just in its own regard?

Fr. Fessio: I do think that the “extraordinary form” has a value in itself. As the Holy Father pointed out, it has never been abolished. And there is certainly great diversity, at least potentially, in the way of celebrating the Novus Ordo. Of course, that’s one of the problems Cardinal Ratzinger has pointed out: there is too much diversity in the Novus Ordo. Since some may not know just what he said, I’ll summarize it here in his own words. “In the new Missal we find formulae such as: sacerdos dicit sic vel simili mode [the priest says this or something similar] or, Hic sacerdos potest dicere…[Here the priest can say…] These formulae of the Missal give official sanction to creativity…and with this false creativity…the liturgical unity and ecclesiality of the Liturgy is being destroyed.”

However, if we are going to have such unwarranted diversity within the new Missal, why not have this additional, more traditional, element of diversity as well?

NLM: You've recently started to celebrate the ancient Roman liturgy. Although this is still a fairly recent development, have you found anything in the texts or ceremonies of that Missal that has particularly struck you on a liturgical or spiritual level?

Fr. Fessio: You asked whether I have any personal preferences as a result of celebrating both the extraordinary form and the Novus Ordo. I would like to see the prayers at the foot of the altar restored with the people able to make the responses with the server. As a matter of fact, this was permitted at least as early as 1958 when this was proposed as the “most perfect form” of participation by the faithful in the Mass at that time. I think that the offertory prayers are richer and more inspiring than the Novus Ordo offertory prayers. And I think preparation for Communion is also more beautiful. I am sure I will raise the ire of some proponents of the 1962 missal when I say that I do think that the last Gospel is an accretion which should be eliminated. I also think that having the priest and the server/congregation recite the Confiteor together is quite appropriate. And I would say that between the Novus Ordo celebrated in Latin in the most traditional way, and the extraordinary form celebrated as a Dialogue Mass done without the Leonine prayers (which are not in the Missal of 1962) the “gap” between the two forms is significantly reduced. And the sense of continuity much more obvious. This, I think is a path to “mutually enriching” forms which can lead to an “interior reconciliation”—these being, in my opinion, the critical phrases for interpreting the motu proprio.

NLM: There are of course other aspects with regard to that "gap" that liturgical scholars in particular raise -- in addition to the one we just addressed about the many options found within the modern liturgy -- particularly as regards the revision of the prayers and some aspects of the structure of the liturgy and its ceremonies. Would you agree that while that approach helps reduce the gap, it is only the first step and there yet remains substantive liturgical issues that need to be addressed beyond that?

Fr. Fessio: Yes, I would. The whole cycle of readings, for example. I’m not sure where a re-thinking of this would lead. The 1970 Lectionary does have more selections from Scripture, and the Council explicitly called for this. But having a 3-year cycle for Sunday has a number of disadvantages: it eliminates the immemorial association of specific texts with Sunday Masses, which is of particular concern on certain Sundays and Feastdays; the second Sunday reading is continuous and only occasionally and co-incidentally fits well with the First Reading and Gospel. Again, the principle should be: start with the 1962 Lectionary; consider how best to make the changes called for by the Council; always keep in mind Sacrosanctum Concilium no.23 (no innovation unless genuinely and certainly necessary for the good of the Church; and always in an organic way).

There is a twofold problem with the proper prayers, especially the Collects. The Latin prayers have been changed, often with a loss of theological and stylistic richness; and the English translations are very inadequate—to put the matter as gently as possible.

NLM: Aside from the texts of the Missal itself, there were other reforms that occurred following the Council. One example was the suppression of the subdiaconate and also the modification of the "four minor orders"; another was the revision of the liturgical seasons. Do you believe the reform of the reform should look critically at those revisions as well and do you have a personal position on whether it might be desireable to consider restoring some or all of these things as part of a reform of the reform?

Fr. Fessio: I really have not thought about the possible restoration of the minor orders. [As for the calendar] the phrase “Ordinary Time” says it all. Even the Latin “per annum” is etiolated. Why not the sturdy, colorful “Nth week after Pentecost”? And why not the mysterious, beckoning “Septuagesima Sunday”? And while we’re at it, let’s get back to celebrating Holy Days on the Holy Days. Not: “Ascension Thursday will be celebrated on Sunday in this diocese”. Just at the time when the Church is the last remaining bulwark against the radical secularization of culture, our leaders succumb to a pandemic of timidity.

NLM: What aspects of the post-conciliar Missal do you personally consider the most in keeping with Sacrosanctum Concilium and what the Council Fathers seemed to have intended?

Fr. Fessio: You can find them all in Sacrosanctum Concilium (50-58): Distinguishing the Liturgy of the Word from the Liturgy of the Eucharist; some simplification; more of Scripture in the daily readings; encouragement of the homily; limited use of the vernacular, particularly for the readings; and yes, for those of us living in a community of priests, concelebration.

NLM: A final question. Under the new papal master of ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini, we have seen Pope Benedict again begin to use more ornate forms of vestments, and we have also seen a return of the central altar cross and traditional candlestick arrangement, and even the celebration of Mass to the liturgical East in the Sistine Chapel. In your estimation, how important do you think this papal liturgical practice is in terms of effecting liturgical practice at the parish level and helping push forward the reform of the reform?

Fr. Fessio: Well, it can’t hurt. It certainly gives support to those priests who for so long have quietly longed to celebrate in a more traditional way.

Pope begins Easter message with the words of the Introit

"Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum. Alleluia!" These opening words of the introit for Easter Sunday served as the springboard for Pope Benedict XVI's Easter Message this year. In keeping with custom, there was no homily at the Mass, but rather the pope delivered all his remarks at the Urbi et Orbi blessing.

Making use of the texts contained in the Proper chants of the liturgy in the homily is quite probably the best way of promoting their popular reception--short of singing them, of course. In the case of the pope's Mass, as he notes in his remarks, the words of the introit were indeed sung as well. In any case, when one makes use of these texts in the homily, it serves to give them more prominence and helps to elucidate the relevance of these chants to the liturgy. If you're a pastor, please consider trying this, even if you're not yet at the point of singing the Propers.

Easter Pictures through the Octave; St. John Cantius

I have received a number of Easter pictures so here is my plan. I am going to try to show as many as I can throughout the octave of Easter here, spreading them out. What is helpful to me is if you can create an online photo album through Flickr or some such service so that I can pick select photos to post on the NLM and point people to the other images.

For the benefit of those with slower dialup connections, except in certain cases, I will try to keep these to thumbnail images. (Today though is an exception.)

For Eastern rite Catholics who use the Gregorian Calendar, know that I am interested in your pictures as well.

If anyone has any images from the London Oratory, Birmingham Oratory, Toronto Oratory or the Church of Our Saviour, NYC, I'd be quite interested in those as well.

With that, here are some images from the church of St. John Cantius in Chicago, using the ordinary form of the Roman rite. The pictures from throughout the Triduum.

Point, Counterpoint: Fr. Gy vs. Cardinal Ratzinger on the Liturgy

The excellent journal of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, Antiphon, has made available on the internet an interesting exchange between Fr. Pierre-Marie Gy, O.P. (who was critiquing Ratzinger's liturgical thought in The Spirit of the Liturgy) and Cardinal Ratzinger's response to Fr. Gy.

Here is that piece which comes from the recent 2007 edition of Antiphon.

That Winter issue of Sacred Music

The Winter 2007 issue of SACRED MUSIC was a source of delight for many but also controversy. It contains two important articles relating to Catherine Pickstock's liturgical scholarship. The first is a long and penetrating argument to the effect that for music to have meaning, it must not be devoid of theological consciousness. The second is an interview I conducted with her some years ago, now appearing in its entirety for the first time.

Another article that was destined to create controversy is by Eleonore Stump, medieval philosopher of fame at St. Louis University. She took exception to my article on the St. Louis Jesuits, which surprised me because I thought I had done my best to write objectively about their impact on Catholic music in the United States. As I tried to come to understand her point of view, it seemed more fitting that she present her entire theory of the relationship between beauty and liturgy. What she produced is a very challenging paper that takes the discussion to a new level of seriousness. Several other pieces in this issue attempt to add to her perspective in ways that shore up the case for narrower standards about what is and what is not appropriate for Mass.

In general, the result is to give an excellent overview of the current debate on Catholic music. In addition, this issue contains commentary on the controversy by William Mahrt, an excellent piece of scholarship on the Salve Motive by Lorenzo Candelaria, a fascinating reflection on the challenge of parish music by Mary Jane Ballou, a seminarian's reflection on the beautiful art of chant, a piece on the Chabanel Psalms by Jeffrey Ostrowski, and my own reflections on the chant experience, as well as workshop reports and reviews.

Click on the image to pull up the entire issue:

Description and Images of the Solemn Papal Liturgy in the Usus Antiquior

The timing of this is unintentional, but I came across some pictures of the papal liturgy in the usus antiquior celebrated by Paul VI. We've had a few pictures of the solemn papal liturgy here before from both the time of Pius XII and John XXIII, but these are different yet.

I thought our readership would be interested. I've tried to pair the images with quotations taken from Archdale King on the topic of the Solemn Papal Mass, as found in the appendix of his work, The Liturgy of the Roman Church. I should note that I am uncertain if there were any revisions to the ceremonial he describes from the time he wrote this in around 1957 until the time the photos were taken.

The Solemn Papal Mass

Overview

"The assistants at the Mass include the cardinal deacon, apostolic subdeacon, who carries the gospel-book in the entrance procession, Greek deacon and subdeacon, cardinal assistant bishop, two assistant cardinal deacons, two protonotaries apostolic, who raise the front of the falda as the Pope walks, two chamberlains carrying the train, dean of the Rota with the precious mitre, and finally two patriarchs or archbishops who carry the book and hand-candle respectively. A thurifer, with a smoking censer and seven acolytes bearing candles take part also in the entrance procession."


The Introductory Rites and Readings

"At the preparatory prayers, the cardinal bishop stands to the right of the Pope, the cardinal deacon to the left, with the other ministers behind.

"After the first censing, the cardinal deacons kiss the Pope on cheek and breast, and the Pontiff retires to the throne before the of St. Peter’s Chair in the apse.

"The senior deacon, who wears a mitre, sits on a faldstool before the altar and facing the throne; the apostolic subdeacon, together with the Greek ministers, sit on the steps of the altar; while the assistant bishop and the two assistant deacons remain near the throne.

"The Byzantine subdeacon and deacon, who respectively chant epistle and gospel in Greek after they have been sung in Latin, normally monks from the Italo-Greek badia of Grottaferrata. The subdeacons of the two rites, at the conclusion of the epistles, go together and kiss the feet of the Pope. Seven taperers assist at the Latin gospel: two at the Greek gospel. The Pope kisses the two texts."

The Offertory

"Precautions are taken against poison, and a pregustatio ceremony for the tasting of the bread and wine takes place at the offertory. After Et homo factus est has been sung in the Creed, the cardinal bishop and apostolic subdeacon wash their hands at a credence, and then unfold a linen cloth, edged and divided with gold lace, over the mensa of the altar. The cloth originally served as a corporal and covered the oblata. The subdeacon in a humeral veil brings up the burse and corporal, two purificators and a silver box of hosts. The burse and hosts are received by the deacon, who spreads the corporal. In the meanwhile, the sacristan in a humeral veil carries the chalice, paten, purificators and gold spoon to the papal credence on the gospel side of the altar, accompanied by an acolyte with two empty cruets and a small vase. The sacristan assisted by the cup-bearer or pantler, then purifies the sacred vessels, spoon and cruets with wine, and the water cruet with water. A small quantity of wine and water are poured into a vessel, and consumed by the cup-bearer: the remainder put into the cruets and given to the acolyte. The sacristan in a humeral veil places the vessels on the altar. Then the cardinal deacon takes the three hosts, and lays them on the paten: with one of them he rubs the paten, and with another touches the inside and outside of the chalice. These two hosts are consumed by the sacristan with his face turned towards the Pope; while the third serves for the Mass. The testing of the oblations is concluded by the cardinal deacon pouring a little of the wine and water into a vessel, which the cup-bearer immediately drinks. The deacon pours enough wine into the chalice for three people, and the subdeacon adds the water with a gold spoon. If the occasion of the Mass should be a canonisation, candles, bread, wine, water, young turtle-doves and two other small birds are offered to the Pontiff after the Creed.

"Eight prelates carry torches for the elevation, but there is no bell either then or at any other time in a papal Mass. The use of a small bell has never been introduced, even for a Mass said in the presence of the Pope." (Click to see image)

"At the Elevation of the Host and Chalice, the Pope raises his arms perpendicularly, turning first to the right and then to the left. The symphony of Silveri by the trumpets of the noble guard, which is played at the moment of elevation, was restricted by Leo XIII to this time.

(Here is an image of the elevation that we have shown you before on the NLM, but which comes from a different series of photographs; one from the time of John XXIII.)



"Before the Pater noster, an acolyte takes the cruets and a small vessel to the credence; while the sacristan in a humeral veil carries the golden fistula in his right hand, and the chalice for the ablutions in his left. The cup-bearer then empties the cruets and purifies them together with the vessel, fistula and ablution chalice. The pregustatio ceremony is repeated as before, after which the acolyte goes to the right of the throne with the cruets and vessel: the sacristan with the fistula, chalice and two purificators.

[...]

"The pax is given in its normal position to the bishop assistant and the assistant cardinal deacons, but it is deferred until the Communion for the deacon and subdeacon of the Mass."

Papal Communion in the Solemn Mass

"The Pope retires to the throne to make his Communion. The following ceremonies are observed: The cardinal deacon first takes the paten, on which the master of ceremonies has placed the asterisk, elevates it to the height of his forehead so that it may be seen by the people, turns to the right to show it to the Pope, raises it higher in making a semicircle, and then returns to the left in such a way that it may be exhibited for the third time to both the faithful and the Pope."

"The subdeacon, kneeling at the gospel side of the altar, receives the paten and asterisk, and takes them to the Pope, his hands covered by a rich veil embroidered with gold (linteum pectoralis). The asterisk is a safeguard in the form of a star, which is placed over the paten as a covering for the Host when it is carried to the throne. It has twelve rays on which are inscribed the names of the twelve Apostles. In the Byzantine rite, an asterisk is a normal liturgical ornament, which is employed to prevent the veil from touching the Eucharistic bread. The Eastern type is formed by two half circles, with a little star suspended in the centre.

"The chalice is elevated by the cardinal deacon with the same ceremony as for the paten. Then the master of ceremonies covers the chalice with a gold-embroidered pall, and the deacon takes it to the throne." (Click to see image)

"Two archbishops hold the book for the communion prayers; while a third assists with a hand-candle. The second master of ceremonies removes the asterisk, and the Pope, taking two particles of the Host in his left hand, says: Panem coelestem and Domine non sum dignus."

[...]

"The deacon approaches with the chalice, and the sacristan gives the fistula to the assistant bishop. Then the Pope places the fistula in the chalice, and so receives the precious Blood. The Agnus Dei is concluded by the choir after the Pope has made his Communion." (Click to see image)

"The second half of the Host is given at the throne to the deacon and and subdeacon: the former stands and the latter kneels. They both kiss the ring and receive the pax. The ministers then return to the altar: the deacon carries the chalice and fistula and the subdeacon the paten. The paten is purified over the chalice by the subdeacon, and the deacon consumes a part of the precious Blood by means of the fistula. The remainder of the chalice is taken by the subdeacon, but without making use of the ‘reed’. The chalice is then purified.

"The Pope in the meanwhile takes the ablutions in a chalice specially provided for the purpose, which is offered to him by the assistant bishop." (Click to see image)

"He then returns to the altar for the communion and postcommunion."

"The auditor of the Rota, vested in a tunicle, stands by the Pope as he gives the blessing, holding the pontifical cross.

"Both maniple and pallium are left on the altar. When the Pontiff has received the tiara, gloves and ring, the archpriest of the basilica, accompanied by two of the canons, presents himself before the Pope, in order to give him a purse of silk embroidered with gold in which there are twenty-five jules of ancient papal money. The archpriest, as he presents the honorarium, says: Beatissime Pater, capitulum et canonici hujus sacrosanctae basilicae, Sanctitatae [sic] vestrae consuetum offerunt presbyterium pro missa bene cantata. Then the hand of the Pope is kissed by the archpriest, and the foot by the two canons. The Pope gives the purse to the cardinal deacon for his train-bearer, who in his turn takes it to the canon sacristan of the basilica, receiving in exchange five ecus, which was about twenty-seven francs before the first World War."

Easter Vigil in Spain

Here are some images from the Easter Vigil in the ordinary form from the Fraternidad de Cristo Sacerdote y Santa María Reina in Spain:

Addendum to the Triduum Recap: The Return of the White Easter Mozzetta

Those of you who were a little bit disappointed that the dreadful Roman weather this morning had somewhat impaired the solemnity of the Papal Mass on the sagrato, obliging the Holy Father to impart his Urbi et Orbi blessing directly from the altar instead of the loggia of the Vatican Basilica and therefore not to put on the vestments foreseen for this blessing, a cope and mitre of Benedict XV (1914-1922), will be especially glad to learn that this Easter Day did in fact bring another return of traditional liturgical vesture. After Mass, the Holy Father put on his choir dress, which consists of cassock, rochet, mozzetta and - optionally - pectoral cross on a golden cord and/or stole. Now, traditionally there had been three different types of mozzette for the pope: a red atlas silken one, worn in summer; a red velvet one trimmed with white fur, worn in winter; and a white damask silk one trimmed with white fur, which is only worn during the Easter octave. Pope Benedict had already reintroduced the winter version of the mozzetta, last worn (if memory serves) by Paul VI, in 2005. This morning saw the reintroduction of the Easter mozzetta:




It had also last been seen (again, if memory serves) on Paul VI:


Another picture, of Bl. John XXIII:



(source of the historic pictures: Dappled Photos)

Easter Sunday morning in Paris, France

Some pictures of Easter Sunday morning from St-Eugene in the city of Paris, France.

The floral decoration on the altar is quite tastefully done.

(Via Le Forum Catholique)

Re-cap of Highlights from a Liturgical Ceremonial Perspective

It goes without saying that what is first and foremost through all the Triduum is the Triduum itself; the liturgical commemoration of the Passion, Death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, and whose sacrifice we mystically and truly celebrate each and every day upon our altars.

That said, this is a liturgical site, and as such, we are also interested in the liturgical forms which clothe these realities, and which may also help us to gain further insight into the program of continuity and liturgical reform that is so important to Pope Benedict, and indeed, for the Church and the faithful

With that in mind, now that the Triduum is complete at the Holy See, I thought I would put together a brief photo montage of interesting liturgical sights we have seen starting a week ago on Palm Sunday. There are many things here we have either not seen before in recent decades, or which at least have not been seen with such frequency until this pontificate -- long may it last.

(My apologies this week for those with slow, dial-up connections. This week was bound to be photo-intensive. We will be back to normal in the next day or two.)

(A baroque style cope from our tradition and another papal staff)


(The "usual" altar arrangement - that we now can view this as so usual should be a cause of thanksgiving and joy)


(The traditional seven candlesticks and cross upon St. Peter's high altar)


(The ombrellino for the Eucharistic procession, lending an even greater emphasis upon Our Lord in the Eucharist)


(The seven acolytes in papal procession)


(The return of the baroque form of Roman chasuble, and the ever more frequent sight of traditionally styled dalmatics)


(The more traditonal style of raised papal throne)

Aside from what is photographable, we also had a significant use of Latin in the sacred ceremonies, as well as chant, and a homily which raised the history and importance of ad orientem in relation to the proper focus within the sacred liturgy.

Some get awkward about focus upon these things. They think one is focusing merely upon externals, or turning the liturgy into a "fashion show", but beauty is important on a variety of levels; signs and symbols are important. Our entire sacramental life is a mixture of external forms and interior realities that are linked to each other. This aspect of our tradition reaches back into Judaism itself and goes throughout our ecclesiastical history. Beauty is an echo of the divine and it speaks to sacred realities and sacred things. It is an expression not only of the objective dignity and importance of those realities, but it is also an expression of our own love and valuation of these divine gifts; a valuing of the worship of God the Father; a valuing of the Sacrifice of Christ; a valuing how these things effect both our own sanctification and that of our neighbour; a valuing of how these things have an evangelical power to speak to -- and potentially convert -- the world. Indeed, in valuing these things, we value worship and we value the power of beauty to teach and sanctify.

Some also have expressed some disappointment at other liturgical elements, but if one takes a look at these photos, all gathered from just the past week alone, one must be clear: Pope Pope Benedict is pursuing his programme of liturgical and ecclesiastical continuity, with the willing help of Msgr. Guido Marini.

The resurrection of the Lord can bring us great cause of joy and thankfulness on this day, and so too, liturgically, do we have much cause for rejoicing.

Victimae Paschali Laudes - The Easter Sequence

One of the single most beautiful chants (and sequences) of the Roman church must be the Easter Sequence Victimae Paschali Laudes. For those of you who won't have the pleasure of hearing this treasure of the Church today, here is a clip of it from some of the folks from Gloria.tv.

To the Paschal victim let Christians
Offer up their songs of praise.
The Lamb has redeemed the sheep:
Christ who is without sin
Has reconciled sinners to the Father.
Death and life have fought a huge battle,
The Prince of Life was dead, but lives and reigns.
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on your way?
'The tomb of Christ, who is alive,
And I saw the glory of his rising;
Angels standing as witnesses, the shroud and linen cloth.
Christ my hope has risen:
He has gone to Galilee before you.'
Truly, we know Christ has risen from the dead:
O King and victor, have mercy on us. Amen. Alleluia.

Easter Sunday at the Vatican

To conclude our coverage from the Holy See, just a few quick images. The one downside of an early Easter is the weather can be a little less cooperative. Rome was rainy this morning and as usual in recent practice, the Mass for this occasion was outdoors to allow for greater numbers of people to attend.

To conclude the NLM's coverage of the Triduum, I am particularly interested in your Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday photos/videos.

Easter Vigil from the Fraternity in Rome

F.S.S.P. IN VRBE: Easter Vigil

Speaking of Roman Chasubles... Easter Vigil: St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC

With the recent interest in Pope Benedict XVI wearing a Roman style chasuble, an event that reasonably appears to be a part of his project to re-build a greater continuity between the pre and post-conciliar liturgical periods, I thought our readership would be interested in seeing the following images, taken this evening, of Cardinal Egan of New York City.

The pictures come from tonight's Easter Vigil ceremonies in St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC and you'll note that they are wearing Roman style vestments for the occasion. The deacon wore a matching dalmatic from the set.

This particular vestment was commissioned by a turn of the century New York Cardinal, Cardinal John Farley. The vestments depict embroidered scenes of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, set against a gold background.

Thanks to the individual who sent these in to us.

Picture Varia post

I am trying as best I can to stay within liturgical time as regards Triduum events, so allow me to simply point some of you to some pictures from Holy Week up to Good Friday.

Vernon Quaintance has a number of pictures up from events in London, England:

The usus antiquior community in Troy, New York sent in these pictures from Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

The usus antiquior community of Holy Trinity in Boston, MA. sent in these photos of the events of Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

An Italian reader sent in photos from Good Friday in Larizzate, a little town in the diocese of Vercelli in Northern Italy.

Photos from Our Lady of Lourdes, in Philadelphia, PA.

Chanting Monks Head to Top

See this news report on how chant is once again poised for a massive pop success. Now if only the Catholic music establishment would get the message of V2 ("a treasure of inestimable value") and perhaps someday we will hear the real thing, and not pop music, at papal Masses scheduled in the US.

THEY may have landed a major record deal on the same label as rap bad boy Eminem and troubled soul singer Amy Winehouse. But there is no danger of these rookie pop stars becoming hellraisers.
Because Universal Music's latest signings are a group of singing monks who have been personally endorsed by Pope Benedict XVI.

The brothers from the Monastery of the Holy Cross in the heart of the Vienna Forest wowed record bosses with their haunting Gregorian chanting.

They believe their first album will be an unlikely hit around the globe.

The music giant launched an international search for ecclesiastical singers last year.

Their belief that Gregorian chanting is the next big thing was fuelled by the huge popularity of the soundtrack to the best-selling computer game Halo, which features the eerie religious music.

The monks may live in one of the oldest continually inhabited Cistercian abbeys in the world, but they used a very modern means to grab the attention of the record label, posting footage of one of their performances on the YouTube site.

Universal Classics' spokesman, Tom Lewis, was instantly bowled over by the richness and cohesion of their sound.

He said: "They are, quite simply, the best Gregorian singer
s we have heard. They make a magical, evocative sound which is both immediately calming and deeply moving."

The group will now make their first ever commercial recording of Gregorian chanting, the earliest form of music ever to be written down.

The label plans to release of the album later this year.

Universal Music began its search in early February when they placed adverts across religious publications. There was a huge response, with more than 100 demo tapes pouring in.

The Pope doesn't generally travel to monasteries but made an exception for this commune and visited last year when he lavished praise on the musical performance of the monks.

Gregorian chant is not a complete stranger to the pop charts. In 1990 the track 'Sadness (Part I)' by German producers Enigma, which featured samples of the ancient musical style, soared to number one in the UK and across Europe.

The Easter Vigil Ceremonies from the Vatican

I do not usually get too much into the homily of these events since they are easily readable online, but there was a significant mention in this homily that is of relevance to the NLM and its readers.

While the majority of the homily focused upon the mystery of Baptism and the symbols and elements of water and light, there was an interesting mention that in the early liturgy and the command that would be cried out by the bishop or priest for all to turn towards the Lord; "conversi ad Dominum"; and that this was done by turning toward the East.

The Pope also mentioned that there were places where this would be expressed by turning toward a symbolic or interior East as expressed by all looking toward the Christ in the apse or upon the cross. (This is a theme that Msgr. Guido Marini speaks about in relation to the altar cross and the changes back toward the traditional arrangement of the papal altars. In short, Msgr. Marini's words on this topic are a reflection of Pope Benedict's liturgical thought.)

The mention was brief, but yet significant to hear mentioned as part of the Pope's Easter catechesis in such a public venue on the great vigil of the Christian year. It is a continued evidence, through papal practice and teaching, of the Pope's intent to raise awareness about both the historical expression of ad orientem and its relation to the proper focus of the sacred liturgy.

(Note: Father Zuhlsdorf has posted the text of the homily and has some of his own thoughts on this as well.)

Conversi ad Dominum:






A nice look at the altar, candlesticks, cross and frontal. Beautiful:

Good Friday Devotions: Portugal

A Portugese reader, Gazeta de Restauracao sent in these edifying images from a procession in Setúbal, Portugal yesterday evening.

It involved the local bishop and a number of clergy and seminarians and a large number of the faithful.

He tells me that the Cross was led from a central city parish, St. Julião, to the cathedral church of Santa Maria da Graça.

Assumption Grotto, Detroit

Good Friday - 1962 Missal - Assumption Grotto, Detroit

See also their pictures from Holy Thursday

A few more from the FSSP in Rome on Good Friday

The Fraternity of St. Peter in Rome have posted a few more images now from their Good Friday service.

Interview with Msgr. Guido Marini, the Papal MC

Paolo Rodari of "Il Riformista" today has an interview with Msgr Guido Marini, Master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. The interview is most insightful, especially as to the rationale behind the changes in papal celebrations we have witnessed. Don Guido also presents his view on Summorum Pontificum. Here is the complete interview in my translation:

"The very first reaction was great surprise and great fear. Then I felt a certain trepidation the night before beginning my service, and I also very much felt the separation from my diocese and my city, my sister and her family, from so many friends, from the places where I have exercised my priesthood in a special way: the [Genoese] curia, the seminary, the cathedral. At the same time, however, I felt much honoured to be called by the Holy Father to perform the service of Master of Liturgical Celebrations. The possibility I have been given to be near the Holy Father I have felt immediately to be a true grace for my priesthood."

Monsignor Guido Marini, Genoese, 42 years old, thus describes to the "Riformista" his arrival, last October, at the Vatican to assume the post of Master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Pope. An appointment which allows him to work in close contact with Benedict XVI. "That which I have perceived at the beginning of my new assignment - he tells - I have found confirmed exactly every time I have had the grace to encounter the Holy Father. These encounters have been and are always for me a cause of great joy and great emotion. I would never have thought, having been an attentive reader and appreciator of Cardinal Ratzinger, that one day I would have the grace to be as close to him as I am now. And then, every time, together with the profound reverence which inspires in me the figure of the Pope, I experience his serene, gentle, fine and delicate manner of dealing with people which fills my heart with joy and which invites me to exert myself with all my energy to collaborate with generosity, humility and fidelity in the exercise of his Magisterium in the liturgical sphere, as far as pertains to my competences."

Lex orandi lex credendi

The office of Master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Pope is important because, if it is true that lex orandi lex credendi (the Church believes in that which She prays [Rodari's translation]), then to direct the papal ceremonies with rigour and faithfulness to the norms is a help to the Faith of the entire Church. "The liturgy of the Church - explains Marini -, with its words, gestures, silences, chants and music causes us to live with singular efficacy the different moments of the history of Salvation in such a way that we become really participant in them and transform ourselves ever more into authentic disciples of the Lord, walking again in our lives along the traces of Him who has died and risen for our salvation. The liturgical celebration, if it is truly participated in, induces to this transformation which is the history of holiness."

And a help in this "transformation" can be that "repositioning" of the Cross in the centre of the altar, which has been carried out in the papal liturgies, as a residue [Rodari's word] of the old "orientation towards orient" of churches: towards the rising Sun, Him who is coming. "The position of the Cross at the centre of the altar - says Marini - indicates the centrality of the Crucified in the eucharistic celebration and the precise interior orientation which the entire congregation is called to have during the eucharistic liturgy: one does not look at each other, but one looks to Him who has been born, has died and is risen for us, the Saviour. From the Lord comes the salvation, He is the Orient, the Sun which rises to whom we all must turn our gaze, from Whom we all must receive the gift of grace. The question of liturgical orientation, and also the practical manner in which it takes shape, is of great importance, because through it is conveyed a fundamental fact, at once theological and anthropological, ecclesiological and relevant for the personal spirituality."

Continuity

A "repositioning", that of the Cross, which exposes how the liturgical practices of the past must also live today. "The liturgy of the Church - says Marini -, as incidentally all her life, is made of continuity: I would speak of development in continuity. This means that the Church proceeds on her way through history without losing sight of her own roots and her own living tradition: this can require, in some cases, also the recovering of precious and important elements which have been lost, forgotten along the way and which the passing of time has rendered less shining in their authentic significance. When that happens it is not a return to the past, but a true and enlightened progress in the liturgical field."

And in this progress it is impossible not to mention the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum: "Considering attentively the Motu proprio, as well as the letter addressed by the Pope to the bishops of all the world to present it, a twofold precise understanding emerges. First of all, that of facilitating the accomplishing of "a reconciliation in the bosom of the Church"; and in this sense, as has been said, the Motu proprio is a most beautiful act of love towards the unity of the Church. In second place, and this is a fact which must not be forgotten, that [sc. understanding] of favouring a reciprocal enrichment between the two forms of the Roman rite: in such a way, for instance, that in the celebration according to the Missal of Paul VI (ordinary form of the Roman rite) 'can become manifest, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the ancient usage'."

These are important days for the Church. Days in which she relives the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord. The days of Lent, of Holy Week and then of Easter: "Lent - he says - is a time of sincere conversion in a spiritual climate of austerity. An austerity which is not an end in itself, but directed at facilitating the recovering of what is truly essential in human life. And that which is truly essential, beyond everything, is God. That is why Lent is a privileged time of returning to God with all one's heart, by means of the threefold way of prayer, fast and almsgiving, as the page of the Gospel of Ash Wednesday recalls. It is the time in which we are called to relive interiorly, in the arch of the forty days, the experience of the ancient people of God wandering in the desert and the experience of temptation undergone by Jesus. Fundamentally, both these experiences take us back to a battle lived in order to find God and remain in intimate communion with Him, to preserve the primacy of His will in our life, not to allow that something else than Him have the capacity to annex the human heart. With Easter, on the other hand, new spiritual sceneries open themselves, coloured by exultant joy, by overabundant life, by luminous hope: because with the risen Christ, death is vanquished, sin and evil do not have the last word anymore on the life of man, the blessed eternity is a real prospect, life finds a fulfilled meaning, it is discovered that the Truth of the face of God is merciful Love without end."

Good Friday, FSSP in Rome

John Sonnen of ORBIS CATHOLICVS has an image up from the FSSP in Rome of the Good Friday ceremonies in the usus antiquior, taken from the Church of Santissima Trinita' dei Pellegrini -- the parish church they will soon take over.

A couple of historical images

A couple of interesting pictures that came my way today. The first is a historical image from Westminster Cathedral of a Palm Sunday procession taking place in 1919 under the auspices of Cardinal Bourne.

You'll note the presence of folded chasubles.

Catholic scouters may also be interested to know that the boy scout troupe just visible in the background were called "The Cardinal's Own" and evidently had some specific relation to the cathedral. (Source: Solomon, I Have Surpassed Thee)

The next rather impressive image was sent to us from a British reader, taken at the Birmingham Oratory in a previous year (the Oratory of Cardinal Newman) for the meditation upon the seven last words. Apparently it is set up this way each year.

What appears to be a monastrance is actually a reliquary of the True Cross.



I thought I would share these two images now rather than wait. I am still trying to find images from Good Friday in the usus antiquior, particularly from Rome, but possibly elsewhere, so if you have any, please let me know.

Your Triduum Pictures

Just a quick note of thanks for those who are sending in photos from their Triduum liturgies so far. Do keep doing this. Some I may post more immediately, but I am also intending to put something together come Easter Sunday and Monday. So keep them coming.

Video and audio is also welcome.

Good Friday from the Vatican; Pope wears Roman Chasuble

A number of you will be delighted to see the Pope wear a true Roman style fiddleback for today's liturgy of Good Friday.

(You can see the throne of the Pope to the left and the stripped altar in this view)















All kneel at the reading of the death of Christ on the Cross:








The Veneration of the Cross:








The Communion Service:












As a final image, I thought some of you would enjoy seeing this close-up of the lovely brocade that makes up the chasuble worn by the Pope today:

Red vestments, Black vestments; Two Liturgical Forms, Two Liturgical Colours

Black vestments are a topic I seem to post on twice a year: All Souls Day and Good Friday. Here is my post from around All Souls: A Modest Proposal to Modern Rite Parish Priests: Use Black Vestments this All Souls Day

Unfortunately on Good Friday only red is listed as an option in the rubrics of the modern Roman missal. I would propose this is a task for the reform of the reform -- to restore, at very least, an option for black vestments to be used on Good Friday.

In the usus antiquior pictures that you will no doubt see here on the NLM today, black vestments are what are specified. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains it this way:

A black fast, black vestments, a denuded altar, the slow and solemn chanting of the sufferings of Christ, prayers for all those for whom He died, the unveiling and reverencing of the Crucifix, these take the place of the usual festal liturgy; while the lights in the chapel of repose and the Mass of the Presanctified is followed by the recital of vespers, and the removal of the linen cloth from the altar ("Vespers are recited without chant and the altar is denuded").

Obviously red is a colour we in the West associate with two things in particular: Pentecost and Martyrs. As regards the latter, the association is specifically made to the blood of martyrs, so this would seem to be the relevant symbolic tie-in between Christ's Passion and death and red vestments.

But I have often proposed that black is, culturally (at least in the West), an arguably more potent symbol of mourning and sorrow than either purple for funerals (let alone white, but for the case of infants) or red for Good Friday. I have therefore encouraged each year a revival of the use of black in the modern form of the Roman liturgy (where that option is given of course).

It strikes me that the Good Friday liturgy is oriented toward the somber expression of sorrow for Christ's Passion and Death, complete with prostrations, a stripped altar, an absent Eucharistic Lord, veiled images and so forth. The Lord is, symbolically, in the tomb. He is dead; "[he] was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried". One can see why black, a symbol of death, sorrow and mourning, was used, and perhaps also why it should again be allowed, at very least as an option, in the modern Roman liturgy.

Now proposing black might be a more potent cultural and liturgical symbol suited to the liturgical symbolism of Good Friday is one thing, and saying red is inappropriate is entirely another. So let me be clear that I am not arguing that red as a liturgical colour for Good Friday is inappropriate. I think one can make the case that there are indeed also relevant, symbolic tie-in's to the symbolism of blood shed for some greater, heavenly purpose.

That said, black has been our Roman rite tradition on this day for some time and I think this element of continuity with tradition cannot be lost and bears with it a relevance and value in and of itself, particularly if we take the hermeneutic of continuity into account.

Likewise, the fact that black bears such unique and strong symbolic associations with the aforementioned themes of death and mourning makes it particularly well-suited to the tone of the Good Friday liturgy and is perhaps also very didactically suited to instructing people about the sorrow we should feel at Christ's Passion and Death for our sins; the torture and death of the Son of God; the spotless Lamb.

Bearing these reasons in mind, while I should be delighted were the Pope to restore black as the usage for both forms of the Roman liturgy for this day, at very least I believe that black should be restored as an option for the modern Roman liturgy.

Perhaps that will be part of the "mutual enriching" that the Pope spoke of in Summorum Pontificum.

Tantum Ergo Sacramentum at Mater Ecclesiae

After finishing one church gig, I scrambled down to Mater Ecclesiae to catch whatever was left of the Vesperal Mass. A most remarkable thing happened at the end of the procession, something I should have foreseen (and therefore had my camera ready to go) but didn't. When we got to the altar of repose, the choir began Tantum Ergo in harmony, and the people joined in spontaneously--from memory. All of them. I captured as much of it as I could. Sometimes the most "ordinary" music is the most extraordinary.

Musical Disharmony over Pope's Visit

Well, NLM is in the news, and of course the report is not quite as anyone here would have written it - no news in that. Traditionalists? The traditionalists don't think so. As for us insisting on "tons of Gregorian chants"--I'm still laughing over that phrase--what Catholic musicians are seeking is only that the chants attached to the Mass be the guide for selecting music, precisely as the Church asks of us. As for "hateful" emails that the director says that he has received, no one has seen one of these, and, moreover, there is an understandable tendency on the part of some people to believe that any disagreement is driven by malice rather than genuine love of truth and beauty.

Nonetheless, the great thing about reporters is that they help you see your world as the world sees it, and that can be very instructive. Actually, I must say that I rather admire this reporting job. She did a good job overall, mainly because she saw that this is an important issue of great concern. After all, the director still hasn't flatly stated that there will be no Mass of Creation at the Pope's Mass, and the published playlist includes pieces for liturgy written in the rock/blues style, which constitutes an outright disregard for the Pope's own writings on the topic of liturgical music.

WASHINGTON POST

Musical Disharmony over Pope's Visit

Newsflash: Not everything about planning a papal Mass is love and sunlight. Namely, debates about the music that will be sung there.

A small crowd of serious Catholic music traditionalists went on a tear in the last few days after a list of pieces was posted on the Web purporting to be the Mass musical line-up - but which was apparently incomplete. After the list went up last week, Catholics who believe church music has veered too far into entertainment (and away from tons of Gregorian chants) objected angrily on various blogs (here, and here) and reportedly sent a torrent of hateful emails to Thomas Stehle, director of the special papal choirs put together for the April 17 Mass.

The list didn't include any chants, which are "unmistakably sacred music," compared with the songs on the list, which are "basically theatrical - like Broadway," William Mahrt, president of the Church Music Association of America, told the Post. Mahrt, articulating the position of some church traditionalists, said this is part of "a longstanding battle" to return churches to Renaissance-era sacred music.

Some bloggers wrote that Catholics should be embarrassed and outraged that Benedict wouldn't be able to listen to chants and would instead be welcomed with "popular" music.

Then Stehle told the Post and the National Catholic Register that the list circulating isn't complete, and everyone should hold their horses until after Easter when he releases the final list.

Catholics "have to feel a sense of relief," Jeffrey Tucker, managing editor of the journal Sacred Music, told the Post.

Stay tuned for updates.

Shrine of Christ the King (ICRSS) Schedule

The ICRSS's budding Shrine parish in Chicago sent in this schedule for Holy Week yesterday. Apologies for the delay in posting it:

More Images from the Pope's Maundy Thursday Mass in the Lateran Archbasilica

Here are some more pictures of yesterday's Missa in Cœna Domini celebrated by the Holy Father (click to enlarge).

Preparation - washing hands in the sacristy:


Entrance procession with seven candles:




Listening to the epistle:



Blessing of the deacons before the Gospel:


The mandatum:


Presentation of the gifts:


The High Priest at the altar:






The translation of the Blessed Sacrament:






At the altar or repose:






In the sacristy with the Greek deacons:

Holy Thursday, FSSP Rome

Some images from the Holy Thursday Mass of the Fraternity within Rome:

Source: F.S.S.P. IN VRBE

Liturgical Fiction

Here's one that almost slipped by, a book of Catholic fiction and humour based upon the topic of the "liturgy wars" as it affects parish life. Looks like a fun read during the coming spring or summer.

The book in question is called Smoke in the Sanctuary and it is written by Stephen Oliver, illustrated by Jack Fieldhouse.

The price is £7.95 and the book is available through Southwell Books in England.

From the publisher:

"Stephen Oliver’s witty take on English Catholic parish life in the early 21st century drew praise (and laughter) from laity and parish clergy alike when it was first published. Not only does it present an array of hilariously well drawn characters that will be instantly recognisable in most parishes, it also uses humour to examine the serious question of the liturgical changes in the Catholic Church over the last 40 years. This new edition has the twin bonuses of a new foreword by Fr. Tim Finigan and glorious illustrations by Jack Fieldhouse."

‘Smoke in the Sanctuary presents a wickedly funny taxonomy of the usual suspects involved in the liturgical wars ...[but it] rises above the level of propaganda and emerges as a humane story about divine worship. Smoke is also a real page-turner, difficult to put down and easy to read... audiences will enjoy Oliver’s dry wit.’
--Michael P. Foley, author of Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday?

‘It is a difficult task to write a humorous novel from a traditionalist perspective about a post-Vatican II parish without sneering or sermonising. Stephen Oliver has succeeded magnificently, giving us a story that is not quite too far-fetched to be believable, characters that are only just caricatures, and artefacts that appear in the narrative quite sensibly despite being ridiculous.’
--Fr. Tim Finigan, from the Foreword

Fr. Finigan had a post up on this a few months ago.

While you are over there, you might also want to check out this unique title: The Western Rising, 1549: The Prayer Book Rebellion

Zenit interviews Bishop Rifan of Campos

In today's Italian language Zenit, there is an interview with Bishop Rifan of Campos, Brazil. I am certain this will appear in an official translation from Zenit and so I simply present some short excerpts from Bishop Rifan in an NLM translation:

"The benefits of the re-introduction and dissemination in the Church's life of this extraordinary form of the Roman Rite was already mentioned by the current Pope in his motu proprio, when he says that, in the celebration of Mass according to the Missal of Pope Paul VI, it will [help to] demonstrate, more intensely than has happened so far, that sacredness that attracts many to the ancient tradition... Cardinal George of Chicago [wrote]: "... The Holy Father himself, long ago, drew our attention to the beauty and depth of the Missal of St. Pius V. .. The liturgy of 1962... [is] a valuable source of understanding for all other liturgical rites ..."

"When I attended, in 2007, a conference convened in Oxford to teach the celebration of Mass in extraordinary form, over 60 diocesan priests from the United Kingdom there present; the Archbishop of Birminghan, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, said in the opning Solemn Mass that the priests participants who, having learned the Mass in the ancient form, although in their parishes had celebrated Mass in the current rite of Paul VI, would celebrate it much better."

* * *

"Speaking of abuses following from the liturgical reform, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger complained that the liturgy had degenerated into a show which seeks to make religion interesting with the help of elements of fashion... Behind this, there is a lack of genuine spirituality, which [believes] that to attract the people you need to invent new [things]. But the Mass attracts in and of itself, with its sacredness and its mystery. Basically, this [problem] is the decrease in the mysteries of the Eucharistic faith by which you try to compensate with novelty and creativity. When the celebrant wants to become a protagonist, liturgical abuses begin. They forget that the heart of the Mass is Jesus Christ."

Images from the Pope's Maundy Thursday Mass in St. John Lateran

Even as we speak, the Mass of the Maundy Thursday is occuring in Rome with the Pope presiding from the cathedra of the Cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

For your benefit, some images from the beginning of this Mass:

(Chanted readings by Byzantine and Latin Deacons, in Greek and Latin)





[Interlude: A reader asked about the mitre. It is the mitre of Pope Pius IX -- Pio Nono. See below:]



Continuing with the Mass:




(The ceremony of the Washing of the Feet. 12 Priests had their feet washed by the Supreme Pontiff.)

It is worth noting that the Roman Canon (i.e. Eucharistic Prayer 1) was used entirely in Latin and it was also chanted.












The procession to the Altar of Repose, which included a ciborium viel for our Eucharistic Lord in the ciborium, a beautiful humeral veil and an ombrellino.



















Overview: The majority of this liturgy was conducted in Latin with the prayers of the faithful in various vernacular languages. Various chant and polyphonic pieces were used.

Vesperal Mass of the Lord's Supper and Procession to the Altar of Repose (Extraordinary Form), Rome, 2007

Organized by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, and held at Santa Trinità dei Monti that year - this year's schedule can be found here; masses will be held instead at Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini and, on Easter Sunday, San Gregorio dei Muratori.

Photos from the Chrism Mass at the Vatican, Thursday, March 20

While I am working off only a limited range of photos, it appears the increasingly-standard elements of a typical papal mass were present at this morning's Chrism Mass: Benedictine altar arrangement with seventh candle, the pontifical dalmatic, and possibly the cardinal-deacons, though it is hard for me to tell yet from the somewhat blurry photos if they are concelebrants or cardinal-deacons. The concelebrants wore vestments that appear at first glance somewhat better in quality than usual, though it seems some improvements in this area might still be needed. The pope wore modern, though dignified, Gothic vestments, but also, as on Palm Sunday, carried the ferula of Pius XII instead of the newer form of the pastoral staff. What happens tonight, at the Vesperal Mass of the Lord's Supper, though, will be of even more interest.

Holy Week (Ordinary Form) at Corpus Christi Church, 529 W. 121st Street, New York City

A church famed for its polyphonic and chant traditions and its support of the arts, it has taken the "Reform of the Reform" in a slightly different direction from places such as the Church of Our Saviour or St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota, or perhaps it simply has not re-arranged their musical program or liturgy much since the earliest, tenative changes of Advent 1964. A friend of mine once remarked, in describing their masses to me, as I have never visited, it was rather like time-travelling to a somewhat liturgically conservative parish in Europe circa 1965, an unsettled if historically interesting time to be sure; I say this not as a criticism but simply by way of explanation. I believe they use the 1970 missal, but with a slightly different translation of the various dialogues between priest and people that, while closer to the original Latin, is still unofficial (for example, "And with your spirit.") I do not condone this practice by any means, or other major deviations from the current translation (though I definitely understand the impulse behind it), but simply report it as a curiosity. Nonetheless, whatever particular small deviations are present, I am told it still represents an example of dignified liturgy and world-class music, and am glad they have maintained their choral tradition with such scrupulous attention.

Holy Thursday, March 20
Mass of the Lord's Supper (bilingual) - 7:30 p.m.

Altar of Repose in the auditorium is open until 10:00 p.m.

Good Friday, March 21
Tenebrae - 10:00 a.m.
Celebration of the Lord's Passion (English) - 3:00 p.m.
Celebration of the Lord's Passion (Spanish) - 6:00 p.m.

Holy Saturday, March 22
Tenebrae - 10:00 a.m.
Easter Vigil - 7:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday, March 23
Masses - 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. (Spanish), 11:15 a.m. (choir), 1:00 p.m. (family)

Corpus Christi's website also helpfully includes the following information on the music for the various Holy Week Liturgies:

Holy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper

Gregorian chant: Introit - Nos autem; Antiphons - Postquam surrexit Dominus; Ubi caritas; Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes; Mandatum novum do vobis; Maneant in vobis; Communion - Hoc corpus; chant hymn during final procession - Pange lingua.

Agnus Dei: Missa In illo tempore, Claudio Monteverdi

Motets: Credidi propter quod locutus sum, à 8, Claudio Monteverdi; Pan divino, graçioso, sacrasancto, Francisco Guerrero; Ave verum, Harvey Burgett.

Good Friday - Tenebrae

Gregorian chant antiphons, psalms, lessons.

Motets: Ludovico Viadana, Marc'Antonio Ingegnieri.

Good Friday - Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion

Gregorian chant: Gradual - Christus factus est

Passion of Christ from John's Gospel: chant recitation in English with choral responses by William Byrd

Improperia: Tomás Luis de Victoria

Motet: O vos omnes - Richard Deering; Tenebrae factae sunt - Johannes Nucius.

Holy Saturday - Tenebrae

Gregorian chant antiphons, psalms, lessons.

Motet: Ludovico Viadana.

Holy Saturday - The Easter Vigil

Gregorian chant: Psalms & canticles, Easter proclamation- Exsultet, Antiphon - Vidi aquam, Communion Pascha nostrum.

Agnus Dei: Missa V, super Ecce quam bonum, Hans Leo Hassler

Anthem: Salve festa dies, Ralph Vaughan Williams

Motets: Surrexit Christus hodie - Melchior Vulpius; Surrexit Dominus - Jacob Handl.

Easter Sunday

Gregorian chant: Introit - Resurrexi; Gloria and Sanctus, Missa VIII De angelis

Agnus Dei: Missa quatuor vocum, Domenico Scarlatti.

Motets: Sequence - Victimae Paschali, Eustache du Caurroy; Haec dies, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina; Christ being raised from the dead -John Blow

Organ chorale preludes for Easter from the Orgelbüchlein, Johann Sebastian Bach.

New Lectionary for Post-Conciliar form of Ambrosian rite Liturgy

Via Rinascimento Sacro comes the news that Cardinal Tettamazi of Milan has promulgated a new Ambrosian rite lectionary for the post-conciliar form of that liturgy.

"During the Celebration of the Chrism Mass in the Cathedral of Milan, the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, in front of hundreds of priests, announced that in Advent of 2008 the New Ambrosian Lectionary comes into force... which was approved and confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments."

According to Vatican Radio, "the New Lectionary is divided into three parts (of the mystery; Mystery of Easter; Mystery of Pentecost). In addition to the Sunday Lectionary - organized over three years, A, B, and C - a special Lectionary for Saturdays was also introduced, organized into two years. This is designed to give a dignity to the celebration of the Sabbath, whose evening Mass is no longer simply the advance of the [Sunday Mass], but a way to celebrate the Day of the Lord from the previous evening, in continuity with the tradition of the Eastern Churches and Jewish [tradition]."

I shall leave commentary to people who may know more about the situation.

When it is chant and when it is not

The famously unfulfilled mandate of the Second Vatican Council, that Gregorian chant should enjoy a principal place (principem locum obtineat) in liturgy, is finally being taken more seriously by Catholic musicians and ecclesiastical bodies. But there are many issues that are unresolved, mostly due to the lack of consciousness on the part of the musicians and clergy.

The Vatican document from 1963 assumed more knowledge than most Catholic musicians and pastors currently have on this issue. For example, people might believe that one way to implement the mandate is to add a chant to the hymn selections. We can think of once-popular such as Adoro te Devote, Veni Creator Spiritus, Attende Domine, or Salve Regina.

The belief persists that if you add one of those into the mix, you are living up to the ideal of the Council. There is nothing wrong and much right about taking this approach if the goal is a transition measure toward actually using chant in the Mass. These chant hymns are a great place to begin. A choral director can easily add one of these in at offertory or communion, and invite people to sing. The people will pick them up and learn that Latin is a beautiful language and that chant has a special capacity for lifting the heart and mind toward heaven.

But let us be clear that this action alone, as meritorious as it might be, has essentially nothing to do with with the Council envisions, what the GIRM states, or what the new USCCB document on music calls for. There is a massive difference between using an old Latin hymn as a one in a selection of musical picks for Mass, and actually using the chants as part of the Mass.

The difference is not clear to most people involved in Catholic music. When the Vatican documents speak of Gregorian chant, it is calling to mind the vast and long tradition of chant having nothing to do with popular chant hymns. It is speaking specifically of the chants that are woven into the fabric of the liturgy itself.

In short, it is speaking of using the chants that are part of the structure of the Mass. In their order of appearance in Mass, they are as follows: Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Alleluia or Tract, Credo, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Communion. There is a Gregorian chant for each of these parts of the Mass. In addition, there are sung parts of the liturgy that might also be considered part of Gregorian chant.

That's not to say that chant hymns don't have a place. They certainly do and they are especially appropriate because they follow up on the style and language of the parts of the Mass that are sung according to the Gregorian tradition.

Now, at this point in the discussion, many Catholic musicians throw up their hands in despair or disbelief. They have a mass set of hymnals and resources on their bookshelf, materials they have accumulated from many years of workshops and mailings from mainstream publishers. Not one of them includes any of what I've mentioned above. How can this music be considered the normative part of Mass if it makes no appearance in the hundreds of materials on my own music shelf - and this after decades as a full-time Catholic musician?

Well, the answer is that the contents of one's bookshelf doesn't change the reality of the musical structure of the Mass itself. There is only one book that tends to be missing from the shelf of Catholic musicians (or perhaps it is unused) and it is the one book that unlocks the door to the music of the Mass: The Graduale Romanum. Alternatively, English speakers can acquire the Gregorian Missal, which is the core of the Roman Gradual. This one book will show the way.

When the music in this book becomes part of the liturgy, you are singing Gregorian chant. When it is not, you are not, no matter how many beautiful hymns one might plug into the mix.

Now, the question is: will the musicians who are in a position to make decisions concerning Papal Masses in April in America live up to their responsibilities or will they not?

"Grey box" problems

I've noticed on Mozilla (and so far on Mozilla alone) that yesterday two rather strange, and moving, grey boxes have been appearing over parts of the website. It surely must be something to do with how some bit of code is being interpreted.

Is anyone else seeing this who uses Mozilla, or are you seeing it on any other browser?

I am trying to pinpoint the problem.

Interesting Liturgical Conference planned in Budapest, Hungary

Word comes to the NLM by way of Professor László Dobszay of a very interesting looking liturgical conference that has been organized in Hungary:

The St Augustine Liturgical Atelier of Hungary
invites you
to the international conference

Pope Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy
to be held in Budapest
from 21st to 24th August 2008

Pope Benedict XVI, as the Successor of St Peter, considers one of his most important duties to promote the holy and worthy celebration of the liturgy and, if necessary, even to act in its defense. This attention of the Pontiff, as is well known, is manifested not only in fostering the liturgy introduced after the Second Vatican Council and in condemning its abuses and distortions, but is also related to the restoration of the legitimate use of the traditional Roman liturgy celebrated throughout the centuries to the spiritual benefit of great many souls.

This solicitude of the Holy Father urged many people to improve their liturgical practice as well as to make efforts to recognise the true values of the liturgy and to be immersed in its internal and external treasures. As a consequence, thinking about and caring for the holy liturgy has been awakened everywhere in the Church, including Hungary, and has lead both to the re-examination of our present attitudes and to the searching for future perspectives. At the same time, one cannot deny that in some particular churches the efforts of the Vicar of Christ are being met with negligence or even with opposition. In many places there is an unfolding passive resistance against the revival of Catholic traditions and against the new legislation which supports it: the Pope’s words of warning finds deaf ears, the rules of canon law are being concealed or even violated. We think that the churches of Central Europe are also obliged to examine their conscience, to try to immerse in the liturgical spirituality proposed by the Holy Father and to ensure that bishops, priests and the faithful become more aware of the tasks they are facing.

A good means to increase such attentiveness are the scholarly gatherings held all over the world, always accompanied by the celebration of the holy liturgy in the worthiest way under the given conditions. Considering all this, the St Augustine Liturgical Atelier of Hungary turns with love in Christ to all Catholic priests and lay people in Hungary, Central Europe or anywhere in the world who are deeply concerned about the liturgy and the aspirations of the Holy Father, asking them to convene to a meeting which gives occasion to learn these efforts more thoroughly, to confirm mutual intellectual and spiritual contact and to pray together for the noble task of instaurare omnia in Christo.

In this sense we ask you to read carefully the following programme, to support the gathering with your presence and to do everything, beyond your own application, to make it known in your local church environment. In order to achieve this, we beg you to make use of the channels of personal private interaction as well as the available tools of social communication, especially written and electronic media, meetings of the ecclesial communities, spiritual exercises or similar events.

Speakers and their papers will include:


Robert A. Skeris
Theology of worship and of its music: From Joseph Ratzinger to John Paul II to Benedict XVI

Thomas M. Kocik
The “reform of the reform” in broad perspective: Re-engaging the living tradition

R. Michael Schmitz ICRSS
Culture and detail: The mystery of liturgical life

Zoltán Rihmer
Law and liturgy: The perils and prospects of a difficult relationship

Lauren Pristas
Septuagesima and the post-Vatican II liturgical reform

Laurence P. Hemming
“I saw the New Jerusalem”: On time in the liturgy

Miklós István Földváry
The variants of the Roman rite: Their legitimacy and revival

Sven Conrad FSSP
Die innere Logik eines Ritus als Maßstab liturgischer Entwicklung

Alcuin Reid
The liturgical reform of Pope Benedict XVI

Helmut Hoping
Danksagende Anbetung. Die heilige Liturgie und die Einheit der römischen Messe

László Dobszay
The perspectives of an organic development


There will also be a 2 hour round table discussion on the topic of: Efforts and experiences in renewing the liturgical life.

This will include the following participants:

Sven Conrad FSSP (Köln, The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter)
Dennis Kolinski CJC (Chicago, Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius)
Mindaugas Kubilius (Vilnius, AD FONTES Lithuania)
R. Michael Schmitz ICRSS (Chicago, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest)
Guillaume de Tanoüarn IBP (Párizs, Institut du Bon Pasteur)
Péter Ágoston Ullmann OPraem (Gödöllo, St Augustine Liturgical Atelier)


The registration deadline for this conference is May 15th, 2008. To register for the conference or other question, see the conference website.

The Papal Mass will not include "Mass of Creation" (with update)

Thomas Stehle, director of music for the D.C. Papal Mass, tells Pope2008.com that the Mass will not include Marty Haugen's "Mass of Creation," contrary to this report.

"There will be chant. We're not performing 'The Mass of Creation' or 'Fraction Rite'. The papal Master of Ceremonies and I went through the music," said Stehle. "The list that was posted online was neither complete nor accurate, and there are pieces that are missing."

The initial controversy was discussed on NLM here.

UPDATE: Someone just pointed out to me that his statement doesn't actually rule out the Mass of Creation Sanctus. And the statement seems to have changed slightly, with punctuation and the word "or" making a big difference. I had copied and pasted an earlier version which seemed to rule out the Mass of Creation. Now the quote says "Mass of Creation Fraction Rite." So perhaps more clarification is in order.

Tenebrae in New York City (Updated, with correction)

Even in parishes that do not use the Extraordinary Form, some adaptation, liturgical or para-liturgical, of Tenebrae has proven popular and appears to have increased somewhat in popularity in recent years. This year in New York several parishes with noted musical traditions will be offering this service during the Triduum. Please feel free to add to any listed here below in the comments boxes, as there are a number of other churches offering this liturgy but whose service times I have not been able to confirm; I am also slightly unsure of the exact times at Immaculate Conception, though perhaps our readers can correct my knowledge. I would also be curious to know if anyone in the city is offering the unadapted, original Tridentine form as well.

[Corrected times in bold].

SPY WEDNESDAY - March 19, 2008

6:00 PM - Tenebrae (with polyphony and chant), The Church of the Holy Innocents, 128 W. 37th Street.

GOOD FRIDAY - March 21, 2008

9:00 AM - Tenebrae, Immaculate Conception Parish, 414 E. 14th Street.
10:00 AM - Tenebrae (with polyphony and chant), Grotto Church of Notre Dame, 405 West 114th St.
10:00 AM - Tenebrae (with polyphony and chant), Corpus Christi Church, 529 W. 121st St.

HOLY SATURDAY - March 22, 2008

10:00 AM - Tenebrae (with polyphony and chant), Corpus Christi Church, 529 W. 121st St.
11:15 AM - Tenebrae, Immaculate Conception Parish, 414 E. 14th St.

Holy Week Schedules - Some Final Thoughts

Thank you very much for the overwhealming response to my call for Holy Week schedules; I have posted most that I have received or have found online, and I hope it may inspire you to support good liturgy in all its forms. I hope a careful perusal of them wil give ideas for how to program a fully-thought-out Holy Week in terms of both the liturgies, para-liturgies, blessings of food and public devotions, as well as the music; such documents serve as both a diagnostic and a cross-section for the many diverse approaches within the present-day liturgical movement, both with regards the Extraordinary Form and the Reform of the Reform, as well as in the context of well-done though more mainstream Novus Ordo liturgies. Whatever one's opinions on the state of the Mass, they offer a resource that is both descriptive and prescriptive.

I still have a few more schedules and photos I intend to post tomorrow during the day, both ordinary and extraordinary form, but I would kindly ask our readers to pass any further information over the next few days on to Shawn or one of our other contributors as I will be busy actively engaging in the Reform of the Reform (and also aiding the Tridentine cause at the same time, which is not mutually exclusive) by serving in my parish's Holy Week liturgies, which will include a 9:30 Tridentine sung mass on Easter morning. Have a blessed, prayerful and reflective Triduum, and I hope to see you all again Easter Monday, full of the grace and peace of the Resurrected Lord.

Holy Week (Ordinary Form) at the Birmingham Oratory

Tenebrae, Good Friday, 2007

Holy Thursday, March 20, 2008

7 p.m. Mass of the Last Supper, including the Maundy, the Procession to the Altar of Repose, and the Stripping of the Altars.

Introit: Nos autem gloriari oportet - Chant
Kyrie and Gloria: Missa “Pange lingua” - Josquin des Prez
Mandatum: Mandatum novum do vobis - Chant
Offertory: Ubi caritas et Amor - Duruflé
Sanctus: Mass XVII
Agnus Dei: Missa “Pange lingua” - Josquin des Prez
Communion: Panis angelicus - Alegria
Procession: Pange lingua - Chant
Altar of Repose: Tantum ergo (Spanish) - Victoria

Good Friday, March 21, 2008

8.30 a.m. Tenebrae (Office of Readings and Morning Prayer)
11.30 a.m. Children’s Stations of the Cross

3 p.m. Solemn Liturgy - the singing of St. John’s Passion; the Solemn intercessions; the Unveiling and Worship of the Cross; Holy Communion.

Gradual: Christus factus est - Bruckner
Passion According to St. John - Byrd
Veneration of the Cross: Crucem tuam - Chant
Improperia: Victoria
O Sacred Head - Hymn
Crux fidelis: John IV Portugal
Vere languores: Victoria
Tenebrae factae sunt: Victoria
Pange lingua gloriosi proelium certaminis: Chant
When I survey: Hymn
Holy Communion: The Heavenly Word - Hymn

7 p.m. The Seven Last Words.
Introduction: O Crux ave - Palestrina
First Word: Salvator Mundi (2) - Tallis
Second Word: O Mensch bewein - Bach
Third Word: Ave Maria, Mater Dei - Wm. Cornyshe
Fourth Word: Crucifixus a 8 - Lotti
Fifth Word: Stabat Mater - Pergolesi
Sixth Word: Civitas Sancti tui - Byrd
Seventh Word:In manus tuas - Sheppard
Hymn: My Song is Love Unknown

Stations of the Cross
Fourteen Chorales from the Passions according to SS. Matthew and John - Bach

Holy Saturday, March 22, 2008

8.00 p.m. Easter Vigil: Service of light (Blessing of the New Fire); Proclamation of Easter; Liturgy of the Word; Blessing of the Font, Baptism and Confirmation; First Mass of Easter.

Tract: Jubilate Deo - Makepeace
Tract: Qui confidunt - Makepeace
Tract: Cantemus Domino - Chant
Tract: Sicut Cervus - Palestrina
Gloria: Heiligmesse - Haydn

Vidi Aquam: Chant

Offertory: Haec Dies - Byrd
Sanctus: Mass I
Agnus Dei: Heiligmesse - Haydn
Communion: Hallelujah - Handel
Ite, missa est: arr. Hoban

Recessional: Jesus Christ is risen today - Hymn
Organ: Carillon Sortie - Mulet

Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008

8.30 a.m. Low Mass
9.30 a.m. Low Mass (1962 Missal)

10:30 am. Solemn High Mass.
Vidi Aquam: Chant
Kyrie and Gloria: Missa in G - Schubert
Gradual: Haec Dies - Palestrina
Alleluia and Sequence: Victimae Paschali - Chant
Offertory: Dum transisset - Taverner
Communion: Surrexit Pastor Bonus - Victoria
Organ: Christ lag in Todesbanden - Bach

12 noon. Family Mass.
5.30 p.m. Sung Congregational Mass

7.30 p.m Solemn Vespers and Benediction.
Capitulum: Haec Dies - Palestrina
Magnificat Tone 1 - di Lasso
Benediction: O salutaris Hostia - Sumsion
Tantum ergo Sacramentum - Henschel
Regina Caeli - F. Schubert
Organ Improvisation sur le “Haec Dies” - J Pryer



Easter Vigil, 2007

Holy Week (Ordinary Form) at the Grotto Church of Notre Dame, New York City

The splendid, intimate French classical-style rotunda church of Notre Dame, sitting virtually in the shadow of the Episcopalian cathedral of St. John the Divine, is one of New York's overlooked treasures. Staffed by fervent Polish Dominicans, its Ordinary Form liturgies are accompanied by a small but extremely talented amateur schola whose quality verges on the professional, and offers a few a year as well as singing at the parish's Lessons and Carols service on the vigil of the third Sunday of Advent--making them possibly the only Catholic parish in the city to both own and utilize a rose-colored cope on a regular basis, I might add, on the lighter side.

The following is a partial selection of the music for each liturgy.

Holy Thursday: 7:30 pm Mass - including Mueller chant arrangement of Ubi caritas from the Roman Gradual; Victoria - Tantum ergo; L'heritier -Ave verum, O domine Jesu Christe - Guerrero.

Good Friday: 10:00 am Tenebrae including Lassus - Tenebrae responsories; Rore - O salutaris; Mozarabic chant setting of Lamentations.

Good Friday: 3:00 pm Solemn Liturgy of the Passion and Veneration of the Cross - including Sanders - Reproaches; Lassus - Adoramus te.

Easter Vigil: 8:15 pm Mass including Manichourt - Congratulamini mihi.

Easter Sunday: 11:30 am Mass - Mueller arrangement of Victimae paschali laudes chant from Roman Gradual; Arcadelt - Haec dies.

Mater Ecclesiae's Holy Week Schedule

2008 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday

Saturday, March 16

5:00 p.m. Anticipated Mass

Sunday, April 9

8:30 a.m. Low Mass

11:00 a.m. Solemn Procession

and High Mass (No Benediction)

(Confessions 30 minutes before each Mass)

Monday, March 17 – 8:00 a.m. Mass

Tuesday, March 18 – 8:00 a.m. Mass

Wednesday, March 19 – 7:30 p.m. Mass

(Confessions 15 minutes before Mass on Mon. & Tues.

On Wed. from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. )

Holy Thursday – March 20

No Morning Mass

9:00 a.m. – Tenebræ of Holy Thursday

6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Confessions

7:30 p.m. - Mass of the Lord’s Supper

and Procession to the Repository.

Adoration at the Repository until Midnight

Good Friday – March 21

No Morning Mass

9:00 a.m. – Tenebræ of Good Friday

1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. – Confessions

3:00 p.m. – Solemn Liturgy

7:30 p.m. – Stations of the Cross and

Blessing with the Relic of the True Cross

Confessions after Stations

Holy Saturday – March 22

8:45 a.m. – Blessing of Easter Food

9:00 a.m. – Tenebræ of Holy Saturday

NO 5:00 PM MASS

7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. – Confessions

8:30 p.m. – The Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday – March 23

8:30 a.m. Low Mass

11:00 a.m. – High Mass & Benediction

(Confessions 30 minutes before each Mass)

Mater Ecclesiae might not be a European cathedral, but the liturgical celebrations there are well done and well worth the attention of all the readers of this blog.

Holy Week (Extraordinary Form) at St. Francis de Sales Oratory, St. Louis

Sunday, March 18, Palm Sunday

7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Confessions
8:00 a.m. Low Mass

9:30 a.m. Blessing of Palms, Procession and High Mass - Hosanna, Filio David - Pueri Hebraeorum - Antiphons for Procession: Gloria Laus and Ingrediente Domino - Propers, Gregorian - Mass XVII - The Passion - Miserere, Lotti - Adoramus Te Christe, Lassus - O Bone Jesu, Ingegneri - Vexilla Regis, Gregorian.

Monday, March 17, Monday of Holy Week

7:30 a.m. Confessions
8:00 a.m. Mass
6:00 p.m. Confessions
6:30 p.m. Mass

Tuesday, March 18, Tuesday of Holy Week

7:30 a.m. Confessions
8:00 a.m. Mass
6:00 p.m. Confessions
6:30 p.m. Mass at the Altar of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Wednesday, March 19, Wednesday of Holy Week

7:30 a.m. Confessions
8:00 a.m. Mass
6:00 p.m. Confessions
6:30 p.m. Mass

Thursday, March 20, Holy Thursday

5:30 p.m. Confessions

6:30 p.m. Solemn High Mass and Procession to the Repository - Gregorian Mass IV - Propers, Gregorian - Ubi Caritas, Gregorian - Ego sum panis vivus, Palestrina - Pange Lingua, Gregorian.

Adoration at the Repository until Midnight.

Friday, March 21, Good Friday

8:00 a.m. Stations of the Cross and Confessions
2:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Confessions

3:00 p.m. Liturgy of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Adoration of the Cross - Popule Meus, Victoria - Crux Fidelis, Gregorian - Ave verum corpus, Josquin.

Adoration at the Holy Sepulcher until 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 22, Holy Saturday

8:00 p.m. Confessions

9:00 p.m. Easter Vigil, Solemn High Mass - Sicut Cervus, Palestrina - Mass I - O Filii et Filiae, a la Notre Dame) - Postlude: Lumen Christi Improvisation. Blessing of Easter Food.

Sunday, March 23, Easter Sunday

8:00 a.m. Low Mass with organ
10:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass - Vidi Aquam, Gregorian - Gregorian Propers - Missa Brevis, Palestrina - Credo III - Alleluia, Boyce - Ave verum Corpus, Mozart - Toccata from Organ Symphony no. V, Widor.

Sunday, March 30, Low Sunday – Divine Mercy Sunday

7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Confessions
8:00 a.m. Low Mass with Organ

10:00 a.m. High Mass followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament - Divine Mercy Chaplet - Procession inside the Church - Benediction - Vidi Aquam, Gregorian - Gregorian Propers - Mass I - Ave verum, Byrd - O salutaris Hostia - O filii et filiae - Regina Caeli, Lotti - Oremus pro Pontifice - Oremus pro Antistite - Tantum Ergo - Postlude Antiphons, Op 18, n. XV Gloria Patri , Dupré.

Catholic Blog Award results

Thanks to our readers who took time to vote in the recent Catholic Blog Awards, for which the NLM picked up the awards for "Best Designed" and "Best Group" blog. The rest of the results can be read here.

I wanted to note two blogs that I think particularly deserve attention in the design category. (I'm not saying they don't deserve note in other categories, but the design is simply my point of focus since we won that award). Andrew Cusack's blog has to be one of the very best out there for its design and I think he deserves some clear recognition. I'd also give a mention to Creative Minority Report in this regard as well. Kudos to them for their excellent site designs. They have two of my very most favourite blog designs.

The NLM also won the "Best Group Blog" category (thank you), and I must say that award firmly goes to the various contributors on the NLM, without which this blog would not be what it is. Thanks to them for all their own efforts and for the time that they exert in blogging on this blog. Thanks to Jeffrey, Michael, Matthew, Gregor, Fr. Kocik, Fr. Thompson, Nicola, Bro. Lawrence, Joseph, Philippe and Arlene.

Congratulations particularly go out to Father Zuhlsdorf's blog which did particularly well in this year's awards, winning quite a number. Father Zuhlsdorf puts a great deal of effort into his blog, even getting into multimedia aspects such as PODcasts and the like, and when you consider that is coming from a single individual, he certainly deserves some recognition.

Aside from those already mentioned, there are many other bloggers who deserve recognition as well -- including many which are blogs that are in languages other than English.

I started to name some of these blogs, but I'd rather not forget someone. You know who you are; you're often linked to here.

Triduum at Blackfriars, Oxford

The Sacred Triduum at the Dominican Priory of the Holy Spirit (Blackfriars), Oxford, U.K.



Click the schedule above to enlarge.



Above, the Tenebrae Hearse prepared for Maundy Thursday morning; Tenebrae is sung using the Dominican chant responsories and the Preces at the end of the Office.

If you are in the vicinity, do join us.

Tenebrae at Mater Ecclesiae

This Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9am, Mater Ecclesiae Roman Catholic Church in Berlin, NJ will celebrate the full office of Tenebrae. If you've never experienced this service in the Traditional Rite, you really should make an effort to go.

Are other traditional chapels doing the same thing?

Easter Ordo Musicae at St. Peter's, Merchantville

This Mass will be a collaborative effort of the parish choir and the schola cantorum. All the Propers are being rendered according to the authentic melodies in the Graduale Romanum.

Organ Prelude: Offertoire on "O Filii et Filiae" (Alexandre Guilmant)

Vidi aquam

Introit Resurrexi

Kyrie et Gloria: Mozart Missa Brevis (“Organ Solo”) in C Major, K. 259

Gradual Haec dies

Alleluia Pascha nostrum

Sequence Victimae paschali laudes (this is when the Gospel procession will take place)

Credo III (#102 St. Michael Hymnal)

Offertory antiphon Terra tremuit

Regina caeli (chant)

Organ improvisation on Regina caeli

Sanctus: Mozart Missa Brevis

Benedictus Missa Lux et Origo

Agnus Dei: Mozart Missa Brevis

Communion antiphon Pascha nostrum

Communion motets:
Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus
Remondi: O Sacrum Convivium
Trad. Portugese melody: Ecce Panis Angelorum

Processional: Christus Vincit (Flor Peeters)

Postlude: Final from Symphonie Nr. 1 (Louis Vierne)

Exagerrated Reverence: #1 Enemy of Good Vocal Production

In working with church singers, I've noticed a bit of a problem. It seems many of them have trouble projecting their voices, most particularly during the liturgy itself rather than in rehearsal. In rehearsal we go over all the vocal technique stuff: proper posture, forming the vowel first, "plopping," "tucking," getting the soft palette out of the way, etc. When all these things are remembered, a choir can sound completely different, in a good way.

But something seems to happen during the liturgy quite often, and this problem seems to be more severe with the singing of Gregorian chant. Often it seems that the beautiful sound goes out the window, and everyone is haunted by this quiet voice that says, "Shhhhhhhhh. We are in cheeeeyurch!" What I'm trying to say is that people seem to let a certain idea of piety--indeed, a caricature of it--take over their sense of what music should sound like in church. Everyone backs off, breath support dies, and the vowel sounds lose their luster. This simply can't happen. Sing out! Holding back is not going to make you sound like the Monks of Solesmes.

It seems to me that it is more important to sing well than it is to sing "piously."

Holy Week at Westminster Cathedral

This year's Holy Week liturgical schedule, with stunning musical selections by the choir, can be found in .pdf form here; a selection of photos of last year's Holy Week liturgies appear below, excerpted from Msgr. Langham's excellent weblog.

PALM SUNDAY









MAUNDY THURSDAY - THE CHRISM MASS

















MAUNDY THURSDAY - EVENING MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

The red-jacketed figures serving as the twelve men for the Mandatum are military pensioners from the Chelsea Hospital. Note also the use of a full-fledged Eucharistic canopy at the Procession to the Altar of Repose.











GOOD FRIDAY - SOLEMN LITURGY OF THE PASSION, CREEPING TO THE CROSS, AND HOLY COMMUNION















EASTER SUNDAY

Holy Week at Our Lady of the Atonement, San Antonio

The altarpiece in the closed position for Holy Week.

The following liturgies, except where noted, are according to the forms approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and contained in the Book of Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Anglican Use, also known as the Pastoral Provision. For more information, see the parish website.



Palm Sunday, 2007.

SUNDAY OF THE PASSION (PALM SUNDAY), MARCH 16TH
Masses (Rite I) at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. (Solemn High Mass), 11:00 a.m. (Solemn High Mass) and 6:00 p.m. (Latin Novus Ordo)
Distribution and Blessing of the Palms at all Masses.



Palm Sunday, 2007

MONDAY, MARCH 17TH
Low Masses (Rite I) at 7:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18TH
Masses (Rite I) at 7:00 a.m. (Low Mass) and 9:15 a.m. (School Mass)

SPY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19TH
Masses (Rite I) at 7:00 a.m. (Low Mass) and 9:15 a.m. (School Mass)
The Office of Tenebrae at 7:00 p.m.
Confessions at 8:30 p.m.

MAUNDY THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 9:15 a.m.
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 p.m.
followed by the Office of Tenebrae.
All-night Vigil in the Sacred Heart Chapel
(10:00 p.m. Holy Thursday through 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday)

GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST
Solemn Liturgy at 3:00 PM
Stations of the Cross and the Office of Tenebrae at 7:00 PM

HOLY SATURDAY, MARCH 22ND
The Great Vigil of the Resurrection and First Mass of Easter at 8:00 p.m.

SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION
Masses (Rite I) at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. (Solemn High Mass) and 11:00 a.m. (Solemn High Mass)



Divine Mercy Sunday, 2007 - a typical example of High Mass at Our Lady of the Atonement.

Where should the choir be?

Within some circles, I've begun to notice a line of commentary on liturgical matters that follows a predictable pattern: 1) condemn the old days (vestments, architecture, music etc.) as obviously and non-debatably bad and alienating; 2) acknowledge the failures of the post-1970 reform efforts as also bad; 3) encourage some yet-to-be explained 3rd alternative that will solve all problems but remains yet unproven.

This whole line of argument strikes me as debilitating in some ways but also a sign that we are currently in the thick of a transition that could end up yielding good fruit.

An example of this type of argument comes from Today's Liturgy (May 2008): "Congregational Singing: A Constant Challenge" by Most Rev. Ronald P. Herzog , Bishop of Alexandria, Louisiana.

He writes of the old positioning of the choir (p 16-17):

Older churches, built to meet the needs of pr-Vatican II celebrations, usually had elevated lofts for choirs, and it was the choir that added any musical components to the Mass. Here, the architecture does not really invite those seated in the nave to take part. The distance and difference in elevation convey the impression, even if unintended, that those in the loft sing while those in the nave listen. This separation is further enhanced if the music is difficult or unfamiliar. Add to this the absence of a leader of song and it is not that surprising that many people who have had no musical training or experience are shy, even intimidated.

There are points here that need to be addressed, among which is the assumption that people want to sing but are prevented from feeling the desire because of the architecture, and also the presumption that community singing is a more important value than, say, solemnity or beauty. The precise cause and effect between lofts and non-participation is certainly unproven, for we've all be present at counter examples.

In any case, that paragraph above is not surprising. It is conventional and reflexive anti-preconciliarism, It's been true for decades that you can attribute anything that you don't like to the legacy of preconciliar Catholicism and the reader will have no choice but to robotically nod agreement.

What matters here is his next statement:

A variation on this architectural issue can be seen in church buildings, even newer structures, in which the musicians are located in front of the congregation. This may be done for practical reasons—there may be no other space, other than possibly a loft that will accommodate the people involved—but this, too, inhibits the participation of the congregation for various reasons, both psychological and practical. If you have ever attended a concert or play, you know that performers are usually right in front of the audience; it is an almost automatic response for us to watch and listen when we are physically positioned to do exactly that. The situation becomes even more complicated if the musicians are quite good; people will often say they enjoy listening to good music and don't want to "mess it up" by singing along. An additional subtle contributor what I'll call the "audience effect" is the fact that, by the time we hear sound coming from in front of us, it is almost too late to add to it. Conversely, if sound comes from behind us and is moving forward, the possibility of adding to it as it passes over or through us becomes easier.

Now, here is a very true, and frankly devastating, case against putting choirs within the view of the congregation. The sound should come from behind so that people can add their voices to it. The very goal of the reformers turned out to be unachieved by the expensive and often offensive change. Why didn't anyone think of this before we tried decades in which performing bands stared at us during Mass and strummed?

But now we are left with the problem of what to do. The sound can't come directly from behind because then it will stop at the backs of the people on the back row. It must come from above to have the effect of traveling through the congregation, a fact confirmed by many acoustic engineers.

Doesn't this then make the case for the loft? One might think so but he has already said that this is bad because it makes the music seem somehow apart. What are we to do? The choir is either visible like performers, in which case people don't sing, or invisible and apart, in which case people don't sing. He has provided no answer at all, unless you take his hint that good music deters inclusion, in which case we should be fostering bad music so that people voices can't make it worse (I know you are thinking that this explains a lot!) Or maybe everyone should have a personal iPod. Who knows!

It seems obvious that lofts are the answer. I've only seen a few that are so far away that you really do have the sense that you can't sing else you will mess it up. Why can't he just admit that there was wisdom in the old ways?

Benedict XVI proclaims that baroque is back - Catholic Herald Online

Another interesting article appears today on the Catholic Herald: Benedict XVI proclaims that baroque is back.

Some quick comments to follow.

Benedict XVI proclaims that baroque is back: The Pope's sartorial choices are provoking rage among liberal Catholics, says Anna Arco. But there is a deep theological point to his finery

Priests dance on roller-skates and ridiculously lacy surplices flutter down the catwalk. Copes made entirely of mirrors are followed by chasubles and mitres covered in blinking neon lights, while eerie atonal music reaches its crescendo when glittering, heavy, overly embroidered hyper-Baroque vestments glide through the darkened room. The audience at the "clerical fashion show" consists of decaying, ancient aristos; and Rome's old guard is presided over by an ageing cardinal, so decrepit that he falls asleep during the silken extravaganza.

For many, any discussion of liturgical dress conjures up this scene from Federico Fellini's 1972 film Roma: it seems like the theatre of the absurd and the surreal, a vestige of a former, more decadent time in the Church's history, more interested in form than in substance, that is far removed from what is essential in Catholicism today. It is often seen as a subject that should long have been relegated to the dusty storerooms of the collective memory, much like the pre-conciliar vestments have been consigned to museums, depots or sold to junk shops and decorators. Ecclesiastical dress, be it ancient or modern, has the power to provoke strong emotions.

"The sartorial choices of Benedict XVI fill me with indescribable anger," lamented one Tablet reader last week, reacting to the Pope's choice of vestments on Ash Wednesday which were based on patterns from Pope Paul V's pontificate. "What message is all this ostentation giving to the poor and deprived in the rest of the world? What need have the cardinals, or the pope, for ermine-trimmed capes, red velvet shoes, chasubles commissioned in the style of the 17th-century pope, priceless lace albs and surplices, ornate gold rings, jewelled mitres (or even mitres at all)? 'I am the Way,' said Christ; what would he think of all this richesse? " On the other side of the spectrum (quite literally) the bonanza of tie-dyed blue and yellow that the Pope wore for the Mass in Mariazell in Austria was met with a mixture of grim mirth and despair.

The liturgical reforms of Vatican II changed attitudes to sacred vestments. They came in part to be a physical symbol of the renewal of the Church that the Council was hoping for, but also for some of the overly liberal interpretations of the Council documents which led in turn to some liturgical excesses never envisaged by the Council Fathers.

In 1971, shortly after the liturgical reforms were implemented, Mgr John Doherty, the executive secretary of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of New York, wrote: "The Church's attitude toward the use of vestments of our time grows out of her present view of her mission and image. While firmly committed to sacred vestments in the performance of the liturgy and to maintaining the basic tradition of the past, the Church will see adaptation and creativity grow and increase, based not on a Roman or a Catholic or a baroque model, but arising from varying cultures and local expression."

Many old vestments were discarded; opulent Renaissance and Baroque vestments especially were relegated to museums, warehouses or simply thrown away. In the mainstream Church, the poncho-like Gothic shape of the chasuble (the vestment worn by the celebrant) replaced the rounded shield shape of old Roman vestments; maniples stopped being used and abstract images and shapes replaced traditional patterns. Albs, the white vestment worn under dalmatic, chasuble, and cope, lost their lace and became simpler.

Since Pope Benedict replaced Pope John Paul II's creative Master of Ceremonies, Archbishop Piero Marini, with Mgr Guido Marini last year, a number of changes have crept into the papal wardrobe. With the liberalisation of the 1962 traditional form of the Mass, which requires the use of items that have fallen out of use like the maniple and the biretta, he has slowly started mixing the old with the new.

As Archbishop Marini's favourite liturgical designers, X Regio, said in a 2005 interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, what the Pope wears sets trends. For the Palm Sunday procession this year Benedict XVI wore an old-fashioned cope, a long mantle-like liturgical vestment which was less widely used in the mainstream Church after the reforms of the 1960s and 1970s (although it was not suppressed), while the cardinal deacons wore dalmatics which were similar in style. The Pope's chasuble during the Mass was plain, in the modern Gothic shape.

Pope Benedict's renewed use of older forms of liturgical vestments is more than just a taste for showy clothes and is in keeping with his concept of the liturgy, which is informed not by a nostalgia for an older Church or by an elaborate "aestheticism" but by his profound understanding of the reforms instituted by Vatican II and what he sees as their place in both the long history of Church tradition and its philosophical and theological underpinnings.

As the Australian theologian and philosopher Dr Tracey Rowland argues in her excellent new book Ratzinger's Faith; The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, beauty plays an important role in Pope Benedict's faith, not as an optional pedagogical tool or a "question of taste" but as an integral part of his understanding of Christ. While Dr Rowland does not write about vestments, she outlines Pope Benedict's theology and how it informs his understanding of the liturgy. Beauty and God are inseparable and for Pope Benedict the liturgy is "a living network of tradition which had taken concrete form, which cannot be torn apart into little pieces, but has to be seen and experienced as a living whole".

Summing up Pope Benedict's attitudes both to some of the liturgical malpractices which came out of certain interpretations of Vatican II and the need for beauty in the liturgy, Dr Rowland writes: "Beauty is not an optional extra or something contrary to a preferential option for the poor. It is not a scandal to clothe silken words in silken garments. Catholics are not tone deaf philistines who will be intellectually challenged by the use of a liturgical language or put off by changeless ritual forms. However, banality can act as a repellent."

As the discussion about liturgical vestments heats up (which by the looks of things, it will) the Pope is said to have ordered a new series of vestments copied from pre-Tridentine vestments which he was to wear last Sunday. It is worth remembering one catchphrase which has qualified Benedict XVI's papacy so far: the hermeneutic of continuity.

By wearing older, pre-conciliar style vestments to celebrate the Novus Ordo, a practice common in his native Bavaria as well as other pockets of the world, the Pope is sending a signal that the post-Vatican II Church should not turn its back on its long history, but rather that it should celebrate it.

The comment about beautiful vestments and vesture in relation to it being a scandal toward the poor is a typical cliche that is based upon a very misguided idea -- and one wonders about a hypocrisy as well. (For example, for those who make that critique, what sort of homes do they live in? What sort of cars do they drive? How do they treat themselves? These things are purely in the domain of private benefit even if not publically seen, whereas the liturgy is a public thing which belongs to no one individual but rather to all the faithful and which is ultimately oriented to God.)

Is it not skewed to suggest that the worship of God should be impoverished? The great apostle to the poor, St. Francis of Assisi certainly did not think so, and those with experience of the Missionaries of Charity and Mother Teresa would also testify to the fact that they, who are in our own day so known to serve the poorest of the poor, likewise do not think so. They understood and understand the importance of these things and it is interesting, for example, to see the importance the Missionaries of Charity assigned to learning about the usus antiquior. It is interesting to hear of the importance they give to the liturgy in their houses. It is further interesting to see their sisters show up in so many places which take pains to practice excellence and beauty within the sacred liturgy.

It seems to me this is because St. Francis, the Missionaries of Charity and the like understand the service to the poor in its full and proper context. They understand that ministering to people also means ministering to their spiritual needs -- and we do injustice to that when we impoverish that which is most spiritually central: the sacred liturgy. As such they understand that these things are not only not contradictory, they are complementary.

The liturgy is that from which all else flows, including our activities in relation to the social implications of the Gospel. The liturgy has the power to focus us upon God, to sanctify us, and from there to send us out into the apostolate. It is that which helps bring us to conversion and it is from that point that we are then sent out. Without that we actually endanger those aspects.

Beyond that, are the poor to be denied beauty? Do they not likewise appreciate it and benefit by it? They do indeed. In fact, they have often contributed to it themselves. The liturgy of the Church is as much their's as anyone's and the beauty of the vestments have little to do with the individual cleric in question and everything to do with the sacramental office of the priesthood and, ultimately, the liturgy itself in which we all participate. To say or think otherwise is to actually -- and ironically -- demonstrate a fairly self-centered view of the matter.

Frankly, this argument is a tired one and it seems to demonstrate an understanding of the Faith which on the surface might sound reasonable in some regard, but which has become quite skewed and focused merely upon works, lacking in a proper understanding of the place of the apostolate in relation to the spiritual life which is most publically expressed and exemplified in the public worship of the Church. It is an attitude toward the Faith that seems, again quite ironically, more or less material, but which has neglected what is spiritual.

Finally, this entire matter continues to show why these things matter because they are more often than not tied to principles; principles which can be more or less in line with our theology. Liturgy and liturgical form does indeed matter.