Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Obiter Dicta

Liturgical scholarship in the mid-20th century was a bit less scientific than astrology, but far more pretentious and powerful.” - A Italian friend of mine, Mr Francesco Righini, won the internet yesterday with this obiter dictum.
“Exhume, surmise, assert, repeat.” – a gloss on the previous by a priest.

“Your young priests and seminarians are not trads because they haven’t studied the liturgical reform. They’re trads because they have.” – Mr Urban Hannon

“At least we know he accepts the Second Vatican Council, because he is celebrating Mass facing the people.” – a priest who won the internet today, commenting on this by-now-notorious photo of a priest celebrating Mass in the sea, without any kind of vestment, and using an inflatable swim toy as the altar. (Yes, it’s completely real.)

(By the way, this is in the modern Ambrosian Rite, which was in some ways far more respectful of tradition than the post-Conciliar reform of the Roman Rite, and retains the ancient custom of the priest stretching out his arms in the form of a Cross immediately after the Consecration.)
UPDATE: Nicola de’ Grandi informs me that the public prosecutor’s office in the city of Crotone where this took place has opened up an inquiry regarding the possible prosecution of this priest for “offending a religious confession.”
“At the same time, I am saddened by abuses in the celebration of the liturgy on all sides. In common with Benedict XVI, I deplore the fact that ‘in many places the prescriptions of the new Missal are not observed in celebration, but indeed come to be interpreted as an authorization for or even a requirement of creativity, which leads to almost unbearable distortions.’ ” – another Francesco.

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