Today the Holy Father celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel and baptised thirteen children. In recent years, a platform in front of the High Altar has been used with an altar "facing the people." Today, the Holy Father celebrated Mass at the High Altar of the magnificent chapel. There was apparently a notice from the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations but I have not been able to locate it. Rorate Caeli translates part of the Apcom report:"This year, the wooden platform on which an altar was placed for the occasion will not be set up, but the actual altar of the Sistine Chapel will be used.Here are a couple more photographs of the Mass:
"A decision was made to celebrate on the ancient altar to avoid altering he beauty and harmony of this architectural jewel - the Vatican note explains - preserving its structure, in a celebratory viewpoint, and making use of a possibility foreseen by liturgical legislation. This means that, at some moments, the Pope will be with his back turned to the faithful and facing the Cross, thus guiding the demeanor and the disposition of the entire assembly"
The New Liturgical Movement has a collection of photographs which illustrate the visible continuity between today's celebrate and those of previous Popes (NLM: Hermeneutic of Continuity).Today's instance of the Holy Father leading by example is of tremendous importance. We have all seen Churches of outstanding architectural beauty where the harmony of the lines of sight and the overall unity of composition has been radically disrupted by the placement of a "people's altar" in front of the High Altar. There are many fine Victorian Churches in England whose architectural focus could be allowed once again to shine in all its original spendid harmony. Perhaps the Holy Father's example will help those responsible for such Churches to take the step of quietly removing the wooden platform and table which is in some cases all the alteration that is necessary. A very obvious example in Rome itself is the Chiesa Nuova which I wrote about just over a year ago (The "New Cheese") Here is a photo showing the (easily reversible) disruption:
In his homily at the Mass, the Holy Father's words neatly contradict the secularist nonsense about the supposed "harm" done to children by bringing them up in the faith:Certainly, to grow healthy and strong, these babies will need material care and much attention; but that which will be most necessary for them, indeed indispensable, is to know, love and serve God faithfully, in order to have eternal life. Dear parents, be for them the first witnesses of an authentic faith in God!
6 comments:
Pope's daily private Mass video, "versus Deum":
http://gazetadarestauracao.blogspot.com/2008/01/missa-privada-do-papa.html
And while you on the trail of architectural harmony, can people please start talking about replacing the altar furnshings on the innumerable side altars in countless cathedrals and churches across Europe? Just occasionally one comes across a church in which side chapels are still properly furnished instead of serving as storage areas and, boy, is that balm to the soul.
The Pope has made a most important point by celebrating the novus ordo at the high altar "versus Deum".
Everyone would expect to see the "old" Mass celebrated at the high altar.
But the novus ordo ?
Too many people seem to think the Novus Ordo has to be celebrated "facing the people".
Well, Pope Benedict has now shown them how wrong they are.
Perhaps we might now see a trend towards Mass celebrated at the high altar, with a corresponding decline in the number of Masses celebrated "versus populum".
And why not ?
It will merely be a reversal of the liturgical re-orientation foisted on people against their will by trendy liturgists in the 1960s.
Of course, the table altar could be preserved in cases of real pastoral need, as long as it is easily removable.
Dear Fr Finigan,
this is not directly related related to the topic, but I didn't know how else to contact you. Given the name of your blog, I thought you might find it interesting that the "hermeneutic of rupture" has for the first time, at least as far as I am aware, been comdemned in an official doctrinal document. On 4 January 2008, the Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Spanish Episcopal Conference has issued a "note" regarding a book by Claretian Fr. José María Vigil. In this note (see http://www.conferenciaepiscopal.es/doctrina/documentos/Vigil.html ), the Bishops enumerate "incorrect methodological presuppositions" made in the book, and among them "the reading and interpretation of Holy Writ disregarding the Tradition of the Church" and "the hermeneutic of the II Vatican Council as a rupture".
Now you won't hear this very often... In Today's (Monday) Guardian Newspaper there is a splendid double page colour photograph of Pope Benedict celebrating Mass ad orientem in the Sistine Chapel.
Berolinensis - many thanks for that.
BTW my email is rosary@freeuk.com - feel free to send useful info there if you prefer. But I'm always happy for comboxes to be used for this sort of thing if it is easier.
Post a Comment