Many thanks to the New Liturgical Movement for translating an interview given by Mgr Guido Marini, Papal Master of Ceremonies, to the March issue of the periodical Radici Cristiane. the original Italian text of the interview is carried on the Vatican Website.The whole interview is well worth reading but let me pick out a couple of items that struck me particularly. First of all in regard to vestments:
Pope Benedict XVI recently said in an address that "society speaks with the clothes that it wears." Do you think this could apply to the liturgy?The vestments that the priest wears are not a mark of honour for him. They are an expression of the holiness of the mystery that is being celebrated; of the actio Dei in which we participate. By treating the sacred vestments with care, vesting prayerfully, and not wearing them except when celebrating the Sacred Liturgy, the priest is reminded of his unworthiness and the need for contrition before daring to approach the sacred mysteries. Our participation in this mystery should lead us to greater charity in action: the two are not opposed or in competition.
In effect, we all speak by the clothes that we wear. Dress is a language, as is every form of external expression. The liturgy also speaks with the clothes it wears, and with all its expressive forms, which are many and rich, ever ancient and ever new. In this sense, "liturgical dress", to stay with the terminology you have used, must always be true, that is, in full harmony with the truth of the mystery celebrated. The external signs have to be in harmonious relation with the mystery of salvation in place in the rite. And, it should never be forgotten that the actual clothing of the liturgy is a clothing of sanctity: it finds expression, in fact, in the holiness of God. We are called to face this holiness, we are called to put on that holiness, realizing the fullness of participation.
Mgr Marini also speaks of the Holy Father's preference regarding the way that people should receive Holy Communion:
We have noticed that the Holy Father, for some time now, always gives Holy Communion upon the tongue and kneeling. Does he want this to serve as an example for the whole Church, and an encouragement for the faithful to receive our Lord with greater devotion?Note here that there is no question of the Holy Father questioning the motives of those who receive standing or on the hand - but it is not allowed when he gives Holy Communion. To express a preference for something good does not imply a judgement on the subjective motivation of those who do otherwise.
As we know the distribution of Holy Communion in the hand remains still, from a legal point of view, an exception [indult] to the universal law, granted by the Holy See to the bishops conferences who so request it. Every believer, even in the presence of an exception [indult], has the right to choose the way in which they will receive Communion. Benedict XVI, began to distribute Communion on the tongue and kneeling on the occasion of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi last year, in full consonance with the provisions of the current liturgical law, perhaps intending to emphasize a preference for this method. One can imagine the reason for this preference: it shines more light on the truth of the real presence in the Eucharist, it helps the devotion of the faithful, and it indicates more easily the sense of mystery.
The photo at the top (from Ash Wednesday Mass the other day) shows the way in which the Holy Father distributes Holy Communion. As many priests know, insisting on this is sometimes difficult. Even the Holy Father has to deal with the occasional pastoral difficulty as we see in the next photo from the same Mass:
8 comments:
A very interesting article, Father.
It seems to go a long way to answering some of your critics' (or critic's (?)) comments concerning the purchase of noble vestments and the manner of receiving Holy Communion reverently.
It is patently clear that you are following the Holy Father's example in every respect.
Dominus Tecum.
With the Holy Father's "hermeneutic of continuity" and his example of re-instituting some liturgical customs for the Ordinary Form of the Mass that had fallen into disuse, it does raise some questions for the "troops" out in the field. Two issues in particular are of importance. Some are reviving the "ad orientem" position for the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Should not the local bishop be involved in such decisions and if it is allowed in universal liturgical law, whose decision is it to celebrate this way, the bishop's? the pastor's? or any priest's? Secondly, we are now receiving requests for kneelers to be placed in front of our "Holy Communion Stations" so that the faithful may kneel if they so choose. This creates some logistical issues in terms of limited space for people to walk. Again, whose decision should this be? Of course, no one is denied Holy Communion if the kneel on the floor, but this could be difficult for most and a hazard for those behind them. It seems to me that since the Holy Father himself has instigated these requested by his personal example, that he should give some direction or "mandates" to local bishops so that local pastors can proceed without being seen as disruptive to "indults" in place already,and approved by Rome, for example in the USA, where the norm is to bow first, before receiving and then to receive standing, either in the hand or on the tongue.
Matthaeus, that is precisely what gets the Tablet's goat.
Frajm - since everyone has the right to receive Holy Communion kneeling (as the CDW has made clear - despite the US indult) it is quite in order for a pastor to provide a kneeler. In fact, it could be argued for on the grounds of accessibility since people who want to kneel might not be able to do so without a kneeler. A local Bishop could mandate that this be done but could not forbid it.
In the case of ad orientem celebration, it is doubtful whether the Bishop could mandate it since it is such a widespread custom to celebrate Mass versus populum. In any case, such a mandate would be unlikely. But a Bishop could not forbid this since it is assumed in the rubrics of the new missal that the priest is facing eastward.
The Bishop could usefully be involved in explaining to the people the legitimacy and meaning of these liturgical practices so that they are not seen simply as an individual priest's whim but as part of the practice of the universal Church.
Striking to notice the age difference between the two women - one was probably born at a time when the use of the mantilla was discarded under the guise of "renewal", with the vogue to receive communion in the hand. The other was probably raised on the old mass and is now accustomed to a practice that could only make the likes of Luther and Calvin happy as can be in their graves.
Well spotted, Ottoviani.
I recall that John Paul II used to describe young people as the Church's 'Hope'.
The 'Reform of the reform' seems to be gaining momentum.
Spera in Deo.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus.
I think it would be great if churches were to make some provisions to allow those who would choose to kneel to do so. I mean nearly all churches make the effort to offer communion under both kinds for those who wish to recieve it and allow individuals to receive on the tongue or in the hands surely its only fair if they make it possible for people to kneel if they wish.
Father, thank you so very much for this post! Vestments has been a question of mine since returning to the Church. I tried posing it to an online Catholic forum (several times) and never received an answer.
To me, vestments signify a delineation between the sacred and the ordinary. We are entering into a mystery and to mark that seems not only appropriate, but necessary. For some reason, God created man with the need for ritual and meaning. This is a great part of the reason why I returned to the Catholic church and especially fell in love with the Traditional Latin Mass.
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