The group Giovani e Tradizione have been holding their "Summorum Pontificum" conference at Rome. The conference was mentioned in the greetings by the Holy Father after today's Angelus. Today, Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Segnatura, said the first Solemn High usus antuquior Mass in the Basilica of St Peter's for 40 years, in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.The Mass was attended by Bishop Schneider (author of "Dominus Est"); Mgr Pozzo (Secretary of Ecclesia Dei) and over a hundred priests were present. There are more photos (including the above one) at the Messa in Latino blog.
You can read Robert Moynihan's narrative of how he got the news of the Mass. There are also lots of photos at JP Sonnen's Orbis Catholicus blog. Here is a short video of part of the Mass from Gloria TV:
The post at Messa in Latino tells the tale of petty obstruction that will be all too familiar to anyone who has spent time in Rome. First of all, the day before the Mass, the time was changed to half an hour earlier. (Something similar happened at Lourdes with the time of the usus antiquior Mass there.) Then, on arrival at the Basilica, people who asked about the Mass were told that there wasn't one - there was a Novus Ordo Mass at the Altar of the Chair. After insisting (English people find it difficult to insist in the right way to achieve results), they were grudgingly directed to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This was guarded by a dozen "Sampietrini" and Vatican Police and they were told that it was a private ceremony for a group. Again insisting (and being threatened with being kicked out), they managed to get nearer. The chapel, of course, was filled to overflowing.
This is all very typical of life in Rome and the Vatican - and by no means limited to matters surrounding traditional liturgy. If you live or work there, you gradually get used to it - not before several times wanting to pull your own head off in frustration. The consoling thing is that these high-profile Masses are obviously not going to stop any time soon, and the petty officials will, over time, be slapped down and given more specific orders.
7 comments:
There was a time when Cardinal Noe (the spiritual son of Annibale Bugnini, who wrecked the high altar of the Chair of St. Peter with full approval of the late pontiff) would spy on priests who tried to say the old rite and have them carted off!
When I first got here, I went to the Sala Stampa to see about press credentials. I was told that it was easy, all I had to have was a Carta Di Soggiorno from the Italian government.
Oh, is *that* all?
I know people who have been here for years, apply for their carta dutifully every year, giving the Italian government officials the 30 euros it costs, and have never *ever* received one.
I went back to the Sala Stampa and was told (a year later) that it was enough to bring in the receipt showing that I had applied for the Carta.
Thanks for telling me.
yep. We know all about that maddening Italian THING.
Dear Rev Father,
I read this at "Rorate Caeli":"However, as Prof. Luc Perrin recalled today at Le Forum Catholique, this has not been the first Traditional Mass celebrated in that august Basilica in 40 years. The catacomb-like Hungarian Chapel (crypt) housed celebrations of low Masses still under the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei. And a Mass was celebrated by Bishop Pascal N'koué, Bishop of Natitingou (Benin) in November 2006, in the extremely tense and difficult months which preceded the publication of Summorum. That celebration, promoted by CIEL, took place in the Chapel of the Choir, which is located opposite to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, where today's Mass took place."
This is what the world needs, a return to the Faith that our parents so loved and fought for throughout their lives. Now it is our turn to fight for the future of our children's and grand children's faith. Thank you Papa Benedict and Thank you Father Tim.
Dan - of course you are right. The title of the post should have specified as I did in the body, that it was the first Solemn High Mass in the older form.
Hilary - Oh yes, I remember the Soggiorno. I actually got one. You used to have to use Carta Bollata (obtained from a licensed tobacconist) which we referred to as "boiled paper".
Another time, I wanted to send a parcel to England. Foolishly I went to an Italian Post office instead of walking to the Vatican. Naturally I did not have the correct string and lead seals and stuff. The guy behind the desk actually started tearing the parcel apart before I ripped it from his hands and ran away.
In a way, these stories are rather consoling - I was beginning to despair of a UK sinking under a tide of cretinous, unthinking jobsworth bureaucracy.
I now see that we have quite some way to go before we match the Italians!
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