There were some "old favourite" Catholic hymns at appropriate points (O purest of creatures, Soul of my Saviour, Sweet Sacrament Divine) and some elements from "A Community Mass" by Richard Proulx, as well as Gregorian chant. It was good to see that after various motets, songs, organ pieces and the hymn Praise to the Holiest, which were sung before Mass, the introit Salve Sancta Parens was sung while the altar was incensed. Also from the (modern) gradual was the Alleluia and verse.
Here is what Bishop Egan had to say about chant:
I have tried to incorporate some of the plainsong chants for the feastday. Gregorian chant is always the 'native' music of the Roman Rite and the Church encourages us to give it pride of place in the liturgy (General Instruction of the Roman Missal 41), along with the use of the Latin language, especially in large-scale celebrations (Sacramentum Caritatis 62). I hope that we will all rediscover the beautiful treasury of chant. With its changing moods and lilting meoldies, it expresses so eloquently the prayer and affectivities of the human spirit in the presence of the Transcendent God.I did not see the ceremony as I was driving round the M25 at the time and it would have been lacking in the virtue of prudence to prop the iPad on the steering wheel. Thanks to John Kearney for an encouraging line from the new bishop's address:
"I want to be a courageous orthodox bishop"Pray for Bishop Egan that God generously gives him the grace to be such for many years.
11 comments:
Amen! I too pray that our bishop may spend many happy years with us. I also pray that one day soon, chant may be restored to our church.
While it was good to hear chant including a chanted Gospel and +Egan chanting his part of the Eucharistic Prayer. A lot of it was the same old diet of boring music, not in a hermeneutic of continuity with the Tradition of Catholic Liturgy. There was no sense of unity of the music, jumping from chant to hymnody to low quality choral music.
You got the feeling there was probably a good deal of ‘negotiation’ with some of the 'lay liturgical forces' that currently are in position at the Cathedral.
Unless I somehow missed it, I believe the Introit was for some reason sadly omitted! One would presumably have to ask Mr Inwood but judging by his recent posting on PrayTell Blog he doesn’t seem to rate Chanted Proper’s much!
I pray that +Egan is successful in being a great orthodox bishop.
On reading on the Portsmouth website his address I found it strange, or did I, that the reference to his commitment to orthodoxy was omitted.
Got that worng, Father,it was after all at the end of his speech. So apoligies to Portsmouth are in order.
This is greatly encouraging. It's fascinating, too, not least because it makes clear the gulf between the good Bishop's views on liturgical music and those of the Paul Inwood, the Diocesan Director of Liturgy he has inherited from his very different predecessor. Mr. Inwood's views can be seen over at the Pray, Tell blog, where he posts under his own name (mostly), and on the comments board of the Society of Saint Gregory, where he uses the handle of Southern Comfort to say things that would get him into professional trouble if posted under his own name (tho' he drops pretty heavy-handed hints about who and how important he is).
Bishop Egan's comments after the Mass can be heard here - http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/16916411/Bishop_Egans_installation
They are a revelation for an English bishop. This one quote gives us a taste of what we can look forward to : “We must over this salvific message to a people, sorely in need of new hope and direction, disenfranchised by the desert of modern British politics, wearied by the cycle of workshopping entertainment, and betrayed by educational, legal, medical and social policymakers who, in the relativistic world they’re creating - however well-intentioned – are sowing the seeds of a strangling counter-culture of death.”
Ad multos annos!
The whole ceremony (over three hours) is viewable on the Net, at
http://www.churchservices.tv/portsmouthcathedral/recorded/MEWG4qH#. Or you can read Bishop Egan's address at http://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/press/docs/2012-09-24-Address-at-Episcopal-Ordination.pdf
If the appointment of Bishop Egan, following on from the appointment of Bishop Davies, does signal a sea-change in the theological and attitudinal profile of candidates now being promoted to the English episcopate, it begs the serious question of how big a role the blogosphere has played in bringing this all about.
Can it be that the attacks on the “Magic Circle” phenomenon by various prominent bloggers starting several years ago, which highlighted the modernism and anti-Romanism of the English episcopate, finally forced the Vatican to deal with the problem, and we are now seeing the results?
Time passed quickly for me and I started crying while Bishop Egan was being anointed, so moving. Also very nice to see Bishop Davis again and very pleased to hear Bishop Ullathorne quoted -- though I kept expecting Archbishop Nichols to turn the quote into congratulations for Portsmouth:
+++
"I never yet congratulated any man on being raised to the episcopal responsibility, but I congratulate myself on having you as my successor, and I congratulate the diocese." --written to Bishop Ilsley, 19 March 1888.
(page 472, "William Bernard Ullathorne, 1806-1889: A Different Kind of Monk" by Judith F. Champ.)
But uncomfortably, it looked to me as if the non-Catholic representatives were in the sanctuary -- I hope it was just me seeing incorrectly.
We have suffered much in the Portsmouth Diocese and rejoice in our new Bishop but let us proceed with charity as Bishop Egan would want us to do We should not be going on a witch hunt for Paul Inwood. Any differences are between him and the Bishop, and too much criticism could make the Bishop`s task more difficult. When you read the script of the what the Bishop said it can never convey the shock those of us felt when he came out with the word `orthodox`. Was this a defiant challenge? It seemed so at the time and yet this bishop has an unbelievable humilty and honety. I think he was just saying what he thought was right. Today I received a prayer card with a picture of Jesus showing his Sacred Heart and his new shield at the back, with the prayer `O Sacred Heart of Jesus I implore the Grace to love you always more and more` I take this to be his offical prayer card. We, in the Diocese of Portsmouth, have so much to thank God for.
Yes,John Kearney you are right in all that you say.
The word "orthodox" shocked me too.But so, so, glad was I, to hear it.He has a hard task here.....
Sandy.Morris
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