Monsignor Guido Marini, Papal Master of Ceremonies, confirms in an interview with Scotland’s Herald newspaper today that during his visit to Britain Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the Prefaces and Canons of all his Masses in Latin, “to emphasise the universality of the faith and the continuity of the Church”.Read the rest here.
The Canon (Eucharistic Prayer) is the heart of the Mass, during which the priest consecrates and elevates the Host. There can be little doubt that Marini has put his foot down. Having already stopped liturgical philistines from subjecting the Pope to various musical horrors, he is now sending a clear – and, one suspects, deeply unwelcome – message to English, Welsh and Scottish bishops who actively discourage the celebration of Mass in Latin.
There’s particular fury among the diehard modernisers of Scotland, I gather, who have waged a sneaky battle to banish traditional worship from the Bellahouston Mass. They are now reduced to quibbling about the number of candles on the Glasgow altar, protesting at the Pope’s wish for six or seven on the grounds that… actually, I don’t know. Too Popish, perhaps?
Angels Sing! Merry Christmas!
10 hours ago
1 comment:
It's about time Rome is putting her foot down, especially in matters of the Mass. From what I understand, Pope Benedict is trying to gently lead people back into the Sacred during the celebration of Mass. In many places, the "Benedictine arrangement" prevails, with six candles on the altar, and the crucifix in the center.
Thankfully, there are ranks of newly ordained priests who are celebrating Mass with the idea that God is the focus of it. Our new pastor, for one, is doing this. It's about time.
Not to get too far off track here, but it seems to me that celebrating Mass is the most important thing the Pope will do during his visit to Scotland, and I believe it will become lost in the "context" of multicultural pluralism, whatever that is supposed to mean, and of turning the Pope into a pop star.
That's one of the things that really bugged me about John Paul's pontificate. The Pope is a priest, not a pop star.
But what do I know?
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