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Friday 16 January 2009

The Andy Rooney of Liturgical Commentary

Well, GIA's own, the Andy Rooney of liturgical commentary is at it again.

He's really topped himself. Someone please, pat him on the arm and say, yes, yes, dear, of course you're right, communion on the tongue is the sign of the Apocalypse, let's just watch that nice Mr Matlock, shall we? while I go get you some jello and your little pills.
Fred Moleck wants to call our attention to:
a picture of Pope Benedict XVI in a style of chasuble that hasn’t been seen this side of Vatican II other than by some Tridentine diehards.

The fiddleback chasuble was the first to go among the pioneers of liturgical reforms. Graceful conical chasubles were constructed to replace them, which fit over the head of the presider and draped around the shoulders, resting gracefully on the forearms.

The material was usually of natural fibers, not polyester. Again, a move to authentic craft worthy for liturgical use was important to the reformers....

The ritual was freed of overstatement by liturgical trappings....

Seeing the picture of Pope Benedict XVI in a fiddleback chasuble is a little frightening, especially when one realizes that he celebrated Epiphany Mass in the Sistine Chapel facing the east, or in common language, with his back to the people.

I remember another photo Rocco ran after the feast of Corpus Christ of a man and woman receiving Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling on two kneelers....

“Holy Hours” are replacing the church’s evening prayer.

I can only reflect on the passage from Luke’s gospel, 12:54–56.

Then he turned to the crowd: “When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, ‘Storm’s coming’—and you’re right. And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, ‘This’ll be a hot one’—and you’re right. Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don’t tell me you can’t tell a change in the season, the God-season we’re in right now.
Can someone explain to me the moral or theological significance of chasuble shape? Why all the passion, and in this case, a kind of contempt for that which is not ones personal preference? (And who does he expect to believe the nonsense that Vatican II rid us of tacky polyester vestments? That's just a bald-faced, or is it bold-faced? lie...)

When someone starts expressing hatred, contempt or fear of a perfectly respectable liturgical usage of long standing it makes me question not the hated or feared usage, but the ulterior motives of the hater.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. I had forgotten about this individual. I'm sure he and I may agree on some things in general, but I haven't the energy to sift, and life's too short. Oh well...back to real life.

(I just clicked on the link to make sure my hunch was right about who you referred to. I like your analogy.)

Gavin said...

Geri, I had not read Molek in yeas. "Seeing the picture of Pope Benedict XVI in a fiddleback chasuble is a little frightening" is all I need to read to not read him for several more years. Let this loser fade into irrelevance with the rest of the liberals.

Scelata said...

"fade into irrelevance with the rest of the liberals."

I do not agree that anything he or his ilk says has the slightest tinge of liberality about it.
They are Scrooge-like in their being turned in upon themselves.

I hadn't read him in a while, but following a link about Fr Ruff had circuitously ended up on the GIA pages.

And as usual, once I had picked my teeth up off the floor, he was good for a laugh.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

Anonymous said...

I used the contact button to tell them that it was great that they recognized that change had come,in this case wonderful change, and surely their business could benefit by it, since they were blessed with this foresight.

He is truly horrified, though, about the thought of people kneeling to receive Our Lord. The design of a chalice or the fall of a garment can be argued, I suppose, but what on earth could be threatened by kneeling to receive--except modernism, with its dirty feet of disobedience.

Scelata said...

Thanks for stopping by, Jan.

Actually, I wouldn't have agreed with you about the node on the chalice until recently.

The "knob" makes it much easier to hold and balance (and I assume to elevate, although that is somehting I, in possession of XX chromosomes have never tried, nor ever will.)

And of course, the much heavier and wider base than on a normal drinking goblet gives the chalice greater stability.

(Those who use Kool-Aid pitchers at communion may not have the dread of spilling the Precious Blood some of us do...)

(Save the Liturgy, save the World)

Scelata said...

"WOULD have"

Mary Jane Ballou said...

My favorite chalice accessory was sighted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a golden straw for sipping from the chalice, dating from some early period in the East.

And yes, I shall also continue to avoid Molek's column.

Dad29 said...

His name....Molek...

That's not a play on words, is it?

Scelata said...

I always thought the name was... unfortunate.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)