Posted on 04/08/2006 3:24:20 PM PDT by NYer
The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments -- who was recently accused of "attack[ing] the Mass" by the excommunicated head of the Lefebvrist movement -- gave a talk in London last week....
OK, nice talk, very sound... but what of the overlay stole?During a talk in Westminster Cathedral April 1, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze called on priests to restore tabernacles to central positions in churches and for Catholics to rediscover the tradition of reverent genuflection in the presence of the Eucharist.
He also called for an end to adding details to and subtracting them from the approved rites of the Mass and for an end to soft background music during Mass and other times when people were trying to pray in church.
"This is doubtless well intentioned, but it is a mistake," said the cardinal. "People enter churches to pray, not to be entertained."
The cardinal told about 400 audience members that Mass was the "supreme act of adoration, praise and thanksgiving which humanity can offer God." ....
"A do-it-yourself mentality, an attitude of 'nobody will tell me what to do,' or a defiant sting of 'if you do not like my Mass you can go to another parish' is not only against sound theology and ecclesiology, but also offends against common sense," he said. "Unfortunately, sometimes common sense is not very common, when we see a priest ignoring liturgical rules and installing creativity -- in his case idiosyncrasy -- as the guide to the celebration of the Mass."
I suggest you take a look at the vestments worn during the 17th and 18th centuries. Quite "gaudy" all of them. It was the baroque style. And I will take "Anglican." beats the "hip' garments I saw in the '70s.
Putting the tabernacle behind the altar does help, or did in the German church I was in But, then, Germans don't chatter even in restaurants.
**people chattering all around **
Has your pastor done some educating, letting people know that they are in the presence of Jesus Christ, Himself?
Should get the chattering subdued or stopped.
And people need to be reminded again and again and again and again ad infinitum.
Why don't you have a hospitality ministry of at least four or five persons for each Mass that does the greeting of parishioners as they arrive? (, get out extra chairs if needed, take up the collection, bring up the gifts, hand out the bulletins after Mass, etc.)
Ask your pastor if you could help form one.
Let's roll!
I like that mitre actually.
Actually, I know some clerics who have, and use vestments from that period. The ones I have seen are from France. They are gorgeous, not gaudy. They are quite ornate, and have a lot of embellishment on them..Also, they weigh a ton.
In my parish, it had devolved to 'lounge music', ala Bill Murray in some cheesy SNL lounge act skit, meant to make us laugh!, or some seedy, off the beaten track Vegas bar (I've never been to Vegas, relying on TV recreations). It is rambling, clangy, and mostly features non-religious musical choices. Our temporary pastor has banned them from playing 'that kind' of music as the after Eucharist meditation - so they quit in protest! For now at least. That same kind of defiant behavior the Cardinal spoke of. They also had permission to sing on the altar, which newer pastors had never challenged, and the girls in the group were known for their 'sleazy' outfits. I think Cardinal Arinze really nailed it. And our temporary pastor is on board, too.
May the temporary pastor be made permanent!!
Our temporary pastor has banned them from playing 'that kind' of music as the after Eucharist meditation - so they quit in protest!
Which only supports Cardinal Arinze's contention that it's "all about me". It's not about the choir; it's about reverence and devotion to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
If this 'temporary' pastor is not made 'permanent', and replaced with one who reinstates the protesters, you may want to look around for a different parish.
'Signing' is big locally. Not for the hearing impaired, but put to music (usually pre-recorded) as entertainment for all to enjoy. Liturgical dance was tried. And tried again. Luckily, it fell flat with locals, pun intended.
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