Benedict’s Pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s? Maybe 2 December

What Does the Prayer Really Say? ^ | September 30, 2007 | Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

[Frank Sheed]

30 September 2007

Benedict’s Pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s? Maybe 2 December

CATEGORY: SESSIUNCULUM — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 10:14 am

Corriere della Sera’s Luigi Accatoli has an article about the possibility of Pope Benedict celebrating Mass in the Basilica of St. Peter with the extraordinary use of the Roman Rite he derestricted with Summorum Pontificum.

Accatoli raises the interesting question of what would be done to substitute the old papal courtiers, abolished by Paul VI. 

Here are a couple excerpts (in my translation):

No Pontiff has usd the old Missal for 40 years: it could happen on 2 December

Luigi Accattoli

CITTÀ DEL VATICANO – A new direction for culture and rites in the Vatican: Yesterday the Pope nominated Giovanni Maria Vian director of L’Osservatore Romano and consecrated as bishop the Milanese priset Gianfranco Ravasi who will have the role of "minister of culture"; in the next few days there is awaited the nomination of the new "master of ceremonies" to replace Archbishop Piero Marini. After the arrival of the new master of ceremonies it is "probable" that the Pope will celebrate a Mass with the old rite, in St. Peter’s, obviously entirely in Latin: it could happen in 2 December, the first Sunday of Advent.

...
Nothing precise is known about the Pope’s intention to give bishops an "example" of his own choice to use the older rite, byeond the reception of requests of the faithful, as the Motu Proprio he published in July provides. The rumor is circulating both on the lips of those who hope in such a gesture, which says that he would definitively clear "through customs" the old Missal which is still encountering resistance in spite of the recent derestriction; and also among those who fear that the Pope is making the gesture because it would be "another step away from the Council".

"Right now it’s only a rumor", says a monsignor who is neither for or against it, "but everyone is talking about it around here and I believe he is going to do it even if he risks stirring up some polemics, because Catholics who are less than 50 years old have never seen a Pope celebrate Mass with his back to the people and speaking the ‘Eucharistic Prayer’ in a low voice." In the meantime, the ‘court’ which accompanied the Pope in these celebrations was abolished and I really want to see how an old papal Mass would be carried out today!"
....

 

[Frank Sheed]

Totally awesome!

[Frank Sheed]

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[maryz]

what would be done to substitute the old papal courtiers

Not being a real papal Mass maven, I can only ask: Who are the papal courtiers? What did they do? What did they look like? Does it take long years of training or -- if they'd be necessary -- can someone be brought up to speed relatively quickly should the Pope want to revive the -- I'm not sure what to call it -- office? position?

[Mike Fieschko]

Who are the papal courtiers? What did they do? What did they look like?

One task of theirs was to carry the flabella (the pole with the ostrich feathers):

[RobbyS]

This kind of thing, I think, originated with the Byzantine court. Those guys REALLY knew howe to put on a good show.

[maryz]

Well, that sounds like a skill someone could master in a matter of minutes! No problem, then! ;-)

[ELS]

There was a discussion a while back on the New Liturgical Movement blog about a Papal Mass using the Missal of 1962. The consensus seemed to be given that the papal court and other things had been eliminated that a full-blown Papal Mass like they used to be probably wouldn’t happen (those types of Masses only happened two or three times a year, anyway). However, they described a Mass with the Pope attending, but not the celebrant. It will be interesting to see which route he decides to take. My guess is it will be a Solemn Pontifical Mass as any bishop would celebrate with some extra flourishes due his office.

[maryz]

You mean with the Pope as celebrant? I hope so! The discussion on Fr. Z’s blog included a comment that he could just say a Solemn Pontifical Mass rather than a full-blown Papal Mass — who could say him nay?

[ELS]

You mean with the Pope as celebrant?

Yes, that is what I meant in my last sentence - My guess is it will be a Solemn Pontifical Mass as any bishop would celebrate with some extra flourishes due his office.

Here is a photo from a full-blown Papal Mass:

In case the photo doesn't appear: Go here

[maryz]

Thanks! So many guys on the altar all over the place that to the uninitiated, it looks disorganized -- LOL! probably just an impression because it's a still!