Saturday, November 3, 2012

Immemorial Usus Antiquior at St. John Lateran


8 comments:

  1. A curious photo. If it is us.ant. why are all the bishops in chasubles as if at a concelebration? And who is the celebrant that the other bishops are in gold rather than simple mitres?

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  2. It's Holy Thursdy at St. John Lateran. The Altar Cross and Crucifix on the credence table are covered with white veils. Also, back in those days it wasnt often, only sometimes, the Pope would visit St. John Lateran and one of those times was Holy Thursday for a Liturgy of this grandeur. And the Pope is sitting under the Baldicchino, he's the celebrant. The gold cloth mitres are the simple mitres. The precious mitres are encrusted with gold lining and jewels and rubys and usually some work of art. And there are twelve bishops, maybe representing the twelve Apostles for Holy Thursday. Maybe its the washing of feet. It usually took place outside of Mass. So Maybe Mass has not begun yet in the photo. And in Solemn Papal Litugies Cardinal priests ivolved in the Liturgy, and not sitting in choir, wore chasubles no matter what. Maybe they're members of the Curia. Every member in the Curia had a role in the Solemn Papal Mass and vested according to rank, Cardinal Deacon, Cardinal Priest, Cardinal Bishop. Im not a Papal Liturgist. So, Im not sure. That's what the photo appears to be.

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  3. It is when Ottaviani was finally consecrated bishop. John XXIII was the principal consecrator. This spirituality is spelled R-I-S-K. Because it is other-worldly. The power and the dynamism of the Gregorian Rite comes when you are ready to get off the lazyboy. Worthy liturgy must make up the life of the disciple. Men in the West have a major disconnect between what they say about their faith and how they live it. This splendid liturgy of the Latin Rite does not allow clergy or faithful to live a practical liturgical stupidity. The one thing the devil does not want to happen is for Catholic men to discover the power that's inside the ancient liturgy of our fathers, because when that happens it's game over.

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  4. I was gonna say...this looks like an episcopal consecration to me

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  5. It is an episcopal consecration (of 12 bishops). This is near the end of the liturgy when the new bishops have all been enthroned. They will soon bid "ad multos annos" thrice each to their consecrating bishop.

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  6. It is interesting to see that people in the nave are in an antiphonal arrangement. ie not facing towards the altar.

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  7. Yes, it is undoubtedly an episcopal consecration. However, I find it peculiar that the crosses are veiled. IS it on Holy Thursday??? It would seem very odd indeed to hold ordinations on Holy Thursday. In the ancient rite it is permissible and proper to hold ordinations on Holy SATURDAY, but Thursday? It just seems odd.

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  8. Note the altar is arranged so that the celebrating prelate faces east, which happens to be toward the nave in this most ancient basilica.

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