ON SET OF THE PASSION, IT WAS MASS THE OLD WAY

Spirit Daily ^ | March 5, 2004 | Spirit Daily

[Maximilian]

During the filming of the now-famous movie, The Passion of the Christ, Mass was held at 7:30 each morning in a converted office at Cinema City at the east side of Rome (when filming was there), and presiding for much of the time was Father Stephen F. Somerville of Queensville, Ontario, near Toronto, who has detailed the fashion in which Mel Gibson prepared spiritually for the shooting -- confirming Gibson's taste for the pre-Vatican II liturgy.

"I said Mass for seven weeks of the filming," Father Somerville told Spirit Daily. "It was the old Latin Mass, the traditional Latin Mass -- not the new Mass in Latin. It was the old Catholic Mass that was used until the 1960s."

Father Somerville -- who, though traditionalist, technically remains under the jurisdiction of the Toronto archbishop -- said that many of those working on the movie couldn't make Mass because they had to apply make-up. "So we just had a small group of people, five or six on the average, and Jim Caviezel often came, but he particularly had to go for a long siege with the make-up artists, so sometimes I would give him Communion with a Host reserved from Mass," says the priest. "We converted a small room into a chapel. We improvised a decent-looking altar, and Mel sent somebody out to buy everything we needed -- vestments, nice candles. There were a few chairs and a sofa and there it was. Mel knelt on his knees on the floor behind me and answered the prayers in perfect Latin."

At times Caviezel would attend Father Somerville's Mass in full costume before the day's shoot -- though not during the bloody scourging scenes.

About 25 square feet in size, the tiny chapel had a few chairs and a simple wooden table raised against one wall to act as an altar. Above the table, the wall was decorated with various religious ornaments, including a picture of the Virgin Mary. Father Somerville had previously noted that he always began and ended Mass with a hymn, something that Gibson, joining in with his monotone, seemed to enjoy.

Somerville said he was there for the trial scenes. He didn't note any miracles, but emotions flowed. "There were some moments of strong feeling on the set," he recalls. "I was there for the scourging."

Asked about the role of German mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich -- who some have tried to downplay as an influence -- Father Somerville said that Gibson "made practical use of Emmerich in the movie. A lot of the details that you see visually in the movie are in the Emmerich book."

Father Somerville says that Gibson is "more of an extremist traditionalist Catholic than I am. He's not as hard-line as his father, but nevertheless," adding: "Many films about Christ have been made. But this one was made by a master actor and director with profound Christian conviction."

Somerville said that he "has become a traditionalist priest" though he is now retired and doesn't have a church. He met Gibson's father Hutton while filling in for a traditionalist priest at St. Jude's Shrine in Stafford, Texas, near Houston, where Hutton was living. When asked if he was loyal to Rome, Father Somerville said he is "loyal to Rome but I'm loyal to the Rome of all time, not just the Rome of right now. John Paul is the Pope and I respect him, but I disagree with many things that he is teaching."

In October of 2002 a letter by Father Somerville renouncing liturgical reform was posted by the St. Pius X Society. The Society is associated with a schismatic bishop, Marcel Lefebvre, and suppressed by the Vatican. Lefebvre was excommunicated for illicitly consecrating priests, but since then there have been attempts at reconciliation.

[ninenot]

Is the token Prot Dr. Steve?

Yes.

Who is the Minister of Sporting Life?

Girl Shortstop, DUHHHH!

The Minister of Medicine?

CatholicFamilyAssociation

We are growing so fast that it is hard to keep up.

All volunteers, too. No impressments are made. Of course, no dues are paid. Makes it easier for all of us.

Pyro7480 needs a title. Please examine the foregoing posts and advise your thought.

[ninenot]

I will rely on the Ministerr of membership to issue the formal call for votes.

From your keyboard to...

Regarding the application of Pyro7480 for Membership to the TTGC, with all rights and privileges, etc., etc., and his (yet-to-be-formalized) title as Minister to the Lost, or some-such:

All in FAVOR, please vote Aye.

[ninenot]

Please submit your vote on the request for membership in the TTGC (Ladies' Auxiliary) of the not-really-Protestant AnAmericanMother (who already knows Latin and music,) with your assent granting all the usual privileges, appurtenances, and etc., etc., as per w/Pyro7480.

[GirlShortstop]

Regarding the application of Pyro7480 for Membership to the TTGC, with all rights and privileges, etc., etc., and his (yet-to-be-formalized) title as Minister to the Lost, or some-such:

All in FAVOR, please vote Aye.

<composing self after out loud laughter at post 101>...  Aye!

[ninenot]

First, you have to find a Ministry (you know, like in the AmChurch--ministry of music, ministry of the Word, ministry of nosy-biddle, ministry of Altar Babe-Ette,) etc.

THEN you will get a Title.

All the Rest of Youse, hey: P7480 and An American (soon-to be RC) are now in. For practical purposes, DrSteveJ will remain our sole token Prot.

[drstevej]

***
Is the token Prot Dr. Steve?
Yes.
***

"Token" Proddy? Man! You're talking about one who is a whisp of white smoke away from the chair of Peter if the fourth secret of Fatima is unfolded for the Pocket Fisherman.

Further, is "token" a title befitting of the one who holds the patent on the "Pope Piel Porta-Purger" and is the baron of a worldwide chain of Torquemada Inns?

http://www.geocities.com/popepiel/purger.htm

Furthermore, I am agent for a cadre of Calvinist who would add a flair to your organization. After all, it is we Calvinists who finished the "S t" (Servetus thingie).

====
Songs have been written about me that you would do well to consider when you casually call me a "token Protestant"...

Imminently Papable
by Pope Piel and the Cardinalettes
[to the tune of Simply Irresistable by Robert Palmer]

How can it be possible?
Did we miss an encyclical?
That kind of choice is heretical
He's anything but typical
He's a pope you'll endorse, he's a powerful force
You're obliged to conform, and there's no other choice
The NO used to look good to me, but now I find him
Imminently papable, imminently papable!

He's so fine, there's no tellin' where Mahoney went
He's got spine, those poofsters have to go!

Imminently papable!

[AnAmericanMother]

Thank you, I will try to live up to it.

How does "Ministry of Venery," under the patronage of St. Hubert of course, sound to you? Unless of course you think the double meaning is a bit much . . . :-D

[NeoCaveman]

BTW, you might want to look at Desdemona's post re: the new translation, shotgunned by your buddy from merry old England...Bishops Receive...

Oh great minister of membership, may I humbly submit that that your link doesn't work.

P.S. May I please submit my application... I could be minister of technology or fact checking, or something else, ahh heck I'll take anything. :-)

[NeoCaveman]

How does "Ministry of Venery," under the patronage of St. Hubert of course, sound to you? Unless of course you think the double meaning is a bit much . . . :-D

Venery the Eighth , I am, I am....LOL.

[Desdemona]

Aye.

Maybe Keeper of the Fatted Calves or something like that.

(I just got off the stage. I'm a little punchy)

[Desdemona]

I meant to ping you to #112.

[Desdemona]

So, do you cook? Arrange flowers? Garden?

We'll think of something.

[Northern Yankee]

I used to pray in Latin when I was just starting as an altar boy.

Of course I had no idea what I was saying. There is a church that celebrates the Latin Mass about 40 miles from here. I am going to make a trek up there one of these days to attend the Mass.

I usually wear a coat and tie, or a suit when going to Mass. People often remark about my habit of dressing "formally" but that was how I was raised.

Maybe I can start a trend.

[ninenot]

As to links: Membership's job description does not include HTML facility. As to membership, that's up to the Committee of the Whole. You need a few votes.

You must propose a Ministry for yourself, not already taken. Out of respect for our Token Prot (and the faint, faint, chance that he MAY be elected Pope) you cannot assume his title, nor BE's, nor may you join the Ladies' Auxiliary, (unless you are a lady, of course.)

Pinging for approval of application.

[drstevej]

***and the faint, faint, chance that he MAY be elected Pope***

Ah, faith the size of a mustard seed. That will do!

[NYer]

There is a church that celebrates the Latin Mass about 40 miles from here. I am going to make a trek up there one of these days to attend the Mass.

Do you know if this is a Catholic Church or an SSPX chapel? The only authorized Catholic Mass in Latin, is the Indult Tridentine Rite.

Latin Mass Directory

[VermiciousKnid]

Long Island is about 120 miles long (I live in the northernmost middle of the island), has about 1.5 million Catholics and 134 parishes.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre considers this to be a "wide and generous offering" of the Indult:

Sacred Heart Church
Route 25
Cutchogue NY 11935
Msgr. Alfred Soave
(516) 485-4200
3d Sun 12 noon


St. Pius X Residence Chapel
1220 Front St.
Uniondale, NY 11553
1st Sun 11 a.m.

These locations translate into drives of more than an hour each way (if I'm lucky and don't have any traffic -- and "no traffic" and "Long Island Expressway" NEVER go together, especially in the summer).


Oh, and as an aside...the St. Pius X Residence Chapel is where they warehouse the priests who have been accused of abuse.

And another thing: Don't look for this information on the diocese's website. They keep these Masses pretty well under wraps.

Regards,