Posted on 11/01/2013 5:52:18 AM PDT by BlatherNaut
It seems that on Thursday morning Pope Francis celebrated Mass ad orientem at the tomb of John Paul II. For those not hip with the Catholic jargon, this means that he said Mass facing away from the people and towards the altar/God.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
For no other reason than curiosity ... why ?
Read the article it tells you why.
I am old enough to remember before we had two altars in every Church.
Didn’t bother me then, doesn’t bother me now.
That is how it’s done: a Priest leads the People in worshiping God, not lecturing them on some moral topic. Shifts the focus in the right direction.
That is the way a Liturgy (a Mass) was conducted historically, and still followed in Orthodox Church.
CC
According to the article, he had no choice because of the way the altar is situated. He did, however, allow photographs of himself facing the altar. The conclusion drawn is that either way is fine with him - “all that matters is doctrinal orthodoxy and conducting the Mass in the right spirit”.
Was standard operating procedure before Vatican II. It was changed because facing away from the people for an hour and speaking to them in a dead language was not seen as an effective method to lead and nourish the flock.
Many traditional Catholics will be posting detailed explanations here as to why that was a mistake. The history and theology are certainly open to debate. But as a practical matter I find it hard to explain. Especially when Evangelical churches are cleaning our clock amongst the young in traditionally Catholic countries.
Practically speaking, the perception of many who prefer the Traditional Mass is that "doctrinal orthodoxy" and the "right spirit" are more easily abandoned under the Novus Ordo, and that popular appeal shouldn't be the main criterion for the liturgy if the end result is irreverence. An example: At the Vigil Mass (Novus Ordo) last night we were subjected first to the pastor leaping on the altar in a Red Sox jacket and conducting a rousing cheer accompanied by wild applause from the pews, and then to a different celebrant who cracked more jokes and delivered a feel-good "I'm O.K., You're O.K." sermon. Not a word about striving to emulate the Saints' examples. No getting around it - it was silly and trite and missed the entire point of the Holy Day. Constant exposure to such an atmosphere leads to the mistaken notion that The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a form of religious entertainment geared toward self-actualization. I've never attended a Tridentine Mass with a similar atmosphere. The rubrics don't allow it.
Good [is our] Lord, you nailed it! The Latin Mass affects one for hours and hours after it has been completed. The NO Mass (one like you mentioned) is forgotten (in a holy sense) before it is even remembered.
According to the article, he had no choice because of the way the altar is situated. He did, however, allow photographs of himself facing the altar. The conclusion drawn is that either way is fine with him - “all that matters is doctrinal orthodoxy and conducting the Mass in the right spirit”.Pleased Pope Francis allowed himself to be photographed facing the altar. Very good to see!
Ping. And I liked the fact that various posters gave explanations about the origin of the change.
Course it's none of my business by why not put the altar between the priest and the congregation...Then every one is facing the altar...
We non Catholics don't have those issues...We all just look up, toward heaven...
Ah yes, Happy Clappy Dopey Gropey.
I have only been a Catholic for three years. I want to love the Latin mass and thought it wouldn’t be difficult for me, because I studied Latin, and there’s always the Latin missal. But since I’m middle-aged and since the priest is facing away from the congregation, I can’t understand much of what he’s saying. I keep going every Sunday in the hope I’ll be able to catch a word or two, but it’s not working out too well. If the Church is trying to retain parishioners and young people or lure back those who have drifted away, having the priest speak so that they have no clue what’s going on might not be the best approach.
He could use a lav mic.
ott,
I’m sorry you are having difficulty with the TLM. May I ask whether or not you’ve asked someone to help you with following along? I have often assisted those new to the EF Mass when I see they are struggling. Perhaps you can approach someone who is more familiar with the Mass to help you keep up.
I also know that if you are attending a Low Mass it can indeed be VERY difficult to hear what is going on up on the altar. High Masses are much easier to follow, so you might want to try that if it’s possible.
As for the young people, I’m afraid I have to disagree. As the mother of two boys, ages 17 and 15, I have had the opportunity to observe the young people who attend the TLM regularly. My own sons both serve on the altar, and have done so for the past 8 years. They are not alone. In fact, the children, teens, and young adults who attend our TLM are without question THE most engaged young Catholics I’ve ever met. ALL the boys serve at the altar, and most of the girls participate in the schola that sings the Mass. They regularly spend a good chunk of their Friday night free time at Adoration (followed by movies, bowling, the pizzeria, or some other teen-friendly activity).
I personally know a half dozen boys who are seriously considering the priesthood. Both the boys and the girls are on fire for their Catholic faith, and I suspect if the TLM were more widely celebrated, more young people would become inspired as well.
Teens don’t like to be talked down to, and that’s exactly what happens at a lot of “teen-oriented” church events. In my experience, the kids look at the adults running these events as quite dorky, with their tambourines and felt banners. They long to have real responsibilities, and when given the chance, they will rise to them! I say give them some MEAT and watch them feast on it. I think they’re aching for some serious expressions of faith.
Regards,
PS: Welcome home and Congratulations on becoming a Catholic!
I grew up with the Novus Ordo and it took me years to appreciate the Latin Mass. I used to check the parish schedule in order to avoid inadvertently showing up for a Latin Mass since I considered them excessively long and boring. Over time (and too many irreverently celebrated NO Masses which bore little resemblance to the Masses I had experienced as a child or the reverent, dignified Masses celebrated by the fine military chaplains I was priviledged to know) I've done a complete 180. It seems as though an awareness of the sacredness of God is lost when the focus is primarily on the congregation. I wanted my children to understand and experience reverent liturgy so that they would have a real awareness of God's presence. Unfortunately at the NO Masses in my local parish, one could easily imagine they had wandered into a comedy club.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.