What Does The Prayer Really Say?
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The Cafeteria  says:

I shot my new Canon 1Ds Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS L lens.

At the Bonfire, Fr. Fox is picking up on the ad orientem dimension of the new reform of the liturgy Pope Benedict is using as part of his "Marshall Plan".

I was interested to see Fr. Fox speak about this on the tails of my having read Alcuin Reid’s comments here.  Whereas I have in the past made a connection between how the Pope celebrates in the Basilica as being a model for bishops, Reid made a connection between the Pope’s recent ad orientem celebration in the Sistine Chapel as a model for parishes.

Let’s look at a bit of the end of Fr. Fox’s piece here, but I want you to go there, read his piece, and spike his stats!    

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Ad Orientem

....

I was just reviewing the Missal, and it’s right there, in red print: at various points of the Mass, it notes when the priest "faces the people"; why would the Missal highlight this if, as so many assume, the Missal expects him to be facing the people throughout? Rather, what the actual rubrics of the Mass say (as opposed to what people and even priests think they say)—or, rather, don’t say—is which way the priest is facing at most of these moments, leaving the matter open. But at certain points, the priest is told he must face the people; meaning, obviously, he may—or may not—at the other times. It’s all very clear, all one has to do is actually read the Missal.

I have found it shocking and distressing that at least some folks in the pews do not consider the pope’s wishes and guidance on these matters to be of overriding importance. This came up as I have introduced a bit of Latin (my critics would not call it a "bit"—but anyone who cared to compare the ratio of Latin to English words used in our Masses here would find I am right; they are reacting to Latin per se, not to its quantity); when people asked why, I cited the Second Vatican Council and Popes Paul, John Paul II and Benedict; to which came the response, from some: who cares? One parishioner accused me of worshipping the pope.

Now, in fairness, in one homily, I said that some had told me they didn’t care about Vatican II, and that drew audible gasps from the assembly; and when I was installed as pastor, at each parish, part of the ritual is that the pastor publicly swears—on the Gospels—that he will teach and celebrate the mysteries faithfully. That was very well received. (If you have never seen that ritual, it may be because it doesn’t have to be done publicly; but in this diocese, a pastor must make this oath.) So I am confident most parishioners reject this mindset; but it’s out there.

So, this will require quite a lot of discussion and explanation—which is why I’m posting this. I know many parishioners read this and I want to get people reflecting on this.

It is necessary to say that I have no immediate plans actually to offer regularly scheduled Masses ad orientem; I think it would be best for all concerned that any change such as that be discussed, explained, and handled without too much abruptness; and given all else that is going on in our parishes, I just don’t know when the right time will be for any of that. So those who think I’m up to something, well, I’m showing my cards right now. After all, I didn’t make the pope do what he did; and when the pope acts, it means something! So I am inviting reflection on, and consideration of, what the pope is teaching us. But I do think there will come a time it would be good to try this. When, where, how? I have no idea. I am trying to proceed calmly, I hope others will observe the same approach.

Vatican Radio has a phone number to which you can send an SMS in support of Pope Benedict after La Sapienza.  They also have an e-mail.

For the SMS:

Outside Italy: +393351243317  (or also – from the USA - 01139393351243317)

E-MAIL:

105@vatiradio.va

And tell ‘em Fr. Z sent ya from WDTPRS!

If you send a message, how about posting a copy here? 

Vatican Radio has a short audio piece. 

 

From Asia News, a piece about the Sunday Angelus, "rally" called by Card. Ruini in the wake of the La Sapienza debacle in prayerful (not "political" support of Pope Benedict.

In Italy and in the world, millions tomorrow will pray the Angelus with the pope

Enthusiastic participation everywhere at the invitation from Cardinal Ruini to join the pope in the Angelus prayer tomorrow, as "a gesture of affection, serenity, and joy" after the controversy and cancellation surrounding the pope’s visit to the La Sapienza university. 150,000 are expected in Saint Peter’s square. Giant television screens will be set up to broadcast the event in Milan and many other cities. The participation of the Catholics in China.

Rome (AsiaNews) – The Angelus of Benedict XVI will be followed tomorrow by millions of people in Italy and all over the world. The idea comes from Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar of Rome, who has invited Catholics and all the Romans to come to Saint Peter’s Square tomorrow to participate in the traditional Marian prayer recited by the pontiff. The purpose is to "express closeness and affection to the pope", and to "share a moment of collective serenity and prayer" after the regretful cancellation of his visit to the university of Rome.

Benedict XVI was supposed to have gone to La Sapienza university to present the inaugural address for the academic year, in a visit scheduled for January 17. But fierce opposition from a small group of teachers and students – together with the inaction of the political and academic authorities – forced the pope to cancel the visit. Without intending to stoke the controversy, the pope in any case sent the text of his address (which AsiaNews published in its entirety; see ‘Pope tells university to seek truth and goodness instead of presumption and division’).

On January 16, when the pope’s decision was made public, a press release from vicar of Rome Cardinal Camillo Ruini, recalling "the sad events that have forced the Holy Father to cancel his visit to the Università La Sapienza", said that "the Church of Rome expresses its full and filial nearness to its bishop, the pope, and expresses the love, admiration, and gratitude for Benedict XVI that live in the heart of the people of Rome. To allow everyone to demonstrate these sentiments, I invite the faithful, but also all of the Romans, to be present in Saint Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus next January 20. It will be a gesture of affection and serenity, an expression of the joy that we feel in having Benedict XVI as our bishop and as our pope".

To those who thought that the gesture might seem to be nothing other than a proof of political power, in "L’Osservatore Romano" (on January 18) Cardinal Ruini reiterated that the Angelus "is a prayer. Therefore it is absolutely not directed against anyone, it will be a gesture of affection and serenity". If, therefore, "anyone wants to interpret this event in any other way, he will interpret in an absolutely mistaken manner".

The invitation has met with an enthusiastic response all over Italy. In Rome, 150,000 persons are expected in Saint Peter’s Square. Many more will participate in the prayer from their own cities. Big screens will display the event in many churches, to help those present pray together with the pope. In Milan, the Sunday prayer will be broadcast live on a big screen in the central square of the city’s cathedral, at the initiative of the city council.

Even in faraway China, there is widespread response to the invitation. In Hebei, the Catholics will meet in the chapel at 7 p.m. local time (noon in Rome) to pray together with the pope.

The Catholic Herald has been busy.  In addition to their piece on a new generation of solid and clear Catholics and liturgical reform and another item on Summorum Pontificum there is also an op-ed by Alcuin Reid, a very sensible fellow, about ad orientem worship.

Let’s have a look with my emphases and comments.

Benedict XVI leads the faithful in ‘looking together at the Lord’

by Dr. Alcuin Reid

"What matters is looking together at the Lord." These words, written eight years ago by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, explain a subtle but decisive liturgical reform being enacted through the personal example of Pope Benedict XVI.  [The premise here is that Benedict is actually carrying out a reform, which is no doubt correct.  Also, the very idea and the word "decisive" means he has a plan.  As I have written elsewhere, the most important dimension of Pope Benedict’s vision, his "Marshall Plan" for reinvigorating the Church from within and ad extra is liturgy.  Liturgy is the tip of the spear.]

The latest and perhaps most striking step in this reform took place on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord when, as has become customary, the Pope celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel and baptised newborn infants. As papal ceremonial goes, this is not usually a grand liturgical occasion: the Mass is in the vernacular and is largely said, not sung.

Yet it was precisely there – in perhaps as close to a parish setting as papal ceremonies often get [Ah, well done Alcuin.  I missed that point and it is very good.  The intimacy of the Sistine, and the occasion (baptizing babies of Vatican employees) was almost like a "parish" event.  Just as the Holy Father uses the Basilica to teach bishops how it is to be done, he used the chapel to teach parish priests?  An intriguing idea.  Well done.]– that the Holy Father chose to make a significant liturgical adjustment. Instead of celebrating the liturgy of the Eucharist at a temporary altar-table set up for the occasion that would have had him "facing the people" (as has often been done in recent years), at the preparation of the gifts Pope Benedict went up to the original altar of the Sistine chapel (which stands against the wall on which Michelangelo painted his Last Judgement) and celebrated "facing East" or "towards the Lord" as it were. The Pope faced in the same direction as all those present – towards the liturgical "East", towards the cross – in continuity with popes (including Pope John Paul II) and generations of the faithful before him.  [You all might have read the CNS article about ad orientem worship in which long time assistant MC Msgr. Vigano opined that the point was not that the Pope was at the main altar, and therefore everyone was facing the same direction, but that everyone was facing the Cross together.  So, one concludes after listening to Vigano, it would be better to for priest and people to be facing the Cross together, but with the Cross between them.  Ratzinger allowed for this option as clearly better than simple versus populum worship, but only as a stop gap, or transition to something better, true ad orientem worship toward the liturgical East where the Cross is.]

Let us be clear, this has nothing at all to do with the Pope’s decision that the more ancient rite of the Mass (in Latin) be available to those who wish it. No, this Mass was according to the modern Missal of Paul VI, in Italian. [I not sure this has "nothing" to do with the older Mass being derestricted.  I think they are all of a piece.  But I will stipulate.]  And that is why this occasion was so important. For in this silent gesture Pope Benedict stated once and for all that there is nothing at all wrong with using the older altars in our churches. For as he wrote in his preface to Fr Michael Lang’s book Turning Towards the Lord: "there is nothing in the [Second Vatican] Council text about turning altars towards the people."

The Holy Father’s example is not an isolated one. In his book The Spirit of the Liturgy Cardinal Ratzinger wrote "facing toward the East…was linked with the "sign of the Son of Man", with the Cross, which announces Our Lord’s Second Coming. That is why, very early on, the East was linked with the sign of the cross." And, recognising that in many places, altars "facing the people" have been set up (sometimes as the result of costly and unnecessary reordering) that make a return to celebrating the liturgy of the Eucharist facing East difficult. "Where a direct common turning toward the East is not possible, [IS NOT POSSIBLE…  This is my point, above.  Reid has quoted exactly the correct text.] the cross can serve as the interior ‘East’ of faith. It should stand in the middle of the altar and be the common point of focus for both priest and praying community."

This is what Pope Benedict has done: the cross is now at the centre of the papal altar in St Peter’s Basilica (which faces East in any case), as well as at the freestanding modern altar behind it that replaced the old altar of the Chair. [Where the Pope has also been showing Bishops what to do.] He has even adopted this rule when celebrating outside the Vatican – as seen in his Advent Mass in the thoroughly modern chapel at the Knights of Malta hospital in Rome .

Here in England those few priests with the courage to take Cardinal Ratzinger’s words seriously and return to the use of what we call "the high altar" in their churches have been misunderstood or even ridiculed by clergy and laity. Some have been upbraided for doing so by their superiors.  [I have personal experience of this.  I had the temerity once to use the altar in the correct direction at a place I was, and the price was costly.  The church had been built at the time of the liturgical reforms, so it was still liturgically correct insofar as the altar was concerned.  It was a free standing table altar, but the altar stone was embedded on the congregation’s side, not the side below the massive and beautiful Crucifix (above the tabernacle in the center) which dominated the Sanctuary.  Clearly one could physically use that altar from either side, but it was intended to be used ad orientem, toward the Crufifix and the tabernacle.  Most people loved it, many barely cared, and a few aging hippies freaked out and cause me enduring pain as a result.  But I digress…]

This is undoubtedly due to the erroneous impression that "facing the people" is a mandatory part of the modern liturgy. [But that is fading, I believe.] Well, now the Holy Father – in his customarily humble way – has definitively shown us that it is not. Indeed, he has shown us that facing East where that is all that is possible, or indeed facing the cross – which is possible everywhere, [Well said.] can and ought to be very much a part of the modern liturgy, for "a common turning to the East during the Eucharistic Prayer remains essential. This is not a case of accidentals, but of essentials. Looking at the priest has no importance. [Amen.] What matters is looking together at the Lord."