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The Australian: Pope rejects WYD chasuble design
Here is an interesting story from The Australian sent by kind reader:
Also, I suspect that if anyone was the point man for the rejection, it was Mons. Guido Marini.THE Pope has decided he will not wear the vestments specially designed for World Youth Day and billed as "chic clergy couture" on the WYD website.
The "earthy-red" coloured vestments feature the Southern Cross constellation on the front and an indigenous feature titled "Marjorie’s Bird" on the back. [So, they offered the Pope the bird.]
The snub [why must it be called a snub?] may be the first of many in the clash of cultures between the liturgically and theologically conservative Pope Benedict XVI and the exuberance of the youth day. [Note the false conflict. How do "conservative" and "exuberance" conflict? The writer is clearly confused.]
Held over six days in Sydney in July, the day has a strong youth festival element, including music, performing arts, visual art exhibitions, debate, [?] film, community gatherings, street performers, workshops and a vocations expo. But Tracey Rowland, author of a recently published book about the Pope titled Ratzinger’s Faith, said Benedict was totally opposed to what he called "utility" music in the liturgy. [What is going on here. The idea of "utility music", or music having a utilitarian function in liturgy is contrary the the nature of liturgical action and active participation in the deepest sense. Sacred music cannot be seen as merely "useful", as in useful to get people sing, get people involved. Sacred music is really prayer. It is pars integrans, an integral and integrating part of liturgy. It is liturgy. When you have the correct view of active participation as being first and foremost interior receptivity to what is being offered by the Actor of the sacred action, your choices in sacred music follow suit. For this reason, I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually we don’t see – rather hear – changes in the direction of the Sistine Chapel choir.]
The Pope believes applause in church "was completely liturgically wrong", Dr Rowland said. [He won’t be rigid about this, because of his experience of Italy. But this is essentially true. He would not favor it. But he would never put things in such brutal terms as the writer did.]
Dr Rowland said she had not seen the WYD vestments, but the Pope would think it was very important that any symbols featured on the clothing were "explicitly and unequivocally Christian". [Gosh! imagine that as being a criterion for sacred vestments intend for Holy Mass to be worn by the Vicar of Christ. Let’s get some perspective!]
WYD spokesman Jim Hanna said he had not heard of any difficulties arising from the Pope’s conservative preferences. "I have seen no evidence of controversy brewing about the liturgy," he said.
"We are in regular contact with the bishops’ conferences in most of the main countries – we check the numbers they give us all the time," he said. "What they’re telling us at the moment is that the number of 125,000 is about right."
“chic clergy couture?” I must have missed that show in Milan last Fall.
Comment by Cathy_of_Alex — 12 April 2008 @ 1:39 pm“The Pope believes applause in church “was completely liturgically wrong”, Dr Rowland said.”
But I’ve watched Papal Masses during which His Holiness, immediately following Holy Communion, addressed groups in various languages.
Pope Benedict XVI then paused to allow each group to applaud, laugh, wave to Vatican TV cameras…sway…hold up banners…
P.S. I am certain that somebody will accuse me of having bashed the Pope. I simply posted that which I observed during a Mass offered by Pope Benedict XVI. His Holiness welcomed applause during Mass.
Comment by Tom — 12 April 2008 @ 1:46 pm“It is pars integrans, and integral and integrating part of liturgy. It is liturgy.” So how does the “The Spirit is A-Movin” and Amy Grant intergrate the liturgy and develop the proper disposition for receptivity of the Sacred Mysteries of the Faith? Well, they don’t, so why do we keep hearing them at Mass anywhere at anytime. (OK, well maybe they don’t play “The Spirit is A-Movin” any more….)
Luis
Comment by Luis — 12 April 2008 @ 1:52 pmhmmmm, maybe a TLM being offered? :)
Comment by Joe of St. ThĂ©rèse — 12 April 2008 @ 3:24 pmThe vestments in the photos look pretty pedestrian to me, particularly in light of the vestiture His Holiness has been sporting lately. At the end of the day, what the Pope wears is truly up to him and if anyone is “offended” (the most serious sin in lefty-world, far worse than adultery or abortion), too bad. Tom
Comment by TJM — 12 April 2008 @ 3:57 pmUm… I think you’re misunderstanding what you’ve seen. That’s usually not “after Communion”. It’s “after Mass”, during the Angelus address, that our Holy Father usually acknowledges visiting groups. (And they go a lot crazier during audiences than during the Angelus talks.)
Comment by Maureen — 12 April 2008 @ 5:15 pm“ChiC” clergy couture?????????
Comment by Dob — 12 April 2008 @ 7:18 pmSomeone has mistyped some consonants surely.
It’s time Fr. Z publish a weekly editorial in secular newspapers, because these fisks are spot on.
Comment by LCB — 12 April 2008 @ 7:19 pmFirst, please let me say that the two priests shown wearing the vestments, as well as Dr Tracey Rowland, are all known to me personally. The priests are young, vibrant, dignified captains of the Church who are often seen around and about St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney wearing at least the collar. Dr Rowland took doctoral studies under Sydney’s famous auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, who is also the Australian coordinator and director for World Youth Day preparations.
With that lengthy introduction aside, I have to say I was surprised to see Frs Liem and Michael wearing these chasubles. I’m used to them wearing the lavishly rich attire of the St Mary’s sacristy. At least these chasubles have weight and dignity on their side, and I think their simplicity is justified by the fact that they are intended to be worn by concelebrants. The chasuble of the Pope, as celebrant, would be expectably more intricate (and since we haven’t seen it, commenting on the examples above wouldn’t really be meaningful). I may be biased by my Australian upbringing (to staunch Philippine-Spanish parents) but I do like the reappropriation of the Southern Cross as a truly and uniquely Christian expression of Australian identity. The use of Aboriginal style art to present Christian themes is quite popular here, and can be successful to a varying degree – it is certainly pivotal in the practice of the faith amongst indigenous Australians (such as in the vast, isolated plains). It can also be hideous or patently a-Christian, like the stole of a certain liberal priest I have the displeasure of knowing. Nevertheless, as with most liturgical things I expect these vestments will look either better or worse when seen in the flesh.
Comment by Anthony OPL — 12 April 2008 @ 9:01 pmWhoops! I also forgot to mention that while the mainstream media is almost universally hostile to the Church here in Australia, the Australian is generally far more balanced. Notice how there is only one and a half points of actual contention with the author of the article in Fr Z’s fisk – the rest of the red is commentary on quotes from Dr Rowland (granted she has probably only seen the most “controversial” comments printed, but the point stands). I have actually attended an address at the 2007 Australian Catholic Students’ Association (ACSA) National Congress delivered by a married pair of journalists for the Australian who consistently present balanced, well researched commentary and reporting consistent with Catholic principles and practice. Unfortunately even the Australian (our only national, daily newspaper) has some entrenched hostility but it is generally of a much lower degree than the “intellectualist” left-wing standard-bearers such as the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Comment by Anthony OPL — 12 April 2008 @ 9:24 pmTom wrote:
“But I’ve watched Papal Masses during which His Holiness, immediately following Holy Communion, addressed groups in various languages.
Pope Benedict XVI then paused to allow each group to applaud, laugh, wave to Vatican TV cameras…sway…hold up banners…
P.S. I am certain that somebo