You decide

And exercise in contrasts:

[wp_youtube]rh_nqtp3VrU[/wp_youtube]

And then there was this:

UPDATE:

And in Los Angeles this year, 2011, at the Three Day so Darkness Conference… er um… Education Conference.   No hotel meeting room, like the “liturgy” at the top.

Is this the progressivist/liberal version of the Papal Mass from 1942?

All that “liturgy” ought to be?

The very apotheosis of their worship aspirations?

[wp_youtube]YL9tmkBS9K0[/wp_youtube]

To my mind, the mishmash of languages and musical styles didn’t manifest our unity.  On the contrary, it underscored our divisions.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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59 Comments

  1. Pachomius says:

    Fr, I can’t help feel you’re comparing the worst of one with the best of the other. There are reverently-celebrated Novus Ordo masses, for example: http://www.downside.co.uk/School/images/sacremental_worship_top.jpg

  2. PghCath says:

    As an adult, I find the puppets and clowns repulsive. As a child, I probably would have found them frightening. The authors of these charades know nothing about children or liturgy.

  3. Henry Edwards says:

    Pachomius: Fr, I can’t help feel you’re comparing the worst of one with the best of the other.

    A comparison whose pertinence may be suggested in a point made by Martin Mosebach in The Heresy of Formlessness. Paraphrasing as I recall it:

    The weakness of the ordinary form lies in the fact that, with sufficient effort, it can be celebrated well. The strength of the extraordinary form lies in the fact that, with sufficient effort, it can be celebrated poorly.

  4. Fr. William says:

    This goes way beyond muppets, puppets, and all the other garbage that one sees. Listen to the opening song — “sing a new church into being, one in faith and love and praise”. How rerehensible. I had to listen to this (I refused to sing it in any way shape or form) in the seminary I had to attend. Give me, at the very least, proper orientation (ad orientem or versus deum) so that the faithful are not mislead and mis-oriented concerning the Mass and the work of God that is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

  5. jorgepreble says:

    But it’s for the kids!!!

  6. Fr. William says:

    My most sincere apologies: in a moment of horrific flashback to the seminary I made a most grievous error — versus Deum!

  7. ipadre says:

    The first video is creative – pagan, self worship.

  8. rayrondini says:

    @Pachomius – I think a big part of the point is that, because of all the… “options”… within the current liturgy, people/priests are free to be… “inventive”… and thus the possibility of the “worst” even exists. Fr. Z is a huge advocate of the properly celebrated NO, probably as much as he is of the TLM, so no one is denying that the NO can be celebrated reverently or well. Just that “options” can easily lead to disaster.

  9. What really saddens me here is seeing that the celebrant of the Puppet CTA Mass is Remi de Roo, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Victoria, BC Canada. We met once and I found him to be a very gentle and kind man, but by far the most liberal bishop ever. What bothers me is that he took part in Vatican II and apparently has a great nostalgia for the council, but he embraced and implemented the so-called “Spirit” of the event rather than what it actually stated. Perhaps this would be why he takes part in such events like this, for CTA is what the “Spirit” crowd desires, but what we are getting steadily in the Church today is what the council actually wanted. More Catholics desire the latter and time is on this side of things.

  10. gc5341 says:

    Thank you Father for bringing this abominable attempt at Mass. I lost count at the number of liturgical abuses made during this so called mass. The priest who presided over this satanically inspired disgrace must be held accountable because the souls of those who follow his lead are in terrible jeopardy of being lost. Hopefully, this priest was disciplined for his evil action of allowing that irreverent anti-Christian Mass. Listen to the songs and the message these people want a “new church.” Well, I have news for them, they will not get a “new church” because they are up against Jesus Christ and in the end as we all know Jesus prevails over evil. May God have mercy on their souls for they know not what they do. [I sense a measure of disapprobation in your comment.]

  11. irishgirl says:

    I didn’t watch the first video-it would have aggravated me beyond measure.
    But I did see the second-that gave me chills of joy! To think that so many people attended that Mass at St. Peter’s in the midst of a war is awesome!

  12. BaedaBenedictus says:

    Has Bishop Remi De Roo, the “celebrant” of the above “liturgy”, ever been censured? My Lord, he even has a website where he touts himself as one of the Fathers of Vatican II (yes, he was a bishop at the Council) and his rather novel (and noxious) interpretation of it. He travels about, peddling his poison as a Catholic bishop and celebrating scandalous “liturgies” like seen above. [I guess that’s a “no” vote, then.]

    I think Rome has come to the conclusion that there are so many heretics in the ranks that it is just easier to wait till they die off. [What I call the “biological solution”.] I think only then can the re-evangelization really get going, when the cacophony of ideas branded as “Catholic” by the Church’s own ministers passes away and the authentic Catholic Faith can be unambiguously presented to the outside world without mass confusion and dissension.

    A smaller Church but one with a clear message, as Cardinal Ratzinger liked to say. No more “liberal” and “conservative” Catholics, but instead “Catholics” and “non-Catholics.” Please God, may we have that again.

  13. gloriainexcelsis says:

    First I watched the holy Pope Pius XII with tears in my eyes. This was during WWII, and look at the crowds. Look at all the women with heads covered. Watch the Pope at the consecration. I have fond memories of him and pray for his eventual canonization. Then I attempted to watch the abomination above, also with tears. I had to terminate that viewing quickly.

  14. Fr Matthew says:

    Good grief! That puppet dance extravaganza is ugly and absurd for Mass (and just plain silly in any context, I’d say). I didn’t watch all of it, but enough to turn my stomach. No wonder there are so many ex-Catholics in the world, if they were exposed to things like that and thought that it was the future of the Church…

  15. BaedaBenedictus says:

    Father, didn’t you find it funny that the homily was a reading of one of Sr. Joan Chittister’s books? The Magisterium of Nuns at work. [Indeed!]

  16. Fr. Basil says:

    There were liturgical abuses back in the good old days before Vatican II, but they were of a different kind. These included rushed prayers and omitted parts, such as verses of Dies irae at Requiems.

    And really, Fr. Z, to compare the worst of one with the best of the other is unworthy of you. [Unworthy of me? ROFL! Piffle.] Rad trads just outside the Church have indulged in this trick for ages.

  17. Hieronymus says:

    @Pachomius and Fr. Basil —

    The NOM has perpetuated a culture where the top example is possible — and in fact, negative examples are far more numerous than the ever elusive “reverently celebrated” N.O.M. The requirements placed on the priest in the NOM leave room for an incredibly wide range of experiences, not excluding things we on this site would likely agree are positively wretched.

    On the other hand, while the bottom example is, indeed, the highest of the high masses, it is thoroughly in line with the experience anyone would have at any solemn high mass offered by the Institute of Christ the King or Fraternity of St. Peter.

    Is it not striking that the most the enemies of the traditional mass can come up with is the vague story line that priests mumbled their way through the Mass with his back to the people? People in the average parish now could only dream of having such a reverent experience of the mass! [Good points.]

  18. Sixupman says:

    Msgr. Perle referred to certain Masses as being invalid, relative to Linz and other European offerings, clearly this would fall into the same category.

    What I find puzzling is that much of the congregation are of a similar age to myself, how is it that they have been enticed to succumb to such rubbish?

    Further the building appears to be some sort of hall and not a church, with no appearance of being Catholic at all – perhaps that was just as well.

  19. Brooklyn says:

    Fr. Basil, what is pictured here may be among the very worst, but it is, unfortunately not very rare. In case you didn’t see it from a previous post, here is a link to a Mass that took place in Los Angeles just a couple of weeks ago at the Religious Education Congress, which was concelebrated by bishops from all over the world, including an Eastern Orthodox bishop. It is a travesty. It is interesting that the comment section on Youtube is turned off.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL9tmkBS9K0

  20. dcs says:

    I think most people who are regularly subjected to the abuses of the Novus ordo would welcome — or, at least, gleefully tolerate — the sort of liturgical abuses that were common in the traditional Mass. Of course there will always be some who take scandal at the distance between Father’s hands in the orans position….

  21. Nathan says:

    The contrast between the two is extreme, and Father Z, I’m sure making your point (as have all of the comparisons you’ve made in this series of posts). I have trouble thinking that any regular readers of this blog would find the first example preferable to the second.

    There is, though, what seems to be a large body of people who have been so poorly formed in the Faith, or deceived, or led to error, who would deliberately and consistently choose the puppets over the Solemn Papal Mass. I’ve wondered for a long time why any Catholic would choose the thin gruel over the sumptious feast, and the only explanations I can come to are 1)the happy-clappy is what they’ve learned from an early age, 2) some people are very uncomfortable in a traditional liturgy because it emphasizes the majesty of God and makes them feel unworthy, and 3) participation in a traditional liturgy takes effort, and they would rather go to Mass where they do not have to. Often times those who subscribe to the third explanation use the code words “it’s more welcoming” to mean “I don’t have to make an effort or think about my faith there.”

    One of the truly frustrating parts over the years about being devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass, or even to “say the black/do the red” in the Novus Ordo is the widespread reaction of people you try to convince why that devotion is necessary: “Your arguments are correct, and I can’t argue against them, but you should continue to support liturgical abuse and/or a liturgy with less Catholic clarity because I’m comfortable with it.”

    In Christ,

  22. BaedaBenedictus says:

    I remember seeing the top clip with a group of Knights of Columbus brothers. We all spontaneously burst out laughing at the end when His Excellency gave the final blessing: “May we bless ourselves in the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier.”

    Sometimes you can’t help but laugh at such silliness, sad as it is.

    As for the bottom video—wow, wow, wow. It was downright Magisterial (in contrast to the “Magisterium of Nuns” above it).

    I love the way Italians sound when they speak Latin. It just fits. I have a clip of Ven. Pius XII saying the Pater Noster—just marvelous.

  23. marija says:

    I watched the first minute or two of the first with my boys, 11 and 10 years of age. Their questions and statements were immediate:
    Is that really a Catholic Church?
    What is with the puppets?
    Was this a joke?
    The choir is really bad.
    Why are they dancing like that?
    Why are the puppets on the altar?
    Where is the crucified Jesus?

    The second Mass:
    Cool candles!
    Great procession, look at all of those people.
    What a wonderful church!

  24. benedetta says:

    I see that in the first one, where everything is up for grabs in the way “to do liturgy”, I was surprised to see they went with altar linen. Nice touch. Also inexplicable was that the celebrant chose a traditional approach to processing in, whereas I would have thought he would have gone with a two-step, a shuffle, or other silly walk. In the beginning it is not clear that the congregation is actively participating, it’s hard to know from the looks on their faces. However later in the video when they all clap in unison to the beat and accede to the one-clap limit dictated by the homilist it seems that they are in fact responding. Still, it’s hard to know what will all the distraction whether any praying is going on. I don’t really get why you can have pita bread and wine in crystal but you can’t have the celebrant boogie on up the “aisle” or explore the space a bit with the others. Seems a bit confining and sets a demeaning tone towards the celebrant who should have every right, if he celebrates the Eucharist with pita bread, lets a lay person deliver his homily, etc etc etc to also dance the night away. Do we really want to say, we all can dance, walk around with giant puppet heads for no apparent reason, clap and groove, but, you Father, must stay over there in your vestments and pita?? Here all along I thought that we were church…

  25. traditionalorganist says:

    Regarding the uneducation conference, is that Archbishop Gomez? He’s allowing that? I know the practice is to not offend anyone, but come on! I’d draw a line in the sand, but I’m not a bishop. I will pray for him. He’s got a lot on his plate for sure. Perhaps next year’s conference will be different, if there is one at all.

  26. benedetta says:

    Also shouldn’t they have arranged the chairs in the conference center, “in the round”, what kind of top-down message of church does that arrangement send? Surely they don’t intend the message that we are to stare at the back of one another’s heads incessantly. No we are supposed to blink at each other. And, is this an aarp gathering or something? Do these people discriminate against those who dye their hair? I’m so confused…

  27. benedetta says:

    With the third procession, so far as I can make out, it’s a mortification theme. See the frozen smiles, no complaint, of the dancers gripping the flaming bowls of incense. See the terrified congregation gripped with worry that they will singe or literally burn their fingers off. Speculate about what might happen if the bowl dropped. Feel ready to jump and wonder about preparedness to call 911, where a there might be a fire extinguisher. Try to remember to pray and praise the Almighty nonetheless. Wait patiently for it to be over.

  28. Warren says:

    Well, as one Victorian who had to endure our former Bishop’s enneagram-based homilies, as well as one who worked for the Diocese for a number of years and who witnessed many good Catholics practically driven out of the Church by the nonsense (read “sin”) promoted by those then in Bishop De Roo’s magic circle that led, for example, to the Diocese being on the hook for millions of wasted dollars, legal battles… and one who, having had to sit through liturgies that differed little from the pagan crap we see in the video, I can say ‘thank God’ those days are largely over. Bishop Remi is the perfect example of a robust intellect seriously misused. Sadly, he saw/sees nothing wrong with the liturgical abuses that occurred under his watch. How could he? Like all “progressive” Catholics, his ego trumps the Magisterium of the Church and blinds him to all else but the agenda of moulding the rest of us into the image of the ‘spirit of Vatican II’.

  29. amenamen says:

    Conversations at the Sign of Peace, overheard?
    Woodstock was just like this. No, really. You had to be there. You were there, too? Yes, we were a lot younger then. No, we never had any kids either. The music was unforgettable. It is much nicer to be inside, out of the rain, though. And sober. Don’t you wish we could recapture those days? Woodstock was way bigger than this.

  30. Random Friar says:

    Priests can and do mumble through the prayers and rush through the Novus Ordo liturgy, NOW, not just in preconciliar times. I feel that part of it is that we no longer treat the church as sacred space. It’s a bunch of introductions, musicians prepping for a half-hour, and lots of glad-handing.

    I had a priest complain that there was a young girl chewing gum and talking on the cell phone before Mass (by the ladies’ room). I thought to myself, “Why wouldn’t she think it’s ok, if we treat this place as a “gathering space” instead of a house of prayer? She’s hearing the same kind of music as she does outside, we’re clapping along, and so forth.” If we could restore quiet to the church, even or especially outside of Mass (leaving all the social mingling outside), I think reverential prayer and a respectful and profound joy would naturally follow.

  31. Denis says:

    Weren’t things supposed to improve in LA after Mahony, with Archbishop Gomez?

    For anyone who thinks these are unfair comparisons, the LA congress Mass is hardly an unusual, freak event. It’s a mainstream interpretation of how the Novus Ordo should be celebrated–indeed, it is quite a typical OF Mass. They aren’t breaking any rules. It really is true that one must make an extraordinary effort to celebrate the ordinary form in a traditionally Catholic way; salvaging the OF seems, more and more, like an impossible task.

  32. Denis says:

    The Mariachi responsorial psalm was a nice touch. Did they use special lenten mutes on the trumpets, just to make things a little more penitential?

  33. Mike says:

    High five! My friend was the one who snagged that CTA video off its website before it was scrubbed and put it on youtube. 78k views!

  34. Someone mentioned an Eastern Orthodox bishop was present. Which one? None that i know of.

  35. annieoakley says:

    Compare and Contrast:

    The number of bowed heads during the run-up to the Consecration at Pope Pius XII’s Mass versus the number of bowed heads during the run-up to the Consecration at the upcoming Sunday Mass you attend.

  36. Frank Doyle says:

    For those who may be interested, the Mass offered by Pius XII was for the 25th anniversary
    of his consecration as a bishop. He was consecrated bishop by Benedict XV in the Sistine Chapel
    on May 13, 1917. The same day Our Lady first appeared at Fatima.

  37. Maria says:

    Arrrrrgh!!!!!

  38. MichaelJ says:

    Most everone seems to agree that the NO Mass can be celebrated reverently, solemly and with the decorum worthy of Our Lord. Doesn’t anyone else wonder why this is so rarely found?
    I think it is wonderful that there is a reverently celebrated NO Mass in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, England, but this does me no good over here in the States. Honestly, when only a handful (relatively speaking) of Masses worldwide can be found that celebrate the NO Mass as it should be celebrated, the battle is lost.
    When the vast majority of NO Masses are improperly, irreverently and poorly celebrated, I do not see how anyone can avoid the conclusion that there is something inherently wrong with the rubricks of the Mass itself

  39. amenamen says:

    Stopped into a church I passed along the way

    (“It’s a mainstream interpretation of how the Novus Ordo should be celebrated–indeed, it is quite a typical OF Mass. They aren’t breaking any rules.”)

    No. They are breaking a lot of rules. Dancing is forbidden at Mass. Baskets and glass vessels should not be used as ciboria. The Precious Blood may not be poured from one container/flagon to another after it is consecrated. Concelebrating priests should wear chasubles. Deacons should wear dalmatics. Priests should not leave the sanctuary to give the Sign of Peace. The “Lamb of God” may not be replaced with other titles for Christ (Bread of Life/Pan de Vida). Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may not replace the priests who are concelebrating. Just to make a few observations of things that were caught on camera.

    The choice of music, and the style of “performance” by the soloists and the jazz ensemble, were not in the “spirit of the Roman Rite,” even if not explicitly forbidden. Many other liturgical decisions, such as the placement of the altar on a platform well below the level of the episcopal throne, did not help. I wonder if the 8 minute toastmaster speech, at the time for announcements after Communion, served any purpose at all.

    But, unfortunately, many people do see this kind of celebration as typical, or even as an ideal to be imitated. It will be an uphill battle, but give the new archbishop a little time. His own personal reverent demeanor was obvious during Mass.

  40. Centristian says:

    A question about the Mass celebrated in the video by Pope Pius XII: why was it not a pontifical Mass?

    In this video, the pope arrived in St. Peter’s not in pontificals but in cassock, rochet, mozzetta, and stole. He did not then change into pontificals, either, nor did he celebrate pontifically. It looks like he’s either celebrating a Missa Cantata or a Low Mass (I didn’t have the volume on, sorry). I was under the impression that a pope would only ever celebrate Mass pontifically at the high altar of St. Peter’s, and that Masses of this sort would be reserved to the private chapel.

    Certainly in modern times I cannot recall coverage of a pope ever celebrating Mass at St. Peter’s except pontifically.

  41. Denis says:

    amenamen,

    Rules are meaningless if no one is ever punished for breaking them. Given the real rules of the NO–the rules as they are enforced–this NO is perfectly legal. Besides, the dancing took place at the entrance procession, before the Mass. And there is nothing–not even a formal rule–prohibiting the use of mariachi music as a setting for the responsorial psalm. All of the other items you mention–glass vessels, baskets, etc.–while important, do not affect the spirit of this liturgy. If all of those things had been remedied, this would still have been a diversity-worship event rather than something resembling the traditional Mass of the Church. Even with the coming translation changes, we will continue to see this type of worship.

  42. pvmkmyer says:

    As a parishioner in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I think we must be fair to our new Archbishop, Jose Gomez. He was installed as Archbishop just two weeks before this event, and I’m sure had nothing to do with the planning of this liturgy, which all would have been done under Cardinal Mahony and Sister Edith Prendergast, who is the driving force behind the congress. Let’s wait to see if there are any changes implemented in next year’s closing liturgy — and the entire congress for that matter. BTW, did you catch the reference to the incense bearers being referred to as “Ministers of Movement” by the narrator? That’s a new one.

  43. DisturbedMary says:

    Ugh. Lion King music! Watching the 2011 Eucharistic liturgy (is it alright if I call it a Mass?), I got to the 7:04 mark to see Archbishop Gomez clapping his hands before I stopped watching — ay caramba.

  44. As far as “WREC” Mass goes, I didn’t expect any changes year 1 into Archbishop Gomez’s reign. He didn’t look particularly happy in a few clips in the video. I expect that year 2 will be better. Though he did have the proper Miter instead of the colour matching ones from last year. To be fair, in the Masses that I’ve went to with my new Archbishop, he has used the Benedictine arrangement, and there was no pouring of the Precious Blood after the consecration or glass pitchers used. I’ve also been able to receive from him kneeling with no problem or being told to get up.

    If you want my opinion, it’s his first month as Archbishop, and to make any major changes would cause major division in the diocese. I have heard that the “indult” that was granted by Cardinal Mahony to use glass flagons and pitchers will not be renewed by our new Bishop.

  45. DisturbedMary says:

    The puppet Mass looked like an aerobics exercise class at the local nursing home. I’m old. I can say that.

  46. SonofMonica says:

    Cue: Lion King Music….

    From the day we try to save the planet
    And blinking, begin to worship the sun
    There’s more to change than can ever be changed
    More to corrupt than can ever be done
    There’s far too many priests to take in here
    More to find than can ever be found
    But the nuns rolling high
    Through the Vatican sky
    Keeps the ordained run right out of town

    It’s the Magisterium of Nuns
    And it moves us all
    Through clericalism and hope
    Through social justice
    Till we find our place
    On the path unwinding
    In the Magisterium
    The Magisterium of Nuns

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

    [If there were a video of appropriate highlights of that liturgy juxtaposed with that sequence from the movie… well… Zuhlio might have to come outta re-tire-meant.]

  47. Joseph-Mary says:

    Which one of those three prelates on the pedestals won the gold?

  48. Gabriel Austin says:

    We must be humbly grateful that we do not live in California.

  49. ejcmartin says:

    For a second there I thought someone was kneeling then I realized the altar was raised and he was just standing behind it. Recently on holiday I went to two different NO parishes a miles apart. They couldn’t be more different. The first was similar to the puppet Mass minus the puppets and the dancers. The second (any guesses why we tried another parish?) was all smells and bells, with 6 reverent young men and boys assisting at the Mass.

  50. benedetta says:

    SonofMonica, so hilarious…do you take requests? How about another one for the reggae/rastafarian number (I forget which video it’s in…it’s all a blur).

  51. benedetta says:

    Oh I finally got it, the puppets are supposed to be concelebrants! Their paddle-hands notwithstanding, they appear to be vested. I now have received “total consciousness”…

  52. Corinne says:

    Good night! I’m really sorry I watched that (the Los Angeles RE Conference extravaganza)! Goodness gracious! Great balls of fire! I can’t get that “Lion King” entrance song out of my head now. Shew wee that was awful.

  53. Young Canadian RC Male says:

    Wow, just a pitiful shame really. I can’t believe Fr. Z. you managed to track down an actual video of that puppet mass. The still picture of the puppet mas was bad, but the video was repulsive and I’m a young man in his late twenties! I really got mad at the liturgical dance and that censure!!!!! Censuring anything in the mass is to be done with reverence and seriousness, not swong around like a ball and chain.

    And that educational conference thing, that was a horrible “Mass” if I had to call that such (Kay it probably was a sacramentally valid one but still you get my idea right?) Between the lector dressed in a flagbearer/baton twirler costume and the “praise and worship” music that was banal and awful. If I want praise and worship/Kum-bay-a songs I’ll run over to the nearest Southern Baptist/Catholic Charismatic/insert other denomination here chruch any day not Saturday evening to Sunday.

    To paraphrase you Father, Reason No. 9999999999 to infinity for Summorum Pontificum Enhanced!

  54. Sliwka says:

    I believe the “Orthodox Bishop” refered to is in actuality a Romanian Catholic Abbot. Videos are not working for me, but I think it was Abbot Nicholas Zachariadis of Holy Ressurection Monestary, http://hrmonline.org/?page_id=398 , in CA, USA.
    Photo from Congress: http://www.recongress.org/2011/pix/closing/med_DSC_0461.jpg

    List of “Liturgies” (granted some may not have been Mass) from the Congress’ website: Celtic • Byzantine • Jazz • Spanish • Young Adult • General • Black • Contemplative • From the Islands • Spanish • Vietnamese…I thought we were Catholic.

    SonofMonica, thank you for your Lion King reference. The first male Minster of Movement in the puppet vid reminds me of of how I interpretive danced for my moms video camera when the Lion King soundtrack forst came out. I was 8. He just begins so subdued, and then bursts out in spontaneous lunges with prancing and twirling around. That poor poor young man looks so uncomfortable.

  55. Stephen Matthew says:

    They say only 48 of the 50 states were represented at the RE congress.

    I hope that my own state was one of the two unable to be represented.

  56. Frank Doyle says:

    To Centristian,

    You will find information about Papal Low Masses currently being discussed on
    the New Liturgical Movement.

  57. Tim Ferguson says:

    Hmmm, 48 states?
    A state of confusion
    A state of shock
    A state of denial
    A state of disobedience
    A state of despair…

  58. puma19 says:

    Fascinating to watch these video excerpts that you have discovered and contrasted.
    First, the modern era of the Church, post 1965 has seen the most abominable liturgies imaginable as priests and bishops (some) have run amok with the sacred worship of the Church. The abuses and shallowness of these have turned many Catholics away from church and have deprived a new generation of solid, holy liturgy. The fault for this lies with many bishops who have not overseen their diocesan practices and enforced the Church’s proper sacrmental practice. Indeed the hollowing out of so many churches, so they now look like a bare concrete bunker, has been horrendous. Stark, bare, no sacred images or icons, just bare concrete or marble, stone or bricks. Where has the sense of ecclesiastical design gone to? Where are the churches that raise the mind and soul to God in worship? We have to go back to the great and solid cathedrals of Europe to find anything decent. St Peter’s being one of them.
    Which brings me to my second point. It is interesting that in the video of the holy Pius XII, he is, as always, facing the people at the great high altar. No change there, eh? The pontiff always faced the people in the Mass, even in 1942 and earlier. So we really ought see that for what it is, and that great liturgy, in latin, can and ought be celebrated facing the people. It is a question of having great altars, holy celebrants and prayerful liturgy. The way the Mass has been celebrated at St Peter’s has not changed in decades.
    Finally, many of these masses in set-up conference centres, barns, outdoors, are just plain wrong and out be abandoned. The sense of the sacred has gone and as for puppets at the Eucharist, it is just this type of thing that debases the sacred liturgy. As for the sign of peace – give it a rest. It ought be abandoned and removed. But will any bishop do it?
    Adam

  59. MichaelJ says:

    Tim,
    Very good. Might I presume to add “A state of emergency”… Just sayin.

Comments are closed.