I now have quite a few emails in my box about the fashion “gala”… “gay-la”?… in NYC inspired by ecclesiastical dress of all kind, aided and abetted by “the Vatican”.
It was a night that would have made any Jesuit swell with pride.
Here is something of the inside story of how the Met’s Costume Institute convinced the authorities in Rome to cooperate. HERE
I’ve now seen photos from the gay-la. HERE I warn you. It’s the perfect storm of ugly, stupid, vulgar, creepy, sacrilegious and also blasphemous. It is perverse. I suspect you can find better taste at ComicCon.
That said, the other day a priest friend of mine sent a document file with texts for a Mass of Reparation for insults against the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is in a missal prepared by the monks at Le Barroux and was used in France for a couple centuries after the Revolution.
UNDERSTAND: I am not saying that there were abuses of the Eucharist. However, there were certainly abuses of many things that surround and deal and communicate aspects of the Eucharist. Those things include abuse of the image of the priesthood and of Mass and of sacred images that customarily surround the Eucharist.
Modern Jethuits will say, “Those are secondary, outward, in the end unimportant time-bound expressions of this or that culture….BLAH BLAH…”.
B as in B. S as in S.
Undermine those things and you undermine the Eucharist.
So, all the weird going on might not be directly aimed at the Eucharist and – THEREFORE – the Church’s beating Heart, but it is aimed really at the Church’s beating Heart.
They have to make a joke out of everything sacred. That’s their goal. Like Satan: make it all seem somehow unimportant. “Did God really tell you that?”
Meanwhile, all the sophisticated idiots stand around and stroke their chins and say: “Isn’t it provocative?” And they cock their heads just so and snatch another chardonnay from the passing waitress.
I rapidly fixed a few typos, but someone here might take charge of this – clean it up – and make a really good and useful document out of it. I’m on the road and can’t tackle it at the moment.
Missa in Reparatione S.S. Sacramento
Antiphona Ad Introitum
Quanta malignatus est in sancto! In terra polluerunt tabernaculum nominis tui Domine. Usquequo, Deus, irritat adversarius nomen tuum in finem? (T.P.Alleluia, Alleluia) Ps.Ut quid, Deus, repulisti in finem? Iratus est furor tuus super oves pascuae tuae? Gloria Patri.
Oratio
Gementes ac dolentes super cunctis abominationibus quae fiunt in domo tua, proptius respice Deus omnipotens: et pro contumeliis quibus in sacramento sui amoris impetitur Dominus Iesus; ipsum fac pro nobis esse apud te propitiationem. Qui tecum…
Lectio Epistolae beati Pauli Apostoli ad Hebraeos
Heb. 10_22-31
Fratres22 accedamus cum vero corde in plenitudine fidei, aspersi corda a conscientia mala, et abluti corpus aqua munda, 23 teneamus spei nostræ confessionem indeclinabilem (fidelis enim est qui repromisit), 24 et consideremus invicem in provocationem caritatis, et bonorum operum: 25 non deserentes collectionem nostram, sicut consuetudinis est quibusdam, sed consolantes, et tanto magis quanto videritis appropinquantem diem. 26 Voluntarie enim peccantibus nobis post acceptam notitiam veritatis, jam non relinquitur pro peccatis hostia, 27terribilis autem quædam exspectatio judicii, et ignis æmulatio, quæ consumptura est adversarios. 28Irritam quis faciens legem Moysi, sine ulla miseratione duobus vel tribus testibus moritur: 29quanto magis putatis deteriora mereri supplicia qui Filium Dei conculcaverit, et sanguinem testamenti pollutum duxerit, in quo sanctificatus est, et spiritui gratiæ contumeliam fecerit? 30 Scimus enim qui dixit: Mihi vindicta, et ego retribuam. Et iterum: Quia judicabit Dominus populum suum. 31Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis.
Graduale
Viderunt altare profanatum; et sciderunt vestimenta sua et planxerunt planctu magno. V. Imposuerunt cinerem super caput suum et ceciderunt in faciem super terram et clamaverunt in caelum.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia V.Zelus domus tuae comedit me, Domine, et opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me. Alleluia.
Tractus
Inimicus improperavit Domino et populus insipiens incitiavit nomen tuum. V.Exsurge Domine iudica causam tuam. Memor esto improperiorum tuorum eorum quae ab insipiente sunt tota die.
Tempus Paschale
Alleluia, Alleluia V. Zelus domus tuae comedit me, Domine, et opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me. Alleluia V.Improperium exprobraverunt tibi, Domine: nos autem populus tuus, et oves pascuae tuae, confitebimur tibi in saeculum. Alleluia.
Sequentia Sancti Evangelii
Secundum Mattaeum
Matt 22:1-14
In illo tempore: 1 And Jesus once more spoke to them in parables; 2 Here is an image, he said, of the kingdom of heaven; there was once a king, who held a marriage-feast for his son, 3 and sent out his servants with a summons to all those whom he had invited to the wedding; but they would not come. 4 Then he sent other servants with a fresh summons, bidding them tell those who had been invited, By this, I have prepared my feast, the oxen have been killed, and the fatlings, all is ready now; come to the wedding. 5 But still they paid no heed, and went off on other errands, one to his farm in the country, and another to his trading; 6 and the rest laid hands upon his servants, and insulted and killed them. 7 The king fell into a rage when he heard of it, and sent out his troops to put those murderers to death, and burn their city. 8 After this, he said to his servants, Here is the marriage-feast all ready, and those who had been invited have proved unworthy of it.9 You must go out to the street-corners, and invite all whom you find there to the wedding. 10 And his servants went out into the streets, where they mustered all they could find, rogues and honest men together; and so the wedding had its full tale of guests. 11 But when the king came in to look at the company, he saw a man there who had no wedding-garment on;[1] 12 My friend, he said, how didst thou come to be here without a wedding-garment? And he made no reply. 13 Whereupon the king said to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the darkness, where there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. 14 Many are called, but few are chosen.
Antiphona ad Offertorium
Ad Christum accedamus cum vero corde, in plenitudine fidei, asperse corda a conscientia mala; et consideremus invicem in provocationem caritatis et bonorum operum. (T.P. Alleluia)
Secreta
Deus, qui Unigenitum tuum in cruce pro transgressoribus orantem exaudisti: quaesumus; ut nos qui in altari to ipsum offerimus, pro contaminationibus mensae illius orantes, clementer exaudire digneris. Per eundem…
Praefatio De S.S. Sacramento
- V. Per omnia saecula saeculorum.
- R. Amen.
- V. Dominus vobiscum.
- R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
- V. Sursum corda.
- R. Habemus ad Dominum.
- V. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
- R. Dignum et iustum est.
Vere dignum justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere: Domine Sancte, Pater omnipotens aeterne Deus: per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Qui, remotis carnalium victimarum inanibus umbris, Corpus et Sanguinem suum nobis in sacrificium commendavit: ut in omni loco offeratur nomini tuo, quae tibi sola complacuit, oblatio munda. In hoc igitur inscrutabilis sapientiae, et immensae caritatis mysterio, idipsum quod semel in Cruce perfecti, non cessat mirabiliter operari, ipse offerens, ipse et oblatio. Et nos, unam secum hóstias effectos, ad sacrum invitat convivium, in quo ipse cibus noster sumitur, recolitur memória Passionis eius, mens impletur gratia, et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur.
Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus, hymnum gloriae tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis
Antiphona ad Communionem
Qui oderunt te, Domine, oderam, et super inimicos tuos tabescebam. Surge, et dissipentur inimici tui: et iusti epulentur et exsultent in conspectu tuo. (T.P. Alleluia)
Antiphona ad Postcommunionem
Sacramenta corporis et sanguinis tui, quaesumus, Domine Iesu Christe, illum in nobis zelum accendant, quo eorum contemptores ad paenitentiam perducere valeamus: Qui vivis
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A live version and the original version (first and second link respectively) of Melanie with her famous: “Look what they’ve done to my song, ma.” Listen to either version, at least for a few bars to remind yourself of that old classic. Then change the word “song” to “Church.” Sigh– Other comments fail me beyond sacrilege, outrage, snookered-Church, non-vetted association…. but at least Cardinal Dolan was a star at the gala, or gay-la as Fr. Z note. Smell like the sheep? I don’t think so, but like something else entirely–sulfurous even.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqg3kcwAgso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrM2fxnkxjA
For some reason, the one that bothered me the most in terms of gut reaction was the strapless dress plastered with different images of Our Lady.
Fortunately, I can think of one Jesuit who’d not be on board with this: Fr. Schall. If all Jesuits were like him, they’d truly be an order and not a disorder.
Hi Fr. Z.
Thanks for sending this along. I had no idea this was happening, but am not surprised that these “stars” use the Catholic faith for their “artistic expression”. It’s been fair game on the Church for many years and lately it seems to be intensifying. It’s too bad the average Catholic doesn’t see anything wrong with this, so therefore won’t complain.
Read the article on how the Met persuaded the Vatican to do the loan. Sadly, if the Vatican had sent only a few things and made it less of an exhibition, there wouldn’t have been all this gala blasphemy.
I feel sorry for all the folks who, in all innocence, participated in this debacle. This is why we can’t have nice things.
One more word — the interesting bit is finding out which people wore unexceptionable outfits to this thing. It’s an odd crew, but apparently some people still have morals, taste, or professionalism enough to avoid offending their religious fans, or wisdom enough to avoid offending God.
Sort of a fashion version of “Who goes Nazi?”
Jethuit. I am still laughing….
And why am I not surprised Fr J. Martin (aka Peter Pettigrew) is behind this to a reasonable degree.
I just discovered that James Martin was a consultor on this event. (I know, shocking.) And also Timothy Dolan attended it.
From the “inside story” to the ostentatious and carnal “Gala”:—exploitation from start to finish. It is a sad day when the likes of Piers Morgan is provoked to reprimand the Vatican for its part in this horrible marriage of Catholic treasures and tradition and haute couture wearing narcissists while Cardinal Dolan and Father Martin attend it (and apparently participated in it) with approval. This calls for sack cloth and ashes.
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A few years ago Fr. Vincent Benoit, O.P. gave a sermon at Holy Rosary parish in Portland in which he wondered aloud whether we no longer had the miracles the Church enjoyed in the Middle Ages because we treat holy things too lightly. That rang a bell with me, for I think anyone who has ever been around priests and religious in our times will recognize the phenomenon even if they do not think it is a problem. To take one example, years ago I heard the priest director of communications for a large archdiocese refer to his archbishop as “Super-shepherd.” This got a laugh, of course. Similarly, seminarian friends would lightly refer to their seminary rector as “Roger,” disrespect that was intended to be understood as humorous because cheeky. Examples could be multiplied ad infinitum.
All this kind of thing is a mistake at the very least and has evidently led by degrees to the point where Cardinal Dolan is okay with this sensuous mock and can even say, incredibly, “’But think about it just for a moment. It’s because the church and the Catholic imagination — the theme of this exhibit — are all about three things: truth, goodness and beauty. That’s why we’re into things such as art, culture, music, literature and, yes, even fashion,’ Dolan explained.” The really funny thing, from the demonic point of view, is that such high Church officials could be lured into co-operating in this effort to render the Church absurd. It is breathtakingly ridiculous. More to the point, it is sacrilegious.
What would the saints or the people of the Middle Ages say about it? One saint who worked an astounding number of miracles, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, said, “A joke in the mouth of a layman is a blasphemy in the mouth of a priest.” Surely this applies to ” humor” touching on the Eucharist or the priesthood. How is it not blasphemous?
Trifling with the things of God does not being down blessings on one’s head, not even in the name of “joy.” If not a sin– and why wouldn’t it be?– all this sort of thing, humor applied to consecrated persons, place and things, is a mistake and has the effect of rendering our prayers impotent and much needed miracles out of reach. To use Newman’s term, it is one of the reasons we are out of grace.
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May I also recommend the Divine Praises in reparation for sacrilege and blasphemy:
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
Amen.
It seems that the grappin gets more daring and in your face each day.
Padre,
Would you consider changing “Modern Jethuits…” to “Modern Jesuits”?
Some people would contend that this mocks speech patterns that are very hard to correct (ask any speech therapist) and could be seen as a slur. I won’t comment on this vis-a-vis stereotypes about speech patterns that might appear more stereotypically homosexual, as I cannot imagine that type of slur was intended here.
Giuseppe
Funny you should mention Jesuits…according to that NY Times article Father James Martin, SJ, was the person who helped the Met were not “accidentally touching any third rails,” and apparently was “impressed by what he described as the “real attention to Catholic sensibilities” behind the pairings.” Oh I feel SO much better now. It got Fr Martins Nihl Obstat. Oh goodie. Gee, big surprise that things were FABULOUS!
One thing with that NYT article the description of Archbishop Gänswein, who apparently was on board with and helped with the loan of the vestments (from the freaking Sistine Chapel no less!), is kinda disturbing and creepy:
“He’s like a movie star, it’s like meeting George Clooney,” Mr. Bolton said of the archbishop, often called “Gorgeous George.” ”
Ewh!
it ends with this unbelievable quote:
“As for those who consider the accessorizing of papal vestments with modern fashion a blasphemous exploitation, Cardinal Ravasi said it at least shows those Christian symbols still touch a nerve. “They aren’t using the symbols of the Roman Empire,” he said with a chuckle.
Wow. What the Hell (and I do mean that word) has gotten in to the Vatican. Are they really this clueless how this looks or do they just not care? I think both. St Joseph and Peter pray for Us!
I looked in horror at photos of this train wreck of a gala on Daily Mail.
(I wish there were an industrial-strength car wash you could also take your eyeballs through.)
About a dozen years ago the Met exhibited a large number of paintings by Fra Angelico. Room after room. All were religiously themed, of course. The paintings appeared at their gorgeous best, with the peripheral features – the installation designs, the sequencing, the lighting, the signage – so well-done as to retreat entirely into the background . . . as they ought to do. Very tasteful and respectful.
Perhaps when parties and galas and, above all, celebrities become associated with such exhibits, is where things become problematic.
I believe all contracts around all future borrowings of ecclesiastical treasures ought to include a clause precluding the borrower from hosting or sponsoring – or lending its name to anyone else hosting or sponsoring – any event in any way associated with the religious exhibit being displayed. (Not even tea and cookies in the Conservatory after each tour. Nope. Not no way, not no how.)
And this debacle must leave such a bad taste in the mouths of faithful Catholics that no Catholic entity in its right mind ought to have anything to do with lending anything to the Met for a minimum of the next thirty years.
Forgive me if my Latin is lacking . I read the Epistle in English and found verse 26 very appropriate.
[26] For if we sin wilfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins,
Not all Jesuits, surely, and perhaps globally not most.
Bishop Dolan attended and gave his support to it.
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