Thursday, May 22, 2008

Farewell Mega Mass


As someone who wonders what I am doing when sitting in the transcept of the cathedral putting my hand out when everyone else does and muttering the words of consecration, having to take on faith that there is something there. I have been hoping that the Pope was going to say something.
You see Jesus said, "This is my Body", not "That is ..,.".
Well, Father Z has this:


from the Italian Panorama.
Farewell to big time Masses – The Pope to place limit celebrationsNo more big "show" Masses: The Pope want to put the brakes on huge concelebrations with hundreds of priests, often far from the altar, as we are now used to in the World Youth Days and papal journeys. Benedict XVI has entrusted to the Congregation for Divine Worship the task of preparing, if necessary, an "instruction".Concelebrations will be limited to precise circumstances with a reduced number of priests around the altar. The Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium fixed the cases in which it was permitted to concelebrate. "It is necessary to return to the original meaning of concelebration, which is the sign of unity of priests", explained Msgr. Nichola Bux, a professor at the Theological Faculty of Puglia.

4 comments:

gemoftheocean said...

:-D SEE? But we in the congregation "take it on faith that there's something there" when you celebrate the Mass facing liturgical east.











:

Physiocrat said...

1 no. Priest
1 no. Deacon
1 no. SubDeacon
= High Mass, does it not?

These big things always look bizarre.

PeterHWright said...

Yes, it is high time these huge concelebrations were stopped.

It is the Mass that matters. And nothing is added to it, no matter how many concelebrants there are. In fact, too many concelebrants seem to detract from the unique intimacy which exists, or should exist, between a priest and his sacred function at the altar.
.

Josephus Muris Saliensis said...

No concelebrants with the Holy Father for the Corpus Christi Mass at all, I gather.

The Lord’s descent into the underworld

At Matins/the Office of Readings on Holy Saturday the Church gives us this 'ancient homily', I find it incredibly moving, it is abou...