Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Cardinal Canizares: Concelebration amongst priests is not part of Latin Tradition!!!


On Zenit, His Eminence Antonio Cardinal  Cañizares writing on Concelebrated Masses,says daily concelebrations of priests only, ... do[es] not form part of the Latin liturgical tradition.
He accepts the antiquity in the West of Concelebration but only with the bishop or his delegate.

Here is the whole paragraph:
In this sense, it is important to look, however briefly, into the history of concelebration. The historical panorama that Msgr. Derville offers us, even if it is —as he modestly points out— only a brief summary, is sufficient to let us glimpse areas of obscurity, that show the absence of clear data on Eucharistic celebration in the earliest times of the Church. At the same time, and without falling into a ingenuous “archaeologism”, it does provide us with enough information to be able to state that concelebration, in the genuine tradition of the Church, whether eastern or western, is an extraordinary, solemn and public rite, normally presided over by the Bishop or his delegate, surrounded by his presbyterium and by the entire community of the faithful. But the daily concelebrations of priests only, which are practised “privately”, so to speak, in the eastern Churches instead of Masses celebrated individually or “more privato”, do not form part of the Latin liturgical tradition.
Thanks Clever Boy
I agree concelebration needs a bishop, otherwise it gives the impression the Church is a headless; a sort of presbyterial democracy. I never know who should preside when it is just priests, do you do "eaney meany miny mo" or should it always be the Parish Priest, or the oldest priest, or longest ordained, or what?

8 comments:

Physiocrat said...

Concelebration looks clumsy with just two, and grotesque when there are many - like some weird druidic cult.

Priest, Deacon and Sub-Deacon is the way to do it, with any other clergy in choir dress.

Aphrahat said...

I am often irritated by the fact that in an age where the vital sacrament of confession has been marginalised many priests will see it fit to stride up to the altar and concelebrate rather than do more sacremental good by allowing people to go to confession during the Mass.

Jonathan said...

sWhat about in a monastery where the Abbot presides and the other priests concelebrate? Would that be included in the traditional practice or is that new too?

Fr Ray Blake said...

Abbots: interesting, but the only occasions on which concelebration happened continuously in the West were ordination Masses.
That seems to be "the Tradition" but as the Card is speaking about "delegates" of the bishop, he is presumably thinking of something broader.

Sixupman said...

Where is the individual concentration within a con-celebration?

I recently visited Salford Cathedral, re-ordered with a somewhat vast 'worship space' which appears to have been constructed for a mass con-celebration. The same is in inverse proportion to the space provided for mere members of the congregation.

Brian said...

Is not a parish priest or rector of a parish a delegate of the bishop?

ServusMariaeN said...

I've always viewed concelebration as quintessential to the post Vatican II liturgical "reform". There are communities such as the Servi Jesu et Mariae who use both the Vetus and Novus Ordo and specifically do not concelebrate. I was told during my last visit there in Austria that they do not because, "each Holy Mass has infinite value". I think This is the actual problem. Many, most clerics today do not believe this perhaps. Now, how does his emminence best get this message out there? I suspect the liturgniks will react allergically to such a concept.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Brian,
No the Parish Priest is the appointee of the Bishop, not his delegate.

Precisely what the Cardinal means I do not know, whether we will ever find out, probably not.
There are lots of thoughts from him but not much more than that.

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...