A press conference?

Is this the most solemn moment in the Mass or a press conference?

Look at the vestments? Is that a chasuable I see there??

Or shall we compare: From Merton College, Oxford, the CIEL conference, courtesy of our friends at the New Liturgical Movement:

Which makes you believe what both stand for: that the bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ?

St Dominic's Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria - An "older" setting

An interesting transformation at St Dominic's in Camberwell: the photo of First Holy Communion is 1955. The late 1950s saw a re-configuration of the sanctuary.

The colour photo shows what it now looks like.

Communique of Vox Clara meeting 27 October 2006

From our friends at Whispers in the Loggia:

VOX CLARA COMMITTEEPRESS RELEASE
October 27, 2006

The Vox Clara Committee met for the tenth time from October 23-26, 2006 in the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.Since its establishment by the Congregation on July 19, 2001, this Committee of senior Bishops from Episcopal Conferences throughout the English-speaking world has provided advice to the Holy See concerning English-language liturgical books, ever seeking to strengthen effective cooperation with the Conferences of Bishops in this regard. The terms of the members and advisors were recently extended by the Congregation.The Vox Clara Committee is chaired by Cardinal George Pell, Sydney (Australia). The participants in the meeting were Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, Mobile (USA), who serves as First Vice-Chairman; Archbishop Alfred Hughes, New Orleans (USA); Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., Halifax (Canada); Archbishop Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Kumasi (Ghana); Archbishop Kelvin Felix, Castries (Saint Lucia), and Bishop Philip Boyce, O.C.D., Raphoe (Ireland). Bishop David McGough was present as a pro-tempore representative of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Westminster (England), who serves as Secretary. Other members of the Committee, though not present at the meeting, are: Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I., Chicago (USA); Cardinal Justin Rigali, Philadelphia (USA), who serves as Treasurer; Archbishop Oswald Gracias, Mumbai (India), who serves as Second Vice-Chairman.The members were assisted in their work by the following Advisors: Monsignor Gerard McKay (Rome), Abbot Cuthbert Johnson, O.S.B. (England), Father Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. (USA), Father Dennis McManus (USA), and Monsignor James P. Moroney (USA). Secretarial support was provided by Father Robert Keighron (USA). The Committee continues to receive valuable assistance and support from the officials of the Congregation.The preponderance of the work of the Committee was devoted to a review of the most recent ICEL Green Book translation of the Common of the Saints. The improvement that had been previously noted in the translations was manifested in many texts of a truly outstanding quality. At the same time, the Committee provided the Congregation with extensive commentary on certain problems and noted the importance of continuing to rely upon the principles of the instruction Liturgiam Authenticam and its particular application in the Ratio Translationis [the guidelines for liturgical translations]. The Committee appreciated that ICEL is maintaining its increasingly ambitious schedule for completion of translations of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia.On the second day of the meeting, the members and advisors met with Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. At the conclusion of his remarks, Cardinal Pell thanked Cardinal Arinze for his “regular and constant support” of the work of Vox Clara.The Committee was also asked to conduct a final review of the Ratio Translationis for the English Language, which serves as a reliable application of the principles of the instruction Liturgiam authenticam to English-language translations of Roman liturgical texts (cf. Liturgiam authenticam, no. 9). Between June, 2005 and August, 2006, the Congregation conducted a consultation on a provisional text of the Ratio, which will be published by the Congregation in a definitive form in the near future.The members of the Vox Clara Committee noted their satisfaction with the work of translation as the completion of the Roman Missal draws ever closer. The careful and patient collaboration of the Conferences of Bishops and the Holy See in the review of the translations produced thus far by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy remains the key to the successful completion of this project. The members of the Vox Clara Committee join with the ICEL Commissioners and the Bishop members of the English-language Conferences of Bishops in working toward a translation of the Missale Romanum which is “characterized by a kind of language which is easily understandable, yet which at the same time preserves these texts’ dignity, beauty, and doctrinal precision.” (Liturgiam Authenticam, no. 25)The Committee will meet again in December, 2006 and has planned for four meetings in the course of the coming year.

Cardinal Arinze on liturgical abuses

From our wonderful and learned friends at The New Liturgical Movement:

In France, Cardinal Arinze decries liturgical abuses Oct. 27 (CWNews.com) - The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship spoke out sharply against liturgical abuses during an October 26 presentation in Paris. Speaking at the Catholic Institute of Paris, Cardinal Francis Arinze (bio - news) decried the "banalization, desacralization, and secularization of the liturgy." He rebuked priests who take an "overtly egocentric" approach to the liturgy, violating the norms of the Church. And he also criticized priests whose "false humility" leads them to "share their role with the laity."

Redemptionis Sacramentum on abuses in the liturgy to be AVOIDED is obviously a document (a) very few Australia priests have read: (b) very few Australian priests give a hoot about. In any other organisation, not following rules would mean...

Proper Vestments for priest and altar in the Novus Ordo?

Well, this is what we get in Australia. St Francis Xavier's parish in Box Hill, see for yourself. What are the kiddies being made to think about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? How can it be anything sacred, when from Grade 2, the priest, acting in Persona Christi can take a seat on the carpet of the sanctuary, turn his back to Christ in the tabernacle and let his Grade 2ers come in in football gear and street wear into the House of God? How can these children develop a mature faith and understanding of the Mass as the "Source and Summit" as HQ and JPII call it?

Let's look instead at how it can be done: Joee Bloggs helpfully includes some photos of the Mass - a Novus Ordo Mass - celebrated for the elevation of Dom Cuthbert Brogan OSB to Abbot at Farnborough Abbey UK.




















Is there any reason why an altar in the Novus Ordo could not be vested like this? A proper Altar frontel and frontlette would (a) represent a return to the venerable tradition of veiling the sacred (b) help disguise the protestant tables most Australian churches suffer from. Also, is there any reason why proper vestements like these cannot be used? I'd suggest not. And it's not like Australian parishes don't have them tucked away, either. This is why Australian Catholicism is largely a branch of the Protestant churches. There's little difference these days. And they wonder why kiddies (and everyone else) think Mass is boring. Do it properly guys, and the churches would be much fuller than they are now.

Something is happening

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2006/10/delighted-by-your-reactions-and-i-thank-you/

Clearly, prudence and patience is in order. Oremus pro HHB16.

A return to civilisation in the Church

Finally, it seems to be about to happen.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20567130-1702,00.html

This has, of course, been on the wires for a little while now.

People should be encouraged not to think of this as the "Latin" Mass, as if worship in Latin if primarily what attracs us to this venerable rite. We all know it's the sense of the sacred, the mystical, the awe-inspiring, the transcendent, the beauty that draws up, inexorably, to God, and the clearer expression of fundamental Catholic teaching on the sacrifice of the Mass, that resonate. Not to mention the music. But, I said, I wouldn't mention that.