Abbey-Roads2

Paying attention to what the Pope is wearing.

It is a big deal, to be sure, as Fr. Zuhlsdorf indicates in a recent post: “The Holy Father, with his choice of vestments and the accouterments for the altar for Mass and for Vespers during Advent, not to mention the change of Master of Ceremony, is giving us a new orientation for divine worship.” -Fr. Zuhlsdorf 

I like the inclusion of the older traditionally fabricated vestments, the highly embellished mitres from previous Popes, and the use of  the throne of Leo XIII.  As one writer put it, in wearing John XXIII”s cope, the mitre of John Paul I, and the regular use of the Leonine throne, along with the crosier first used by Paul VI, all seem to emphasize the Holy Father’s sense of the hermeneutic of continuity.  (Earlier this month, I believe he wore the mitre of Pius IX for the feast of the Immaculate Conception.)

That twisted cross crosier…

Many blogs, too many to count, seem to pay close attention to what the Holy Father is wearing.  On some posts I have read the ongoing criticism of Benedict’s continued use of the crucifix-crosier all three Popes since Paul VI have used.  And of course, the occasional “far out” trad websites have even been known to suggest the bent and twisted crucifix is blasphemous and may be diabolic.  I couldn’t disagree more.

I personally appreciated the modern crucifix-crosier ever since Paul VI began to use it.  Since Pope Paul VI was the first modern Pontiff to be called, “the Pilgrim Pope”, the crosier brought to my mind at least, the Apostle Paul’s words, “When I was among you, I preached only Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  (That’s how I interpreted the symbolism behind Paul VI’s use of it.)  Obviously, the early Popes often used a crosier with a cross, as seen in the above photo of Pope St. Sylvester.  However, I think the main objection traditionalists have is that the crucifix-crosier now in use is simply not traditional.  No doubt, Benedict XVI will show up some day with the triple papal cross anyway, so be patient. 

Liturgical “fashion”.

Fr. John Ubel, the pastor at St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been writing a series of short articles on Legitimate Variety and the Development of Form  in all things liturgical.  This past week-end he wrote about Church vestments for the Sunday parish bulletin.  Without copying verbatim what Fr. Ubel wrote, suffice it to say, as priestly vestments evolved, not everyone in the Church was always happy with the changes.

Father describes the earliest vestments as conical in shape - much as it is now - only with more yardage of fabric back then, while elaborate ornamentation and trims began to be introduced gradually.  This style endured up until the 13th century, until changes in tailoring of the chasuble occurred again in the 15th and 16th centuries.  Those adaptations exist in what is commonly referred to as the “Gothic”  style chasuble.  Father continued to describe briefly the other “Roman style” chasuble sometimes referred to as the “fiddle-back”, since its tailoring resulted in a more minimalist vestment which resembled a fiddle in shape.  (The front piece that is, because of the cut allowing the priest’s arms to move freely.  Read more here.)

Mixing the traditional and contemporary.

Thus, as Fr. Ubel noted, “We are not the only ones today who argue about matters of style.  Ecclesiastical vestments have a rich symbolism, and a proper understanding of history really helps to situate legitimate variety in its proper context, steering clear of needless polemics.”

I mention this to demonstrate that most developments in liturgy or liturgical vesture  often occasioned strong criticism.  Fr. Ubel pointed  out that even St. Charles Borromeo forbade the use of the modern vesture; while a 17th century French bishop vehemently decried the change in vestments, declaring, “they have deformed the priestly garment itself…” and ” they have deprived it of its mystical reason for being the topmost vestment.”  What is so interesting about the bishops opposition, is both men were discussing the fiddle-back vestment, which today is often thought of as the epitome of traditionalism.

[Anyway - I who know very little about priestly vesture, wrote all of this just because I happen to like the crosier of Paul VI.  I think it mixes well with the traditional.]