Words circulating the internets today have yielded some information about Pope Francis, SJ’s installation Mass tomorrow.
He is whacking the offertory procession. Thanks be to God, I say. Unless people are bringing livestock and candles and rugs, I don’t see a point to this glamorization of lay people at the liturgy. The people should be glamorous by chanting well their parts and making frequent signs of the Cross. Speaking of chanting…
The Oriental rite patriarchs present are going to go with him to venerate the tomb of St. Peter. Speaks for itself, and again thanks be to God… But while we are on the topic of tradition, Church language, and chanting….
The Mass readings will not only be proper for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, but they will be chanted in Greek. Yes… Pardon my very very private opinion on the matter, but here it is: GREEK BABIES!!!! We have Greek Jesuit Pope! opa!
For the uninitiated, Latin as the liturgical language is an innovation for some traditionalists. For me, my name itself should be a prompt as to why I’m smiling. Apart from the recognition that Jesus likely spoke more Greek than the movie The Passion would have lead you to believe, Greek was also the common language of the universal… Ahem, one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church prior to all those unfortunate events of 1054, like the Battle of Hastings (which forever ruined the English language).
Greek, baby. Is universal. Together with the Oriental Sees being represented and joining Pope Francis, SJ, there is a volume of literary symbolism here alone. Putting my cheering to the side for a moment, I need to underline, stress, encircled in red, and highlight in yellow what I see Pope Francis doing: again, I mentioned it in my earlier post about his election that there is a strong tendency towards St. John the Baptist’s maxim from John 3: “I must decrease so He may increase.”
This pope, by choosing to forgo offertory procession by lay people busybodies, not distributing Holy Communion himself, and by bring the other patriarchs with Him, is emphasizing the centrality of Jesus Christ, not himself… He is, as I would expect a Society of Jesus priest to do: emphasizing Jesus. Αμην! Αμην! Αμην!
I’m sure we’ll hear other opinions on it, but it seems like the Pope has a lot to say, and he’s not even using words yet. Good things, too!
UPDATE: The Mass Book has been posted online — click here to view the PDF.
Note the GREEK on page 49 et seq.
Also, note the Chinese on page 61: 全能的天主! 求祢圣化我们所有人的生命, 使它相似主耶稣的生命。 (!)
This article, Pope to have Greek at Mass, keeps St Joseph readings, and continues St. John the Baptist theme is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/pope-to-have-greek-at-mass-keeps-st-joseph-readings-and-continues-st-john-the-baptist-theme/
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