13 November 2009

CHRISM MASSES

It would be interesting to have hard evidence, modern and premodern, for the Consecration of Chrism by prelates not in episcopal orders. For example, within the jurisdiction of an Abbas nullius where does the Chrism come from? This is interesting because Chrism Masses have become very much part of the heart of ecclesial life in PEV-land.

BTW, a correspondent criticises Anglican Catholic bishops for not always nowadays wearing buskins, gloves, slippers, and all the rest. This reminds me of the action of the great Bishop Kirk of Oxford, who left all his very Counter-Reformation pontificalia to any priest married to a daughter of his who should become a bishop. So they devolved AD REVERENDISSIMUM IN CHRISTO PATREM AC DOMINUM ERICUM WALDRAMNUM KEMP EPISCOPUM CICESTRENSEM SOCIETATIS DEIPARAE VIRGINIS ET DIVI NICOLAI VISITATOREM ECCLESIAE CARNOTENSIS CANONICUM, as I recall I used to write him up in the Lancing Register on the occasion of his visits (I wonder if the Lancing Chapel registers are still done in Latin; so often things go to pot when one retires ...). I presume he still has it all.

Not that that exhausts the Kemp wardrobe. Was he the first C of E diocesan to use modern RC choir dress?

The front cover of the Diocesan Magazine sometimes showed lovely pictures of him pontifically clad in Chartres Cathedral (with which diocese we were twinned) wearing their best (Empress Eugenie) cloth of gold set.

Ah, Patrimony, Patrimony.

But perhaps, if the Ap Con really delivers, French Cathedrals may in a few years time be choc a bloc with exPEVs in the guise of Ordinaries singing Pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

You think I'm joking?

6 comments:

OBLATVS said...

In Brazil, until a couple of years ago there were two "Abbatiae nullius". In one of them, "Abadia de Nossa Senhora de Montserrat" in Rio de Janeiro, the Chrism was then consecrated by the Abbot, who was the ordinary not in episcopal orders.

I'm not totally sure about that, since it was told me by an oblate of that monastery, but I'll make contact with one of the monks, a friend of mine.

Fr. Clécio

Anonymous said...

Ave sanctum Chrisma!

France is in desparate need of clerics. Under ten thousand priests in a country with at least as many parishes, and most of them with one foot in the grave the other on a banana peel. Since the English invasion will be populated with non-fluent clergy it'll be Tridentine Latin all the way.

Unknown said...

Father said, "You think I'm joking?"

I sincerely hope you are NOT joking Father!

I did not criticise the Anglican Catholic bishops for not always wearing buskins and sandals etc. They are, alas, products of their time. But you, Father, were looking toward the future and only foresaw Ordinaries with dalmatics under their chasubles.

Not good enough, Father! You must set your sights higher (in both senses of the word).

The Religious Pícaro said...

Since I have no Latin education, I ran the register text through one of those awful online translation programs, which gave the bishop's name as MASTER HEDGEHOG WALDRAMNUM KEMP...

Joshua said...

From the old Catholic Encyclopedia, "Chrism":

"But whether a priest may be the extraordinary minister of this blessing, and, if so, in what circumstances, this is a question that is more or less freely discussed. It seems agreed that the pope may delegate a priest for this purpose, but it is not so clear that bishops can bestow the same delegated authority ex jure ordinario. They exercised, it seems, this perogative in former times in the East, but the power of delegating priests to bless chrism is now strictly reserved to the Holy See in the Western Church."

Joshua said...

Of course, since all the Ordinaries will be Vicars of His Holiness, according to Anglicanorum cœtibus Art. V. b. (hence one day soon we may see "Vicar" Hunwicke?), presumably all the Ordinaries and their people should cross the Tiber to Rome each year, and assist at the Papal Chrism Mass... won't that be nice.

It will give Marini the younger the excuse to put Benedict in the sort of stunning Baroque vestments that the Pope prefers - you can't have the concelebrants outshining the chief celebrant after all.