7 September 2015

Was 1963 the last decent vintage?

A kind friend (thank you ... where would the modern English Church, or any of us, be without the blessed, the God-provided Oratorians?) sent me, the Mass Propers authorised in 1963 after the Beatification of Blessed Dominic Barberi.

The first point of interest is that Blessed Dominic was observed upon August 27, the day of his death. After the 'reforms', this observance was otched a day earlier. That happened for two reasons: (1) Somebody, presumably one of Louis Bouyer's "Trio of Maniacs", had had the bright idea of whizzing S Monica onto the day before the Memoria of her son; and (2) It had been decided by somebody, presumably one of Louis Bouyer's "Trio of Maniacs", without any Conciliar mandate, that the immemorial custom of remembering two people on the same day by means of the sensible, practical mechanism of 'commemoration', was to be rigorously forbidden on pain of a thousand deaths.

Of equally considerable interest is the absence of that Political Correctness which was subsequently to require such exaggerated Ecumenical Sensitivity. So, as late as 1963, a Collect could be composed for B Dominic referring to 'errantes' being brought back ino the unity of the Church; and the Postcommunion asked (quoting Blessed John Henry Newman) that the 'errantes' might 'in unum Christi conveniant ovile'. [In the subsequent English versions, the narrow sense of 'errantes' as meaning schismatics - see the Good Friday Prayers - is made broader and vaguer.]

I think the Secret is an alpha composition showing the sort of patterning of words and clauses that nobody would think of in Rome today: Fac, Domine, ut omnes in unitate fidei ea cum caritate pacificas tibi offerant hostias, qua beatus Dominicus Confessor tuus vehementer aestuavit.

Cursus, you ask? Collect: velox and planus; Secret: tardus and trispondaicus; Postcommunion: velox and trispondaicus.

Perhaps the work of the doomed Sacred Congregation of Rites during this brief, interesting period would repay examination.

3 comments:

vetusta ecclesia said...

The reformers seem to have invented a number of liturgical "principles" especially regarding changing vestments during a celebration. Thus only one mitre during a celebration;red Eucharistic vestments for the whole Good Friday liturgy; white Eucharistic vestments for the Easter Vigil as well as the Mass and the incorporation of the Asperges into the Mass. On the latter New Liturgical Movement offers a hope for the old practice in the Ordinary form with the discovery of a different rubric in the third typical edition of the Roman Missal (2002).

Unknown said...

'.. where would the modern English Church, or any of us, be without the blessed, the God-provided Oratorians?'

Never a truer word was said - in all seriousness. I am glad you got the lowdown or griff on the whole show, but gladdened more at the honest prayer it offered to God and for us sinners. Not recalling the prayers offered before the Throne of Heaven with Bl Dominic - for those informally wandering in error, and the actual schismatics rejoicing in more than material wrongs - it has, now, a refreshing ring .. and one that is much needed inside Holy Mother Church not only outside Her. Unfortunately, I begin to think I recall 1963 much better than yesterday .. and yet, in a way, I am sort of glad about it.

GBOP

Andreas Meszaros said...

Father: perhaps this should not be posted for public view.

I appreciate your point in this post, but I find the example you provide deficient:

... ut omnes in unitate fidei ea cum caritate pacificas tibi offerant hostias ...

Looking at two elements separately:

1) “Fac, Domine, ut omnes in unitate fidei ...” - is an incomplete fragment.
2) “... ea cum caritate pacificas tibi offerant hostias ...” - the “cum” begs to be removed.

This prayer exemplifies a deplorable style of Latin (so common today) betraying that the original was not conceived in Latin, which is why it is replete with auxiliary words. A person thinking in Latin might be inclined to say something like: ut omnes (does it have to be ‘omnes’?) unitate fidei conjuncti offerant tibi ipsa caritate hostias, qua ... etc.

On a separate note, ‘salsae animadversiones super Christina Mohrmann placent et delectant’.