14 November 2019

It's smart. Can you really do without it?

Although I don't quite understand those awkward moods and tenses,
My Ordo Recitandi's strict Westmonasteriensis.

Those of Anglican Patrimony will remember Eric Mascall's exquisite poem The Ultra-Catholic. But I bet there aren't many clergy around now who remember actually handling the old Westminster Ordo.  It was the smartest of the lot ... a sort of Rolls Royce among Ordos. Its elegant white and black livery is echoed by the admirable Ordo produced by the thoroughly admirable Saint Lawrence Press.

Mgr Ronald Knox once did a spoof 'review' of an Ordo ... writing about its author's "terse nervous Latinity"... and if you really want to get the feel of what priestcraft was like before Pacelli and Bugnini got to work wrecking the labours of centuries, this is the Ordo you need. Everything else on the market (LMS; SSPX ...) is 1962ish; and it is in English.  But the (Latin) Saint Lawrence Ordo is very easy to understand because its Latin abbreviations are all so pretty obvious.

You may not be in a position to order your own liturgy according to the rich 1939 prescriptions. But there is a degree to which, however obediently you follow 1962, you need to understand what it was that 1962 is an abbreviation of before you really cotton on to what 1962 itself means. 

It's a journey back in time to a healthier liturgical culture.

ordorecitandi@gmail.com 

4 comments:

E sapelion said...

I found this at
http://anglicanexfide.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-am-ultra-catholic.html

I am a modern Catholic, and Anglican to boot,
We’ve all got valid orders now but Rome gives not a hoot.
I use the Sacramentary and face my congregation,
I don’t know that much Latin but I love the ICEL translation.

My chasubles are poly-mix, the altar cloth is plastic,
I own a baked-clay chalice which I think is just fantastic.
I’d like to have a praise-band but the faithful will not have it,
They simply don’t take kindly to my modern Roman habits.

armyarty said...

"a sort of Rolls Royce among ordos" LOL Very good indeed!

Fr John Hunwicke said...

Dear Mr Sapelion

I'm afaid that is hideously out of date. Nowadays, they wear maniples and use folded chasubles in Lent.

Rubricarius said...

Thank you, dear Fr. Hunwicke for your kind words.

I regret to say that I have never seen an old Westminster Ordo but do have a Clifton one printed by Burns Oates which would have been very similiar.

If people would like to order a copy/copies of the 'Rolls Royce' Ordo MMXX then they may do so from here.