Pius XII on Liturgical Practices, Vestments, and the Form of Altar Crucifixes

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I found the following on Traditionalcatholic.net. I found it very interesting, especially the highlighted parts.
Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)
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Code: 
"62. Assuredly it is a wise and most laudable thing to return in spirit and affection to the sources of the sacred liturgy. For research in this field of study, by tracing it back to its origins, contributes valuable assistance towards a more thorough and careful investigation of the significance of feast-days, and of the meaning of the texts and sacred ceremonies employed on their occasion. But it is neither wise nor laudable to reduce everything to antiquity by every possible device. Thus, to cite some instances, one would be straying from the straight path were he to wish the altar restored to its primitive tableform; **were he to want black excluded as a color for the liturgical vestments**; were he to forbid the use of sacred images and statues in Churches;** were he to order the crucifix so designed that the divine Redeemer's body shows no trace of His cruel sufferings**;"
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Code: 
"187. First of all, you must strive that with due reverence and faith all obey the decrees of the Council of Trent, of the Roman Pontiffs, and the Sacred Congregation of Rites, and what the liturgical books ordain concerning external public worship.
188. Three characteristics of which Our predecessor Pius X spoke should adorn all liturgical services: **sacredness, which abhors any profane influence; nobility, which true and genuine arts should serve and foster; and universality, which, while safeguarding local and legitimate custom, reveals the catholic unity of the Church**.- Pope Pius X, Tra le sollecitudini, November 22, 1903.
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Code: 
189. We desire to commend and urge the adornment of churches and altars. Let each one feel moved by the inspired word, 'the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up';[Ps. 68:9; John, 2:17.] and **strive as much as in him lies that everything in the church, including vestments and liturgical furnishings, even though not rich nor lavish, be perfectly clean and appropriate, since all is consecrated to the Divine Majesty**. If we have previously disapproved of the error of those who would wish to outlaw images from churches on the plea of reviving an ancient tradition, We now deem it Our duty **to censure the inconsiderate zeal of those who propose for veneration in the Churches and on the altars, without any just reason, a multitude of sacred images and statues**, and also those who display unauthorized relics, those who emphasize special and insignificant practices, neglecting essential and necessary things. They thus bring religion into derision and lessen the dignity of worship.
190. Let us recall, as well, the decree about 'not **introducing new forms of worship and devotion.'** - Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, Decree of May 26, 1937."[Mediator Dei, November 20, 1947.]
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Any thoughts on the highlighted parts?
 
Reading Mediator Dei should be an obligatory pre-requisite to reading Vatican II’s Sacrosanctum Concilium. It gives it much-needed context. MD is a really great encyclical on the liturgy.
 
bkovacs said:
Japhy, check out my post here. … All liturgies older than 200 years according to Quo Primum.
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What about it? I do already know of Quo Primum’s allowance for rites that had existed for 200+ years at the time the 1570 Missal was promulgated.
 
japhy said:
What about it? I do already know of Quo Primum’s allowance for rites that had existed for 200+ years at the time the 1570 Missal was promulgated.
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So what were you referring to?. The picture on my post shows what Pius XII was talking about. In other words a beautiful traditional liturgy with strict rubrics.
 
What I found most interesting was the statement about black vestments (presumably for funerals and Good Friday? I’ve never seem them before). If so, why have they disappeared?

And the part about the crucifix, clearly states that ressurectifixes, and Christ-the-King crucifixes are not to be used, nor the ones where Jesus is floating off the cross (I don’t really get those ones; Jesus was raised out of the tomb, not straight from the Cross!)

I wonder how we can get more Catholic churches to observe these statements? 🤷
 
Matariel said:
What I found most interesting was the statement about black vestments (presumably for funerals and Good Friday? I’ve never seem them before). If so, why have they disappeared?
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Yes, black as a liturgical color is used for both Good Friday and funerals, as well as for votive Requiem Masses for the departed, and is normally what is used in the EF. It’s still “on the books” so-to-speak, but while it can be found in the OF, it’s not particularly common (except in the elusive “reform of the reform”). Sadly, many parishes burned the black vestments (along with the rose vestments) back in the “bad old days” of the late '60 and early '70s.
 
malphono said:
Sadly, many parishes burned the black vestments (along with the rose vestments) back in the “bad old days” of the late '60 and early '70s.
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Burned!? :eek:

Why? What would lead them to do such a thing??? :eek:
 
Matariel said:
Burned!? :eek:

Why? What would lead them to do such a thing??? :eek:
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Why? Well, at the risk of getting slammed by the agenda-bound post-conciliarists, it was a gust of the “spirit of Vatican II” gale-force wind that said Requiems were “out.” “Masses of Resurrection” were “in.” Mourning became a thing of the past. White was the “new color” for funerals.

The more observant clergy packed the old vestments away and stored them in the basement or wherever. (Some stashes of same have been found and are now back in service. :)) Others burned them, as would be proper for vestments that are no longer serviceable. (That would have been fine if the vestments had become rags, but of course that was not the case.) And still other just plain threw them in the garbage. 😦
 
I didn’t think a Pope could speak the “Final Word” on a discipline.

Faith and Morals, yes. But not disciplines.

Black vestments are not an issue of faith and morals, they’re a discipline.
 
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