I would really like to attend a Pontifical Latin Mass sometime, but now I just watch them online. But I have some questions. Why does the Bishop have a piece of cloth on his lap during a Pontifical Latin Mass, what is the significance? Also, why does he sit at the throne during the Mass of the Catechumens and not at the altar, what significance does that have? Thank you.
The gremiale is put on the bishop’s lap to protect his vestments. This use is most clearly seen in ceremonies like ordination adn confirmation, or consecration of holy oils, when his vestments may get stained. The gremiale also, according to some ceremonial should cover the vestments when they are laid on an altar (when the bishop solemnly vests there) - this is another indication of its function.
The bishop is the “high priest” possessing the fullness of the priesthood. The priest on the other hand, only possesses a part of the priesthood- “secundi meriti” says the ordination prayer. One of the reason we have priests is because the bishop can’t be in every place at once to celebrate the Mass. The priests, of their own, possess no authority- their’s is from the bishop. The bishop is the Pastor, Teacher and Priest- these functions (qualification in the case of “priest”) are only ‘delegated’ as it were, to the priest. This is since the earliest time- St. Ignatius of Antioch says that a licit Eucharist is only one presided by the bishop or one to whom he delegates it to (i.e. the presbyters, the priests).
Thus in the Traditional Mass, the priest stands at the altar to show that he is ministering only in virtue of the bishop not being present. Whereas the bishop, who possess the authority in his diocese officiates from the throne. In doing so, he also demonstrates a part of his office as the “judge” and “interpreter” (from the Traditional rite of Consecration; also the Council of Trent: “Bishops, who have succeeded to the place of the apostles, principally belong to this hierarchial order; that they are placed, as the same apostle says, by the Holy Ghost, to rule the Church of God” ), the Pastor of the local Church and emphasizes his teaching office. During most of the Mass of the Catechumens he presides at the throne, but for the Mass of the Faithful when the focus shifts to the altar, to the Sacrifice and to Christ who becomes really present in the Species, he stands there.
