Pope's private chapel reopens after restoration: Altar turned toward tabernacle, communion rail restored, carpeting removed

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Sounds like a beautiful restoration. Glad that he removed carpet from the walls (!). The Pope’s description of the frescos was very interesting. Such a wealth of information in old paintings!
 
Lepanto, please remove your signature line. Blessed Mo. Theresa denied ever saying that, and the priest responsible for the rumor has retracted his words.
 
The Holy Father can do whatever he wants with his chapel. Of course the next Pope could change it again.
 
Its funny how we pick up on misinformation when it fits our wants. From a very reliable source, it did not say that the altar was placed facing the tabernacle. Rather, it did say, the old marble altar was put back in, but it was set out from the wall at B XVI’s request for 3 reasons: 1. So that mass could be said from either side of the altar–either facing the cross or facing the people. 2. so that when incense is used–that the whole altar could be incensed, not just the side facing the people; 3 since the altar has some depth to it (front to back), so that it would be easier to reach the tabernacle and its contents.
If the above article is correct, and I trust it, then to say the altar was restored facing the tabernacle is at best only partially true; and in fact is more misleading the truthful.
 
Linuse said:
Its funny how we pick up on misinformation when it fits our wants. From a very reliable source, it did not say that the altar was placed facing the tabernacle. Rather, it did say, the old marble altar was put back in, but it was set out from the wall at B XVI’s request for 3 reasons: 1. So that mass could be said from either side of the altar–either facing the cross or facing the people. 2. so that when incense is used–that the whole altar could be incensed, not just the side facing the people; 3 since the altar has some depth to it (front to back), so that it would be easier to reach the tabernacle and its contents.
If the above article is correct, and I trust it, then to say the altar was restored facing the tabernacle is at best only partially true; and in fact is more misleading the truthful.
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What are you talking about?
 
NewEnglandPries said:
The Holy Father can do whatever he wants with his chapel. Of course the next Pope could change it again.
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Yes we all know this. But what I thnik is wonderful is the fondness to Tradition that this pope has. While not ramming it down forcefully he is quietly and humbly leading by example. I think the true holiness of BXVI will not be seen for many years but in the future we will be awed by his leadership, wisdom, and humbleness.
 
bpbasilphx said:
Lepanto, please remove your signature line. Blessed Mo. Theresa denied ever saying that, and the priest responsible for the rumor has retracted his words.
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Can you provide a link about the priest retracting that statement. The link another poster provided was not all that informative or definitive.
 
Matt33 said:
Can you provide a link about the priest retracting that statement. The link another poster provided was not all that informative or definitive.
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I e-mailed the Missionaries of Charity Fathers directly about the quote, myself. They forwarded my question to the Mother Theresa Center. Their representative replied to me, saying that although the Missionaries of Charity had chosen to receive on the tongue, the quote did not seem authentic to them, that they had not heard her say it or read it in her writings. I think if you contact them directly, you will get a similar answer.
 
EasterJoy said:
I e-mailed the Missionaries of Charity Fathers directly about the quote, myself. They forwarded my question to the Mother Theresa Center. Their representative replied to me, saying that although the Missionaries of Charity had chosen to receive on the tongue, the quote did not seem authentic to them, that they had not heard her say it or read it in her writings. I think if you contact them directly, you will get a similar answer.
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Certainly they don’t or cannot comment on everything MT said to everyone every day can they? Though I can understand why they take the position they do.
 
Whoa now, please let’s not derail the thread on the first page already, eh? 😃

How about whoever wants to discuss Mother Theresa and the quote about receiving on the tongue start a thread specifically devoted to that topic?

Getting back on topic, I love how Matt33 says:
… But what I think is wonderful is the fondness to Tradition that this pope has. While not ramming it down forcefully he is quietly and humbly leading by example. I think the true holiness of BXVI will not be seen for many years but in the future we will be awed by his leadership, wisdom, and humbleness.
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Bravo! :tiphat:

~~ the phoenix
 
I think what also needs to be clarified here is that the chapel being referred to is the Pauline Chapel, which also has wall frescoes done by Michelangelo. It is located near the Sistine. And yes, the Pauline is ONE of the Pope’s private chapels. It is not, however, the small private chapel, often photographed during the pontificate of John Paul II, where the Holy Father says daily Mass. I believe the Pauline is used fairly rarely, on major occasions only. Please don’t tell me the Pauline ever had carpet on the walls . . . did it really?
 
Linuse said:
**Its funny how we pick up on misinformation when it fits our wants. ** From a very reliable source, it did not say that the altar was placed facing the tabernacle. Rather, it did say, the old marble altar was put back in, but it was set out from the wall at B XVI’s request for 3 reasons: 1. So that mass could be said from either side of the altar–either facing the cross or facing the people. 2. so that when incense is used–that the whole altar could be incensed, not just the side facing the people; 3 since the altar has some depth to it (front to back), so that it would be easier to reach the tabernacle and its contents.
If the above article is correct, and I trust it, then to say the altar was restored facing the tabernacle is at best only partially true; and in fact is more misleading the truthful.
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So very true. Much like that infamous Mother Theresa “quote.”
 
Matt33 said:
Yes we all know this. But what I thnik is wonderful is the fondness to Tradition that this pope has. While not ramming it down forcefully he is quietly and humbly leading by example. I think the true holiness of BXVI will not be seen for many years but in the future we will be awed by his leadership, wisdom, and humbleness.
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“Tradition?”

Are you speaking of Sacred Tradition?
 
Matt33 said:
Certainly they don’t or cannot comment on everything MT said to everyone every day can they? Though I can understand why they take the position they do.
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Actually, the reply said this…and I post it with some reservations. I must caution that this was a private e-mail that I did not take to be intended for widespread distribution. I post it to clarify what was told to me and ask that those with questions also get their information directly from the source. Don’t quote me! Ask them, and quote them!
Clarification about Mother Teresa’s alleged saying: “The thing that makes me the saddest …”
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Regarding receiving Holy Communion, the Church states:
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“Although each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice, if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the recognition of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to him or her. However, special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful.
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(From the CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENT - INSTRUCTION Redemptionis Sacramentum; On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist)
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Mother Teresa would not have contradicted the Church. On the mode of receiving Holy Communion, she wrote to her sisters: “This is like the permission of the Bishops given some years ago for receiving Holy Communion in the hand. It is allowed, but not an order, … as M.C.s, we have chosen to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. If questioned about [it], do not enter into discussion – “let every spirit praise the Lord” – but let us pray that all be done for the greater glory of God and the good of the Church.”
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You quoted “Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.” This statement does not seem authentic to us. We have never heard Mother Teresa saying these words nor read them in her writings. One thing that Mother Teresa used to repeat very often was: “…The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself… the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.”
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I hope that this will answer your question.
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This is my interpretation of the note: they doubted the quote not just because they had never heard it said, but because it seems to imply that Mother Theresa would publicly contradict the teachings of the Church, when she had explicitly instructed the Missionaries of Charity not to enter into the discussion. So while they could not say that it had never been said, they could say that it did not seem to be in keeping with a durable attitude with which they did have experience.

If the statement was ever made, it was unusual. On that account, it does not seem fair to attribute a quote to Mother Theresa when the utterance was not in keeping with the daily emphasis of her comments.

But you are right, neither I nor they are saying that she never said it.

It is one thing to prefer to receive Holy Communion on the tongue and to take some consolation from knowing that some very saintly people of our own times have preferred it, too. It is another thing to subtly imply that the Church permits that which is not truly legitimate. Mother Theresa wouldn’t do it, the Holy Father doesn’t do it, and until the Church stops permitting other means of reception, neither should we.

I think the same can be said of choices in church architecture. Go ahead and be thrilled that someone as inspiring as the Holy Father finds the same architecture edifying that you do. But I’d suggest that you not cross the line into thinking that his every decorating choice is an implicit criticism of every decorating choice that is different than his own. He wouldn’t go that far, out of charity. If it is good to imitate him in relative non-essentials like architecture, how much better it is to imitate him in that which is essential!
 
EasterJoy said:
Actually, the reply said this…and I post it with some reservations. I must caution that this was a private e-mail that I did not take to be intended for widespread distribution. I post it to clarify what was told to me and ask that those with questions also get their information directly from the source. Don’t quote me! Ask them, and quote them!

This is my interpretation of the note: they doubted the quote not just because they had never heard it said, but because it seems to imply that Mother Theresa would publicly contradict the teachings of the Church, when she had explicitly instructed the Missionaries of Charity not to enter into the discussion. So while they could not say that it had never been said, they could say that it did not seem to be in keeping with a durable attitude with which they did have experience.

If the statement was ever made, it was unusual. On that account, it does not seem fair to attribute a quote to Mother Theresa when the utterance was not in keeping with the daily emphasis of her comments.A quote is a quote. It is very fair to quote anything she said if she said it. Just because it does not fit some peoples agenda or ideas about what mother theresa was like does not mean that one cannot quote it. And in the original signature it was noted that the priest REPORTED this quote. I actually think the person who quoted this in thier signature is being more honest than anyone else about the quote.

But you are right, neither I nor they are saying that she never said it.

It is one thing to prefer to receive Holy Communion on the tongue and to take some consolation from knowing that some very saintly people of our own times have preferred it, too. It is another thing to subtly imply that the Church permits that which is not truly legitimate. Mother Theresa wouldn’t do it, the Holy Father doesn’t do it, and until the Church stops permitting other means of reception, neither should we.honestly I don’t think that anyone has said that on this thread. Mother theresa wasnt alleged to have broken with teaching all she said is that it makes her sad. Well, It makes me sad too. And you can quote my future saintly self (hopefully)

I think the same can be said of choices in church architecture. Go ahead and be thrilled that someone as inspiring as the Holy Father finds the same architecture edifying that you do. But I’d suggest that you not cross the line into thinking that his every decorating choice is an implicit criticism of every decorating choice that is different than his own. He wouldn’t go that far, out of charity. If it is good to imitate him in relative non-essentials like architecture, how much better it is to imitate him in that which is essential!This isn’t just about architechture. Why would you just think that it is? Is it bothersome to you?.
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