Pre-1955 Holy Week Permission Granted

[FontgombaultMonks]

Fr David,

I am not trying to lecture you. If you would, I would appreciate if you would present your evidence that the Paschal Vigil in the earliest centuries was not a vesperal liturgy. I would be very interested in seeing this. You have also mistaken my supposed ‘advocation’ for morning Pachal Vigils. I never said that I advocated for the normative time for the Paschal Vigil to become morning once again. I believe that it could be an acceptable solution to certain pastoral dilemmas. Please read my comments before accusing me of antiquarianism.

Here is a good paragraph on antiquarianism/archaeologism:

Archaeologism is not so much a heresy as a trend, a certain approach to Catholic liturgy and practice. Its distinguishing characteristic is an excessive value placed on those Catholic practices which came earlier in historical-chronological succession. For the archaeologist, first is always best. A practice or prayer of the patristic Church is “better” or “purer” than a practice of the medieval Church. Consequently, the goal of any true liturgical renewal ought to be to return to the practice of the first Christians, inasmuch as possible. The modern Church ought to imitate the apostolic Church.

According to this article, for an archeologist/antiquarianist, the first is more desirable than the more recent. If I am correct, than the practice of the morning Paschal Vigil is a more recent tradition than its celebration at night. This doesn’t seem like an antiquarianistic tendency at all! I don’t desire to imitate the “practice of the first Christians” in this sense! I have heard pre-1955 advocates accused of antiquarianism before, but it is simply incorrect. In fact, the post-1955 advocates are certainly more guilty!

In Domino,
FontgombaultMonks

 

[FontgombaultMonks]

They weren’t lighting the lamps in the middle of the day in the earlier centuries.

Just to let you know, 4:00 pm (after the office of None) is not the middle of the day… The celebration of the morning Paschal Vigil began in the early 16th century, which was after the Middle Ages… In fact, the morning Paschal Vigil was not officially sanctioned until the Council of Trent.

 

[analtarboy]

Even though I know nothing of the liturgy of 1955 I think it would be a wise decision to revive the church traditions, I think to what people back then thought and believe was holy shouldn’t be considered alarming and harmful at our age it needs to be introduced to us the youth of the church for how shall we learn? By researching? asking a priest that doesn’t even know about it? No! the church is obliged to teach us all of its past and history.

For a shorter summary I believe that allowing them to celebrate it would be beautiful and amazing!

 

[KMG]

The Holy Saturday Vesperal Mass…which has parallels in the Greek rites…was not invented in the Middle Ages, and was never a nighttime liturgy. It was part of a very long set of liturgies that commenced AFTER NONE, at the time of the kindling of fire for the coming of evening, and that concluded with a SECOND Mass at dawn.

The reason for the Bugnini error that inspired the 1950s time change was he mistook the lessons of the vigil with Matins.

 

[JimG]

It always seemed right and proper to me that Good Friday ought to be the one day of the year on which no Mass is celebrated. It seems that if the Mass is not celebrated, there should be no communion service either. But my advice was not sought!

 

[FontgombaultMonks]

Are they allowed to use all of the 1953 prayers?

They are allowed to use all of the 1953 prayers except the 1953 prayer for the Jews. They used the Benedict XVI prayer for the Jews. I am not sure if they used flectamus genua or not.