Why veil the cross and other images during Passiontide?

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IAmBlessed2

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I did not know where to even put this, but I was wondering if someone could answer this question?
Why veil the cross and other images during Passiontide?
 
We’re slowly taking beauty away during Lent, starting with the Gloria and alleluia followed by the images and then the altar decoration (symbolic of Christ’s stripping) and finally light itself as we begin the Easter Vigil in darkness reminding us of the descent of the Lord of light into the realm of the dead before beginning again - symbolising our rebirth through baptism as a new creation in Christ.
 
OH! Awesome… Thank you so much… I am still learning about the Faith 🙂
 
Prior to the post-Vatican 2 reforms, the gospel for the 5th Sunday in Lent ended with Our Lord hiding Himself from those who wished to stone Him. Thus, he was hidden for a short while, and from this grew the custom of veiling all crosses, statues, and images. This Sunday became known as Passion Sunday, a term that is now largely associated with Palm Sunday. However, churches that use the Extraordinary Form still keep Passion Sunday and the mini-season of Passiontide during the last two weeks of Lent. During this time, as you point out, images are veiled.

Some parishes veil for just Holy Week, and others not at all. However, even in the current missal, the rubrics give permission to veil beginning on the 5th Sunday in Lent.
 
The Ordinariate also keeps an extended Passiontide. The 5th Sunday of Lent being Passion Sunday.
With the images veiled there is a deadening, for want of a better word, of the senses and the physical church. The images of saints are hidden from view as without the Passion we should never hope to see them, the cross alone becomes our focal point on Good Friday, all other images remain veiled. Centuries ago (in the Anglo Church at least) the entire sanctuary was screened off, bringing to mind the Holy of Holies and the curtain opened by Christ.
 
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