Tuesday, May 19, 2015

The Mass of 1965?


For years I have been searching for complete footage of a Mass celebrated between 1965 and 1968, merely out of historical interest as to how people were interpreting the Consilium's directives. Above is not a full Mass, but it is a clip of Pope Paul VI ordaining priests for the diocese of Rome. By the versus populum table in front of the altar and the absence of Enrico Dante, we can safely assume that this is after 1964. By the maniple we can also assume that it is prior to 1969, perhaps even before 1967. 

Despite celebration according to the revised rubrics, the Mass also follows the ceremonial of Papal low Mass, with the pope fully vested in pontificals (mitre, gloves etc) and no assisting priest or deacons. They were likely experimenting in the Curia with how much they wanted to retain and how much they wanted to jettison. The same debate took place at the diocesan level, as evidenced by such events as these and images like this.

2 comments:

  1. I can understand the distraught look of the man in the still....

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  2. This is from 1967. At least I am 95% sure. The longtime pastor of my parish (St. Martin of Tours, Louisville KY) Fr. Vernon Robertson was a convert from the Anglican Communion and was ordained in Rome by Paul VI in the experimental liturgy. I have a still photo here: the chasuble details on the ordinands appear different than those in the close-ups, but it is too grainy to tell them apart. The key is the miter, which evokes the tiara, and the embroidery on the pope’s chasuble.

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