Thursday, July 17, 2008

A serious liturgical problem

Young men don mitered baseball caps.

Whilst older men put on silly hats.

Now, I have raised this before, but I think this is a relatively serious question: what type of hat should a priest wear with dignity when concelebrating in the hot sun?
I don't know if this picture was taken during Mass itself or during the hour or so wait before Mass. For the balding, being bareheaded can be quite painful.
The traddie answer would be wear a birreta or even a skullcap, the more ancient answer would be to cover the head with an amice, but that would make one look like a druid!
A modern answer might be, oh how I hate it, a baseball cap! Obviously in the proper liturgical colour and issued with instructions for it to be removed and taken to the knee at Holy Name, the Doxology, the name of the Blessed Virgin, and the name of the Supreme Pontiff.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree about your comments about clerical baseball caps. The correct liturgical colour for this occasion obviously being orange! I think removing them everytime blessed names were said is probably a little unrealistic and could result in a monty python-esque sketch during the singing of some contemporary hymns. But removing them for appropriate times within mass would be dignified.

Physiocrat said...

Don't Saturnos come in white? What did the missionries traditionally wear?

I wonder about the propriety of big outdoor mass celebrations.

Anonymous said...

Don't concelebrate. It's that simple!

Mulier Fortis said...

...older men put on silly hats

...not to mention silly vestments. Which child was let loose with the paintbrush for that lot?

Volpius Leonius said...

If it is really that hot and there are so many people in need of shade why not erect a marquee?

gemoftheocean said...

I see you are warming to the idea. ;-D Organic growth. But I draw the line at this one. Well, maybe if they put a cross on it.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Mac. If the vestments are like that, well, I`m afraid the baseball caps match. sorry. But then, I gather they have had to queue for absolutely HOURS (6+) to even get registered. Are you really going to argue about the qaulioty of youir vestments when all you want to do is lie down and take 12 Nurofen. Let`s be reasonable. This IS a pilgrimage in which no-one is in control. Obviously when Papa B comes to MY town for World Youth Day, things will be organised a little differently, but until then, we must understand that the Australians could only find 3 nuns to register 4000 priests on the opening day. THAT is not fun. You do not re-join the queue at 11pm after a 36 hour flight and say
"I really don`t think my vestments are up to much, sister".

Mac and I will be organising WYD 2012, OK ? It`s in England.

Possibly Kent or Herefordshire. The Pope hasn`t decided yet.

Anonymous said...

I don't think that the picture is from Australia's WYD; I'm pretty sure that they weren't the vestments at Cardinal Pell's opening Mass and it is winter here in Australia.

I am not a fan of the mega Masses with every priest in the country concelebrating. I would be willing to bet that the baseball cap will become the hat de jour.

Anonymous said...

How about a baseball cap with a bobble on the top like a biretta? :-)

Adulio said...

gemofthecocean - lol!

Dymphna said...

I can't get critical because a priest puts on a baseball cap to shield his poor old bald head agains the Australian sun. Let's be a little more kind.

Anonymous said...

I've been struck by the late Msgr. Gamber's argument that the Mass is most fittingly celebrated in a building. I realize there are some emergencies which made it necessary to be outside, but WYD doesn't seem in that category. Why can't these big celebrations use all the parishes of the city and gather together for vespers, talks by the Pope, etc.?

The Lord’s descent into the underworld

At Matins/the Office of Readings on Holy Saturday the Church gives us this 'ancient homily', I find it incredibly moving, it is abou...