Thursday, 13 May 2010

Feast Of The Ascension...

The Bishops of England & Wales, in their valiant efforts to support the implementation of Summorum Pontificum, (*snigger*) moved the obligation attached to the Feast of the Ascension to next Sunday.

They haven't actually moved the Ascension, which is, of course, 40 days after the Resurrection... they just moved the obligation to attend Mass, along with the Mass propers for the Ordinary Form calendar. This frees up those of us with an attachment to the Extraordinary Form to attend Mass on the correct day according to the usus antiquior.

Somehow, I suspect that their Lordships didn't quite anticipate this state of affairs when they freed up an extra Thursday in the calendar...

Be that as it may, I shall be getting my dose of Latin, lace, bells and smells this evening! I may even take a few photos...

10 comments:

  1. What?! No table liturgy for CAFOD?!

    Let us Hope the good Padre Finigan carries this through and celebrates the "Sunday After Ascension" this Sunday ;-)

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  2. Hestor, I would hope rather that Fr Finigan celebrates Mass of the Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension...

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  3. Agreed Patricius

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  4. I should think it is fairly certain that the good Father will, in scrupulous conformity with the relevant rubrics and kalendars, celebrate two OF Masses of the Ascension, and one EF Mass of the Sunday within the Octave of the same.

    At least (unlike the situation with the 'gesimas') they're all in white, so there is no need for a mad change of everything between Masses.

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  5. I should hope Fr abides by the Bishop's directive which is fully applicable law. The Bishops have full authority to move the obligation to the Sunday, with the approval of the Holy See.

    The Mass to be celebrated this Sunday is therefore the Mass of the Ascension, and it is of obligation.

    Is there an official directive which legitimates the celebration of the "Sunday within the Octave" in the EF?

    The possibility of celebrating the Ascension on Thursday applies not just to the EF but to the OF too.

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  6. Fr John;

    I'm afraid I was taking the statement of another - whom I shall not name, as the responsibility for accepting it unchecked was mine - who had said that the EF used the EF kalendar regardless. If the Bishops have directed that the EF on Sunday should be of the Ascension, then I can only plead ignorance (although also confusion !)

    That said, I confess also to not checking the issue of the Octave : and my Missal shows it as 'Dominica post Ascensionem' : so wrong again.

    I am sure, however, of one part of my comment : that Fr Tim will comply scrupulously with the rules, whatever they may be !

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  7. Dear Mulier Fortis
    Can you kindly publish these wonderful blogs which I read daily but have few readers know about.

    http://gratefulforpurgatory.blogspot.com/

    and another wonderful blog from the same author directed especially for the sanctity and prayer for Priests

    http://eucharisticadorationforpriests.blogspot.com/

    many thanks,

    Anne

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  8. I have done a bit of checking and find that one can celebrate either Mass. Of course Fr Tim will comply and make his decision out of respect both for the traditional calendar and the pastoral good of the faithful. Am glad I have sought to inform myself.

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  9. The EF Mass on Sunday will be according to the traditional calendar, the other three OF Masses will be of the Ascension (one is on Saturday)

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  10. Just a clarification, in the according to the calendar used in the 1962 Roman Missal, the Sunday is not within the octave of the Ascension, rather it is denoted as the Sunday after the Ascension. The octave of the Ascension was suppressed in the 1962 Roman Missal.

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