Pope Francis' Holy Thursday Mass - Some Thoughts

3/21/2013

EDIT: I encourage everyone to read through the commentary as well. So many great points have been raised that are worthy of your attention. They are critical of my viewpoint, but deservedly so. I think this is an extremely worthwhile discussion, so please avail yourselves of the various perspectives. And as always - don't forget to ask the Holy Spirit for His Thoughts, either! *Grin*

Some of you may already be aware of this, but for those of you who aren't, Pope Francis made the decision to have the Mass of the Lord's Supper outside St. Peter's Basilica this Holy Thursday.

I'll be honest. I'm not happy about this. I'm not happy about this at all.

Before you start calling me a Pope Francis hater, let me explain.

Holy Thursday Mass is the kickoff of our most sacred season - Triduum. This is the Mass in which we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and Holy Orders - two Sacraments that exist for one another. Without one, the other cannot exist. Priests are ordained specifically to bring the Eucharist to their people, and the Eucharist exists only on account of those men blessed to be ordained for the duty.

Holy Thursday Mass is no thing to trifle with. Being such a sacred and blessed time in our history, this specific celebration deserves to be treated in the most dignified and respectful manner. Offering this Mass in St. Peter's is what has been done as tradition because, frankly, this Mass is worthy of St. Peter's. If no other Mass is offered in St. Peter's for the rest of the year, THIS ONE SHOULD BE.

I mean, if the Church dictates that Catholic marriage ceremonies not take place outside a church, how is it suddenly OK to have THE MOST IMPORTANT MASS OF THE YEAR in a juvenile prison?!

I get what he's trying to do. He's really big into humility and publicly showing folks that it's necessary and important to care for "the least among us. I'm all for that!

I am not, however, all for neglecting to pay Christ and His Sacraments homage in the manner dictated to us by Tradition (one of our three pillars of Church Authority). I feel this is a misstep on the part of our new Pontiff. It is really disappointing to me. As a Church, God gifted us things like the Basilica of St. Peter specifically so we COULD celebrate with splendor the very special graces afforded to us through the Eucharist and Holy Orders.

I can't help but think he's a little too gung-ho with this whole "Let's toss all tradition aside so I can prove to the public that as the newly elected leader of the Church, I turn away from finer things and ignore past traditions" in an attempt to regain the trust of a very jaded and unhappy world.

Again, I don't think his reasoning is terrible. I really don't. I think we really do need someone to stand up and put an end to the ridiculousness going on in the Church. That being said, we should not be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

We're talking about JESUS and His institution of the Eucharist and Holy Orders. This is Holy Thursday Mass.. the beginning of our Triduum - the opening Mass that sets the stage for Good Friday and Holy Saturday. To offer it in a detention center where you'd only fit a handful of people (successfully closing off the service to the crowds that would have been able to gather in St. Peter's) and replacing the retired priests with children to have their feet washed... I just feel like this is going three steps too far on the "Look how humble and willing to buck tradition I am, so don't worry, the Church will be back to its humble and poor-loving self soon" scale.

Holy Father, I'm praying for you because you've got quite the job to do. I pray you're able to clean up the mess you've been left and I'm still hoping your intentions on this are pure and true. Your decision, however, has truly, truly unsettled me. My heart is not at ease.

And I realize I'm the odd man out for calling out this decision since your reasons seem so justifiable. You want to serve the "least among us" and the societal "rejects." You choose troubled children, and how can anyone take issue with such an endearing and gentle display of charity?

I get that I'm in the minority on this, but I can't help but express my discontent, especially given that the washing of the feet is an act Jesus used specifically to prepare and ordain his chosen 12 for their priestly duties. The tradition of washing the feet of retired priests was a beautiful symbol of and testament to this fact!

And also keep in mind Our Lord's appreciation for the woman's actions at Bethany. She poured the entire contents of extremely expensive perfume over Christ to anoint Him. Judas grumbled at her "wastefulness," but Jesus defended her for her actions. She was blessed with something special by God, and she wanted to give back without thought to cost. She simply wanted to offer the finest of what she had to He who had given her so much.

This is a righteous action in the Eyes of the Lord. This is not wasteful and it is not prideful and it is not arrogant. It is taking the gifts God granted and using them to shower splendor and blessings back upon Him. All that we have - all that we are - are meant to honor and glorify the Lord. She did just that, even though some accused her of extravagance.

Oh, Holy Father, my heart breaks at the thought of relegating this most sacred Mass to a jail cell that is barren of sacred relics, sacred artwork, sacred vessels, and even the legions of faithful who would gather to celebrate the Lord's Supper. If we do not allow for such a thing to occur with marriages, how can we allow such a thing to happen for Holy Thursday Mass?

In a place that is already barren of Catholicism, how will those children come to understand the importance of the procession after Holy Thursday Mass where the sanctuary is stripped of its ornamentation, artwork and finery... sentenced to suffer the same death and tomb of Her Eternal Bridegroom? These traditions are in place because they are important... they are educational... and they are pleasing to God because this is the manner in which He saw fit to remind us of His Sacrifice so that we might grow closer to His Heart of Love.

The thought of this brings actual tears to my eyes. This seems wrong. Everything about this seems wrong, wrong, wrong. My heart cannot quiet its echoing cry of discontent.

11 Comments

Hannah link

3/21/2013 02:00:52 pm

I think that it is beautiful that he is holding mass at a Chapel in prison. Pope Benedict also performed mass in this Chapel in 2007. Pope John Paul II washed the feet of the homeless as well. I don't think that it is far to say that a juvenile detention center is barren of Catholicism (or relics even as there is a chapel and Mass has been said there before). Don't forget that the apostles were once all sinner, thieves, heretics, and criminals.

Gina

3/21/2013 02:16:10 pm

I don't take issue with Masses said in chapels. I take issue with the fact that it's Holy Thursday Mass for the reasons I stipulated above.

I also don't point at the children as being unworthy to have their feet washed. I do, however, point out that the symbolism of our tradition is much more meaningful and poignant - retired priests (or seminarians, or even altar servers) would make so much more sense given the importance of the act. It has nothing to do with sinfulness or purity. Judas, remember, had his feet washed as well, with Christ fully knowing the betrayal that was to take place.

I get that any criticism of this gesture is going to be looked at sideways. How can anyone criticize the actions of a guy who, for all intents and purposes, is trying to be uber-conscious of the plight of the poor? Super Pope Francis! He's already proven to win the hearts of everyone due to his subdued and humble nature.

I'm perfectly okay with all of that. We need someone like that!

However, I do believe this is a very serious misstep given that that chapel, no matter HOW done up, really is free from the splendors of our Basilica. It's also a very confined area meaning the faithful who would normally attend are at a loss.

And again, it also strips those attending of the very palpable experience of seeing the church stripped completely barren in honor of Christ's death.

See what I mean? A chapel, when you've got full use of St. Peter's Basilica, just seems very, very wrong. Holy Thursday Mass is, in my mind, way too important, sacred and blessed to relegate to a facility that doesn't pour out the expensive perfume to glorify the Lord.

Holy Thursday Mass deserves the most expensive perfume we have. St. Peter's would fit that bill (and it'd also fit the pilgrims who planned to be there for the opening of Triduum).

My two cents (or two dollars at this point), but I can't shake the feeling of "No, no, no! Christ deserves better than this!"

Martha link

3/21/2013 02:39:48 pm

I understand your concern. I do. I'm big on tradition - obviously. I'm Catholic.

But, I also wonder if it's a bit (I hope I'm not being rude!) presumptuous? to question the Holy Father about his reasonings, his motives, and his overarching plan. To ascribe to Pope Francis an attitude of "lets toss all tradition aside" seems a bit harsh, as he has not been Pope for very long.

I think it's perfectly acceptable to disagree and to opine on what you think he is conveying with his actions. I'm not so sure it's very prudent to assert your assessment as his actual thought process; the mind of our current Pope is, I think, to some degree at this point, unknowable.

Gina

3/21/2013 05:40:39 pm

Martha,

You are entirely correct. I fully admit to being a bit presumptuous of his intentions, but not in an attempt to judge him poorly. I give him credit for seeing a very necessary change that the humility and strength of St. Francis can very well achieve. He, himself, acknowledged as much.

His time in S. America proved him to be very mindful of meaningful gestures such as this. I just can't help feel terribly off about it.

I mean, if Matrimony should not happen outside a church, how can the Mass that all others sprang from be excepted?

It just doesn't sit well. I could very well just be out of my mind, but my heart has really felt wounded for Christ over what I see as a scaled back, spiritually poor celebration of His most sacred of seasons.

I just feel there has to be a better way of going about this that is socially conscious and properly ordered to the full extent of our blessed and sacred traditions.

Dom

3/21/2013 02:43:22 pm

Gina, I understand what you're saying, but I can't help but think that the beauty of Pope Francis' decision itself, lies in the fact that he's bringing Christ -the living Cathedral - to those who wouldn't be able to come to St. Peter's even if they had the option. There are hundreds of churches in Rome where our Lord will receive his due with all due reverence and glory - but where do you think, if He had the choice, *He* would choose to celebrate in person?

It's not just a question of what He deserves. There is no question about that. He deserves the best that humanity has to offer. Thing is, is that He didn't come seeking the best. He came seeking the worst, to offer HIS best to the worst of us. And Pope Francis, as His Vicar, is just doing what He would do, I think. We may not like it... But those people in prison can't offer Him *anything* from where they are. Like the rest of us, Christ has to come to them.

Holy Thursday is, as you say, the most sacred day of the year. The most sacred day of any year - and who better go to those lost and imprisoned, to shower them with glory, and wonder and beauty, and the terror and horror of it all, than the mortal representative of Him who would most certainly, I think, make that choice were He here himself to do it?

Dom

3/21/2013 03:05:07 pm

And to quote you - and to respectfully disagree - this is no gentle act of charity. This is a fierce cry of joy, a call to battle, and much the same punch in the gut that the Jewish leaders must have felt when they realized that they hadn't got what they hoped and prayed for, but what God had decreed instead. No mortal king enthroned, no silken raiment or ermine cloak, no golden crown - but a Messiah who came to claim the collective Body of the wounded, broken, stained and soiled as His Bride, and made of them - us - each and every *one* of us, for all time and eternity, something worth cherishing and rejoicing in, no matter when and where we find each other.

As for washing the feet of children - I see that as highly symbolic, and well in keeping with Francis' philosophy of purifying and cleansing. The children are the future - in bathing them, and in blessing the, he is showing us that, just as Jesus did, He is giving *our* future a new chance.

Gina

3/21/2013 05:56:58 pm

:)

I love you, Dom. Leave it to my resident Franciscan to jump to our Holy Father's defense!

Your explanation and insight definitely made me smile and gave me pause. I still can't shake my unsettled spirit, but at least I'm no longer feeling so terrible.

And I do apologize because I realize my stance on this is seemingly ridiculous. I just can't shake this dread that this is offensive in some way. I have very high hopes for a Jesuit pope who calls upon Our Lady to bless his predecessor. I feel this is just one of those things that, in my befuddlement, I cannot get my head around.

That being said, I'm glad his actions have garnered such positive feedback from the media. :)

Dom

3/22/2013 01:08:05 am

Well, try and think about it this way. What do you think Jesus would say if Pope Francis were to cancel his plans and return to the Cathedral, saying, on the *eve of His Sacrifice,' *in situ Christi,* 'Sorry, guys. I deserve better than you, and what you have to offer me?'

None of us have anything to offer him but all of ourselves. That's kind of the point. The splendor and magnificence of the spirituality He seeks must come from inside of us, irregardless of what we can offer on the exterior. In that prison, in that barren land,amongst those prisoners and children - that's all He'll get. And that's all He ever told us that He wants.

Gina

3/22/2013 03:42:27 am

No, Dom, my point is not "Sorry guys, Jesus deserves better than a bunch of troubled teens."

My point is, "This is the most important Mass of the entire year and it should be given the dignity and honor it deserves."

That just can't be done in a prison chapel when you've got the Basilica of St. Peter empty up the street, ya know? It's like having a birthday party in the basement when you've got a fully furnished mansion upstairs that offers room for more guests, visual manifestations of the birthday boy's life work, and the history of his entire, sacred legacy in the very center of the table where the cake is cut.

When it comes down to it, I'm sad that so many pilgrims are being denied the grace of attending due to room constraints. I'm sad that those children who are participating don't get the fullness of the sacred tradition of stripping the sanctuary bare of it's splendor after the Mass (which is just as much spiritually enriching as it is educational). I'm sad that this really does seem like a cheapened way to celebrate our most sacred of mysteries.

No matter how much I can see the logic and the charity behind this, I can't shake the discontent. That doesn't mean I'm right (or even sane). I can't explain it. I just fear it's a misstep. It's like watching someone you love about to trip over something terrible. He might be just fine, but he might actually trip and hurt himself, ya know?

I dunno. I realize I'm probably making no sense. How can you make sense of this feeling of dread when, from the perspective of just about everyone else, this seems like a perfectly acceptable and wonderful gesture.

Kathryn H.

3/22/2013 06:08:41 am

I understand your feelings and perplexity, Gina. However, since the Holy Father has made this decision, I think it is best not to allow oneself to be too unsettled.

I understand that this Mass is typically celebrated at St. John Lateran, not St. Peter's, which is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. I assume that St. John Lateran will have a regular Holy Thursday Mass, just as every cathedral does, but the celebrant obviously will not be the Bishop (the Pope). So, other people will not be deprived of their right to attend the Mass of the Lord's Supper in their cathedral/parish that night. At least, that is what I assume, since St. John Lateran is a "working cathedral" for the people of Rome, just like my home cathedral.

While the beauty of liturgy and art do give glory to God, I think we as individuals should try not to be too attached to our surroundings. It no doubt is an immense grace for prisoners to be visited by the Holy Father for Mass at any time, and he has chosen this day to do it. Since he has made this choice, I thought I would remember that Our Lord actually did spend Holy Thursday in a jail, and that meditation may be beneficial to those of us who enjoy watching beautiful papal liturgies from our homes. He will be bringing grace and beauty to people who may have none in their lives at all. It may change their lives and save their souls.

When I remembered the scene in "The Passion of the Christ" where Jesus is in the jail, it helped me to raise my mind beyond the "liturgical culture wars" to be open to what may need to be whispered to my heart through the Holy Father's choice to do this.

That is my thought process since I found out about this.

Gina

3/22/2013 06:48:32 am

*Lightbulb*

Kathryn, I can always rely on you to share such beautiful insights. Thank you. I can't help that I feel unsettled by this (because trust me... I've tried to push it out of my mind and say "He's the pope... obviously he knows what he's doing and isn't trying to screw his Boss out of the proper respect He deserves - he knows more than me so I should really just shut up).

However, I'm glad that I posted it because folks like you, Dom, Martha and Hannah have given me really great reflections that direct my thought-process in a way that, I think, is more fruitful than where it is currently.

:)

I love, especially, your point about Christ being in jail awaiting the trials. That, itself, made me feel so much better.

Thank you guys. So much!!! <3

Pope Francis' Holy Thursday Mass - Some Thoughts

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