J-Tron over at the Propaganda Box cites "Frankly Unfriendly Catholics." Brian McKinlay of Not Too Much asks why the FUC Wit's robes are being held up. You can tell that I was not raised by Anglo-Catholics (or at least ones who could be so to their heart's desire) by the fact that I do not know what the whole business of the Subdeacon and Deacon holding the Celebrant's cope is about. I have seen it at places like St. Clement's in Philly or Ascension in Chicago. The likely purpose as far as I can tell is to leave the Celebrant's hands free...but I'm not quite sure why his hands need to be free. Catholic web sites seem to emphasize the need to hold back the cope when the Celebrant's hands bear a monstrance.
In my search for the answer to this question, I found this interesting site , apparently illustrating a Directory of Ceremonial. Has anyone seen this before? Do they know anything about the Alcuin Society? I note that one of the more interesting features of these pictures is that the Sursum Corda is said to the people. In Anglo-Catholic parishes that generally face east I am not used to seeing that. This piece from the same site is also interesting as well , though I think the author of the piece would faint at the private lives of a typical acolyte pool in ECUSA these days.
You will not believe the wacky things I found in Google looking for an explanation of this. My favorite is this Theosophistic neo-alchemical Cartesian physical (?) approach to Eucharistic theology . I think works like this result from an overly enthusiastic anthropology. But I mainly cite it for sake of wackiness.
Until next time, the Holy Brothers pray that you may render all thanksgiving to God for all of his benefits to you and all mankind.
2 comments:
Well, they might faint at my personal (term purposely intended) life, having been the "deacon" and acolyte, though I maintain that I live my life with some modicum of good order, but I'm kind of fond of facing East. I wrote a piece a bit back about why I see this as possibly a corrective to overly-self-celebratory ways, and frankly a gesture/posture which is in line with the development of the various rites generally.
BTW: I hope to have my further thoughts on your thinking about fratrimony up by Saturday.
Sometimes Anglo-catholics can be kooks. There is some truth to the addage: "High and crazy, low and lazy, broad and hazy." I guess I tend toward a hazy crazy admixture.
Count me for the crazy and hazy crowd...
Post a Comment