I saw this priest on TV during the inauguration, wearing an alb and a yellow stole. He did not lead the prayers for the inauguration nor did he do ANY liturgical thing during the inauguration of the new president.
In fact, he can be seen on TV walking around wearing the yellow stole and alb, doing NOTHING of liturgical nature.
I even saw a guy (probably a cleric) walking around in a (hold on to your seats...) YELLOW CASSOCK!
Yes, I thought there was something wrong with my TV. But it's true. It's really true!
So here's the million peso question. Tell me...
What is the use of a stole for a civic event?
Huh?
Sad thing about our clergy in the Philippines is that most, even the bishops, are too much politically inclined that they neglect their responsibility to Holy Mother Church and to her sheep.
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming a trend that, even if it hurts me, in my opinion, the Church in the Philippines is loosing its sacrosanct Catholic Patrimony and Christian roots.
San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, Protomartiri.
Ora Pro Nobis!
True right you are kate5_17. It bothers me why most priest would rather want to be on TV than stay in their parishes or in the confessional like St. John Marie Vianney?
ReplyDeleteSancte Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, Protomartiri.
Ora Pro Nobis!
I have no problem with priests and bishops attending important state functions like the presidential inaugural. After all these men are citizens too. But when they wear clerical vestments, they give the impression that their Church is an established one. Our Constitution expressively forbids that.
ReplyDeleteIn England, Anglican clergy attending state functions wear choir dress with hood and tippet (stole). But the Church of England is a state church. Catholic, Orthodox and other Protestant clergy attending state functions need only to wear their cassocks. Thus when the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster attends a function graced by the Queen, he wears his cardinal's cassock. The same is true with the Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain. He wears the traditional Orthodox cassock.
In the USA, no cleric attending a state function would wear liturgical vestments.
The point here is that he is a priest. Priests wore the stole when they do their priestly function. The moment Fr. Arnold had a part in leading the oath of allegiance of the Filipinos as a priest is a function of the priest as Shepherd of the flock of Christ. The pope wears the stole because not only he is the pope but because he is a priest, a minister of governance.
ReplyDeleteFr. Arnold wore the alb because at the back of his mind he is performing the not only a role of a Filipino but of a Baptized Christian. He could wear that, you too if you wish.
Yellow, well it is in the line of "festive color" that connects with the white stole.
Fra Dave,
ReplyDeleteStoles and albs are worn by priests ONLY when they perform liturgical functions such as administering baptism and blessings and NOT during civic events or any other event where the priest stands as the Shepherd of the flock of Christ.
Redemptionis Sacramentum reminds priests that "123. “The vestment proper to the Priest celebrant at Mass, and in other sacred actions
directly connected with Mass unless otherwise indicated, is the chasuble, worn over the alb
and stole.”213 Likewise the Priest, in putting on the chasuble according to the rubrics, is not
to omit the stole. All Ordinaries should be vigilant in order that all usage to the contrary be eradicated."
The liturgical books DO NOT specify priests to wear the stole whenever they wish to. ONLY THE POPE WEARS THE STOLE AT ALL TIMES INDICATING HIS UNIVERSAL POWERS AND JURISDICTION. He wears a stole over his choir dress whenever he receives Catholic dignitaries. Otherwise, he omits the stole and retains his mozetta, white during the Easter Season and Red outside the Easter Season.
The alb is worn over the religous habit, cassock or street clothes of deacons, priests and celebrants.
Fra. Dave, have you ever seen a bishop wear his miter or carry his crozier in civic events to indicate his role as bishop and shepherds of the flock of Christ?
The alb is worn only for specific purposes like in the celebration of the liturgy and not by ANY baptized catholic who wishes to do so.
Many priests nowadays wear the alb as if it were their religious habit. THE ALB IS NOT A CASSOCK OR RELIGIOUS HABIT.
THIS IS AN ABUSE.