In a Mass that looks, sounds, and feels as beautiful as any we have seen in the past decade, the Holy Father is ordaining two bishops right now.
Update: Well, that was certainly beautiful! Here is the booklet. Video and photos to follow.
Update 2: Early video.
That was an interesting ordo, Kathy. Lotsa "old faithfuls" with some smidges of "Alstott"-like acclamations.
It does aid and abet the projection that liturgically RotR is very much still a de facto reality, to these eyes and ears anyway.
But a lot less Latin, compared to what prevailed in the later years of Benedict XVI especially the January 6, 2013 episcopal ordinations. And no more dalmatics for the ordaining prelate and the bishop elects. And no more chanting by the Pontiff. Surely those are not minor things?
Yes, bishops not wearing pontificals (except mitre) seems to be the latest fashion!
It was a very dignified liturgy compared to Archbishop Marini's "Barnum and Bailey" approach. GIven that one of the bishops consecrated was French, I think opting for a Mass entirely in the Church's liturgical language, Latin, would have been appropriate.
I don't know if others would be of the same opinion, but the Introit and Communion are being done in reverse. It seems to me that it would be much easier for the faithful to sing the psalm verses according to a Gregorian psalm tone, than for them to try and sing the way more complicated Gregorian antiphon. There is an attempt to make these into responsorial psalm types which they are not.
Please, please, please, can we have a change from the Missa de Angelis? There are so many better plainchant settings to choose from. The fact that it was standard fare in 1950s parishes is surely no longer relevant. Although it doesn't apply here, the same goes for the non-Gregorian Credo III. Sing Credo I often enough and the congregation will pick it up.
What bothers me most is the seeming insistence by some on whitewashing or denying that there is a liturgical difference between the previous and current Pope. The reform of the reform crowd needs morale boosters now but denial isn't a very good one.
Look again, because the new bishops are in fact wearing pontifical dalmatics (although they are hard to see beneath the ample gothic chasubles) but you are correct to note that the Pope and co-consecrating prelates are not.
What are the differences? They are very few.
When I attended a similar Mass last Epiphany at St. Peter's, the solemnity as I experienced lay primarily in the pacing of the Mass, the use of space, the care with which the many elements of a complex service were woven into a whole.
The three hour Mass that day ran overtime, so much so that Pope Benedict graciously apologized for being late to the Angelus. However, it ran so smoothly, as such an integrated whole, that it seemed much more brief. I believe the same finesse was in evidence yesterday.
The flowers were different that day–it was Christmas, after all–and the Holy Father at the time wore a fanon. Yes, there were special aspects. But yesterday's Mass looked, felt and sounded much the same.
What makes me sad is that at this mass, the deacons receiving holy communion from the pope did so standing, whereas up to this point at St. Peter's they would receive kneeling. Maybe the explanation is as simple as the master of ceremonies forgetting to tell them to kneel – I'm not holding my breath though.
Puzzling that the laying on of hands, which (I think) is supposed to be carried out in silence, had organ accompaniment. I wonder what purpose the music served, especially when the action carried out in silence can be so powerfully symbolic?
And for the Kiss of Peace and Preparation of the Gifts, that's a truly interesting and creative adaptation of Duruflé's Ubi Caritas, with a people's refrain and all three verses set to Duruflé's music rather than just the one. I love it! (Duruflé may be spinning in his grave. :-))