Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Some Beautiful Scenes from 1946

I personally find this video extremely touching and moving. When people denounce the “old Church” and its “trappings,” if what we see below is what bothers them, I just can’t share that point of view.

6 Replies to “Some Beautiful Scenes from 1946”

  1. The Mendelssohn Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream is supernal (I was trained as a horn player, so this particular piece is in the heart of our repertoire), but an odd choice, given what that music is about.

  3. This is all quite lovely and beautiful, not unlike the evensongs of this Anglican's youth. But without it being rooted in humility and a continual discernment of what Christ's mission is to each and all of us it can ring quite hollow. If returning some of the ceremonies of the church are to urge us to reflect inwardly of us being a part of a greater community and not putting ourselves above our Creator, then I'm all for it. Without this humility it just becomes a narcissistic pageant.

  4. Actually, this is more than beautiful. This is the Consistory of 1946, and among those raised to the dignity of the College of Cardinals is Clemens August Count von Galen Bishop of Munster and resistant against the National Socialists.

    Cardinal Galen died within a few weeks of receiving the red hat.

    He was beatified by Pope Benedict in 2005. So we have in this video some of the last pictures taken of a Blessed.

  5. The Nocturne may seem an odd choice, given it's origins, but it lends the black and white footage a real balletic quality to the pageantry. It is very moving; also thanks HV for pointing out the historic significance of the ceremony. Lovely!

  6. The pageantry reflects the Church Triumphant. The 60s hippie movement tried to shame us of such display, pointing out Christ's poverty on earth. His poverty was self-imposed and meant to show us how to see Him in the lowliest of people. Yes, some popes took the office as a means of increasing family prestige and income, but most others understood the pomp as showing the world that Christ is risen and death has been conquered. We should do a better job of explaining this to others.

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