More Musings about the Papal Mass

 I learned today that Pope Benedict insists that a crucifix be placed on the altar when he celebrates the mass.

I very much enjoyed the explanation provided by EWTN about this practice.  They said that it helps the Pope focus on the sacrificial element of the sacrament.  Because it sort of blocks the priest, it also centers all eyes on the sacrament, rather than the person offering the sacrament. 

As David over at Man with the Black Hat says, “The focus on the crucified Christ at the axis of worship, as opposed to the personality of the priest, is part of the Holy Father’s overall strategy to restore the sacred to Catholic worship.”

It makes the Holy Father more human when I realize that even he himself needs help in recognizing what is actually happening during the Eucharist.  What a truly humble man he is, thanks be to God.

This entry was posted on April 17, 2008 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Catholic, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “More Musings about the Papal Mass”

  1. Jennifer Says:
    April 17, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    I know! I thought what a neat little tidbit, and a good witness. The things you learn on EWTN. :)

Leave a Reply