Post intelligent and civil comments. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the NLM
I know a little bit about the "Poor Knights of Christ".
I believe some of their membership are actually a new Order of monks located in an ancient monastery they took over within the Archdiocese of Siena. Some of their membership are laypeople also...including women.
But I think (I could be wrong) the ones that wear the full habit are actually members who live in community are are trying to ressurect the "Knights Templars" as a new community of monks. They support the Tridentine Latin Mass and Catholic tradition, and use it for their own community Masses.
I checked their web page.
They are the "Militia of the Temple - Order of the poor Knights of Christ"
And at present there are Knights in Solemn vows, (the section which are monks), Knights in Obedience (laypeople who follow the rules of the Institute in private), and lastly Oblates.
They are a restoration of the historic "Knights Templars" of Medieval times (but not being engaged in military endeavours like the original group of the 11th-14th centuries of course).
They are trying to found "conventual houses" (monasteries), where religious life will be lived fully.
The Grand Master of the Militia Templi resides at the Magistral See, Castello della Magione in Poggibonsi (Siena). Their website:
http://www.ordo-militiae-templi....org/
starten.htm
Or just go to www.unavoce.org, clink
"links", and find Militia Templi which takes you to the above website.
Fascinating Order....seems to be growing also.
These photos are splendid, especially as it is only a very few years since no interest existed in Italy for the traditional Mass.
However, the photos also shew a new and worrying tendency, which I witnessed widely last week on a visit to Rome, of placing the Crucifix on eastward facing altars TO ONE SIDE, instead of being behind the tabernacle where they belong. This in spite of the Holy Father's drive to return it to the centre on facing altars! Such ironic perversity.
The motivation for this comes, I both assume and am assured by priests I mentioned it to, from art-historians (secular art-historians, needless to say), who do not wish the lower part of the paintings to be obscured. Especially so if they have been restored with public, or indeed european, grant money. This is of course absurd, since the paintings were designed by their artists to sit behind the cross and candles.
As old men say, "something should be done!" In the meantime, I wonder if a priest or a catholic art-historian reader of this, with a little time on his hands, might prepare an article emphasising this absurdity.
In Domino,
"The motivation for this comes, I both assume and am assured by priests I mentioned it to, from art-historians (secular art-historians, needless to say), who do not wish the lower part of the paintings to be obscured."
In some churches it will be a practical matter of there being no place behind the tabernacle for the cross to sit. It's not allowed to sit on top of the tabernacle.
In in Churches where there is [contra legem but tolerated, IIRC] a throne for the Blessed Sacrament on top of the tabernacle the cross is not supposed to be placed there when the Blessed Sacrament is not exposed.
re: the white hooded deacon
Is he one of the monks or from the Dominican priory in Siena?
Probably not one of the Dominicans in Sienna, because the Dominicans no longer use the monastic tonsure. They never did in the USA, but it was standard practice in all Europe and elsewhere (except English speaking countries), until Vatican II (of course).
He might be a Benedictine monk from La Barroux, or from a new Order. There are a few which have returned to the practice of the monastic tonsure.
"In some churches it will be a practical matter of there being no place behind the tabernacle for the cross to sit. It's not allowed to sit on top of the tabernacle."
Why would that be? Since a crucifix was strictly prescribed for every altar, I cannot see how there could be an old altar without a place for the crucifix.
If this practice we see here - on these otherwise splendid pictures - is indeed spreading, I agree with Josephus that it is very unfortunate and should be nipped in the bud. I am afraid it is in line with a whole tendency of converting ancient and artistically valuable churches into museums, when they ought to continue to be used for their original purpose, the cultus of the Most Holy Trinity.
"re: the white hooded deacon
Is he one of the monks or from the Dominican priory in Siena?"
I suppose he might be a chaplain of the militia templi. However, we do not really know wether his hood is white, since the white we see is the amice covering the hood.
Perhaps St. Catherine or St. Bernadine would have felt 'at home' there now again...
What Kenjiro says is true. I am also in the order as an oblate novice. We are also called Dames of Devotion. I love being in it although I'm still going through the novitiate. We pray the 1961 office everyday and live according to a rule that is partly based on the rule of St. Benedict and the rule that St. Bernard had written for the original Templars. However, I must point out that we are not trying to claim that we are the same order as the original Templars. Instead, the order was created in the spirituality of the original Templars. Obviously w are not going around in battle against Muslims however, some of us who have become knights of obedience are in the military or in law enforcement or they could just be oblates like myself who are geeky medieval history students :)..lol. The only ones that take solemn vows are the professed knights. The knights of obedience are usually laymen, usually married. The dames can be married or single too :). I love the order and I hope to see it grow more :)
I am a Novice of nearly two years with the Militia Templi, and I just wanted to clarify that we are presently a Lay Association, and as such we do not have clerical members (although we do have chaplains). Our purposes are the public defense of the Faith, the preservation and spread of the traditional Liturgy, and to offer worship to God by the daily praying of the Divine Office in Latin and living the Rule.
All members wear a habit, although it differs between Knights of Obedience (a vow of obedience and public defense of the Faith only) and Knights with Solemn Profession (all three evangelical counsels and public defense of the Faith).
I strongly encourage anyone interested to review the websites already mentioned. Additionally, the North American Prefectory has a website, http://www.militiatempli.org/
North American Preceptory*** Pardon me.
What a fitting anniversary Requiem for a great Archbishop whom I was privileged to meet when he visited my own city of Buffalo.
May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace! Amen!
Dear Mr Howard,
Indeed, I am afraid Gregor is quite correct – all the altars I saw in Rome not only had a place behind the tabernacle for the crucifix, but had them there as little as five years ago.
Without wishing to be churlish, I had rather hoped for a positive discussion, rather than having my factual propositions rubbished for somewhat unclear ends...
It is entirely obvious that there was no-where to place the cross in the centre.
That is not an ancient tabernacle, but one placed there fairly recently with no attempt at leaving room for one
I was the celebrant of the requiem mass in the cathedral of Siena so I would like to answer some of the questions.
On the tabernacle, there was enough place just for a small cross. Unfortunatelly, the cathedral is not ours, so we had to accept it as we found it. There was no possibility to change anything. When we asked to celebrate there, above the tomb of His Exc. the late Archbishop Castellano, the chapter of the cathedral voted against (!) the mass. We had to fight for the mass, even if it became a right with the motu proprio. Just to make you understand how much we were welcomed there: we had to bring everything with us (chasuble, etc.).
This was the first tridentine mass in the cathedral of Siena since the liturgical reform. In Siena this was the third one. Two years ago there was a requiem mass celebrated by Cardinal Paskai (former archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary). The Cardinal asked the Archbishop of Siena to allow him to celebrate in the cathedral, but the Archb. did not give the permission. So the Cardinal had to celebrate in one of the churches (not parish church) of Siena.
The deacon was one of the monks (priest) of Le Barroux, visiting the magistral seat of the knights.
There are no cleric-members, just chaplains nominated by the Grand Master (as in Malta). I am the chaplain (not member of Gricigliano, Crist the King Institute) of the magistral seat and church at Poggibonsi, nominated by the Archbishop of Siena.
Father,
Many thanks, it looks like it was a spectacular liturgy, in one of the most spectacular cathedrals in Europe. It would have been interesting to see a recording of it.
The deacon is Pere Jehan from Le Barroux.
Father Andrew, your server rejects my emails. I have the small souvenir of Father MacGrath ready to be sent, but need your address. In Domino.
Does anyone know where I might purchase an alb with cowl or alb with monastic amice similar to the one worn by the deacon in these photos?
Who or what is the fellow in the short pants?
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