Rocco Palmo has an account of Cardinal Lustiger's funeral, I was surprised by how prescriptive he was about his funeral rites. Somethings I was a little surprised by, including what he ordered to be placed on his memorial plaque:
I received the name
Of my paternal grandfather, Aaron
Having become Christian
By faith and by Baptism,
I have remained Jewish
As did the Apostles.
I have as my patron saints
Aaron the High Priest,
Saint John the Apostle,
Holy Mary full of grace.
Named 139th archbishop of Paris
by His Holiness Pope John-Paul II,
I was enthroned in this Cathedral
on 27 February 1981,
And here I exercised my entire ministry.
Passers by, pray for me.
† Aaron Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger
Archevêque de Paris
Of my paternal grandfather, Aaron
Having become Christian
By faith and by Baptism,
I have remained Jewish
As did the Apostles.
I have as my patron saints
Aaron the High Priest,
Saint John the Apostle,
Holy Mary full of grace.
Named 139th archbishop of Paris
by His Holiness Pope John-Paul II,
I was enthroned in this Cathedral
on 27 February 1981,
And here I exercised my entire ministry.
Passers by, pray for me.
† Aaron Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger
Archevêque de Paris
26 comments:
Thank Heaven they are wearing purple vestments. Every priests funeral I have been to, everyone wears white, as there is no judgement or need to pray for them.
Mary is a Jewess as is Joseph and Jesus. Why be surprised by Cardinal Lustiger claiming and acknowledging his birthright? He also had Jewish rites at his funeral. The Jewish roots of Christianity are unassailable and contribute to its strength,
Given France's ingrained anti-semitism this will, I am delighted to say, rankle many passers by. He was a great Archbishop of Paris and in his case Pope John Paul II made an inspired appointment for once.
It wasn't his being a Jew and this being expressed in his funeral rites, but if you bother to read Palmo's account, it seems he was meticulous in defining what should happen, and adding things that are not in the liturgical texts like vested priests carrying his coffin, for example, grrrr.
The text on his tombstone, is another example, for me I would leave the way in which I was remembered to my frends.
I suppose the idea was to remind people that a Jew doesn't become a Gentile when he accepts Jesus as the Messiah. He answers the duty of allegiance, incumbent by covenant on every child of a Jewish mother, to the hereditary rights of the Head of the House of David.
Is there anything in the liturgical books that says vested priests may not carry the coffin of a bishop?
Is there anything in the liturgical books that says vested priests may not carry the coffin of a bishop?"
Yes, "the priest should do only those things which are proper to his ministry", carrying a corpse is not proper to his ministry.
Taking a Jewish perspective, a priest is defiled by touching a corpse, and is thus unable to serve in the Temple!
Where in the funeral rite does it say that a priest should only do such things as are proper to his ministry? I thought this referred to priests not undertaking diaconal liturgical functions at Solemn Masses. Or is this Canon Law independent of rubric? I seem to remember that one or two mean-spirited niniminy piminemies made the same complaint about brother priests carrying Fr Cormac Rigby's coffin for a short distance to the waiting hearse. I was there and it made a great impression on the congregation as an act of priestly solidarity. In this case we find a good example of the letter killing and the spirit giving life. Pharisaism is, among much else, a fruit of the mind warped by small print, as we see in the parable of the good samaritan. God help the Church if we are to be shackled by the mentality of the book of Leviticus. What this is really about is a gang of chorus boys bitching about others who dance different steps. It's on that level.
I haven't really the inclination to look up the exact reference for "Anonymous" but he/she is right the priest should only do "those things which apertain to his ministry".
It is a basic liturgical principle which should preclude him from playing the organ, picking up babies, fixing th sound system.
As moving as g.k. might find priests carrying dead bodies might be, that is not his function. I don't think it is pharasaism at all, it is simply about "reading the black and doing the red".
The liturgy is prayer, not moving people or bodies for that matter, if we rememer that then we might have the Prayer of the Church, rather than some show!
The Greek derivative of liturgy means work, not prayer. The liturgy is, first and foremost, an action.
"The Greek derivative of liturgy means work, not prayer. The liturgy is, first and foremost, an action."
Yes of course, and the URGIA, or urge, of God's people is prayer.
I got a bit confused in that last comments part, Father.
Are you saying that priests should never pick up babies, play the organ, or fix a sound system?
Picking up babies displays charity and love to both the parents and the child.
Playing the organ (particularly if one is good, as is my pastor, so I hear) can give much glory to God.
Fixing a sound system is employing a talent God gave you and thus saves the Church the cost of calling a repairman.
Or have I completely misunderstood Father?
(I am easily confused.)
;)
Ma Beck,
I meant they shouldn't do these things whilst celebrating Mass or the sacraments, obviously there are going to be exceptions.
I have seen a priest pulling a guitar out from under his chasble or grasping bongo drums between his knees at the presidential chair! and concelebrating priest adjusting the sound system throughout Mass.
Presumably when the priests carried Cardinal Lustiger's (and Fr Rigby's) coffin at the end of their funerals the Mass was concluded? But even if they had carried it in first the Mass would not have started. Where's the problem?
Father,
Of course that's what you meant.
(I told you I was easily confused.)
I just couldn't in my wildest dreams imagine a priest actually playing music or adjusting a sound system DURING Mass.
This is proof that some mighty unbelievable things go on in some parishes.
Thanks for the quick clarification!
If it is before Mass or after Mass and they are vested for Mass then they should be saying Mass or at least praying, not carrying coffins, isn't that right Father?
I suppose that this also means that if a server has a heart attack while serving Mass Fr Blake would let him die rather than interrupt what he was doing at the altar.
Damn fool!
The last commentator I mean!
When this did happen a few months ago, not a server but a member of the congregation collapsed with a heart attack. I did what is proper for a priest to do. I interrupted Mass I gave him the saraments, which is what a priest should do, whilst someone else telephoned for an ambulance, and a doctor who took care of his physical needs.
I think the commentator excepted me to say that I would see to his physical needs, this reveals a certain ignorance of the importance of the sacraments.
The discussion was whether a priest vested for Mass and wearing a stole should carry a coffin, I think it is not fitting.
It is possible, I am sure but not if vested for Mass opr even wearing a stole, as it is not a priestly function!
In the past I think it was actually forbidden by law at any time, even in the case of one's parents, the priest was expected to pray.
Sigh.
You mention the proper actions for a priest at Mass and someone goes off the deep end and implies that you'd let someone behind you die because you're a slave to the rubrics.
Yes, not wanting a priest to answer a cellphone or play the bongos during Mass MUST mean that you would also prefer he refrain from administering Last Rites (or CPR) when needed.
[Rolls eyes.]
I'd trust you to give me Last Rites anyday, Father.
Even while you were saying Mass.
:)
Thanks, Ma.
Perhaps I am a bit spartan but I would suggest the only suitable inscription for a Catholic's tombstone is 'Pray For Me'
Time for reminder that you shouldn't believe every whisper you hear in the loggia! If you look at the photgraphs readily available elsewhere on the internet, you can see that the coffin was carried by young men (in fact seminarians) wearing dark suits. Aside from the Jewish rites, which took place outside the cathedral before Mass began, and were in perfect accord with the Christian faith, as they consisted mainly of the recitation of a psalm, the funeral in fact followed the official French funeral ritual to the letter. Two abbots were present, the abbot of Fontgombault and my own (Saint-Wandrille), so my information is fairly reliable! Fr. Abbot brought back the booklet containing the texts used; the introit and the ordinary were sung in Gregorian chant. The chasubles were lent by Solesmes; Notre-Dame doesn't have 60 matching purple chasubles, but Solesmes does.
Yes, Palmo is not to be trusted.
If Roco is not be to trusted why build a pyramid on loose foundations or quote him in the first place? Your own website gets it wrong, too, from time to time, snd not only in spelling and grammar.
"snd not only in spelling and grammar"
"snd" none of us are perfect!
For anyone interested in watching the funeral of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger it can be viewed on the internet site of KTO - the catholic television site the cardinal himself set up. I have not yet read all the English obituaries yet but i am surprised that in those I have read, nobody mentioned his smile - he smiled with his eyes a sign of a genuine smile. When he processed into Notre-Dame he waved to everyone instead of the more formal blessing and I shall treasure the moment when I was able to exchange a few words with him. he was a superb orator, a man of deep faith who radiated his joy to others and helped revitalise the French church. May he now rest in peace.
At the end of the Funeral Mass for Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, a moving tribute was paid by fellow Academician, politician and writer, Maurice Druon. He finished by saying 'We will not forget your smile.'
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