Just a question of taste?

After my posting about differing styles of vestments, I received a number of e-mails, mostly those thanking me for raising these issues. Others, however, responded in a manner that was (frankly) near-hysterical. That people feel so passionate as to react in such a manner is a topic worthy of some discussion. And so, I have been asked to write a little more on these subjects.

It has been put to me that the question of the style of vestments is purely one of taste; that “Roman” vestments represent an organic development of the Church’s liturgy and accordingly might not be questioned; and that the Traditions that people love should not be mocked.

So, I would like to answer these particular questions. It may be that whether one likes or dislikes “Roman” vestments is a matter of taste. But that wasn’t the point of my original post. My point was this: why is there an almost automatic association between Roman vestments, lace albs etc and the Old Mass? Unhappily, there is most certainly an attitude floating around in the circles of Catholic Tradition that this Baroque expression of the Old Mass is THE valid expression. Consequently (I assure you I am not caricaturing this view), using styles of vestments that are older or more modern than that of the Baroque, is regarded with suspicion and even hostility. People should be aware that there are priests who refuse to wear more ample vestments because they regard them as antithetical to Tradition (there are also priests who prefer Roman vestments because they give a greater freedom of movement for the arms; that, of course, is a separate issue).

For me, this is quite a disturbing attitude. It is an attitude that ought to be examined critically, because it is a very narrow interpretation of the concept of Tradition. It is not adequate to assert that the use of Roman vestments and lace may not be subject to question because they are “Traditional”.

Exactly why is there such an attachment to this Baroque expression of Tradition? This, I suspect is a question which cuts to the heart of people’s perception of the nature of Tradition. It is a sociological issue also, which I am not qualified to comment on. Somebody put to me once that many people were greatly upset and even scandalised when Papal Rome made a wholesale rejection of the Baroque in the late 1960’s. The array of Papal ceremonial was replaced with something very functional and austere: somewhat like the ethos of the 1960’s itself. Consequently, and for precisely this reason, there is a very negative attitude amongst some to modern expressions in the style of vestments. Had 1960’s Rome decided to use beautiful damasks for the Papal vestments instead of the plainest of silk, perhaps attitudes might have been different.

Perhaps those who were born after that era and whose experience of vestments has been the often uninspired, sometimes hideous products of the major Church suppliers find the beautiful damasks and ornamentation of the Roman chasuble quite attractive in their richness and in their differentness. There is also a certain fascination with this style of vestment. And there is the concept that is once again becoming most important: using vestments of magnificence for the worship of God.

The photograph I have attached shews the Benedictine Abbot of Le Barroux offering Mass in the Monastery church of Sainte-Marie de la Garde (Saint Perre De Clairac, France) a foundation of Le Barroux. The vestments are very rich and, although obviously inspired by ancient forms, are nevertheless modern in presentation. They were made for and only used for the Old Mass.

In future articles, I hope to discuss what the essence of a vestment is and why it is desirable to strike a balance between the form of the vestment and its ornament. I will also discuss various misconceptions about past statements of the Congregation of Rites on the use of "Gothic" versus "Roman" vestments. And, I will tackle thorny questions such as why these issues are not just a question of taste and why the "organic development" assertion is a not an adequate argument in discussing styles of vestments.

SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM: Looking forward, not back

As a devotee of the Old Mass (now to be referred to as the Extraordinary Form or More Ancient Use of the Roman Rite) since boyhood, the promulgation of Pope Benedict's motu proprio has been an occasion of the greatest joy for me. But what I have seen since the announcement has made me pause to reflect. Is Summorum Pontificum a document that intends to make Tradition anew for the future, or a document that wishes to re-create the past? This issue is, in fact, a tension that has been manifest in the Old Mass movement all along.

For my part, Summorum Pontificum is not only about clarifying the status of the Old Mass; I believe it is also intended as a means to reform the degenerate state into which the Church's Liturgy has fallen. The revival of the Old Mass is intended to enrich the Church: our ancient Traditions are never more needed. But this doesn't require our getting into a time machine back to 1950 or 1750. When I saw a headline on the internet Return of Latin mass sparks old vestment hunt, I felt slightly uneasy. What I have seen since 14th September has made me very uneasy: an explosion of pictures on the internet of the celebration of the Old Mass, almost all of them shewing lacey albs, fiddleback chasubles, birettas, baroque mitres etc etc. It's as if suddenly the doors of a lolly shop were broken down and everyone has got in to gorge themselves.


These are the questions I wish to pose to the Old Mass Movement: Do people believe that the true expression of the Old Mass must be with Baroque styles of vestments? If so, why? Is this Tradition or Re-creation?

This blog was not intended for philosophical debate, but about issues concerning the Liturgy and specifically Sacred vestments and architecture. So, I attach two photos to this post of Pontifical celebrations of the Old Mass. In one, the Cardinal-President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission and his assistants are vested in a frightful dark red set of 18th century "Roman" vestments (but certainly a very beautiful cope is also pictured); in the other, a French bishop celebrates an Ordination at the Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault in 2004. Celebrant and ministers are vested in a beautiful early 20th century set of red Gothic revival vestments. The contrast between these two expressions of Tradition is overwhelming.

S' Philip Neri: 16th century chasuble

The Saint Bede Studio has now received a number of orders for chasubles according to the style of the 16th century. Chasubles of this period, whilst having the decorative features of the later "fiddleback" chasubles of the 18th century, were much longer and wider than the 18th century form. Sometimes this 16th century cut of chasuble is referred to as the style of S' Philip Neri, because there are several portraits of the Saint wearing just such vestments (see adjacent picture).

Although this cut of chasuble has never completely disappeared, in more recent times there appears to be a revived interest. This can be observed in photographs of various Masses celebrated by the Fathers of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in Witgratzbad (see adjacent pictures).

The style illustrated in the pictures is the Italianate style. Another form existed in Catholic England at this time, which was more pointed at the front, slightly wider and employed a narrower stole and maniple. This was similar to the form revived by Pugin and others in the first half of the 19th century.

Pugin-inspired Braids

The Saint Bede Studio is pleased to announce the release of the first of a series of vestment braids after the style of AWN Pugin. The first of these braids (width 8cm) is shewn in the adjacent picture and is old gold on crimson red. The genius of Pugin was such that he conceived a braid which would happily ornament all the liturgical colours: White, Green, Red, Violet and Black. Pugin's original braid (in the same colours, crimson and gold), designed in the 1840's, may be familiar to readers and a form of it is still available from English manufacturers (with the unhappy addition of lurex thread). The Saint Bede Studio braid, however, is an original design, based upon Pugin's work, not a copy of it. The designs for this new series of Puginesque braids will be protected under international law.

The Colour (Color) Purple: part one

Some months ago, I had an online discussion about the difference between the colours purple and violet. In descriptive terms, violet is tinged with blue; purple is tinged with red. So, when the Church’s ceremonial books cite the colour "violaceus" (a Latin word), which colour is meant: violet or purple? There is no definitive answer to this, since the word itself can mean either purple or violet. See the problem? We know that the vesture of bishops is of a colour we call Roman purple. Is this the colour intended for sacred vestments in the Seasons of Lent and Advent? Some say yes, some say no. The practice throughout the world and in Rome itself has differed over the course of the last several centuries.

Let’s try to distinguish the uses of the colour "violaceus". The colour of vestments in Advent and Lent is intended to be penitential and sombre. The purple of bishops, however, is intended to be a mark of their rank, and is derived from the ancient use (by the Romans) of purple robes to denote dignity, prestige and royalty. Thus, that purple is not intended to be penitential.

Do we know what the ancient colour purple was? Until recently, no. But because of the research of English chemist John Edmonds and German artist Inge Boesken Kanold (go to website) we do now have a better idea. It is well known that the purple dye was made from the murex shellfish, which were obtained in ancient times from the seaport of Tyre. Did these shellfish produce a single, specific colour? Evidently not, because it depended on the shellfish which was used. One thing that can be said was that the dye produced by these shellfish was a rich, not a sombre colour. As to the hue? There is evidence of the shellfish producing both purple (similar to the colour of the robes of modern bishops) and also the colour of the flower violets.

In a separate article, I will try to deal with the question of when violaceus came to be designated as a pentitential colour (relatively recently) for liturgical use.

Mitre for Melbourne liturgist-bishop

The Australian Confraternity for Catholic Clergy (ACCC) commissioned the Saint Bede Studio to make a mitre for the newly-consecrated auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev'd Peter Elliott. +Msgr Elliott is well known for his ceremonial commentaries on the Roman Rite. The mitre was made from Ecclesia cloth-gold brocade and is lined with rich Roman purple dupioni silk. To the new bishop: Ad multos Annos.

Pontifical Mass in Melbourne

The auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, Dr. Christopher Prowse, celebrated Pontifical Mass at the faldstool for the Traditional Mass Community of Saint Aloysius, Caulfield North (Melbourne) on Sunday 22nd April. This was the first occasion that the bishop had offered the Old Mass, although in 2006 he had conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the old Pontifical. The bishop was assisted at the Mass by Fathers Tattersall, McDaniels and McCaffrey of the Fraternity of Saint Peter.

The Saint Bede Studio had been asked to make a dalmatic and tunic for the bishop, in addition to a precious mitre and cloth-gold mitre. The precious mitre, which was to match an existing set of Solemn Mass vestments, is shewn in the adjacent photograph.

Vestments for the post-Pentecost Season

The Saint Bede Studio has recently completed a set of Solemn Mass vestments for the Traditional Mass Community of Saint Aloysius in Caulfield North. The adjacent picture shews the dalmatic and tunic from this set. An attractive green brocade is very difficult to obtain and we are constantly searching for supplies of the same.

Month's Mind

Father Tattersall, Chaplain to the Traditional Mass community in Caulfield (Archdiocese of Melbourne), recently visited Singleton to offer Mass in the Convent Chapel of the Sisters of Mercy. The occasion was a Month's Mind for my mother, Clare Sternbeck.

Conical chasuble

Adjacent is a photograph of a conical chasuble recently completed by the Saint Bede Studio. For readers who may be unfamiliar with this style, its shape is very similar to that of a bell. Consequently, in order for the wearer to use his arms, the conical chasuble must be pulled up at the sides and allowed to rest in the small of the arms. When this happens, the vestment folds upward from the bottom in a manner quite distinctive. Mediaeval illustrations regularly show vestments with precisely these folds. A conical chasuble is not for celebrants who like to wave their arms around a lot, but it is quite manageable if the arms always remain extended or joined. Unlike the more commonly-found chasubles, the conical chasuble must be tailored to the shape of the wearer's shoulders, otherwise it fits very ill.