Catholic and Loving it!

I'm sure you're all familiar with the Indiana Jones movies, if you're not then you need to stop wasting your time on the internet and get down to a video shop immediately... Okay... The third Indiana Jones film is the Last Crusade and there is a scene at the end of the film when Indy and chums have located the legendary Holy Grail which has the power to give eternal life.

There is a catch. The grail is hidden among many other cups and chalices and a decision must be made about which cup is the true grail. Pick the correct cup and be rewarded with eternal life but pick the wrong cup and die horribly.

The first person to take a guess is the villainous Nazi... he must be some kind of traditionalist because he picks the biggest, goldest, cup he can lay his hands on...

He guesses wrong and if I remember correctly he dies of old age very rapidly (it's very cool). His mistake, it is explained, is that he chose the expensive looking cup. Our hero, Indiana Jones, selects a simple cup. He chooses correctly and is able to save Sean Connery from certain death...

The lesson is simple... Nice chalices (as favoured by traditionalists) lead to death, while plain chalices (as favoured by heroes) lead to life. In 1989 when that film came out it was obviously seen by quite a few liturgists who took the lesson quite literally and as a result our Churches are littered with earthenware communion bowls. Stephen Spielberg has a lot to answer for...

In 2004 the Vatican decided to set the record straight. Redemptionis Sacramentum says that Sacred vessels for containing the Body and Blood of the Lord are to be made from materials which are "truly noble in the common estimation within a given region" so that "honour will be given to the Lord by their use, and all risk of diminishing the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in the eyes of the faithful will be avoided."

Just in case that's a bit subtle, they spell it out:

Reprobated, therefore, is any practice of using for the celebration of Mass common vessels, or others lacking in quality, or devoid of all artistic merit or which are mere containers, as also other vessels made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily. This norm is to be applied even as regards metals and other materials that easily rust or deteriorate.

[Redemptionis Sacramentum 117]

It's good to see that Bishop Drainey takes this very seriously, last year he visited the parish down the road where they regularly make use of a ceramic chalice. After he left he sent a letter to the parish priest in which he said:

...a new set of chalices might be in order to enhance and add even more dignity to the liturgy.

[link]

That was last November, I remember reading it at the time and thinking how exciting it was that Bishop was willing to take these things seriously. It might be nice if he would make this particular rule sound less like an optional extra "might be in order". No suprise then that eight months later there are no new chalices and the ceramic ones are still in use.

Hey! Perhaps we should write to the Bishop?

Ah yes... The Bishop...

That photo was taken last August, you can clearly see on the altar the Diocesan Earthenware Bowl Collection. These turn up at every big Diocesan Event and for all I know are used in the Cathedral all the time. Why is Bishop Drainey using them? Why doesn't he say something?

At the time it was pointed out to me that he had been Bishop for less than a year, perhaps there had not been time to do anything about it? Perhaps he was working on it?

Perhaps... So let's fast forward a bit to this July, almost a year later, let's see how he's getting on...

A year later and the same earthenware vessles are still in use... how long does it take to smash a few pots?

I am put in mind of the recent comments by the Bishop of Lancaster...

"I suppose if priests see bishops showing disloyalty to the Pope, it is hardly surprising that they in turn should show disloyalty to their bishop. We all know what Jesus said about a divided house."

[link]

How long must we wait in vain?

Credit and Disclaimer: The above photos of Bishop Drainey were both taken from Middlesbrough Diocese Website. I mention this to credit the source but also to counter any suggestion that it was I that put these things on the internet. There is nothing in this blog entry that was not on the internet already.