VATICAN CITY - In a surprise announcement this morning, the Director of the Vatican Press office, Father Federico Lombardi, S. J., announced that Pope Francis will celebrate a Pontifical Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Divine Mercy Sunday morning. He will officially decree that the Sunday after Easter in the Extraordinary Form long known as Low Sunday, Sunday in White or Quasimodo Sunday will officially be called, Divine Mercy Sunday. This is in keeping with the Year of Mercy.
When asked about singing the Mass, Lombardi said, "Well he is a Jesuit after all, but Pope Francis will chant quietly in recto tono those parts of the Mass particular to him as the Holy Father has some difficulty with singing. Questions have also arisen to the fact that there are so many genuflections in the traditional liturgy and the Pope only bows in the Ordinary Form at the Consecration. Lombardi addressed this by saying that his groveling on the floor to wash the feet this year on Holy Thursday of Muslims, Hindus and other people not generally known as the "people of God" had a profound effect on his previous inability to flex.
The Pope will enter St. Peter's Basilica carried on the sede gestatoria not used since the short pontificate of Pope John Paul I, suspected of being murdered by the wolves Pope Benedict XVI warned about. As for papal vesture, Monsignor Guido Marini verified that "the Pope will will be properly dressed." This will include the fanon, buskins and gloves as shown in this photo of Pope Paul VI. In fact, he will wear these exact vestments as shown including the mitre as these were used by Pope Paul VI the last Pontiff to celebrate the most solemn and ancient liturgy of the Latin Rite in St. Peter's Basilica. It was also announced that the papal court has been reconstituted today in the Motu Proprio "Quis ego sum iudex nimis?" by Pope Francis and the procession will include the ostrich feathered flabellum not seen in over a half-century. In an effort to dissuade fears amongst PETLNFB -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Large Non Flying Birds, Lombardi said that in "harmony with last year's encyclical on the environment, Laudato si, no ostriches were harmed in the accumulation of feathers." Father Lombardi was uncertain if the Holy Father would wear the Papal Tiera.
Father Tom Rosica, CSB integral to this development
Lombardi also announced that Father Thomas J. Rosica, CSB, of Salt + Light Television, Canada's Catholic Channel of Hope will be handling the worldwide broadcast of the Holy Mass. In keeping with Pope Francis' Year of Mercy, Father Lombardi praised Rosica for his merciful example last year to drop a nefarious and vexatious litigation against an obscure, poor and dyspeptic blogger.
Sources indicate that ever since Father Rosica's interview with Bishop Bernard Fellay, SSPX, he has been secretly studying the traditional rites and has been consulting with experts at the Toronto Traditional Mass Society on the finer points
of the liturgy. Father Rosica is studiously preparing to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and the Ego Sum Vox Cantoris Schola Cantorum is expected to provide Gregorian chant.
Countering speculation that this story is too far-fetched to be true, Father Lombardi indicated that a new fresco has been unveiled outside the entrance to the Chapel of the Hotel Santa Marta where the Pope says Mass daily which should answer any doubts as to the veracity of his announcement.
Countering speculation that this story is too far-fetched to be true, Father Lombardi indicated that a new fresco has been unveiled outside the entrance to the Chapel of the Hotel Santa Marta where the Pope says Mass daily which should answer any doubts as to the veracity of his announcement.
