Ask Father: Was Pope Benedict’s Funeral Really a Valid Mass? Or Just Ugly?

Fr Zed expresses his opinion. 'You asked if it was valid OR just ugly? These two are not mutually exclusive. It was both valid AND ugly.'

From Fr Z's Blog

From a reader….

QUAERITUR:

Was Pope Benedict’s Funeral really a valid Mass? or just ugly?Cardinal Re was named as Celebrant, but Pope Francis, in Cope and stole, (not Chasuble) led the entire Liturgy of the Word and everything post- Communion. The Cardinal only spoke from the Offertory through Communion.

Yes, it was a valid Mass.  Cardinal Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, celebrated the Mass.  Francis “presided”.   Even in the Vetus Ordo there were ways in which a bishop, such as the local ordinary, could preside at a Mass celebrated by a priest or another bishop and, as presider, would have a role at certain moments, such blessing the water for the chalice while still seated in his place.

You asked if it was valid OR just ugly?  These two are not mutually exclusive.  It was both valid AND ugly.

I tried NOT to watch it, but I didn’t sleep well that night.  I got up and saw some of the live stream and I reviewed parts I didn’t see.

For a man like Ratzinger… a pope like Benedict… the music was underwhelming.  I leave aside the shockingly generic and abbreviated homily.  The choice to use the 3rd Eucharistic Prayer instead of the Roman Canon was tantamount to an insult, all the blather aside about how Benedict used it from time to time and how “wonderful” it is supposed to be.  It was the first time in over a thousand years that the Roman Canon wasn’t used for the exequys of the Roman Bishop.

Some might want to interject that Benedict was humble and he wanted a humble Mass.   Humble doesn’t mean insulting.

His scriptis, there have been lovely Masses celebrated elsewhere for the repose of the soul of Benedict XVI, about whose admittance to the Beatific Vision we can be reasonably confident.  He surely had, in his final agony, the last sacraments and the Apostolic Blessing.  He had devoted himself to prayer and penance in his last years.  Yes, I think we can be confident.  Furthermore, I think that fama sanctitatis will continue to grow.  I hope to see many fruits in the life of the Church from his intercession.

They may have stopped him in life, but they can’t stop him now.