8 December 2010

Spot the affectation?

The Saint Bede Studio produces some truly beautiful vestments for liturgical worship.
Since their triumph in creating some of the most noble vestments Pope Benedict XVI has worn as pope outside of Rome for the consecration of the the new altar in Saint Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, in July 2008 (pictured right: more pictures here and here), they have seemingly gone from strength to strength. They rightly deserve praise for their excellent work.

But something is horribly wrong with the modelling of the noble and worthy marian vestments, perfect for today's splendid feast, in these pictures.

Jolly amateur if you ask me. Slightly tatty too. Takes away from all the good work. Setting altogether a bad example. Young clergy could easily be led astray. They should do better, what!

It's not the rather scary model himself, but something else. Answers on a postcard (all right, in a comment) please.

9 comments:

  1. I am a pianeta man myself, but usually I see much worse. At least it is not multicolored, blue rainbow, vestment.

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  2. But no! It is not the shape that is the problem. It is a truly worthy and beautiful cut.

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  3. Surely you're not referring to the brazen use of a zucchetto by someone vested for Mass but clearly does not have the abbatial dignity?? ;-)

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  4. Jolly good show, Anonymous 2, you got it in one!

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  5. Oh, for heaven's sake! The man is only MODELLING the vestments for the purpose of advertising, not celebrating the sacred rites of the Church.

    Whilst you were busy straining out the gnats of sartorial esoterica (pileolus/zucchetto), you seem to have swallowed whole the camel: the model is not an ordained priest, and yet he's wearing the sacred vestments of a priest.

    Shocking, I tell you; simply shocking! The sky is falling!

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  6. Fr A: Surely for a reputable purveyor of vestments, the liturgical modelling (nothing wrong with modelling, methinks) should itself be liturgically reputable? Set a good example, and all that, what, lest the sky fall in!

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  7. > [T]he liturgical modelling...should itself be liturgically reputable

    I'm not sure what you mean by "liturgically reputable". What's "disreputable" about what's being modeled here?
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5W-t7caxb0/TPxMXuFPemI/AAAAAAAABQE/r85tUgcS47A/s1600/BVM_Grofs.jpg

    So what if he's modeling a Benedictine abbot offering Holy Mass? You don't seem to have a problem with him modeling bishops' miters.

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  8. No Benedictine Abbot there, Fr A, as there's no pectoral cross or ring visible. No, just an affectation, pure and simple. They should model properly.

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  9. I've heard that priests and deacons can and sometimes do wear a black zucchetto particularly if they're working in Vatican City. Territorial abbots and territorial prelates use a violet zucchetto.

    ~Ioannes

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