2. Was Jesus’ Resurrection a real, historical event or something else?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
639 The mystery of Christ’s resurrection is a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness.
In about A.D. 56 St. Paul could already write to the Corinthians:
“I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. . .”
The Apostle speaks here of the living tradition of the Resurrection which he had learned after his conversion at the gates of Damascus.
On Holy Saturday the earth waits in stillness for the Resurrection of the Lord. Here are 12 things you need to know about it.
Every time we say the creed, we note that Jesus “descended into hell.”
This day–Holy Saturday–is the day that commemorates this event.
What happened on this day, and how do we celebrate it?
Here are 12 things you need to know.
1. What happened on the first Holy Saturday?
Here on earth, Jesus’ disciples mourned his death and, since it was a sabbath day, they rested.
Luke notes that the women returned home “and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56).
At the tomb, the guards that had been stationed there kept watch over the place to make sure that the disciples did not steal Jesus’ body.
Meanwhile . . .
2. What happened to Jesus while he was dead?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.
Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”:
“It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Saviour in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”
Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
634 “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment.
This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
The future Pope Francis washes the feet of a unidentified woman on Holy Thursday at the Buenos Aires’ Sarda maternity hospital on March 24, 2005.
It has been widely reported that, when he was still the cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, the future Pope Francis washed the feet of women during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Now he has done so as pope.
Here are some thoughts on Pope Francis’s decision and what it means.
This Year’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper
It was surprising but not surprising when the Holy See announced that Pope Francis had chosen to celebrate this year’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper not in one of the papal basilicas of Rome but, instead, in its juvenile prison.
That’s precisely the kind of gesture that we have come to expect from the new pope in the short time we’ve been getting to know him.
It’s not traditional, but it’s humble and evangelistic.
And it corresponds to Jesus’ remarks that, when we visit those in prison, we are spiritually visiting him (Matthew 25:36-40).
It’s also in keeping with things he’s done before, such as holding the service in a maternity hospital in Buenos Aires in 2005.
So what happened with the footwashing ceremony this year?
During Thursday’s intimate service, the Pope washed and kissed the feet of 12 young detainees to replicate the Bible’s account of Jesus Christ’s gesture of humility towards his 12 apostles on the night before he was crucified.
The 12 inmates included two girls, one Italian Catholic and one of Serbian Muslim origin, local prison ombudsman Angiolo Marroni said ahead of the ceremony.
That’s certainly a dramatic gesture. A Muslim Girl?
It had been announced, in advance, that the young people who were going to be participating in the ceremony would be coming from different religious backgrounds, so this wasn’t a total surprise, but it was a striking choice.
What should we make of it?
I think we should understand it in the same light that explains the initial decision to celebrate this Mass in a youth prison: Pope Francis wants to reach out to the young people in the prison and bring them the light of Christ.
He is taking the role of a servant and an evangelist.
What he is doing hopefully will have a profound impact on the lives of these young people, hopefully setting them on the right path both in terms of civil law and in terms of their faith life.
He’s also, by this action, showing the world that he takes his role seriously as a servant of all people and an evangelist to all people.
Washing and kissing the feet of a Muslim girl in jail signifies that rather dramatically.
It also raises questions.
Questions
Here are a few:
What do the Church’s liturgical documents say about footwashing?
How does Pope Francis’s decision relate to this?
If the pope is going beyond what the Roman Missal says, can the pope just do that?
If he can do it, can others?
What should we expect in the future?
How should we understand the rite in light of this?
Let’s look at each of these . . .
1. What do the Church’s liturgical documents say about footwashing?
There are two key places one should look for an understanding of the footwashing ceremony. The first is found in the document that governs the celebrations connected with Easter, which is called Paschales Solemnitatis. According to this document:
51. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.” This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained.
Please take note of the highlighted phrase. It will be important later.
The second document is the Roman Missal, which states:
10. After the Homily, where a pastoral reason suggests it, the Washing of Feet follows.
The men who have been chosen are led by the ministers to seats prepared in a suitable place. Then the Priest (removing the chasuble if necessary) goes to each one, and, with the help of the ministers, pours water over each one’s feet and then dries them.
Meanwhile some of the following antiphons or other appropriate chants are sung.
[Antiphons omitted]
13. After the Washing of Feet, the Priest washes and dries his hands, puts the chasuble back on, and returns to the chair, and from there he directs the Universal Prayer.
The Creed is not said.
There are several things to note here:
The text does speak of “men” having their feet washed. The Latin term that is used in the original (viri) indicates adult males specifically.
This rite is optional; it is done “where a pastoral reason suggests it.”
There is no specific number of men specified. It does not say twelve men are to have their feet washed. How many is a decision open to the celebrating priest.
Although I have omitted the antiphons for reasons of space, none of them speak of the “apostles.” They either use the more generic term “disciples” or they do not mention the disciples at all but rather Jesus’ example for us or his commandment to love one another.
2. How does Pope Francis’s decision relate to this?
Pope Francis’s decision goes beyond what is provided in these texts in at least one respect: Instead of washing the feet of adult males, he decided to wash the feet of young women as well.
The fact that one of them was a Muslim does not go beyond what the letter of the text specifies, since it does not indicate that the chosen men are to be Catholics (or other Christians).
One would expect that they would be Catholics, and one could argue that this is implied in the text, but since Pope Francis is now the individual who is ultimately responsible for interpreting the text, if he judges that it does not prevent washing the feet of non-Christians then it doesn’t.
His decision does go beyond the text in the matter of men, however.
3. Can Pope Francis just do things that aren’t provided for in the law?
Yes. The pope does not need anybody’s permission to make exceptions to how ecclesiastical law relates to him. He is canon law’s ultimate legislator, interpreter, and executor.
And it’s not uncommon, at least in recent decades, for a pope to make exceptions to the law in how papal ceremonies are performed.
John Paul II frequently held liturgies that departed from what the Church’s liturgical texts provide, particularly when he was making a form of dramatic outreach, and Pope Francis seems to be following in his footsteps.
4. If he can do this, can others?
Technically speaking, no. If a pope judges that, due to the particular circumstances of a papal celebration, an exception should be made, that does not create a legal precedent allowing others to do so.
After all, not everybody is in the same situation as the pope. They don’t have the same pastoral circumstances or the same legal authority, and so if he makes an exception in his application of the law in his own case, it does not create a legal precedent for others doing so who do not have his circumstances or authority.
On the other hand, if people see the pope doing something, they are naturally going to treat it as an example to be followed.
People naturally imitate their leader. That’s the whole point behind Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. He was explicitly and intentionally setting an example for them.
Pope Francis knows that he is setting an example.
It has been reported, e.g., that when he was told that he didn’t need to pay his pre-conclave hotel bill that he insisted on doing so, saying expressly that, as the pope, he needed to set an example.
5. What should we expect in the future?
It’s hard to say.
On a practical level, I would expect that there will be more priests who do things similar to what the pope has done.
On a legal level, the matter is more uncertain.
We may get a clarification of the matter, perhaps from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
I suspect that, if we do get a clarification, it is likely to be one allowing more flexibility in terms of who has their feet washed.
Already, the Congregation for Divine Worship has, apparently, indicated privately that a bishop can wash women’s feet if he feels a pastoral exception should be made. At least, that’s what Cardinal O’Malley indicated he was told when he asked them about the subject (see here for more info).
We’ll have to see, though. They may not say anything.
6. How should we understand the rite in light of Pope Francis’s action?
There has been a tendency in some circles to see the footwashing rite as linked specifically to the twelve apostles, and this has been presented as a reason why it should be limited to men.
In the past, I myself promoted that understanding, because that is how it was first explained to me.
It’s a natural understanding, particularly when twelve individuals are chosen to have their feet washed, and in an age when altar girls and women’s ordination have been receiving attention.
However, as I’ve looked more closely at the texts, other elements have struck me:
First, as we mentioned, the number twelve is not mandated in the text. The number is the choice of the celebrating priest. That, right there, loosens the connection of the rite with the apostles.
Second, this event is recorded only in John’s Gospel, and John does not describe Jesus as washing the feet of “the apostles.” Instead, John says that he washed the feet of “his disciples.” Disciples is a more generic term than apostles. Although they are sometimes used synonymously, Jesus had many more disciples than he did apostles.
Third, none of the antiphons sung during this rite (which might give clues to its meaning) speak of the “apostles.” They either use the more generic term “disciples” or they do not mention the disciples at all but rather Jesus’ example for us and his commandment to love one another.
Fourth, none of the explanatory texts for this rite explain it in terms of an action directed specifically to the apostles.
The most direct explanation of the rite’s purpose is found in Paschales Solemnitatis, which says:
51. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.” This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained.
This indicates that we should understand that this rite “represents the service and charity of Christ”–not as a statement about ordination to the priesthood. To read it that way goes beyond what the texts indicate.
According to the texts, our focus should be on the service and charity displayed in the rite and how we should serve and be charitable to one another.
The rite should not be read in the matrix of issues like women’s ordination. This rite isn’t about ordination, the way the Church understands it.
At least that’s how Pope Francis seems to understand it.
A Final Thought
I’d add one more thing, which is that it’s understandable that we might be perplexed or concerned about this.
After all, we do live in an age in which authentic Catholic teaching involving gender is under assault. The last few years have seen a lot of flashpoints involving the idea of women’s ordination.
It’s understandable that issues like altar servers and footwashing would be viewed in that matrix.
At the same time, we should keep this in perspective.
The footwashing ceremony is only an optional rite, and it was only made part of this Mass in 1955 by Pope Pius XII, so it’s modern liturgical use doesn’t even go back that far.
The question of who serves at altar is far more closely connected to who is likely to think about becoming a priest than the question of who has their feet washed on Holy Thursday.
If the Holy See were to decide to expand how the law is to be applied in this case, it would not signal the end of the world.
If the Church can survive altar girls, it can certainly survive a change in the discipline regarding who has their feet washed.
Good Friday was the day we were redeemed from our sins by Jesus' death on the cross. Here are 9 things you should know about the day and how we commemorate it.
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the Christian year.
It is the day our Savior died for us.
It is the day we were redeemed from our sins by the voluntary death of God Himself at the hands of man.
Here are 9 things you need to know.
1. Why is this day called “Good Friday”
It’s not for the reason you might think.
Despite the fact that “good” is a common English word, tempting us to say the name is based on the fact that something very good (our redemption) happened on this day, that’s not where the name comes from.
Precisely where it does come from is disputed. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains:
The origin of the term Good is not clear. Some say it is from “God’s Friday” (Gottes Freitag); others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag, and not speciallyEnglish.
It is also argued that the name is based on a Medieval use of the word good where it meant “holy.” Thus “Good Friday” would have come from “Holy Friday,” the same way we have Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday.
2. What happened on the first Good Friday?
Quite a number of things. During the night, Jesus had been arrested and taken before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. It was during this time that Peter denied him.
According to the gospels, Jesus:
Was taken before Pilate in the morning
Sent to Herod
Returned to Pilate
Was mocked and beaten
Saw Barabbas released in his stead
Was crowned with thorns
Was condemned to death
Carried the crushing burden of his cross
Told the weeping women what would happen in the future
Was crucified between two thieves
Forgave those who crucified him
Entrusted the Virgin Mary to the beloved disciple
Assured the good thief of his salvation
Said his famous seven last words
Cried out and died
In addition:
There was darkness over the land
There was an earthquake
The veil of the temple was torn in two
Many saints of the Old Testament period were raised
A soldier pierced Christ’s side and blood and water flowed out
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body
He was buried in Joseph’s own tomb
A guard was set over the tomb
All Jesus’ friends and family grieved at his death
If you’d like to read the gospel accounts themselves, you can use these links:
Holy Thursday was one of the most important days in all of history. It was a pivotal day in the life of Jesus Christ. Here are 10 things you should know about it and how we celebrate it today.
Every single Mass, we hear the words “on the night he was betrayed.”
That night was Holy Thursday, and it is one of the most important nights in all of history.
Here are 10 things you need to know.
1. What happened on the original Holy Thursday?
An amazing amount of stuff! This was one of the most pivotal days in the life of Jesus Christ.
Here are some of the things the gospels record for this day (including events that happened after midnight). Jesus:
Sent Peter and John to arrange for them to use the Upper Room to hold the Passover meal.
Washed the apostles’ feet.
Held the first Mass.
Instituted the priesthood.
Announced that Judas would betray him.
Gave the “new commandment” to love one another.
Indicated that Peter had a special pastoral role among the apostles.
Announced that Peter would deny him.
Prayed for the unity of his followers.
Held all the discourses recorded across five chapters of John (John 13-18).
Sang a hymn.
Went to the Mount of Olives.
Prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Was betrayed by Judas.
Stopped the disciples from continuing a violent resistance.
Healed the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant, after Peter cut it off with a sword.
Was taken before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas.
Was denied by Peter.
Was taken to Pilate.
It was a momentous day!
If you’d like to read the gospel accounts themselves, you can use these links:
2. Why is Holy Thursday sometimes called “Maundy Thursday”?
The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word mandatum, or “mandate.”
This word is used in the Latin text for John 13:34:
“Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos.”
Or, in English:
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
Holy Thursday is thus sometimes called Maundy Thursday because it was on this day that Christ gave us the new commandment–the new mandate–to love one another as he loves us.
3. What happens on this day liturgically?
Several things:
The bishop celebrates a “Chrism Mass” with his priests (usually).
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is held in the evening.
At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the priest (often) performs the washing of feet.
The Tabernacle is empty and the Eucharist is put in a place of repose.
The altar is stripped.
The faithful are invited to spend time in Eucharistic adoration while the Sacrament is in repose.
4. What is the “Chrism Mass”?
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
35. The Chrism Mass which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium and at which the holy chrism is consecrated and the oils blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop in the same priesthood and ministry of Christ.
The priests who concelebrate with the bishop should come to this Mass from different parts of the diocese, thus showing in the consecration of the chrism to be his witnesses and cooperators, just as in their daily ministry they are his helpers and counselors.
The faithful are also to be encouraged to participate in this Mass, and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Traditionally the Chrism Mass is celebrated on the Thursday of Holy Week. If, however, it should prove to be difficult for the clergy and people to gather with the bishop, this rite can be transferred to another day, but one always close to Easter.
The chrism and the oil of catechumens is to be used in the celebration of the sacraments of initiation on Easter night.
5. Why is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper significant?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
45. Careful attention should be given to the mysteries which are commemorated in this Mass: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and Christ’s command of brotherly love; the homily should explain these points.
6. Is the Eucharist in the Tabernacle during this Mass?
No. According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
48. The Tabernacle should be completely empty before the celebration.
Hosts for the Communion of the faithful should be consecrated during that celebration.
A sufficient amount of bread should be consecrated to provide also for Communion on the following day.
7. What does the rite of foot washing signify, and is it to be done for men only?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
51. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve. This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained.
Although some have interpreted the rite as reflecting the institution of the institution of the priesthood or being unique to the apostles, this interpretation is not found in the Church’s official documents, such as Paschales Solemnitatis, which interpret it as a sign of service and charity.
The rite is optional. It does not have to be performed.
Although until 2016 the Church’s official texts used language that indicated only men (Latin, viri) could have their feet washed on Holy Thursday, the Holy See had permitted individual bishops to wash the feet of females and younger males (vir means “man,” not “male”) for some time.
Pope Francis himself had been doing so, and in 2016 he had the Congregation for Divine Worship revise the law to bring it into alignment with contemporary practice.
8. What happens at the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
54. After the post-Communion prayer, the procession forms, with the crossbar at its head. The Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by lighted candles and incense, is carried through the church to the place of reservation, to the singing of the hymn “Pange lingua” or some other eucharistic song.
This rite of transfer of the Blessed Sacrament may not be carried out if the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion will not be celebrated in that same church on the following day.
55. The Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a closed tabernacle or pyx. Under no circumstances may it be exposed in a monstrance.
The place where the tabernacle or pyx is situated must not be made to resemble a tomb, and the expression “tomb” is to be avoided.
The chapel of repose is not prepared so as to represent the “Lord’s burial” but for the custody of the eucharistic bread that will be distributed in Communion on Good Friday.
9. Is there to be Eucharistic adoration at this time?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
56. After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the faithful should be encouraged to spend a suitable period of time during the night in the church in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament which has been solemnly reserved.
Where appropriate, this prolonged eucharistic adoration may be accompanied by the reading of some part of the Gospel of St. John (chs. 13-17).
From midnight onwards, however, the adoration should be made without external solemnity, because the day of the Lord’s passion has begun.
10. What happens to the decoration of the Church at this time?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
57. After Mass the altar should be stripped.
It is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the Fifth Sunday of Lent.
Lamps should not be lit before the images of saints.
We are about to leave Lent and enter the liturgical season known as “Triduum.”
What is this season, and why is it does the Church say that it is “the culmination of the entire liturgical year”?
Here are 6 things you need to know.
1. What does “Triduum” mean?
It comes from Latin roots that mean, essentially, “the three days” or “period of three days” (tri- = three, -dies = days).
Today it refers to the liturgical season that follows Lent and precedes the Easter season.
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
38. . . . This time is called “the triduum of the crucified, buried and risen”; it is also called the “Easter Triduum” because during it is celebrated the Paschal Mystery, that is, the passing of the Lord from this world to his Father.
19. The Easter triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.
This means that Triduum thus runs from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday.
It thus includes three full days, though since the season doesn’t begin at midnight, these three days are distributed as follows:
The last part of Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
The first part of Easter Sunday
3. Why is Triduum important?
According to the General Norms:
18. Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through his paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life.
Therefore the Easter triduum of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. Thus the solemnity of Easter has the same kind of preeminence in the liturgical year that Sunday has in the week.
4. How is fasting observed in this season?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
39. The Easter fast is sacred on the first two days of the Triduum, during which, according to ancient tradition, the Church fasts “because the Spouse has been taken away.”
Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence; it is also recommended that Holy Saturday be so observed, in order that the Church with uplifted and welcoming heart be ready to celebrate the joys of the Sunday of the resurrection.
Fasting and abstinence are thus required on Good Friday and fasting is recommended on Holy Saturday.
(Note: These days are reckoned as beginning at midnight. Good Friday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, not at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the preceding evening.)
5. What is “Tenebrae“?
Tenebrae (Latin, “shadows,” “gloom,” “darkness”) is the name formerly given to a particular service of readings done at this time of year. According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
40. It is recommended that there be a communal celebration of the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It is fitting that the bishop should celebrate the Office in the cathedral, with as far as possible the participation of the clergy and people.
This Office, formerly called “Tenebrae,” held a special place in the devotion of the faithful as they meditated upon the passion, death and burial of the Lord, while awaiting the announcement of the resurrection.
6. How to learn more?
Keep watching this space.
I’m going to be doing a special “things you need to know” series over the next few days to explain the mysteries of Triduum in greater depth.
Why is Jesus' entry into Jerusalem so important? What is going on here?
Palm Sunday–or is it Passion Sunday?–marks the beginning of Holy Week.
This day commemorates not one but two very significant events in the life of Christ.
Here are 9 things you need to know.
1. What is this day called?
The day is called both “Palm Sunday” and “Passion Sunday.”
The first name comes from the fact that it commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd had palm branches (John 12:13).
The second name comes from the fact that the narrative of the Passion is read on this Sunday (it otherwise wouldn’t be read on a Sunday, since the next Sunday is about the Resurrection).
According to the main document on the celebration of the feasts connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
Holy Week begins on “Passion (or Palm) Sunday” which joins the foretelling of Christ’s regal triumph and the proclamation of the passion. The connection between both aspects of the Paschal Mystery should be shown and explained in the celebration and catechesis of this day.
2. One of the notable features of this day is a procession before Mass. What do we do this?
The commemoration of the entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem has, according to ancient custom, been celebrated with a solemn procession, in which the faithful in song and gesture imitate the Hebrew children who went to meet the Lord singing “Hosanna.”
The procession may take place only once, before the Mass which has the largest attendance, even if this should be in the evening either of Saturday or Sunday. The congregation should assemble in a secondary church or chapel or in some other suitable place distinct from the church to which the procession will move. . . .
The palms or branches are blessed so that they can be carried in the procession. The palms should be taken home where they will serve as a reminder of the victory of Christ be given which they celebrated in the procession.
3. Are we only supposed to use palms? What if you don’t have palms where you live?
Should we be concerned about some of the aspects of Pope Francis's inaugural Mass?
Pope Francis’s inaugural Mass is unique in several respects.
That’s raised a lot of questions: Only some cardinals doing the act of obedience? Different Mass readings? The Gospel reading in Greek? No offertory procession? No Communion distributed by the pope?
What does all this mean about the pope and where he stands on liturgy?
Is he striking out on a radical new course?
Let’s take a deep breath . . . and a closer look at these differences.
1) Only Some Cardinals Doing the Act of Obedience?
This change is not as strange as you might think.
The last time a pope had this kind of Mass (when Pope Benedict had his in 2005) they didn’t have all the cardinals present make the sign of obedience, only some of them (together with some non-cardinals).
Each of the cardinals has, already and individually, signified his obedience to Pope Francis. This happened back during the conclave, before his election was announced.
It has been customary to have the cardinals do the same thing publicly at the inauguration Mass (at least all of the cardinals there), but there is precedent for omitting this (and with Pope Benedict, who has a strong respect for liturgical precedent).
I was surprised that this got changed at the last minute, since it overturns a decision Pope Benedict had made just last month, but that’s Pope Francis’s call.
So now they’re going to have just six cardinals (two cardinal bishops, two cardinal priests, and two cardinal deacons) do the homage.
I also don’t know that we need to see it as much of an indication of where he stands on liturgy, for this reason: We already know (see below) that they’re trying to keep this Mass from running too long. It’s already expected to run over two hours.
Having over a hundred cardinals come up and do the act of homage would really lengthen it.
Since the new pope is seventy-six and cameras will be trained on him every minute of the Mass, with at least some reporters eager to spin an “Is the new pope too old to do his job?” narrative, I think it’s understandable that they would want not to lengthen the Mass lest his strength flag publicly during the service.
(And it’s not like he can grab a quick cup of maté during the service if he needs some caffeine.)
So they’re defaulting back to the kind of precedent set by Pope Benedict’s inaugural Mass.
The Mass will be that of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, which has its own readings (therefore they are not directly related to the rite of the Inauguration of the Pontificate).
At first it seems odd that they would use the ordinary readings of the day (for the Solemnity of St. Joseph) rather than the readings specifically for the inauguration Mass.
Here is something that may be going on: Pope Francis has a special devotion to St. Joseph, who was represented on his coat of arms before and is now represented on his papal coat of arms. He may view the timing of his inauguration on St. Joseph’s day as providential, and he wants to honor St. Joseph.
