Here is the full video of Pope Francis’ first Mass in the Sistine Chapel.
The consecration of the Host happens at 51:47. The consecration of the Chalice happens at 52:32.
I cannot believe I am about to type these words.
The Pope DID NOT GENUFLECT after either consecration. He did a weird bow thing, but didn’t feel the need to bend his knee to God Almighty, physically present in his hands upon the altar.
HE. DID. NOT. GENUFLECT.
This is absolutely stunning. And unprecedented.
Oh yeah, we’re in deep, deep trouble.
But hey, all of you guys who are sending me emails whining about how I’m not nice, or something, go ahead and explain this one. He is perfectly physically sound. He FREELY CHOOSES to not reverence Our Lord in the Eucharist upon the altar.
Oh, and he also didn’t genuflect to Our Lord in the Tabernacle when he went to Santa Maria Maggiore on Thursday morning, either. Um, how can a man truly love Our Lady if he doesn’t first show even the slightest respect to her Son? Someone please explain that one to me.
Hey! I have an idea! Let’s do a Pope watch. First one to see the Pope genuflect to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and not to a Superfun Rockband church pastor, wins! In the mean time, everyone should pray for Pope Francis and that he learns to show Our Lord the tiniest bit of respect and GENUFLECT to Him after He comes down onto the altar, and whenever he approaches or crosses the plane of a Tabernacle in which Our Lord is physically present. I think that would be a great prayer intention for one and all.
I never occurred to me that my desire to do penance in reparation to Our Lord for the sacrileges of the world would include the consecration rubrics of THE POPE.
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.
UPDATE:
Thanks to the reader who suggested this. This is Pope Benedict’s last public Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 13, 2013. Note that Pope Benedict, frail to the point of citing his frailty as a reason for his abdication, fully genuflects to the knee, as every priest MUST do as a non-negotiable rubric of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
And for anyone arguing that it is simply too difficult for anyone over the age of twenty-four to genuflect, may I remind you that the rubrics call for both hands to be flat on the altar, which lends a great deal of physical support to the priest, and for there to be servers on each side who can assist with the genuflections by holding the elbows of the priest. That is one of the reasons the servers are there – to physically assist the priest if needed.
The genuflection after the consecration of the Host is at 1:19:33. The genuflection after the consecration of the Chalice is at 1:20:21.