Tuesday, March 13, 2007

The Monsignor in the Ambrosian Rite vestments...



Such exalted vestments I'd never seen in my days, but I sure did enjoy them. Notice the attached top part here with the cross and fringe on it?

Any comments from anyone who knows more about Ambrosian Rite toys?

Posted by at

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

John Paul,
My name is Jason Flammini, I am a Dominican Postulant in Ottawa Canada and I was very happy to discover your Blog, especially your post on the Ambrosian Rite. In regards to your question about the vestments in the Ambrosian Rite, they are similar to those of the Dominican Rite. If you look in the Missale Ambrosianum(Here in the Dominican Studium we have access to many great Liturgical Books)in 'De praeparatione Sacerdotis celebraturi', it mentions the order of vesting. I say the vestments are similar to the Dominican Rite because they basically are the remnants of Medieval usage. After placing the alb on, the priest puts on the decorative cuffs, and ties the apparel which hangs from the cincture both in the front and the back(In the Dominican Rite these apparel are affixed directly to the alb). The last apparel which you made reference to with the crosses and fringe presumably is the appeal that(as in the Dominican rite) would have been affixed to the amice, but through out the centuries it could easily have become a decorative exterior apparel, which explains why the deacon and sub-deacon also wear a similar apparel in the Solemn High Mass. I must admit, it's interesting to see these ancient vestments interpreted into the Baroque style. Hope this answers your question.

5:25 PM
John Paul Sonnen said...

jason, many thanks. i'm delighted to learn more of this rite (i'm surprised there isn't more outrage/decry at its absence). it's a royal rip-off that it isn't seen much anymore (mothball status for a rite has no sense). at least it has a new cadre of allies that is youthful and grassroots.

5:05 AM
Anonymous said...

John Paul,
while noting the similarities of the Ambrosian vestments to those of the Dominican Rite something I forgot to mention in response to your question was that they also have and Eastern influences. When I said 'Medieval usage', I was not simply referring to the 11th, 12th and 13th C., I hope by Medieval you understood a much broader period, when Liturgical vesture was similar in the East and West. The major difference is that unlike in the Dominican rite where the apparel are only worn of days of Totum Duplex(now abolished)or Solemnities, essentially a decorative adornment. In the Ambrosian rite they form and integral part of Liturgical vesture for the celebration of Holy Mass. Hope this deepens your understanding, I would not want to have left you with only a half explanation, anything less than the truth is not the Dominican Way.

6:26 AM
Anonymous said...

Hi! Nice to see the pictures of the ambrosian mass. I am from Milan, but, being away for work I was not being able to attend to this great Mass. Can. Amodeo sometimes comes and offers the Mass at the "indult" church we have in Milan.
The vestiment in question is called "cappino" (means small cope), and I confirm that is wear also by deacon and subdeacon. Another singularity of ambrosian vestiments, but not the last one, is that the deacon's stole is hung over the dalmatic and not under it. In the case of the cappino, the stole passes between the dalmatic and the cappino over the shoulder.

5:14 AM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)