Sunday, October 25, 2015

Yet More Clarity

A clerical visitor notes:
Noting that you have lately referred to vestments as "Tridentine", a little clarity might be in order.

It is my observation that MOST Anglican churches in the US that use classical eucharistic vestments use what is called "Gothic" style, the full-cut, as covering the arms of the priest to the wrist.

The "Tridentine" style is also known as "fiddleback", as these are cropped to the shoulders, and cover front & back of the body rather like a sandwich board. This is the cut used in the Franciscan missions in California, for instance. (One can understand a smaller vestment being easier to pack for travel on mission trips, etc.) The number of priests in the US in Anglican circles that prefer this style is small, in my experience. There might be a close affinity to the "Anglican Papalist" group, thinking it was following an Italian model more doggedly. It is generally thought of as "extreme" to go for the fiddleback.

This gives me even more insight into how Anglicanorum coetibus has been put into practice -- I'm not sure that this is what either Cardinal Law or Pope Benedict had in mind.