Eugene loved attending the liturgies in Rome, and in his journal he notes many minute details about them – especially the papal ceremonies. He usually tried to place himself as close to the front as possible. On Palm Sunday he was irritated because too many tourists had filled the places.
Palm Sunday: I arrived at the Sistine Chapel at nine o’clock. I had some difficulty getting into the enclosure, The whole place was full, but I made my way through the crowd, and the usher let me into the privileged enclosure, where they allow in too many foreigners, who take up all the room, especially English people who behave very disrespectfully. We could dispense ourselves from according them the pleasure of this spectacle, since our sacred ceremonies are nothing else than that for them.
Roman Diary, 19 March 1826, EO XVII
For Eugene the liturgy always had to be celebrated with respect and he was intolerant when this did not happen, and when people did not appreciate its beauty and importance.
“The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows.” Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
Wow – this is not the first time I have come across this piece from Eugene and it sits no easier now than it did when I read it before. It seems so arrogant and judging and I wonder now as I did then if this is not the very ‘human’ side of saint Eugene that we are seeing.
When I was in Rome I took a tour and visited the Sistine Chapel. When finally we got to go into (and through) the chapel itself I was upset to find how crowded it was with tourists of all nationalities, speaking in hushed voices but a different languages, and I was a little distressed that there was neither the time, the place, the opportunity to stop but for more than a few seconds to say a silent prayer. I had to hope that God would touch me somehow and that I would walk away with a grace in spite of the circus like atmosphere and the rush of people. It was disappointing for me – I would have been one of those “English” that Eugene spoke of so scathingly.
And I remember a visit to my home out west – maybe about 20 years ago. It was the summer and I wore a sleeveless dress to go to Sunday Mass. As I entered the small country church I was invited to go home and put on something more respectful – something that had sleeves to cover my arms. It was the only dress I had with me on that trip but it was judged to be not good enough and I can still remember how I felt that day sitting at the back of church during what seemed to be an extra long Mass, in a place where my good was not good enough. I am thinking now and wondering if this was how the poor around Aix felt if they attended a church where only ‘high’ French was spoken and not their Provencal.
Thank you Eleanor for sharing your personal story. I too am conscious of the sanctity of our places of worship. I am not one to judge others in these places, neither by their dress or by their origin. I am reminded of “Signs” a song by the Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band. … The song was released during an era of social and political change, and its lyrics carry . Now, hey you, Mister, can’t you read?
You’ve got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can’t even watch, no you can’t eat
You ain’t supposed to be here
The sign said, You got to have a membership card to get inside, ugh
And the sign said, “Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray”
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all
I didn’t have a penny to pay
So, I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign
I said, “Thank you, Lord, for thinkin’ ’bout me, I’m alive and doin’ fine, woo
Read more: Five Man Electrical Band – Signs Lyrics | MetroLyrics