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Text Box: Therefore, a Sunday Vigil Mass which is prayed after sundown on Saturday may be appropriate as being a Sunday Divine Liturgy if the culture of that place retains some part of the sundown to sundown measure of a day. But it is not appropriate if the sundown to sundown day is not even a remnant of that culture, nor is it appropriate or even possible if it occurs before sundown. There can be no union by Orthodox with those who treat the obligation to participate in Divine Liturgy on Sunday in the cavalier manner with which it is treated by Rome. There can be no union for there is no common foundation on which to unify. Likewise, what the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans (and by implication, the Roman Catholic Church) has done with All Souls Day is indicative of the Roman attitude of presumptive sainthood for the dead without regard to the life of the individual or their potential need for purification prior to entry to Heaven. The old Roman rubrics provided that when All Souls Day (November 2) fell on a Sunday, it was moved to November 3rd, Monday. This was partially because All Souls Day as a feast day did not outrank a Sunday, and also because it was prayed with the Priest vested in black and black vestments were not to be used on a Sunday nor was a Requiem to be prayed on a Sunday, both with some few exceptions. Protestant Presumptuousness in the Western Roman Liturgy Apparently All Souls Day now outranks a Sunday. Also, Rome no longer prays a Requiem Mass for its dead but rather prays a Mass or Celebration of Christian Burial wherein the Priest is vested in white. The white vestments correlate with the current Roman presumption that the deceased is in heaven, only rarely could possibly have gone to Hell, and is in no need of purification. Roman Heaven must be littered with dirty feet cruddying up the floors of God’s Roman mansion. The smell from the unwashed souls must be

Text Box: atrocious. And the statements of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul, that after a brief period of purification, they will wear the crown from God which awaits them, are ignored, for the Roman liturgy for the dead expresses no strong anticipation of need for purification of the deceased. The presumptuousness incipiently prevalent in the Roman liturgy for the deceased negates the requirement that one lead a life of holiness or attempt so to do if one is to expect to be rewarded with Heaven and eternal union with God. That attitude is totally Protestant, completely opposed to the Dogma of the Church, and opposes and negates the requirements Jesus Christ God explicitly stated. There can be no union by Orthodox with such. Clerical Dignity There is a dignity innate in the Priesthood. It separates each man who is a Priest (and all Bishops are Priests) from every person who is not a Priest. Only a Priest can administer all of the Sacraments. Only a Priest can absolve sins. Only a Priest can change the substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Only a Priest can stand in the place of Christ - and then only in specific instances. Because of this only a Priest (or Bishop) can be in a position of authority which regulates the Priestly functions of a Priest. Expressed in a different manner, no one can regulate a Priest’s exercise of his priestly functions other than a Priest in a superior administrative position or a Bishop. The Abbot of a monastery who is not a Priest can dictate what job a Priest monk performs, but he can not prevent the Priest monk from granting or administering Absolution nor can he prevent the Priest monk from praying Divine Liturgy. This clerical dignity is innate in the office of the priesthood, in the very priesthood. Because of it, a Priest is a living display of Christ - a very difficult role and position and one which very few Priest fulfill with any measure of success or consistency. But because of his special office and role, a Priest must be recognizable as a Priest at all times unless it is not practical. As examples: If Father is cleaning out the

Text Box: barn it would not be practical for him to wear clerical clothing for the clothing would soon be ruined. The same holds if he is cutting the grass, or gardening, and may even apply if he has gone fishing - depending on the nature of the fishing expedition. It may even apply if he is playing golf, especially if the weather is hot and clerical garb would cause extreme discomfort, or different sports. But if he is going to a pub, bar, or lounge for a pint, a beer, or a drink, he should wear clerics and be easily and readily identified and identifiable as a Priest. If such would be inappropriate, then what is he doing there in the first place? AND, conversely, why has he not gone there regularly to “show the colours” and perhaps gently remind the owner and patrons that the activities at the establishment are inappropriate. If he is going to market, making groceries, shopping, to a movie, a restaurant, a sports event, aged 30 years or 110 years, he is a Priest and part of his Priestly function is proclaim Christ by his, the Priest’s, very presence. If he is attending a family or private Bar B Q or seafood / crawfish eating party, or a “get together” for family, perhaps civilian attire may possibly be appropriate - especially at a Bar B Q or crawfish event which can be a little “messy”. But what about traveling to and from such an event? Is he not a Priest, on call and supposed to be readily identifiable as a Priest at all times by all who may have need of a Priest? Those frilly, embroidered, to front pocket shirts do not “cut the mustard” when it comes to clerical attire. These days such attire just make people who do not know the Priest is a Priest, wonder about potential improprieties. At the very least a clerical shirt is required to proclaim the presence of one of Christ’s anointed Priests. Clerical dignity seems to have been abandoned in the Roman Church. In many Roman Catholic diocese, particularly in the United States of America, women, often nuns, oversee the activities of Priests. Most Roman diocese have found it necessary to and have established an office which examines the conduct of a Priest, particularly those accused of inappropriate sexual conduct. In many instances this office is run by a

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