HE COMPANY OF JESUS is often referred to by the name of “Jesuits.” Many priests who belong to this religious order have fallen into dissent, scandal, and heresy; but some of the “old-school” Jesuits were intelligent, obedient, holy men. One example would be Father John Hardon (d. 2000). Another is Father Patrick T. Brannan (d. 2017), who entered the Novitiate of Saint Isaac Jogues in Wernersville (Pennsylvania) in 1950. I had the privilege to know him for about fifteen years. He was an expert in Latin and Greek. Father Brannan once wrote an article for HPR in which he said something to the effect of:
“People love to argue about Gothic vs. Fiddleback chasubles—but that’s silly. We wore both styles before the Council, and we can wear both styles after the Council.”
Another thing people love to argue about (with unrestrained passion) is: Lace or No Lace.
Some people hate lace. Others love it. I personally have no preference, but when I posted this article from 1952 on Facebook, it was viewed 9,000 times:
* PDF Download • Lace On Altar Boy’s Surplice?
—This image was viewed 9,000+ times on our Facebook page.
For The Record: In 1999, Cardinal Ratzinger seems to have worn lace when celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (see below). By the way, have you noticed people are trying to decide what to call celebrations according to the 1962 Missale Romanum? Some say “Extraordinary Form,” others say “Tridentine Rite,” others say “Ordo Antiquus,” others say “Usus Antiquior,” others say “Latin Mass,” and so forth. Father Fortescue said it best: “Like all other liturgical functions, like offices and ranks in the Church, indeed like everything else in the world, the religious service that we call the Mass existed long before it had a special technical name.”
