Blessed Rolando Rivi.
After reading about the young saint, I felt a deeper appreciation of the traditional garb of priests, the cassock and saturno. In 1944 after the German invasion of Italy, the seminaries were closed. A young seminarian Rolando Maria Rivi returned home, yet continued to wear his cassock, insisting "I am studying to be a priest and the cassock is the sign that I belong to Jesus.”
Despite anticlerical sentiment in his area, Rolando wore the outward sign that he was still a seminarian and candidate for the priesthood. The cassock with the saturno was the ordinary form of dress for seminarians at that time. [Bl. Rolando's example reminded me of another young martyr, Bl. Isidore Bakanja, the Africa Scapular martyr - when his persecutors ordered him to remove his scapular, Isidore refused and was severely flogged.]
I continue to have a deeper respect for priests and seminarians who choose to wear the cassock, or wear it because it is the custom in the diocese they serve. It is a wonderful witness.
It seems to me when the Pope expresses criticism of some of those who adopt the traditional clerical garb, he is warning against 'vain rejoicing' in the clerical status, if you will. For instance, if a priest layers expensive clothing upon his ordinary clerical-wear, and models and parades about to impress others with his taste and style and the expense of fine tailoring, that's vain and narcissistic - not unlike the ostentatious behavior of a Pharisee. When the Pope is critical of such things, he's not unlike the spiritual director who offers precautions against vain rejoicing in natural and spiritual goods.
That said - it doesn't concern me, but I think it's weird how people get so offended by what the Pope says about these things. Perhaps there is something for them to be learned from it, that is if they feel so insulted by it? Why do they think the Pope is talking about them?
Some priests seem to want to use the saturno as a sort of assault weapon in reaction to the Pope and the ordinary form of things in the Church. E.g. Fr. Z has teamed up once again with a Catholic supply company to offer saturnos to seminarians and priests, as well as providing information on how to fund the project, urging seminarians to order now. It's a harmless little protest - but it's part of the resistance and rejection of Pope Francis.
Blessed Rolando, pray for us, pray for the Pope.
An account of the martyrdom of Blessed Rolando.
On April 10, 1945, Rolando was taken by a group of Communist insurgents, who forced him to go with them into the woods.
Friday, April 13, 1945, after three days of torture and humiliation, the insurgents brought him to a forest in the village of Piane di Monchio, where there was already a grave dug. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon. They hurled him to the ground and then forced him to kneel on the edge of the grave. Before they killed him, Rolando asked for – and was granted – a moment to pray for his parents. Even then, he reaffirmed his belonging to Christ. The Communist insurgents then murdered him with two shots of the pistol. He was fourteen years old.
These protests are sad, tiresome and imo, put many in danger of being lead astray by becoming distracted to what's more important ... that of loving God and neighbor.
ReplyDeleteHow can we say we love God yet despise our neighbor?
The Holy Father comes to mind of one who is much maligned and despised by those who claim be faithful Catholics.
All one need do is visit the many websites and read for themselves the ugliness of their words against the Holy Father.
I like the little round hat myself. I see nothing wrong if a seminarian or priest wears one so long his heart and mind are in harmony with our Lord and his Vicar on earth.
I agree.
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