The 10 o’clock Mass

Christmas will be celebrated in Rome an hour earlier than it will in Jerusalem this year! This is because Pope Benedict has decided to celebrate Midnight Mass at 10pm – so that he gets enough rest before the gruelling Christmas Day schedule. Not a bad idea, really. For some reason, though, various religious commentators have been speculating that this sensible rescheduling is a sign that the Holy Father is gravely ill. Many have pointed out that Pope John Paul II never celebrated this Mass early – even during his final years. Well, what suits one man doesn’t necessarily suit another – and, for all his superman abilities, Pope John Paul II hardly did anything during the last decade of his reign. In fact, bar being wheeled out to wave at people and try his best to speak, his minions and helpers seemed to have been responsible for most of his important work. It could even be argued that Cardinal Ratzinger was the brain behind the throne during those precarious years. John Paul II was ill but, with some embarrassment, refused to believe it – Pope Benedict XVI is a man in his 80s, and, with some wisdom, seems to know it! Children and old people should be tucked up in bed well before midnight…In fact, it could be argued that all good Christians should be in bed before the witching hour! Didn’t the great Apostle say, We are children of the day, not of the night? Now that I’m well into my 30s the prospect of trekking through dark and bitterly cold streets in the middle of the night fills me with dread – it would be much nicer to have a long hibernation and go to the Christmas Day Mass instead! Celebrating the Eucharist isn’t meant to be an endurance test – and a well-rested soul, as opposed to an exhausted one, is far more capable of being truly recollected and prayerful.

Well done, Pope Benedict, for showing us that God usually calls ordinary human beings to extraordinary ministries – supermen are few and far between, and with the benefit of hindsight, their super powers seem a bit unnatural and illusionary.

On the subject of Midnight Mass, one of the security men at Westminster Cathedral told me today that worshippers will not be allowed to stand around the edges and the back this year. If there are no seats left, then “you’re not coming in”! This is a very good idea, as it can get far too crowded in there – which always leads to frayed nerves, anger problems, and real health and safety issues. People should really go to their own parishes – ensuring that the priests who minister to them every week get their Christmas bonus! By the way, if you are unable to get to Midnight Mass (either in your own parish or at said Cathedral) then you’ll be able to watch it live, from Westminster Cathedral, on the BBC.

[Picture note: Pope Benedict XVI, whilst in Brazil, 2007; source: Wikimedia Commons. The Papal colours, white and red, seem to lend themselves well to Christmas!]