What We Have Lost II - The Pulpit

Notre Dame Basilica

Montreal Quebec, Canada

No longer used

"The desire to be more plainly understood was the reason why the preacher's platform was pushed towards the centre of the nave; which change led to its assuming the present form. It was not until modern times that the two terms attained clearly distinct meanings. At present the pulpit no longer serves for the reading of the Epistles and Gospels, nor as the tribune for singing, hence the eagle or dove formerly used as support of the book now has little meaning. A position in which the preacher could be heard throughout the church became necessary, and the pulpit was then adapted to receive a greater amount of adornment, having reference to the preaching of the Gospel. "

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia

I do not claim to be any sort of authority on Church architecture. I only know that I am a Catholic who sorely misses all that was so thoughtlessly and wrecklessly dismantled in the last 45 years. My first memory of mass was in the 70's modern parish where a skylight was right over the plain altar and a hippy looking man with a long beard sat in the light strumming on a guitar....(heavy sigh)

I am not a sedevacantist, I am not an "ultra traditionalist" But I will say I often interiorly groan at Mass and I long for with all my heart beauty, solemnity, piety, orthodoxy - in a word authentic Catholocism. Not some remade neo-catholic-protestantism - which is what so many of our parishes have become.

Look at the visual emphasis placed upon the Church's readings and the Priest's homily to be said from such a pulpit. Where has this gone? See what we have lost?