Unfortunately, some traditional Catholics fall into the trap of assuming that whatever form with which they happened to become acquainted with the TLM was the *exclusive* way the TLM was always practiced in all times and places, all the way down to the littlest altar detail. Sure, alot of things carry over, but there are certain aspects where there was acceptable and traditional variation. Also some elderly people assume they are an authority on the subject simply because they remember TLM’s in their pre-Vatican-2 childhood being a certain way in their country. We should always remember to be humble and not quick to make accusations of modernism at the sight of any deviation, especially if we haven’t done the research. It is ok to be cautious & hesitant, but research before throwing accusations.
Yes, particularly among Americans: their fallacy is: Si non in Bostoniensis 1895, anathema sit. In addition to freestanding altars, I have seen/heard "anathematized": a vested Schola cantorum in choir stalls; rulers of the choir in copes; acolytes in apparelled albs and amices; "Gothic" vestments; the nonexistence of flowers "on the altar"; Gregorian chant (I kid you not); etc. It gets very annoying and, frankly, tiresome after awhile.
This is great
Unfortunately, some traditional Catholics fall into the trap of assuming that whatever form with which they happened to become acquainted with the TLM was the *exclusive* way the TLM was always practiced in all times and places, all the way down to the littlest altar detail. Sure, alot of things carry over, but there are certain aspects where there was acceptable and traditional variation. Also some elderly people assume they are an authority on the subject simply because they remember TLM’s in their pre-Vatican-2 childhood being a certain way in their country. We should always remember to be humble and not quick to make accusations of modernism at the sight of any deviation, especially if we haven’t done the research. It is ok to be cautious & hesitant, but research before throwing accusations.
Yes, particularly among Americans: their fallacy is: Si non in Bostoniensis 1895, anathema sit. In addition to freestanding altars, I have seen/heard "anathematized": a vested Schola cantorum in choir stalls; rulers of the choir in copes; acolytes in apparelled albs and amices; "Gothic" vestments; the nonexistence of flowers "on the altar"; Gregorian chant (I kid you not); etc. It gets very annoying and, frankly, tiresome after awhile.