The practice of veiling the crucifix (and other images) is an ancient one. I have seen it some in Lutheran churches and I have followed the ancient practice for some time but I am sure most folks think it fool's gold. Nevertheless, I repeat the appropriate sections of an authoritative work that give history and symbolism of the ancient practice... BTW, yes, the source is Roman Catholic (Fr Joseph Braun's
Die Liturgischen Paramente,
2nd ed., 1924, p. 233 ff.):
To be distinguished from the Passion veils is the large
Lenten veil, which has stayed in use here and there in Sicily and Spain,
at some places in Westphalia, as well as in the cathedral of Freiburg
im Breisgau. It is a cloth which is hung up during Lent at the entrance
to the choir. It is most often white or violet and remains until the
Litany is sung on Holy Saturday. The Congregation of Rites has declared
the use of this Lenten veil to be admissible on 11 May 1878 (decr. auth.
n. 3448).
History
Whereas according to current Roman use Crosses and images are only
veiled during Passiontide, in the Middle Ages the common thing was to
cover them right at the start of Lent, be it from the Terce of the
Monday after the first Sunday of Lent, be it – although less frequently –
already from Ash Wednesday. Here and there the veiling was even done on
Septuagesima. Moreover, not only Crosses and images were withdrawn from
the view of the faihtful by means of veils, but also reliquaries and
chandeliers, and even evangeliaries whose covers were ornamented with
pictorial representations were sometimes veiled. […]
The custom of veiling Crosses and images during Lent is apparently not
of Roman, but of Gallican origin. It was already known in Gaul in the
7th century, as we can see from St. Audoenus's († 683) biography of St.
Eligius (II, 41). “Mos erat, ut diebus quadragesimae propter fulgorem
auri vel nitorem gemmarum operiretur tumba (s. Eligii) velamine linteo
urbane ornato holoserico”, [NLM: “It was custom that on the days of Lent
the tomb (of St. Eligius) was covered with a linen veil finely
ornamented in pure silk, because of the refulgence of the gold and the
splendour of the gems.”] we read in the same. For Italy the custom is
not attested until around the year 1000 […]. In the later Middle Ages
the veiling of Crosses and images during Lent or at least Passiontide
was universally common.
As material for the veils which covered Crosses, images, reliquaries
etc. chiefly white linen was used in the Middle Ages. […] Coloured or
painted veils for Crosses and images are encountered less commonly in
the inventories. […]
The custom to hang up a veil in front of the altar during Lent is
already attested in the “consuetudines” of Farfa, then soon after by
Aelfric of Winchester and Lanfranc of Canterbury, and at the beginning
of the 12th century by Honorius and Rupert of Deutz. Initially, it was
probably only observed in cathedral, monastery and collegiate churches.
In the later Middle Ages, however, we also find it in parish churches.
It was perhaps least extended in Italy. In modern times, the Lenten veil
fell more and more into disuse, and today it is, as said before, only
rarely used. Furthermore, it mostly does not serve, as originally, to
veil the altar and the priest; for this purpose it is normally not large
enough any longer. Rather, it is now almost only an indication that
Lent has begun.
The veil was ordinarily hung up after compline of the First Sunday of
Lent and remained until after compline of the Wednesday of Holy Week. In
parish churches it hung between nave and choir, and in collegiate and
monastic churches between choir (presbytery) and altar. It was drawn
back on Sundays, feasts of twelve or nine lessons, at funerals
corpore praesente
and on certain solemn occasions like e.g. holy orders, the vesting of
novices and similar occasions. Only the veil of the high altar was drawn
back then, however, not those of the side altars. For not infrequently,
a Lenten veil was hung up in front of these, too. On ordinary days the
veil was either not drawn back at all during Mass, or just for the
Elevation, and here and there also between Gospel and Orate fratres.
Practice in this respect was rather varied according to local custom.
As for the material, the Lenten veils, in Germany also called hunger
veils, were mostly made of linen […], but there were also those made of
silk. […] In the later Middle Ages, it was popular to embroider, paint
or imprint the Lenten veils with scenes from sacred history, especially
those of the Passion. […] The enormous Freiburg Lenten veil from the
year 1612 already mentioned shows a large Crucifixion as its main image.
Magnificent Lenten veils with a wealth of biblical scenes are also at
Zittau and in Gurk cathedral. […]
Symbolism
The veiling of Crosses, images etc. during Lent and Passiontide was done
because these times had the character of penance and grief, and
therefore decoration in the church was deemed inappropriate. The veiling
of the Crosses, moreover, may have its reason in the fact that until
the 12th century the representations of the Crucifixus showed not so
much the Passion of the Godman, but his Triumph on the Cross. Likewise,
the great Lenten veil was doubtlessly introduced with regard to the
character of grief and penance proper to Lent. The veiling of the Holy
of Holies – i.e. the altar – meant in a way a partial exclusion from the
cult, which was to remind clerics and laymen alike, in the time of
penance, more manifestly of their sinfulness and to impel them to
cultivate a truly penitent disposition.
Of course, over time other meanings were additionally attributed to some
of these customs, which is easily understandable given the medieval
predilection for mystical speculation. In the veiling of Crosses, images
and other decoration of the church was thus symbolised the contumely,
weakness and humiliation, which in the Passion of the Lord veiled, as it
were, His Godhead and divine Power. The veil however, which was hung
before the altar, was associated to a multiple symbolism. It was called a
memory of the veil of the Old Testament, which dived the Holy of Holies
from the Holy and was rent asunder at the death of the Lord. It was
seen as an image of the starry heavens which separate material and
spiritual world and veil from us the sight of the heavenly fatherland
and the glorified Saviour. It was interpreted as the veil with which
Moses covered his face, whose resplendence the people could not bear, or
as the spiritual shell of the old service of the Law, which still
enfolds the hearts of the Jews and prevents them from grasping the clear
meaning of the Law. The taking away of the veil at Easter, then, was to
signify that Christ now again stands before us in the unveiled
splendour of His eternal glory, that He has opened up the heavens for us
and taken away the blindness of the heart from us, which had made it
impossible for us to understand the mystery of His Passion.
1 comment:
You're right - that was interesting!
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