It's the 6th of January and in the Cathedral of
'Cividale del Friuli'
the 'Mass of the Broadsword' (Messa dello Spadone)
is being celebrated.
This Mass has a symbolic value reminding the faithful
of the time (14th Century) of the absolute power
over life and death wielded by the Catholic Church
in general and the Patriarch of the region
specifically. The Deacon, adorned by a feathered helmet,
lifts the sword and thus "blesses" the faithful.
In the Middle Ages, I believe that he threatened rather
then blessed them.
In order to see this colourful scene
a little better, I suggest that you enlarge the image.
No comments:
Post a Comment