The Rainbow becomes a New Liturgical Color by Atila Sinke Guimaraes

NEWS: January 15, 2010

Bird’s Eye View of the News

Atila Sinke Guimarães

THE RAINBOW BECOMES A NEW LITURGICAL COLOR - One never ceases to be surprised by this new Conciliar Church. As 2010 starts, I received the following message from one of our readers in France:

"Dear Sir, I am French and I learned on the website of the Diocese of Saint-Brieuc and Tréguier in Brittany that, under the pressure of French Bishops who are keen on rainbows, His Holiness the Pope has given His agreement to the creation of a new liturgical color, the rainbow. It is said that it symbolize the union between God and His people and has to be worn for the days of Saints Noah, Abraham and Moses. On this topic you can check the page of the Saint-Brieuc Diocese here.

A model for the new chasubles taken from the Saint Brieuc Diocese website

"Most of the French Dioceses have already started to order such ornaments from French liturgical tailors for their Priests (stoles and chasubles) and deacons (stoles and dalmatics).

"I do not know if it is a good idea to have our entire clergy vested in the colors of the gay people, so I think you could speak about that on your good website.

"I wish you a happy and Holy Feast of the Epiphany. G.H.G."

After checking the webpage of the mentioned Diocese, whose information appeared to be trustworthy, I can add some other details. The decision was made by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. After authorizing an experimental period for rainbow liturgical garments in different areas of France and other countries, it decided that the people’s reception to them was positive. Based on this, it officially declared the rainbow to be “a supplementary color of the Roman Liturgy.” It should be worn on those days that celebrate the alliance of God with his people.

The last Bishops' Synod approved the new liturgical color by an overwhelming majority (256 pro, 2 con). Returning from his trip to Africa Benedict XVI gave his formal approval in late March 2009. The decision was to go into effect in 2010, as, in fact, it did (see photo below right).

On January 3, 2010, Bishop Christian Nourrichard at a Mass in Thiberville

The dispatch from the Diocese of Saint Brieuc also mentions that the colors will be used exclusively on three Sundays of the ordinary liturgical year, which henceforth will be replaced by the feasts of Noah, Abraham and Moses. It also pretends that the seven colors of the rainbow represent the perfection of Creation.

There is no Catholic on earth, I believe, who would dispute that the rainbow was established as a symbol of the Alliance between God and man after the Deluge (Gen 9:8-18). It was a symbol, however, that in the Roman Catholic Church never received special attention, as far as I remember. (On the accuracy of the data of this Diocesan website please click here)

Then, after 1978, when a rainbow flag was raised atop San Francisco City Hall, the rainbow began to spread throughout the world as a homosexual symbol by means of an organized media campaign. In the last 30 years it has been increasingly known and accepted as such. Today, even though this is not its exclusive meaning, when someone uses the rainbow colors an understandable question arises: “Is he favoring this movement?”

So, if prudence is the rule for one’s decisions, he avoids such a symbol. This is especially the case for Bishops and priests, given that the high and low Catholic clergy almost everywhere are infected by homosexuality. There is a common saying - a bit exaggerated - that the clergy is becoming a homosexual profession.

It is also inopportune because, from Vatican II to this day, homosexuality has only been very softly attacked by official documents of the Holy See, as I analyzed in detail in my work Vatican II, Homosexuality & Pedophilia.

There was every reason, therefore, for the Church to keep a good distance from the rainbow.

Notwithstanding, in 1997 at the World Youth Day realized in Paris, the Pope, Bishops and clergy wore rainbow colors vestments specially designed by a French couturier. The idea was attributed to Card. Jean Marie Lustiger, then Archbishop of Paris. TIA pointed out the great impropriety of that use, seeing in it a clear sign of the Conciliar Church's complaisance with homosexuality.

One might say: “That was an unfortunate incident. But any bad effects from it will pass with time.” The opposite has happened. The World Youth Day 1997, the website of the Saint Brieuc Diocese assures us, was considered a successful landmark for the official introduction of the rainbow vestments into France and every where else as a fitting expression of the Catholic Church in her liturgy.

Thus, the Catholic clergy assume the same symbol of the homosexuals. Is it to steal the banner from them? It does not look like it. It is much more likely that the clergy will walk alongside the homosexuals as if it were normal. What is the message it sends to the faithful? I believe that, seeing these vestments, no one will think about the great Patriarchs of the Old Testament and their Alliance with God. It seems to me that the message is a tacit but bold approval of homosexuality.

The Church rejected the symbol of the rose for centuries

Even if the introduction of the rainbow as a new liturgical color were well intentioned, I do not recognize in this measure the bi-millennial wisdom of the Catholic Church. Let us look at how she acted in the past in face of a similar symbol.

Roses of Heliogabalus by Lawrence Alma Tadena 1888

A shower of roses over the guests at a Roman orgy

History teaches us that when the Church was founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire had assumed the rose as one of the symbols of its decadent customs. Indeed, in the orgies dedicated to Venus, Bacchus, Mercury or Saturn, there was a display of the most sophisticated pleasures known at that time: refined food and wines for the palate, oils for the body, perfumes for the smell, music and singing for the ears. To these luxuries another was added, considered top of the line. The banquet rooms were designed so that from time to time rose petals would fall from the ceiling over the guests during the feast. The ensemble was meant to give the impression they were living in an anti-chamber of Olympus.

Immorality and the most refined Roman good taste served by their more advanced technology became symbolized by the rose.

What did the Catholic Church do regarding the rose? She did not use it in her symbolism until the memory of the Roman Empire and its orgies had completely disappeared. Only after the barbarians had ravaged the Western Roman Empire did the Church use the symbol of the rose in her devotions and works of art. Then, Our Lady became honored as the Rosa Mystica, the cathedrals erected stain glass windows shaped as grand roses, and on their columns the rose became a frequent ornament. Following this example in the temporal sphere, we find noble houses placing roses on their coats of arms and gentlemen offering roses to ladies as a sign of their respect.

It took centuries for the Church to purify the symbol of the rose, but she did it perfectly. To the point that until a little before Vatican II, it was common for a religious woman, in the ceremony of taking her solemn vows, to wear a crown of roses, a symbol of her virginity. From being a symbol of the Roman orgy, the rose became the symbol of Catholic virginity. What an extraordinary victory of the Church!

Now the opposite seems to be taking place. Instead of avoiding a symbol that has become universally identified with the worse sin against nature, the Conciliar Church jumps in and assumes that symbol as its own.

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