Schönes Deutschland! - III

Here's a real Corpus Christi parade. Over at Father Petersen's blog there's an interesting discussion going on, under "Luther's Blindspots," about whether it's acceptable for Lutherans to observe the Corpus Christi festival, which the Western Church has traditionally held the Thursday after Trinity. I may have more to say about it later, but for now, I'll just say that while they were arguing about whether or not Corpus Christi is an acceptable thing to have, we happened onto a real Corpus Christi parade in Bavaria, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It sure seems to me that in spite of whatever arguments Lutherans could raise against this parade, one thing is clear: the peasant class, as well as those who get into these parades, in spite of all their misguided catechesis, at least seem devoted to the Body of Christ, i.e., to Corpus Christi, which is far more than any drum-banging, pelvic-thrusting rockin’-out Church-Growther can say about his devotion. In addition, this video we took makes it crystal clear (at least to you charismatics out there) that God shined down with His divine favor on this parade. Watch carefully and see what happens as the parade passes. First come the altar boys with candles, then the thurifers, then some nuns carrying a float featuring the B.V.M., then the Burgermeisters all decked out in their Sunday best--all the while with the bells ringing--and then, just as the camera pans toward where the bishop is walking carrying the monstrance under a canopy, well, it seems to me that there's a bit of, shall we say, divine intervention . . .