12.1.2007

HISTORY OF THE RED MASS

The Red Mass, a colorful religious ceremony of the Catholic Church, is celebrated in Kuala Lumpur before Catholic members of the Judiciary, Malaysian Bar, law and chambering students and other high government and embassy officials. It is not only the occasion of the sectarian cultural event involving the legal profession, but has become the only institution in which one church has an exclusive opportunity to meet Judges, lawyers and other officials.

The term “Red Mass” traditionally refers to the color of the vestments worn by the bishops who speak at the event, but also to the robes of the judges who attend. The origin of the Red Mass is not precisely dated, but it first occurred in France during the Inquisition, probably during the reign of Pope Gregory IX or one of his successors, Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254).

It is also likely that a Red Mass occurred in England during the reign of Edward I (1274-1307) to inaugurate the opening of the judicial year, though some claim it was first celebrated there in 1310 at Westminster Abbey. In both France and England it was a ceremony that marked the union of church and state. The Mass was brought to the United States in 1928 by Catholic officials and subsequently organized through an association of Roman Catholic lawyers into a nationwide cultural and promotional event for Vatican policy.

The Red Mass has also been traditionally identified with opening of the Sacred Roman Rota, the supreme judicial body of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Lawyers' Society of Kuala Lumpur celebrates this glorious Mass annually and the appellation "Red Mass" customarily refers to the Mass initiating the legal year of the Society. The Society celebrated its first Red Mass in the year 1995 and was presided then by His Most Reverend Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia together with other members of the clergy.

The Patron Saint of the Catholic Lawyers' Society, St. Thomas More (1478-1535), once stated, “The duty of a Catholic lawyer is to remain faithful to Jesus Christ, His Church and its teaching at all times [emphasis added] despite the personal consequences” . The purpose of the Catholic Lawyers' Society is not only to promote the Red Mass as a Catholic event in Kuala Lumpur, but also make papal decisions influence the law of the land and promote justice and peace whilst doing God's work.

The Committee hopes that all members of the Society would attend the Red Mass this weekend that would be held on Saturday 20.1.2007, 9.30 am at St. John's Cathedral in Kuala Lumpur and thence, to a fellowship in our usual tradition.

Contributed by Annou Xavier © 2007.