Carnival Clown Mass

Cathcon translation of Jecke Messe - Kardinal segnet Kölschfass

Cardinal blesses Carnival beer barrel carnival in Cologne Cathedral:

Carnival participants in the Cathedral (being greeted here by the Cardinal prior to the Mass)

Cardinal Joachim Meisner invited them to a second Pontifical Mass.

In the first row: the large and the small triumvirate (representatives of the Carnival participants)
Christians are in the opinion of Cardinal good carnival participants, as they have every reason, to be cheerful. He wanted at the next bishops' conference times ask how "Koelle Allaaf" (The Carnival greeting) could be developed liturgically ...(Cathcon comment- so that's how seriously he takes the liturgy) Then there was the blessing of the coins which had been minted for those attending the service, the official scarf, a cap and a Carnival Barrel of Kölsch (the local beer).

Cathcon comment:
First Carnival came into the Church, when of its nature it should be outside. In many places the Carnival representatives are now allowed into the sanctuary, but the Cardinal of Cologne is too clever for that. Rather worryingly the Cologne Carnival season actually opens on 11/11 Armistice Day. Some British soldiers got into enormous trouble when they joined in the Carnival on that day a few years back. The date of the 11 November dates back to the 19th century, but should, of course, be changed.

It all could be worse. The Carnival Cardinal

Coming soon- what happened to Carnival in the Nazi times.