The Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord in the Sistine Chapel

As reported yesterday. the Holy Father today presided at the Mass for the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord using the Sistine Chapel's original altar, and thus facing with the congregation through part of the Mass.  Canada.com has an article about the celebration ad Orientem versus.  He also used the wooden throne that was previously used by Pope Pius IX in the 19th century.  The Mass was celebrated in Italian.

The Asia News article about the Mass discusses the Pope's homily without mentioning the altar and throne. 

While the Asia News article mentions that in the Mass, the Sistine Chapel was in some ways "transformed into a humble domestic church."  It seems to me that, in addition to that, the use of the 19th century throne and the original altar provided a more authentic view of the beauty of the Sistine Chapel in Mass to the world watching, and the use of the older throne would further the view of the papacy and the timelessness of many aspects of Catholic ecclesiology that were not changed at the Vatican II Council.  Perhaps this change, together with other recent changes in vestments and the use of a throne instead of a white chair, are examples of changes being made since the appointment of Msgr. Guido Marini as head of the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.  Father Zuhlsdorf has a photo in a short post with several comments.

A full translation of the homily is available from Papa Ratzinger Forum (scroll down).  He spoke about the meaning of baptism in a service in which he also baptized 13 children of people who work at the Vatican.  Here is an excerpt from the homily:

"The sacrament of Baptism has an eloquent ritual which expresses precisely this transmission of the faith. It is the offering, for each of the baptized, of a candle lit from the Easter candle. It is the light of the resurrected Christ which you are committed to transmit to your children.

"Thus, from generation to generation, we Christians pass on the light of Christ so that when he returns, he may find us with this flame burning in our hands.

"In the course of the ritual, I will tell you: 'To you, parents and godparents, is entrusted this Paschal sign, a flame that you must feed". Feed it always, dear brothers and sisters. Feed the flame of faith by listening to the Word of God and meditating on it, and by assiduous communion with Jesus in the Eucharist."

Asia News also has an article about the Pope's words at the midday Angelus, as thousands of people gathered in a driving rain in St. Peter's Square.  Full translations are available from the Vatican and Papa Ratzinger Forum.  The Pope's reflection offered more teaching on baptism.  After the Angelus, he mentioned today's World Day of Migrants and Refugees, this year on a theme of young migrants.  The Holy Father's Message for the 94th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (2008) was issued October 18, 2007.