What is Septuagesima? Monsignor Pope Explains the Forgotten Lenten Tradition

Описание: Did you know the Church used to have a "Pre-Lent" season? 🟣📆

If Lent always feels like it "sneaks up" on you, you might be missing a forgotten Catholic tradition!

In this episode of Mondays with Monsignor, Msgr. Charles Pope explains Septuagesima, the traditional 70-day countdown to Easter. Discover why the Church historically "buried the Alleluia" weeks before Ash Wednesday and why regaining this "harbinger" season might be the key to a more successful and penitential Lent in our modern, distracted world.

🔍 WHAT IS THIS EPISODE ABOUT?
What is Septuagesima?
Septuagesima (Latin for "Seventieth") is the ninth Sunday before Easter, marking the start of a traditional pre-Lenten season. Msgr. Pope explains that while the modern calendar often skips this, the traditional calendar uses this time to transition into purple vestments and somber tones to prepare the faithful before the rigors of Lent begin.

What do the names Sexagesima and Quinquagesima mean?
These terms represent a countdown:

Septuagesima: ~70 days to Easter
Sexagesima: ~60 days to Easter
Quinquagesima: ~50 days to Easter
Quadragesima: 40 days (Lent)

Msgr. Pope clarifies that these numbers are symbolic approximations rather than literal mathematical counts, designed to focus the mind on the approaching Paschal mystery.

Has the Western Church become "soft"?
Msgr. Pope discusses the removal of these seasons from the ordinary form of the Mass, suggesting it may have contributed to a loss of penitential spirit in the West compared to Eastern rites. He argues that we need these "rumble strips" to wake us up from our spiritual lethargy and digital addictions.

⏳ KEY MOMENTS (TIMESTAMPS)
Click the time to jump to that topic!

00:00 - Intro: The "Hidden Gem" of the Church Calendar
00:52 - Definition: What is Septuagesima?
01:32 - The "Burying of the Alleluia" & Purple Vestments
02:07 - Hard Truth: Has the Church become too "soft" on penance?
03:31 - The "Math" of Lent: 70, 60, 50 days explained
06:31 - Why was this tradition removed from the New Mass?
08:12 - Lenten Strategy: How to handle digital addiction

🎙️ ABOUT MONSIGNOR
Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., and a widely read Catholic writer and speaker. He is a regular contributor to Morning Joy and the National Catholic Register.

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