Covering statues during Lent

[Spooky7272]

At the TLM Indult I have been attending, they have covered all the statues with purple cloth for Lent. Then I read over at the Curt Jester how he says this practice is "silly" and akin to removing the Holy Water from the Holy Water Fonts during Lent  (which I know is a no-no). But some others in the comment box seem to state that it is a Traditional practice.

 

Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Thanks.

[Charlemagne]

We do this at my NO church to even now.

[CatholicCrusader]

Yes, this is certainly a traditional practise. It is done from Passion Sunday (2 Sundays before Easter) until the Easter Vigil Mass (customarily, they can be removed during the Gloria of that Mass--often during an organ piece after the Gloria is intoned by the priest, while it is recited at the altar--which is when the lights are to be turned on, as the Vigil portion of the liturgical function is in darkness).

[Charlemagne]

It seems the innovators of Vatican 2 tried to do away with this.  It is a tradition which stretches at least as far back as medieval times.  The church now leaves it up to the Bishops to decide whether it should be done or not.  Surprise, surprise the wonderful American Bishops discourage it.

[Paul]

At the TLM Indult I have been attending, they have covered all the statues with purple cloth for Lent. Then I read over at the Curt Jester how he says this practice is "silly" and akin to removing the Holy Water from the Holy Water Fonts during Lent  (which I know is a no-no). But some others in the comment box seem to state that it is a Traditional practice.

He calls it silly, as he states in the comments, to cover the statues during Lent, when the traditional practice is to cover them only during Passiontide. The US Bishops permit the practice, starting on what is now called the V Week of Lent (traditionally Passion Sunday, so at least some things haven't changed), but most places don't do it. The only place I've seen it done is at the FSSP church I attended for the Triduum last year. Most of the NO parishes don't really have statues to cover, anyway.

It's not just a pious custom, either. At the end of the Mass for Saturday in the IV Week of Lent, the Missal says: 

¶ Mass being finished, before Vespers, the Crosses and Images throughout the church are covered; which remain covered through the Celebration of the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday, but the Images until the intonation of the Angelic Hymn on Holy Saturday.

[gladius_veritatis]

At the TLM Indult I have been attending, they have covered all the statues with purple cloth for Lent.

I would personally gather the details, and ask those in charge (in the nicest way possible) to uncover them until the appropriate time (which is not yet here).  It is laudable, to be sure, that they have done so, but it is best to actually follow the tradition as it was done before (esp. when we have clear, recent examples to go by).