Some trusted friends of Rorate have informed us that in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Rome, within the premises of the Pontifical University of Santa Croce (run by Opus Dei), the Traditional Latin Mass is now said three mornings a week (Monday to Wednesday) at one of the side altars.
Other priests have also said the TLM in the Basilica on occasion. To our knowledge, Santa Croce is currently the only Pontifical University in Rome that has Masses according to the Usus Antiquior, the daily and Sunday TLM in the Antonianum having been suppressed last year.
These Masses are not "regularly scheduled", these being private Masses. However, anyone can come in and attend.
Other priests have also said the TLM in the Basilica on occasion. To our knowledge, Santa Croce is currently the only Pontifical University in Rome that has Masses according to the Usus Antiquior, the daily and Sunday TLM in the Antonianum having been suppressed last year.
These Masses are not "regularly scheduled", these being private Masses. However, anyone can come in and attend.
22 comments:
eh.. Not a big deal. There are plenty of churches in Rome where priests just happen to say consistent EF Masses on available side altars. Remember that Opus Dei was just an overly funded "JP2=we love you" group until not that long ago and had no time for the TLM. I suppose that any support is a good thing but again, I wouldn't read too much into this.
Sure, if that's the way you want to dismiss a canonized saint and the organization he founded. But your sarcasm dismisses the prayers of literally millions of good, solid Catholics. Its Founder said the TLM until the day he died. Priests of the Work are Orthodox, holy, serious men.
But then maybe that's something you can't appreciate.
Neither would I.
Another "Giovanni Paolo, Giovanni Paolo" religious Order, the Legionaries of Christ still, O believe, have yet to even allow for the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass in any of their foundations, including the seminary.
Like I always said, if an order claims to be 100% orthodox and traditional, is obedient to Church teachings and the Pope, celebrates the NO reverently, wears the habit, promotes Catholic traditions and culture, uses Latin and Gregorian Chant but does NOT allow for the celebration or participation in the Tridentine Latin Mass by its members....then they are hypocrits in the worse sense.
What's the old story, the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, with the Pharisee pretending to be the holiest of all yet desn't lead a very good life? That's the same case as these "traditional" Orders that claim to be orthodox, yet don't allow for the Tridentine Latin Mass.
They HAD their day under JP II, but will soon stagnate and eventually die out.
What's the old story, the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, with the Pharisee pretending to be the holiest of all yet desn't lead a very good life?
In the parable, the Pharisee isn't pretending to be the holiest of all. His problem rather is pride that he lives such a holy life, unlike other men, and is blind to the fact that he is a sinner. The Publican is not a holy man, but admits his sinfulness, so he leaves the Temple justified while the Pharisee's superiority complex prevents his own justification.
I am a recent graduate of Santa Croce, as is the priest in question who offers Low Mass in the basilica several times a week. It would have been nice to have more or less daily access to Low Mass at our basilica while I was a student there, but the usus antiqiuor has been available around Rome for some time now (both before and after Summorum Pontficum). I usually went to San Gregorio dei Muratori, the small chapel the FSSP had before being given charge of Santissima Trinita' dei Pellegrini as a personal parish, or, since I also knew a number of priests in Rome well enough to be able to ask them when and where they would be saying Mass, I was able to attend Mass in the EF in a number of places around the Vrbs and am happy to say that I was a bit spoiled in this manner and never felt deprived.
Opus Dei has never been known for a great interest in liturgy (though now it offers an STL with a liturgy specialization at the university). Instead, they simply follow the GIRM for the Ordinary Form of the Mass, and usually have some sort of pleasant music -- nothing too adventurous or strange, nor anything that would be perceived as high-brow, etc. I would not expect them to develop a sudden interest in the Extraordinary Form, since they are occupied matters other than the liturgy (they are not monks or canons after all...).
Ultimately, having Low Mass at a church staffed by Opus Dei should not be a remarkable thing, because having the EF in churches and parishes should itself not be a remarkable thing -- the whole point is for it to become mainstream again. -- Magdalen Ross
"but does NOT allow for the celebration or participation in the Tridentine Latin Mass by its members..."
Opus Dei allows its faithful to hear or participate in any valid, licit Mass in union with the Pope.
Period.
You don't know what you're talking about. You seem to want enemies.
Exhale. Pray.
Casa Santa Lidia, respectfully, for those who think the TLM is important, it is almost always connected with issues of doctrine and a particular worldview. It is a 'symptom' of a battle that is larger than liturgical, and not only monks and canons have a care for it.
Cf. the Franciscans of the Immaculate (friars); the SSPX and FSSP, both of which work in positions similar to those of parish priests.
It SHOULDN'T be a big deal, but it IS a big deal precisely for this reason:
"To our knowledge, Santa Croce is currently the only Pontifical University in Rome that has Masses according to the Usus Antiquior, the daily and Sunday TLM in the Antonianum having been suppressed last year."
I also think that, given Opus Dei's reputed reserve towards the TLM, this news deserves some exposure.
Thanks to those standing up for Opus. I'm not an Opus man myself, but in my opinion they're heroes. I'm sorry to see people spreading calumnies against them.
About five years ago I recall a traditional Dominican Mass being started at the Angelicum, has this ceased?
"About five years ago I recall a traditional Dominican Mass being started at the Angelicum, has this ceased?"
It ceased long ago.
"I'm not an Opus man myself, but in my opinion they're heroes. I'm sorry to see people spreading calumnies against them."
Yes, and it is unfortunate that some members of Opus Dei return the favor.
Is it a calumny to say that Opus Dei was supporting establishment of liberal democracy in Spain when Spain was still a Catholic state?
Is it a calumny to say that Opus Dei was supporting establishment of liberal democracy in Spain when Spain was still a Catholic state?
From what I know, yes. Opus Dei is allergic to politics; their faithful are well schooled in sound moral doctrine, but politics is pretty much off limits...not that morals don't apply to the political realm, but because some make their political opinions into dogma...
Anon. 09:17 wrote :
Is it a calumny to say that Opus Dei was supporting establishment of liberal democracy in Spain when Spain was still a Catholic state?
It is a historical fact that Opus Dei members joined the government of dictator Franco and were seen as more "liberal" than the usual narrow-minded arch-conservatives or fascists that were staffing the Franco regime. But they were mainly called to bring in their skills in various fields, being seen as competent people. They are credited of helping the economic growth of Spain during the 1960's and 1970's.
On the main topic, it is VERY important that in a Pontifical university, TLM is celebrated. It should be so in every Catholic university whether in Rome or elsewhere but we know that we are far from it today. So when the O.D. is setting an example, we can at least cheer them up a little bit. Instead of the sad remarks read in the thread.
Alsaticus
I don't see how Opus can be blamed for the corruption of Spain. Juan Carlos practically handed the country back over to the reds.
Mariam: "for those who think the TLM is important, it is almost always connected with issues of doctrine and a particular worldview. It is a 'symptom' of a battle that is larger than liturgical, and not only monks and canons have a care for it."
~~~
I do think the TLM is important -- I am merely trying to make the point that one should not hold one's breath and expect Opus Dei to develop a sudden interest in the older liturgical forms. That is it available, on a "private" basis, in a basilica they have charge of, and is offered by one of their former university students, a diocesan priest, is just not a huge deal. It is a nice surprise, and not much more than that. I wish it had been available when I was a student there, but the TLM was to be found around Rome in a number of places.
Many young priests who are students at the pontifical schools in Rome do indeed celebrate the TLM, just not at their own university chapels. It is -- or is becoming -- a fairly normal part of life in Rome. And yes, those who encounter it for the first time and develop a liking for the older liturgical forms also usually begin to study the "older" theology behind it as well, and it does slowly but surely change one's worldview. It's a brick by brick thing, as Fr. Z. often says.
Of course it is by no means limited to monks or canons -- but again, for those of you out there who do not know, Opus Dei has never been known for a great interest in liturgy. They are simply engaged in other fields.
God, give us that many narrow-minded arch-conservatives and that few fascists the Franco's regime had!
Whatever you say about Opus Dei the principle of leading a discrete life of deeply interiorized faith while abandoning the struggle for Catholic state and Catholic society, where Our Lord reigns and is being worshipped in public by the state, is sensu stricto modernist. This principle allows Opus Dei to cohabitate freely with liberal godless democracy.
But to a large extent Opus Dei was "ultramontanist". This "ultramontanism" has lead Catholic Spain into disaster after the Second Vatican Council. See for example Calvo Serera and his daily "Madrid". Formerly a staunch francist, in the 1960s he evolved into a left-wing dissident. You can see that other Opus Dei members change their postion in the 1960s in "Madrid" and "El Alcázar". Suddenly they began to fight against one-party authoritarian system in favor of democracy, against free market economy ("stop that experiment") in favor of socialism, welfare state and "workers taking part in governance of their enterprises", they were planning scenarios of the future democratization and publishing their ideas. It was some kind of Christian left.
In spite of Franco's pro-American and anti-communist policy "Madrid" condemns war in Vietnam and is sympathetic towards communist student revolts of 1968, demands separation of the Church and state and freedom of religion. This of course nothing to be proud of. Surely there was no "official line" of the Opus Dei, but you can always look at the mainstream of the Opus Dei members, they were acting more or less like Serera.
Even Escrivá in his letter to Paul VI in 1964 offered abandonment of the "one Catholic party" model and intended to work to "prepare change of the regime as soon as possible". Paul VI's answer remains unknown, but we know what a man he was, so he probably agreed.
In short, Opus Dei was/is ultramontanist, they do what the Pope wants, whatever it is, without thinking too much. It is remarkable that OD prelate is engaged in SSPX talks. It is a clear sign what the Pope wants and what is he up to - for those who want to read signs.
The real disaster for Spain was the Second Vatican council. Spain as she was was totally unfitting to the new worldview.
Mr. Ortiz,
Yes, the founder of Opus Dei said the traditional Mass until the day he died. But for the rest of the priests of the Work, the slogan was, we will love the new Mass as much as we loved the old.
So as you can see, "we" meant "they." It is far from the only occasion on which "we" meant "they."
Have you ever read Don Alvaro Portillo's account of how and why Msgr. Escriva kept saying the traditional Mass? After the founder pronounced the abovementioned slogan, and because practicing up to say the new Mass, Don Alvaro ran into Bugnini around the Vatican, and the latter downright insisted that the founder accept an indult to keep saying the traditional Mass, like the rest of the old duffers.
It tells you something important about the relationship between Msgr. Escriva and everyone else in the Work that Don Alvaro, who was hardly a fool, did not seem to notice anything anomalous about this incident.
But then one of Don Alvaro's basic functions was to convince the Father to accept goodies that he himself was too humble and self-denying to accept without being convinced that it was the best thing to do.
(Don Alvaro also mentioned that he and Bugnini were buddies; they used the familiar form of "you" to each other.)
In response to someone saying: "I'm not an Opus man myself, but in my opinion they're heroes. I'm sorry to see people spreading calumnies against them" Carlos
Antonio Palad replied: "Yes, and it is unfortunate that some members of Opus Dei return the favor."
Touché !
Mr. Ortiz said: "Exhale. Pray."
Casa Santa Lidia said: "Opus Dei has never been known for a great interest in liturgy."
Reminds me of years gone by when in my neck of the woods a TLM community was struggling to establish itself. Some young Opus Dei members were showing an
interest but were advised by their chaplain to stay away.
Reminds me too of conversations with Opus Dei acquaintances. Usually when the discussion veered towards the traditional liturgy or some such 'controversial' topic
the shutters would come down over the eyes and any further talk was politely but firmly stifled with the mantra: "We should all pray about that".
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