Rorate Caeli

Castrillón visits France


Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos was in France on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception for a special Pontifical Mass in Versailles, on the occasion of the Journée de Chrétienté, celebrating 25 years of the Chartres Pilgrimage. Report by Collectif pour la Paix Liturgique à Reims:

On December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Cardinal Hoyos, president of the Ecclesia Dei commission, received representatives of a dozen associations of Faithful calling for the implementation of the Motu proprio in their respective dioceses.

It is with great joy that a member of the Collectif pour la Paix Liturgique à Reims was able to present the local situation to the Cardinal and in return hear the recommendations of His Eminence:

Prayer is always necessary but even more so in our time when progressivism has wreaked havoc in the heart of the Church. He cited the lack of piety and respect for things holy and the difficulty of attempting to make these things meet contemporary taste on account of bad habits that have been acquired. The Cardinal asked to bear in mind that the since the Church is universal, problems and solutions may not be uniform and that time is needed to design and implement reforms.

Practical intelligence will be crucial: His Eminence has recommended we not be impatient, but rather to act in a spirit of goodwill which will undoubtedly help us. He spoke for several minutes about the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X with an obvious desire for reconciliation while insisting that we all keep in mind that Tradition is for the good of the entire Church and not just a few. Charity demands that it be given to all, even those who do not seem to appreciate it.

Finally Cardinal Hoyos said that it is only a minority in the Universal Church who are totally opposed to the traditional liturgy and piety. There is much more ignorance than actual ill will to be dealt with. Sociological views play too big a role and lead to misunderstandings; hence the importance of always practicing charity in order to break down prejudices.

(Translated by Mornac.)