Houston, We Have A Problem: The Latin Mass

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas is the fifth largest diocese in the U.S., a result of the explosive growth around the City of Houston -- the fourth largest city in the U.S. -- and its surrounding counties.  It has a massive priest shortage, with just 150 active archdiocesan priests of the 435 priests serving, retired or residing in the 146-parish archdiocese.  There are 411 "permanent deacons" in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Watch the SSPX ordinations live this Friday

This Friday, June 11, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) will live stream their ordinations to the Priesthood and Diaconate. Three priests and six deacons will be ordained this year, and this is the first year they will livestream the ordinations from the Seminary.

We all know what's going on these days. These new priests and future priests may be direly needed in the near future.

CLICK HERE ON FRIDAY TO WATCH LIVE STREAM

IMPORTANT! -- Francis Effect: The End of the Traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter's Basilica

 

The Traditional Mass used to be celebrated hidden, out of sight, in the crypt of the Vatican Basilica (the Hungarian Chapel) from the days of the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei to Summorum.

Since the 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which recognized that the Traditional Mass had never been abrogated (and in fact could never be so), many priests who have celebrated in the several side altars of St. Peter's have done so by using the 1962 Missal. And it was celebrated daily in two of the Basilica's major altars, especially the Altar of Blessed Pope Innocent XI.

Alas, the new order (see below) that has come to the Vatican Basilica has abolished all privately celebrated masses in the upper body of the Basilica (including Novus Ordo masses, which used to be very numerous as well), and has determined that all masses celebrated in the Basilica will have to be (naturally Novus Ordo) concelebrations, liturgically "animated" by "readers" and "singers"...

(Order from the Secretariat of State below:)

On the 13th Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, now under threat: Benedict XVI placed the Church on the path of eternity and immortality.

For several decades now, we have lived in the "Tyranny of the Present". Tradition is forgotten and, precisely because it is forgotten, our responsibilities for the future are also dismissed. The liturgical experimentation that led to the Novus Ordo was the epitome of Vatican II: it has given the Catholic hierarchy the liturgical-theological basis for their current promotion of the "here and now" as the supreme aim of the Church.

With Summorum Pontificum, the most consequential pontifical legislative act since 1969, Benedict XVI upended this new materialistic logic: by opening the gates of the past, he once again placed the Church on the path of eternity and immortality.

Summorum is now under threat, with the survey being conducted whose consequences are uncertain. There was a Church before the present reality, there will be a Church forever: and the Sacred Liturgy she celebrates here, with true Traditional and Apostolic imprint, has always been and should always be, not a reflection of the banality of the moment, but a prefiguration of her immortality as Bride of Christ and her Paschal Feast with the Lord for all Eternity, outside the limitations of our present existence.

Twelve years ago, we published the following text: we do not have reason to alter one iota of it. Priests, enjoy your freedom.

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Summorum Pontificum: Axes of Interpretation

BREAKING - IMPORTANT - Summorum Under Threat? - Holy See sends survey to Bishops on Summorum Pontificum (Exclusive)

[Update - See: "The Summorum Questionnaire, what is going on behind the scenes?"]

Could the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, that recognized the rights and continuity of the Traditional Latin Rite, be under threat?

When the motu proprio was first published, there was a period of consultations of three years. It was defined by Pope Benedict XVI in his accompanying letter to bishops: "Furthermore, I invite you, dear Brothers, to send to the Holy See an account of your experiences, three years after this Motu Proprio has taken effect. If truly serious difficulties come to light, ways to remedy them can be sought." This was done, and the result was the mostly positive 2011 Instruction.

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Quite strangely, now, 13 years after Summorum, when it has become a permanent part of the life of the Church in many places throughout the world, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), now responsible for Summorum, has sent out a new survey for bishops on the application of Summorum Pontificum, because, "His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to be informed about the current application of the aforementioned document."

It could be ominous. The questions seem neutral, but, once one reads them carefully, they may indicate serious consequences.

Rorate has received copies of both documents that were sent, and that had been unknown to the faithful up to this moment: the March 7, 2020, letter of the Prefect of CDF  to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences, and the questions to bishops asked in the April 2020 survey itself -- the due date is July 31, 2020.

Both documents are below (click to open larger and more readable view for both documents):

Communiqué of the International UNA VOCE Federation on Order of Malta ban of the Traditional Latin Mass

Rome, June 13, 2019

The FIUV notes with regret the letter, dated 10th June, from Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaler Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta (the ‘Order of Malta’), forbidding the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (the Extraordinary Form) in the context of the Order’s liturgical life.

Since this letter has become public, we would like to observe that it does not accurately present the provisions of Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter, given motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. Article 3, cited in the Grand Master’s letter, explicitly allows religious communities to have not only private but conventual celebrations of Mass in the Extraordinary Form, without reference to the Major Superior (in the case of the Order of Malta, the Grand Master or the Prelate). His permission is required only in cases where the community ‘wishes to have such celebrations frequently, habitually or permanently’.

The Grand Master’s letter also neglects the right of the faithful, from which the religious and lay members of the Order of Malta are not excluded, from requesting celebrations of Mass in the Extraordinary Form (Article 4). Celebrations in the context of special occasions such as pilgrimages are explicitly anticipated (Article 5 §3). Pastors and rectors of churches are directed to accede to such requests (Article 5, §1 and §5).

The Federation would like to emphasise that the Extraordinary Form is a part of the liturgical patrimony of the Church which represents ‘riches’ for the Church, which should not be neglected or excluded, and certainly not on the basis of a narrow conception of unity which excludes the variety of liturgical expressions permitted in the Church. As Pope Benedict expressed it:

‘These two expressions of the Church’s lex orandi will in no way lead to a division in the Church’s lex credendi (rule of faith); for they are two usages of the one Roman rite.’ (Summorum Pontificum, Preamble)

Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

Motu Proprio under Threat: Traditionalists must make so much noise no one would dare touch Summorum Pontificum

Don't touch me - Noli me tangere

This from the latest blog post by Italian vaticanist Sandro Magister (along with Marco Tosatti, the top vaticanist in the current pontificate):

There are those who fear that after the demolition of “Liturgiam Authenticam,” the next objective, of this or another commission, will be the correction of “Summorum Pontificum,” the document with which Benedict XVI liberalized the celebration of the Mass in the ancient rite.

The time to agitate is now: Traditionalists around the world must make clear the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (which was not an act of "mercy," but a mere recognition of justice and logic) cannot be touched.