Fisher More College awaiting answer from Ecclesia Dei After having TLM suppressed by Bishop Olson, school expects answer soon

Rorate has obtained a first look at a statement to be released tomorrow by Fisher More College. In the statement below, the school -- for the first time -- confirms publicly what Rorate has known: that it has rightly appealed to Ecclesia Dei and expects an answer soon.

Back in March, Rorate broke the exclusive story that the Most Rev. Michael Olson, the newly-ordained bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese, had suppressed the Traditional Latin Mass at the college, writing to the president it was for the good of "your own soul" (read the whole story here).

Maybe most disturbing is that Bishop Olson not only took this unjust action, but has remained silent on the matter since, refusing to even meet with some of the students of whom he has banned their God-given patrimony.

Bishop Olson has also ignored a list of questions Rorate asked of him in writing, giving him every opportunity to use our blog to explain his actions to those scandalized by this matter. We still welcome His Excellency to respond to our questions and will run them in full without editorial comment.

Let us pray Ecclesia Dei steps up and stomps out this complete and unjust overreach. The statement from Fisher More College follows:

The business operations and programs of the College proceed as usual into normal summer mode. An announcement regarding fall courses and enrollment will be made as soon as it is possible. The College has petitioned the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei for hierarchical recourse against the decision of Bishop Michael Olson prohibiting Mass in the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite at the College chapel. Based on our understanding of canonical procedure, the Commission can be expected to rule on this matter by mid-July. At this time, the College intends to withhold making any decisions regarding its campus and residential program until it receives a ruling from the Commission.

The Fisher More Academy online program is healthy and operates with business-as-usual in preparation for next school year. The Academy continues to add exceptional teachers and staff from across the country, has been accepting enrollment for grades 4 thru 12 since the beginning of April, and looks forward to another year of providing an education program to Catholic families that is traditional, formative, excellent, and affordable.

Holy Innocents in NYC facing closure?

Holy Innocents, NYC.

As if in response to yesterday's celebration of the "New Pentecost" and the "New Springtime", the online news site Capital New York reported today that the Archdiocese of New York was moving towards its final stages of planning a long-expected wave of parish closures (Archdiocese moves toward large-scale parish closings):

The Archdiocese of New York took a major step last week toward consolidating its dense network of 376 parishes, entering the final stages of planning for what is likely to result in the most significant sweep of parish closings seen here in recent memory. 

Early last week, an advisory board that has been working for months with outside consultants to find ways to streamline the centuries-old archdiocese quietly sent its preliminary recommendations to local working groups—known as clusters—for review. It is the first time a broad consolidation plan such as this has been handled this way.

Among the locations being considered for closure by the committee, which is scheduled to issue its final blueprint to archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan in June, are the Church of St. John the Baptist and the Church of the Holy Innocents in Midtown Manhattan, according to internal documents obtained by Capital New York. Both would be consolidated into nearby St. Francis of Assisi on West 31st Street, which could take a new name.

St. John the Baptist, also on West 31st Street, is directly across from of Pennsylvania Station and a well known parish. It is run by the religious order of the Capuchin Franciscans and is home to the Saint Padre Pio Shrine, which attracts devotees to the 20th century saint. Holy Innocents on West 37th Street, the oldest building in the Fashion Center, was once known as the “actor's church.” Playwright Eugene O'Neill was baptized there in 1888. Some Masses are still celebrated there in Latin. ...

***

The bulk of the closures are expected to take place in the Bronx and Manhattan, where many parishes were built as little as a block or two from the next as the church flourished in the last century. Some of those parishes may have attracted 800 people for Sunday Masses, but now struggle to fill the pews.

The closures could have significant real-estate implications, ushering onto the market hundreds of millions of dollars worth of coveted land across Manhattan.

While Zwilling said the value of property the churches are built on is not a factor in preparing a plan for the closures, it could become an issue if—hypothetically—the cardinal were left to decide between closing two parishes.

“If you put everything together and it came out exactly equal and you need to choose between the two, would that become a factor in making the decision? Maybe,” he said. “But it's not a motivating factor.”

While the plight of many of New York's parishes call for sympathy, the fate of  the Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan is of special concern to Traditional Catholics. Although NYC has six churches and chapels where the Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated at least every Sunday (three in Manhattan and one in the Bronx under the Archdiocese of New York, and one each in Brooklyn and Queens, under the Diocese of Brooklyn), this parish is the only one of the six where it is also celebrated every day, publicly, according to a regular schedule. It is where the Traditional Catholic community in New York City has its Sacred Triduum every year. 

This news comes only months after the loss of the Traditional Latin Mass in nearby Christ the Saviour Parish after its parish priest, Fr. George Rutler, was transferred to other assignments (including Administrator of the Church of Holy Innocents).

Unbelievable - dying Mario Palmaro's only way to arrange Traditional Funeral Mass: ask for city permit and shame pastor into "allowing" it

The other-than-human hatred for the Traditional Mass continues even after death - in January, our contributor Joseph Shaw presented the Latin Mass Society's guide on a way of ensuring your own Funeral Rites are conducted according to the Traditional Roman Rite (at least in some jurisdictions, see here: A Practical guide to having a Traditional Funeral Mass).

Now, used as he was to the diabolical hatred for the Latin Mass, the late Mario Palmaro (requiescat in pace) devised, during the several months of excruciating suffering and pain caused by the disease that led to his death, another way to ensure the pastor of the cathedral of his city, Monza, would "allow" his funeral Mass to be performed in the Traditional Roman Rite in the Duomo:

"Mario Palmaro leaves a wife and four young children, yet in order to have a Catholic funeral he had to resort to a sort of ploy: while still alive he asked the pastor (archpriest) of [the Cathedral of] Monza, to have the Holy Catholic Mass (V.O.) [i.e. Vetus Ordo] celebrated at his death; the priest answered - 'no way.' But Mario had already written to the Mayor [for a permit], if the funeral were to be refused in the Church, that it be done by a Catholic priest (faithful to the Vetus Ordo) in the square [outside the cathedral]. And the Mayor gave his consent. So, faced with something that could have become a shameful scandal, the pastor had the Mass of All Ages celebrated inside the Cathedral in the presence of a deeply moved crowd." [Riscossa Cristiana, in Italian]*

A great friend of Rorate was present in the Duomo, and he tells us well over one thousand faithful attended the Funeral Mass. Palmaro acted based on experience: one of the first articles we published in translation here by Mario Palmaro and Alessandro Gnocchi was on the denial of the Traditional Funeral Mass for Alessandro Gnocchi's own father (Another traditional funeral Mass denied by a diocese, Nov. 11, 2011).

A subitanea et improvisa morte, libera nos, Domine.

*[Important update, Mar 19, 9:00pm]: the original text of this note, translated above, was the following: "Mario Palmaro lascia la moglie e quattro figli in giovane età e per avere il funerale cattolico ha dovuto ricorrere ad una astuzia: ancor vivo ha chiesto all’arciprete di Monza che nel duomo, alla sua morte, fosse celebrata la S. Messa cattolica; l’arciprete rispose picche. Ma Mario aveva già scritto al sindaco che nel caso gli fossero state vietate le esequie in Chiesa, fossero fatte da un sacerdote cattolico (fedele al vetus ordo) in piazza. E il Sindaco acconsentì. Così, di fronte a quello che poteva divenire uno scandalo vergognoso, l’arciprete ha fatto celebrare la S. Messa di sempre nel duomo alla presenza di una immensa e commossa folla di fedeli." || Several days after our publication, it was changed to this in Riscossa Cristiana, which was brought to our attention today, and changes the order of events: "Ma Mario minacciò di chiedere al Sindaco l’autorizzazione a celebrare le esequie in piazza, con un sacerdote cattolico (fedele al vetus ordo). Così, di fronte a quello che poteva divenire uno scandalo vergognoso, l’arciprete ha fatto celebrare la S. Messa di sempre nel duomo alla presenza di una immensa e commossa folla di fedeli." [Translation: "But Mario threatened to ask the Mayor for a city permit to celebrate the funeral in the square with a Catholic priest (faithful to the vetus ordo). So, faced with something which could have become a shameful scandal, the archpriest allowed the Holy Mass of Ages to be celebrated in the Duomo in the presence of a deeply-moved crowd of people."]

For the Record - Costa Rica: step-by-step account of how Latin Mass was banned in practice in an entire country

A stable group of faithful tried for years to convince their Archbishop in San José, Costa Rica, to please, for the love of God Almighty, be open to the celebration of a regular Traditional Latin Mass in their diocese. Some of them have been contacting the blog for help at least since 2010. There are priests who are qualified, but afraid and silent. Even visiting priests (one of them a priest who works for the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei!) are told that they can celebrate only private Masses without any faithful - yes, all of this is a clear violation of Summorum Pontificum, but why would the authorities care?

This, dear readers in more privileged areas, is the reality in most of the Catholic world. Is there a thirst for the Latin Mass in Latin America? Yes there is, desperately: it was the traditional Latin liturgy that was the liturgical instrument of the greatest work of evangelization ever accomplished, the conversion of what would become Latin America. But violent rejection is what is found instead in many places. It appears beyond comprehension because it is beyond human understanding, as this hatred for the Traditional Mass cannot come from a mere human source.

_____________________________

From the Una Voce of Costa Rica blog:

Official Communiqué

- To the Confused Catholics of Costa Rica and Abroad -
[versión en español aquí]

The purpose of this statement is to present a summarized report of the situation in Costa Rica, particularly in the Archdiocese of San José, in relation to the Mass of Ages, also called the Tridentine Mass, Traditional Latin Mass or Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Una Voce Costa Rica, member of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce, a federation with recognition from the Holy See, has been working in recent years for all Catholics in Costa Rica to enjoy what in the letter accompanying the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of His Holiness Benedict XVI was called "a precious treasure to be preserved."

For the record: College respondsBoth Board and President release statements

For Rorate, this isn't about defense of a college -- it's about the Mass and the precedent being set (read here).

That being said, it's certainly newsworthy that Fisher More College has now officially responded to the allegations made by many, including a former chancellor. Click here to read the statements from the school's Board and the President. We link it here for the record of events.

Liturgical Peace and Vocational success in a diocese? It's all up to a good Bishop: the example of Fréjus-Toulon, France

Enough with bad news from intolerant bishops who should know better, and intelligent laymen who should know even better, and instead temporize with each prevailing wind.

Amidst the greatest crisis of bishops in living memory, one good Ordinary makes all the difference: as we have always said, if one bad Bishop can destroy the work of generations, one good Bishop can build up generations of good priests and faithful laity. And, not surprisingly, the best Bishops of our age, instead of inflaming disputes or marginalizing the faithful, open up the Church to Traditional liturgical sensibilities and the glorious liturgical liberty desired by Benedict XVI in Summorum Pontificum.

There are few better examples of this in our age than Bishop Dominique Rey, of Fréjus-Toulon (on the Côte d'Azur, southern France). Paix Liturgique reports:

Letter n. 429 of Paix Liturgique - March 5, 2014

A French diocese with no lack of vocations and attractive for priests, whichever may be their sensitibility? A diocese that, on top of that, has practically no church without a priest? This diocese, and it truly exists, is that of Fréjus-Toulon. The secret is simply and entirely in the great pastoral "realism" of the diocesan team that welcomes clergymen, or future clergymen, as they are, respecting their own identity, with the only condition of their having a true will to evangelize.

In fact, a space of true Christian freedom was established in the diocese guided today by Bp. Rey; and of true liturgical peace, as witnessed by the establishment, for the greater good of all, of a Summorum Pontificum [academic] course within the diocesan seminary itself. In many respects, the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon is certainly the one where the spirit of the Motu Proprio has developed best, to the point that more and more parish priests spontaneously open up, within their pastoral, a "window" for the traditional liturgy.

It is about this that we wish to give today a very concrete example through that of the Cathedral of Fréjus, the sole French cathedral where the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated every single day!

I - The History of a Mass

Chambéry, Nîmes, Verdun, Noyon, Cayenne, Toulon and Fréjus [the last two co-cathedrals of the same diocese]. These are the seven French cathedrals that offer at least once a month a celebration according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite to their faithful. Only in three of them is the Mass offered every Sunday: Saint-François-de-Sales de Chambéry (9h30 AM), Notre-Dame de Noyon (6 PM) and Saint-Léonce de Fréjus (at 7:30 AM)! Despite this difficult Sunday timeslot, the latter is nonetheless the only French cathedral offering the daily application of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

... It was the auxiliary priest, Father Forestier, who began celebrating in the extraordinary form in the cathedral in 2011, invited by Father Boussand, who was then temporarily responsible for Saint-Léonce, other than his position as pastor of Saint-Aygulf. ... It was in 2012, with the nomination as vicar of Father Brustenga, that the celebration of the extraordinary form became daily in the Cathedral. Father Brustenga, a Spanish priest ordained in 1986, began by celebrating at 7:30 in the morning, Sundays included. Wishing to allow more faithful to take part, particularly the young, he decided to change the time of the weekday masses to 7 AM, in order to allow students to arrive in their classes on time. The extraordinary form is thus offered every day at Saint-Léonce and even twice on Mondays and Saturdays.

According to one of the regular faithful at Saint-Léonce, the assistance to the very early [weekday] Masses of Father Brustenga went from just a few individuals to twenty today. ...

II – Reflections of Paix Liturgique.

In 2014, the presence of twenty faithful at a 7 AM Mass on a weekday is a heavenly gift that many pastors would love to have. The pastoral zeal of the priest who celebrates this Mass finds its reward in this. Of course, such an "extraordinary" result is only possible thanks to the environment of peace that the Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon established in his diocese, and to the goodwill of the pastor, Father Warowny, who nonetheless has an entirely liturgical sensibility.

In sum, what we see in the cathedral of Fréjus is an application that is perfectly serene and true to the spirit that animated Benedict XVI at the time of the promulgation of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. ...

Note: in 2013, Fréjus-Toulon, a diocese with a population of about 1 million people (23rd diocese in France by population), had 10 priestly ordinations; still not enough, but by far the largest group in France; in second place came Versailles (8th in population, another diocese very open to Summorum Pontificum), with 8, and Paris (1st in population), with 6 ordinations. Most dioceses had none whatsoever, and most of those that held ordinations ordained only 1 (source). In 2012, Paris had 10 ordinations, and Fréjus-Toulon was the second, with 7 (source). In 2011, Fréjus-Toulon was the first, with 15 ordinations, 6 in Metz, and Versailles the third, with 5 (source).

[Source; our translation, as usual. Tip and image of Fréjus: Tradinews]

First Things First: It's not about specific persons, it's about the principle - and the grave precedent

Fr. S. Finnegan, of the always gratifying blog Valle Adurni, sees the global forest, not the local leaves. Quite curious that some of those who purport to adore all words of our Holy Father are somewhat obsessed regarding the sin he most likes to condemn: gossip (note: gossip does not imply untruthfulness of facts mentioned).

We are not interested in allegations against individuals, and "he said, she said." We are interested in written words and precedent: it is trickling... will it pour? The flood could reach your neighborhood someday.

[It is written elsewhere on the web] that Michael King, the Principal of the college, has been adopting a more and more extreme line of late, involving very severe criticism of the hierarchy and of the Second Vatican Council, to the effect that several staff and students have left. This, with other things, has caused a financial crisis which may mean that, despite recent heroic fundraising by the students, the future of the college may be rather brief.

But even if this is so, it seems strange to penalise the students if the faculty is at fault. Surely the effect will be to drive students and staff more firmly into the hands of the Society of St Pius X or some more extreme Sedevacantist body. Even if it could be demonstrated that Bishop Olson has the legal right to do what he has done (and I don't think it can), one would certainly doubt the prudence of his action. And most of all we must deplore the lack of charity. The college had sent the new bishop a spiritual bouquet, and rather lamely, he thanks them for their kindness at the end of the letter in which he has dealt them what they must consider the most severe of blows.

He tells the college that his actions are for their own spiritual good, which would appear to imply that the use of the EF must be harmful. Presumably the bishop takes the commonly-held line that the EF is a rallying point for all sorts of undesirable things and people; suppress the EF and you get rid of the problem.

Yet again we must quote those words of Pope Benedict, from the letter accompanying Summorum Pontificum:

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. [Source]

_________________________________

In his personal blog, our contributor Dr. Joseph Shaw also weighs in on the rather bizarre idea that somehow cutting the medicine can heal the invalids who are in need of it:

A number of people have commented on the Fisher More College situation, saying that the Bishop's banning of the Traditional Mass on campus is a response to various Bad Things happening in the college. Exactly the same thing has been said about the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

The people who say this often add that banning the EF seems an odd way to address the problems, and I agree. But while I don't know if the claims about the motivations involved in either case are true, I would like to address the idea that frequent attendance at the Traditional Mass can be a danger to your soul. This argument was often hinted at before Summorum Pontificum, and if it is making a comeback that is a little worrying.

...

We used to hear a lot about our desire for the Traditional Mass being a 'personal preference', with the implication that this was a bad thing. I can't help being amused by this. Have those who use this phrase not noticed the role of personal preferences in celebrations of the Ordinary Form?

I am by no means saying that everyone who attends the Traditional Mass has gone through this mental process. I do think, however, that the ones which people - perhaps including Bishop Olsen of Fort Worth, Texas, or Fr Volpi, the Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate - are most worried about, may well have. The ones who those people worry might end up with the SSPX or as sede vacantists; the ones who get a bit worked up about these things.

What I want to say is this: those people, the ones who get worked up, are not going to be helped by being deprived of the the Vetus Ordo and forced to go to the Novus Ordo. If they are really worked up, it is more likely to drive them even more nuts. For them, Pope Benedict's liberalisation of the Extraordinary Form was truly pastoral: it made it possible for them to remain in the Church in a serene fashion, and to make spiritual progress. To calm down, in fact.

...

Suppose the wretched Franciscans of the Immaculate are as bad as their critics claim; suppose the wretched Michael King, President of Fisher More College, is as bad as his critics claim. For heaven's sake don't deprive them of this spiritual solace, of the Traditional Mass. It is cruel, it is unjust, and it will make whatever theological or political problems there may be much, much worse. [Source]

_________________________________

Some even had had the gall of sending us the following text of the instruction Universae Ecclesiae, as if we did not fully know the text by heart, regarding an event prior to the recognition of a coetus fidelium:

19. The faithful who ask for the celebration of the forma extraordinaria must not in any way support or belong to groups which show themselves to be against the validity or legitimacy of the Holy Mass or the Sacraments celebrated in the forma ordinaria or against the Roman Pontiff as Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church.

First, and this cannot be emphasized enough, this is related to the conditions prior to the recognition of a coetus. Even supposing it can be alleged against an existing coetus, it must be explicitly alleged and proved. It is the utmost abuse of prosecution powers to find reasons for conviction after the punishment has already been handed! An actual canonical investigation has to be opened in such cases, and it cannot be based merely on hearsay or implicit support.

Then, and most importantly, the whole coetus has to be heard - otherwise, this can be a cause for the suppression of a Mass at any time and in ANY place, including yours (yes, pay attention, including yours), if you go regularly to a Traditional Mass. That is, just one or a couple of individuals can cause the end of the Mass for any group - and I am sure you can see the grave danger in this, right? No group of Catholics must live under this kind of terror, the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads because there might be "bad apples" in the group, and always in fear of an immediate suppression of their Mass. What is the Church, a totalitarian state in which the faithful live under permanent terror of a true or false accusation that can bring the shutdown of their Mass at any moment for allegations against individual members of the whole coetus? Is it only the very minoritarian faithful attached to the Extraordinary Form who must live under this regime of liturgical terror? There is no Ordinary Form Mass shutdown for the many, many errors, heresies, schismatic notions, grave liturgical abuses being spread out openly in many regular parish churches, and university campuses and chapels? No, there are rightful procedures in Canon Law to identify apostates, schismatics, heretics, whatever may be the rite, form or use they adhere to, providing them with the right to be heard, to defend themselves and their views, and to repent. And, even if individuals are rightfully convicted, the innocent members of the coetus must be spared.

No, we cannot remain silent because we must breathe. We will not allow ourselves to be suffocated after Summorum Pontificum by dangerous precedents. Once sacred, always sacred, said Benedict - and always free.

_________________________________

Update. After posting, we received the following sad e-mail message from an old reader of ours in a region of the world we cannot make public at the moment: "Subject: The trickling down effect is also happening here. A traditional mass in X [Rorate: name of region redacted] has also been banned regardless of the motu proprio. At this moment we cannot give details because we are trying to solve the problem with the authorities. We have decided not to go public with the details yet and I ask you to please keep it that way but I will keep you informed and will give you all the facts as things unfold, especially if our efforts are unsuccessful."

Guest Op-Ed: First Things FirstThe Traditional Latin Mass and the Fort Worth Affair

a guest-post by Steve Skojec

Yesterday, news broke here on Rorate that the Most Rev. Michael Olson of the diocese of Fort Worth had ordered Fisher More College to completely cease offering Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Despite the implication of some schismatic attitude (perhaps "crypto-Lefebvrian" in nature?), the college made an immediate announcement of its compliance.

As one might expect, reports concerning this suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass reverberated like a shot heard round the world. A shot, as it were, over the bow of every Catholic attached to the ancient liturgy of the Roman Rite.

As social networks and comment boxes lit up with passionate discussion, again and again came the pleas to reserve judgment and wait for more information to come to light. "There are problems at Fisher More," people reminded us, and people not directly involved "don't really know what's going on."

Anyone who has followed the saga of the college, which has lost major contributors and has struggled to raise money to continue its operations, knows that there is turmoil brewing at the school. Some of this turmoil has surrounded the traditionalist theological orientation of the school itself -- a major draw for many prospective students. Certainly, the official statement of the college on the matter is difficult to find fault with. That the Bishop suppressed the Extraordinary Form at a college which offers this liturgy as a principal draw to its prospective students raises a red flag. It is difficult not to question whether this decision was, in fact, aimed at the very destruction of the school. Take away their Mass, and surely many of the students will no longer come.

But these issues, while important on their own and relevant to the future of Fisher More, are distractions from the larger -- and dare I say, more dangerous -- ecclesiastical action that took place, which sets a precedent for the larger Church. In the wake of the situation with the FFI, it is, in fact, strikingly inauspicious. Bishop Olson chose to target the Extraordinary Form -- and only the Extraordinary Form -- as an apparent disciplinary action in violation of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.

While I do not represent myself as an expert in such matters, the Canon Law Center has issued a canonical opinion on the matter that cuts to the quick:

With the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum, the diocesan bishop no longer has the discretion either to permit or restrict the celebration of Mass according to the usus antiquor, a prerogative he previously enjoyed. Thus, no bishop has the authority to arbitrarily restrict the celebration of Mass according to the traditional Roman Rite. While the diocesan bishop has “all ordinary, proper, and immediate power which is required for the exercise of his pastoral function” (CIC/83, c. 381, §1), his authority is not absolute.

The faithful have a right, enshrined in ecclesiastical law, to have access to the Mass and sacraments celebrated according to the usus antiquior. Celebration of the traditional Roman liturgy is no longer a privilege extended to the faithful on an individual basis but rather a right that can be properly vindicated if requests for such celebrations are not satisfied (cf. SP, art. 7).

[...]

For several years following the promulgation of Summorum, the legal mechanisms for the vindication of rights relative to the proper implementation of the motu proprio left much to be desired. With the promulgation of the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae of April 30, 2011, the universal law of Summorum was effectively given teeth: the process of hierarchical recourse may now be utilized by faithful who believe their rights have been violated by a decision of an Ordinary which appears to be contrary to the motu proprio. (cf. UE, 10 § 1)

The recent letter of Bishop Olson to Fisher-More College certainly appears to represent such a decision. Insofar as it has unlawfully restricted the rights of the faithful, the bishop’s administrative act can and ought to be challenged.

The canonical opinion above validates my own understanding of the matter, namely: the authority for a bishop to forbid this Mass which was "never abrogated" (SP, art. 1) does not exist. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote in the accompanying letter to Summorum, "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful."

Contrast these words with those of Bishop Olson, who wrote (after forbidding the Extraordinary Form and making provision only for celebration of the Ordinary Form), “I make these norms out of my pastoral solicitude and care for the students of Fisher-More College as well as for your own soul.”

These words imply that continuing to offer the Traditional Latin Mass at Fisher More would be substantively harmful to the souls who attend it. Bishop Olson also makes the draconian threat that any violation of his proscription would result in “withdrawal of permission to celebrate the Eucharist in your chapel along with withdrawal of permission to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel.”

What it seems Bishop Olson disregards is the critical phrase, "Never abrogated." Had it been abrogated, no priest would licitly be able to celebrate it. Since it has not been abrogated, every priest of the Roman Rite has the *right* to say it. It is, in fact, a completely licit and authorized Mass of the rite in which he received his ordination. There is no legal suppression of one Mass in favor of the other. This is the very situation Summorum sought to address. A bishop has authority over sacramental jurisdiction, and can at his discretion order that no Masses be said in a certain chapel. What he does not have the authority to say is, "You may have only the Ordinary Form of Mass, but not the Extraordinary Form." This creates a false dichotomy between the forms, and violates the rights and freedom of the faithful.

It is true that there are certain restrictions in Summorum Pontificum which apply to the approved celebration of the Extraordinary Form. These are clearly not meant as impediments, but as safeguards against the potential for disruptive autonomy on the issue, which is why they appear in reference most specifically to "Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of Societies of apostolic life" (SP, art. 3) and "not parish or conventual churches" (Sp, art. 5 § 5). Put another way: approval is needed in situations where lack of oversight concerning the discretion of which form of Mass to celebrate could create considerable conflict.

If Summorum is to be referenced at all in favor of Bishop Olson's decision, it is the provision in article 5 § 5, that strikes me as the most likely to be invoked. Still, a full reading of the text of this section should put the question to rest (emphasis mine):

§ 5 In churches that are not parish or conventual churches, it is the duty of the Rector of the church to grant the above permission.

A college chapel is neither a parish or conventual church. The Code of Canon law makes clear (556-557) that "Rectors of churches are here understood to be priests to whom is entrusted the care of some church which is neither a parochial nor a capitular church ... which holds services in it" and that rectors of churches are "freely appointed by the diocesan Bishop". But a rector has a duty to grant the permission for celebration of the Extraordinary Form, not the authority to forbid it. If permission is not granted and the bishop will not accommodate the faithful who request it, they have recourse to the Ecclesia Dei commission directly (SP, art. 7).

In the post-Summorum Church, there is almost no instance where it is possible to legally suppress an Extraordinary Form Mass that has been requested by the faithful. In fact, I have yet to hear of such an example.

Pope Benedict spoke often of the "hermeneutic of continuity." In this instance, the connection seems clear: Summorum Pontificum reaffirmed what Quo Primum guaranteed.

Steve Skojec is a Catholic writer. He blogs at www.steveskojec.com.

BREAKING & EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Bans Fisher More College from offering Traditional Latin Mass to studentsStunning letter gives no reason, simply bans the Mass said daily for last three years at school for sake of "your own soul"Canon Law Centre: Bishop has "unlawfully restricted the rights of the faithful"An effect of new Pontificate? First the FI, now the youth in America* Rorate analysis and commentary here & Twitter @RorateCaeli *

BREAKING NEWS: MUST SOURCE RORATE CAELI

** Updates At Bottom of Post **

In a stunning and breathtaking letter, the Most Rev. Michael Olson, the newly-ordained bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese and the second-youngest bishop in the United States, has fully and totally banned the offering of the Traditional Latin Mass in the chapel of Fisher More College, where it has been offered for the last three years on a daily basis by chaplains all approved by his predecessor bishop according to the college. This blow comes after the students of the college raised $300,000 in about a week to keep the school open for the spring semester (see here). 

Rorate has exclusively obtained -- through a source who has requested anonymity -- a copy of the letter sent last week by the bishop after a personal meeting with the college's president, Michael King. Even more striking, the letter from Bishop Olson states that he's doing this "for your own soul," addressing Mr. King, apparently saying in some twisted way the offering of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form is a danger to Mr.King's soul. 

When asked by Rorate for a response to the letter from Bishop Olson, the school declined to comment.

Here is the letter from Bishop Olson to Mr. King: 

** CLICK HERE to donate to Fisher More College **

NB: The only option Bishop Olson offers to the students to assist at the Traditional Latin Mass is in a parish where it is offered only on Sundays, at 5:30 p.m. This parish in turn is the only place in the whole diocese where the TLM is now available under diocesan authority. 

Nothing in the morning on Sunday, nothing on Saturday, nothing during the week. Students who have traveled across the country to attend this school, surely due in part to its daily Traditional Mass and sacraments, should now simply have next to nothing, according to the bishop.

Rorate will be following this closely, and we not only permit, but urge other blogs and mainstream media to do the same. We will also be offering deeper analysis in the days and weeks to come. For now, some initial reactions:

1): We have already seen the clampdown, ordered by Pope Francis, on the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) and have covered it in depth. At least, with the FI, there were -- albeit ridiculous -- scenarios listed by Fr. Volpi about extremism in the order, giving them -- again, ridiculous -- reasons to ban the Traditional Mass, as if the Mass of the saints could cause negative extremism. However, in this letter, there are no scenarios like this -- it's just a complete ban on the Mass, a naked power grab by a young bishop who clearly has a lot to learn about the politics of abusing authority. Why not just ask them to offer the Novus Ordo along with the TLM? Not that they should have to, but he would have at least come off, to some, as a bit less heavy handed and somewhat more compassionate towards the students. We fully expect him to come up with some other "evidence" once he feels the heat this is sure to bring.

2): This is, along with the FI, another important test case, this time on the availability of the TLM in Catholic schools, already a severely under-served sector despite the best efforts of Pope Benedict and his Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

3): This extremism, regrettably, involves a very young bishop (47) -- which just goes to show that younger prelates do not automatically represent a "biological solution" that will solve the problem of hierarchical opposition to Tradition or outright modernism. (This comes in the wake of the "example" given by the young and outspokenly modernist bishop Stephen Ackermann in Germany, with regards to sexual morality.)

4.): There are so many problems with Catholic higher education as presently available in hundreds of colleges and universities like Notre Dame and Georgetown, yet, what gets the sledgehammer from a bishop is one of the few loyal and orthodox colleges where the students simply want to live their faith and accept all the demands of that faith by the Church.

5.): We believe the outrage of this action will not only resonate with traditional Catholics, but conservative Catholics as well, who may not attend or even like the TLM but surely understand the direct wishes of Pope Benedict expressed in Summorum Pontificum regardless of whether schools were specifically named in the still-binding document. However, we fully expect some Catholics who purposely and poorly disguise themselves as orthodox to justify this case in regards to the action of Bishop Olson, and to dismiss the very obvious "Effect" of at least a perception of the new Pontificate that is taking root around the world and spreading rapidly among priests and prelates.

Creative Minority Report weighs in with further important points:

"I will also note that the Bishop made this decision just over 3 weeks into his tenure in the Diocese. Hardly enough time to address any underlying issues fairly with the college. As such, this seems directed at the TLM only.

"Whether beyond his authority under Summorum Pontificum or not, this draconian action with minimal justification directed at something so ancient and sacred, reverberates far beyond the confines of campus. This is reminiscent of other recent actions directed against the TLM with minimal justification and will likely be seen as very chilling by traditionalists within the Church, increasing that very dangerous sense of isolation."

Follow @RorateCaeli on Twitter for more commentary & developments

Rorate has also reached out to our long-time partners at the Canon Law Centre for their review of Bishop Olson's action. Their strong response follows:

CALL TO ACTION: Please, dear readers, blog about this grave injustice. Email this to your families and friends. Tweet it on Twitter, including retweeting our Tweets which you will see on the right-hand side of this page. Send it to the media. We must do everything in our power to spread the word and help this school and students regain their God-given patrimony. Don't think for a second this starts and stops with this college. If we don't act now, we will surely regret it later.

MEDIA: for your reporting purposes, you may accurately refer to Rorate Caeli as the most-read international traditional Catholic blog on the Internet.

UPDATES:

-- Fisher More College has posted its first official response to today's news. Click here to read more.

-- As is typical, certain bloggers who don't like to do their homework, are suggesting the chaplains at Fisher More could have been SSPX or independent priests. A nominal amount of fact checking would have informed them that there were four chaplains, all in good standing. And all were personally approved by the previous bishop (or diocesan authority). Click here for a link to the list.
 
** We have reached out to Bishop Olson and the USCCB for official reaction. We will print their responses in full if they respond. **

[Opinion updates - Feb. 4: 1. Guest op-ed by Steve Skojec; 2. Op-ed: It's not about specific persons, it's about the grave precedent: Fr. Finnegan, Dr. Shaw, and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae; 3. The example of Fréjus-Toulon, France: how a good bishop can bring about liturgical peace. ]

It did not take long for news to spread to Europe. Italy, Germany, Poland, France and others have already begun reporting. A couple of examples below:

Click here to read Corrispondenza Romana

Click here to read TradiNews

IMPORTANT Pope Francis on Feb. 14: "Old Mass? Just a kind of fashion!"

Yesterday (Friday, Feb. 14), Pope Francis held an audience with the Bishops of the Czech Republic who came to Rome for their ad limina visit.

In the visit, as it usually happens in such cases, other than the formal address, the Pope heard the questions and comments of the bishops. Archbishop Jan Graubner, of Olomouc, told the Czech section of Vatican Radio what the Pope told him:

[Abp. Jan Graubner speaks:] When we were discussing those who are fond of the ancient liturgy and wish to return to it, it was evident that the Pope speaks with great affection, attention, and sensitivity for all in order not to hurt anyone. However, he made a quite strong statement when he said that he understands when the old generation returns to what it experienced, but that he cannot understand the younger generation wishing to return to it. "When I search more thoroughly - the Pope said - I find that it is rather a kind of fashion [in Czech: 'móda']. And if it is a fashion, therefore it is a matter that does not need that much attention. It is just necessary to show some patience and kindness to people who are addicted to a certain fashion. But I consider greatly important to go deep into things, because if we do not go deep, no liturgical form, this or that one, can save us."

[Tip and translation: Czech reader MC, directly into English from Czech original.]

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Roman weather: always hard to predict

Traditionalists are extremely stable and strongly fashion-averse. But as for the winds in Rome!... Roma è mobile, qual piuma al vento! Under seven years ago, the opinion of the then-reigning and still living Holy Father (one who was much more acquainted with the issue at hand) was quite different:

Immediately after the Second Vatican Council it was presumed that requests for the use of the 1962 Missal would be limited to the older generation which had grown up with it, but in the meantime it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist ... . ... What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place. (Benedict XVI, July 7, 2007 Letter to Bishops)

A Call for Unity

Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum...

The division of the Traditional Catholic world was a master stroke by the enemies of the 1962 Missal and of the Roman Catechism. They have managed to sow discord between friends and to establish fratricidal hatred among priests who used to march together hand in hand. The first group began to treat their brothers as radicals, the second called the others sellouts. The former were convinced that those who remained under Abp. Lefebvre would soon fall in total schism, and the latter thought with certitude that their former brothers would abandon both Mass and Catechism.

What can we say more than a quarter-century later? That, on both sides, these judgments were, in great measure, overreactions.

On its own side, for all its known problems, the Society of Saint Pius X did not become schismatic or a parallel "church". It has always kept contacts with Rome and has made what it considered necessary in order to regularize its situation with the successive popes, even if, for reasons that its superiors considers prudential (and with which we ourselves may prudentially disagree), regularization has not been achieved for the moment. On the other side, the Ecclesia Dei communities never abandoned the Traditional Mass, nor traditional Catechesis.

It must be said in all honesty: on the side of the SSPX, recognition of the Pope remains, and the desire for its work to be recognized is still sought, according to different measures that vary from person to person. On the side of the Ecclesia Dei communities, there remains a disapproval of the new Mass (regardless of the fact that it is considered both valid and legitimate) and of the alteration of traditional doctrine, both of which are also expressed differently from person to person. The exceptions within these groups confirm the rule in both communities.

VERY RELEVANTThe Franciscans of the Immaculate under visitation 30 of 33 FI-run TLMs in Italy shut down since July 11

Il Coordinamento Nazionale del Summorum Pontificum reports that out of 33 sites where the Franciscans of the Immaculate had offered the Traditional Latin Mass daily or weekly before July 11, only 3 still have this Mass. 

More specifically, the Vetus Ordo had been said daily, or at least weekly, in almost all the houses of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in Italy. In addition, it was celebrated in parishes entrusted to the friars, namely, the parishes of All Saints' (Ognissanti) in Florence, Santo Spirito in Ferrara, S. Maria Maggiore in Trieste and S. Domenico in Teramo. The Vetus Ordo was also celebrated by the friars in the Santuario della B. V. Addolorata in Campocavallo, the FI's Seminary in Sassoferrato, and in Santa Maria Annunziata in Borgo in Rome (the Nunziatina). 

After July 11, by order of the Apostolic Commissioner, the Seminary in Sassoferrato was closed (as Rorate earlier reported) and another three houses suppressed (in the Diocese of Albenga-Imperia, where the bishop had tried to support the friars in trying to retain the Traditional Latin Mass, as reported in numerous sources). In the remaining places where the FI had offered the Vetus Ordo before July 11, only the Ognissanti in Florence, S. Domenico in Teramo, and the Santuario della B. V. Addolorata in Campocavallo still have them. Requests to continue the celebration of the Vetus Ordo in the other sites were refused by the Apostolic Commissioner.

A brief English notice relaying the same news can be found here; this page also appeals to readers for information on the state of TLM sites formerly run by the FI in countries outside of Italy.

Please, also send this information or corrections to Rorate for a fair and accurate future report on the status of FI-kept Traditional Masses in Italy and throughout the world.

Summorum Pontificum and Liturgical Law

Our second "Summorum Note" was on what changes the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum made to the Law of the Latin Church and the liturgical rights or prerogatives of priests and faithful.

Six years later, are those rights and prerogatives under threat? They should not be, as you can see in Fr. Cassian Folsom's excellent talk on Summorum Pontificum and Liturgical Law, given on Dec. 13 at the Brompton Oratory (we announced the event here):

Despite the practical difficulties involved in this arrangement [two forms in one Rite as established in Summorum Pontificum], Gamber thought that in the long run, it would foster the unity of the Church’s liturgical prayer. “If we allow the traditional rite to continue unchanged and nurture it, alongside the new rite but allowing the traditional rite to exist as a living liturgy, not as a museum piece, it will manifest itself within the universe of the Church and among the different peoples as an important element: the unity of cult.”

Source: PDF document. In audio here at the website of the Monks of Norcia (Nursia).

Important Sign of the Times: After 14 years, First Saturday TLM abolished at Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome

Beginning today [yesterday], first Saturday of the year, a 14-year-old custom has been interrupted: the celebration of the Holy Mass in the Ancient Rite every first Saturday of the month in honor of the Virgin, in the Cesi Chapel of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major [Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome].

The person responsible for the suspension is the Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal Santos Abril y Castelló.

The information above is from Chiesa e post concilio and, though we cannot verify the responsibility of the Cardinal -- which can, in any way, be presumed -- we have been able to confirm independently that, for the first time in 14 years, the First Saturday Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore was not celebrated yesterday. Cardinal Santos Abril y Castelló, a Spaniard, was Apostolic Nuncio in Argentina from 2000 to 2003 and is considered a close friend of the Pope since his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

A community of the Franciscans of the Immaculate have aided in the service of the Liberian Basilica in the past few years, but this is an independent matter, as these First Saturday Masses were celebrated before they arrived there and until the first Saturday of December 2013. [Image: First Saturday Traditional Latin Mass celebrated in the Cappella Cesi in 2010.]

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[Note: See also below our two new pieces on the intervention on the Franciscans of the Immaculate, by Antonio Socci ("In the Vatican, a new Progressive Inquisition") and Sandro Magister ("With the Franciscans of the Immaculate, treatment worse than disease").]