Events: Traditional Latin Masses during the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu, PhilippinesUpdate - Pictures of Cardinal Zen's Mass, additional TLM included

UPDATE (1/26/16):

Friends from the Philippines have sent us the following pictures of the Traditional Latin Masses on January 25 and 26, and even the surprise announcement today at the International Eucharistic Congress, of Cardinal Zen's Mass.

1. Invitation to IEC delegates to attend the TLM of Cardinal Zen.

TLM returns to the world's largest Catholic university campus

The Societas Ecclesia Dei Sancti Joseph, a Filipino Catholic society dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass and a member of Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce, has announced that the TLM has returned to the Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

University of Santo Tomas, Manila

Photo source

Founded in 1611, it is the Philippines' sole Pontifical University and the world's largest Catholic university located in one campus in terms of student numbers (around 45,000 students in the Manila campus). From their official blog:

As previously announced, the evening of August 24, 2012 saw the Traditional Latin Mass being celebrated in public in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for the first time since the liturgical reforms of Paul VI took effect. UST is the Philippines' oldest existing university and sole Pontifical University. It is also the world's largest Catholic university located in one campus in terms of the number of students (around 45,000 students in the Manila campus).

This surely ranks among the greatest achievements of the canonically-regular branch of the Traditional Latin Mass movement in the Philippines since it began in 1987. It was organized by students and faculty of this university, with training and other forms of assistance provided by Societas Ecclesia Dei Sancti Joseph (SEDSI). 

The Mass was offered in the St. Dominic Chapel in the 3rd floor of the Tan Yan Kee Student Center. The chapel could hold about 60-70 people maximum (including choir and altar servers) but the crowd in attendance -- far more than a hundred-strong -- greatly exceeded expectations, and spilled out into the surrounding corridors. Screens and projectors had to be used to allow the faithful who were in the corridors to follow what was happening inside the chapel. The vast majority of the attendees were students of the University. Most of the servers and the whole choir were also drawn from UST students -- all in their late teens and early twenties -- who had practiced for this occasion for the past several weeks.  

The Mass was offered by Fr. Michell Joe "Jojo" Zerrudo, priest of the Diocese of Cubao, Chaplain of SEDSI and celebrant of the daily TLM in Holy Family Parish, Roxas District, QC. He is an alumnus of the Central Seminary, one of the Philippines' two national seminaries, located in UST and run by the Dominican Fathers. In choir was Fr. Winston Fernandez Cabading OP, who was vital to the whole project of returning the TLM to UST. 

It is hoped that the Traditional Latin Mass will be offered monthly in UST. Plans are already being made for another Traditional Latin Mass in September, this time in a larger venue within the University. Should this push through, the City and Archdiocese of Manila (where UST is located) will once again have a regular Traditional Latin Mass for the first time since the First Friday Mass in the tiny chapel of the now-defunct Marian Center in Quiapo, Manila ceased sometime in 2010. UST will also become the second Filipino Catholic university (after the Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City) and, not counting seminaries, the third Catholic institute of higher education in the Philippines (the first being La Consolacion College in Bacolod City) to have a regular TLM in its premises. 

More pictures of the event can be found at the original blogpost. 

In Pictures: Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Philippines

The official blog of the Societas Ecclesia Dei Sancti Joseph has published photographs of the Solemn Pontifical Mass celebrated today by the Archbishop of Cebu and the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, Msgr. Jose Palma D.D. (Rorate announced this Mass a few days ago.)

TLM News from Asia - II. President of Philippine Bishops' Conference to offer Solemn Pontifical Mass

Msgr. Palma is the Archbishop of Cebu, one of the Philippines' two "red-hat" sees. (The red hat of Cebu is currently held by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who turned 80 last year).

This Mass will be according to the 1962 Missal.

You report: A priest of the Institute of Christ the King visits the Philippines

Mass in the Baptistry of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of the Diocese of Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. Feb. 6, 2012

The blog Veritatem facientes in caritate has a comprehensive report (many photographs and the full videos of three TLMs) of last month's visit by Canon Jean Marie Moreau to some of the Traditional Catholic communities of the Philippines: Canon Moreau's first visit to the Philippines: February 6-12, 2012. The climax of the visit was a Solemn Mass in the Holy Family Parish in the Diocese of Cubao. 

The Traditional Latin Mass has a small but gradually growing presence in the Philippines, with regularly-scheduled every-Sunday TLMs in 14 locations in 11 of its 86 dioceses (not counting those of the SSPX). Before Summorum Pontificum, there were only 3-4 such locations in 3 dioceses. 

Developments in the Philippines

1) Holy Mass according to the Missal of 1962 is now celebrated every day (Mon-Fri at 9 A.M., Sat-Sun at 4 P.M.) at St. Maximilian M. Seminary (22 John Paul St., Multinational Village, 1700 Paranaque City, Metro Manila). The celebrant is Fr. Elijah M. Pantorilla OFMConv. The seminary, which is the "post-novitiate" house of the Conventual Franciscans in the Philippines, is within the Diocese of Paranaque. (At left: Mass in St. Maximilian M. Seminary on January 15, 2011.)

With the addition of this Mass-site, Metropolitan Manila (246.5 sq.m, 638.55 sq.km) now has four locations where the TLM is publicly celebrated on a daily basis. Of these four, three are under diocesan auspices (one each in the Dioceses of Novaliches, Cubao and Paranaque) plus the SSPX priory in New Manila (in the territory of the Diocese of Cubao).

First Solemn Pontifical Mass by a ruling Filipino bishop in his diocese since 1970

On April 27, 2010, feast of St. Peter Canisius, His Excellency Antonio Tobias, Bishop of Novaliches, offered Solemn Pontifical Mass in the convent chapel of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate in his diocese. He was assisted by priests and brothers belonging to the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

This Mass is only the second Solemn Pontifical Mass to be celebrated by a Filipino bishop since September 14, 2007 (the first one had been offered by Bishop Camilo Gregorio of the Prelature of Batanes on September 14, 2008 -- see this for a report on that Mass), and the first to be offered by a Filipino Ordinary in his own diocese since 1970.

Bishop Tobias had offered Solemn Pontifical Mass for the 2003 international colloquium of the Centre International d'Etudes Liturgiques in France, and a "Low Mass with Solemnity" last year, also in the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate.

Philippine Update

First Sunday of Advent 2009, Chapel-Shrine of Our Lady of Atonement, Baguio Cathedral Compound

Bishop Angel Hobayan offers a "private" Low Mass, July 2009.

(This report is intended to be the first in a series on the state of the Traditional Latin Mass in various countries throughout the world. CAP)

In the Philippines, there are currently 9 locations (1 parish church, 1 chapel within a cathedral compound, and 7 other chapels) in 7 dioceses where the Usus Antiquior is available to the faithful on an every-Sunday basis, and under diocesan auspices. These are listed (along with weekday and monthly Masses) in an article that I’ve written for the website of the Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph.

The current situation is a major improvement over the status quo of July 2007, when there were only three “indult” locations in the entire Philippines with an every-Sunday Mass that was open to the public. Filipino traditionalists are certainly thankful for the more than 300% jump in the number of Traditional Latin Masses. In particular, the openness of the diocesan authorities of Cebu and Baguio (in the former, the chairman of the archdiocesan "worship commission" offers the TLM every Sunday, while the latter is the only Filipino diocese that has promoted the TLM at its own initiative) is notable, and there is talk of establishing a personal parish for the traditional faithful in the Diocese of Cubao (but the congregation of traditionalists there has to first buy the land for the parish). Nevertheless, the situation could be a lot better – and that is an understatement!

In July 2008 there had been eleven (or twelve) locations (4 parish churches, one chapel within a parish compound, and 6 or 7 chapels) in 10 dioceses where every-Sunday Traditional Latin Masses under diocesan auspices were available to the faithful. Most of these had been listed in an article that I published on this very blog.

As much of the Traditionalist Catholic world now knows, the Archdiocese of Manila released one of the world’s most restrictive directives regarding the “implementation” of Summorum Pontificum. The hostility and ignorance manifested in the guidelines were not surprising; back in 2005, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales had refused to legalize a TLM that was being celebrated in the city of Manila every Sunday by a South Korean priest, claiming that “Quattuor abhinc annos” (no mention of Ecclesia Dei!) required Traditional Catholics to “celebrate” the Novus Ordo (!) In 2006, the Korean priest went back to his homeland; a fresh request to the Arzobispado for an indult Mass was summarily refused.

The “Manila Guidelines”, dated December 8, 2008, were released early in January 2009 and had been drafted in response to continuing requests by at least two groups for the regular celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. After a sustained uproar in the blogosphere, a formal statement from FIUV, and a reported intervention from Dario Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos himself, the “Guidelines” were removed from the official website of the Archdiocese of Manila. Nevertheless, Summorum Pontificum has not been implemented in Manila, despite the presence of not a few faithful who have asked for the Mass. Even the monthly weekday TLM in the cathedral that was proposed by the Manila Guidelines has not materialized. (There is a First Friday TLM in a small private chapel in Manila, celebrated by the octogenarian former rector of Manila Cathedral, Msgr. Melencio De Vera.)

(Rorate's coverage of the Manila Guidelines can be found here.)

At present, the 9 locations for Sunday TLM seem stable and under no threat, and as the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in the Philippines move towards the more frequent celebration of the Mass of Ages not just for weekdays but for Sundays as well, it is to be hoped that the number of regular Sunday TLM’s will significantly increase once again in the coming years. (The FFI has houses in four archdioceses and two dioceses; of these six, three have no every-Sunday Traditional Latin Mass either under diocesan auspices or the SSPX.)

The liturgical establishment of the Philippines remains wedded to the theories of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and even the faintest signs of the “Benedictine liturgical renewal” are absent from more than a tiny number of chapels and parishes. That crowds of faithful who have no knowledge of the Traditional Mass can be attracted to it merely by hearing about it or by seeing it celebrated once or twice has been proven time and again (especially in the now-suppressed Traditional Latin Masses of the Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Paranaque, both of which attracted sizeable crowds), but this seems to have no effect on the attitude of not a few ecclesiastics.

Nevertheless, there is hope that the attitude of the liturgical establishment will become more positive. One sign of hope is the strong support for the TLM given by Fr. Timoteo Ofrasio S.J., professor of liturgy in the Jesuit Loyola School of Theology, (the country's most prominent theological academy), a former member of the "old" ICEL and once a strong proponent of inculturation and liturgical experimentation. He has spoken of the prayerfulness of the older form of Mass, which he now celebrates daily from Monday to Friday.

Meanwhile, the SSPX continues to maintain a stable presence. A list of SSPX Masses can be found here and here.

(I would like to acknowledge Paix Liturgique, which published its own update on the situation of the TLM in the Philippines in November, based upon an earlier version of this article that I had privately circulated.)

Philippine diocese promotes the TLM

The Diocese of Baguio in the northern Philippines, on its own initiative, has published a leaflet introducing the Catholic faithful to the Traditional Latin Mass. Please click on the above pictures to read.

The leaflet was written by Fr. Andrew Cosalan, the Vicar General of the Diocese, who is also the initiator and celebrant of the two every-Sunday TLMs in the Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral of Baguio. (I met Fr. Cosalan last year, he is a very orthodox priest who truly loves the Church and who is a supporter of Catholic apologetics and of Summorum Pontificum)

The leaflet is not perfect, and some things in it need correction, but overall it is much more positive than most of the diocesan material on the Traditional Latin Mass that I have read. It will hopefully go a long way towards introducing the Filipino Catholic faithful to their liturgical and theological patrimony. Baguio is one of the very few dioceses in the world, and the only one in the Philippines, to have gone out of its way to publish an introductory leaflet on the TLM for the benefit of the local faithful.

Thank you, Bishop Carlito Cenzon! And thank you, Fr. Cosalan!

H/t for images: Pro Deo et Patria

Usus Antiquior News from the Philippines

1. TLM update in Metropolitan Manila:

The Traditional Latin Mass will be celebrated (for the meantime) every Sunday, 9:30 AM, in the crypt chapel of the National Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, located in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The crypt chapel ("La Chapelle des Roses") is in the midst of the columbarium (sometimes called the "catacombs") located under the massive main Church. Pasay City is the territory of the Archdiocese of Manila, but the air base is under the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines.

This is one of only two publicly-accessible every-Sunday Traditional Latin Masses under diocesan auspices located in the entire Greater Manila Area (comprising Metropolitan Manila and the surrounding provinces, with a Catholic population of about 16 million, not including several million transients). The other Mass is the TLM offered every Sunday, 1:30 P.M at the Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy in Sikatuna, Quezon City, Metro Manila (under the Diocese of Cubao). The PLDM parish also has a daily TLM, at 8:00 in the morning. You may read more about the traditionalist community in this parish here and here. (There are also some private weekday TLM's in Quezon City, but these are not fully open to the public.)

In comparison, last July 2008 there were four every-Sunday TLM's in Metro Manila, all located in easily-accessible parish churches. Today there are but two -- one in a parish, and another in this crypt chapel. All other every-Sunday TLM's once offered in parish churches in Metro Manila -- including the two Masses that had the largest congregations -- have ceased to be offered, due either to official hostility or to the lack of clergy who could offer the Mass of Ages. This is the worst time for the TLM in Metro Manila since the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum.

There is also the SSPX priory church of Our Lady of Victories in Cubao, Quezon City (a few minutes walk from the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao), with two Masses every day and every Sunday.

2. Summorum Pontificum Anniversary celebrated with a TLM in the Cathedral of Cebu:

Last July 7, 2009, in honor of the second anniversary of the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum, Mass according to the Usus Antiquior was offered in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Cebu at 1:30p.m. The Holy Sacrifice was offered by Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, the chairman of the Archdiocesan Commission on Worship. Msgr. Garcia also offers the TLM in the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno (Monastery of the Society of the Angel of Peace), every Sunday at 3:00 PM in Cansojong, Talisay City, Archdiocese of Cebu.

The Archbishop of Cebu is Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, now 78 years old but still reigning. This Archdiocese (with a Catholic population of about 2.5 million) is one of the most friendly in the Philippines to the TLM, and currently has two every-Sunday TLM's plus the FFI church which offers the TLM on three weekdays.

The SSPX has a Mass every 2nd and 4th Sunday in the city of Mandaue.

Traditional Holy Week in the Philippines

My friend Gerald Cenir has -- finally! -- put up the pictures from the Holy Week ceremonies in the Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy in the Diocese of Cubao, Metro Manila. This is one of only two Filipino parishes that are under diocesan auspices where Mass is said daily according to the 1962 Missal.

Holy Week in PLDM

For the second year running, all the main celebrations of Palm Sunday and the Sacred Triduum were held according to the 1962 Missal. Do note the huge reddish purple curtain covering the entire altarpiece. The "un-nailing" of the corpus from the cross was performed during the Good Friday devotions preceding the liturgical action of the afternoon; unfortunately it was not photographed.

Please look carefully at the pictures and see the large, overflow crowds that attended the ceremonies. Many of these people traveled for hours from the provinces or from more distant parts of Metropolitan Manila just to attend the ceremonies. Who said that Filipinos -- and Asians in general -- can't relate to the Traditional Latin Mass?

Southeast Asian Updates

Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral, Diocese of Baguio, Philippines

PHILIPPINES

1) The Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral of the Diocese of Baguio, northern Philippines, now has a regular Mass according to the Missal of 1962. It is offered every Sunday, 7:30 AM, in the cathedral’s baptistery. Should the numbers of attendees grow the Mass will be moved to a larger location. This makes Baguio Cathedral the only cathedral in all of Asia to have a regular Mass according to the 1962 Missal. (UPDATE: There is a second TLM every Sunday, at about 3:30 P.M., also in the baptistery.)
It is my understanding that this Mass was instituted at the initiative of the Bishop of Baguio, Carlito Cenzon CICM, and his Vicar General Msgr. Andrew Cosalan, who is also its regular celebrant.

Baguio, nestled amidst pines in the Cordillera mountains and located about 250 km north of Manila, is the summer capital of the Philippines. In addition to the every-Sunday TLM in Baguio cathedral, there is a monthly Sunday Mass in La Trinidad, a town located north of Baguio City, under the auspices of the SSPX.

2) In the Archdiocese of Cebu, the FFI's Church of Mary Coredemptrix (San Jose, Talamban, Cebu) now has the TLM thrice a week, every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 6:30 A.M. This is in addition to the every-Sunday TLM's offered in two monasteries (one Discalced Augustinian, another belonging to a local monastic congregation) within the same archdiocese.

Unlike Cardinal Rosales of Manila, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Vidal, has wholeheartedly embraced Summorum Pontificum, and has himself offered Low Mass according to the 1962 Missal on occasion. Pictures of the Mass can be found here. (H/t to our friend from Ecce ego, quia vocasti me)

***

I hope to be able to update last year's listing of TLM's under diocesan auspices in the Philippines very soon. The reason for my difficulty in completing the updating is this: the Church in the Philippines lags far behind the Church in Western and even some other Asian countries when it comes to using the Internet. I often have more difficulty confirming or extracting information from Philippine provinces (or even from my very own diocese!) and from the scattered traditionalist faithful in the Philippines, than from contacts and sources in the USA or Europe. Furthermore, some of the priests and faithful attached to the 1962 Missal are still wary of misunderstandings from the local clergy, and are reluctant to publicize their Masses and other activities.

SINGAPORE

The Singaporean Traditionalist blog Extraordinary from Singapore is reporting that there will be a Missa Cantata according to the 1962 Missal on Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2009, 4:00 - 5:30 P.M. at St. Patrick's School Chapel. There is currently no regular TLM under diocesan auspices in Singapore; let us pray and hope that the traditional faithful in the city-state will soon taste the full benefits of Summorum Pontificum.

(ADDENDUM: It should be noted that there is an SSPX priory in Singapore, with two Masses every Sunday and daily Mass for the rest of the week.)

Tunicled Acolytes in Manila

The Hermandad de la Sagrada Pasion de Jesus held a procession last March 15 in Intramuros, the Walled City of Manila. Just like the Grand Marian Procession last December 7 in Intramuros, the procession featured the traditional Hispanic practice of vesting the acolytes, thurifers and crucifers in tunicles.

Intrmuros was the capital of Spanish Philippines from 1571 to 1898. Until their destruction during World War II, the monasteries and churches of the Walled City had lovingly preserved many medieval liturgical practices from Spain, such as the use of the cortina to hide the sanctuary during Lent, and tunicled acolytes. Since the 1980's, there have been modest attempts to revive the liturgical and devotional traditions associated with Intramuros. Pray that eventually, the life-giving heart of these traditions -- the Usus Antiquior -- will find its way back to Manila Cathedral (the massive church in the middle picture) .

They have no respect for the dead.

Msgr. Moises Andrade loved the Traditional Latin Mass. Even the Philippines' most-watched evening news show, in reporting his passing, mentioned that he was an expert in the "Latin Mass" and opined that his death was a great loss for the Catholic Church in the Philippines. (The fact that his death was reported on national television was a testament to his stature.)

How fitting, then, that a Requiem Mass according to the 1962 Missal had been scheduled for the evening of February 23, in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, the parish that he had last served.

Except that, at the last moment, the clerics now in charge of the Shrine and the funeral of the Monsignor decreed otherwise. The TLM is no longer welcome in the very Shrine -- dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima! -- where the late Monsignor had given it refuge. It is not even welcome at his own funeral.

The enemies of the Traditional Latin Mass will not stop even at the grave.

To all priests who read this: of your charity, please remember Msgr. Moises Andrade in your prayers and Masses. And if you could, please offer a Requiem Mass for him according to the Gregorian Rite.

Rt. Rev. Msgr. Moises B. Andrade 1948 - 2009

Our esteemed Msgr. Moises B. Andrade reposed in the morning of Monday, February 23 (Manila time). As reported previously on this blog, he had a stroke last Thursday, and he never recovered consciousness.

Even as "Father Moi" lay in the intensive care unit, the Sunday TLM that he had faithfully offered in his parish -- the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima -- was unceremoniously suspended by the priest who took over his duties, even though there was another priest willing to offer it. Pray that this state of affairs will be reversed.

With the passing of Msgr. Andrade, we have lost one of the strongest voices for the Traditional Mass in the Philippines, and perhaps we have lost another parish TLM. There are now only two places under diocesan auspices (down from four as of July last year) in Metropolitan Manila where the faithful can count on the TLM being offered every Sunday -- the Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy in the Diocese of Cubao, and the Parish of St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Susanna in the Diocese of Paranaque. Of course, the SSPX has a church in Cubao, with two Masses every day.

Request for Prayers

The Traditional Catholics of the Philippines request your prayers for Msgr. Moises B. Andrade, who had a stroke last February 19. He has been declared brain dead and is currently on a respirator. We are all hoping for a miracle, but God's will be done!

Msgr. Andrade is the sole Filipino liturgist who has publicly defended the Traditional Roman Rite. He was one of the very few priests who kept the Mass of Ages alive in the Philippines in the period prior to Summorum Pontificum, and prior to his stroke had been the celebrant of one of Metropolitan Manila's three Sunday TLM's. His loss comes at a time when the Traditional Roman Rite is under renewed attack in the Philippines.

Decree of the Archdiocese of Manila regarding the Missal of 1962

This has just been posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Manila. I am reposting it here for informational purposes, with the most noteworthy portions highlighted. Due to the sensitivity of the situation in Manila, I am closing the combox for this post. CAP.

ARCHDIOCESAN GUIDELINES ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE MASS ACCORDING TO THE RITE OF THE ROMAN MISSAL PUBLISHED IN 1962 (TRIDENTINE MASS)

In accordance with the norms laid down by the Apostolic Letter, issued motu propio, of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, Summorum Pontificum, We hereby establish the following guidelines and conditions on the celebration of the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962 (Tridentine Mass) in the Archdiocese of Manila:

The regulation of the celebration of this extraordinary form of the Mass belongs to the Archbishop of Manila, through the Minister of the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.

This form of Mass is to be celebrated only at the Christ the King Chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Manila once a month, but not on Sundays and Solemnities.

The presider at this form of celebration should be a priest duly appointed by the Archbishop of Manila.

To ensure the solemnity and orderliness of the celebration of this form of Mass, the participation of other ministers (i.e., lectors, Master of Ceremonies, servers, choir, etc.) in the liturgy is to be determined and regulated by the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.

The celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass in this Chapel is open to any individual or group in the Archdiocese of Manila who may have the desire to participate in such celebrations.

Further requests from individuals or groups from the parishes of or who belong to the Archdiocese of Manila to celebrate this form of Mass is to be directed to join the monthly celebration at the Manila Cathedral.

It is highly encouraged that a missal / booklet of the rite in Latin and English be prepared to help the faithful follow the celebration. It is like wise encouraged that those who will participate in this Mass undergo a catechetical orientation before the celebration.

The Archbishop of Manila has jurisdiction over this celebration and, therefore, can decide to limit or discontinue this monthly celebration anytime he judges that this is not consonance with the whole pastoral direction of the Local Church.

Given in Manila, this 8th day of December 2008.

+GAUDENCIO B. CARDINAL ROSALES

Archbishop of Manila

Traditional Mass to be broadcast by State TV in the Philippines

Tomorrow, December 24, National Broadcasting Network-4, the official television channel of the Philippine national government, will broadcast a Traditional Missa Cantata from St. Jerome Emiliani Parish in the Diocese of Paranaque, Metro Manila. The broadcast will begin at 10:30 PM (2:30 PM GMT) with carols and short videos of priests explaining what the Traditional Latin Mass is. The Mass itself will start at 11:00 P.M. (3:00 PM GMT). Fr. Grato Germanetto, an Italian Somascan priest, will offer this Mass.

The significance of this event lies in the fact that the government's own television channel has chosen to televise this, and not the usual charismatic Mass. Moreover, this channel will be watched nationwide and will be available to all, not just to cable TV subscribers. It is our hope that this televised Mass will alert Filipino Catholics -- who number some 72+ million -- to the fact that the Traditional Latin Mass is alive and well, thus fueling a greater demand for its celebration in parishes nationwide.

Announcements: Liturgical Events in the Philippines

1. Tomorrow, December 13, 2008, Memorial of St. Lucy, His Excellency Bishop Angel Hobayan, the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Catarman, will offer Holy Mass (Novus Ordo) ad orientem in the San Juan Pinaglabanan church, San Juan, Metro Manila.

The Mass will entirely be in Latin except for the reading, the Gospel and the General Intercessions. The propers will be sung from the Graduale Romanum of 1974.

The fact that this Mass will be offered ad orientem had occasioned some controversy, accounting for my late posting of the news of this coming event.

Bishop Angel Hobayan is one of the strongest supporters in the Philippine hierarchy of Latin in the liturgy. He visited (and gave a homily at) the CIEL International Conference in 2002. He twice offered Pontifical Low Mass (1962 Missal) earlier this year (Ash Wednesday and Laetare Sunday) as well as another Pontifical Novus Ordo Mass (Latin and ad orientem) at Jaleville chapel (Paranaque City, Metro Manila) last September 28, 2008.

2. Low Mass according to the 1962 Missal is now offered everyday from Monday to Friday in Calamba, Laguna (Diocese of San Pablo) by Fr. John Paul M. Villanueva. More details to be posted soon.

3. The Tridentine Latin Mass - St. Jerome community, based in St. Jerome Emiliani Parish (Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, under the Diocese of Paranaque) is announcing that its Christmas Eve Mass according to the 1962 Missal will be televised by the National Broadcasting Network (Channel 4), the Philippines' state TV channel. The live broadcast will begin at 11:00 P.M. of December 24. Details of the Mass will be posted once finalized and certain.

Pontifical Solemn Mass in the Philippines

A Solemn Pontifical Mass will be offered by His Excellency, Camilo D. Gregorio DD, Prelate of Batanes, on September 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in the Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy, Maamo cor. Madasalin Sts., Sikatuna Village Quezon City, in the Diocese of Cubao.

This Mass will be in commemoration of the first anniversary of Summorum Pontificum.

This Solemn Mass comes the day after the Traditional Confirmations and Pontifical Votive Low Mass in the same parish church.

This is the first Solemn Pontifical Mass to be offered in Metropolitan Manila since 1970. Bishop Gregorio himself had offered Pontifical Low Masses in 1995 and early in 2008.

Bishop Camilo Gregorio is one of the strongest supporters of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Philippine hierarchy. He attended the Sixth International Colloquium on the Liturgy of the Centre International d'Etudes Liturgiques (CIEL) in 2000 during which he gave a talk entitled "A Pastoral View of the Ecclesia Dei Communities." This talk can be found in the book Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: The Proceedings of the 2000 Sixth International Colloquium on the Liturgy.

This bishop has also suffered much for his orthodoxy, having been Bishop of the diocese of Bacolod -- one of the more prominent dioceses in the Philippines, and a hotbed of leftwing clerical agitation -- from 1987 to 2001. As bishop of Bacolod he established the indult and gave free rein to the Traditional Mass. Conflicts with that diocese's liberal clergy led to his resignation. Today he is the bishop of the Prelature of Batanes -- the second smallest and the most remote of the Philippines' dioceses.