...if consumed regularly, ...
...even though it's been translated quite accurately.
Pontifical Mass in Moscow, Russia
Rorate has received the following announcement from Oleg Michael Martynov of Una Voce Russia:
Una Voce Russia gladly reports that Mgr. Athanasius Schneider, the auxiliary bishop of Maria Santissima in Astana (Kazakhstan), will visit Moscow and celebrate a Holy Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite (usus antiquior) there. The Mass will start on Saturday, October 15, at 9:00 AM in the historic church of St. Louis (12a Malaya Lubyanka Str.), Moscow's only and one of Russia's two Catholic churches that have never been closed during the Soviet era. It was there that, in 1926, Mgr. Pie Eugène Neveu was clandestinely consecrated bishop and appointed apostolic administrator of Moscow in an attempt to restore the Catholic hierarchy in Russia virtually exterminated by the Bolsheviks.
Commemorating the half-jubilee dates of Bishop Neveu's consecration (1926), banishment from Soviet Russia (1936) and decease (1946), Una Voce Russia with the support of the Archdiocese of Mother of God in Moscow is holding an international conference of scholars on the "Catholic Church in the USSR in the 1920s and 30s" on October 15 to 17, and the Holy Mass celebrated by Mgr. Schneider will commence this three-day event.
For all matters pertaining to the conference, please contact Una Voce Russia at secretary@unavoce.ru or see the website (Russian only):
It is the first time that a bishop will be celebrating the TLM at the church of St. Louis (and possibly in all of the present Russian Federation) since perhaps 1936 and of course since 1970.
Last year, Archbishop Paolo Pezzi consecrated an altar in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow according to the pre-Conciliar rites but did not himself offer the Mass that followed, which was instead offered by Fr. Augustine Dzenzel in the prelate's presence.
At present, in the vast country that is the Russian Federation, the TLM is offered every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month in a chapel in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow, and every 3rd Sunday in a chapel in St. Petersburg. The SSPX also maintains a monthly Mass (every 3rd Sunday) in Moscow.
Last year, Archbishop Paolo Pezzi consecrated an altar in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow according to the pre-Conciliar rites but did not himself offer the Mass that followed, which was instead offered by Fr. Augustine Dzenzel in the prelate's presence.
At present, in the vast country that is the Russian Federation, the TLM is offered every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month in a chapel in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow, and every 3rd Sunday in a chapel in St. Petersburg. The SSPX also maintains a monthly Mass (every 3rd Sunday) in Moscow.
Liturgy: A Sacred Poem - Part 2
By Blessed Ildefonso Schuster
The sphere of the Liturgy is unsurpassed by that of any other science, since it embraces the first origins of humanity, its essential relations with the Creator, the Redemption, the Sacraments, Grace, Christian eschatology, in other words, all that there is which is most sublime, most aesthetically perfect, most necessary and important to the world.
As for science, the Sacred Liturgy has its canons, its laws, its subdivisions, the same as all other sciences and particularly of positive theology, which is similar both in its method and its aim. One of its purposes, in fact, is the systematic study of Christian worship, distinguishing and classifying the various liturgical formulae according to the basic structure characteristic of each family, ordering them by date of compilation and instituting examinations and comparisons between the various forms, with a view to tracing elements of common origin in them.
It is only thus that apparently irreducible liturgies, such as the Roman, the Gallican and Hispanic liturgies can be traced to a common source. If such were not the case, it would be difficult to see how the unity of the Symbol of Faith (The Creed) failed to lead(as an immediate consequence of its unity) to primitive unity in its liturgical expression. Instead, recent studies and detailed and patient investigation have uncovered in all the liturgies, even the most dissimilar, a common substratum.
At times an identical concept is expressed using quite different ritual formulae and language. Nevertheless, it can now no longer be doubted that eastern and western liturgies all derive from an identical, very ancient form, which provides a foundation for Catholic unity in ecclesiastical worship.
It is only thus that apparently irreducible liturgies, such as the Roman, the Gallican and Hispanic liturgies can be traced to a common source. If such were not the case, it would be difficult to see how the unity of the Symbol of Faith (The Creed) failed to lead(as an immediate consequence of its unity) to primitive unity in its liturgical expression. Instead, recent studies and detailed and patient investigation have uncovered in all the liturgies, even the most dissimilar, a common substratum.
At times an identical concept is expressed using quite different ritual formulae and language. Nevertheless, it can now no longer be doubted that eastern and western liturgies all derive from an identical, very ancient form, which provides a foundation for Catholic unity in ecclesiastical worship.
[From: De vita Contemplativa, Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, Italy - Contributor and translator: Francesca Romana.]
Liturgy: A Sacred Poem - Part 1
by Blessed Ildefonso Schuster
The Sacred Liturgy in its widest meaning, has as its object, the religious and supernatural culture of Christianity in its various sacramentary, euchological, ritualistic, literary and artistic manifestations, embracing thus, as in a vast synthesis, all that which is most sublime which has been created in the world, in order to grasp and express the indescribable and the Divine. Nor is that all.
As children of the Catholic Church and heirs of the dogmatic revelation made to the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets of Israel, our religious culture not only pre-exists, in its fundamental elements, the very coming of the Son of God to the world, but it is present many centuries prior to the most ancient cultures which record history, establishing itself, for that reason, to be respected and venerated by the learned. Moreover, it is not possible to speak of a purely natural and human origin, both because the dogmatic element of Christianity originates from direct and positive Divine Revelation and also because the life and activity itself of the Church are derived from the Spirit of Jesus Who lives in Her.
Therefore we are speaking of a sacred poem, to which Heaven and earth have truly placed their hand, and in which humanity, redeemed in the Blood of the Spotless Lamb, on the wings of the spirit, soars on high, thrusting itself up to the throne of God. This is something more than a simple elevation; since the Sacred Liturgy does not only express that which is ineffable and Divine, but through the Sacraments and its euchological formulae, produces it, so to say, and fulfills it in the souls of the Faithful to whom it communicates the grace of Redemption. One may also say that the very source of the holiness of the Church is wholly comprised in Her Liturgy, so that without the Divine Sacraments, the Passion of the Saviour, in the present economy instituted by God, would not have any efficacy for us, due to the lack of instruments able to transmit its treasures to us. [Second part to follow]
The 'updated' 1962 Missal: Coming soon?
Universae Ecclesiae, citing Benedict XVI's letter to the bishops on the occasion of the publication of Summorum Pontificum, mentioned that "New saints and certain of the new prefaces can and ought to be inserted into the 1962 Missal, according to provisions which will be indicated subsequently." However, UE didn't mention that a commission to effect this was already established last year.
VATICAN CITY, September 19, 2011 – "The activity of the Holy See" is a hefty volume that gives a year-by-year account of the actions of the pope and the Roman curia. It is an "unofficial publication," as specified on the frontispiece, but in spite of this it contains not a little information, sometimes rather unusual, that cannot be found in other Vatican sources.
To verify this it is enough to leaf through the latest edition, on the activities of 2010, which has just been printed by Libreria Editrice Vaticana (1343 pp., 80.00 euro).
In it we learn, for example:
- that last year the disciplinary office of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith opened 643 procedures, 82 percent of which concern "delicta graviora" (which include the sexual abuse of minors by clergy), 8 percent "offenses against the faith," 3 percent "cases of apparitions," and 7 percent other matters of various kinds.
- that during the same period, the congregation for divine worship and the discipline of the sacraments dealt with several hundred cases regarding requests for papal dispensations in order to remarry after a marriage "ratified but not consummated." A dispensation that was granted in 301 cases, and withheld in 2.
- that the congregation for the evangelization of peoples gave, through the pontifical society for the propagation of the faith (whose charitable fund, however, has been "significantly" reduced because of the economic recession), more than 85 million dollars in assistance to dioceses in mission territory. More than 30 million was distributed through the pontifical society of St. Peter the Apostle. And more than 19 million through the pontifical society of missionary childhood.
- that the Roman Rota, whose jurisprudence is a model for all the ecclesiastical tribunals in the world, during the judicial year of 2010 issued 175 definitive verdicts on the nullity of marriage, the majority of them (93 versus 82) in favor of nullity.
- that the pontifical council for legislative texts, at the direction of the pope, set up four study groups in view of a possible revision of parts of the code of canon law, on questions of penal law, procedural law, marriage and family law, and the relationships between the code of the Latin Church and that of the Eastern Churches.
- that a joint commission was set up, with experts of the commission "Ecclesia Dei" and of the congregation for divine worship, for the "updating" of the commemorations of the saints and the "possible insertion of new prefaces" into the preconciliar Roman missal of 1962, to which Benedict XVI gave full citizenship in 2007.
- that the office of papal charities, in response to almost seven thousand letters from individuals and families requesting help, provided "with discretion" and "on a day-by-day basis," in the name of the pope, a sum "close to one million euro." A sum entirely covered by the contributions received for parchments with apostolic blessings requested by the faithful: 115,500 parchments issued directly by the office of papal charities, and 112,00 distributed through almost eighty partner organizations.
Modern suggestion for large families
We propose to our many readers with numerous children the following:
(A) if the child was born on a Sunday, celebrate his birthday once every three years;
(B) if the child was born on an ordinary weekday, considering that he was not privileged to be born on the Lord's Day, you may compensate this by celebrating it every other year.
That way, you will be able to dedicate more time to each child's birthday and learn more about that child. Natural yearly cycles are just so overrated!
Ember Week in September
The equinox is coming, bringing with it the beautiful days of Autumn (and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere). The Roman Church will once again remind us of the cycle of the seasons in this Ember week in September.
As we enter a week of recess, we re-post, for those who are not aware of it, this article first posted by us in 2008. May you all have a fruitful week.
___________________________________________________________
THE GLOWOF THE EMBER DAYS
By Michael P. Foley
A potential danger of traditionalism is the stubborn defense of something about which one knows little. I once asked a priest who had just finished beautifully celebrating an Ember Saturday Mass about the meaning of the Ember days. He replied (with an impish twinkle in his eye) that he hadn’t a clue, but he was furious they had been suppressed.
Traditionalists, however, are not entirely to blame for their unfamiliarity with this important part of their patrimony. Most only have the privilege of assisting at a Sunday Tridentine Mass, and hence the Ember days—which occur on a weekday or Saturday—slip by unnoticed. And long before the opening session of the Second Vatican Council, the popularity of these observances had atrophied.
So why care about them now? To answer this question, we must first determine what they are.
Tectonic shifts: For the Roman Curia, the end of the "super-Council"
A guest-post by Côme de Prévigny
In 1988, addressing the Chilean bishops, Cardinal Ratzinger affirmed, "The truth is that this particular Council defined no dogma at all, and deliberately chose to remain on a modest level, as a merely pastoral council; and yet many treat it as though it had made itself into a sort of 'superdogma' which takes away the importance of all the rest."
While affirming his remaining attachment to Vatican II, Benedict XVI, on this September 14, 2011, brought down the taboo of the Council. For while no Pope could free a Catholic from the decisions of dogmatic Councils, the Pope, by way of the text of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, liberates the souls from those of a pastoral Council. From now on, one may be of the Church without holding on to the controversial points of Vatican II. In 2007, the helmsman of the Church had already undermined the monopoly held by the Novus Ordo. Four years later, he removes from the Conciliar doctrine its non-negotiable character and its exclusivity. It is not any longer the alpha and the omega of the life of the Church; that life is now once again refocused on its object: Faith.
It is true that, in small steps, the Catholic world, and the Curia in particular, faced with what John Paul II called the "silent apostasy", have allowed themselves to be interested in the Traditional world, once exiled and condemned, now increasingly esteemed. A French bishop said a while ago that he felt forced to bow to this movement, because the youth was present in it. In Rome, the major master of ceremonies lifts from the dust the traditional ornaments of which the Supreme Pontiffs, from Pius IX to Pius XII, made use. In the doctrinal domain, some parallelism is to be found, even though it is less evident. After Benedict XVI accepted to discuss the Vatican II texts with the Society of Saint Pius X, some prelates, especially the younger ones, decided to find out in the archives what was unanimously believed before the Council. Very slowly, the phenomenon begins and widens, to the detriment of the aggiornamento... And voices rise up in Italy denouncing the spirit of the Council, which has not let fresh air in, but rather a freezing gust. These voices are those of a Monsignor Gherardini and of the author of his preface, Bishop Oliveri. Those of a Roberto de Mattei or of a Bishop Schneider. All take up their pens and do not hesitate to openly demand that the taboo of the Council be finally shattered.
Is this a sign of the times? Recently, a prelate of the Curia, after having read the book "On priestly holiness" ("La sainteté sacerdotale"), by Archbishop Lefebvre, confided, "I cried after a while because I went through seminary and I had never had the priesthood explained to me as he does there. It is a whole world that opens up for us, for no one had explained to us what the priest was." It is a whole world that opens up...
Pontifical Mass in Oakland
An announcement from a friend of Rorate in Oakland (and modified for this blog posting):
The Traditional Latin Mass Apostolate of St. Margaret Mary (Oakland) invites you to a Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form this Sunday as we bid farewell to Canon Jean Marie Moreau (who is moving to the Oratory of St. Anthony of Padua in New Jersey) and welcome Canon Henry Fragelli.Pontifical Solemn MassCelebrant: Bishop Salvatore Cordileone (Diocese of Oakland)St. Margaret Mary's Church1219 Excelsior AvenueOakland, CA 94610Sunday, September 18, 2011, 12:30pmReception after Mass at the churchyard.
Bishopess and Joint Blessing in Erfurt
The "programme/missalette" with the main events of the Pope's visit to his homeland next week is up in the Vatican website - it includes almost all words that will be pronounced, except for the homilies and addresses.
The "Ecumenical Celebration of the Word of God" (pages 69-80), a paraliturgical event that will take place in the "Evangelical Augustinian Monastery" in Erfurt, Thuringia, in which the great heresiarch lived and which was stolen by the "Reformers", is a sad reminder of all that is empty and meaningless in the post-Conciliar world that the Bishops beyond the Rhine tried to create.
It will be jointly presided by His Holiness and by President Schneider (Nikolaus Schneider, President of the Evangelical Church in Rhineland). The general intercessions will be led by a Lutheran "Bishopess", Ilse Junkermann (pictured above), who will also introduce the Our Father. In the end, President Schneider and the Pope will give the blessing (two separate ones, Schneider's being the usual Lutheran version of the Aaronic Priestly Blessing).
You report: Una Voce conference in Thomas Aquinas College
Report sent by a reader:
The Una Voce Ventura conference “Applying the fruits of the Extraordinary Rite to family life” (September 10, 2011) started with a wonderful Solemn High Mass officiated by Fr. Paul Raftery (Dominican, chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College), together with Fr. James Fryar (Fraternity of St. Peter, Sarasota, Florida) as Deacon and Fr. Gregory Heidenblut (Agustinian, Ojai, California) as Subdeacon. Seven college students were altar servers and the heavenly Gregorian chant was provided by the Thomas Aquinas College 10-person schola cantorum under the direction of tutor Dr. John Nieto.
The Una Voce Ventura conference “Applying the fruits of the Extraordinary Rite to family life” (September 10, 2011) started with a wonderful Solemn High Mass officiated by Fr. Paul Raftery (Dominican, chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College), together with Fr. James Fryar (Fraternity of St. Peter, Sarasota, Florida) as Deacon and Fr. Gregory Heidenblut (Agustinian, Ojai, California) as Subdeacon. Seven college students were altar servers and the heavenly Gregorian chant was provided by the Thomas Aquinas College 10-person schola cantorum under the direction of tutor Dr. John Nieto.
You report: Regular Mass in rural Victoria
A reader from Victoria, Australia reports:
The extraordinary form of the Roman Rite will be celebrated in the main parish church of Wangaratta, St. Patrick's, from September 25 2011.
Summorum Pontificum Wangaratta was founded under the title of 'Wangaratta Latin Mass Society' on September 26 2006. After a slow start (given the attitudes of the times) WLMS's first Mass was celebrated at Glenrowan (15km south of Wangaratta) on 10/07/2011, 3 days after Pope B16's Motu Propio liberalizing the old Mass.
Masses were celebrated from time to time when a priest was available (as seen here on Rorate) and our first Sunday Mass took place in early 2008.
German MPs prove inerrancy of the Bible - once again
"Amen, I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country." (St. Luke iv, 24)
Around 100 members of the lower House of the German Parliament (the Bundestag) plan to boycott the visit of the pope to their House, on September 22 (several sources, including, for instance, Mittelbayerische). Most, of course are members of the post-Communist Die Linke ("The Left") or the post-Communist members of Die Grünen ("The Watermelons": green on the outside...). Stalin's heirs, both pink and green, cannot stand the fact that the Papacy had some divisions after all.
One of the Watermelon members of the Bundestag, Volker Beck, also made headlines this week by criticizing the Pope for speaking to the Fraternity of Saint Pius X - according to him, a "hardcore-antisemitische und antidemokratische Sekte" (to which the Society's German District responded today by telling him, "see you in Court"). The attack was so out of line that the new Archbishop of Berlin, Rainer Woelki, had to defend the Fraternity - in what must be a first in the history of the post-Conciliar German Episcopate.
One of the Watermelon members of the Bundestag, Volker Beck, also made headlines this week by criticizing the Pope for speaking to the Fraternity of Saint Pius X - according to him, a "hardcore-antisemitische und antidemokratische Sekte" (to which the Society's German District responded today by telling him, "see you in Court"). The attack was so out of line that the new Archbishop of Berlin, Rainer Woelki, had to defend the Fraternity - in what must be a first in the history of the post-Conciliar German Episcopate.
Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society (forty-fourth posting of souls)
Below, please find the forty-fourth posting of poor souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society.
As we all pray for unity between the Holy See and the SSPX, let us turn to the thousands of pour souls we have aided through this Purgatorial Society, and those we are still praying for, and ask them to intercede for us and pray for our cause. We can never imagine how grateful they are to us. Let us use that for this most worthy cause.
How to enroll souls: please email me at athanasiuscatholic@yahoo.com and submit as follows: "Name, State, Country." If you want to enroll entire families, simply write in the email: "The Jones family, Ohio, USA". Individual names are preferred. Be greedy -- send in as many as you wish and forward this posting to friends as well. PLEASE follow this format strictly, as any deviation creates a lot of extra work.
Please consider forwarding this Society to your family and friends, announcing from the pulpit during Holy Mass or listing in your church bulletin. We need to spread the word and relieve more suffering souls.
Please consider forwarding this Society to your family and friends, announcing from the pulpit during Holy Mass or listing in your church bulletin. We need to spread the word and relieve more suffering souls.
And please remember to follow @RorateCaeli on Twitter.
Reminder for readers in England and Wales
Abstinence from meat as obligatory Friday penance ("Meatless Friday") is restored beginning today, Friday, September 16, 2011, for all Catholics in England and Wales (as well as the Channel Islands, in the Diocese of Portsmouth, and the Isle of Man, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool). (Our earlier post with the note of the local Episcopal Conference.)
To those who were not already following this practice: welcome back!
As before, please add your tips for fellow Catholics below.
October events: Burke in Manchester; Dominus est conference in Tulsa, OK.
1. Cardinal Burke will give a lecture in an event promoted by the Catholic Chaplaincy of Manchester Universities - "Christ Jesus our light: Heart of the New Evangelization". Time: October 11, 7.15 PM. Location: Whitworth Hall, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL. Tickets available at 0161 273 1456 or info@mucc.org.uk .
"Lefebvrians"?... It is not a "movement"!
Excerpt taken from "The True Face of Tradition: An Interview with Bishop Fellay" (Tradizione: Il Vero Volto - Milan, Sugarco, 2009), by Alessandro Gnocchi and Mario Palmaro:
Question: We are asking you this because it strikes us that the Fraternity of Saint Pius X speak little, not much, of Mons. Lefebvre. Usually, in ecclesial movements, in associations of a certain importance, the citing of the founder is always highly intense. It is natural that it be so. Why then, instead, do you (the Society) rarely mention Abp. Lefebvre?
Bishop Fellay: Archbishop Lefebvre never wanted to be considered the founder or head of a traditionalist movement. At Flavigny, in France, a group nurtured by priests devoted to the Traditional Mass asked the Monsignor to become their leader, but he refused. He explained that he was not the leader of anything, but simply a Catholic bishop. He never wanted any reference to his person .
It seems to me that this is a very Catholic way of conceiving his ministry.
Instead, what struck him and left him perplexed, was the fact that he was one of very few bishops who moved along those lines. He used to ask himself “Why is it that only Bishop Castro Mayer and myself do not want to follow this road which the Church has always condemned?” He did not boast about his choice to remain in Tradition with only a few others. On the contrary, he suffered being one of the few and felt the burden of the responsibility. This is why he never wanted to be considered a founder. All his life he continued doing that which the Church had given him mandate to do: nothing more, nothing less. [Page 48 - contribution and translation: Francesca Romana]
Pre-Assisi: Can you feel the luv?
The Septemberfest of inter-religious dialogue and multiclulturalism (see left: official logo of the official website) promoted by Andrea Riccardi's Sant'Egidio Community (can we call them Riccardians?), took place this week in Munich (Bavaria, Germany).
It was a rainbow of hope for humankind, a Friedenstreffen filled with friendliness! Now, we would like to mock this pre-Assisi conference, but it would be inappropriate, not because it would be wrong, but because it really does not need our help for this. Just read their anodyne final appeal, made public today on Sant'Egidio's website:
Men and women of different religions, we have gathered together in Munich in Bavaria upon the invitation of the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising and of the Community of Sant’Egidio, which has tenaciously carried on the “Spirit of Assisi” for 25 years.
The Tornellian view: two points and three caveats
The Tornellians of Vatican Insider have some rumors on the "Lefebvrians". Two points stand out:
1. On the Doctrinal Preamble:
It is a short and mediated document, which follows the “Professio fidei” published in 1989 by the former Holy Office and that states three different degrees of assent that the faithful must meet. In essence, a Catholic strives to believe “with firm faith” all that is “within the Word of God” and that the Church defines as “divinely revealed”. Secondly, a Catholic agrees to accept all dogmas stated as such to this day.
Finally, and this is the difficult point for Lefebvrians, a Catholic is required to comply “with religious submission of will and intellect” to the teachings that the Pope and College of Bishops “set when they exercise their authentic Magisterium”, even when they are not stated in a dogmatic fashion, that is final. This is the most significant role of the magisterium, to which, for example, the encyclicals belong.
And many Vatican II documents come from it and they should be read, as all the magisterium teachings – the Holy See explains – in the light of tradition and as a development, and not as a breaking point, from previous doctrine, according to hermeneutics proposed by Benedict XVI.
“Accepting the profession of faith contained in the preamble – a Vatican prelate explains to La Stampa – does not mean giving up the opportunity to discuss this or that affirmation of the conciliar texts, or to silence a debate on their interpretation.” But the different interpretations “cannot be used as a pretext to reject the magisterium.”
2. And a supposed deadline: "an invitation to accept [the Doctrinal Preamble] within a month or so."
Here are three Rorate caveats:
1. The time frame is probably less precise and more flexible.
2. The juridical framework (Tornielli insists on "Prelature") would probably be something specific - as we said yesterday, in a post titled with the most important words of Canon 297, the Supreme Legislator has it within his powers the possibility of doing many different and creative things, using existing names (if he wants to) or not. What all should bear in mind are Fellay's clear words: "its exact format cannot be seen but afterwards, and still remains the object of discussion".
3. The third caveat is, of course, this, which seems to come from the Tornellian Illustrated Dictionary of Strange Creatures:
Just like this, one word. Like the Elves or the Unicorns. "So, this is what the Lefebvrians look like!" The names change every week: "Lefebvrists", "Lefebvrites", "Lefebvrians"... Since the only possible reason for Tornielli to continue using this name is to be unnecessarily provocative, we will from now on use our own little name for this style of Vaticanist: the Tornellians.
..."praevio consensu Episcopi dioecesani"...?
The Pope is the Supreme Legislator of the Church. Apart from matters strictly related to the Divine Constitution of the Church, he is not bound by much when legislating on ecclesial structures. Exceptions abound, from Spirituali militum curae to Anglicanorum coetibus. So, dear friends, do not worry so much about names and canons, especially because it is not a matter about which most can do much. These matters, and those of a different nature that immediately precede them, are out of our hands. There is something, however, that is within our grasp:
Official interview with Bishop Bernard Fellay on the September 14 meeting with Cardinal Levada
[Bishop B. Fellay's words:]
[1. On the Doctrinal Preamble mentioned in the official Communiqué released by the Holy See:] "This document is titled Doctrinal Preamble, it was handed to us for a profound study. Due to this fact, it is confidential, and you will understand if I do not say anything else about it to you. Nonetheless, the word preamble indicates well that its acceptance constitutes a preliminary condition for all canonical recognition of the Society of Saint Pius X by the Holy See"
[2. On the content of the Doctrinal Preamble:] "I must in the name of objectivity recognize that one cannot find, in the doctrinal preamble, a marked distinction between the dogmatic area and the pastoral area subject to discussion. The only thing I can declare, because it is included in the communiqué, is that the preamble contains, 'doctrinal principles and criteria of interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary for ensuring fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and to the sentire cum Ecclesia, while leaving open to legitimate discussion the study and theological explanation of particular expressions and formulations present in the texts of the Second Vatican Council and of the Magisterium that followed it.' There it is, not more, not less."
[3. On the canonical statute to be proposed, concerning the rumors of an Ordinariate or of a Prelature:] "As you correctly recall, this canonical statute is conditional [on a response to the Preamble]; its exact format cannot be seen but afterwards, and still remains the object of discussion."
[4. In response to the question, "When do you believe you will present your response to the proposition of Doctrinal preamble?"] "As soon as I have taken the time that is needed to study this document and to consult with the main officials of the Society of Saint Pius X, because, in such an important matter, I am obligated before my brethren not to take any decision without consulting with them beforehand.
"But I can assure you that our decision will be taken for the good of the Church and of souls. Our Rosary crusade that has been taking place for several months must increase in intensity to allow us to obtain, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, the graces of light and strength of which we have greater need than ever."
[All the main points have been translated above. Update: Official translation by the American district below:]
[All the main points have been translated above. Update: Official translation by the American district below:]
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE HOLY SEE: MEETING BETWEEN THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH AND THE FRATERNITY OF SAINT PIUS X
On September 14, 2011, at the office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a meeting was held between His Eminence, Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of this Congregation and President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, His Excellency, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, S.J., Secretary of this Congregation, and Monsignor Guido Pozzo, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and His Excellency, Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, and Fathers Niklaus Pfluger et Alain-Marc Nély, General Assistants of the Fraternity
Following the petition addressed on December 15, 2008, by the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father had taken the decision of lifting the excommunication of the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and to open at the same time doctrinal conversations with the Fraternity, aiming to overcome the difficulties and the problems of a doctrinal nature, and to achieve a healing of the existing fracture.
Obedient to the will of the Holy Father, a mixed study commission, composed of experts of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X and of experts of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, assembled eight times for meetings that took place in Rome between the month of October 2009 and the month of April 2011. These conversations, whose objective was that of presenting and examining the major doctrinal difficulties on controversial themes, achieved their goal, which was that of clarifying the respective positions and their motivations.
Given the concerns and requests presented by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X regarding the integrity of the Catholic faith considering the hermeneutic of rupture of the Second Vatican Council in respect of Tradition - hermeneutic mentioned by Pope Benedict XVI in his Address to the Roman Curia of December 22, 2005 -, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith takes as a fundamental basis for a full reconciliation with the Apostolic See the acceptance of the Doctrinal Preamble which was delivered in the course of the meeting of September 14, 2011. This preamble enunciates some of the doctrinal principles and criteria of interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary for ensuring fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and to the sentire cum Ecclesia, while leaving open to legitimate discussion the study and theological explanation of particular expressions and formulations present in the texts of the Second Vatican Council and of the Magisterium that followed it.
In the course of the same meeting, some elements were proposed regarding a canonical solution for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, which would follow the eventual and hoped-for reconciliation.
________________________________________________
[Updates:]- La Stampa/Vatican Insider: On the doctrinal preamble, "its content, said the Vatican spokesman [Father Federico Lombardi], is intended to remain secret."- Radio Vaticana: "Among the canonical solutions, the most probable one is that of an international Personal Prelature" - "preferably to an 'ordinariate' that had been proposed in 2009 to dissenting Anglicans, said Father Lombardi" (Le Figaro adds).
On the 4th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum
A church closed for the funeral Mass
"Behold, I stand
at the gate, and knock"
Funeral in Latin / The Church refuses her a last Mass
[L'Union] - SISSONNE (Aisne) [Picardy, France] - The parish priest of Liesse refused to open the doors of the Church of Sissone to receive the funeral of an 80-year-old. The deceased desired a Latin Mass. Impossible, according to the bishopric and to Father Kerjean. The service took place - on the sidewalk and led by a priest considered a renegade.
At 3:20 AM, the telephone rang. Noël Grégoire was awaken in the middle of the night by a voice from the hospital that announced to him the decease of his mother and, undoubtedly, that arrangements had now to be made. It was a Friday, last week. Until that moment, sad, but commonplace. "We called each other. My brother, near Tarbes, my sister here, the other one near vendôme. ..."
...
SSPX-Rome: News at around 4 PM, Rome time
According to the website of the German District of the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX /SSPX), the first news or general assessment on the meeting, that is about to take place or is taking place right now, should be available around 1600 (4 PM), Rome time (that is, Central European Summer Time), 2 PM GMT/UTC, 10 AM EDT.
A final thought for September 14, 2011
From the daily thoughts of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre posted at the front page of the website of the French District of the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX): the one chosen for Wednesday, September 14, 2011, is the following [tip: reader HPA]:
"If Rome wishes to give us a true autonomy, the one we have now, but with submission, we would want it. We have always hoped for it: to be subjected to the Holy Father; no possibility of despising the authority of the Holy Father".
SSPX on Assisi 2011
This is the full text of the Communiqué, as provided by SSPX.org:
____________________________________
Renewing the Assisi Scandal
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
With the approval of the SSPX's Superior General, Bishop Bernard Fellay, this text of Fr. Regis de Cacqueray (District Superior of France) was first published in French on laportelatine.org on September 12.
What is going to happen this October 27, 2011? A simple friendly encounter among men and women of good will? Desultory discourse on the divinity of Christ and of His Church? No—the renewal by the reigning pope, Benedict XVI, of the unprecedented scandal perpetrated by his predecessor, John Paul II, on October 27, 1986. What will occur this October 27, 2011? A call for conversion to the Catholic faith? The Pope’s declarations clearly indicate what this day will be: the meeting of representatives of all the false religions, called by the Pope personally to join in a day of reflection where all are invited to pray for peace.1 |
For the record: "The innovation comes from the Roman side"
For the record: from today's edition of Le Figaro (by Jean-Marie Guénois - various sources), on tomorrow's meeting of Cardinal Levada and the superior direction of the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) - this is the most relevant excerpt:
The great novelty comes from the Roman side. Le Figaro has learned that the Holy See could, for the first time, admit that these aspects fought by the "Integrists" are not considered as "essential" to the Catholic faith to the point of keeping outside the Church those who do not admit them. And that what has been foundational to the Catholic faith for twenty centuries is the sole [aspect] considered fundamental for communion with the Holy See, and not the interpretation from the last Council to this day.
Great autonomy of action
Another consequence: the Holy See, after it is verified tomorrow that Bishop Fellay and his faithful share the essence of the Catholic faith - which remains a demand and a sine qua non condition for Rome -, would propose to them a juridical solution so that the Fraternity of Saint Pius X is from this point forward considered a Catholic entity and not foreign to the ecclesial body anymore.
Tornielli: A two-page document in
"Judgement day" for SSPX and the Vatican
Main excerpts of Andrea Tornielli's article for La Stampa/Vatican Insider (adapted according to Italian original):
The superior of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X [FSSPX / SSPX], Bishop Bernard Fellay, will enter the Palace of the Holy Office accompanied by his collaborators, Father Niklaus Pfluger and Father Marc-Alain Nely.
Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Monsignor Guido Pozzo, will be there to greet them.
Vatican Insider has learned that the Lefebvrian superior will be handed a two-page document, containing the Church’s appraisal of the doctrinal discussions held in recent months between the Vatican and the Fraternity, approved by the Pope. It is an altogether brief but accurate document, which contains the answers to the problems raised in the discussions regarding the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council’s texts on religious freedom, ecumenism, and ecclesiology.
...
The former Holy Office will ask him to take his time in evaluating it and to then offer a response within a reasonable space of time, if not immediately. In short, the Lefebvrians will have to adopt a position: they may ask the Holy See for further clarifications, but they cannot beat around the bush any longer.
The Holy See considers the acceptance of the document as an essential condition for full communion, which would also provide for a legal settlement for the Fraternity founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, probably through the constitution of a similar ordinariate to the one expected for the Anglicans.
Taming the Action - I
Exactly 85 years ago, in September 1926, Pope Pius XI began to make public his careful move to extricate the Church in France from the complex matter of the Action française (the "French Action"), the all-encompassing movement guided by Charles Maurras - the final stages in a matter that had been simmering in the Sacred Halls for nearly two decades. In a response to a letter written by the Archbishop of Bordeaux, Cardinal Andrieu, to the youth of his diocese, in which several aspects of the movement were condemned, the Pope made clear that he was on the Cardinal's side against the totalizing view of a political movement - and much more was to come from Rome in the following months, as we will see in the next posts of this series.
________________________________
LETTER
To the most eminent Cardinal Andrieu, Archbishop of Bordeaux, whose letter is approved and praised.
Dear Son, greetings and apostolic blessing.
We have gladly read the response of Your Eminence to the group of young Catholics who questioned you on the matter of the "Action française". We have found in it a new and high testimony of the pastoral care and fatherly vigilance of Your Eminence for the good of souls and, particularly, of youth, threatened ceaselessly in our days. Your Eminence indicates, in fact, a danger that is as grave in this case as it touches, more or less directly, and without it appearing so, upon the Catholic faith and morals;
This is the Tridentine Mass:
It's morning again
Just four years after the entry into force of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, the traditional Mass is finally going to be celebrated regularly by a diocesan priest in the city of... Trent, the main seat of the great Council: every Sunday at 6:30 PM (yes, that is 1830..., local time, in the Church of Santa Maria del Suffragio, in the city center), by order of the local Archbishop. [tip: Messa in latino]
This is just the latest of hundreds of new traditional Latin Masses celebrated weekly
A cloister completed
The first phase of the main building project of the Monastery of Saint Mary of La Garde (Sainte-Marie de la Garde), the daughter-house of Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux located in Aquitaine, has been completed, with its cloister now completely enclosed - the Bishop of Agen, the local ordinary, blessed it on Sunday.
The day also included an open house, in which visitors could see the buildings of phase 1 from the inside, including the monastic cells - for the last time for most of them!
Events: Burke in Amsterdam (now in November), Vespers in Manhattan, Conference in Connecticut
SEPTEMBER
The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny is bringing three speakers from Europe (Prof. Luc Perrin, Lorenz Jäger, and Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro) to offer various perspectives on the revival of traditional Catholicism in the wake of Summorum Pontificum (Jaeger, if you don't know him, is a friend and spiritual fellow traveler of Martin Mosebach). The curate of St. Mary Church, Norwalk, Fr. Richard Cipolla, will also speak. There will be Solemn Vespers on Friday evening and Solemn Mass the next morning, with chant and classical polyphony sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Mary Church. Lunch will be served on Saturday. All this for the modest price of $20.
___________________________________
OCTOBER
OCTOBER
2. Catholic Artists celebrating All Hallows Eve | The Catholic Artists Society announces its next event, at Manhattan’s parish of St. Vincent Ferrer
Following its enormously successful inaugural event last May, the Catholic Artists Society will sponsor a special All Hallows Eve liturgy, lecture and reception at the Dominican parish of St. Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan at 6.30pm on October 31st, 2011.
Artists, patrons and friends of the Society are invited to the ancient and beautiful liturgy of first vespers for All Saints, which will be celebrated by Fr. Uwe Michael Lang.
Following vespers, Fr. Uwe Michael Lang will give a presentation on the subject of Art, Beauty and the Sacred. A reception with refreshments will follow.
___________________________________
NOVEMBER
3. Cardinal Burke celebrates Pontifical High Mass in Amsterdam on November 6:
By special invitation of His Reverend Excellency Mgr. Punt, Bishop of Haarlem-Amsterdam, His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke will celebrate the Pontifical High Mass in St. Agnes Church in Amsterdam on coming November 6th.
We are most pleased and thankful to His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke that, despite the unforeseen circumstances and his busy schedule he found some time left at short notice for travelling to Saint Agnes Church in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We are also very thankful to our Bishop, His Reverend Excellency Mgr Punt, for his mediation by hosting His Eminence in St. Agnes.
The truth must be proposed without compromise
A papal reminder to the Catholic Church in India, where the temptation to syncretism is particularly strong:
...In helping the spiritual, intellectual and moral faculties of their students to mature, Catholic schools should continue to develop a capacity for sound judgment and introduce them to the heritage bequeathed to them by former generations, thus fostering a sense of values and preparing their pupils for a happy and productive life (cf. Gravissimum Educationis, 5). I encourage you to continue to pay close attention to the quality of instruction in the schools present in your Dioceses, to ensure that they be genuinely Catholic and therefore capable of passing on those truths and values necessary for the salvation of souls and the up-building of society.Of course, Catholic schools are not the only means by which the Church seeks to instruct and to edify her people in intellectual and moral truth. As you know, all of the Church’s activities are meant to glorify God and fill his people with the truth that sets us free (cf. Jn 8:32). This saving truth, at the heart of the deposit of faith, must remain the foundation of all the Church’s endeavours, proposed to others always with respect but also without compromise. The capacity to present the truth gently but firmly is a gift to be nurtured especially among those who teach in Catholic institutes of higher education and those who are charged with the ecclesial task of educating seminarians, religious or the lay faithful, whether in theology, catechetical studies or Christian spirituality. Those who teach in the name of the Church have a particular obligation faithfully to hand on the riches of the tradition, in accordance with the Magisterium and in a way that responds to the needs of today, while students have the right to receive the fullness of the intellectual and spiritual heritage of the Church. Having received the benefits of a sound formation and dedicated to charity in truth, the clergy, religious and lay leaders of the Christian community will be better able to contribute to the growth of the Church and the advancement of Indian society. The various members of the Church will then bear witness to the love of God for all humanity as they enter into contact with the world, providing a solid Christian testimony in friendship, respect and love, and striving not to condemn the world but to offer it the gift of salvation (cf. Jn 3:17). Encourage those involved in education, whether priests, religious or laity, to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead. Enable them to reach out to their neighbours that, by their word and example, they may more effectively proclaim Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6).
Benedict XVI
September 8, 2011
They are expelling Jesus from the churches
Newly remodeled Seminary Chapel of the Diocese of Hildesheim, Germany [Source]: in the center, the ambo ("Tisch des Wortes" - Table of the Word) and, farther away, the altar ("Tisch des Brotes" - Table of the Bread)
by Antonio Socci
Can one be a diocesan priest and
celebrate the traditional Mass exclusively?
A true motivational example
[We consider this to be one of our most relevant and inspiring posts ever.]
Soon after the publication of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, three priests of the Diocese of Novara (Piedmont, Italy) tried to celebrate the Traditional Mass exclusively (we reported on these developments here and here).
In an interview released a few days ago, Father Alberto Secci tells his story, and presents us with the wonderful account of his life after Summorum. Yes, there is a life for diocesan priests celebrating the Sacraments according to the ancient use exclusively. And it can be beautiful, and powerful, and glorious, despite the normal difficulties of life.
You suggest: Share your favorite meatless recipes - I
On the return of Meatless Fridays in England and Wales
The news agency of the Conference released an official note yesterday that is refreshingly clear and traditional:
Press release - Friday Penance
The Visit of Pope Benedict XVI evoked for many people the spiritual reality of life and rekindled hope and faith: hope in the goodness that is within people and in our society, and faith in God. Even if it is not easily articulated, a spiritual yearning is to be found within most people. This yearning is found also among Catholics who have lost touch with their faith or whose faith was never deeply rooted in a personal relationship with Christ. Wishing to respond to this yearning but perhaps lacking in confidence in talking about their own spiritual life, many Catholics are asking how they can witness to their faith; what can they do to help introduce their faith in Christ to others in simple and straightforward ways?
The Bishops of England and Wales recognise that simple acts of witness, accompanied by sincere prayer, can be a powerful call to faith. Traditional Catholic devotions such as making the sign of the cross with care and reverence, praying the Angelus, saying a prayer before and after our meals, to name only a few, are straightforward actions which both dedicate certain moments in our daily lives to Almighty God and demonstrate our love and trust in His goodness and providence. If these devotions have been lost or even forgotten, particularly in our homes and schools, we have much to gain from learning and living them again.
The Bishops have looked again at the role of devotions and the practice of penance, both of which can help to weave the Catholic faith into the fabric of everyday life. Our regular worship at Holy Mass on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s resurrection, is the most powerful outward sign and witness of our faith in Jesus Christ to our family, friends and neighbours. Sunday must always remain at the heart of our lives as Catholics.
The Bishops also wish to remind us that every Friday is set aside as a special day of penitence, as it is the day of the suffering and death of the Lord. They believe it is important that all the faithful again be united in a common, identifiable act of Friday penance because they recognise that the virtue of penitence is best acquired as part of a common resolve and common witness.
The law of the Church requires Catholics on Fridays to abstain from meat, or some other form of food, or to observe some other form of penance laid down by the Bishops’ Conference. The Bishops have decided to re-establish the practice that this penance should be fulfilled simply by abstaining from meat and by uniting this to prayer. Those who cannot or choose not to eat meat as part of their normal diet should abstain from some other food of which they regularly partake.
This decision will come into effect from Friday 16 September 2011.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)