Wild Masses (messes sauvages)

THE ROMAN RITE ^ | November, 1994 | Fr. John Mole OMI

[Maximilian]

THE ROMAN RITE
Voice of the Traditional Mass Movement in Canada
Facit mutos loqui (Cf Mk 7:37)

Issue No.7 November 1994

Wild Masses

Our first item under this heading (Issue 2) gave an example of this phenomenon which has plagued the postconciliar church from the beginning. This item will describe how it began. By "wild" is meant out of control of the Holy See or the Bishops.

This wildness can be said to have begun in the late 1960's with an agitation to set aside the Roman Canon (main part of the Roman Rite) in favour of alternative Eucharistic Prayers. Paul VI thought he could hold the line by authorizing three new canons to be added to the new Roman Missal of 1970. To no avail. A year later, there were two hundred other Eucharistic Prayers published and in use.

The French term - messes sauvages (wild masses) - is apt because they proliferate out of control. The Holy See countered with a circular letter to Episcopal Conferences, dated April 27, 1973, reaffirming that only four Eucharistic Prayers are permitted for universal use. But as a conciliatory gesture, the letter stated that a request for a Eucharistic Prayer for occasional and special use would receive sympathetic consideration. This concession proved to be a Trojan horse.

The Swiss Bishops submitted a rite with a Lutheran- style epiclesis invoking the Holy Spirit to bring about, not that bread and wine be changed into the body and blood of Christ, but that Christ become present in an unspecified manner. Approval of this Swiss Mass was signed in July, 1974, by Bugnini whom Paul VI made the chief artisan of his reform. The Swiss Mass proliferated wildly because of its ecumenical appeal into twenty- seven countries on three continents, plus the Phillipines and French Canada. It was incorporated into five missals as Eucharistic Prayer V as if it were approved for constant and general use. In 1991, the Holy See withdrew approval but did not demand immediate cessation of this "wild mass."

It issued a corrected Latin text to which future translations must conform. But it failed to order episcopal conferences to cease using the erroneous texts. The Holy See has evidently lost control of the situation.

[Maximilian]

The Swiss Bishops submitted a rite with a Lutheran- style epiclesis invoking the Holy Spirit to bring about, not that bread and wine be changed into the body and blood of Christ, but that Christ become present in an unspecified manner.

Fr. Mole's newsletter, "The Roman Rite," (link above) has lots of great material, especially of a historical nature relating to the post Vatican II liturgy reform. But the item above leaped out at me more than any other.

The fundamental argument in favor of the validity of the New Mass is that it's impossible for the Vatican to approve an invalid Mass. But what if there were direct evidence that it is not only possible, but that it has already happened? What if there were confirmation that it is NOT impossible for someone like Bugnini to approve an invalid Mass?

The Swiss example demonstrates that there is no guarantee that the actual vernacular implementation you attend on Sunday is valid, even if the New Mass is valid in the official Latin version that was officially promulgated by Pope Paul VI. The Vatican has approved invalid translations and later changed their minds. And what about the thousands of Catholics who attended these Masses?

[sinkspur]

The Swiss example demonstrates that there is no guarantee that the actual vernacular implementation you attend on Sunday is valid, even if the New Mass is valid in the official Latin version that was officially promulgated by Pope Paul VI.

Looks like you're right, ninenot.

"Doubt about validity" is the next thrust of the rad trads.

[TheSpottedOwl]

The Swiss Bishops submitted a rite with a Lutheran- style epiclesis invoking the Holy Spirit to bring about, not that bread and wine be changed into the body and blood of Christ, but that Christ become present in an unspecified manner.

Fr. Mole's newsletter, "The Roman Rite," (link above) has lots of great material, especially of a historical nature relating to the post Vatican II liturgy reform. But the item above leaped out at me more than any other.

That's why I don't go to Mass, and my children don't participate in modern Catholicism. These days, I'd rather go to a nondenominational church. I'll go back when they clean this mess up.

[Maximilian]

I'll go back when they clean this mess up.

I don't know how old you are, but at the rate they're going, you and I will be long dead before "they clean this mess up." The salvation of your soul, and your responsibility for the souls of your children, demand that you do something sooner than that.

[Askel5]

=== I'll go back when they clean this mess up.



Why bother if you've already embraced an especially wild mass outside the bounds of the Church, even?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

IIRC, you are in Southern CA, aka, Mahonyland? I sympathize. Here are some places of refuge in CA.

SSPX Chapels in CA (no funny business!)

http://www.sspx.org/chapels.htm


Indult Masses in CA

http://www.ecclesiadei.org/region10.htm

Between these two sources you should be able to find a decent parish. Good luck!

[TheSpottedOwl]

I'm 44. The last time I went to church, a priest jogged up the middle aisle, and the congregation errupted yelling, "Hi Father Bob"! That was the defining moment for me. I realized that I was commiting more sins sitting in church than the rest of the week.

Mass is supposed to be an uplifting experience, not an occasion of sin. My older girls still say the rosary, but feel uncomfortable in church. There is nothing anyone can do, besides pray...

[TheSpottedOwl]

Why bother if you've already embraced an especially wild mass outside the bounds of the Church, even?

I didn't say that I actually attended non Catholic church services. I don't attend church. However I think that my kids can learn a lot about their faith by studying the Bible. I never really explored the Bible growing up, because it simply wasn't emphasized. Until the mess gets cleaned up, I will not attend. It simply isn't my church.

[Maximilian]

The last time I went to church, a priest jogged up the middle aisle, and the congregation errupted yelling, "Hi Father Bob"!

I was out of town last week, and I called the local Catholic church to find a place to receive ashes on Wednesday. I was greeted by a tape-recorded message of "Fr. Rick" singing "We are the light of the world." And this horrible song was even worse than I recalled from the seventies because it has been made even more politically correct by changing some of the words.

I realized that I was commiting more sins sitting in church than the rest of the week.

You may be right. I often think that the line for communion should be re-named the "sacrilege line."

Mass is supposed to be an uplifting experience, not an occasion of sin.

True. I decided the same thing when I decided never to attend the New Mass ever again.

My older girls still say the rosary, but feel uncomfortable in church.

A good sign -- the presence of grace.

There is nothing anyone can do, besides pray...

What have you tried that you could state categorically that "there is nothing anyone can do"? The Catholic faith still exists, it's just harder to find now. But being knocked out of our complacency can be a good thing. Traditional Catholics today are generally much more committed to their faith than were the Catholics of even the pre-Vatican II era. Just compare Bing Crosby and "Going my Way" to Mel Gibson and "The Passsion."

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thank you so much for the links! I'm going to share them with my daughter :-)

[Maximilian]

"Doubt about validity" is the next thrust of the rad trads.

Thank you for making me look like a prophet. Before posting this article I posted the biography of Fr. Mole so that the name-calling could be handled up front.

Pastor of St. Clement's Ottawa (Latin Mass Parish) Dies

FR. JOHN WITHERSPOON MOLE O.M.I.
Presently resides in Ottawa, Canada, and in this work attempts to carry out the recommendation of the 1977 Synod of Bishops that there be religious instruction for adults based on the Liturgy of the Word, which Pope John Paul II emphatically endorsed in his Catechesi Tradendae.

He can hardly be called a "rad-trad," yet apparently he doubts the validity of some of the Masses approved since 1970. In a later newsletter he quotes Cardinal Seper, Cardinal Ratzinger's predecessor and a known liberal, as doubting the Second Eucharistic Prayer. Was Cardinal Seper a "rad-trad" also?

[johnb2004]

The Swiss example demonstrates that there is no guarantee that the actual vernacular implementation you attend on Sunday is valid, even if the New Mass is valid in the official Latin version that was officially promulgated by Pope Paul VI. The Vatican has approved invalid translations and later changed their minds.

What is the minimum necessary for any mass to be valid?

[TheSpottedOwl]

Don't you just love voice messages on a church answering system?

My mom needed last rites. The former pastor of our parish church was on retreat, so I called a neighboring parish that was close by the board and care facility where my mom was. I got a menu. I left a message and no one ever called me back.

Two days later, we're all in the emergency room. They had a chaplain, but couldn't help me find a priest. Guess who shows up? Fr. McHugh! He just came back from retreat and the secretary gave him the message. He tracked us down and was able to give my mom the last rites. I posted this story before, but to me Fr. McHugh symbolizes what the Catholic Church used to be.

Deborah gave me some great links to find traditional Masses in my area.

[sinkspur]

All the arguments around here in recent days about "intent" caused ninenot to speculate that the new tactic from the SSPX will be to sow doubts about the validity of orders, of the Mass, of the Eucharist, of all the sacraments.

Such a gutless and vile exploitation of scrupulous, simple Catholics would not surprise me, given the desperation of the SSPX and the hardening of attitudes in that schismatic group.

If some cleric has "doubts" about sacramental actions he should take his concerns to the proper Church authorities, not package them in a book for public consumption by all the conspiracy kooks.

[johnb2004]

If some cleric has "doubts" about sacramental actions he should take his concerns to the proper Church authorities

You mean like Hubbard or Clark?

[Maximilian]

If some cleric has "doubts" about sacramental actions he should take his concerns to the proper Church authorities

Of course they have, time after time. So many thousands of priests and laypeople have voiced their concerns, and they have been insulted, condescended to, refused, and ignored. The "authorities" have absolutely no intention of listening to the concerns of anyone except their liberal (often perverse) cronies.

Diago can tell you what the diocese of Cleveland did when the "listening session" at a parish didn't go according to their plan, and dozens of faithful Catholics stood up to voice their real concerns. The diocese shut down the meeting and took their revenge in a variety of petty ways such as having an 80-year old nun kicked out of the convent.

[johnb2004]

This is from Catholic Citizens. These are the real evil forces to fight:

Catholic lay leaders from Baltimore to California are mailing anonymous surveys about optional celibacy to their parish priests in a total of 52 dioceses around the United States.


The survey is the brainchild of Jim and Sally Orgren, leaders of Call to Action in Buffalo, who mailed an anonymous survey to diocesan priests after hearing about the 163 Milwaukee priests calling for discussion of optional celibacy last August. Within two weeks 28% responded (which is a respectable response rate according to social scientists). Of these, 68 % answered yes to the question: “Do you favor an open discussion of the mandatory celibacy rule for diocesan priests? “


Other Call to Action and FutureChurch leaders quickly followed suit and as of January 26, laity had committed to surveying priests in 52 dioceses. Early results from five dioceses found response rates of 28% to 46% with 56% to 84% supporting open discussion. (see results of individual dioceses listed below).


Orgren believes: “Many priests in the present climate do not feel free to publicly support open discussion of optional celibacy. The anonymity allows priests to say what they really think about this issue, without fear of recrimination.” In Buffalo, many commented that “they were grateful for the opportunity to express their deep concern for the future of the Church.”


The surveys are an important part of a broadly conceived Corpus Christi Campaign for Optional Celibacy which was launched last October by the Cleveland based FutureChurch and national Call to Action. Among other things, the campaign invites Catholics to request their bishops to release diocesan projections of availability of priests in the future.


“The Catholic Church’s decline of active priests is stark,” said Call to Action spokesperson, Linda Pieczynski. “Since 1965 the United States has suffered a net loss of 13,000 priests while the number of Catholics has increased by 17.8 million. The number of seminarians has been cut in half. Since Pope John Paul II took office priests worldwide declined by 4% while Catholics increased by 40%.”


A new web database, Priest Shortage USA 1976-2001, (www.futurechurch.org) gives dramatic statistics from the Official Catholic Directory documenting, diocese by diocese, the loss of priests over the last 25 years.


As part of the campaign, Catholics across the U.S. and worldwide are circulating a petition to the 2004-2005 International Synod on the Eucharist asking for discussion of optional celibacy. They are also sponsoring prayer, discussion and education groups in their parishes and small faith communities on the June 13 feast of Corpus Christi, a traditional Catholic commemoration of Christ’s Eucharistic presence.


FutureChurch Executive Director Sr. Christine Schenk said: “This conversation is long overdue. We want to return to our early church custom of having both celibate and married priests.We join our voices with Bishops and Cardinals worldwide who are calling for discussion including Cardinal George, Cardinal Mahony, Scotland’s Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the Indonesian Bishops Conference, the Brazilian Bishops Conference and the Canadian Bishops Conference. Our Catholic sacramental identity is hangs in the balance."


“Last fall we delivered 7000 letters to the U.S. Catholic Bishops. The commitment to surveying our priests is a very hopeful next step in the campaign,”said Pieczynski. “I am encouraged that so many priests including the National Federation of Priests’ Councils, as well as priests in Milwaukee, Chicago, New Ulm Mn., Albany, Sacramento , Pittsburgh, Southern Illinois and New York City, are publicly asking for this discussion too.”


Schenk disputed a statement made last fall by Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference. Gregory said that making celibacy optional wouldn’t help the priest shortage because the Protestant Church also has a shortage even though their clergy are permitted to marry. “According to a recent Purdue University study published in the Catholic Jesuit weekly America the Catholic Church is the only denomination in the U.S. that has a clergy shortage.”

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Last fall we delivered 7000 letters to the U.S. Catholic Bishops. The commitment to surveying our priests is a very hopeful next step in the campaign,”said Pieczynski. “I am encouraged that so many priests including the National Federation of Priests’ Councils, as well as priests in Milwaukee, Chicago, New Ulm Mn., Albany, Sacramento , Pittsburgh, Southern Illinois and New York City, are publicly asking for this discussion too.”

John, great find. I was dismayed to see Sacramento, CA mentioned. It is one of the best dioceses (on paper) in the state. This is very bad.

[AAABEST]

....conspiracy kooks.

Yep, it's all of our imagination, just because the mystery "Deacon" says so.

Hawaiian Liturgy