Posted on 03/11/2004 4:12:18 PM PST by NYer
Under the direction of Fr. Tom Elich, Australia’s most prominent liturgist, and his key associates, the Catholic liturgy and "worship spaces" have undergone rapid transformation. (See The Wanderer, February 19, 2004, p. 6, for more on this topic.)
Not only has he altered basic structures in traditional churches to make "theaters in the round," and encouraged the removal of traditional art and its replacement by questionable signs and symbols, but he has also been a major enthusiast for lay-run liturgies.
His own writings in his art reviews, according to Christine Howes, a lay person in the Brisbane Archdiocese, "appear to promote pagan ideas among liturgists through the pages of Liturgy News, which carries the imprimatur of Archbishop John Bathersby. The terminology is unmistakably pagan, and essentially all of his words come from a pot of pagan code phrases easily recognizable by his peers, but foggy and unclear to those not initiated in New Age rituals and beliefs."
Fr. Tom and his associates, particularly Ursuline nun Sr. Kari Hatherell — now studying in Rome after serving as pastoral associate at St. Stephen’s Cathedral during the entire Synod 2003 process — wield an influence second to none.
His editorial board at Liturgy News includes Mercy Sr. Maria Sullivan, who served for five years, from 1998-2003, on the Mercy Sisters’ leadership team, along with Sr. Elaine Wainwright, Australia’s most prominent feminist theologian and seminary instructor. Another editorial board member is Elizabeth Harrington, education officer with the Brisbane archdiocesan liturgical commission, who has a regular column on liturgy, called Liturgy Lines, in the archdiocesan newspaper The Catholic Leader.
She lectures extensively throughout the archdiocese, telling priests her version of "proper" liturgical practices.
In her most recent Liturgy Lines column, in the Catholic Leader (February 15), she stated that one of the outcomes of the Brisbane archdiocesan synod was the recommendation "for the parish pastoral council to initiate a process of regular constructive feedback on parish clergy preaching."
Harrington admitted in her column that priests interpreted this as "yet another clergy-bashing exercise," and priests were "defensive."
"For the process to be effective," Harrington wrote, "it is essential for the group to have a set of criteria on which their evaluation is based. These criteria would cover both the content of the homily as well as the style of delivery. Style refers to the way the preacher communicates the message and includes things like facial expression, voice quality, body language, and eye contact."
Harrington’s critics argue that subjecting priests to weekly criticism sessions would eventually coerce the priest into abandoning the homily in favor of lay preachers.
Under Harrington’s influence, parishes are being pressured to replace traditional Communion host wafers with home-baked bread. This reinforces arguments made by Fr. Elich in Liturgy News, September and December 2000, in his deconstructive interpretation of the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal. He told his readers GIRM was confusing, ambiguous, contradictory, and in violation of the liturgical renewal called for by Vatican II.
Elich wrote in his editorial of September 2000, "The more detailed the prescriptions, the more exceptions there will have to be, in particular circumstances. The ‘typical’ Mass as described in the document may not address the situation of the average Australian parish. For example, with the reverent breaking of the bread for a large assembly, it may be difficult to reconcile the restriction of the rite to the priest and deacon with the requirement that it not be prolonged or overemphasized."
In her February 1, 2004 column in the Leader, Harrington berated a Catholic woman who told her she felt she had not really received Communion, because invalid matter in the form of home-baked bread had been used instead of hosts.
Harrington wrote: "I kid you not! This is like someone claiming they had not really eaten because dinner had been a three-course meal at the dining table instead of take-aways from a tray in front of the TV."
Harrington recently announced that all of her Liturgy Lines columns are on the Internet, and can be found at www.litcom.net.au. Artist At Work
While such symbolism as cut, scarred logs, and eggs and broken eggs have little or no meaning for Catholics grounded in their own rich tradition of art, they arguably have meaning for those involved in Wicca and other occult movements. One expert, Marija Gimbutus, author of The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myths and Cult Images, explains the importance of egg symbolism, and another of her books, called The Language of the Goddess, can be found on the Sisters of Mercy Earthlink ecospirituality center reading list. See www.mercy.org.au/orgs/earthlink/resource.html. Another expert, Carl Teichrib explained in his A Short Guide to Occult Symbols: From Crescents to Crosses, "I find it disturbing that while the historical and contemporary ‘marks’ of occultism can be found throughout our modern culture, we no longer recognize their spiritual significance. However, just because the average person no longer knows the meaning of occult symbols, it in no way negates their significance. The fact remains that these symbols have never lost their meaning, and occultists today still recognize their power and influence." Fr. Elich’s June 2000 Liturgy News featured, on the front cover, Di Mauro’s "Synthesis," and, on the back, "Sublimate," which Elich described as "a metaphor for change, dying, and regeneration." "One critic described the exhibition as an arena of magic, ritual, and mystery. The eerie and claustrophobic cellar seemed to be a site for tribal ceremonies or alchemic experiments. The space included rings of small lights, ochre paintings, panels of gold leaf, a suspended clay-covered vessel dripping olive oil over a dead tree which thrust up through a ladder, a stone trough of water, and vessels of sulphur, salt, and mercury. . . . The objects function rather like sacraments where simple physical things (bread, wine, water, oil) are imbued with transcendent meaning." The article continues, in a certain self-revealing way, considering Elich’s preference for the design of new churches and the renovation of old ones in the form of circles: "The circle is a universal symbol. In the ‘dot’ paintings of aborigines from central Australia, it designates a sacred meeting place. In Buddhist art, the circular mandala focuses on the deity and spiritual power which the devotee can appropriate through meditation and ritual ceremony. Ritual dance moves in circles. A circle has no beginning and end, top or bottom, and so expresses the perfection of the infinite." Fr. Elich adds: "Adopting a Christian perspective will lead a viewer to a particular interpretation of an art work but, if the approach is perceptive, it will nonetheless be faithful to the work itself and to the artist." "Why," wonders Christine "I fail to see how any discussion of the above practices has any place in a Catholic liturgical magazine article written by a priest." Howes offered her views on how these art theories translate into parish life, as she described the art in her parish church in Lent 2003. "Our sanctuary," she said, "featured a tree branch in a sandpit filled with pine cones, rocks, and even passion fruit for Passion Sunday. The tree’s appearance changed weekly from the original dead branch, then a few leaves stuck to it, and we sank to an all-time low when it was covered with ribbons. The neighboring parish had the same sand pit with dead branch, placed in the sanctuary directly in front of the altar." Another Elich-inspired sanctuary featured sheets of burlap draped over different objects directly in front of and around the altar, the centerpiece was an old television set, with a paper taped to the front on which "CHANGE" was written, while large sheets of crumpled newspapers were thrown all around. One of the burlap-draped columns was topped off by one of the Synod 2003 ritual clay pots containing a yellow candle. (Church rubrics require that candles be white. But the yellow candle is required for Wicca ceremonies. The altar was covered with a yellow cloth, also prohibited by Church rubrics. Wiccan rubrics recommend a yellow altar cloth.) This Lent, the same theme of a dead tree branch has been repeated at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane, Archbishop John Bathersby’s own church. The dead tree branch, located in the sanctuary, features a wood carving of a snake attached to the trunk. The same June issue of Liturgy News contains a long editorial by Fr. Tom, wearing his ICEL hat, complaining that the Holy See is a major obstacle to ecumenism because it is denying permission for Catholics to use Protestant prayers, pointing out "doctrinal difficulties" in the prayers the Australian bishops are sending to Rome for approval, and ordering ICEL to draw up a new constitution. In an inside feature under "What’s New," Elich expressed his utter disbelief that Pope John Paul II designated the Second Sunday after Easter as "Mercy Sunday," and said this "astonishing development" violates both Vatican II and the Holy See’s General Norms for the Liturgical Year.
Howes, "are Catholics being told about the ‘circular mandala’ and ritual dance moving in circles, especially when there are some 700 Buddhist deities represented in some mandalas? In the voodoo and witchcraft ritual dances, the devotees believe the power resides within their bodies which they can release in various ways, the simplest being dancing round in a circle, singing, or shouting to induce a frenzy.
Using Art
An example of the art for churches Elich is promoting in Liturgy News, even while he is on a campaign to rid older churches of their traditional art, is "The Flood Figures," by Jenny Close.
Close is currently writing her doctoral thesis, which is entitled, "A Feminist Understanding of Art." On the Internet web site www.liturgyhelp.com, she is described as being involved in many different artistic projects, including creating "environments for large-scale religious conferences," and "creating installations and banners for the parish worship environment."
"The Flood Figures" is a large floor painting in a parish church, silhouetted figures on a rainbow background spilling out of a corrugated iron tub, perched in a corner of an atrium gathering space. As explained in Liturgy News: "Taking up the image of the flood and the rainbow, Jenny used an Australian tank of corrugated iron which had previously been the parish font for baptism by immersion. ‘A relationship between the flood and baptism, between the primal and the saving waters, was suggested,’ she said. ‘Here was also a play on seemingly opposite elements: negative/positive, dark/light, chaos/order, male/female.’ Jenny has degrees in fine art and theology and works with liturgical art in the parish of Coorparoo in Brisbane."
This example of Close’s art is used to illustrate an article, "Preaching Lent," by Fr. Ormond Rush, a priest of the Diocese of Townsville and a theology professor in the Brisbane College of Theology. Pushing The Lay-Run Church For example, the March 2000 issue of Liturgy News featured an article by Fr. Guy Hartcher, CM, who studied medieval history and liturgy in the United States and has taught at seminaries and universities in New Zealand and Australia. In "Catholic Sunday Worship Without a Priest," he notes that many Catholics will drive a long distance for a Sunday Mass, when they could have the experience of having a "Liturgy of the Word with Communion" service. "Traveling to the nearest Mass is a good decision," he writes. "Assembling with one’s own community is also a good decision, and, in fact, may often be a better decision." In the September 2000 Liturgy News, there is a two-page review of Liturgy for the New Millennium, published by The Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minn. Catherine White, director of liturgy for the Toowoomba Diocese, observes that much of the work of modern liturgists is focused on restoring the importance of the liturgical assembly and overcoming the unfortunate legacy of the Middle Ages, when people focused on the act of transubstantiation and adored the Host. And in addition to carping about Rome’s "interference" in liturgical matters, Liturgy News promotes the adoption of "archaic rituals" and symbols in Catholic worship, lay preaching, and "commissioning" students as liturgy designers who can design student-friendly liturgies that won’t offend. Battle-Weary Catholics
"His tactics are calculated to divide parish communities. Catholics who take the time to research the true Church directives relating to Church architecture and worship from documents readily available, often find themselves shunned or openly abused by their fellow parishioners. We are the ones who are portrayed as disloyal and uncharitable for daring to question Fr. "Again, this leaves the older parishioners feeling their devotional ideas must be old hat and that they are selfish if they do not stand aside and allow others, particularly the young, to practice their new liturgical rites. . . . "And since a dissenter is described as one who withdraws from an established Church, we cannot understand why Fr. Elich has so much power when he has an international reputation for dissenting from Church teaching. "He is even listed on the web site for the Brisbane-based St. Paul’s Theological College, where the future priests are trained, as being responsible for the Liturgical Studies program. How can this be, Catholics wonder, when the Australian bishops were told by the Holy Father in 1998 that it was particularly important for them to provide for the sound teaching of liturgical theology and spirituality in seminaries and similar institutions?"
Elich’s false theology. His team of fellow dissenters, including Elizabeth Harrington, Julie Moran, and Sr. Kari Hatherell now seem to be particularly focusing on misdirecting the youth and quickly promoting them into positions of influence in their parish communities.
The serious abuses which invalidate the Mass are all those which inhibit transubstantiation, that is fail to bring about Jesus' True Presence in the Eucharist. The Church has very specifically defined what must - and must not - occur so that transubstantiation will result. There are four conditions required for a valid Consecration resulting in the miracle of transubstantiation. All of these conditions must be present for a valid Consecration. This is dogma. Therefore, anyone who denies these requirements is liable to heresy.
Note that this article deals with only the Western Latin Rite Church. There are different rules for Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, such as Byzantine Catholic. For the Western Latin Rite Catholic Church, valid matter consists of wheat unleavened bread and grape wine.
Canon 924 §1 The most holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist must be celebrated in bread, and in wine to which a small quantity of water is to be added. §2 The bread must be wheaten only, and recently made, so that there is no danger of corruption. §3 The wine must be natural, made from grapes of the vine, and not corrupt.
Canon 926 In the Eucharistic celebration, in accordance with the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, the priest is to use unleavened bread wherever he celebrates Mass.
GIRM 282. According to the tradition of the entire Church, the bread must be made from wheat; according to the tradition of the Latin Church, it must be unleavened.
GIRM 283. The nature of the sign demands that the material for the eucharistic celebration truly have the appearance of food. Accordingly, even though unleavened and baked in the traditional shape, the eucharistic bread should be made in such a way that in a Mass with a congregation the priest is able actually to break the host into parts and distribute them to at least some of the faithful. (When, however, the number of communicants is large or other pastoral needs require it, small hosts are in no way ruled out.) The action of the breaking of the bread, the simple term for the Eucharist in apostolic times, will more clearly bring out the force and meaning of the sign of the unity of all in the one bread and of their charity, since the one bread is being distributed among the members of one family.
GIRM 284. The wine for the Eucharist must be from the fruit of the vine (see Lk 22:18), natural, and pure, that is not mixed with any foreign substance.
GIRM 285. Care must be taken to ensure that the elements are kept in good condition: that the wine does not turn to vinegar or the bread spoil or become too hard to be broken easily.
Any other matter of Altar breads, especially forms becoming more popular with dissenters such as cakes or cookies, invalidates transubstantiation. St. Thomas Aquinas also covers this requirement in Summa Theologica (Third Part, Question 74, Articles 1 through 8). There are rare exceptions where Bishops may grant individual priests with allergies or alcohol problems the right to use low-gluten altar breads or mustem (a specific form of grape juice with fermentation suspended). It is gravely sinful for a priest to celebrate Mass knowing the matter is invalid.
Check out our Cookie Monster Bishop Embarrasstus John Cummins of Oakland (home base of Beserkley).
Scroll down to May 27, 2003.
Let's take a poll here. How many would say that's NOT a cookie?
Oh Siobhan, this is truly heinous! What has happened to our church!
Stay tough! Fight the good fight! And know that we are all with you through our prayers. The Waderer is keeping your situation alive, through a lengthy series of articles. May God have mercy on the sheeples who blindly follow these leaders.
In Queensland the SSPX maintains Mass Centres in various venues where any number of the faithful will go from time to time to be guaranteed that they are receiving the real Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our dearly Beloved Lord Jesus Christ.
When you live in another kind of diocese the SSPX may means something else. Here in Brisbane and Queensland, the SSPX literally means refuge from the wtiches, satanists, and predatory homosexuals. So from now on I am very, very careful in what I have to say about the SSPX (except when they attack the Holy Father -- but that is another subject - the war in Rome etc.)
And there are the Carmelites who struggle on in Ormiston.
In Brisbane we also have the tiny parish of St. Maroun of the Maronite rite Catholics. It is a great distance from where we live. But, as some of you know, the Maronites are always a safe haven for real Catholics. And they say prayers for the undoing of the evil all around.
One Sunday the priest was giving her grief after Mass, and in a loud voice she said so the whole parish could here, "Why, Father, I never figured a soft boy like you would be a racist? Here have a medal?"
A great saint of the flinty kind.
Monday, March 08, 2004
The Catholic Bishops of Australia are embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage to Rome this month, designed to celebrate and strengthen their communion with the universal Church and the Successor of Peter, Pope John Paul II.
The pilgrimage is known as the “ad limina Apostolorum” visit – or “to the threshold of the Apostles”, and it will take place from March 14 to 28.
All bishops who are charged with the leadership of a diocese, are required to make an ad limina visit every five years. It is an important spiritual pilgrimage and a reminder of a local bishop’s wider role, in communion with the bishops of the world.
Thirty-six of Australia’s 44 bishops will undertake the ad limina visit, during which they will report to the Pope on the pastoral situation in Australia and visit the tombs of Sts Peter and Paul, pastors and pillars of the Roman Church.
The visit is also seen as an important part of the Holy Father’s pastoral ministry, as he receives the bishops with whom he exercises pastoral ministry and listens and talks with them about their mission in their diocese.
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference President Archbishop Francis Carroll of Canberra-Goulburn said he and his fellow bishops would be seeking the prayers of those in their diocesan community as they undertook the ad limina pilgrimage.
“We wish for all Catholics, through prayer and solidarity, to feel a part of the ad limina visit, which confirms and celebrates that which we profess each week when we express our belief in the ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church’,” Archbishop Carroll said.
“Our faith was handed down to us from Jesus by the apostles and as bishops we are charged with the enormous responsibility of continuing that tradition. The ad limina visit is an important physical and spiritual milestone in the carrying out of that ministry.”
While in Rome, the bishops will also make a pilgrimage to Assisi, undertake a day of reflection at Castelgandolfo and visit 27 various Vatican organisations.
Released by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
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I wish someone in Rome would just keep Archbishop Bathersby and send back a pre-Vatican II attack dog in his place
and fanatical. Don't forget fanatical.
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