Maida was wrong NOT to grant access to a legitimate rite of the Catholic Church. The pope authorized it, Maida should have complied.
Posted on 06/04/2004 12:00:16 PM PDT by AskStPhilomena
In his explanation for the decision, Maida cited the growing influence of schismatic groups within his archdiocese.
"We have much activity by schismatic churches in the Archdiocese. We have children in our Archdiocese attending schismatic schools and being drawn away from the Church. Some of our faithful are crossing the border to go into Windsor or other dioceses for the celebration of this Mass," the cardinal is quoted as stating.
Maida did not mention at the meeting that in addition to laity joining schismatic groups, he is also faced with a major emigration of seminarians from the archdiocese, and the crisis shows no signs of abating. In the year 2007 there is only one man scheduled to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Detroit, a native-born Filipino.
During the meeting Auxiliary Bishop Walter Hurley said the Tridentine Mass may be allowed in two parishes before the fall, but neither the parishes nor the frequency of the Masses has been decided.
Hurley is quoted as stating, "We are not looking to catechize new generations into the Tridentine Rite, but we are seeking to respond to those people who have identified this as a pastoral need In moving in this direction, there are certain things that must take place as we proceed. The first is that Vatican II, its authenticity, and its liturgical reforms have to be accepted as a legitimate work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. We do not want to set up something that would be divisive. We are not seeking to undermine or unravel the reforms of the Council."
The celebration of the Tridentine Mass will be coordinated under the auspices of the Archdiocesan Worship Office. "We do not want to see this as a work of a specific group of people, but rather an extension of Cardinal Maida's ministry as chief shepherd of the Archdiocese," Hurley is quoted as saying. "… All of our regional auxiliary bishops have indicated their willingness to celebrate this liturgy. The framework here is pastoral. We will not identify this as a "specific niche" of a parish; rather, this is simply something that would be offered at a parish."
The decision has been met with guarded optimism by those who have worked for the Tridentine Rite in the archdiocese, mainly because the rite – until now -- has been bitterly opposed by Maida and his chancery since Maida arrived as archbishop in Detroit in 1990. Additionally, the auxiliary bishop and chancery staff who are implementing his new decision are long-time chancery veterans who have no track record whatsoever of embracing traditional initiatives.
Many suspect the Tridentine Mass may be sparingly offered at small parishes in inconvenient locations, perhaps even in parishes hostile to traditional aspirations.
For at least the last 15 years there have been hundreds, if not thousands of requests to Maida to grant permission for the Tridentine Mass. A group of Catholics in the early 1990s filed a canonical lawsuit in the Signatura, the Vatican Court, to force Cardinal Maida to abide by Eccleiasia Dei, in which Pope John Paul II pleaded with the world’s bishops to allow a "generous application" of the indult for the Tridentine Mass. The St. Joseph Foundation assisted in that effort.
Maida opposed the lawsuit vigorously, and the legal effort ended when the Vatican ruled that with the death in 1994 of Thomas Marshall, the main signer of the complaint, the rest of signers of the petition to Rome had no standing to pursue the case.
It is noteworthy that the primary opponent of the Tridentine Mass at that time was Fr. Gerald Shirilla, professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and director of the Worship Department. Fr.Shirilla told a reporter for the Michigan Catholic that, regarding those who want the Tridentine Mass, "We have to fight them tooth and nail."
Fr. Shirilla was relieved of his post in 1993 when he was identified as a serial child molester, who favored young altar boys, going back more than 20 years. He never quite lost favor with Cardinal Maida, however, and was secretly re-assigned seven years later as pastor of a parish in the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan.
Meanwhile, as the cardinal and his priests argue about the merits of the Tridentine Mass, the Detroit chapter of gay organization Dignity continues to hold its weekly Masses at Marygrove College every Sunday, and openly advertises that priests of the archdiocese celebrate its Masses. Priests of the archdiocese have never been forbidden to celebrate those gay Masses.
Cardinal Maida has always had different standards for different groups throughout his tenure in Detroit.
(Excerpt) Read more at cruxnews.com ...
"The one at the Carmelite monastery here in San Diego is beautifully sung by the nuns behind the grille"
Ah! Nothing I like better than grilled nun!
;)
Oh yes. Grilled nuns. yummy barbecue treat. :)
However, several of our children prefer the Latin Mass and we occassionally attend one. I admit I find the Latin beautiful, but distracting. I will say the priest at the Latin Mass is always reverent while at my own parish there will sometimes be visiting priests who are less than reverent.
Here is an example of how the 62 missal was even being picked apart in terms of Rubrics on the eve of the liturgical "reforms"
http://www.georgiabulletin.org/local/1963/10/24/b/
Did they personally prefer Mass facing the congregation? Seventy six percent said yes, twenty four percent said no. Since then we say all Masses facing the congregation.
"The fact is, the Novus Ordo has been approved by the Church."
The Church has also approved of altar-girls and interfaith exercises. One can question the advisability of these changes without denying the authority of the holy father to make these changes.
"I want you to have your Tridentine Rite so you'll leave the rest of us the hell alone!"
If interested laity had ready access to the traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments without being accused of a "schismatic mentality", I'm sure you would hear from us far less often. Perhaps you should join us in petitioning the bishops to lift all restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass.
Maida was wrong NOT to grant access to a legitimate rite of the Catholic Church. The pope authorized it, Maida should have complied.
Great reasoning. Woman priestesses here we come! Woo hoo!
The Traditional Mass is not a separate rite.
Anyone in particular, Phillie?
Another rather curious item in the article refers to "the emigration of seminarians....only one Ordinand...this year."
Anyone out there who can verify this?
Actually, Phillie is unhappy with the posters who look askance at schismatic Old Rite Masses, said by you-know-who...
Take your pick - just remain respectful (as much it may hurt).
There is a vocal bunch of alligator jawed name callers in here and elsewhere who have a pathological hatred for traditionalists, and they take every opportunity to bad-mouth and malign us.
I won't mention any names but everyone knows who they are. The holier-than-thou who types the word "schism" 10 times more than they do "Jesus".
Ping to another candidate for Novus Ordo Watch!
"Did they personally prefer Mass facing the congregation? Seventy six percent said yes"
This same 76% now makes up the bulk of the 76+% who no longer come to Mass anymore.
They were more interested in feeling self-important than they were in worshipping God.
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