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 ...
I know he doesn't need any help, but you do know that patent is a lawyer, don't you? Passed the bar and everything.
When someone asks you not to post to them it is polite not to. I take the name off the post and post comments anyway. Usually the party of the first part will answer.
Might not that be a major indication of a deeper problem with Roman ecclesiology? Certainly hierarchs should have some latitude in addressing local customs and situations, but to allow, indeed even participate in, conduct which is in clear derogation of the Holy Canons leads the faithful astray. Why would the Pope appoint such a man to the episcopacy who would countenance this paganism? If your Synod had any real authority, as the Canons insist it should, wouldn't it condemn this bishop and his supporters? When a hierarch falls into error, let alone heresy, it is the duty of the other hierarchs, clergy and the Laos tou Theou (the people of God) who make up the One Church to correct that hierarch or remove him. The early Church history is filled with examples of this (remember how Arius was slapped across the face at the Council which condemned his heresy?) and, at least in the East, this canonical practice continues to this day. As I said earlier, communion with such people would be impossible for us, the unceasing prayers of the Pope to the contrary notwithstanding.
Well, see, any illusion that the pope was in charge before Bernardin died should be laid to rest right now. Old Cardinal Joe had far more influence. The AmChurch bishops who were adhereants to Bernardin's "seamless garment" crap are really pushing for open dissent in an attempt to get the church to change.
Most of the problem bishops were first elevated under Paul VI and were approved by a series of Papal Nuncios who obviously did not have the best for the church in mind. Some of the installations even are that old. Why they haven't been forced to resign, I don't know. The hints have sure been dropped. I think this pope wanted to appeal to the better sides of these men, not quite realizing that not all of them have a better side.
The biggest indicators are how adverse they are to tradition and how much lying and twisting of the truth was told to the people. My own bishop, Burke, tells the truth to the point that it gets him into media trouble. Others wouldn't know it if it hit them over the head.
As to why the others don't insist on removal, who's to say that behind the scenes they don't. I would imagine that the bishops are a cliquish group and there are those who act like men and those that mentally are high school girls. With the moves that have been made of late, the replacement of the problems will be through attrition. A bunch retire in the next five years. This should be interesting.
Actually, there is a great deal of Catholicism out there for one to grasp. I have about 72 inches of library on liturgy and music alone...
Granted, finding orthodox priests is a challenge. Almost trial-and-error. But generally speaking I've found that if they can actually read the Mass (NO) in exactly the words and with exactly the rubrics specified, they're good to go.
Make it two maximas and a lexus and you have a deal
EXTRMELY perceptive remark.
I would add that this is the result of the "versus populum" stance adopted despite years of "versus Deum" practice (more correctly, "ad orientem.")
That is still in the Holy Week--now on Good Friday.
Correction: it is still used by my Parish choir on Good Friday during Holy Week. It's perfectly legitimate to sing that whole thing----usually done with the Reproaches.
Not in Greek and Latin?
You still have the Reproaches???
I do recall taking part in one dialogue Mass (Latin Tridentine) when I was in high school, in which we all did the responses. I remember liking it, but the Mass was changing so rapidly during the 60s that there may in fact have been only one I was at.
You're far from a "traditionalist."
"Legislatures set the statutes of limitation. No court has the authority to overturn them."
LOL, such hope. All in favor of letting sodomites skate. Sorry deacon, the courts will not allow that. Time and again JUDGES have redefined laws. The LAW is whatever the JUDGE says it is.
Legislatures make laws.
Sure sinky, sure. Except JUDGES decide the LAW and often the FACTS. If a JUDGE wants to toss a SOL defense, he can do so by deciding that the statute didn't start running until discovery of harm, until recovery of memory or even if (as has happened) priests are removed from the jurisdiction by hierarchs eager to coverup crimes. The FACT is that your AmChurch hierarchs have built a horrid edifice of sin and crime and it will get ripped apart. The wages of sin sinky, the wages of sin.
If they can be gotten, then get them.
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