Posted on 12/28/2004 2:00:22 PM PST by CatherineSiena
At the church founded by the late Rev. Paul Wickens, Mass is always said in Latin. Women still cover their heads, and people receive the host in their mouths from a priest, never touching it with their own hands.
To say that St. Anthony of Padua, the church Wickens started nine years ago, is a haven for traditionalists is an understatement. And with his death this year, the search for just the right successor to the old founder has split the parishioners of this unusual West Orange church.
At a time when they would rather rally around a new priest, hundreds have boycotted the chapel for makeshift Masses at a Ramada Inn in East Hanover and a VFW Post and the Wellesley Inn in Fairfield.
The schism opened soon after the July death of Wickens, whose opposition to the historic 1960s reforms of the Second Vatican Council attracted hundreds of other "traditionalist" Catholics who like him felt the changes sullied ancient Catholic traditions and practices.
Modern Catholics would find some practices at St. Anthony's obscure. But when Wickens died, parishioners wanted a replacement who shared their views. They also wanted the chapel kept separate from the Newark Archdiocese, which accepted the 1960s reforms and suspended Wickens after a 1980s dispute stemming from his opposition to Catholic sex education.
Wickens remained a vocal critic of the archdiocese, calling Archbishop John J. Myers too liberal even though Myers is generally known nationwide as a staunch conservative.
The current boycotters say they have nothing personal against Wickens' replacement, the Rev. John Perricone, a conservative Catholic in his own right who in many ways seems a perfect fit for St. Anthony's.
Perricone, who started at St. Anthony's Dec. 1, is founder of the group "Christifidelis," which is dedicated to the Latin Mass.
Still, many longtime St. Anthony's parishioners reject him because he is an archdiocese priest, officially placed on loan to the chapel by the archdiocese.
At his last archdiocese post, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Orange, Perricone celebrated Mass in the modern way that traditionalists deplore, in English, facing the pews, and letting lay people touch the host.
"This Perricone, he's on both waters, he offers both Masses -- the Latin Mass and the modern Mass. And we do not accept that," said Elvira Valdez, who joined St. Anthony's in 1998 and has attended motel Masses.
"We only accept the ancient Mass, the old Mass, the Latin Mass. That's why Father Wickens stayed clear cut away from the archdiocese, because they would make him accept the modern Mass as equal to the old Mass."
Valdez and others say they fear that Perricone's hiring will lead to a full-scale takeover by the archdiocese, and that Mass in English may eventually be allowed there.
While reforms stemming from the Second Vatican Council are widely regarded as more inclusive of lay people, the members of St. Anthony's think they watered down the faith, and that translations from Latin are inadequate.
Since Perricone started, some longtime St. Anthony's churchgoers have traveled long distances to attend other traditionalist churches, such as St. Jude's in Eddystone, Pa.
Locally, the latest alternative Masses were at the VFW Post in Fairfield Saturday, for Christmas, and Sunday, drawing about 200.
DUELING SERMONS
A similar crowd attended a motel Mass in Fairfield earlier this month, where people knelt on the green patterned carpet of a kneeler-less conference room and received Communion from the Rev. John Fullerton, flown in for the occasion from Missouri.
Fullerton is with the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, which was founded by French Bishop Marcel Lefebvre, who was excommunicated after refusing to the accept the 1960s reforms.
Attendance at St. Anthony's, meanwhile, has been lighter than before Wickens died, and Perricone's supporters hope he can draw back those who left.
"If the diocese leaves us alone, there'll be no problems here," said Bill Brooks of Pompton Plains. "And the people will hopefully come back. Father Perricone is a good priest."
In his first sermon at St. Anthony's, the Rev. Perricone left no doubt about his beliefs, praising Wickens, whose archdiocese suspension lasted until he died.
"I am privileged," Perricone said, "to be able to bring forward the sacred traditions that Father Wickens has ... preserved."
Yet many who stopped attending St. Anthony's feel the church's three board members, who approached the archdiocese about Perricone, disregarded Wickens' wishes by bringing in an archdiocese priest.
A week ago, a group of them filed suit in Essex County Chancery Court, saying the statute under which the church was incorporated lets all members, not just trustees, pick the priest.
On both sides of the St. Anthony's dispute, parishioners say the church should honor Wickens' wishes. But they relate different versions of what he wanted.
Some, allowing that Wickens praised Perricone, said he also thought Perricone's archdiocese ties tainted him. Others say Wickens wanted the church turned over to the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X.
DISPUTED TAPE
At a church meeting on Nov. 14, St. Anthony's board members -- Andrew Flock, Larry Small and Bob Ciuffreda, elected the day Wickens died in a previously scheduled election -- played a tape of Wickens praising Perricone shortly before his death.
But some who heard the tape at the meeting have complained it had only excerpts of the conversation. In what was played, Wickens did not address Perricone's archdiocese ties, a subject that surely was of interest to him, board critics said.
Asked about that, Al Wickens, the priest's brother, said that Paul Wickens never spoke about the archdiocese or the Society of Saint Pius X on June 24, the day he was taped.
"From that conversation, which was seven or eight minutes ... was a clear indication that if Father Perricone could possibly come, it would be a perfect fit for the chapel," said Al Wickens, who said he was present when the taping occurred.
While the arrangement with the archdiocese strikes many longtime St. Anthony's members as improper, to others it straddles the right side of a thin line. Archdiocese spokesman James Goodness said that while Perricone is considered "on loan" from the archdiocese, St. Anthony's is responsible for his salary, and the archdiocese does not receive a percentage of weekly collections.
Despite last-minute efforts to reconcile, the archdiocese never lifted its suspension of Wickens. It wanted him to sign a letter of obedience to Newark Archbishop Myers, which all pastors do when starting a new assignment, Goodness said. Wickens refused to do so, Goodness said.
Whether they attend a Latin Mass at St. Anthony's or elsewhere, the people drawn to it say they go for reasons other than merely hearing the words in Latin, though that is important.
"It's not just the Mass said in Latin. It's about the traditional faith. It requires the reverence that's there, the respect for the way the sacraments are done," said William Denk, who stopped attending St. Anthony's and now travels elsewhere for Mass.
"Many people have seen family members lose their faith. They've seen the breakdown in our culture and society. Now, when you've had Catholic bishops who have to debate whether a candidate who is pro-choice can remain Catholic, it shows exactly where (society) has gone to now."
Jeff Diamant covers religion. Reach him at jdiamant@starledger.com or (973) 392-1547.
Interesting...so what you're saying is any Novus Ordo Catholic, regardless of their views, is not a true Catholic. I'll have to disagree with this.
I agree!
Why not?
>>Interestingly, I haven't met a Trad who hasn't fit every negative stereotype yet. <<
Well, please come to my house for dinner. We are loving and fun. Just because I take communion on my tongue and cover my head does not make me a bad person. If you could see the Protestant/Catholic church I came from, you may understand why I raise my children traditionally.
>>What was the final disposition of the lawsuit, mentioned in the 1994 Macomb Daily article, you referenced in this column...?<<
I would like to know as well. I do know that the original Independent Catholic parish that the priest came from closed for lack of funds. The school closed as well but the seminary is still open.
The problem with Novus Ordo Catholics is this: most are either not strong in their faith, or at least they are weak in their knowledge/training. If your faoundations & training in the faith are weak, you are very susectable to being subtly manipulated into apostacy.
A simple example by way of externals. Most older Catholics were taught to genuflect before the tabernacle, and that unecessary talking in church was disrespectful to God. Since many younger Catholics were not taught such things, it might be understandable if they do not do what is correct in these matters.
But where does that leave the cradle Catholic over 40? He/she should know better, yet 9 times out of 10 in any NO church you will NOT see them genuflect bvefore the Presense, and they will talk......er... make that SHOUT to each other before and after mass, like its a beerhall! Yet, they should certainly know better - right? And we all have seen those who are quiet in church, otherwise devout, yet who do not genuflect.
Why is this? Because they have/are gradually being led into unfaith. Because there is no clear, firm teaching universally taught much less applied in the NO.
If one can be gradually and subtly led away from the faith in superficial externals.......one can be profoundly led away from the faith in essentials.
In a nutshell, there is tendency for the NO Catholic to be weak, and to be led, as they trust too much, do not ask questions, as tend to go with the flow. Spiritually, that is a receipe for disaster.
By this I do not mean that all NO Catholics are bad people or fools. No indeed. But, they are placing themselves in a position to be misled by misapplied trust.
But why does "Fr. Moderator" hide behind a pseudonym? Why does he keep his background a secret? If he truly is a validly ordained priest, he should have no problem making that information known.
Basically, if he wishes to lambaste every aspect of the "Novus Ordo" Church, the least he can do is be forthright about who he is.
I am.
LOL! This implies that the trads--SSPX and sedes--are strong, that they refuse to be led, that they trust not at all, that they question everything, and buck the tide.
Describes Martin Luther very well.
Again, I dont see his true identity as a serious issue. I am much more interested in what he says and why. That is what really counts. For that matter, I could be a priest......but you would never know one way or another, now would you? All that really matter is the substance of what I have to say - whether or not you agreee with it.
Perhaps, like other writers who use a pseudonym, he uses anonymity to have the freedom to express himself, wheras he might not be so free to do so otherwise.
Personally, I find the use of a pen name to be quite useful.....and I use more then one (in other venues).
Not much you can do about it. The far right and the far left have a great deal in common.
Not a fan of the Traditio site myself, though those that have split off were posting from/to that website during the whole contentious period.
Now that some among you have driven off (and that phrase is painfully correct, and while I am not accusing YOU personally, that should at the very least provide some illumination as to the character of the discontent here...) Fr. Murphy...Some of those that are not at St.A's but not at the VFW, are nonetheless contacted on a regular basis.
I have not seen Fr. Murphy since the 9:00 Mass on 11/15 at St. Anthoy's. Therefore, it would not be right for me to comment on anything that's happened with him since then. There's already been quite enough hearsay passed off as fact with respect to all this.
You may disagree, but it is a true fact.
Why do you think these folks and others adhereing to the old Latin traditional Latin Mass, are spiritually fighting to hang on? If the New Ordo was any good, the hundreds of Catholic Churches across the globe would NOT be closing, there would be NO shortage of priests, nuns ect. schools would be teaching the truths that there is one TRUE GOD and His Commandments,Not
NO PRAYER IN SCHOOLS , no fear or love of God, the clergy would wear their habits ,Not Plain everyday joe clothes, and the scapular and the rosary would be worn and recited daily in home and Church.
Conservative, there is a video out that tells the whole story, and watching it explains FULLY the situation in our Catholic Church today, I will post it , so all interested may see for themselves and UNDERSTAND, why Fr. Wickens and priests like him across the globe are saying NOTHING BUT THE OLD LATIN MASS. THe web is www.the-pope.com/isocmain.html
The video is called;WHAT WE LOST AND THE ROAD TO RESTORATION. YOu will see the results for it is an eyeopening tape and every Catholic priest and person should see it!!!!!!!! Praying for ALL, Mary help !
There are a few groups of folks who support and defend the NO in general: 1)those who sincerely believe it to be good whose reason has been blindsided, 2) those who sincerely believe it is good because they are decent and simple folk who do not know any better and are not educated enough to perceive a problem, 3) those who see the problem but will not allow themselves to admit to it nor comprehend all of the ramifications in their fullness - so they have a psychological need to deny there is a problem (as to do otherwise would upset their whole world.
People who fall into these categories are not evil - not in the least. Sadly for them, they have fallen into a type of spiritual and intellectual blindness. I should say that this list is not exhaustive, as there are those who fall into the cracks between these categories.
But in no way would I ever say that any of these type of people who believe that the NO is good are bad people. They are good people, who love God. Yet, they are misled.
In their own way, they are like a person on the deck of the sinking Titanic who are saying that "all is well". They refuse to believe in the reality of the iceberg.......the extent of the damage.......nor the ultimate reality that the ship is sinking. They believe the fairy tale of the current "new springtime".....because they want to.
That is how one can look at the drastic statistics of decline over the past 40 years, and say that all is rosy. That the best is yet to come. that we are better off now then we were.
The Evil One is a liar.....a master of deceipt, and always has been. He seeks to deceive all - liberal and trad alike. That should be self evident - that none are exempted.
How else can one explain the 70 year old woman who is applauding liturgical dance, and other abominations - when she should surely know better? The same is also true of good, devout mainline Protestants whose local churches have been transformed from places where the name of Jesus, nad his laws were loved, to social service centers, which preach modernism, and pseudo-marxism? Who now love and embrace what they would have spat out a generation ago?
I weep for both of them.
It is not for nothing that the majority of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are intellectual: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel. These each are distict and profound spiritual and intellectual gifts which result in the receiving of knowledge......the understanding of fundamental realities.......the wisdom to interpret what is given to us.......and intellectual and spiritual counsel to understand what is right, and the ability to counsel others as to the same.
All Catholics who have been validly Confirmed have received these gifts. But they can lie dormant. One must pray for them, again and again.....not merely to receive them, but to have the abilty to properly use them to "pierce beyoond the veil", as it were - and see the fundamentals concerning ourselves, those around us, and the realities affecting the church and world in general.
It is through these 7 gifts that God has made some of his greatest saints out of the simple, and uneducated. Truly, all knowedge comes from God. And he who truly seeks to know God will be given all the knowledge he needs.
So, do not criticise the adherant of the NO - rather pray for them, that the Holy Ghost may enlighten them to the truth. And fill them with His love.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.