Story by Cardinal O’Malley posted on Whispers in the Loggia (note the numbers cited for the SSPX):
Post Secreto
Until its formal announcement on Thursday, the Wednesday briefing on the motu proprio was called and held “sub secreto” — i.e. under the pontifical secret.
However, in the first public comments of any participant at the gathering, the Bloggin’ Eminence speaks... and confirms details aired here over recent days:
From Cleveland I flew to Rome at the request of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to participate in a meeting discussing the Holy Father’s Moto Proprio about the use of the older form of the Latin Mass. There were about 25 bishops there, including the president of Ecclesia Dei Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, the prefect of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Cardinal Francis Arinze, several heads of bishops’ conferences as well as some cardinals and other residential bishops.
They shared with us the Moto Proprio and the Holy Father’s letter explaining it. We also had an opportunity to read the Latin document. We each commented on that, and then the Holy Father came in and shared some of his thoughts with us. The Holy Father is obviously most concerned about trying to bring about reconciliation in the Church. There are about 600,000 Catholics who are participating in the liturgies of the Society of St. Pius X, along with about 400 priest[s]....
The Holy Father was very clear that the ordinary form of celebrating the Mass will be the new rite, the Norvus Ordo. But by making the Latin Mass more available, the Holy Father is hoping to convince those disaffected Catholics that it is time for them to return to full union with the Catholic Church.
So the Holy Father’s motivation for this decision is pastoral. He does not want this to be seen as establishing two different Roman Rites, but rather one Roman Rite celebrated with different forms. The Moto Propio is his latest attempt at reconciliation.
In my comments at the meeting I told my brother bishops that in the United States the number of people who participate in the Latin Mass even with permission is very low. Additionally, according to the research that I did, there are only 18 priories of the Society of St. Pius X in the entire country. Therefore this document will not result in a great deal of change for the Catholics in the U.S. Indeed, interest in the Latin Mass is particularly low here in New England.
In our archdiocese, the permission to celebrate the Latin Mass has been in place for several years, and I granted permission when I was in Fall River for a Mass down on the Cape. The archdiocesan Mass is now at Immaculate Mary of Lourdes Parish in Newton. It is well attended, and if the need arises for an extension of that we would, of course, address it.
This issue of the Latin Mass is not urgent for our country, however I think they wanted us to be part of the conversation so that we would be able to understand what the situation is in countries where the numbers are very significant. For example, in Brazil there is an entire diocese of 30,000 people that has already been reconciled to the Church.
In a photo of the participants posted by the Boston prelate (who wore his Capuchin habit to the session), you’ll note who’s standing directly at Benedict’s side.
Cardinal O’Malley seems so reasonable.
And Rocco probably got it from Cardinal Sean's Blog where it is posted as well. There are a few comments on the Cardinal's blog that disagree with Cardinal Sean's take on the TLM in America. On Fr. Z's blog it was mentioned that Archbishop Burke was also at the meeting. I hope that Abp. Burke and Cardinal Castrillon countered Cardinal Sean's spin at the meeting.
Yeah, but he is on the Pope's left side. ;-)
For me -- in Boston and without a car -- it might as well be in China! That @^$#@^ SOB -- time to write to our cardinal archbishop, I think!
Not Urgent? Dear cardinal O'Malley, I beg to differ.
By and large, where there is TLM, there are long lines of confession, reverent liturgical celebration, traditional devotions but most of all, deep sense of Apostalic Faith. There is no crisis on the issue of believing in the Real Presence. There is no artificial shortage of priest from traditional quarters. TLM parishes are growing and expanding, not shrinking or clustering with others. Therefore, I would submit this is utmost urgent, before Rome makes your diocese clustering with others ... !!!