Posted on 07/18/2007 9:34:39 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The timing of the re-introduction of the Latin Mass at this time is very instructive, especially in regard to the U.S. Catholic Church. At a time when the Catholic Church in the U.S. needs to be working on becoming more open and more accountable to its laity to prevent more child sexual abuse, the re-introduction of the Latin Mass signals that the Catholic Church as a whole is moving in a reactionary direction, becoming more closed rather than more open.
The Latin Mass was developed during one of the most reactionary periods in the history of the Catholic Church, the “Counter-Reformation”. This was a time in the 16th century when the Church, perceiving itself to be besieged by criticism from within and without by both laity and clergy about its practices, circled the wagons and roundly rejected engaging the new ideas about human autonomy and reason of the European Enlightenment. The so-called “Latin Mass” developed in this period was designed to standardize the form and prevent the introduction of new ideas into the liturgy, especially in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. This is a worship practice where the ordinary people could not understand the language and the clergy become remote figures, conducting mysteries in secret on the altar.
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of the Los Angeles archdiocese of the Catholic Church announced Sunday that a record $660-million settlement would be awarded to 508 claimants who alleged clergy sexual abuse by priests. Once again the Catholic Church is besieged by criticism and is circling the wagons. This large financial settlement, and especially its timing, is not an effort to achieve some modicum of justice for victims, but an attempt to keep the cover-up from coming out in court. After 4 ½ years of protracted negotiations, the settlement was announced....
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.washingtonpost.com ...
Today the re-introduction of the Latin Mass signals to me that far from becoming open to the kinds of changes needed to protect children from abuse, the Catholic Church is once again circling the wagons, rejecting necessary reforms and consolidating its power in the hierarchy.
You’re really on a roll this morning is posting anything negative about the Catholic Church that you can find, aren’t you?
I don’t think we appreciate it.
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.
Really?
What language was Mass celebrated in before the Counter-Reformation, Suzy?
Esperanto?
What's interesting is how rarely he participates in the discussions he foments.
When he does post a comment, more often than not he will not address any response to it.
How about replying to my FreepMail about Apostolic Succession? I think I’m asking a valid question...
President, Chicago Theological Seminary
The Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, is the 11th President of Chicago Theological Seminary. She has been a Professor of Theology at the seminary for 20 years and director of its graduate degree center for five years. Her area of expertise is contextual theologies of liberation, specializing in issues of violence and violation.
Hmmm...
interestingly all protestant services were developed during the reformation, which was extremely reactionary.
The Latin Mass was developed during one of the most reactionary periods in the history of the Catholic Church, the “Counter-Reformation”.
Wrong (and thus detrimental to the rest of her argument). The Mass affirmed by Quo Primum in 1570 is the Mass of St. Gregory the Great, and it has existed (though maybe not exactly as it was in 1570) since his time some 700 years prior.
Today the re-introduction of the Latin Mass signals to me that far from becoming open to the kinds of changes needed to protect children from abuse, the Catholic Church is once again circling the wagons, rejecting necessary reforms and consolidating its power in the hierarchy.
What? The Latin Mass liberalization shows consolidating power in the hierarchy? That statement doesn't make much sense at all, especially considering that many bishops and cardinals are very unhappy about the Motu Proprio. Besides, the link she's making is hardly clear (at least I'm not seeing it). The "changes needed" have nothing to do with the rubric that is used in the Mass.
Well this is kind of silly for two reasons
1. The big problems became HUGE problems after VII. Not that homosexual priests were not around before VII, but the seminaries were stocked by the Lavendar Mafia AFTER this mass was eliminated and all of the freedoms connected with the “Spirit of....” went into effect.
2. Why is it that everyone thinks that no one understood the Latin mass? My mom (RIP) was a simple woman. Yet, she could translate any part of that mass. She got me interested in English root words by comparing it to Liturgical Latin. Not too bad for a Polack.
There was no secret about the Latin Mass.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do NOT make it personal!
You forgot the barf alert.
** Sound of collective sucking in of breath**
I like this spin. Usually we get the shtick about Mass being nothing more than empty human ritual performed with wafers.
This broad goes to the other extreme and implies that it involves all sorts of deep spiritual secrets, unknown to all except the cogniscenti.
I guess that's more suited to her overall thesis of secrecy and conspiracy in the Church. One plays whatever card suits one's purpose.
Thuthan is just upthet that the Church is trying to get the gays away from the boys.
If Ms. T were to have a personal or professional motto, I would propose this for consideration:
Credo quia absurdum
I second it. Thank-you.
Why this RC bashing. Please, enough is enough.
For quite awhile Catholics will need to be wise in debunking the claims that the Church still perpetuates child abuse while routing out the last of those that actually did allow it. Those who are angry about the abuse (and rightly so), will use that to attack the Church in other respects, as the article shows. However, we can't allow that single point to be used to deflate the Catholic Church nor of Christianity at large.
I don't see eye-to-eye with Alex on some things, but I think this isn't a bad find.
They are SO going to hate it when we get this all straightened out and our church is more anti-homosexual than the Boy Scouts. I’m kind of looking forward to that.
Her seminary is of the nearly extinct United Church of Christ, Obama’s denomination. It’s also certified by the United Methodist Church, and the Metropolitan Community Churches, the which is a gay denomination(!) and is headquartered in West Hollywood. But the Washington Post and Newsweek figure she’s fit to judge America’s largest and fastest-growing denomination.
“# We are committed, in conscious response to the Holocaust and in recognition of the toll taken by religious divisions in our world, to fostering better understanding and collaboration among religious traditions, paying particular attention to cooperation among Christianity, Judaism and Islam toward the end of realizing the aims of the prophetic traditions.
# We are committed, in a society riven by racism, to equipping leaders who honor cultural and racial diversity while resolutely combating the forces of division and domination.
# We are committed, in a world in which sexism remains a powerful force, to fostering leadership for gender justice, including developing a more mature masculine spirituality and engaging feminist and womanist spiritualities.
# We are committed, while church and society are threatened by new forces of division under the banner of homophobia, to developing leadership for a more inclusive church and society.”
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