Traditionalists and Pope Francis: Can We Take a Deep Breath and Please Calm Down?

Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor Marshall ^ | 03/14/13 | Dr. Taylor Marshall

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Traditionalists and Pope Francis: Can We Take a Deep Breath and Please Calm Down?

Posted by Taylor Marshall

Pope Francis presenting Flowers to Jesus and Mary

at Saint Mary Major

Traditionalists need to take a deep breath!

Yes, I know. Cardinal Burke wasn't elected Pope. I'll be eating humble pie for the rest of Lent. I'm not worried about that.

Here's what I am deeply worried about:

Pope Francis hadn't been elected for more than two hours and the vitriol began to spew forth in the comment boxes of this blog and others. Many from the traditionalist crowd reacted against Pope Francis with words that were downright offensive. If one of my sons spoke like that about a priest (or any older man, for that matter), my boy would have a sore backside and a long stay in a dark room.

Within minutes of His Holiness' appearance on the loggia, some trads began an online campaign claiming that he was a persecutor of orthodox priests in Argentina. Then they said he forbade the Latin Mass in his diocese. Then they were mocking him for not wearing the scarlet papal mozzetta. They also expressed dismay over how His Holiness prayed in Italian and not in Latin. Next, they expressed their alarm that he took off his stole immediately after the blessing. Then they made much ado over how the tapestry unfurled over the balcony wasn't that of His Holiness' predecesor. And these comments aren't even the worst of it. I don't even want to list some of the other things they have written online.

Way to go, trads! We have been working so hard under the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI to demonstrate that we are not an inbred subculture of angry, hateful, quasi-schismatic, Jansenistic, holier-than-the-Pope Catholics. Everyone thinks that we who attend the 1962 liturgy are judgmental, Pharisaical, and rude (click here for details). And guess what. You just amplified that terrible reputation one hundredfold. It seems that their contrarian words were spoken in the heat of passion - and the stirred up passions are the devils' playground. 

After reading comments on my blog and other blogs (especially Rorate Caeli), I am really embarrassed by it all. I felt obligated to clean up the comment's box on my blog, but fortunately others have done a good job silencing the angry voices.

Think about this for a moment. If you owned a business or were the president a large organization, how would you feel if your lower employees got together regularly to grumble about your leadership? What if they met together for the sole purpose of questioning your leadership and credibility? What if they gossiped and maligned you behind your back? What if they created chat rooms and spread it all around the internet. Would these persons be considered "faithful" to your institution? Would you like these people? Would you want to help these people? Of course not. Such actions are cowardly, immature, and small.

Perhaps one should pray 15 decades of the Rosary for the Holy Father before logging online and detracting the Vicar of Christ, whom St Catherine of Sienna called "our sweet Jesus on earth."

Yes, I am a member of a Latin Mass parish (Mater Dei Catholic Church in Irving, Texas). I am the Chancellor of the Catholic College in the USA with Extraordinary Form of the Holy Sacrifice Mass seven days a week (Fisher More College). It's part of our College's identity and mission. I attend the Extraordinary Form almost exclusively. 

I'm "all in" when it comes the Latin Mass, but I am also "all in" when it comes to the Pope. I didn't leave the Anglican priesthood to pretend to be my own Pope once again only this time in the Catholic Church.

I am enthusiastic about Pope Francis? To be honest, I don't know very much about His Holiness. Yes, I'll admit it: I'm not as excited as I would have been if Cardinal Burke or Cardinal Ranjith had walked out on that balcony yesterday. Those who read this blog daily know that my heart and my reputation was set on Burke. Oh well. I'm not God. I was way off the mark. Still, the Holy Father Francis has my filial devotion and obedience. 

Let's give His Holiness some time. Let's pray for him. If you're really worried, don't log on to a blog combox. Fast on bread and water, pray the Rosary more, go to confession more regularly, give alms to the poor, etc.

I'd like to encourage all of us to conform the pattern of our souls to the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Saint Peter, our first Pope, denied Christ three times, she didn't publish the news in the highways and the hedges. Saint John and Mary Magdalene didn't shout it from the housetops. It's really not our place to sift through what might be the future errors of a Pope that we don't yet know.

In conclusion, let me list three things that give me great hope in Pope Francis. First of all, I was touched by His Holiness' words about the Blessed Virgin Mary and his personal entrustment to her. Also, his first act as Pope was to go to St Mary Major in Rome and offer flowers before the painting of Our Lady titled Salus Populi Romani. This means that our Holy Father is Marian. Being Marian is much more important that the 1962 Missal. The Holy Apostles were Marian, even without the Latin Mass.

Secondly, Holy Father Francis, today at Saint Mary Major, knelt down and prayed before the tomb of Saint Pius V - that great reforming Pope of the 16th century. Third, His Holiness' first Mass today will be in the Novus Ordo in Latin. Okay, not 1962 Missal, but not a clown Mass either. Let's just take a deep breath. Be charitable. Pray.

Perhaps your salvation will be based partly on how you receive this Holy Father. Don't fail in this. Anyone can grumble and find faults. The true and proper response requires supernatural grace and a reassignment to the divine will of God in all things. God will deliver us ab omnibus malis praeteritis, praesentibus, et futuris intercedente beata et gloriosa semper Virgine Dei Genitrice Maria.

It's easy to grumble (like the Israelites in the wilderness post-Egypt). The supernatural challenge is to retain faith, hope, and charity in all things. Okay, friends, back to the beads! Keep calm. Retain Christ's perfect peace. 

Viva Il Papa!

[Shadow44]

I’m sympathetic to Traditionalism in that I like the Latin Mass in preference of the vernacular, and think VII has some problematic loose language which allows for people to do things they shouldn’t.

However, too many traditionalists seem to enjoy being the “faithful remnant” and wear their estrangement as a badge of honor i.e. SSPX.

[LovedSinner]

Many of the traditionalist criticisms seem valid. Most of the criticisms he mentioned seem very valid to me. The ones which were so offensive he did not mention I cannot judge obviously.

Are we not to critize the Pope at all??

[afraidfortherepublic]

Terrific post. Thanks.

[melsec]

Strain out a gnat but miss a whole camel!

[LovedSinner]

Think about this for a moment. If you owned a business or were the president a large organization, how would you feel if your lower employees got together regularly to grumble about your leadership? What if they met together for the sole purpose of questioning your leadership and credibility? What if they gossiped and maligned you behind your back? What if they created chat rooms and spread it all around the internet. Would these persons be considered "faithful" to your institution? Would you like these people? Would you want to help these people? Of course not. Such actions are cowardly, immature, and small.

We are posting in public, not behind anyone's back. And secondly, the Church needs its own Devil's Advocates. CEO's, politicians, and Church leaders need strong criticism even if they are doing a good job overall. Just as politicians need a healthy media to shine sunlight onto their actions, the Church needs Catholics to blog about the mistakes Catholic leaders, including the Popes make.

[Slyfox]

Our new Pope Francis is the embodiment of every good, old, wise priest I have ever known. In fact, he looks just like Fr. Vogel of McKinney, TX (who died a few years back).

One of Fr. Vogel's most memorable statements was about his two artificial knees: "I wore them out praying for all of you."

We have a good one in Francis.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

the Church needs Catholics to blog about the mistakes Catholic leaders, including the Popes make

Two hours after he is elected?

No, sorry. I read RorateCaeli all day yesterday and almost succumbed to the gloom and doom there. What went on there yesterday was gravely sinful.

(By the way, I'm an occasional trad blogger too. Here's where I blog: http://www.summorumpontificum.net/ Do a Google search for Summorum Pontificum and see what results you get. This is just to say I understand these debates fairly well.)

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Old rite Mass in Argentina

There have been many comments flying around alleging that there are no old rite Masses in Argentina apart from those offered by the SSPX. It seems that things are different. Clarin.com reported that 48 hours after Pope Benedict issued Summorum Pontificum, Archbishop Bergoglio arranged for Mass according to the usus antiquior to be said regularly at St Michael the Archangel in Buenos Aires. (Source: Clarin.com: Regresó la misa en latín, con mujeres cubiertas por mantillas)

There is also a google map of places where Mass is said in the old rite in Argentina according to the provisions of Summorum Pontificum. (i.e. not the SSPX chapels in Argentina but regular chapels either diocesan or religious.) Una Voce Argentina also has news of Masses celebrated in that country.

Unless these sources are all completely bogus, they do scotch one rumour that seems to be taking hold. I have seen bald assertions in various places that there are no old rite Masses in Argentina except those of the SSPX. That is wrong.

It may be that Cardinal Bergoglio was not personally enthusiastic about the usus antiquior but as a Jesuit who exercised authority, it seems that he was loyal enough to implement Summorum Pontificum. Let us pray for him as he enters the world of papal liturgy which may be a different experience from the liturgy celebrated in many places in Argentina. Let us pray especially that he be given the grace of state as he begins his ministry as the successor of Peter.

H/T Defénde nos in proelio and the comments box of Holy Souls Hermitage.

[diamond6]

Lets hope Gillibrand reads this.

[livius]

What went on there yesterday was gravely sinful.

I agree. Fr. Z went and removed those comments that turned up on his site (WDTPRS) and I think the Rorate Caeli people should do the same.

I wasn't thrilled when the name Bergoglio was announced, but I read some more about him and I can't see anything to be hysterical about; and furthermore, he won me over immediately with his prayerful appearance.

Aside from the scandal given by the ugly remarks on Rorate and similar blogs, it makes it pretty clear why "traditionalists" don't have a lot of friends in some dioceses. If that's their attitude...

[jonno]

Are we not to critize the Pope at all??

To criticize to what end, for what purpose?

[mlizzy]

...he won me over immediately with his prayerful appearance.

Yes, we agree; a humble and holy warrior. I wonder how many from outside the faith (or fallen away) decided (during that hour from smoke 'til he spoke) to learn more about, or return to, the Catholic Church.

And here's another source to TLMs in Argentina. http://honneurs.free.fr/Wikini/wakka.php?wiki=ArgentinE

[LovedSinner]

For constructive ends.

In fact, the Pope needs criticism of his mistakes far more than ordinary laypeople. If I make a mistake, it is not so bad, but if the Pope does....

[LovedSinner]

I do not know what comments Fr. Z removed, since I was not on his blog last night.

I do know that Fr. Z had criticized Card. Sodano just two or three days ago for his homily talking about how the new Pope needs to be a friend for the poor (I am paraphrasing). Now, apparently, he has completely done a 180.

[LovedSinner]

I believe we need someone who is personally enthusiastic. In fact, enthusiasm is just the start. This is not a personal attack against Pope Francis.

[jonno]

Hmmm...I guess it all depends on how one defines “mistakes”.

Lest one be guilty of playing the the Pharisee (”...did you see that Jesus character - healing people on the sabbath?! WHO does he think he is??”. Or more recently: “Get those b@stard children outta here - what were their mothers thinking? bringing them to be baptized - sheesh...”)

But what do I know - I’m of the protesters...

[ArrogantBustard]

Something to think about:

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article 8:

III. OFFENSES AGAINST TRUTH

2475 Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."274 By "putting away falsehood," they are to "put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander."275

2476 False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness.276 When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused.277 They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.

2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.278 He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279

- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.280

2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one's neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity.

[LovedSinner]

Thank you for this.

And it is different when one is criticizing something that is not a moral fault, but still a mistake (not supporting the 1962 Latin Mass).

Could we be wrong on the 1962 Latin Mass? Well, I have been wrong before, but feel pretty confident on this one.

It may not really be Pope Francis’ fault, but I feel he is not the right man for the job.

[BlatherNaut]

Aside from the scandal given by the ugly remarks on Rorate and similar blogs, it makes it pretty clear why "traditionalists" don't have a lot of friends in some dioceses. If that's their attitude...

Yes, it's really too bad. As a "traditionalist" myself, I've encountered this hostile attitude firsthand. The worst display I've ever seen happened one Sunday morning (before the motu proprio was issued) when it was announced that a novus ordo had to be substituted for the indult mass because the regular priest couldn't make it. Some of those in attendance dashed out the door, a few actually swearing in front of our young kids! Embarrassing.

It's unfortunate that a relatively few loud but misguided people end up creating such a poor impression of tradition-loving Catholics.