Posted on 03/03/2014 10:29:03 AM PST by markomalley
My mail box has filled up this morning with reports that the Bishop of Fort Worth, Most Rev. Michael Olson, who was recently consecrated and installed in his see in November 2013 at a mere 47 years of age, has “banned” celebrations of Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the chapel of Fisher More College.
The source of these reports seems to be the blog Rorate Caeli, which provides a copy of the letter that Bp. Olson sent to Mister Michael King, who is the President of Fisher More College.
Here is the letter, which I found at the aforementioned blog:
None of us are privy to the conversation, mentioned by the bishop in his letter, that took place on 24 February. I have no idea what the tone of that conversation was or how many conversations took place.
However, I am appalled at the tone of the Bp. Olson’s letter to Mr. King. Frankly, it reminds me of a note an authoritarian seminary rector would pin on the mailroom bulletin board about student attire or lights-out time, rather then gentle pastoral solicitude of a diocesan bishop in the era of Pope Francis. I am shocked at the suggestion that this decision is taken for the sake of the souls of the students and the president himself, as if the Extraordinary Form were somehow spiritually harmful.
That said, what we don’t know about this situation could fill volumes.
For example, I discern in the bishop’s second point, the one about his granting faculties, the possibility that the priest who had been saying Mass at Fisher More on a regular basis may not have had any faculties at all, from any bishop or religious superior. I suspect that there is more to that poorly phrased second point than meets the eye.
Also, while some Catholic college and university chaplaincies also have the canonical designation as a parish (e.g., St. Paul’s at the University of Madison), Summorum Pontificum doesn’t seem to apply as clearly. The Motu Proprio doesn’t seem to apply to college chapels and chapels on military bases. That said, the spirit of both Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae communicate something far different from the tone, at least, of the bishop’s letter.
Again, what we don’t know about this situation could fill volumes. I, at least, don’t know who the priests were who were saying that Mass for the students at Fisher More. Were they of the SSPX or some independent group? Were they preaching things that were improper (e.g., attacking Pope Francis from the pulpit)? More will come out, and soon.
In the meantime, it is hard to imagine why a letter with such a menacing tone would be sent to a layman about something which soon-to-be St. John Paul II described as a “legitimate aspiration”. You will recall that Bl. John Paul asked, nay rather, required by his apostolic authority, that respect be shown to those who desire the traditional forms of the Roman Rite (cf. Ecclesia Dei adflicta, 6c).
My first hope and prayer, and petition to the Guardian Angels of those involved, is for cool heads and a positive resolution to this conflict so that the students and staff of Fisher More will be able to have their legitimate aspirations respected according to the will of St. John Paul and Benedict XVI.
Sounds like sour grapes from a late convert who wanted things his own way or no way. What does a financial transaction have to do with the offering of the TLM? I’m glad Mr. King replaced people like Mr. Marsh.
>>He also contracted an irregular/suspended priest without faculties,..<<
In the above, he appears to be exaggerating about Fr. Gruner, who neither offered Mass or heard confessions.
Good riddens to Mr. Marshall; if he’s still looking for a job let him go back to his media outlets like EWTN, the Network Gone Wild. The school is better off without him.
>>Moreover, be assured that Bishop Olson supports the FSSP in his diocese and has nothing against the Extraordinary Form.<<
Another exaggeration. The FSSP priests come from the Diocese of Dallas, not the Diocese of Ft. Worth. As a matter a fact, many of the FMC students are children of the parishioners who attend Mater Dei Church, in Dallas, which is serviced by the FSSP and offers only the TLM. These parents are not at all pleased with Bishop Olson’s brutality against their children.
Was the financial transaction related to an expansion plan? Why does Taylor Marshall find it necessary to leak partial info in order to justify the bishop's horrendous letter forbidding the TLM? Is he a "professional Catholic" who must always loudly agree with the bishop whether he is right or wrong?
Oh! Check out his website; he’s about as much of a “professional catholic” as Scott Hahn and his ilk are.
>>Suppose the wretched Franciscans of the Immaculate are as bad as their critics claim; suppose the wretched Michael King, President of Fisher More College, is as bad as his critics claim. For heaven’s sake don’t deprive them of this spiritual solace, of the Traditional Mass. It is cruel, it is unjust, and it will make whatever theological or political problems there may be much, much worse.<<
http://www.lmschairman.org/2014/03/is-ef-dangerous-to-souls.ht>>
Yes, I see what you mean. Smiling picture of Himself, ads for his books, sweeping characterizations of traditional Catholics, open contempt for the Rorate Caeli blog... Seems like his facebook comments re FMC might be best taken with a grain of salt.
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