Posted on 07/24/2019 7:18:15 PM PDT by marshmallow
Bishop James S. Wall also announced a weekly ad orientem Mass at his cathedral
The Bishop of Gallup, New Mexico has issued a letter encouraging his priests to celebrate Mass ad orientem and announced that one Sunday Mass at the cathedral will be celebrated ad orientem from now on.
In a message to his diocese, Bishop James S. Wall said celebrating the Mass ad orientem is also a practice I would like to encourage throughout the Diocese of Gallup. I believe it is pastoral to offer Masses both ad orientem and versus populum, so that, together, we can all be exposed to the varied riches of the Church and Her prayerful history.
Commenting on the recent letter of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI that addressed the sexual abuse crisis and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, Wall emphasized the option to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass facing toward the East (ad orientem) or toward God (ad Deum) as distinct from toward the people (versus populum).
Wall commented on devotion to the Eucharist saying: We would do well to remember, then, that the Eucharist is not simply a nice sign or symbol of communion with God, but rather truly is communion with God.
Let me say at the outset: I know this can be a contentious topic. To make changes to the way we pray can be difficult, especially when it comes to liturgical prayer. By explaining and advocating for this, I am in no way trying to disrupt the way the people of this Diocese pray, Wall said.
Rather, I am trying to open the treasury of the Churchs patrimony, so that, together, we can all experience one of the most ancient ways that the Church has always prayed, starting with Jesus and reaching even to our own day, and.....
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
Ping
According to the late great (holy) Fr. Groeschel, the enemy hates Latin
Makes sense.
Probably hates sacred music and goes for the campfire girls
crap they sing
pretty much
A good priest will be glad to get the spotlight OFF of himself, so that it may be manifest that he has disappeared, and that it is Christ Alone who celebrates these sacred mysteries.
Let the priest face "ad orientem" and orient us all toward the Lord, the Source and Summit of the Liturgy.
Very good development on the whole.
That said, it is perhaps unfortunate that his surname is “Wall.”
BTTT! I think this is going to come from a lot of Bishops.
Hooray if it does!
Well it is a start.
Making the TLM its own Rite.
Bishop Wall was our pastor at our parish in Phoenix and he is a wonderful man. One of the first things he did when he became pastor (I think it was around 2002) was to institute a more reverent liturgy with more traditional hymns. He is one of the best priests I have ever known. Gallup is so lucky to have him!
Maybe it’s subtle at first, but over time the direction the priest is facing can have a profound effect on those at Mass. When the priest is facing away from us the sense is: This is about worshipping God first and foremost. When he’s facing us God can begin to be placed second as those in attendance can start to think: The Mass is first and foremost about me and my petitions, my needs. The more brattish can even start to get angry that the Church won’t rationalize their sins away.
I think any growing effort to celebrate Mass “ad orientem” will be smacked down by Rome as it’s now constituted.
(Then) James was a seminarian at St. Mary’s in Chandler. He’s one of the good ones.
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.