Posted on 01/11/2020 7:14:50 AM PST by ebb tide
ROME, January 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A northern Italian bishop refused to openly profess the Nicene Creed on the Solemnity of the Epiphany because he said he didn’t want to offend the Orthodox, Waldensians, and unbelievers who were present in the congregation.
Bishop Derio Olivero of the Piedmontese diocese of Pinerolo announced at the end of his homily on January 6 that the profession of the Creed would be replaced with a moment of silence so that everyone could quietly recite their own beliefs.
Addressing Catholic faithful, representatives of other religious traditions, and civic authorities at what was called the “Mass of the Peoples,” Bishop Olivero said, “Since there are also non-believers, everyone will say it in silence. Those who believe can say it and those who do not believe or are of other faiths will say in silence the reasons for their belief.”
The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation.” On the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the Church commemorates the manifestation of Christ to the Magi — that is, to the Gentiles.
Several faithful who were present at the Epiphany Mass, including one who recorded the bishop’s words, told the Italian outlet La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana that his announcement was followed by an awkward silence before the Mass resumed.
Diocesan representatives sought to justify the bishop’s silencing of the Creed on grounds that it was “for the sake of better internalizing” it.
Bishop Olivero also denied any disparity between his decision and the liturgical norms of the Church, telling La Nuova Bussola through his spokesman: “This, in my opinion, does not constitute any violation of anything.”
Bishop Olivero, who serves as a member of the Italian Episcopal Conference commission for ecumenism and dialogue, further justified his decision, saying: “I respect the Missal 56 Sundays a year and I always respect the liturgy, but on the occasion of this Mass there were (members of) other confessions in the church and I thought that Catholics could say the Creed in silence and those instead, like the Waldensians and Orthodox, could proclaim something in which to believe. All in silence, but I reaffirm my absolute fidelity to the Missal.”
According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, “The Creed is to be sung or said by the priest together with the people on Sundays and solemnities. It may be said also at particular celebrations of a more solemn character” (n. 68).
The Instruction explains that the purpose of the Profession of Faith, or Creed, “is that the whole gathered people may respond to the word of God proclaimed in the readings taken from Sacred Scripture and explained in the homily and that they may also call to mind and confess the great mysteries of the faith by reciting the rule of faith in a formula approved for liturgical use, before these mysteries are celebrated in the Eucharist.”
In response to the bishop’s comments, La Nuova Bussola observed: “The point is not to respect the liturgy 56 Sundays a year except on Epiphany … but to always respect it, because the Catholic liturgy is not subject to the circumstances of the moment, to fashions, politics and sentiment.”
The Italian outlet also argued that Bishop Olivero “subjectivized” the faith and effectively made Catholics “renounce” their faith in the name of “ecumenism,” at the very moment they are called publicly to profess it.
According to the ancient axiom, “Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi,” i.e. the law of prayer is the law of belief is the law of life. Conversely, it would appear, divergence of worship translates into divergence of belief and divergence of lifestyle.
Bishop Olivero has in fact shown himself to be quite supportive of diverse lifestyles.
In a February 2018 interview about Pope Francis’s summary document on the family, Amoris Laetitia, Bishop Olivero said that while “marriage is indissoluble” it is “not unbreakable.” He added that “for those who have arrived at a new union there can be a path that also comes to be fully integrated” into the sacraments.
Asked by the interviewer if he might envision these second unions being blessed, Bishop Olivero said: “In the document (guidelines) of the Piedmont Episcopal Conference this is not envisaged, but I believe it could be a good solution. Having made a proper journey, one can foresee a blessing, which means recognizing the validity of the relationship.”
“Amoris Laetitia goes beyond juridical logic,” Bishop Olivero continued. “A couple who in conscience lives the new union in all its aspects can have access to the sacraments after a proper path. This helps us to understand that the sacraments are not a reward for the good ... ”
Olivero, who was appointed a bishop by Pope Francis in July 2017, said that one of the “great novelties” of Amoris Laetitia is that “it is no longer possible to say that all those who find themselves in so-called irregular situations live in mortal sin because there are many questions to analyze.”
Such irregular situations have to be evaluated “case by case,” he said.
Olivero, who was appointed a bishop by Pope Francis in July 2017, said that one of the “great novelties” of Amoris Laetitia is that “it is no longer possible to say that all those who find themselves in so-called irregular situations live in mortal sin because there are many questions to analyze.”
Ping
New York Times; March 16, 2013
It’s just a “traditions of man” thing anyway. So this is not really a big deal.
The Nicene Creed went something like this if I can remember it...I learnt it 60 years ago...for confirmation into the Anglican Church...we would recite it every Sunday...
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth,
and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born unto the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontus Pilate, was dead and buried.
He descended into Hell, the third day He rose again from the dead, he ascended into Heaven
From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
Amen
Note: The “Catholic church” is not the Roman Catholic church but the church universal...the Protestant churches...
I’m sitting here trying to know whether I would have started saying the creed out loud in this Mass. I think I would, especially now that I’m prepared. I can’t imagine our plaster doing this but we travel a lot so it could happen. I know that when we were on Maui the celebrant told us not to kneel during consecration. I can’t remember why, something about the Bishop. I knelt.
I am not RC but this trend to avoid offending ANYONE by so many ‘Christian’ organization is UNREAL!! In my 60+ years we have gone from an observance of ‘purity’ to embracing a building on a sand base.
This man mocks Christ, who refused to take an easier way to avoid Crucifixion, the prelude to Resurrection.
The Nicene Creed has been around since the year 300 if not earlier. THIS IS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR for all sects of Christians. If they are trying to destroy the Nicene Creed, then they are trying to destroy Christianity.
that is the apostles creed. The. Nicene Creed says the same thing but in more detail. It is a beautiful creed used by many Protestants as well
“it is no longer possible to say that all those who find themselves in so-called irregular situations live in mortal sin because there are many questions to analyze.”
I think it is an excellent idea for person or body of person, religious or secular, to cease laying judgments of things like ‘mortal sin’ on people...the normal sane person goes through his/her entire life without committing grave offenses, and it would be well that church and state both realize that...
Jesus told us to proclaim the Gospel to all nations.
This bishop says don’t.
I say to hell with the bishop.
You were the salt of the world but you became unsalty to avoid giving offense therefore men, however unconverted, stayed in the pews ... isn’t how that passage in Scripture went.
And this isn’t critical of the RCC but anywhere, any bunch, that tosses out the Gospel as they understand it to keep them in the pews has done the same.
The road to Romans 1:18-32 does NOT begin with people championing homosexuality but with people departing from the knowledge of the Lord. Only afterwards does homosexuality enter into it.
And when we look around we may see that the judgment in Romans 1:18-32 not only seems to be happening at increasing rates but those who might be turned over to reprobate minds are no longer content with merely pitching for homosexuality, but have gone on to even loonier things like genderism.
Christ said who ever loves this or that (paraphrasing) more than they love Him that they are not worthy of Him ... and our times are full of things and people demanding we cling to them and not to Him.
But we must not go along with them.
Those who are ashamed of Christ and His church may well find Christ is ashamed of them when they stand before Him.
Not a place I want to be.
‘...and our times are full of things and people demanding we cling to them and not to Him. But we must not go along with them.’
why should anyone feel they have to ‘cling’ to anyone or anything...? ‘clinging’ is not what we would normally call a positive virtue...
Sounds about right - and it is not a “Catholic Church” thing because the Catholic Church is not actually “Catholic” as far as being all-encompassing.
Is it true that:
A) Saint Nicholas was present at the Council of Nicea, and,
B)Saint Nicholas slapped the snot out of some guy for piping up and stating his disbelief for all this stuff?
I had heard this somewhere and never got confirmation of it, or not.
"Back to regular programming."
Schism, anyone?
The Faithful will not need to leave the Church; the Church has left The Faithful.
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