In this file photo, Pope Francis appears on a balcony of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on July 11, 2021. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
Posted on 08/03/2021 9:45:31 PM PDT by ebb tide
In a stunning rebuke of his predecessors, Pope Francis recently enacted numerous new restrictions on priests offering the traditional Latin Mass — the centuries-old form of the Roman Catholic liturgy that was effectively replaced following the 1960s Second Vatican Council and subsequently revived as an option by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Almost no Vatican watchers thought Francis, a long-time critic of those who attend the Latin Mass, would issue such a strong papal document while Benedict remains alive. After all, the 94-year-old Pope emeritus, who in 2007 granted enormous freedom to offer the traditional Mass, still wears a white cassock and lives in the Vatican gardens. In the last 14 years, the number of parishes with a regularly scheduled traditional Latin Mass went from handfuls to significant numbers, with many congregations comprised of young adults and large families. You can find some parishes, like Holy Innocents in Manhattan, that offer the old Mass almost every day.
Now, as a result of Pope Francis’ directive, current priests have to request explicit permission from their bishop and new priests have to get signoff from the Vatican to offer the traditional Latin Mass. Even if clearance is attained, the location of the Mass is in question, the result of a weird sentence in the document restricting “parochial churches” from hosting the old liturgy. Almost no priest I have talked with has any idea what that means, and bishops are currently talking among themselves to see if anyone has a clue how to deal with that vague clause. The new directive is silent on this point.
In this file photo, Pope Francis appears on a balcony of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on July 11, 2021. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
The sloppiness on the details is a product of what happens when a papal document is obviously written by Italian, liturgical amateurs with a tone of contempt toward those who offer and attend Latin Masses, rather than authors experienced in liturgy and current practices with respect to churches where the traditional Mass is offered. One example is a line mandating the respective Epistle and Gospel readings of a Mass be read in the vernacular. If the authors of the document had any insight as to the normative operation at Latin Mass parishes around the world, they would know those passages are already commonly read in the vernacular from the pulpit following their reading in Latin at the altar.
For now, most bishops caught off guard by this directive — even from the center-left — have extended permission for priests to continue the status quo of offering traditional Latin Masses as planned. One exception is the archbishop of Washington, D.C., who flip-flopped on offering permission for a large Mass, planned months ago with his consent, that would have attracted several thousand people. Still, some bishops on the center-right have even invoked a section of Canon Law to waive their diocese from the entire directive for the good of the faithful, a growing trend.
What is missing from the new restrictions from Pope Francis are the two virtues he has lectured Catholics on since becoming Pope in 2013: mercy and charity. The irony is rich, that receiving communion has become a right for anyone who dissents from church doctrine, while Catholics who prefer the form of the Mass that dates back hundreds of years may not be welcome at the church near their home.
The organization that stands to benefit the most from any diocesan prohibitions on the traditional Latin Mass is the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a group of priests that has an irregular status with Rome since the vernacular liturgy was created following the Second Vatican Council. Paradoxically, Pope Francis has granted these Latin Mass-only priests universal permission to offer sacraments such as confession and matrimony, following gestures by Benedict XVI to grant them more regular relationships with the Vatican such as seminary visitations appointed by Church officials. Francis’ new directives attacking Latin Masses at neighborhood parishes will undoubtedly increase the number of Catholics leaving their local churches to attend Mass offered by SSPX clergy. It is unclear if the authors of the papal document gave any thought whatsoever to this outcome.
Then again, it is unclear if the authors gave much thought to anything of substance besides an obvious act of vengeance toward Catholics who attend the traditional Latin Mass. In fact, even leading voices from the left-wing of the Church were surprised as to just how far the directives went. Massimo Faggioli, a Villanova University professor who is often quoted defending Pope Francis, reacted to the Latin Mass attack by stating, “This is more radical than most of us expected.”
The vindictive tone from Pope Francis and its Mass confusion have caused chaos in many dioceses in the last several days. Don’t be surprised if more bishops look at their flock of practicing Catholics and side with them instead of an unnecessary act of intolerance from the Vatican.
Ping
According to prophesy, this guy is the last Poope
Whatever! The notion that a bunch of homosexuals and pedophiles within an organization that covers for them is somehow closer to God than I am, is ABSOLUTELY ABSURD!
But they are closer to God than you are, aren’t they.
? They have been given power to retain or forgive your sins, right? They are given the ability to change bread into the Body of Christ and wine into the blood of Christ. Isn’t that right? They perform last rights on dying people, right?
These are all things that you, an upstanding and honest member of your church, would never be able to perform, right?
And yet, these “bunch of homosexuals and pedophiles are protected and covered for in your church.
And they go forward doing the works of a priest of your Church and a representative of the priesthood before God.
Think about that
PROVE IT! Don’t try and sell me a sour bill of goods and bully me into paying for something you do NOT have to offer.
YOU think about it! You let perverts screw your kids because they wear some garment
They have been given power to retain or forgive your sins, right? They are given the ability to change bread into the Body of Christ and wine into the blood of Christ. Isn’t that right? They perform last rights on dying people, right?
YOU PROVE IT! Change blood into wine! Prove it! I’m NOT gonna buy ANY 3 card monty crap. Until then... you’re just another liar. I don’t “drink the koolaide”! “GIVEN” The only thing they have been given is what you give to them.
From the cheap seats the two of you appear to be having an honest difference of opinion.
Many, perhaps most, even if not all, of those lay Catholics who regularly (weekly) attend The Usus Antiquior (a.k.a. Mass of the Ages/the Traditional Latin Mass/The Mass of Pius V/Extraordinary Form) nevertheless have been inclined to accept at least the purported validity, if not necessarily the full liceity, of the so-called Novus Ordo Novus Ordo Missae (a.k.a., Mass of St. Paul VI/Montinian Mass/Ordinary Form). They have likely done so based on the justification of the latter offered by the Ratzingerian so-called “Hermeneutic of Continuity”. Yet it would appear that with the recent release of Bergoglio’s so-called Motu Proprio, the Ratzingerian “Hermeneutic of Continuity” has been struck a fatal blow and replaced by its opposite: a Hermeneutic of Rupture.
It seems certain that no serious theologian or canon lawyer will be willing to defend the existence of a two-sided coin that is the Roman Rite, one side being the so-called “Ordinary Form”, and the other side being the so-called “Extraordinary Form”.
But doesn’t this lead to a conundrum? How can the Novus Ordo Missae (previously referred to as the Ordinary Form) be considered by reasonable people to be both valid and licit if instead of a Hermenuetic of Continuity, we have instead a Hermeneutic of Rupture?
As between the Usus Antiquior and the Novus Ordo Missae it seems certain that there must be at least one form of the Roman Rite that remains both valid and licit. With the nearly unanimous verdict of history now in, and the Hermeneutic of Continuity now declared to be “history”, a theory that had its day and is now and forever to be ignored as a total fiction, is it really so clear that the Usus Antiquior is to be jettisoned in favor of the Novus Ordo Missae?
Why not the opposite? Does basic logic not now dictate that we instead immediately relegate the Novus Ordo Missae to the ash bin of history, and immiately re-institute the Usus Antiquior in its place, whenever and wherever the the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary is re-presented according to the Roman Rite?
In any event, does any persuasive justification still exist for continuing to claim that the Roman Rite exists in two valid and licit forms as opposed to only one valid and licit form? If so, what is this justification? Who is propounding it? Inquiring minds need to know!
“Cheap seats”? These priests you want me to look up to are engaging in homosexual and pedophile acts AND the church covers up for them. Spout all the latin and history you want. It doesn’t change the fact that your church is filled with perversion. The catholic church ACTIVELY engaged in protecting pedophile priests, AND even moved some to areas where they could re-offend. Don’t YOU talk “cheap seats” to me! You are an “enabler” of child abuse! I see you for EXACTLY what you are! All the pageantry, wardrobes, symbolism, stained glass and BS doesn’t clean up screwing kids! You are a foot soldier for child-molesters. There is a stench you should smell, but refuse to. The stench is NOT my fault. Your failure/unwillingness to smell the stench is NOT my fault. When you don’t have be-robed pedophiles screwing kids, then you can spout your latin magic crap. Until then... Clean up your own yard!
Yeah! I’ve thought about it and reject it!
Ex-Catholic?
NO!
NO! There is NO honest “difference of opinion”! You seem to pretend that Marin Luther and Guttenberg never existed. YOU are STILL in that same mold of hundreds of years ago! Go out piss on your neighbor, steal from them, wrong them... so long as you confess to some pedophile in black drag... that makes it okay. The fags and pedophiles are standing there waiting to absolve you of your sins, so long as you pay them and play along with their crooked game.
Right Edge, I don’t mean to suggest that the Church is not run through with poor shepherds, hirelings ready to bolt from the flock at the slightest hint of trouble, ravening wolves in the clothing of sheep. It is all of those things. But it also the One True Faith, the mystical body of the Christ of God, the spotless and indefectible Bride of Chtist, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Ark of Salvation. If you were within the Ark, return to it. If you never were, hold your nose and enter while you are able. Never believe that you are unworthy to gaze upon the face of God. Repent, Right Side, and pass through his blessed wound. Allow the Lord to receive you, shield you from further harm, embed you in his Sacred Heart. I know it will happen. If you let it.
Right Edge, sorry, not Right Side. Too many Trump rallies.
GET THAT JESUIT THE HECK OUT OF THE VATICAN.
Send him back to Argentina or wherever the heck he wants to go to spend his last days.
BUT, PLEASE, FRANCIS, LEAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ALONE!!!!
I appreciate your concern, but I already have my relationship with the Lord. And, I don’t need to have any human being to act as my “go-between” for that relationship. My relationship is directly from me to God through Christ. You have no need to worry about my soul, it’s just fine and always will be.
You are very kind to respond, and in the pleasant way that you did. Thank you -OGINJ
My very best wishes to you! I truly hope the best for you!
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