Posted on 11/24/2021 7:55:33 AM PST by ebb tide
Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone expressly prohibited the traditional sacraments of confirmation and anointing of the sick.
Wed Nov 24, 2021 - 6:25 am EST
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — Charleston’s Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone has issued a letter severely restricting the Latin Mass and traditional sacraments, while attacking those he described as “relegating the ‘NOVUS ORDO’ to a lesser expression of the prayer of the Church.”
Dated November 12, Guglielmone’s letter told the priests and deacons of the Charleston, South Carolina, diocese that the Second Vatican Council had “indicated that the Liturgy should be renewed with the goal of full and active participation of the entire gathered community.”
The bishop’s letter is his awaited response to Pope Francis’ July 16 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, in which the pontiff significantly restricted the Latin Mass, declaring that the liturgy of Paul VI, or the Novus Ordo, is the “unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.”
Praising the changes made following Vatican II, such as use of the vernacular, and the relegation of some of the duties of clerics to the laity, Guglielmone lamented that the “charge of the Council for ‘active’ participation has not been fully accepted and realized.”
Such a still-desired change could not be brought about with the use of the traditional liturgy, Guglielmone suggested. The Latin Mass “can be a spiritual help to many people,” he admitted, but “is not necessarily consistent with the direction that Vatican II pointed out to the Church.”
“Many of the goals” of the Latin Mass could be achieved in “eucharistic adoration or in private prayer,” said the 75-year-old bishop.
“There are those, indeed even in our own diocese who regard the Mass of 1962 as the ‘TRUE Mass’ while relegating the ‘NOVUS ORDO’ to a lesser expression of the prayer of the Church,” the bishop claimed.
Starting November 28, midnight Mass at Christmas will be forbidden, while only one Mass, instead of the usual three, is permitted on All Souls Day. Mirroring the restrictions implemented in Rome, Guglielmone also banned the traditional Triduum, including the Easter vigil.
Weekday Masses in the traditional liturgy are only permitted if there is also a Novus Ordo Mass said on the same day.
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Identifying four parishes only which are to be allowed to hold celebrations of the Latin Mass, Guglielmone decreed that there could be a “singular Mass of Obligation” on Sundays and holy days.
Only those priests who were already celebrating the Latin Mass when Pope Francis’ motu proprio came out in July, are to be allowed to continue doing so in the Diocese of Charleston.
While the provisions for Mass are restrictive, the traditional sacraments are even more affected, as Guglielmone expressly prohibited confirmation and the anointing of the sick.
Prince of Peace Catholic Church in upstate South Carolina had previously provided traditional confirmations to parishioners with the permission of the bishop.
The same parish’s noon Latin Mass on Sundays has roughly 400 faithful participating (more than any Novus Ordo in the parish), which has grown organically from under 100 faithful several years ago.
Similarly, the other parishes designated by the bishop to keep the Latin Mass have seen significant growth.
Baptisms, Guglielmone said, are to be permitted “only at the request of the individual parents.”
Marriages and funerals are now also subject to stringent conditions, with traditional marriages only occurring with the permission of the bishop himself, and funerals only with the “specific prior written request of the deceased.”
Popular blogger Fr. John Zuhlsdorf commented sarcastically:
What about certain moments in people’s lives, such as getting married, yoking yourself sacramentally until your last breath to another for the sake of helping each other get to heaven and bringing children into the world. Not pivotal or important at all, I guess. No reason to be pastorally, paternally sensitive to their “legitimate aspirations” as Saint John Paul II called them. No no … we will permit all sorts of goofy stuff at “normal” weddings, but you people can just shut up and take a seat in the back of the bus.
Regarding the sacrament of anointing of the sick, he added:
What about another pivotal moment in your life: DYING. The bishop forbids that a person who truly longs for the traditional form of anointing by denied. Father is supposed to refuse to do it. “Please, Father, anoint me in the old way?” “No. The bishop says you can’t have that.”
“Please, Father, anoint my grandpa with the traditional book?” “Nope. No can do! Here, have a tissue.”
Honestly, I might have a heart as cold as a frog on a mountain, but I don’t think I could look into teary, anxious eyes and deny anointing with the older book.
What priest could do that? What bishop would even suggest that? For the love of all that’s holy … what’s with that?
Zuhlsdorf said the Pope’s motu proprio is “immensely harsh and cruel,” asking why bishops “would willingly succumb to that spirit? … These are young and zealous Catholics who are going to weather the demographic storm we are in. These are the people you want to attack right now?”
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I see they (Vatican 2 bishops) are still trying to push the “active participation” schtick.
Father Z’s snark indicates he has forgotten the fact that Catholics have duty to obey Church and Bishop except under most rare of circumstances. Unfortunately, the Latin Mass community itself has been the cause of more restrictions, primarily by their divisive, disdain of V2 and the N.O.Mass
Glad we are no longer living under this bishop. This action saddens & disgusts me.
The bishop here our area of Florida is all about fundraising all the time. Fund raising letters still went out from his office when our Norvos Ordo parishes were locked & no one could receive the Sacraments due to the scamdemic.
We got an odd letter from the bishop’s office several months ago regarding SSPX chapels (who NEVER closed during the scamdemic in Florida) that many parishioners were now attending. The letter said any Mass said in a SSPX church is “valid but illicit” or words to that effect. This piqued my curiosity so my wife & I started attending Mass at a SSPX chapel here in Jacksonville.
We’ve never been happier attending Mass. It’s the 1st church I have ever attended that I am never in a hurry to leave. The TLM is beautiful beyond words & we are thankful to no longer be subject to the diocesan bishop in St Augustine. I thank God every night for leading us to this chapel.
Very disappointing. There’s absolutely no reason for him to do this (unless, of course, he has noticed that the Traditional Rite masses and sacraments are being more frequented than the Novus Ordo).
In my opinion, he’s been sort of a nobody during his time in Charleston (I have family there), and it’s weird that he should suddenly pop up with this. I think he came from Rockville Centre (LI).
"An unjust law is no law at all." St. Thomas Aquinas.
Check. We're there. The Bishop is claiming something nonsensical. (And my guess is that he's also a fairy, but let's focus for now on his statements.) God, through the teaching of the Church has called the Traditional Mass holy and necessary for salvation for past 500 years. It cannot become suddenly bad or unnecessary. Nor can the forms of the Mass that preceded Trent in all essentials since the Last Supper, nor the prayers and blessings--such as Last Rites--that authentically follow from it.
To make his case, the Bishop (with Francis and his supporters at the Vatican) would be obliged to document for the the world what has changed--is it human nature, God's nature, or the teaching of Christ?
Crickets. Why? None of those three things is subject to change until the end of the world.
Until that occurs, diatribes or rules designed to suppress the TLM, those who celebrate it, and those who choose to worship at it, must be ignored.
At best.
Good for you!
When the FSSP halted their Masses in blind obedience to our apostate bishop, I started attending SSPX Masses.
Couldn’t be happier.
P.S. Our bishop still has not lifted his suspension of the Sunday obligation to attend Mass.
“Starting November 28, midnight Mass at Christmas will be forbidden”
Growing up, I loved midnight Mass. It was festive and felt holy. I can still smell the incense.
This is what happens when the commie pope is a dope.
Anointing the sick NOT ALLOWED??? THESE ARE THE LAST RITES! THIS BISHOP IS SICK
The communists have full control of my former religion...
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