Posted on 12/11/2024 2:07:44 PM PST by ebb tide
Two years ago, the Archdiocese of Washington decided to end the Traditional Latin Mass at Old St. Mary and five other parishes. Like much of the Church, the Archdiocese had been experiencing rapid decline for decades. That decline was exacerbated by the revelation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's sex abuse in the 2018 "Summer of Shame." But through it all, the seven parishes with the TLM were among its most thriving and generous in the Archdiocese.
Cardinal Gregory's decision in 2022 to end the TLM at these parishes and replace it with three "Mass centers," with only Sunday Mass and no parish life, was unbelievable. Particularly stunning was the cancellation of the Latin Mass at Old St. Mary in Chinatown. Old St. Mary had been dying when the TLM was reintroduced with the permission of Cardinal James Hickey in the mid-1980s. The TLM brought the congregation back to life. As noted by former parishioner Kenneth Wolfe, by 2022, the TLM at Old St. Mary accounted for "roughly two-thirds of that parish’s income, 100 percent of the church’s volunteer singers and about 90 percent of its volunteer base." The TLM parishioners were so generous financially that they paid for Old St. Mary's beautiful restoration. Now, as predicted, Old St. Mary's has lost nearly all of its regular Mass attendees since the restrictions.
In 2022, when the ADW was contemplating restrictions, Wolfe noted the Archdiocese's precarious financial position:
Cardinal Gregory’s two predecessors (Cardinals Theodore McCarrick and Donald Wuerl) resigned in disgrace, costing millions of dollars. Sex abuse payouts have been enormous. Pews are nearly empty at many, if not most, Catholic churches in D.C., and the archdiocese is likely on the verge of bankruptcy. According to the financial report released for the most recent fiscal year, parishes ran an operating deficit of $2.3 million in just that one year, and the priests’ retirement benefit trust and medical and care funds have unfunded liabilities of tens of millions of dollars. Contrary to some assumptions, the Archdiocese of Washington is actually quite small, having only double the number of parishes as Virginia’s 70-parish Diocese of Arlington, which makes these large monetary deficits staggering.
Wolfe wondered how, given these challenges, the Archdiocese could contemplate doing something so destructive as cutting the legs out from under its most generous parishes by cancelling the TLM. Fr. De Rosa vigorously protested the cancellation of the Latin Mass at Old St. Mary, but Cardinal Gregory ignored his pleas.
A new report in The Pillar reveals that Wolfe's dire financial predictions have been fully vindicated--and reveals the extent of the financial mismanagement within ADW.
Since the revelation of McCarrick's sex crimes in 2018, the ADW's annual operating deficit has more than tripled to nearly $10 million per year as giving has dried up across the archdiocese.
Making matters worse, the ADW's former Chief Financial Officer covered up the deficit with "smoke and mirrors." The ADW's Audit Committee, which stunningly did not include a single accountant, failed to catch the extent of the financial problems. Fr. De Rosa explains:
I asked why auditors did not catch this over the last several years. The audited financial statements of the [archdiocese] are all available online after all. [The ADW's current CFO] responded that technically the math was all there and correct for someone to see it, as he did on arrival in the [archdiocese], and that the ‘audit committee’ to which the audits are presented each year does not include any accountants, who might’ve been better trained to look for these things.
Now, the Archdiocese is unveiling a new system of assessments to skim more money from the Archdiocese's most financially healthy parishes in a bid to stave off bankruptcy. But this approach will likely only further accelerate the death of the golden goose. As Fr. De Rosa explains, “many people give money to parishes with the express understanding that 100% of their gift stays at the parish.” Now, that will no longer be the case. In addition, the new assessment system will require contributions to the Archdiocese even where gifts are made from foundations and grants. And it admits of no exceptions for smaller gift-giving.
The horrible mismanagement of the Archdiocese of Washington is representative of what is happening throughout the wider Church. Vicious attacks on the remaining traditional faithful, combined with outright deception and fraud, accelerate the Church's long-term decline. Francis's successor as Pope will have a monumental task on his hands. It is now clear beyond any doubt that the Church's revival will come from its traditional elements-- not doubling down on the status quo. The Church simply cannot afford a Francis II.
The church has an “evil” problem, not a “mismanagement” problem.
Only when they identify the problem correctly then they can begin to address it.
Isn’t this the Jesuit deam? To kill the Church?
Ping
I’m shocked ... Shocked, I tell you!
This is my “shocked face”.
Wilton Gregory has proven to be an “apt” successor to Teddy McCarrick ...
🤢🤮
So true.
Really hate to see what’s happened to the Church since the days when I really enjoyed and respected it. Having missals with Latin on one side and English on the other let you understand what you were hearing while reveling in the beauty of the sound of the words and the music. After all these years, much of the magic of my enjoyment of those years comes in my memories of masses and music and art and incense and fellow students rapt in their prayers. So sad to see the mundane not just a choice, but a forced demand.
Before they’re taken down, there are still videos of Latin masses available on YouTube.
. . . And to try to replace them with Gay-Pride Catholics whom he specifically invited to hold "Pride" events at his cathedral. (No doubt "Lust," "Avarice," and "Murder" events are in the works . . .)
His persistence in courting Poofters to replace the Latin Mass folks and their darn chastity, donations, and scads of children make me suppose Gregory is a poofter himself.
He needs to be removed. And jailed for the rest of his hate-saturated, perverted life.
And if he shocks everyone and reforms to his core while he's in the calaboose, well, we'll be the first to welcome the Prodigal Poofter back home.
Oremus!
The next Pope if there is one, needs to dissolve the Jesuits and ex-communicate them all. Fire them from every university. Heretics.
Vigano for Pope.
Thanks to VatII Italy has closed 150 Churches this past year.
The people want a Latin Mass, Don’t make it harder than it is.
Been wondering why this hadn’t happened long ago. Finally!
Pope John XXIII started a process called the Second Vatican Council. It ran from 1962 - 1965. The Pope wanted to change parts of the Church. John XXIII died early on in the process and his successor, Pope Paul VI continued with his desire to make changes. Among the changes included celebrating Mass in the language of the country where it was being held. Some Catholics want to return to those days where the Mass was celebrated in Latin and the current Pope has opposed this desire.
The objective was to modernize the Church and try to invigorate membership with the proposed changes. There were quite a few changes which emanated from the Second Vatican Council such as giving more power to the bishops, allowance for greater participation by laity and changes in references to the Church.
I’ve quickly summarized what took three years to create and I would recommend you search the purpose and intent of the Second Vatican Council. The change from Latin to local vernacular has been difficult for some to accept and they would like to revert to the Latin Mass. the current Pope stand opposed to this wish.
Like I said, I’ve abbreviated much of the work involved in three years of the Second Vatican Council.
Salve, amice.
I’m a Latin Mass attendee, and I’ll do my best to explain why some of us prefer it.
(1) During the 50+ years since its promulgation, the “new Mass” has spun out of control. It’s permanent revolution... with a never-ending parade of innovations... guitar music, communion in the hand, altar girls, communal wine cup, old ladies handing out communion, hand-holding during the Our Father, etc etc ad nauseam. The constant updates are annoying and disorienting. The traditional Latin Mass is a fixed thing with fixed rules.
(2) The “new Mass” has coincided with an overall slacking off in the Catholic faith. The people at Latin Mass and the priests who celebrate are pretty much the “Make Catholicism Great Again” types. The same people who hate Trump hate us.
(3) There’s a whole body of sacred music, not only ancient Greogrian chant but also post-Tridentine music that was specifically written for the Roman-rite Latin mass by the likes of Mozart, Beethoven and even protestants like Bach! That music can’t simply be grafted onto the new Mass. This was the point that secular composers like Andrew Lloyd Webber made recently in an open letter to the pope. Not everyone likes classical music of this sort, but shouldn’t there be a Mass for those of us who do?
(4) The Latin language has a nobility and profundity that distinguishes itself from ordinary vernacular speech. Why do universities have Latin mottos on their crests? Why are Pete Hegseth’s tattoos in Latin?
::The objective was to modernize the Church and try to invigorate membership with the proposed changes. ::
%%%%
Alleged objectives.
Vatican II changes succeeded in reducing Mass attendance and decreasing vocations to the priesthood and to religious life.
The Latin Mass united the Church all over the world, as there was a time one could attend Mass in any country and participate in the same form with the identical language.
In addition, the old Mass was more reverent.
Well said.
The number of priests actually grew immediately after the Second Vatican Council until about 1970. Not sure there are specific indications that the cause was the change in church teachings post Vatican II. As for the old Mass being more reverent, and I understand your preference, but I guess that’s a matter of perspective. We can all respectfully have our own opinions.
Do you realize the aspiring priest usually spends 6-8 years in the seminary before his ordination. As you said VC II concluded in 1965.
Do the math.
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.