Lay Preaching To Spread In Rochester Diocese

The Wanderer ^ | May 20, 2002 | PAUL LIKOUDIS

[NYer]

Another first from Bishop Clark!

[NYer]

This same biship is presently working to "wreckovate" Rochester's Sacred Heart Cathedral, using guidelines from Fr. Dick Vosko.

[Siobhan]

The entire Rochester Diocese needs to be given to the Prelature of Opus Dei. I am absolutely serious about that.

[Domestic Church]

And Erie & Altoona PA too I hear...send in the Opus Dei!

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
1150 Buffalo Road
Rochester, NY 14624-1890
585-328-3210
585-328-3149 (FAX)

http://www.dor.org

Matthew has comprehension problems.

EWTNews

7-May-2002 -- Vatican Information Service

COMPLEMENTARITY, NOT EQUALITY, BETWEEN PRIESTS AND LAITY VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2002 (VIS)

The bishops of the Antilles were welcomed by Pope John Paul this morning who, in his talk to them in English and French, focussed at length on the "deep complementarity" - not equality - that must exist between priests and the lay faithful.

"You come as Pastors who have been called to share in the fullness of Christ's eternal priesthood," said the Pope in opening remarks. "First and foremost, you are priests: not corporate executives, business managers, finance officers or bureaucrats, but priests. This means above all that you have been set apart to offer sacrifice, since this is the essence of priesthood, and the core of the Christian priesthood is the offering of the sacrifice of Christ."

He then mentioned Vatican II, calling it a "great grace" for the Church, and highlighted how the role of the laity in ecclesial life had evolved since that 1962-65 council. He reminded the bishops that, "along with the awakening of the lay faithful in the Church" there has been a decrease in vocations in seminaries under their care. He told the bishops that they were "rightly concerned" at declining numbers because "the Catholic Church cannot exist without the priestly ministry that Christ Himself desires for her."

"Some persons, we know, affirm that the decrease in the number of priests is the work of the Holy Spirit and that God Himself will lead the Church, making it so that the government of the lay faithful will take the place of the government of priests. Such a statement certainly does not take into account what the Council Fathers said when they sought to promote a greater involvement of the lay faithful in the Church. In their teachings, the Council Fathers simply underscored the deep complementarity between priests and the laity that the symphonic nature of the Church implies. A poor understanding of this complementarity has sometimes led to a crisis of identity and confidence among priests, and also to forms of commitment by the laity that are too clerical or too politicized."

"Involvement by the laity becomes a form of clericalism when the sacramental or liturgical roles that belong to the priest are assumed by the lay faithful or when the latter set out to accomplish tasks of pastoral governing that properly belong to the priest. ... It is the priest who, as an ordained minister and in the name of Christ, presides over the Christian community on liturgical and pastoral levels. The laity can assist him in this in many ways. But the premier place of the exercise of the lay vocation is in the world of economic, social, political and cultural realities. It is in this world that the lay people are called to live their baptismal vocation."

"In a time of insidious secularization," asserted John Paul II, "it could seem strange that the Church insists so much on the secular vocation of the laity. But it is precisely this Gospel witness by the faithful in the world that is the heart of the Church's answer to the malaise of secularization."

"The commitment of lay persons," the Pope stated, "is politicized when the laity is absorbed by the exercise of 'power' within the Church. That happens when the Church is not seen in terms of the 'mystery' of grace that marks her, but rather in sociological or even political terms. ... When it is not service but power that shapes all forms of government in the Church, be this in the clergy or in the laity, opposing interests start to make themselves felt." And this hurts the Church, he added.

"What the Church needs," he told the bishops, "is a deeper and more creative sense of complementarity between the vocation of the priest and that of the laity." The Pope spoke of the importance of developing "a new apologetic for your people, so that they may understand what the Church teaches." Especially, he added, "in a world where people are continuously subjected to the cultural and ideological pressure of the media and the aggressively anti-Catholic attitude of many sects."

"The Church," he continued, "is called to proclaim an absolute and universal truth in the world at a time when in many cultures there is deep uncertainty as to whether such a truth could possibly exist. Therefore, the Church must speak in ways which carry the force of genuine witness. In considering what this entails, Pope Paul VI identified four qualities, which he called 'perspicuitas, lenitas, fiducia, prudentia,' - clarity, humanity, confidence and prudence."

John Paul II underlined that "to speak with clarity means that we need to explain comprehensibly the truth of Revelation and the Church's teachings which stem from it. ... This is what I meant when I said that we need a new apologetic, geared to the needs of today, which keeps in mind that our task is not to win arguments but to win souls. ... Such an apologetic will need to breathe a spirit of humanity, that humility and compassion which understand the anxieties and questions of people."

"To speak with confidence," he explained, "will mean that we never lose sight of the absolute and universal truth revealed in Christ, and never lose sight of the fact that this is the truth for which all people long, no matter how uninterested, resistant or hostile they may seem. To speak with that practical wisdom and good sense which Paul VI calls prudence ... will mean that we give a clear answer to people who ask: 'what must I do?'. In this, the heavy responsibility of our episcopal ministry appears in all its demanding challenge."

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory_print.asp?number=26290

[ventana]

Do these sackers ever stop for a breath before commencing with the sacking and pillaging? V's wife.

[Diago]

The entire Rochester Diocese needs to be given to the Prelature of Opus Dei. I am absolutely serious about that.

I'll second the motion. But let's include Cleveland as well!

[Siobhan]

Absolutely!

[Siobhan]

I pray that our Catholic websites are ready to go when the news is released detailing the homosexuality of one of the American Cardinals. It really is the time for EWTN, CatholiCity.org, e3mil/CatholicExchange, to be ready with information and action plans for the laity in advance of the USCCB meeting in Dallas -- because when everyone learns of this homosexual Cardinal there will be huge heartache and distress.

I am imploring the intercession of St. Faustina for us just as if Nazis were knocking on the convent door trying to get in.

[Campion]

If by "lay preaching" he means laypeople preaching the homily at Mass, CDW in Rome has already stated flatly that the diocesan ordinary has no authority to permit it, much less "publish norms" for it.

[NYer]

"The commitment of lay persons," the Pope stated, "is politicized when the laity is absorbed by the exercise of 'power' within the Church. That happens when the Church is not seen in terms of the 'mystery' of grace that marks her, but rather in sociological or even political terms

Bless his heart for speaking the truth. He is surrounded by wolves, however who wish to silence him forever.

Just last week, I heard "our bishop" reply to a question by the local media on the issue of married clergy and/or female ordination. He "assured" the questioner that this would more than likely be changed with the next pope.

Here's an interesting piece of information form the british rainbowsash movement web site. They are calling on the pope to convene Vatican III!!! Here's their agenda:

British Catholics are urging the Bishops to move away from panicked reactions to what is portrayed as a sudden ‘crisis', occasioned particularly by concerns over ‘the ever expanding panorama of abuse in the Church.' They urge the Archbishop and Cardinal to recognise the current situation as ‘a kairos moment for the whole Church, a time of grace and opportunity,' and take a more strategic approach in partnership with the laity.

WAC (UK)'s letter entitled A kairos for the Church draws attention to those whom the church has excluded and abandoned: divorced and remarried people, clergy who have married, women, lesbian and gay people and their parents, members of black and minority ethnic communities. It highlights particularly the hurt and anger of those abused emotionally, physically, sexually and spiritually, and whose voice is not heard.

WAC's Coordinator, Valerie Stroud said: "Instead of dealing with the current concerns as if they are all quite unrelated matters, it's time for the Church's leadership to wake up to the fact that these issues reflect a much more fundamental and structural dysfunction in the Church. Too many doors are being shut in people's faces when it's greater openness that's needed. It's no good dealing with this piecemeal, through ‘inquisitions' or silencing. The Church's pastors should offer full repentance for the abuse of power, at the heart of the problems in the Church, and a firm purpose of amendment."

WAC(UK)'s Coordinating Team urges Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster and Archbishop O'Brien of Edinburgh to call upon the Pope to convene a formal Council of the Catholic Church to include not only all the Church's Bishops but with full and not simply advisory participation of lay and other ordained members, as well as representatives of other faith communities.

WAC(UK) is also urging support for an international Catholic petition to the Pope to convene a new Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church. This was launched last week with the initial support of Japanese Archbishop Stephen Hamao, the President of the Vatican's Pontifical Commission for Migrants and Refugees, Cardinal Paolo Evaristo Arns – retired Archbishop of Sao Paolo, Brazil and some 20 other Latin American bishops and theologians.

[Campion]

Remember when Rochester had a real bishop?

[sinkspur]

He wasn't much of an administrator; however, if more priests spent the time praying over and preparing homilies from the heart as Sheen did, this "lay preaching" phenomenon would vanish.

Hell, I'd be happy if the priests in my parish could preach ONE homily without benefit of reading half of it.

If a man in Holy Orders can't preach with words of power, what good is he?

Are the Protestants the only ones who teach homiletics in seminaries any more?

[Mike Fieschko]

Remember when Rochester had a real bishop?

For all the gifts with which Bp Sheen was blessed, administration wasn't one of them, and he recognized that before shepherding the Rochester Diocese too long.

[SoothingDave]

If by "lay preaching" he means laypeople preaching the homily at Mass, CDW in Rome has already stated flatly that the diocesan ordinary has no authority to permit it, much less "publish norms" for it.

Everything from Rome is a "suggestion" nowadays. It was all clearly laid out in the Vatican II documents. Wasn't it? ;-)

SD

[Mike Fieschko]

If by "lay preaching" he means laypeople preaching the homily at Mass, CDW in Rome has already stated flatly that the diocesan ordinary has no authority to permit it, much less "publish norms" for it. Everything from Rome is a "suggestion" nowadays. It was all clearly laid out in the Vatican II documents. Wasn't it? ;-)

Rome already approved the particular law for the United States. The article mentions it:

"Last November, the U.S. bishops approved complementary legislation for canon 766 of the Code of Canon Law, on 'Lay Preaching,' which received a recognitio from the Holy See two weeks later."

[Campion]

Can. 766 The laity may be allowed to preach in a church or oratory if in certain circumstances it is necessary, or in particular cases it would be advantageous, according to the provisions of the Episcopal Conference and without prejudice to can. 767 §1.

Can. 767 §1 The most important form of preaching is the homily, which is part of the liturgy, and is reserved to a priest or deacon. In the course of the liturgical year, the mysteries of faith and the rules of Christian living are to be expounded in the homily from the sacred text.

So the only situations in which "lay preaching" can be permitted would be outside the context of the Mass.

[Campion]

The complementary legislation for the US on can 766 states (in part):

In providing for preaching by the lay faithful the diocesan bishop may never dispense from the norm which reserves the homily to the sacred ministers (c. 767§1; cfr. Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law, 26 May 1987, in AAS 79 [1987], 1249). Preaching by the lay faithful may not take place within the Celebration of the Eucharist at the moment reserved for the homily.

[Salvation]

I would agree with Campion. However, isn't preaching one of the charisms given through the Holy Spirit?

[Mike Fieschko]

Preaching by the lay faithful may not take place within the Celebration of the Eucharist at the moment reserved for the homily.

So, taking the Devil's side for the 'moment' ... let's not call it the 'homily' (I'm sure imaginative souls could concoct a suitable replacement term), and let's have it at a different 'moment' than that 'reserved for the homily'.

Remember the excommunication imposed by Bp Clark back in 1999? Fr Callan at Corpus Christi? Call to Action has stories on them here and here.

Until for all practical purposes ordered to by the Vatican, Bp Clark permitted the abuses at Corpus Christi to thrive without a peep.