Bishop Rifan in Novus Ordo vestments
Posted on 11/10/2004 12:59:06 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
It is beyond doubt, Bishop Rifan did take active part in the New Mass. I watched the 3-hour video tape. This Mass was of the most modern and of an extreme liturgical poverty in spite of the presence of the cardinal representing the Pope. This cardinal was beside often hesitating, not guessing what one or the other of the assistant priests or bishops or the acolytes would be doing next. The miraculous statue was brought at the beginning of the ceremony in a spectacular procession recalling how 3 fishermen miraculously drew in this little 36 cm-high statue in 1717. A beautiful procession indeed, but not suited to a church. Imagine a boat with three fishermen coming up the aisle all the way to the sanctuary… One of the fishermen then placed the statue on its pedestal after having shown it to the different rows of the faithful… each time to the general clapping of hands.
When it was time for the epistle, the governor of Sao Paulo, (center-right politically), came forward to read it.
For the crowning of the statue, a woman – seated next to the bishops in the sanctuary during the ceremony – fetched the statue and presented it to the cardinal to be crowned. Once the statue was crowned, she presented it several times to the clergy and the faithful who were warmly applauding, while confetti were raining down on the heads of the cardinal and the bishops in the sanctuary.
At the offertory, two young acolytes came to pour the wine to be consecrated into the chalices as casually as if they were pouring themselves a glass of water.
The words of consecration pronounced aloud by cardinal de Araújo Sales were, of course, those saying : "…shed for you and for all." The eucharistic prayer n° 2 had been chosen by the bishop.
Then one could see Bishop Rifan joining the bishops’ procession to communicate at the altar. As for the communion of the faithful, no priest or bishop were seen distributing it.
However, at least three women were giving communion… and we saw priests (maybe even bishops) receiving communion from one of them!
Immediately after the Postcommunion, Petrus Ananias, minister for social development (Marxist Workers’ Party), representing Mr. Lula, president of the Republic, began some kind of sermon-discourse from the very sanctuary. All the bishops sat there without flinching! He praised the ecumenical trend of his party, made reference to Jacques Maritain and stated that democracy had evangelical roots, that Our Lady of Aparecida was in solidarity with the movement of liberation and emancipation, and that she was a figure even more human than the Virgin of the Gospels because she was black… and so on, and so forth!
There seems to be marked uneasiness in Campos on this subject because today a priest from Rio who asked about this concelebration to a priest from Campos received as answer that it was not a concelebration but a bishops’ meeting at the shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida.
It is difficult not to speak of lie!
Indeed, CNBB, the Brazilian National Conference of Bishops, announced the following on its website on September, 8: "Hoje, dia 8 de setembro, às 9h, no Santuàrio Nacional, solene concelebração eucarística presidida pelo enviado especial do Papa. Dom Eugênio de Araújo Sales, e concelebrad pelo Núncio Apostólico, Dom Lorenzo Baldisseri, pelo arcebispo de Aparecida, cardeais, arcebispos, bispos e presbíteros – Today, 9/8/04, at 9:00 am, at the national shrine, solemn eucharistic concelebration presided by the special envoy of the Pope, Dom E…, and concelebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio, Dom L. B…, by the Archbishop of Aparecida, the cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests."
What remains of the booklet published by the priests of Campos : "62 Reasons Why In Conscience, We Cannot Attend the New Mass."?
Fr Joël Danjou, Prior in Santa Maria, Brazil
date : 6/11/2004
And this proves what? That Bishop Rifan approved of this fiasco?
Bishop Rifan in Novus Ordo vestments
He willingly participated in it.
Note the (lack of)attire of the girl in the left corner.
How does news travel in traditional circles? At dog speed?
So, Rifan concelebrates with his brother bishops and the Papal representative. So what? Happens all the time, all over the world.
Oh, I get it. The Novus Ordo is the spawn of Satan, and Rifan has been infected with the virus of Vatican II.
Did I get that right?
Yes they are. No gold, and no lace.
No, it happened at the beginning of September.
The date you are interpreting as June is actually Nov. 6th. Europeans reverse the month and day.
No, you didn't get it right. This concelebration is a direct violation of the letter and spirit of the Campos agreement with Rome to preserve Catholic tradition.
I know this doesn't bother you and I'm not surprised.
In that one picture, he doesn't look too happy about being there.
Isn't Rifan the bishop of Campos? Seems to me he can make up his own mind about what he does and what he doesn't do, unless there's some evidence that Rome held a gun to his head and made him concelebrate (it didn't, of course).
I know this doesn't bother you and I'm not surprised.
Why should it bother me? I suspect Lefebvre concelebrated many times before he decided to make a name for himself by disobeying the Pope.
This is rather disturbing, and directly against the expectations of trads on the news of the agreement two years ago, myself included. More Indult-inclined trads had a lot of hopes pinned on Campos.
We had Bishop Rifan in the UK only last month, and I must say, everything was 100% traditional. Is this really the price of episcopal participation? He doesn't look like he's enjoying himself...
However, did he just participate in the Mass (i.e. just attended), or did he actually concelebrate?
ps. I'm new here, so nice to make my first posting, subject matter aside!
Did I get that right?
Thanks sink. Could not have said it better myself!
You get it - but the OSTRICHES IN DE NILE don't.
Same deal as the other thread. Both the diocese and SSPX were trying to steal Saint Anthony's, of the two it would be better if it had gone to the SSPX, but best if it had gone to neither but rather entrusted to a true priest who would have kept the true Faith.
The SSPX betrays its flock a little each day, and some day it will betray all of them completely.
Let's get our facts straight. This Bishop Rifan is the one who broke with the SSPX. The SSPX magazine in France is reporting on the facts of Rifan's collaboration with the New Mass. The SSPX has always taken a strong stand against this sort of abuse.
Just like Rifan broke away from the SSPX and is now "concelebrating," so too the other group that broke away from the SSPX, the FSSP also are sometimes forced to concelebrate. The Vatican removed the elected superior of the FSSP and installed their preferred man, who then reached a deal in which FSSP priests could be required to concelebrate with the bishop of the diocese in which they resided. This was the quid-pro-quo to get admittance to certain dioceses. I believe that Indianapolis was one. By concelebrating the New Mass once per year, they destroy the foundation of the work they do the other 364 days of the year.
Someday perhaps there will come a time when your accusation of the SSPX "selling out" will come true, and then you can say "I told you so" all you want. But it hasn't happened yet, so your random and misdirected charges only look ridiculous when they are aimed 180 degrees in the wrong direction.
It indicates that now that Rifan has joined the New Order, that his soul is no longer his own if he is required to participate in these sorts of liturgical fiascoes.
I attended one of Bishop Rifan's Masses when he visited the United States in September. I was very positive going into the event, but negative coming out. It wasn't until I saw him and heard him that I started thinking about the implications of what he has done in Campos. The same thing that is happening today in New Jersey with one small little independent parish, that same thing happened with an entire diocese of traditional Catholics, the only traditional diocese in the world.
He looks really annoyed.
You're going to produce that letter, right? The one that says "Priests and bishops of Campos hereby have their right revoked to offer the Mass according to the normative liturgical books of the Latin Rite"? Because that's what would be needed.
Myself also. At the time, Campos seemed like the perfect model. I have seen many supporters of the Latin Mass inquire whether the Campos jurisdiction couldn't be applied to traditionalists throughout the world.
Is this really the price of episcopal participation? He doesn't look like he's enjoying himself...
I guess there's always a price to pay. If one truly has a conscience and principles, then he could never participate in such a travesty even once. It's like St. Thomas More, "C'mon, just a couple meaningless words one time and then you can go back to believing whatever you like." But once you've said those words, you've sold out and all your other actions can never make up for that betrayal.
I'm not a bishop, thank God, but at least I never am forced ever to participate in these outrages against God. Not even the rack and the thumbscrews could get me to set foot in such a "liturgy."
However, did he just participate in the Mass (i.e. just attended), or did he actually concelebrate?
He's wearing vestments and a stole. Did he hold his hand up during the "Second Eucharistic Prayer"? Who knows. And would it make any difference one way or another?
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.