He may have lost weight. He looks healthier (but unhappier) in the pic on the right. Regardless, the sources in the article are varied so I do think it's him.
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
Before everyone gets their knickers in a twist over this, has anyone else apart from Max and myself met Bishop Rifan in the flesh?
Of those who have, are you sure that this is indeed Bishop Rifan? The still might be taken from a bad angle, and he looks quite similar, but I'm not convinced this is Rifan - this guy just about has a chin and his face does not seem long enough!
Compare to this:
http://www.latin-mass-society.org/
The other photo from DICI claiming to identify him is impossible to make out.
(Sorry - I've forgotten how to post images!)
So much discussion on the propriety of an SSPX priest participating at a NO liturgy. Could someone please explain the nature of this feast and reason for this liturgy? What was the occasion?
Rifan is not SSPX. He is from Campos. I will try to get some history and other info as soon as I can.
Welcome to the forum David - good to have another Brit around here.
Don't be shy about posting - its the best way to work out what gets different people's goats!!!
I have no idear.
No need to bother, Deborah, I am very familiary with the Campos return to the Magiserium. Thanks anyway. Just wondering about the feat that was being celebrated. It obviously involved a boat - and confetti ;-D.
He may have lost weight. He looks healthier (but unhappier) in the pic on the right. Regardless, the sources in the article are varied so I do think it's him.
Good luck!
Ash Monday?
He didn't lose much.
He looks healthier (but unhappier) in the pic on the right. Regardless, the sources in the article are varied so I do think it's him.
Any bishop who wears his stole outside his chasuble is a man I can respect. As a symbol of priestly authority, that's where it ought to be worn, by every priest.
You can usually pick out the forward-thinkers from the regressives by how they wear their stoles.
The gloves I can do without, but I like those tall mitres. They're impressive. Short fat guys wear those tall mitres to look thinner.
The Pope wears a medium mitre. He's in pretty good shape, even if he's ill.
Bishop Rifan is recognized by the Pope as being in communion with him and the Church. Who has said the Pope is wrong?
Nobody who wears gloves and lace and gold mitres and gold-trimmed vestments and enjoys being bathed in incense is suddenly going to wear a white mitre, with a contemporary stole outside a chasuble, a solid alb, and sit still for a liturgical drama.
Guys who like lace, like lace. Polyester is anathema to them.
You should breathe a sigh of relief. It ain't Rifan.
If you go back through the article, one of his Campos priests confirms Rifan was there but claimed it wasn't a Mass but a meeting.
It's him.
"Reighteous and Just Dunday"
Is that supposed to be "Sunday", or is there some sort of language barrier here?
Fr. Violette's Letter to the Faithful, December 2002
New Rome, not the SSPX, consecrated Fr.Rifan a bishop on August 18, 2002. It didn't take him long to tow the Novus line.
I now see, even clearer, Archbishop Lefebvre's misaprehensions of letting Rome pick his successor. Rome, at this time, is not to be trusted when it deals with Traditional Catholics. Either backroom deals are made before hand or Rome later betrays the traditionalists.
62 Reasons Why... Compiled by the priests of the diocese of CAMPOS, BRAZIL Never Abrogated by Holy Mother Church! An Experiment That Failed! Note: all quotes followed by an asterix "*" are from the Letter of Cardinals A. Ottaviani and A. Bacci to Pope Paul VI, dated September 25, 1. Because the New Mass is not an unequivocal Profession of the Catholic Faith (which the traditional Mass is), it is ambiguous and Protestant. Therefore since we pray as we believe, it follows that we cannot pray with the New Mass in Protestant Fashion and still believe as Catholics! 2. Because the changes were not just slight ones but actually "deal with a fundamental renovation ... a total change ... a new creation." (Msgr. A. Bugnini, co-author of the New Mass) 3. Because the New Mass leads us to think "that truths ... can be changed or ignored without infidelity to that sacred deposit of doctrine to which the Catholic Faith is bound forever." * 4. Because the New Mass represents "a striking departure from the Catholic theology of the Mass as formulated in Session XXII of the Council of Trent" which, in fixing the "canons," provided an "insurmountable barrier to any heresy against the integrity of the Mystery." * 5. Because the difference between the two is not simply one of mere detail or just modification of ceremony, but "all that is of perennial value finds only a minor place (in the New Mass), if it subsists at all." * 6. Because "Recent reforms have amply demonstrated that fresh changes in the liturgy could lead to nothing but complete bewilderment in the faithful who already show signs of uneasiness and lessening of Faith." * 7. Because in times of confusion such as now, we are guided by the words of our Lord: "By their fruits you shall know them." Fruits of the New Mass are: 30% decrease in Sunday Mass attendance in U.S. (NY Times 5/24/75), 43% decrease in France (Cardinal Marty), 50% decrease in Holland (NY Times 1/5/76). 8. Because "amongst the best of the clergy the practical result (of the New Mass) is an agonizing crisis of conscience..." * 9. Because in less than seven years after the introduction of the New Mass, priests in the world decreased from 413,438 to 243,307 -- almost 50%! (Holy See Statistics) 10. Because "The pastoral reasons adduced to support such a grave break with tradition ... do not seem to us sufficient." * 11. Because the New Mass does not manifest Faith in the Real Presence of our Lord -- the Traditional Mass manifests it unmistakably. 12. Because the New Mass confuses the REAL Presence of Christ in the Eucharist with His MYSTICAL Presence among us (proximating Protestant doctrine). 13. Because the New Mass blurs what ought to be a sharp difference between the HIERARCHIC Priesthood and the common priesthood of the people (as does Protestantism). 14. Because the New Mass favors the heretical theory that it is THE FAITH of the people and not THE WORDS OF THE PRIEST which makes Christ present in the Eucharist. 15. Because the insertion of the Lutheran :"Prayer of the Faithful" in the New Mass follows and puts forth the Protestant error that all the people are priests. 16. Because the New Mass does away with the Confiteor of the priest, makes it collective with the people, thus promoting Luther's refusal to accept the Catholic teaching that the priest is judge, witness and intercessor with God. 17. Because the New Mass gives us to understand that the people concelebrate with the priest -- which is against Catholic theology! 18. Because six Protestant ministers collaborated in making up the New Mass: George, Jasper, Shepherd, Kunneth, Smith and Thurian. 19. Because just as Luther did away with the Offertory -- since it very clearly expressed the sacrificial, propitiatory character of the Mass -- so also the inventors of the New Mass did away with it, reducing it to a simple Preparation of the Gifts. 20. Because enough Catholic theology has been removed that Protestants can, while keeping their antipathy for the True Roman Catholic Church, use the text of the New Mass without difficulty. Protestant Minister Thurian (co-consulter for the 'New Mass' project) said that a fruit of the New mass "will perhaps be that the non-Catholic communities will be ale to celebrate the Lord's Supper using the same prayers as the Catholic Church." (La Croix 4/30/69) 21. Because the narrative manner of the Consecration in the New Mass infers that it is only a memorial and not a true sacrifice (Protestant Thesis) 22. Because by grave omissions, the New Mass leads us to believe that it is only a meal (Protestant doctrine) and not a sacrifice for the remission of sins (Catholic Doctrine). 23. Because the changes such as: table instead of altar; facing people instead of tabernacle; Communion in the hand, etc., emphasize Protestant doctrines (e.g., Mass is only a meal; priest only a president of the assembly; Eucharist is NOT the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, but merely a piece of bread, etc.) 24. Because Protestants themselves have said "the new Catholic Eucharistic prayers have abandoned the false (sic) perspective of sacrifice offered to God." (La Croix 12/10/69) 25. Because we are faced with the dilemma: either we become Protestantized by worshipping with the New Mass, or else we preserve our Catholic Faith by adhering faithfully to the traditional Mass, the "Mass of All Time." 26. Because the New Mass was made in accordance with the Protestant definition of the Mass: "The Lord's Supper or Mass is a sacred synaxis or assembly of the people of God which gathers together under the presidence of the priest to celebrate the memorial of the Lord." (Par. 7 Intro. to the New Missal, defining the New Mass, 4/6/69) 27. Because by means of ambiguity, the New Mass pretends to please Catholics while pleasing Protestants; thus it is "double-tongued" and offensive to God who abhors any kind of hypocrisy: "Cursed be ... the double-tongued for they destroy the peace of many." (Sirach 28:13) 28. Because beautiful, familiar Catholic hymns which have inspired people for centuries, have been thrown out and replaced with new hymns strongly Protestant in sentiment, further deepening the already distinct impression that one is no longer attending a Catholic function. 29. Because the New Mass contains ambiguities subtly favoring heresy, which is more dangerous than if it were clearly heretical since a half-heresy half resembles the Truth! 30. Because Christ has only one Spouse, the Catholic Church, and her worship service cannot also serve religions that are at enmity with her. 31. Because the New Mass follows the format of Cranmer's heretical Anglican Mass, and the methods used to promote it follow precisely the methods of the English heretics. 32. Because Holy Mother Church canonized numerous English Martyrs who were killed because they refused to participate in a Mass such as the New Mass! 33. Because Protestants who once converted to Catholicism are scandalized t to see that the New Mass is the same as the one they attended as Protestants. One of them, Julien Green, asks: "Why did we convert?" 34. Because statistics show a great decrease in conversions to Catholicism following the use of the New Mass. Conversions, which were up to 100,000 a year in the U.S., have decreased to less than 10,000! And the number of people leaving the Church far exceeds those coming in. 35. Because the Traditional Mass has forged many saints. "Innumerable saints have been fed abundantly with the proper piety towards God by it ..." (Pope Paul VI, Const. Apost. Missale Romanum) 36. Because the nature of the New Mass is such as to facilitate profanations of the Holy Eucharist, which occur with a frequency unheard of with the Traditional Mass. 37. Because the New Mass, despite appearances, conveys a New Faith, not the Catholic Faith. It conveys Modernism and follows exactly the tactics of Modernism, using vague terminology in order to insinuate and advance error. 38. Because by introducing optional variations, the New Mass undermines the unity of the liturgy, with each priest liable to deviate as he fancies under the guise of creativity. Disorder inevitably results, accompanied by lack of respect and irreverence. 39. Because many good Catholic theologians, canonists and priests do not accept the New Mass, and affirm that they are unable to celebrate it in good conscience. 40. Because the New Mass has eliminated such things as: genuflections (only three remain), purification of the priests fingers in the chalice, preservation from all profane contact of priest's fingers after Consecration, sacred altar stone and relics, three altar clothes (reduced to one), all of which "only serve to emphasize how outrageously faith in the dogma of the Real Presence is implicitly repudiated." * 41. Because the traditional Mass, enriched and matured by centuries of Sacred Tradition, was codified (not invented) by a Pope who was a saint, Pius V; whereas the New Mass was artificially fabricated by six Protestant ministers and a 33rd degree Freemason, i.e., Msgr. A Bugnini who was later exiled from the Vatican because of his ties with Freemasonry. 42. Because the errors of the New Mass which are accentuated in the vernacular version are even present in the Latin text of the New Mass. 43. Because the New Mass, with its ambiguity and permissiveness, exposes us to the wrath of God by facilitating the risk of invalid consecrations: "Will priests of the near future who have not received the traditional formation, and who rely on the Novus Ordo Missae with the intention of 'doing what the Church does,' consecrate validly? One may be allowed to doubt it!" * 44. Because the abolition of the Traditional Mass recalls the prophecy of Daniel 8:12: "And he was given power against the perpetual sacrifice because of the sins of the people" and the observation of St. Alphonsus de Liguori that because the Mass is the best and most beautiful thing which exists in the Church here below, the devil has always tried by means of heretics to deprive us of it. 45. Because in places where the Traditional Mass is preserved, the Faith and fervor of the people are greater. Whereas the opposite is true where the New Mass reigns (Report on the Mass, Diocese of Campos, ROMA, Buenos Aires #69, 8/81) 46. Because along with the New Mass goes also a new catechism, a new morality, new prayers, new Code of Canon law, new calendar, -- in a word, a NEW CHURCH, a complete revolution from the old. "The liturgical reform ... do not be deceived, this is where the revolution begins." (Msgr. Dwyer, Archbishop of Birmingham, spokesman of Episcopal Synod) 47. Because the intrinsic beauty of the Traditional Mass attracts souls by itself; whereas the New Mass, lacking any attractiveness of its own, has to invent novelties and entertainments in order to appeal to the people. 48. Because the New mass embodies numerous errors condemned by Pope St. Pius V at the Council of Trent (Mass totally in vernacular, words of Consecration spoken aloud, etc. See Condemnation of Jansenist Synod of Pistia), and errors condemned by Pope Pius XII (e.g., altar in form of table. See Mediator Dei). 49. Because the New Mass attempts to transform the Catholic Church into a new, ecumenical church embracing all ideologies and all religions -- right and wrong, truth and error -- a goal long dreamt of by the enemies of the Catholic Church. 50. Because the New Mass, in removing the salutations and final blessing when the priest celebrates alone, shows a denial of, and disbelief in the dogma of the Communion of Saints. 51. Because the altar and tabernacle are now separated, thus marking a division between Christ in His priest-and-Sacrifice-on-the-altar, from Christ in His Real Presence in the tabernacle, "two things which of their very nature, must remain together." (Pius XII) 52. Because the New Mass no longer constitutes a vertical worship between God and man, but rather a horizontal worship between man and man. 53. Because the New Mass, although appearing to conform to the dispositions of Vatican Council II, in reality opposes its instructions, since the Council itself declared its desire to conserve and promote the Traditional Rite. 54. Because the Traditional Latin Mass of Pope St. Pius V has never been legally abrogated and therefore remains a true rite of the Roman Catholic Church by which the faithful may fulfill their Sunday obligation. 55. Because Pope St. Pius V granted a perpetual indult, valid "for always," to celebrate the Traditional Mass freely, licitly, without scruple of conscience, punishment, sentence or censure (Papal Bull "Quo Primum") 56. Because Pope Paul VI, when promulgating the New Mass, himself declared. "The rite ... by itself is NOT a dogmatic definition ..." (11/19/69) 57. Because Pope Paul VI, when asked by Cardinal Heenan of England, if he was abrogating or prohibiting the Tridentine Mass, answered: "It is not our intention to prohibit absolutely the Tridentine Mass." 58. Because "In the Libera Nos of the New Mass, the Blessed Virgin, the Apostles and all the Saints are no longer mentioned; her and their intercession thus no longer asked, even in time of peril." * 59. Because in none of the tree new Eucharistic Prayers (of the New Mass) is there any reference ... to the state of suffering of those who have died, in none the possibility of a particular Memento, thus undermining faith in the redemptive nature of the Sacrifice.* 60. Because we recognize the Holy Father's supreme authority in his universal government of Holy Mother Church, but we know that even this authority cannot impose upon us a practice which is so CLEARLY against the Faith: a Mass that is equivocal and favoring heresy and therefore disagreeable to God. 61. Because, as stated in Vatican Council I, the "Holy Spirit was not promised to the successors of Peter, that by His revelation they might make new doctrine, but that by His assistance they might inviolably keep and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of Faith delivered through the Apostles." (Dnz 3070) 62. Because heresy, or whatever clearly favors heresy, cannot be a matter for obedience. Obedience is at the service of Faith and not Faith at the service of obedience! In this foregoing case then, "One must obey God before men." (Acts 5:29) * Letter of Cardinals A. Ottaviani and A. Bacci to Pope Paul VI A Critical Study of the Novus Ordo Missae."
In Conscience, We Cannot Attend the New Mass
The
Traditional MassThe
New Mass
2,000 years of venerable usage
Tried and TrueFabricated in 1969
Experimental
Clearly a Sacrifice
An Altar, A PriestClearly a Meal
A Table
Centered on God
Structured for reverenceCentered on Man
Loose structure invites abuses
Completely Catholic
One, Holy, Catholic, ApostolicHalf Protestant
Lacks all Four Marks
Codified at Council of Trent
By a Pope Saint
(Pope St. Pius V)Contrived
For approval of six
Protestant ministers
Fruitful!
Multitudes of saints, martyrs,
religious vocations!Barren!
Empty seminaries, decreased
Mass attendance, massive defections!
TRADITIONAL MASS
The New Mass
1969 enclosing "A Critical Study of the Novus Ordo Missae."
--- 
Yes ... the Maronites celebrate Ash Monday! No mistake there.
Reighteous and Just Dunday should indeed read ... Righteous and Just Sunday ... and still no cigar.
The small error is actually on May 15, which celebrates the feast day of "Blessed" Hardini.
Youssef Kassab Al-Hardini was born in 1808 in Hardin, Lebanon. As a child, he was strongly influenced by the monastic tradition of the Maronite Church. Four of his brothers became priests or monks, and Youssef himself entered the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1828.
While still alive, Fr Nimatullah was known as the "Saint of Kfifan", a monk who gave himself completely to his brother monks and neighbours during a time of suffering in his Land and difficulty within his Order.
The Holy Father said St. Nimatullah is “an example for all the monks of the Lebanese Maronite Order, as well as for all his Lebanese brothers and for all Christians worldwide. He gave himself totally to the Lord in a life of great self-denial, showing that the love of God is the only true source of joy and happiness for man. He was determined to seek and to follow Christ, his teacher and Lord.”
Welcoming his brothers and sisters,” added the Pope, “he soothed and healed many wounds in the hearts of his contemporaries, witnessing to them the mercy of God. May his example shed light on our path, inspire in young people in particular a true desire for God and for holiness, to proclaim to our world the light of the Gospel!”
Blessed Hardini was canonized in May of this year, thus he is now St. Nimatullah.
Okay ... not what you were expecting perhaps, but my point in posting this was to suggest that everyone "lighten up" about protocol and such and cut Bishop Rifan a break. Remember the words of our Lord that as you judge others, so will you be judged. If you take nothing more from this post, at least adopt some humility into your lives, as did St. Nimatullah.
Odd, then, that the Mass was in the vernacular under great Popes such as Sts. Peter, Leo I and Gregory I.
errors condemned by Pope Pius XII (e.g., altar in form of table.
The Roman Rite does not require that the altar be in the form of a table.
259. At the altar the sacrifice of the cross is made present under sacramental signs. It is also the table of the Lord and the people of God are called together to share in it. The altar is, as well, the center of the thanksgiving that the eucharist accomplishes.[80]260. In a place of worship, the celebration of the eucharist must be on an altar, either fixed or movable. Outside a place of worship, especially if the celebration is only for a single occasion, a suitable table may be used, but always with a cloth and corporal.
261. A fixed altar is one attached to the floor so that it cannot be moved; a movable altar is one that can be transferred from place to place.
262. The main altar should be freestanding to allow the ministers to walk around it easily and Mass to be celebrated facing the people. It should be so placed as to be a focal point on which the attention of the whole congregation centers naturally.[81] The main altar should ordinarily be a fixed, consecrated altar.
263. According to the Church's traditional practice and the altar's symbolism, the table of a fixed altar should be of stone and indeed of natural stone. But at the discretion of the conference of bishops some other solid, becoming, and well-crafted material may be used.
The pedestal or base of the table may be of any sort of material, as long as it is becoming and solid.
264. A movable altar may be constructed of any becoming, solid material suited to liturgical use, according to the traditions and customs of different regions.
265. Altars both fixed and movable are consecrated according to the rite described in the liturgical books; but movable altars may simply be blessed. There is no obligation to have a consecrated stone in a movable altar or on the table where the eucharist is celebrated outside a place of worship (see no. 260).
266. It is fitting to maintain the practice of enclosing in the altar or of placing under the altar relics of saints, even of nonmartyrs. Care must be taken to have solid evidence of the authenticity of such relics.
267. Minor altars should be fewer in number. In new churches they should be placed in chapels separated in some way from the body of the church.[82]
Note that 260 distinguishes between an altar and a table and requires the use of an actual altar in places of worship.
Thanks for sharing more on the Maronite rite. It's very interesting. Particularly appealing are the names given to the feasts of Holy Week.
Get back to me when you can address all 62 reasons.
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