Posted on 07/29/2013 8:12:44 AM PDT by Brian Kopp DPM
He has touched upon the sore spot of the Mass in the ancient rite. Ratzinger permitted its celebration for all. Bergoglio has prohibited it for one religious order that favored it
by Sandro Magister
ROME, July 29, 2013 – One point on which Jorge Mario Bergoglio was eagerly expected to weigh in, after his election as pope, was that of the Mass in the ancient rite.
There were those who predicted that Pope Francis would not distance himself from the stance of his predecessor. Who had liberalized the celebration of the Mass in the ancient rite as an “extraordinary” form of the modern rite, with the motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum" of July 7, 2007:
> Benedict XVI Liberalizes the Ancient Rite of the Mass – And Explains Why
and with the subsequent instruction "Universæ Ecclesiæ" of May 13, 2011:
> Two Masses for a Single Church
And there were instead those who prognosticated on the part of Francis a restriction - or even a cancellation - of the possibility of celebrating the Mass with the rite prior to Vatican Council II, even at the cost of contradicting the decisions of Benedict XVI with him still alive.
To read the decree issued by the Vatican congregation for religious shortly before the voyage of Francis in Brazil, with the explicit approval of the pope himself, one must agree more with the latter than with the former.
The decree bears the date of July 11, 2013, the protocol number 52741/2012, and the signatures of the prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, a focolarino, and of the secretary of the same congregation, Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, a Franciscan.
Braz de Aviz is the only high-ranking official in the curia of Brazilian nationality, and because of this he has accompanied Francis on his voyage to Rio de Janeiro. He has a reputation as a progressive, although that of a scatterbrain fits him better. And he will probably be one of the first to go when the reform of the curia announced by Francis takes shape.
Rodríguez Carballo instead enjoys the pope's complete trust. His promotion as second-in-command of the congregation was backed by Francis himself at the beginning of his pontificate.
It is difficult, therefore, to think that pope Bergoglio was unaware of what he was approving when he was presented with the decree before its publication.
The decree installs an apostolic commissioner - in the person of the Capuchin Fidenzio Volpi - at the head of all the communities of the congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
And this in itself is cause for astonishment. Because the Franciscans of the Immaculate are one of the most flourishing religious communities born in the Catholic Church in recent decades, with male and female branches, with many young vocations, spread over several continents and with a mission in Argentina as well.
They want to be faithful to tradition, in full respect for the magisterium of the Church. So much so that in their communities they celebrate Masses both in the ancient rite and in the modern rite, as moreover do hundreds of religious communities around the world - the Benedictines of Norcia, to give just one example - applying the spirit and the letter of the motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum" of Benedict XVI.
But precisely this was contested by a core group of internal dissidents, who appealed to the Vatican authorities complaining of the excessive propensity of their congregation to celebrate the Mass in the ancient rite, with the effect of creating exclusion and opposition within the communities, of undermining internal unity and, worse, of weakening the more general "sentire cum Ecclesia."
The Vatican authorities responded by sending an apostolic visitor one year ago. And now comes the appointment of the commissioner.
But what is most astonishing are the last five lines of the decree of July 11:
"In addition to the above, the Holy Father Francis has directed that every religious of the congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is required to celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary rite and that, if the occasion should arise, the use of the extraordinary form (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities, for every religious and/or community that makes the request.”
The astonishment stems from the fact that what is decreed contradicts the dispositions given by Benedict XVI, which for the celebration of the Mass in the ancient rite “sine populo" demand no previous request for authorization whatsoever:
"Ad talem celebrationem secundum unum alterumve Missale, sacerdos nulla eget licentia, nec Sedis Apostolicae nec Ordinarii sui" (1).
While for Masses "cum populo" they set out a few conditions, but always guaranteeing the freedom to celebrate.
In general, against a decree of a Vatican congregation it is possible to have recourse to the supreme tribunal of the apostolic signatura, today headed by a cardinal, the American Raymond Leo Burke, considered a friend by the traditionalists.
But if the decree is the object of approval in a specific form on the part of the pope, as it seems to be in this case, recourse is not admitted.
The Franciscans of the Immaculate will have to comply with the prohibition on celebrating the Mass in the ancient rite beginning Sunday, August 11.
And now what will happen, not only among them but in the whole Church?
It was the conviction of Benedict XVI that "the two forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching." He had explained this in the heartfelt letter to the bishops of the whole world with which he had accompanied the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum":
> "With great trust and hope…"
But from now on this is no longer the case, at least not for all. For the Franciscans of the Immaculate, forced to celebrate the Mass only in the modern form, there remains just one way to take to heart what Benedict XVI also hoped: to "demonstrate" in this form as well, "more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage."
The fact is that one pillar of the pontificate of Joseph Ratzinger has been cracked. By an exception that many fear - or hope - will soon become the rule.
__________
(1) Curiously, even six years after its publication, the motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum” of Benedict XVI continues to be present on the website of the Holy See only in two languages, and these among the least-known: Latin and Hungarian.
__________
The website of the Franciscans of the Immaculate:
> Francescani dell'Immacolata
__________
There is a thorough pro-and-con dispute over the “Summorum Pontificum” in a book hot off the presses by Professor Pietro De Marco of the University of Florence and the liturgist Andrea Grillo:
A. Grillo, P. De Marco, "Ecclesia universa o introversa?", Edizioni San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo, 2013.
In criticizing the motu proprio of Benedict XVI, Grillo rejects even its prescriptive validity. Because in his judgment, the missal prior to Vatican Council II has been abrogated. And therefore there is no longer any reason that could justify its use.
Grillo teaches sacramental and liturgical theology at the Pontifical Atheneum of Saint Anselm in Rome.
__________
English translation by Matthew Sherry, Ballwin, Missouri, U.S.A.
[Following the orders related to the administrative organization of the FFI, and the naming of an Apostolic Commissioner, the following is added:] In addition to the above, also on July 3 [of this year], the Holy Father Francis determined that every religious of the Congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is bound to celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary rite and that, eventually, the use of the extraordinary form (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities for every religious and/or community that requests it.
>I think revising our mass/church to appeal to modern culture is/was a big error.<
.
I thought that all that was done and over with by Vatican II.
It sure didn’t take Pope Francis long:
On 6 April 2013, Pope Francis appointed him ( José Rodrìguez Carballo, O.F.M.) of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, filling a position that had been vacant for several months, and named him Titular Archbishop of Bellicastrum.[
Who will Herr Jose attack next? The FSSP, ICK?
2 things to point out with this item:
1) Sandro Magister (as well as Andrea Tornielli) are ITALIAN. They write like ITALIANS. ‘Nuff said on that.
2) The group to which this decree applies is a religious order. We laity need to keep in mind that OBEDIENCE is a fundamental tenet of religious orders. Needing to have permission of their religious superiors should not be seen as controversial...
And then the other source cited was Rorate? We are talking about the same Rorate that is convinced that this is an anti-Pope?
Increasingly, becoming a matter of preponderance of the evidence.
So is the seat just empty? Or are you a follower of Pope Pius XIII? Or Pope Michael?
Franciscans of the Immaculate. Where is their Archbishop Lefebvre? We need more of him.
Attempted to attend an FSSP Mass over the weekend but all hotel rooms in the area were booked and had to come home.
Wait, has Rorate actually said that he’s an anti-Pope?
No...everything but...
” Needing to have permission of their religious superiors should not be seen as controversial...”
Sure it’s controversial! Epecially since Pope Benedict made it clear that no one can forbid a priest from offering a TLM.
The Tridentine Mass came into use around 1570. What’s with “the ancient rite” terminology this article constantly uses? There are many liturgies far older than the Tridentine Mass. It makes it sound like the Pope is weighing on using a Mass from 400s.
Are you fond of committing libel?
Actually, according to Francis, the seat is empty. He only refers to himself as the Bishop of Rome, not the Vicar of Christ.
No more so than anybody else. Though in fairness, I stopped reading Rorate about a week after the election because of the constant hissy-fit they were throwing.
You know very, very, very little about being in a religious order, don't you?
Nonsense. What we know as the Traditional Latin Mass was in use in the West since the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604) in its essential form. It was codified at the Council of Trent and thus it came to be known as the Tridentine Mass.
Whoa!
the Holy Father Francis determined that every religious of the Congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is bound to celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary rite and that, eventually, the use of the extraordinary form (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities for every religious and/or community that requests it.
The highlighted text is diametrically opposed to the spirit and letter of the law promulgated in Pope BXVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.
As such it is clearly a slap in the face to BXVI as well as all Catholics who love the TLM.
Unbelievable.
Jesus, mercy.
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