Bishop: "Let chaos storm! When will it stop, change after change in liturgy? Never!"

Catholic Diocese of Dodge City ^ | Most Rev. Ronald M. Gilmore, Bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City

[Polycarp]

Most Rev. Ronald Gilmore, DD

Ordained & Installed

Bishop of Dodge City

July 16, 1998

Learn More About Bishop Gilmore

The bishop's column for May 4, 2003:
 

My Dear People, When will it stop, this change after change after change in our liturgy? Will it never end? In a word, No. When the Spirit came, a new time began. It was the time of the dispensation of the Mystery, of its communication. It was the time of what the Fathers called the Sacramental Economy. So long as time lasts, this dispensing, this communicating, this deepening, this changing will go on. The Fathers saw the liturgy as Christ’s own Paschal Mystery made present through words and through signs. It was a unique event. It happened once for all. It occurred in time, but it draws all time up into itself, as the massive circling winds draw the things of the earth up into themselves. Time is not time unless it flows on. Slowly, gradually, haltingly, stop and start, by guess and by gosh: it can do no other except to flow on. It cannot be rushed. It cannot be slowed. Time is ... Time. Mystery is not mystery unless it unfolds. Here, there, one small group, one whole parish, this one woman, that one man: it can do no other except to unfold in its own slow and secret way. It cannot be forced. It cannot be foreseen. Mystery is ... Mystery. And that Mystery, again, is like unto a whirlwind. It is a large and powerful storm that is beyond us. As Frost said: Let chaos storm! Let cloud shapes swarm! I wait for form. In the liturgy, the Church gives place to this once and still powerful storm. Not only does she give it place, she also gives it form. She tells us how she wants to express and to communicate this Mystery in our brief string of time. It is her Mystery, after all, and she knows best how to enter it and how to let it unfold. The New General Instruction of the Roman Missal gathers up the best of the horizontal development of the last forty years, the full and active and conscious participation the Council sought. It gathers up too the vertical development of all our two thousand years: the notion of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, the sheer grace of it all, the wild power of it all, the slow unfolding of it all. The liturgy is the Mystery clothed in Time, in our time. I trust we shall soon feel at ease with the drape and the feel and the fit. -- Most Rev. Ronald M. Gilmore Bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City

[sinkspur]

No. The Pope, like every bishop I've read about, believed that sexual abuse of minors was a weakness, which could be overcome with prayer and a change of scenery. And, in fact, the psychiatrists believed that, too.

The fate of the victims was not as important as the well-being of the priests involved.

[Polycarp]

Thank you for this clarification. My apologies for misrepresenting your position.

Please see my Freepmail. Good nite.

[fatima]

Polycarp,I would like to be ping if you are talking about me as I have never talk about you behind your back,someone pinged me to this thread.Is ninenot
a priest,

[fortunecookie]

"When will it stop, this change after change after change in our liturgy? Will it never end? In a word, No." ""Let chaos storm!" "I trust we shall soon feel at ease with the drape and the feel and the fit."

But isn't he contradicting himself?? The change is good and ongoing and should be. When will he feel at ease? At that point, won't he want it to stop? Or is it that he will stop it when it suits him, and tell his parish that that is the time to stop. And what about other parishes? Will they find the fit 'sooner' or 'later'? Chaos is what he will get.

[fortunecookie]

LOL!

Are you at a Byzantine parish?

[fortunecookie]

LOl! Can't stop laughing...

[fortunecookie]

Bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City

I think he misread it as Sheriff of Dodge City, and made himself the law. I hope the good people of Dodge City have called in for back up.

[TotusTuus]

Are you at a Byzantine parish?

Yes!

[B-Chan]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[fortunecookie]

My mother was raised in the Byzantine tradition and had many Orthodox relatives as well. It's a beautiful tradition. I am able to attend (about an hours drive away) occasionally, however don't get there as often since we lost my mom 4 yrs ago.

[kstewskis]

And this is something I wonder about as well... where did the handholding and palms held up and out during the Our Father come from?

It was explained to me, by a priest at a retreat a couple of years ago, that this was a long ago traditional way to pray.

Personally, I like it. Unless I am with a family member, I don't really care to hold hands and do the "kum-by-ya" thing trying to reach and grasp for one another across the ailes...it gets pretty distracting.

And it's kinda practical during cold season too :)