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

[american colleen]

This column is so noncommittal and vague, it's hard to say what the bishop was trying to say. More likely, he was trying to fill up his monthly quota of words without saying anything.

As had been the wont of far too many bishops for far too many years.

I don't swear anymore at all. It was a hard habit to break (raised in the city and all that) but with the grace of God, I did overcome it. But when I read Bishop "Happy" Gilmore's nutty words, "WTF???" went through my head.

[ejo]

How did this guy get to be bishop???"

As in all professions and politics 'It's not what you know. it's WHO you Know.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Embedded within this column are clues as to what is going on inside Gilmore's diocese (or what will be). I would bet money he is a supporter/member of CTA, VOTF and the like. Is there a big charismatic movement in this diocese? Does he allow the Traditional Mass and if so, when and where? How much does he push Renew 2000 and similar activities? If I dug a little deeper would I find a workshop on prayer shawls?

There is much here below the surface.

[american colleen]

"My dear people" - I don't know why, but I feel patronized.

Funny that you came up with this today as this morning I saw this picture linked to diocesereport.com:

And wondered which diocese this took place in. Yep, it was in the happenin' diocese of Bishop "Happy" Gilmore.

Also found on that site:
"Changing the Liturgy is serious business. The last time the Vatican issued changes was in 1975. In fact, some of the upcoming changes are previous changes that were never implemented. For example, when ready to receive Communion, the congregation will stand, and will stay standing until the last person receives the Eucharist. This mandate was published in 1975, but never incorporated.

Individual bishops have authority to make changes in addition to those mandated by the GIRM. For example, while there is nothing in the GIRM concerning where to place your hands during the Lord’s Prayer, Cardinal John Mahoney of Los Angeles requires that congregants do not hold hands, but instead raise them in the air, palms upward.

Is this true? Did the 1975 mandate (?) sanction us standing until every one has received???

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?

[ejo]

" Hand holding come from????

The rumor was that one day a young man wanted to meet this girl and suggested holding hands during certain rituals, the chemistry wasn't quite right so next Sunday he picked on someone else etc.etc. Just kidding, colleen, but you never know.

[Jeff Chandler]

Oh wow, man. The colors!

[NYer]

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.

I tend to associate tornados with destruction.

[Maximilian]

"Your Eminence:

Please consider cutting back on the massive bong hits. Not everyone in the diocese is 'cool'.

Your Son in Christ,

B-chan"

LOL. Thanks for the good laugh. This might be more true than you think.

[fishtank]

God is a God of order, and not of chaos.

[Maximilian]

As in all professions and politics 'It's not what you know. it's WHO you Know.

Excellent point. Who did this guy know? But if you look at the state of the 250 US bishops, I suppose it doesn't really make much difference which one he was "close" to, they're all about the same (with 2 possible exceptions).

[ninenot]

Is this letter supposed to be a secret code?

If not, is it supposed to be decipherable?

....only in Dodge City.

[Desdemona]

Counter all this with today's letter from my very orthodox archbishop in the Review that says ALL PARISHES WILL HAVE ALL CHANGES IN PLACE AND IN LINE WITH THE GIRM AS OF PENTECOST. NO EXCEPTIONS.

I just hope it happens.

I'd post it, but it won't be on the website yet.

[ninenot]

More likely, he was trying to fill up his monthly quota of words without saying anything.

Does the Diocesan paper pay by the word?

[ninenot]

Apparently Happy Gilmore and his obsequieous poofter-litwonks have REALLY been grasping.

NO PRIEST, NO BISHOP, NO WAY, NO HOW, may add, subtract, or change ANYTHING on their own initiative/volition from what is written in the GIRM (as adapted for _____ USA, Greece, etc.) and in the Sacramentary.

(But you already knew there was a problem when the Cardinal of L.A. was called "John" "Mahoney"---right???

[ninenot]

FYI and in line with Desdemona's comments on GIRM in St.Louis:

in MIlwaukee: Director, Archdiocesan Education: FIRED

Editor, "Catholic" Herald: FIRED

Going forward: ONLY the BISHOPS administer Confirmation!!

And more to follow...

[Desdemona]

Really?

Hmmm....

According to the archbishop's schedule, he's going to be doing a lot of Confirming in the next two weeks. Msgr. Stika, the archdiocesan Chancellor, used to have dispensation, but he was the only non-bishop.

Change is in the wind all right.

[sinkspur]

Birkenstocks are another natural birth control device.

[Desdemona]

Birkenstocks are another natural birth control device.

I shouldn't ask this, but how?

[sinkspur]

I'm sure you look stunning in them, but most women don't.

[TotusTuus]

Christos Voskrese!

I'm sure you look stunning in them, but most women don't.

What about me?