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[Catholic Caucus] "A Formal Canonical Analysis of the Rescriptum" - Circular Logic and the Grandfathering of Existing Parish MassesUpon reading the rescriptum ex audientia of +Arthur Cardinal Roche dated 21 February 2023, several brief reflections come to mind: 1) Despite the Curial reforms issued in Praedicate Evangelium, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments still does not possess legislative authority. To "exercise the authority of the Holy See" in these matters, as described in Traditionis Custodes art. 7, is unclear. Therefore, the very notion that this rescript is a legal text is highly questionable, as it...

[Catholic Caucus] The Rescript: Press Release from the LMS and FIUV On Tuesday 21st February the Holy See Press Office published a Rescript confirming, for the Dicastery for Divine Worship, certain legal points in relation to the interpretation of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Traditionis Custodes.The key point is that from now on permission for the use of a parish church for celebrations of the 1962 Missal may only be granted by the Dicastery. The Rescript makes reference to Canon 87.1 which states that bishops may lift the obligations of universal law for the good of souls in their diocese:...

Cardinal Roche Clarifies that Francis Is The ResponsibleCardinal Roche, prefect for the Novus Ordo, has made it clear that it is an “absurdity” to think that a prefect of a dicastery would do anything other than carry out the wishes of [authoritarian] Francis, he told WherePeterIs.com (February 17).For Roche, attacks on him are attacks on Francis' authority. Using harsh terms reminiscent of Luther, he describes such mostly justified criticism as "an astonishing act full of hubris.”According to Roche, "many Catholics" disagree with Francis' "mission", [private] "teachings", and initiatives.Emphasising a pagan concept of "authoritarianism," Roche believes that these Catholics are allegedly...

[Catholic Caucus] TRANSLATION - Rescriptum ex Audientia - From Yesterday’s Audience of Francis with Card. RocheRESCRIPTUM EX AUDIENTIA SS.MI, 21.02.2023[B0150]The Holy Father, at the Audience granted on Feb. 20 to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, confirmed the following about the implementation of his Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes of July 16, 2021.These are dispensations reserved in a special way to the Apostolic See (cf. C.I.C. can. 87 §1):- the use of a parish church or the erection of a personal parish for the celebration of the Eucharist using the Missale...

[Catholic Caucus] Today, Francis received Cardinal Arthur Roche in audienceAudiences, 20.02.2023This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience:- His Eminence Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis Reviewing New Apostolic Constitution to Cement ‘Traditionis Custodes’VATICAN CITY, February 18, 2023—The Remnant has learned that a Vatican document is currently under review by Pope Francis that would expand and reinforce his 2021 Motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, affirm that the only official liturgy of the Latin Rite is the Novus Ordo, and stringently regulate the ex-Ecclesia Dei communities.Well-informed Vatican sources have confirmed to the Remnant, which accurately warned of Traditionis Custodes before it was published in 2021, that the draft document, in the form of an apostolic constitution, was presented to Pope Francis at the end...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Roche sabotaged the application of Summorum pontificum while bishop of LeedsCardinal Arthur Roche, prefect for the Liturgy, once again charges against the bishops who take advantage of the letter of Traditionis custodes so as not to exacerbate the prohibition of the Traditional Mass in their dioceses, demanding from them the "spirit" of what the Church wants. Holy Father. But he himself, being Bishop of Leeds in 2007, did everything he could not to apply Benedict's Summorum pontificum. Again the double yardstick.Shortly after Pope Benedict XVI promulgated Summorum Pontificum in 2007, we read in the Catholic World Report,...

[Catholic Caucus] Roche’s gamble — and the Vatican law of powerIn the implementation of 'Traditionis custodes,' Cardinal Arthur Roche has been criticized for an approach that seemed to arrogate authority to his office, beyond the motu proprio's text.In the years since Pope Francis promulgated Traditionis custodes, it has fallen to Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Vatican’s liturgy office, to interpret the pope’s policy, and to engage with the diocesan bishops tasked with implementing the policy in their local churches.As the Dicastery for Divine Worship oversees that process, Roche has been criticized for an approach that seemed to arrogate authority...

Did Pope Francis Just Publicly Rebuke the Prefect of Divine Worship? HOSE WHO STUDY papal pronouncements and decrees are taught to take into consideration—that is, seek to understand—the “mind of the lawgiver.” Since our blog is concerned with the sacred liturgy, it’s worth noting something that took place recently. On 3 February 2023, Pope Francis met with the Catholic bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His Holiness responded to a hypothetical retort: “But I don’t know, because the code [of Canon Law] tells me…” Then Pope Francis said: “We must observe the code, because it is serious, but the...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Roche, "Your Excellency Has No Authority To Allow Mass In Parish Churches"In the name of "synodality", Francis is imposing a Roman centralism unprecedented in the history of the Church.Last example: Cardinal Roche, the prefect for the liturgy, is telling parishes how to organise their schedule.Peter Kwasniewski published on February 6 the transcript of a letter, that Roche sent to a US bishop invoking Canon 87 to grant a dispensation from Traditionis custodes in order to continue celebrating Mass in a parish church.However, Roche claimed that the bishop did "not have the authority" to do so. He believes...

[Catholic Caucus] Understanding Bloggers, Card. Roche edition.Cardinal Roche has a problem with those Catholic bloggers who keep defending the Traditional Latin Mass. He admits, however, that our work is effective and influences Seminarians. I think a couple of reflections are in order. Thank you, Cardinal Roche, for your involuntary compliment. At times, I receive comments containing nothing but insults. Being told that I, in my little effort and together with many others, am effective and influence seminarians truly made by day. If I die today, I hope those at the Pearly Gates have the link. But let us reflect a...

[Catholic Caucus] Roche Rants: Latin Mass "Keyboard Warriors" Are Very Effective"Don't leave the liturgical field to those small and vocal minorities, of whatever hue, who seem [sic!] obstinately to stand against the Holy Father and against the [failed] liturgical reform," ranted an angry Cardinal Roche, Prefect of Divine Worship during an 8 October lecture published in Music and Liturgy. The Journal of the Society of St Gregory, January 2023 (Matthew Hazell, Twitter.com, January 30).Roche is "well aware that people sometimes talk about 'liturgy wars'" - which he is apparently afraid of losing."From what I understand, many of these battles today...

[Catholic Caucus] Defeated Order of Malta Honours the EnemyLieutenant Grand Master Fra' John Dunlap flattered Cardinal Arthur Roche on 13 January by draping the insignia of the Balì Gran Croce di Onore e Devozione of the Order of Malta on him.Roche is Francis' henchman in his fight against the Roman Liturgy.After the macabre show in the Palazzo Magistrale, Roche presided at a Eucharist where he "turned his back" on the audience, a practice de facto forbidden in the Novus Ordo.

The Vatican has turned down a request from some U.S. bishops to add a feast day celebrating the marriage of Joseph and Mary to the Church’s universal liturgical calendar. The Vatican has turned down a request from some U.S. bishops to add a feast day celebrating the marriage of Joseph and Mary to the Church’s universal liturgical calendar. The U.S. bishops' conference told bishops earlier this month that “a number of bishops have written to the Holy See in support of a petition to add the Feast of the Holy Spouses, Mary and Joseph, to the Church’s universal calendar. This...

Scholars refute Cdl. Roche’s claim that devotion to Latin Mass is ‘more Protestant than Catholic’‘It is difficult to avoid the impression that some in Rome would prefer it if our attitude was indeed more Protestant,’ Dr. Joseph Shaw told LifeSiteNews.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Traditional Catholics, scholars, and theologians have firmly rejected recent comments made by the head of the Vatican’s liturgy department, when he suggested that devotion to the Latin Mass is a mark of being “more Protestant than you are Catholic.”This past weekend, when Pope Francis bestowed the red hat on Archbishop Roche and made him a cardinal, the...

Futile Attempts to Make Up Amazon Rite PresentedThe Amazon Church Conference (CEAMA) has presented the results of first consultations for an "Amazonian Novus Ordo Rite" at Cardinal Roche's decadent Liturgy Dicastery.According to Repam.net (September 1) a working group of sixteen people studied the pagan traditions and customs of the Amazon people.The goal is to elaborate a proposal for an "Amazonian rite" that would lead local parishes to celebrate "their faith" [=different religion] according to "autochthonous" expressions.The challenge is to combine different "mystical forms of expressions" in an "Amazonian liturgy."The working group has set up four (!) subgroups to deal with...

[Catholic Caucus] Cdl. Roche, Synod cardinals avoid direct answers to questions on Latin Mass restrictionsThe Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments insisted the restrictions on the ancient liturgy were not his but Pope Francis’s.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — The distress of faithful Catholics who love and attend the Traditional Latin Mass was brought to the attention of several high-ranking cardinals at the Vatican this weekend.Newly elevated Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, deflected the issue, insisting that the restrictions of the Latin Church’s ancient...

Cardinal Roche (Unwittingly?) Utters the Most Ironic Statement Since the Council In comments published in The Tablet, newly-minted Cardinal Arthur Roche manages to utter what may well be the most ironic statement since Vatican II:That reform [to Catholic worship since the Council] is taking place, but it’s a slow process because there are those who are dragging their feet with regard to this and not only dragging their feet but stubbornly opposing what the Church has actually decreed. That’s a very serious matter. In the end, people have to ask themselves: am I really a Catholic, or am I...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican’s liturgy czar says Church makes tradition, not ‘people in lobbies’ROME – Cardinal Arthur Roche, head of the Vatican’s liturgy department, has warned against the politicization of debates over different forms of the Mass and has stressed the church’s role as the one that makes and passes on tradition.When it comes to the Traditional Latin Mass, “you touch this area, and everyone starts screaming. That should tell us something straight away,” Roche said, saying the often “hysterical” reactions to Pope Francis’s decision last year to tighten permissions for celebrating the pre-Vatican II liturgy are concerning.Speaking to Crux, Roche...

[Catholic Caucus] The Pastoral Care of the Dicastery for Divine Worship towards the Traditional Faithful Cross-posted from LMSChairman.orgIt has become clear that the Dicastery of Divine Worship, which alone has the authority to permit priests ordained after Traditionis custodes to celebrate the Traditional Mass, is systematically refusing to do so, even though requests are coming not from individual priests, but their bishops.What reasons are being given? I have been given sight of a letter of refusal, and I suspect the others are substantially identical.…this Dicastery is of the opinion that this [permission] would not be an opportune decision. Therefore,...