On the motu proprio, Pope Francis said he did not want to deviate from the line of Benedict XVI, and reiterated that the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate remained free to celebrate the old mass, even if for the moment, in light of the controversies surrounding the exclusive right to use that missal – an element that did not constitute part of the founding charisma of the institution – they required “a discernment” with the superior and with the bishop if it concerned celebrations in parish churches, sanctuaries and teaching houses. The Pope explained that there must be freedom, both for those who wish to celebrate with the old rite, and those who wish to celebrate with the new rite, without the rite becoming an ideological banner.
One question concerned the interpretation of the II Vatican Council. Francis once again expressed his appreciation for the work of Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, defining it as “the best hermeneutic” of the Council. He then responded to the objection according to which the II Vatican would only be a castoral council, which has damaged the church. The Pope said that although it is has been pastoral, it contains doctrinal elements and is a Catholic council, reaffirming the line of the hermeneutics of reform in the continuity of the one-subject church, presented by Benedict XVI in his speech to the Roman Curia in December 2005. He then reminded them that all councils have provoked uproar and reactions, because the demon “does not want the church to become strong”. He also said that we must move forwards with a theological and not ideological hermeneutic of the II Vatican.
23 comments:
Actions speak louder than words. I'm sure those words of the Holy Father were little consolation to the persecuted FFI, 12% of whom have left the order.
I've always read Vatican II from the perspective of Gaudium et spes - as a great concerted effort to confront and turn back the rising tide of atheism and those anti-Christian state/private sector alliances which were then (1964) threatening the future of Christianity and indeed, humanity itself. No where in the council are intra-Catholic squabbles, class or gender warfare called for.
But what we got instantly was distractions - right out of the gate. Everyone gloming on to everything BUT the purpose of the council.
The Left wing rebellion and distraction is not the Council and thus doesn't carry the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Right wing reaction to the Left wing rebellion is not a rejection of the council rightly understood but is a rejection of the Liberal misinterpretation.
Both sides are fighting and largely ignoring the actual texts of the council.
Nowhere do I read that we must jettison the rite, renovate architectures, jettison habits and religious discipline, gut lay piety and practices, escape ghettos for the suburbs, cast ourselves at the tender mercies of political parties run by former (and current) anti-Catholics, etc.
Nowhere do I read that 'aggiornamento' means adopting the moral world view of the world, flesh and devil, of uncritically accepting secularity as a given and good thing.
But I do read a lot to do with holiness, family and marriage, the protection of the innocent and defenseless, the responsibilities of laity and clergy in converting the world.
Imagine that...to convert the entire world.
Macon is half "unchurched". Every Christian group could almost double in size without bumping into each other. Imagine if we actually implemented the council!
If this is true, then it is indeed a bombshell.
Fr. McDonald, perhaps you should quickly post a disclaimer noting that just because the Holy Father says the 1962 missal is still okay, he does not mean that other practices from 1962, such as colonialism, segregation and apartheid, are also legitimate options. I just don't want Pater Ignotus to get confused again.
Glad to read that he said this about Archbp Marchetto. I know he said the same thing once before, but this confirms it.
lmao JBS
JBS - I wasn't confused in the first place - but thanks for thinking of me.
Father, in your post, you wrote "castoral council". Is that anything like castration? If so, you really hit upon an accurate phrase for Vatican II.
The bombshell is the fact that Francis is crushing a thriving religious order because that order loves Tradition/tradition.......yet NOTHING is being done about his own Jeauit order which has caused untold destruction in the Church for 50 years.
And just when is Francis going to be celebrating the old Mass, I thought the old crystal ball said that one was coming. THAT would be a bombshell. But all those required genuflections to the Eucharistic Lord....well we won't go there.
After all of my advocating for keeping some good things from the past (on a couple of other posts) I feel somewhat vindicated . . .
If this is any indicator, maybe things are still, slowly, getting better--thanks, Pope Francis!
Sorry, but Anon is right...when their purgatory ends, that will be a bombshell. The only real bombshell is that Fr Volopi is acting with complete knowledge of the Holy Father.
Bergoglio knows he can't hide this mess he created and it is all damage control, I hope the FFI does not fall for it. Bergoglio is no fan of the TLM or anything traditional. Sorry Father, just telling it like it is and I know you will not like this post as you defend this man left and right. Even Father Z. is waking up!!
"Bergoglio is no fan of the TLM or anything traditional"
"Any comment that is vitriolic and disrespectful of the laity in general, and Pope Francis, bishops and priests in particular will not be posted!"
The FARCE continues...
Thanks for reading and being a blog Gestapo.
Anon at 5:58 AM,
That statement you quoted isn't disrespectful. I disagree with the statement, but it's far from disrespectful—merely in error.
Anonymous is right at least when she criticizes calling the Holy Father just by his surname. Otherwise, she needs to calm down and be less bossy.
Hey, Anonymous, "May the farce be with you"…LOL!!!!
In Europe, even in Italy, the pope, whoever it is, is often referred to by his surname when reported in the news. For example, Pope Benedict would be called Pope Ratzinger and now Pope Francis is often referred to as Pope Bergoglio. I'm not sure how this custom developed or why.
"Anonymous is right at least when she criticizes calling the Holy Father just by his surname. Otherwise, she needs to calm down and be less bossy."
She? Granted that some of these anonymous comments fit a familiar bossy and .. rhymes with "witchy" .. stereotype. But some men--not all of them liturgists--fit this same stereotype.
I think we got a keen insight as to why there is a "purifying" of this Franciscan group. In the news yesterday about this meeting, we heard that one of the seminarians is leaving the order after meeting with the Pope because that seminarian, a humble man, NOT--does not accept Vatican II and his desire for the 1962 liturgy is a symbol of this and thus an ideological position that is not to be tolerated in an order that was not founded on the 1962 liturgy such as the FSSP.
I wonder how many in this order that have asked to be released won't be joining either the FSSP which would be fine or the SSPX which would not be fine and would indicate that the problems in the Franciscans of Mary Immaculate are ideological and come from a divisive contingency opposing Vatican II of which the 1962 Missal is an ideological symbol.
Pope Francis needed to intervene and good for him. We need an authoritative pope that is willing to act and to act decisively--this is quite pre-Vatican II actually and a part of the continuity we need with popes, bishops and priests lost in the post Vatican II period.
Yes, Father we do need a Pope that cracks down but not on a orthodox order such as the FFI who have done nothing wrong, except being Roman Catholics and loyal to the Magesterium. Why does Bergoglio start with the U.S. nuns, the Cardinal of Vienna, the German bishops, the Jesuit order itself, dancing girls, communion in the hand, clown masses, giant puppets, guitars, drums, rock, mariachi music, altar gils, lay lectors, nope he wants to destroy a thriving order well he has done it may God forgive him!!!! By the was my name is Franz and a woman I am not.
If things get worse for the FFI the cynic in me would suggest that they could park themselves with the SSPX for the time being, and when they get a more sympathetic pontiff return to so-called 'full communion', in the same way as the Transalpine Redemptorists did recently. Better that than being salami-sliced. I might add that my cynicism results from being an adult Catholic in the last ten years of Paul VI's inglorious reign.
Ima no lika dis Papa...
Gene, I didn't know you spoke Gungan!
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