Since we all are sinners, we need to purify ourselves continuously. This in turn purifies the community, the diocesan community, the Christian community and the universal community of the Church. This is what makes the Church grow...
Friday, November 10, 2017
IS THE STATEMENT BELOW A HERESY?
Since we all are sinners, we need to purify ourselves continuously. This in turn purifies the community, the diocesan community, the Christian community and the universal community of the Church. This is what makes the Church grow...
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It is Pelagian.
"Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries."
"...prepare ourselves..."
Is this more "Pelagian" than "...purify ourselves..."?
The statement does strike me as unfortunate as an official part of the Roman Missal's introductory rite. It is odd that we aren't acknowledging our need for God's grace and mercy.
I must prefer the Prayers at the foot of the altar than the drivel of the reformed rite at this point. The Confiteor of the EF Mass just happens without any invitation to acknowledge our sins.
I’d likely be labeled a semi-Pelagian, so I don’t disagree with this. Reminds me of St. Seraphim of Sarov’s saying, “Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.”
Bouyer was lost for words when contemplating the 'actus poenitentialis' of the new Mass, composed by Fr Jungmann SJ, not least because he regarded him as the greatest historian of the Roman Mass. He attributed this in part to Jungmann's never having celebrated a Solemn Mass in his life.
In reality, the fabricators of the Novus Ordo (Bugnini, Gelineau, Cellier, Jungmann et al.) were not really concerned with the Roman Rite; they considered it to have been abolished and their new product to have superseded it.
Of course, we now know this is not the case. When I attend the NO I recite the new Confiteor. I could, of course, recite the Tridentine one, although it is considerably longer than that in other medieval uses, for example the Dominican. In the Roman Rite I would not normally recite it in any case since I am singing the Introit at this point.
The Confiteor before the Communion of the Faithful at High/Sung Mass should have been retained after 1960 and indeed is still done in many places.
Although I hardly ever attend the NO in English, the Confiteor should have been translated as follows:-
'I confess to almighty God, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, deed and omission; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I beseech the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God.'
'Brethren' - an archaic plural of 'brother' but now splendidly gender-inclusive!
One Wonders, That isn't what is Pelagian about it.
By the way, the statement I quote is from Pope Francis' morning Homily today, Nov. 10th.
The Ordinariate's Divine Worship, the Missal has the more traditional Confiteor for their splendid OF Mass (which has the option of the PATFOTA):
I confess to Almighty God,to Blessed Mary ever-Virgin, to Blessed Michael the Archangel, to Blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you, Brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed;(they strike their breast thrice) by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault. Wherefore I beg Blessed Mary ever-Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the angels and Saints and you my brethren to pray for me to the Lord our God.
What is meant by the statement without further context is not readily apparent.
If confession of sins is what is being encouraged, then it would have been better to put it as," to be purified". One can use Holy water to purify oneself of Venial sins, but if it is not blessed water through which the Power of the Holy Spirit is operative, then nothing happens other than sprinkling oneself. Nothing happens in the spiritual order to bring about a holy effect without God and the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Without the Divine operation which imparts spiritual value, our actions would have no spiritual effect and our prayer would be just vain utterance. By those acts we do in co-operation with the Holy Spirit, Divine grace comes to us.
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