Pope Francis recently made this candid remark about his Master of Ceremonies:
Behold: You say that my papal master of ceremonies [Msgr Guido Marini] is of a traditionalist character. And many have asked me about my choice to remove him from office and be replaced. I said no, just that I prefer him to even benefit me by his traditional formation and at the same time, so he is formed in the same way by my emancipated formation.
MY COMMENTS: We still don't know much about the various conspiracies within the Vatican against Pope Benedict XVI. But what is becoming abundantly clear is that there was a rebellion against Pope Benedict's reform in continuity and interpreting Vatican II in continuity with Tradition.
Progressive Catholics in the Vatican and elsewhere gleefully thought Pope Francis would undo all that Benedict did. While Francis is simple and does not want pomp in his life or the Church he certainly doesn't want an unfaithful Church in terms of traditional Catholic morality including artificial birth control, divorce not to mention accepting fornication and adultery, homosexual or heterosexual. The pope is going to uphold natural law as well as Scripture and Tradition. There will not be women deacons, priests or bishops.
And now it appears that the status quo for the EF Mass will remain!
Perhaps the Holy Father now sees the smoke of Satan in the the "post Catholics" in the Vatican and throughout the post Catholic world, especially in academia.
The problem with Satan isn't from the ultra orthodox but from post Catholics who have deconstructed the Church since Vatican II and hate Pope Benedict for clearing the smoke of Satan. Pope Francis the Supreme Exorcist will continue exorcising post Catholic demons and powerfully so for Francis knows the power of Satan and says so unabashedly over and over again! Post Catholics will not rule the day in this pontificate!
7 comments:
I don't think that there was ever a question that the status quo would remain, but I think that there is still a question as to the advancement of the TLM.
The movement cannot be static, it must continue to forage ahead. This is a huge concern and one which has not been addressed in real time.
When the Holy Father addresses that then many Traditionalists will be put more at ease.
Andy, I know that it differs in other parts of the country and that in Macon, we are a tiny minority of Christians, but as much as I pushed the EF Mass, celebrate it regularly, we still have only about 60 people out of a parish of almost 1,500 who are enthusiastic about it. The majority like the manner in which our OF is celebrated, with care, dignity and solemnity, but also allowing what the Church allows for the OF in terms of ministries, etc.
My hope is that the EF will enable the Vatican to revise the OF to make it more like the EF and I'm written my proposal for such a number of times on my blog:
a. Revised Penitential Act at the Foot of the altar prior to the Introit, and the greeting before the Collect.
B. Keep the Lituryg of the as is with the Gradual clearly optional
C. Kneeling for Holy Communion, on the tongue with wider use of intinction
D. mandating the use of the propers, introit, Offertory and Communion antiphons
E. Reigning in the music industry that has pushed hymns, hymns, hymns of dubious theology, content and style.
Here's another article about Pope Francis and the EF:
http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2013/05/pope-francis-and-motu-proprio-summorum.html
"the bishop of Conversano and Monopoli, Domenico Padovano... explaining to the Pope that the mass in the old rite was creating great divisions within the Church. The underlying message: Summorum Pontificum should be cancelled, or at least strongly limited. But Francis said no.
"Mgr Padovano explained that Francis replied to them saying that they should be vigilant over the extremism of certain traditionalist groups but also suggesting that they should treasure tradition and create the necessary conditions so that tradition might be able to live alongside innovation."
But, you only offer the EF on one Sunday per month at 2 p.m., a very inconvenient time.
Would you have more than 60 people coming if it were at a better time or more regularly offered? I don't know.
I used to think so, but these days, I'd tend towards it not making much difference. People's level of apathy is too high and they've been too cultured to do the absolute minimum.
I bet you probably also get about 60 of your, what, 2,000 parishioners who go to Confession on a regular basis. And I'm certain there's a high level of overlap between the 60 EF attendees and the 60 penitents.
Tradition and innovation placed on the same level by a Pope... That's comforting.
Marc,
You bring up a very salient point. Being the advocate of the TLM as I am, I suffer the same issue here in Iowa, only slightly different.
My scenario (completely related), my pastor celebrates the TLM at 8:30am downstairs in the former lower church. It has been renovated into a makeshift hall, but is converted every Sunday for the TLM. It only garners about 80-100 each weekend, depending on which families show. The issues we face can be eliminated. Here is what we must deal with:
1. The "lower church" is not a church, there is no Blessed Sacrament, the altar is covered and the space returns to a hall after Holy Mass on Sunday.
2. The ceremonies are not in keeping with the TLM's dignity. Essentially the servers serve a low Mass while Father sings a High Mass. It is very difficult.
3. We are only allowed upstairs for Holy Days of Obligation, Easter and Christmas. This has created a second parish sort of feeling. Not at all in keeping with the motu proprios.
We really are treated as "red headed step-children." That I fear, is not uncommon in most parishes.
It seems to me that the Pope has decided to let the Holy Spirit reveal God's will for the Mass.
If the Holy Spirit is with the EF, it will continue to grow, no matter the circumstances.
God reveals His will according to His own timetable. He doesn't offer us instant gratification, it isn't good for us. Our faith and our reliance on Him is made stronger while we wait.
But we don't have to sit on our hands while we wait. We can invite others to mass and have more children. We can invite our children's Catholic friends to participate in our family prayers, or invite them over for Catholic Movie Night to learn more about the saints and how they lived out their faith.
If the OF attendees only see us grumbling about the OF and complaining about everything, then that is the way they will perceive us. And if that is their perception, then why would they want to join us?
I have found true joy (even in hardship) since discovering the EF. It is this joy that will attract others to the EF, not our grumbling.
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