The bishops in their immense wisdom performed a miracle back in 2002 in this country. Some of them (not all) decided they had the power to make the Sunday after Ascension Thursday, Ascension Thursday. That's a miracle that Jesus never tried or performed, turning Sunday into Thursday although he did turn Sunday into the first day of the week.
The reason why the good bishops performed this miracle is that they thought more people might experience the Ascension if they declared the Sunday after it to be Ascension Thursday. That will work out really well this Sunday as most Catholic churches are closed. Oh well.
You can listen to my astute homily on it in St. Anne's live-streamed Mass this morning (Ascension Thursday) by going to the homily:
The reason why the good bishops performed this miracle is that they thought more people might experience the Ascension if they declared the Sunday after it to be Ascension Thursday. That will work out really well this Sunday as most Catholic churches are closed. Oh well.
You can listen to my astute homily on it in St. Anne's live-streamed Mass this morning (Ascension Thursday) by going to the homily:
7 comments:
The bishops of Minnesota are re-opening in defiance of the governor’s orders. Restaurants can admit up to 50 people but Churches only 10. Governor is fine with trampling on constitutional guarantees but nothing is too good for Big Mac world. So much for the “Party of Science!”
Yes, as I sometimes think these day she: “The Church of Whatever”.
Sorry, “sheesh”
The "pastoral" changes to the universal calendar caused me no end of confusion as a newly reconciled Catholic over 30yrs ago, and it has become only worse over time, printed Catholic calendars not matching on-line resources or new or old printed materials, and likewise dropping of seasons and octaves, nor matching up with plainly stated scriptural references to x-number of days between major events.
It was only later I discovered almost all of it was due to our pastors juggling pastorally the dates of celebrations moved to convenient nearby Sundays so as to accomodate many who ignore Sundays in the first place.
There is vast satisfaction in following the Tridentine in everything making perfect sense and it all fitting together so neatly, matching scriptural references, and beloved seasons stretching ever so much longer rather than put aside and forgotten almost as soon as they begin.
Another example of the bishops over time trying to liberalize the Faith and confuse the faithful. There was never any reason for this change. Now look at the Church. It's a mess.
Some good news: President Trump has classified religious services as essential, so churches may reopen
In 1984 the English and Welsh bishops ruled that if a Holy Day of Obligation fell on a Saturday or a Monday it would be transferred to the Sunday (with the exception of Christmas). This remains in force.
In 2006 Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi were transferred to the nearest Sunday. Following Summorum Pontificum in 2007 the bishops obtained a ruling from PCED that this would also apply to the EF. Following an appeal by the Latin Mass Society the ruling was changed. The EF could be celebrated on the correct day or it could be transferred.
In 2017 the bishops bowed to public pressure and restored Epiphany and Ascension to their correct days, but since the 1984 provisions still applied, OF Epiphany was on 7 Jan. in 2018 and 5 Jan. in 2020 (from next year it will be 6 Jan. until it hits the weekend again).
Corpus Christi still cannot have an OF Mass on the traditional Thursday, but in the EF the Mass and Office can be used. Since Corpus Christi is not a public holiday in non-Catholic countries it was long the custom to have the procession on the following Sunday with the Mass of the feast celebrated as an external solemnity. It did not remove the obligation to attend Mass on the Thursday.
For 11 years (2007-2018) anyone wanting to celebrate Ascension Thursday would have to do so in the EF, or find a monastery.
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