It appears that this Dutch Cardinal would agree with the common sense recommendations of the Real Presence Coalition and certainly this Cardinal as pope would not pit himself, liturgically, against the great liturgical pope, Pope Benedict XVI and his astute and pastoral allowance for those who think the TLM is superior to the Novus Ordo, to celebrate it exclusively. That’s synodal to say the least!!!!
From Rorate Caeli (press title for full interview):
Dutch Cardinal: Don't repeat our mistakes! Those among our churches where truth is proclaimed and liturgy is well celebrated are full. Put Christ at the Center!
Cardinal Eijk, of Utrecht (primate of the Netherlands), in an interview with Catholic periodical COMMUNIO:
The church must speak with one voice
Cardinal Eijk on mission, secularization and the World Synod
The Church in the Netherlands was once regarded as very progressive. Disillusionment and collapse followed. Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk warns in an interview: Don't repeat our mistakes! In an extremely secularized society, the Archbishop of Utrecht is counting on a new missionary awakening.
By Willem Jacobus Eijk, Benjamin Leven, Lambert Hendriks
COMMUNIO: The Netherlands is considered one of the most secular societies in Western Europe. How Christian are the Netherlands still?
11 comments:
The "survey" of the Real Presence Coalition was not a true or fair survey. It was a push-poll, designed to elicit responses the coalition wanted to recieve.
You mean like the survey Pope Francis took of bishops to find results to curtail SP and insult Pope Benedict with TC, speaking of clubbing Catholics to include a retired pope with a papal directive?
No. I suspect you may not have read much, if any, of either survey. (I've read both.) I also suspect you wouldn't know a push-poll if it walked up and punched you in the mouth.
TJM masquerading as FRMJK??
Fr. MJK,
Did you read the unpublicized results of that secretive survey on TLM, which many say did not support the resulting action (Traditionis traditores)?
If so, you have more sway in Rome than I thought.
Nick
Nick, I read both surveys. I did not read what "many" (oooooo, sounds SO ominous!) say did not support the resulting action.
Cardinal Eijk has favored many things that Rorate Caeli has despised. That is why I am surprised that New Catholic has, in positive fashion, promoted Cardinal Eijk.
Examples:
-- Cardinal Eijk is on board with Vatican II.
-- Cardinal Eijk favors the Holy Mass of Pope Saint Paul VI.
-- Cardinal Eijk has praised and supported the Synod.
-- Cardinal Eijk has not feared the collapse of the Church in Netherlandands, as well as throughout the West.
-- Cardinal Eijk has downplayed the TLM's future in Netherlands.
-- Cardinal Eijk has insisted that the TLM will not play an important role in regard to the Church in Holland's re-evangelization.
-- Cardinal Eijk has viewed Pope Francis favorably.
Again, given all of the above, I am surprised that Rorate Caeli has cast a favorable light upon Cardinal Eijk.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Speaking of Cardinal Eijk...
Earlier this year, The Catholic World Report had published a "review of God Is Alive in Holland, a short book-length interview with Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht and Primate of the Netherlands, conducted by the Italian journalist Andrea Galli."
From the article in question:
"Meanwhile, the Dutch experience demolishes the balderdash we often hear in the mainstream media about how the legalization of recreational marijuana will stop drug trafficking, and that smoking a joint is about as harmful as drinking a glass of chardonnay with dinner."
"Cardinal Eijk notes that eventually the marijuana smoker builds up tolerance to THC and needs something stronger, leading to the explosion of ecstasy and crystal meth use in Holland."
"Meanwhile, Mexican drug traffickers often get their supplies in the Netherlands."
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Cardinal Eijk has exhorted us to learn from mistakes that have abounded throughout Netherlands.
In light of the above, the following is a shame:
Vice President Harris, as well as Donald Trump, have joined the Culture of Death's quest to legalize the "recreational use" of marijuana.
Let us join with Cardinal Eijk's hope that we will resist the mistakes that, in many ways, have wrecked Holland.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
You must have high access in the Vatican (talk about ominous), as I can't think of a single person outside of those hollowed halls who claims to have seen the full results of that survey.
Nick
I cannot improve upon the words of the Cardinal. Shame it has taken being pushed to missionary-type fringes for this Church to realize what to some degree, is obvious and remains as such despite attempts to the contrary (and more talk, talk, talk will not be it). The last paragraph highlights that at the time of the reforms, some tweaks were needed, not scorched earth. The institution is perfect, it is man who introduced and continues to introduce defects to that institution.
Eijk: People, young and old, emphasized that we need good liturgical celebrations and catechesis. It was also said that we need to be more missionary. In some parishes, these discussions continued afterwards. People said: We always talk about the closure of a church or the merger of a parish and actually far too little about faith.
Eijk: You can learn from the church in the Netherlands that this is a mistake. If you create confusion, you alienate people from the church. You will not bring anyone back that way. I would like to say to the bishops of other countries: don't make this mistake, don't make our mistake. In parishes where the faith is well proclaimed and the liturgy is celebrated with dignity, the churches are full. It's about putting Christ at the center. When people have discovered Christ and understand the Holy Scriptures better, they will also understand the teachings of the Church better.
Eijk: When I was young, many people went to church, but I think many did so thoughtlessly. They belonged to the church for sociological reasons. They went to Catholic kindergarten, Catholic elementary school, Catholic high school, Catholic scouts, Catholic fraternities. You stayed in the Catholic milieu. That was where you found your connection. When individualization began in the 1960s and people no longer wanted to belong to a community, there was a lack of connection to the Church in terms of content.
I admire Cardinal Eijk. Among his many great attributes is his commitment to reality in regard to the Church. Examples:
Cardinal Eijk has made it clear that a return to the past — the supposed pre-Vatican II's TLM "Golden Age" of the Church — is a myth that we should reject.
From Cardinal Eijk's interview as promoted by Rorate Caeli:
"When I was young, many people went to church, but I think many did so thoughtlessly. They belonged to the church for sociological reasons. They went to Catholic kindergarten, Catholic elementary school, Catholic high school, Catholic scouts, Catholic fraternities. You stayed in the Catholic milieu. That was where you found your connection.
"When individualization began in the 1960s and people no longer wanted to belong to a community, there was a lack of connection to the Church in terms of content. People often had no personal relationship with Christ and knew nothing about personal prayer."
"When people come to church today, they do so out of a conscious decision."
During an October 2023 A.D. interview with The Pillar, Cardinal Eijk expanded upon the above. He declared last year:
"They also noticed that the bonds of the faithful Catholics to the Church was less based on the content of the faith and more the bonds of a social relationship:
"You were baptized in the Catholic church, so you went to a Catholic school, and Catholic secondary school, the Catholics scouts … When you worked you were part of a Catholic union, you were a member of a Catholic sports association … So you remained in the Catholic channel and in the Catholic part of society.
"But all of that was [merely] a social bond."
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During a 2020 A.D. interview was asked as whether TLM groups had a role to play in the new evangelization of Netherlands.
Cardinal Eijk declared that TLM-related groups would not play "a major role in re-evangelization."
However, Cardinal Eijk stated that the importance of said groups demonstrated '"unequivocally that the future is for the Orthodox faith, clearly and authentically manifested. This is what attracts people and what they are seeking after."
For Cardinal Eijk, the way forward in regard to the above is via the Holy Mass of Pope Saint Paul VI. The way forward is also found within Vatican II, according to Cardinal Eijk.
During that same interview, The Pillar asked:
"Sometimes people point to the Second Vatican Council, or a misinterpretation of it, as the cause of declines in Mass attendance.
Do you think that the post-Vatican II confusion has also something to do with the drop in the Netherlands?"
Cardinal Eijk replied: "I don’t."
"I think the Second Vatican Council was necessary. It was provided for by the Holy Spirit. It came at the exact moment and was necessary in order to better explain certain truths of the Catholic faith and to adapt our pastoral care to the new social situation of the world. So, I see it as a sign of the Holy Spirit."
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During the current interview promoted by Rorate Caeli, Cardinal Eijk has spoken in positive fashion in regard to the Synod, as well as Pope Francis.
"Pope" Eijk would lead the Church forward. He promotes orthodoxy within the Church. He does not waste time and energy battling the Council, liturgical reform...he is not interested in rolling back the clock to a non-existent "Golden Age" of the Church.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
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