The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

By what "Rite" do you do these things ?

December 2, 2006

A Latin Bishop Ordaining Ukranians using the Tridentine Formulae
This just isn't Cricket !

Monday of this week, Bishop Williamson was in Warsaw Poland to ordain 2 priests and 7 deacons. Sounds great, the only problem is that they weren't Latin Rite Catholics they were Ukranian Rite seminarians and he used the Latin Rite to ordain them. Bizarrre I thought at the time, but then I got to thinking. When was the last time I heard of ordinations for one rite being held using the liturgical rites and traditions of another community ? I can't think of one in my years of studies. Don't these clergy have bishops in their own rite who can duly perform the ceremonies for them according to their correct rite ?

Seems to me the SSPX is widening its sphere of activity. The justification the Archbishop gave at Ecône in the 1988 consecrations was: "Operation Survival" i.e. I make these men bishops so they can confirm your children and make other priests after I am gone. The 4 newly conscrated bishops were told they would act as auxiliary bishops for the Society. They would turn up, do their sacramental stuff and climb back into their box until they were needed again.

The Archbishop departed this world in 1991 and since then a whole host of pet projects from the boys behind the scenes which he vigorously opposed have come trotting out Viz: the Marriage tribunal and even one for clergy who seek a dispensation from the vow of celibacy in order to contract Marriage. Next reconciling Lutherans from Sweden and now ordinations for Ukranians who already have their own seminary and bishop in full communion with Rome. More signs of the SSPX parallel church coming into existence. They have ignored the official church for so long they are just making up the rules as they go along. Not surprising all hell broke loose when the young men went home having been newly ordained and the authorities of the official Church were furious as one might well expect them to be.

My only question in all of this: Bishop W. by what "Rite" do you do these things ?.

+TF