The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Persistent Rumors, Trial Balloons...

...the clock ticketh for the SSPX !

July 2nd, 2006

Persistant Rumors

The rumor from Rome is that Cardinal Re the current head of the Congregation for Bishops will be named Bertone's successor in Genoa. If Re is shipped up north this frees up this vital congregation if Benedict's "reform of the reform" is to (a) make headway (b) remain in place after he passes from this life. The Congregation for Bishops helps in the choosing of bishops around the world. In order to "get a handle" on the crisis, bishops with the Pope's mindset will need to be appointed as the sees fall vacant consequent upon the retirement of each bishop at 75.

To my mind it always appeared that the John Paul II's method of choosing bishops was similar to a principle of American government: "checks and balances" where there was a conservative bishop he was replaced with a liberal and vice-versa. Several vaticanologists have consistently stressed the Pope's desire to get this congregation under control

Trial Balloons

Archbishop Ranjith seems of late to be the "go-to-guy" in Rome. In yet another interview, this time for La Croix of Paris, he could be heard opining on the liturgical currents in Rome. A most interesting snippet was the following

Today the problems of the liturgy center around the language used (the vernacular or Latin), and the direction of the priest, facing the congregation or turned towards God. I am going to surprise you: nowhere in the Council's decree is it indicated that the priest must henceforth turn towards the congregation, nor is it forbidden to use Latin ! If the use of the native language has been conceded, notably for the Liturgy of the Word, the decree clearly indicates the use of the Latin language will be preserved in the Latin rite. On these subjects we are awaiting the Pope to give his indications.

The two big issues: back to the people and Latin. A recent conference was held in Rome on the position for saying Mass. It was intended as a showcase for Benedict's ad orientem (facing east) thesis. The Pope as Cardinal Ratzinger has vigorously argued that for at least the consecration, the priest should turn his back to the people showing the common offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass since priest and people face now the same way and not each other. Needless to say attempts were made to torpedo this conference. Supposedly one of the speakers (allegedly a protégé of the retiring Cardinal Secretary of State) suggested that the issue was old news and needed to be shelved. The same rumors allege that it was this attempt to torpedo the conference that lead to Sodano's replacement by Bertone.

The second issue mentioned was the use of Latin. Notice how Ranjith starts mentioning the Council decree. He appeals to Vatican II and claims the reform went further than was intended. In the authentic spirit of Vatican II Latin at Mass needs to be retained. Clearly by singling out the Liturgy of the Word in the vernacular, the rest of the Mass might well return to being said in Latin. At least this is the import of the trial balloon that is being floated. Remember we are speaking here of the plans for the reform of the New Mass not the Tridentine Mass.

The clock Ticketh for the SSPX

The other big news of late is the long-awaited pow-wow in Menzingen, Switzerland. The Society of St Pius X is meeting in general chapter to either re-elect Fellay or elect a new Superior General. Given the increasingly bizarre statements coming from some of the 40 men who meet in conclave, I cannot offer any predictions.

By "bizarre statements" we had that very strange letter from the current SSPX rector of their Seminary in Australia blasting Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos who in a letter to Cardinal Dias of India thanked him for allowing the return to the diocesan seminary of 3 young men who had left India to try their vocations with the SSPX. What was their amazement to be barraged with Anti-Rome propaganda (by said Rector) and they sought re-admittance to the modern Seminary in India which they had previously left. Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos in thanking Cardinal Dias alluded to the "schismatic tendency" present at the SSPX seminary. The Rector leapt to his own defense and launched a broad-side attack at Rome (thereby beautifully proving Castrillon's point !)

Then what to make of the district superior for France ? In a recent letter to the SSPX priests of France he flat-out stated that Cardinal Ricard's (Archbishop of Bordeaux) statement that the Society rejected the Council was not true. Compare and contrast this with Tissier's USA interview of a few months ago where he said the Society stands for 'doing away with the Council' (like you can just sweep an ecumenical council under the carpet !) The exact expression as I recall was "Tabula Rasa" (a "clean slate" in Latin). One couldn't be more blunt about the matter if one tried.

Yes these are the men who will meet and try and sort their way through the confusion knowing they are faced with a formidable theological foil in the person of Benedict XVI. He has left no stone unturned in his quest for unity with Traditionalists. Just how long can the Society go on biting the hand that wants to feed them ?

+TF