The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

From Lincoln to London...

...an attaché case mix-up ?

June 17, 2008

Cardinal Castrillón and Pope Benedict XVI, November 15, 2007
(Note the Cardinal's attaché case on the Pope's desk)

When the Trad Czar Cardinal Castrillón went to see the Pope in November, last year, speculation was rife as to the contents of his attaché case and the mysterious envelope on the desk. Now after months of waiting the contents have been "fully" revealed (just like the other "secret" no doubt). Two speeches delivered at two Latin Masses in almost as many weeks: Lincoln, Nebraska, and London, England. In Lincoln, His Eminence encouraged the concelebration of the new Mass by Trad priests:

"As President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei I have particular interest in these young men who will celebrate the Holy sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacraments primarily (but not exclusively) according to the liturgical books of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite which is a treasure for the entire Church.

This obviously meets a desire on the part of a good number of the faithful. While I am pleased to promote our Holy Father's will expressed in his Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and invite my brother bishops to be generous in implementing this important document; I also invite my dear sons and brothers to strive to be an integral part of the dioceses in which you will serve; brothers of your brother priests showing deep respect for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, concelebrating with your bishops at the Chrismal Mass and when this sign of priestly communion is specially appropriate."

In London, his Eminence, to the gasps (literally !) of some reporters said that new Mass parishes (EVERY ONE OF THEM !) would be offering (no time-line available - and with good reason) the Trad Mass every Sunday !

Thus Trads would become Mods, and Mods would become Trads... how could I possibly account for this mix-up ? The answer was staring me in the face: L - incol - N and L - ondo - N. They both begin with "L" and end in "N" ! Could it be so simple as this: that the master plan had accidentally been mixed up in Transatlantic transit ? After all, English is not the Cardinal's mother tongue.

"Castrillón was machst du ?" the icy tones on the other end of the telephone.... after Stalingrad the Russian Front no longer seems appealing.

Well, folks, by now most of you know that our man Dario has been at it again causing controversy. Last time he hardly failed to get a rise out of Trads except myself (at least publicly), but this time his remarks last Saturday in London were heard the next day even in Sydney, Australia by the Libs. and with good reason.

Here now, the gist of what was said (the Cardinal in red with commentary from myself in green as usual):

Elena Curti (The Tablet): Your Eminence, I’d like to ask what you make of the response of the Bishops of England and Wales to the Pope's Motu Proprio.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: I think it's a good one. There are some problems because it’s a new way of celebrating liturgy and they need time to prepare priests and catechists on the content of the Extraordinary Form.

Ah, yes, the old Mass is indeed a "new" problem but the key here is that it will take time to prepare the ground work for the restoration of the old rite. Unfortunately Pope Benedict, by reason of his age, does not have "time" on his side and the libs seem to be counting on this. As to the Cardinal's take on the bishops' response... I'm speechless there I'm afraid, however, the next question perceptively picks up on this point...

Reuters: In some parts of the world there seems to be resistance on the part of local bishops to allow the faithful their full freedom to celebrate the Extraordinary Form. What do you recommend that the faithful do?

Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos: To be informed. Many of the difficulties come out because they don’t know the reality of the Gregorian Rite – this is the just [correct] name for the Extraordinary Form, because this Mass was never prevented, never. Today for many bishops it is difficult because they don’t have priests who don’t know Latin. Many seminaries give very few hours to Latin – not enough to give the necessary preparation to celebrate in a good way the Extraordinary Form. Others think that the Holy Father is going against the Second Vatican Council. That is absolute ignorance. The Fathers of the Council, never celebrated a Mass other than the Gregorian one. It [the Novus Ordo] came after the Council … The Holy Father, who is a theologian and who was in the preparation for the Council, is acting exactly in the way of the Council, offering with freedom the different kinds of celebration. This celebration, the Gregorian one, was the celebration of the Church during more than a thousand years … Others say one cannot celebrate with the back to the people. This is ridiculous. The Son of God has sacrificed himself to the Father, with his face to the Father. It is not against the people. It is for the people …

Cardinal Daneels of Belgium - speaking last year before the MP was issued - said he was not so worried about the (train) engine of the Trad Mass as he was concerned about the "carriages that followed it" i.e. the old theology - pre-Vatican II way of doing things. That is precisely what is troubling the bishops - not ignorance etc.

Damian Thompson (The Telegraph): Your Eminence, would the Holy Father like to see ordinary parishes in England with no knowledge of the Gregorian Rite introduced to it?

Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos: Yes, of course. We cannot celebrate this without knowledge of the language, of the signs, of the ways of the Rite, and some institutions of the Church are helping in that way.

Damian Thompson (The Telegraph): So would the Pope like to see many ordinary parishes making provision for the Gregorian Rite?

Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos: All the parishes. Not many – all the parishes, because this is a gift of God. He offers these riches, and it is very important for new generations to know the past of the Church. This kind of worship is so noble, so beautiful – the deepest theologians’ way to express our faith. The worship, the music, the architecture, the painting, makes a whole that is a treasure. The Holy Father is willing to offer to all the people this possibility, not only for the few groups who demand it but so that everybody knows this way of celebrating the Eucharist in the Catholic Church.

Damian Thompson's first question seems to be a little like wishful thinking - the Latin Mass in every parish - but Castrillón's response ("Yes") is astounding ! Now here the uninitiated start crowing: "Wonderful !" Do you remember the Cardinal's response to the first question ? He said: "They need time to prepare priests..." after 40 years of turmoil, it simply isn't possible to wave a wand and see this all come to pass. Later on I will delve into some of the deeper reasons why this won't be happening any time soon as well !!

Anna Arco (The Catholic Herald): On that note, would you like to see all the seminaries in England and Wales teach the seminarians how to celebrate in the Extraordinary Form?

Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos: I would like it, and it will be necessary. We are writing to the seminaries, we are in accord that we have to make deep preparation not only for the Rite, but for [teaching] the theology, the philosophy, the Latin language …

Damian Thompson (The Telegraph): What would be the practical steps for ordinary parishes [to prepare for the Gregorian Rite]?

Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos: If the parish priest selects an hour, on Sundays, to celebrate the Mass, and prepare with catechesis the community to understand it, to appreciate the power of the silence, the power of the sacred way in front of God, the deep theology, to discover how and why the priests represents the person of Christ and to pray with the priest.

So now the questions as to practicalities begin: seminary training, theology, philosophy etc. Indeed this is the bombshell of the whole interview ! The liturgical question (old Mass) is of secondary importance, the theological one is of primary importance. If the Cardinal wishes to see the old ecclesiology being taught (and if this is also an expression of the Pope's intentions) then fine, but a word of warning, the lack of precision in the Cardinal's response as to which theology is of capital importance here. If the Cardinal does mean the traditional theology, then how will this be possible since there are no professors left who know the old ways and the bulk of the bishops find the whole program "difficult" (to put it mildly !). Indeed yesterday evening the former Anglican priest Dr. William Oddie, now a Catholic layman, was interviewed on the "Journey Home" show hosted by Catholic convert Marcus Grodi on EWTN. Dr. Oddie related the story of two Anglican parishes that converted en masse from Anglicanism to Catholicism in England a few years ago. Oddie wrote about it. His book was published on a Tuesday, the catholic bishops of England denounced the conversion on the following Friday. The next day (Saturday) the two parishes were closed ! Dr. Oddie explained that the reason why the catholic bishops opposed the conversion of two entire Anglican parishes to Catholicism was because they had a "pre-Vatican mindset"... go figure ! It all depends upon the "good will" of the bishops.

Elena Curti (The Tablet): Your Eminence, I think many Catholics are rather confused by this new emphasis on the Tridentine Rite, mainly because we were taught that the new Rite represented real progress, and many of us who have grown up with it see it as real progress, that there are Eucharistic ministers, women on the sanctuary, that we are all priests, prophets and kings. This new emphasis to many of us seems to deny that.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: What is progress? "Progredire", means [offering] the best to God… I am surprised, because many young people are enthusiastic with the celebration of the Gregorian Rite …

Elena Curti (The Tablet): In the Motu Proprio, the Pope's emphasis is on one Rite and two forms, and he describes the Tridentine Rite as "extraordinary". Extraordinary therefore means exceptional, not something that we celebrate every Sunday.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: Not "exceptional". Extraordinary means "not ordinary", not "exceptional."

Elena Curti (The Tablet): Should it therefore supersede the new Rite? Should we go back?

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: It is not going back: it is taking a treasure which is present, but was not provided. … But it takes time. The application of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council took years. It takes time to understand the deep profundity of the old Rite. The Holy Father is not returning to the past; he is taking a treasure from the past to offer it alongside the rich celebration of the new Rite. The second Eucharistic prayer of the new Rite is actually the oldest one [in the Church’s entire liturgy]. It’s not a matter of confrontation but of fraternal dialogue.

Here a note about personalities: Damian Thompson is the author of "Holy Smoke" blog a semi-official blog of The Telegraph newspaper in Britain. Thompson is highly supportive of the Trad cause. Anna Arco is from The Catholic Herald a now very conservative and pro Latin Mass publication. Both these reporters a favorable to the Cardinal and to the Trad Mass. Now the question shift to the reporter from The Tablet an absolutely liberal rag masquerading as a "catholic" publication. Dissenters of all kinds find a welcome venue for the spewing of all their post-V II garbage - you know the ageing hippie generation that gave us flower power and the guitar Mass etc. Thus the tone of questions becomes increasingly antagonistic. That's why Curti is "confused" and sees the MP as "going back".

Damian Thompson (The Telegraph): Will there be a clarification of the Motu Proprio?

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: Not exactly a clarification of the Motu Proprio, but of matters treated in the Motu Proprio, such as the calendario, ordinations to the sub-diaconate, the way of using vestments, the Eucharistic fast.

Damian Thompson (The Telegraph): What about the "stable group"?

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: It's a matter of common sense … In every bishop's household there are maybe three or four persons. This is a stable group … It is not possible to give two persons a Mass, but two here, two there, two elsewhere – they can have it. They are a stable group.

Damian Thompson (The Telegraph): From different parishes?

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: No problem! This is our world. Managers of enterprises don’t live in one place, but they are a stable group.

Thompson (favorable to the Trad Mass, remember) saves the Cardinal from further liberal scrutiny and asks the big question: "What has happened to the imminent document clarifying the MP ?" Now we hear "Not exactly" oh dear ! That is less than reassuring and given all the leaks (and no doubt the behind-the-scenes lobbying) the clarification text has been "deep-sixed". One etymological dictionary suggests that the expression "deep six' refers to the time of US prohibition when rival gangs of mobsters would get rid of their enemies (by the bullet) and put them "six feet under" i.e. bury them. It seems some modern day mobsters have definitely buried the clarification which would have saved the MP as well.

Now the Neo-conned (as opposed to the Neo-Cons - a distinctively different constituency) have been lapping up this nonsense for the last two weeks. Americans may be forgiven for fondly thinking that the "Mother Country" so steeped in tradition must also possess herself of a Catholic hierarchy as equally steeped in Tradition. Well as a genuine Englishman myself, I can assure my US readers that the Catholic Church in England and Wales is in SERIOUS trouble. The English bishops have maintained an almost unanimous stony silence in the face of the Pope's MP. One "glorious" exception was documented here (which we also carried in this column). The catholic bishop of Portsmouth allowed the celebration of the Latin Mass in the Anglican Cathedral of Winchester as a "one-off". The celebrant was a Catholic, but he had to use the usurped Cathedral no less - now that's really generous. I suppose that shows exactly what the UK catholic bishops think of the Trad Mass - it belongs not now to the pre-Vatican II era but in the pre-Reformation era !

Does Cardinal Castrillón seriously believe that every parish in England and Wales will ever have the Latin Mass at least on Sunday each week ? Who does he have in mind to offer this Mass ? The existing priests are either:

1/ of good will but afraid of their bishop and they know Rome won't protect them (witness the Novara three for exmaple)

2/ ignorant of Latin

3/ a modernist and therefore opposed to the Latin Mass already

4/ overworked enough as it is

5/ just not interested at all etc. etc. etc.

Sobering reading and certainly not the rose-colored spectacle approach of the old tat Neo-conned brigade.

Just precisely where all of this is leading is particularly troubling given that:

1/ The neo-catechumenal way people have been definitively approved without correcting their liturgical abuses.

2/ World Youth Day is upon us and looks like being yet another debacle. The excuse three years ago was that the new Pope had inherited Cologne from JPII. Sydney is Pope Benedict's "baby" so the neo-conned can't make any excuses that blame JP II this time around...

3/ The US bishops continue to oppose the will of the late John Paul II who required that all vernacular liturgical texts should accurately reflect the Latin original...

+TF

P.S. One important feature for party members in 1943, was that those who had their wits about them were no longer convinced of the "final victory" even if Josef Göbbels was still trying to talk them into believing in "Total War" ! Perhaps the man to watch is the plucky leader "Field Marshall Montgomery" of the English 8th Army (a frequent critic of the "Desert Wolf") who way out in southern climes recently stated that he "can enjoy the sunshine and forget about a lot of problems." I wish I could....