The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Et in Arcadia Ego

May 17, 2008

Et in arcadia ego !

Thus Waugh subtitles the youthful years of Charles Ryder and Lord Sebastian Flyte in his famous Brideshead Revisited. Well after a protracted hiatus, (et in arcadia eram !) the column makes its reappearance with a number of issues to be addressed.

1965

Inquiring minds have written me about the apparent push to move Trads to the 1965 liturgy (and eventually to reverse the 1969 missal backwards). Actually I think a revamped 65 is more likely along the lines of the revised prayer for the Jews. By the latter comment I mean the substitution for something traditional with something new or reworked. Now "new or reworked" is always taken by Trads in the "know" as something bad or untoward as a matter of course. Thus we can expect further revisions to the Trad rite of Mass and probably in short order. As a modus operandi I have stated this before but it bears repeating. Stasis can never be achieved (or is even desirable by some) in this very modern of worlds.

The New Lectionary

After one of Cardinal Castrillón's latest interviews, the new lectionary fused with the Trad ordo missae seems much more likely. Trads of all shades, however, may be more than surprised (as one priest friend was a week ago) to learn that a two week lectionary was in fact introduced before in 1966, first in Germany and Switzerland, then in 1967 in the United States of America. The US version was closely modeled on the 66 version. Basically it provided for a two year weekday cycle of readings that ran consecutively and could be used ad libitum by the celebrant to replace the usual readings on all 3rd class and lower rank days and at votive Masses. That the Council had called for a wider use of the Scriptures is well known:

"The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly [in the 'Most Sacred Mystery of the Eucharist'], so that richer fare may be provided at the table of God's word."

Sacrosanctum concilium 51

Ascension Sunday

The issue here is the transference of the obligation of assisting at Mass on Ascension Thursday to the following Sunday and the substitution of the propers for the Thursday celebration for that of the Sunday celebration. There are pros and cons associated with this subject. That an obligation can be transferred is without doubt. For the most part in the US there has been a tendency to minimalism even since the late 19th century. The US bishops successfully petitioned Rome to have the number of Holy Days reduced by jettisoning Epiphany, Corpus Christi and Ss Peter and Paul even in the 19th century. Now some Holy Days are moved to Sunday if they fall on Saturday or Monday - it is too much to expect Mass attendance two days in a row ! Even before the reforms of St. Pius X in 1911, many feasts that occured in the Sanctoral could occur on a Sunday - one thinks of "Rosary Sunday" in October, for example. Even after Pius X sought to re-establish the pre-eminence of the Sunday cycle over the festal cycle, it was allowed to solemnize any feast that had been solemnized on a Sunday in the past - like Corpus Christi next Sunday, for example. The problem with Ascension Sunday, is that the symbolism of 40 days is completely lost, and confusion is caused when, for example, the Bishops of Florida have transferred the obligation to the following Sunday, but a person from out of town, whose home diocese has not yet transferred the obligation has not, erroneously believes they have to assist at Mass. Whilst the out-of-towner is governed by the law of the current territory, he or she may not know the obligation has ceased, or worse yet... their home territory has dispensed the obligation but the current domicile has not - utter confusion !

The Transalpine Redemptorists...

...and other tempests in a teapot ! The internet has been boiling with this subject for some time. Several governing points:

1/ Dialog with Rome is not selling out - it's called: "Inquiring minds want to know!"

2/ Bishop Fellay is not the superior general of the Trad movement, so decisions to reconcile don't have to pass through Menzingen.

3/ Seminary rectors are supposed to see to it that seminarians are formed for the priesthood. They aren't there to interfere in the internal workings of another congregation.

4/ Rome is accused by some Trads of attempting to divide Trads in order to conquer - what difference is there when an SSPX official uses the same tactics against fellow Trads ? Enuff said !

The Motu Proprio reality check

The Motu proprio is already 10 months old ! This document was needed to bring "healing within the Church" we were told. 10 months on and absolutely no-one has been "regularized" by this document ! Cardinal Castrillon told the bishops of South America assembled at the CELAM conference a year ago that the MP was needed to bring in the Oasis of Jesus in Spain. They were regularized June 29, 2007 before the MP was issued July 7, 2007 ! We are still waiting for the clarification of the MP which was rumored as being published subito in January of this year.

Thunder from Down Under

Outback steakhouse used to carry a dessert with that name. Whether they still do or not I have no idea. (Be that as it may I never tried at all !) In any case the phrase makes a perfect jingle for the continued rantings from La Reja. By the way.... April came and went and still no MIRACLE OF GARABANDAL ! Fortunately I didn't hold my breath. Why is it that dire forebodings sit so well with the Traddie type ? Should girls be reading the internet ? (That's not my question - just a thought provoked by the subject being taken to task herein !) Another priest friend coined a phrase to describe it all: semper idem ! Despite the fact that this was Cardinal Ottaviani's episcopal motto it makes it a fitting tribute to the unswerving benevolence of La Reja for Tradition !

+TF