What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Does anyone think these days about the "derestricting" of the "Tridentine" Mass? I still do.

You might remember when everything was flying furiously a few fair weeks ago that the French bishops went bananas about the possibility of an indult.  At that time I mentioned that, in their eyes (and it must be admitted they are right to a degree) the "integristes" problem is tied to right-wing politics in France.  In that light, take a look at these:

Le Pen Struggles to Launch Candidacy

The veteran leader of France’s far-right National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen is accusing the political establishment of conspiring to block his candidacy in the 2007 presidential elections. But the truth is that he just can’t get enough backers.

 

When the Holy Father travels to Turkey, he will not be received there as a Head of State. There are consequences for protocol.

It was also announced recently that the Pope’€™s welcome has been downgraded to a second-class protocol instead of a first-class protocol, reported Turkish agency Hurriyet. The ceremonial differences between the two protocols mean that there will not be 21 cannon shots fired and that fewer soldiers will be present for his arrival.

The Pope will also stay at the Vatican Embassy rather than in the Glass House in the President’€™s LJankaya KöşŸk, which is usually set aside for foreign heads of state.

So… the Pope won’t be living in the "Glass House".

Perhaps the Holy Father will feel free to throw a few stones as a result?

You must go over to Valle Adurni for the blow by blow description, with pictures, of the Papal Coronation of John XXIII. There are some VERY funny editorial comments interspersed with Father’s descriptions of the ceremonies:

After the Holy Father’s Latin sermon, he stands to intone the Credo (pic3). This is enthusiastically taken up by the Capella Sistina who, (pic4) are now caught by the camera in their gallery near the altar, protected by a screen, as you can see, from the bottles, tomatoes &c flung by the music-lovers below.

Kudos to this guy and his project!

o{]:¬)

 

Put everything down and read this:

The Byzantine Divine Liturgy, like that of all the Eastern Churches, is celebrated facing East. The priest and all the faithful look to the East, whence Christ will come again in glory. The priest intercedes before the Lord for his people; he walks at the head of the people towards the encounter with the Lord. At different moments the priest turns to the people: for the proclamation of the Gospel, for the dialogue preceding the anaphora, for the communion with the holy gifts, and for all the blessings. These symbolize moments in which the Lord himself comes forth to meet his people.

Sounds familiar, right? Does this not sound precisely as it should be (is, actually) for the Roman Rite as well? Do these reasons not perfectly describe why in the Latin Church we really ought properly to orient our celebration of Holy Mass so that the priest and people face the East whence Christ will come in glory?

 

Okay… here is the quiz.

Who wrote that piece above? (Answer below)

The famed liturgist Klaus Gamber, author of Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background, so appreciated by Joseph Ratzinger, thought that the changing of the direction of the altar was more damaging than any other change after the Council. Both Jungmann and Bouyer said they were wrong in their initial support of versus populum celebrations.

I have a sneaking suspicion that we might see something from Pope Benedict about Eastward celebration of Holy Mass.

Oh yah. Who authored that quote above? Here is the answer (HIGHLIGHT with your mouse over this for the text ->): His Excellency, Most Rev. Piero MARINI, Master of the Pontifical Ceremonies

For more click HERE

I also recommend the book: Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer

There is a great deal to be done to educated people about this important matter and to dispell what has fossilized into ignorant prejudice.

Biretta tip to FA for the initial link: o{]:¬)

Here is a rather strongly worded document issued by the Roman Pontiff on clerics who commit homosexual acts (Latin original followed by my translation):

Contra quoscumque Clericos, tam saeculares quam regulares, nefandi criminis reos.

PIUS EPISCOPUS (SANCTUS PIUS Pp. V)
SERVUS SERVORUM DEI

Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.

Horrendum illud scelus, quo pollutae foederatae Civitates a tremendo Dei judicio coflagrarunt, acerbissimum Nobis dolorem inurit, graviterque animum nostrum commovet, ut ad illud, quantum potest, comprimendum, studia nostra conferamus.

#1. Sane Lateranensi Concilio dignoscitur constitutum, ut quicumque Clerici, illa incontinentia, quae contra naturam est, propter quam ira Dei venit in filios diffidentiae, deprehensi fuerint laborare, a Clero deiiciantur, vel ad agendum in Monasteriis poenitentiam detrudantur.

#2. Verum ne tanti flagitii contagium, impunitatis spe, quae maxima peccandi illecebra est, fidentius invalescat, Clericos hujus nefarii criminis reos, gravius ulciscendos deliberavimus, ut qui animae interitum non horrescunt, hos certe deterreat civilium legum vindex gladius saecularis.

#3. Itaque quod Nos iam in ipso Pontificatus nostri principio hac de re decrevimus, plenius nunc, fortiusque persequi intendentes, omnes, & quoscumque Presbyteros, & alios Clericos saeculares, & regulares cujuscumque gradus, & dignitatis, tam dirum nefas exercentes, omni privilegio clericali, omnique officio, dignitate, & beneficio Ecclesiastico praesentis Canonis auctoritate privamus. Ita quod per Judicem Ecclesiasticum degradati, potestati statim saeculari tradantur, qui de eis illud idem capiat supplicium, quod in laicos hoc in exitio devolutos, legitimis reperitur sanctionibus constitutum. Nulli ergo &c.

Datum Romae apud S. Petrum, Anno Incarnationis Dominicae 1568. 3. Kal. Sep. Pont. nostri Anno III.

Against any cleric whosoever, secular or regular, who are guilty of a heinous crime.

Pius, Bishop (St. Pope Pius V)
Servant of the Servants of God

For perpetual memory of the matter.

A ghastly crime, by which the joined (papal) states were polluted enflamed by God’s fearful judgment, flares up our bitter sorrow, and gravely moves our soul so that we lend now our attentions to repress it as much as possible.

1. It was properly denoted by the Lateran Council, that whatsoever Cleric will have been discovered to suffer from that incontinence which is against nature, on account of which the wrath of God falls upon the sons of disobedience (cf. Vulg. Eph. 5,6), is to be ejected from the ranks of the clergy and be reduced to do penance in a monastery.

2. But lest the contagion of such a scourge, from the hope of impunity which is the greatest lure of sinning, more confidently grows in power, We determine that clerics guilty of this execrable crime are to be quite gravely punished, so that whoever does not abhor the ruination of the soul, the avenging secular sword of civil laws will certainly deter.

3. And thus because We have made a decree in this matter at the beginning of Our Pontificate, now in a fuller and stronger way intending it to be followed strictly, every and all priests, whoever they are, and other secular clerics, and regular clerics of any grade and dignity, busy at such a detestable monstrosity, We deprive of every clerical privilege, every office, dignity, and ecclesiastical benefice by authority of the present legal instrument. So it is enacted that once they are degraded by the Ecclesiastical Judge, they be handed over immediately to the secular arm, which will exact upon them the same (death) penalty, which is ascertained to have been constituted by legitimate sanctions against laymen who have slid down into this ruin. Nothing to the contrary withstanding, etc.

Given at Rome at St. Peter’s, 30 August in the Year of the Lord’s Incarnation 1568 during the third year of Our Pontificate.

The Commmon Declaration, the Holy Father’s Address, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Address… ho hum.

You’ve all seen them in the news and, with a yawn, maybe scanned them and moved along quickly to find something more interesting. I did.

However, a conversation with a very well-informed friend got me thinking about them differently.

The Pope’s Address to the Archbishop of Canterbury (somewhat edited but my emphasis and comments):

Your Grace,
Dear friends,
...

In the present context, however, and especially in the secularized Western world, there are many negative influences and pressures which affect Christians and Christian communities [the Pope is about to start talking about homosexuals and radical feminism, not global warming, or poverty and hunger, get it? This is the culture war.]. Over the last three years you have spoken openly about the strains and difficulties besetting the Anglican Communion and consequently about the uncertainty of the future of the Communion itself. [We move from the general to the particular. So, the Pope into these same problems afflicting Anglicans.] Recent developments, [Read = mistakes] especially concerning the ordained ministry and certain moral teachings, [We’re back to feminism and homosexuals…] have affected not only internal relations within the Anglican Communion but also relations between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church. We believe that these matters, which are presently under discussion within the Anglican Communion, are of vital importance to the preaching of the Gospel in its integrity, and that your current discussions will shape the future of our relations. [See my comments at the end.] It is to be hoped that the work of the theological dialogue, which had registered no small degree of agreement on these and other important theological matters, will continue [to] be taken seriously in your discernment. In these deliberations we accompany you with heartfelt prayer. It is our fervent hope that the Anglican Communion will remain grounded in the Gospels and the Apostolic Tradition [Which is FOR YOU by no means certain, by the way, and if you ordain a woman bishop, well…] which form our common patrimony and are the basis of our common aspiration to work for full visible unity.

The world needs our witness and the strength which comes from an undivided proclamation of the Gospel. The immense sufferings of the human family and the forms of injustice that adversely affect the lives of so many people constitute an urgent call for our shared witness and service. Precisely for this reason, and even amidst present difficulties, [Which aren’t our fault.] it is important that we continue our theological dialogue. I hope that your visit will assist in finding constructive ways forward in the current circumstances. [In other words, "The world is going to hell in a handbasket and it would be great if you could help us rather than contribute to the confusion."]

May the Lord continue to bless you and your family, and may he strengthen you in your ministry to the Anglican Communion!

Let’s look at the …

COMMON DECLARATION
of Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams

Forty years ago, our predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, met together in this city sanctified by the ministry and the blood of the Apostles Peter and Paul. They began a new journey of reconciliation based on the Gospels and the ancient common traditions. Centuries of estrangement between Anglicans and Catholics were replaced by a new desire for partnership and co-operation, as the real but incomplete communion we share was rediscovered and affirmed. [We don’t hate each other anymore. I stipulate.] Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Ramsey undertook at that time to establish a dialogue in which matters which had been divisive in the past might be addressed from a fresh perspective with truth and love.

Since that meeting, the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion have entered into a process of fruitful dialogue, which has been marked by the discovery of significant elements of shared faith and a desire to give expression, through joint prayer, witness and service, to that which we hold in common. [We don’t hate each other anymore. I stipulate.] Over thirty-five years, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has produced a number of important documents which seek to articulate the faith we share. [But what do those documents mean if during the time of Carey, Anglicans and others in the communion act differently, without respect for the Catholic Church or the Orthodox, in ordaining women?] In the ten years since the most recent Common Declaration was signed by the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the second phase of ARCIC has completed its mandate, with the publication of the documents "The Gift of Authority" (1999) and "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ" (2005). We are grateful to the theologians who have prayed and worked together in the preparation of these texts, which await further study and reflection.

True ecumenism goes beyond theological dialogue; it touches our spiritual lives and our common witness. [Talk is not enough. What you actually do matters!] As our dialogue has developed, many Catholics and Anglicans have found in each other a love for Christ which invites us into practical co-operation and service. This fellowship in the service of Christ, experienced by many of our communities around the world, adds a further impetus to our relationship. The International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) has been engaged in an exploration of the appropriate ways in which our shared mission to proclaim new life in Christ to the world can be advanced and nurtured. Their report, which sets out both a summary of the central conclusions of ARCIC [But Anglicans ordained women priests anyway, despite everythng. So what do the earlier documents really mean for our common ecumenical journey?] and makes proposals for growing together in mission and witness, has recently been completed and submitted for review to the Anglican Communion Office and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and we express our gratitude for their work. [I don’t envy those guys, let me tell you.]

In this fraternal visit, we celebrate the good which has come from these four decades of dialogue. We are grateful to God for the gifts of grace which have accompanied them. At the same time, our long journey together makes it necessary to acknowledge publicly the challenge represented by new developments which, besides being divisive for Anglicans, present serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress. It is a matter of urgency, therefore, that in renewing our commitment to pursue the path towards full visible communion in the truth and love of Christ, we also commit ourselves in our continuing dialogue to address the important issues involved in the emerging ecclesiological and ethical factors making that journey more difficult and arduous. [Uh huh… like the circus of ordaining women priests and open homosexuals and women bishops in the Anglican communion in the USA?]

As Christian leaders facing the challenges of the new millennium, we affirm again our public commitment to the revelation of divine life uniquely set forth by God in the divinity and humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that it is through Christ and the means of salvation found in him that healing and reconciliation are offered to us and to the world.

There are many areas of witness and service in which we can stand together, and which indeed call for closer co-operation between us: the pursuit of peace in the Holy Land and in other parts of the world marred by conflict and the threat of terrorism; promoting respect for life from conception until natural death; [Are Anglicans really "standing together" with the Church on this? Really? There is no question about what the Catholic Church teaches about this and the Church lobbies about it. Do Anglicans? What does "stand together" mean here?] protecting the sanctity of marriage and the well-being of children in the context of healthy family life [What does "sanctity of marriage" mean to Anglicans?]; outreach to the poor, oppressed and the most vulnerable, especially those who are persecuted for their faith; addressing the negative effects of materialism; and care for creation and for our environment. We also commit ourselves to inter-religious dialogue through which we can jointly reach out to our non-Christian brothers and sisters. [Yah, right… like Islamic terrorists? in England?]

Mindful of our forty years of dialogue, and of the witness of the holy men and women [women… who can’t be priests, however…] common to our traditions, including Mary the Theotókos, Saints Peter and Paul, Benedict, Gregory the Great, and Augustine of Canterbury, we pledge ourselves to more fervent prayer and a more dedicated endeavor to welcome and live by that truth into which the Spirit of the Lord wishes to lead his disciples (cf. Jn 16:13). Confident of the apostolic hope "that he who has begun this good work in you will bring it to completion" (cf. Phil 1:6), we believe that if we can together be God’s instruments in calling all Christians to a deeper obedience to our Lord, we will also draw closer to each other, finding in his will the fullness of unity and common life to which he invites us.

From the Vatican, 23 November 2006

Okay… the Pope recently told the Swiss Bishops that we can’t just yak about things, but really really need to do something. In the ancient Church, when leaders of Churches got together and signed something, there were consequences. So, I think we should all demand immediate implementation of this Common Declaration. The leadership signed on, right? Does this declaration have any impact on the life of the Churches? If they don’t why bother?

While in the sphere if ecumenism I really think that the Holy Father’s eyes gaze more eastward than anywhere else, perhaps Rome’s (read: Benedict and Kasper) immediate goal is fairly simple. Go back to what Cardinal Kasper told the Anglican House of Bishops on 5 June 2006:

Collegiality was not understood simply in terms of an ultimately non-binding collegial frame of mind; collegiality is rather a reality ontologically grounded in the sacrament of episcopal consecration, the shared participation in the one episcopal office, which finds concrete expression in the collegialitas affectiva and in the collegialitas effectiva. This collegiality is of course not limited to the horizontal and synchronic relationship with contemporary episcopal colleagues; since the Church is one and the same in all centuries, the present-day church must also maintain diachronic consensus with the episcopate of the centuries before us, and above all with the testimony of the apostles. This is the more profound significance of the apostolic succession in episcopal office.

Cardinal Kasper was crystal clear in his meaning and it could not have been misunderstood. Because any future possible communion of Rome and Canterbury depends on the concept of what a bishop is, if they "ordain" women, dialogue with the Catholic Church will change. It might continue in some way, but it won’t be the same. Kasper again:

Ecumenical dialogue in the true sense of the word has as its goal the restoration of full church communion. That has been the presupposition of our dialogue until now. That presupposition would realistically no longer exist following the introduction of the ordination of women to Episcopal office.

 

I don’t think Rome (read: Benedict and Kasper) have a real overall picture of what they want this to look like someday. The Common Declaration and the Holy Father’s address probably need to be read through this lens: the homosexual thing is a serious problem but "ordaining" a woman bishop… that’s the deal breaker.