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

When I mention that I (the guy from The Wanderer) and Mr. John L. Allen (of the National Catholic Reporter) are friends, some don’t believe me, though why I cannot tell.

Today there was an informal meeting of journalists at the Foreign Press Club in Rome with John Allen, who has become quite the expert on the state of the Church in South America.  He had interesting comments. 

At the heart of the discussion was the Holy Father’s upcoming visit to Brazil and, indeed, the perception of His Holiness in the Press together the the major trends the Church faces in the future.   Allen is preparing a new book on the latter theme.

Here is a shot of the aforementioned in the bar of the Press Club (which I am being "pressed" to join,... and just may).

Since the meeting was very informative I even postponed my going to Spiderman 3 this afternoon but I caught up with it tonight with a priest friend.

BTW: We are of like mind in the situation of the Motu Proprio – while the Holy Father is in S. America, indeed probably while the CELAM is meeting, nothing major will come out.  The Church’s focus needs to be there.  But, it is going to happen. More about that another time.

RINUNCE E NOMINE , 07.05.2007

NOMINA DEL SEGRETARIO DELLA CONGREGAZIONE PER IL CLERO

Il Santo Padre ha nominato Segretario della Congregazione per il Clero S.E. Mons. Mauro Piacenza, Vescovo tit. di Vittoriana, il quale manterrà ad interim gli incarichi di Presidente della Pontificia Commissione per i Beni Culturali della Chiesa e di Presidente della Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra, elevandolo in pari tempo alla dignità di Arcivescovo, conservandogli la medesima sede titolare di Vittoriana.

One of my Italian readers writes of him via e-mail something of interest:

Excellent. A friend of sound Liturgy and Sacred Music and not in the least a liberal. He’s been always supportive of the "good guys". I love it that the Holy Father let him retain is former offices. He needed some real power in a strategic place and this does seem another good incremental step Ratzinger style. Hopefully he’ll prove good in his new position.

After the death of Msgr. Richard Schuler of St. Agnes in St. Paul (MN), and just before my departure to the USA for his funerl, I sent a letter to the Holy Father to inform him about Msgr. Schuler’s demise.  It was hand delivered to His Holiness’ private secretary. 

His Holiness knew Msgr. Schuler and always asked about him when he encountered people from Minnesota.  When I worked in the Holy Office building years ago I always made sure Card. Ratzinger had the annual programs of the Twin Cities Catholic Choral and other news of the music at St. Agnes.  He was always happy to hear what was going on.

At the time of Monsignor’s death, the Holy Father was about to head off to Pavia in Northern Italy for a visit to St. Augustine’s tomb, but I had hoped there might be the chance of a papal telegramme by the time of the funeral.  Alas no.

Now I find on the website of St. Agnes parish (someone was kind enough to suggest I look at it) that a note from the Pope came. 

According to protocol, these letters are sent from the Secretariate of State through the Apostolic Nuncius in Washington, D.C., and then forwarded to the local bishop (who can pass them on if he deems it opportune). 

How many parish priests occasion notes of condolence from the Pope?

Here is an excerpt of my letter to the Holy Father:

Most Holy Father,

I am confident Your Holiness remembers Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, of Saint Paul, Minnesota (USA).     

Msgr. Schuler died on 20 April after a long illness.  He was 86 years old.

May I humbly ask Your Holiness to say a prayer for the repose of Msgr. Schuler’s soul?  It would be a consolation.

Msgr. Schuler, a member of the Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae, was a friend of Your Holiness’ reverend brother.

As pastor of Saint Agnes Church in Saint Paul, Msgr. Schuler built a program of orchestral Masses on more than thirty Sundays of the year with music of the Viennese and other composers.  He formed the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale, a Gregorian schola cantorum, an a cappella polyphonic choir, and a choir in the parish school.  After his retirement several years ago the choirs are still active.

During the 32 years Msgr. Schuler was pastor, some thirty men from his parish were ordained priests.  The parish still successfully fosters vocations.

Thank you, Holy Father, for all you have done and are doing now.  Thank you for your beautiful teaching and service.  Thank you for remembering Msgr. Schuler.

With filial respect and humble gratitude, in our Savior I am Your Holiness’ devoted son.

Just as I asked the Pope for prayer for Msgr. Schuler, I would ask you also to pray for the repose of his soul. 

Here in Rome some folks from St. Agnes will be helping to organize a Requiem Mass, probably in the older, "Tridentine" Rite, for the 30th day from Monsignor’s death.  It will probably be on 19 May.  Details will follow. 

In another entry, there is a comment from frequent participant Jon which deserves to be showcased (my emphases):

I had a pleasant surprise yesterday. Bishop Kevin Rhoades, our bishop in Harrisburg, was on hand for a High Mass celebrated in his honor for the 2nd anniversary of our weekly indult. It was a surprise because, well, he surprised us by showing up. He’d had another event planned, but cancelled it at the last minute to be with us. Even the celebrant (Father James Fryar, FSSP), didn’t know His Excellency was going to be there until yesterday morning.

Anyway, Mass was celebrated in the bishop’s presence. He’d obviously been studying his role, as the few rubrics he needed to follow were preformed flawlessly with no assistance from his MC, who remained in my pew.

Although he didn’t give the homily, the bishop said a few words from the pulpit between the Last Gospel and the recessional. He spoke for a full ten minutes extolling the beauty of the Traditional Mass. Although he praised JPII for granting the ‘88 indult, he didn’t quote him. Instead, he quoted only Pope Benedict, from both The Spirit of the Liturgy, and Sacramentum Caritatis. He then gave us his Apostolic Blessing, chanting back and forth in Latin. It was like Wednesday with the pope. Absolutely fantastic.

At the end of Mass, in the receiving line, I said to H.E. after thanking him for coming, "Having you here is almost a consolation for not getting the Motu proprio yesterday!" He laughed, and said, "No word yet, but it should be soon!" 

A good man, and I’m grateful to God he’s my Ordinary. Things are looking up.

This is uplifting.

A couple things:

First, the Mass was being celebrated in the bishop’s honor.  When you receive something to your benefit, rather than focus sourly on your "right" to have it, why not take the high road and thank the bishop?*  As a matter of fact, on a couple occasions I have suggested to priests with traditional Mass communities a couple times a year to send a letter of thanks to the bishop expressing gratitude, unity of prayer, and even a spiritual bouquet from the children. 

Second, bishops and priests who are otherwise well-disposed to the requests of people who desire older forms of the sacraments little by little close their doors and windows under the hail of snooty and downright nasty letters they receive.  Sadly, the whole traditional "thing" tends to attract people who are happy only when they are unhappy.  They write to bishops or say to them in person things which work to their disadvantage.  It gets to a point where bishops or priests don’t even want to hear about traditional things.

Why not create a positive rapport?  Why not expend some effort to help the bishop or priest smile when he sees a letter from "traditionalists", rather than groan and reach for the asprin?

As the Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales (+1622) told his friend Jean Pierre Camus (+1652) Bishop of Belley:

“Soyez toujours le plus doux que vous pourrez, et souvenez-vous que l’on prends plus de mouches avec une cuillerée de miel qu’avec cent barils de vinaigre… Always be as gentle as you can and remember that one catches more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar."

*After confession do you take a moment to tell the priest "thank you"?  It makes a difference to him!

Yesterday evening before heading out to supper (which some of you apparently think I should never eat, or at least must eat in a shabby sort of manner) the light was amazing and required photos. 

Here are a couple shots from my window.

First, the latern of St. Ivo… you’ve seen it before, but can we ever tire of it?

The cupola of Sant’Andrea della Valle, second largest church dome (excluding the Pantheon) in Rome. 

Now a view of the Pantheon. The dome is actually slightly wider is diameter than St. Peter’s, and it is alot older.

And the other direction toward the aforementioned St. Peter’s.

 

Over at Shouts I learned of the existence of an episcopal blog.  H.E. Most Rev. William Lori, Bp. of Bridgeport, in Connecticut, is now blogging.

As an interesting coincidence I also learned of a story on Lifesite entitled "Bishops Conferences Admit to Approving Abortifacient Drugs for Rape at Catholic Hospitals". 

One of the conferences in question is that of Connecticut.

Someone asked His Excellency on his blog about the contradiction in bishops "approving" abortifacients in Catholic hospitals.

Q: I’m confused. Please help me understand. I thought that the Catholic Church teaches that contraception and abortifacients should never be used for any reason. I thought I read in your post that the Church allows “Plan B”, which aborts a fertilized egg, to be used in the case of sexual assault. I may have misinterpreted you, please clarify. ~ Joe, Bridgeport

Bp. Lori’s Answer: This is a complex issue. The Church opposes contraception under normal circumstances but allows it so that a victim can defend herself against the grave injustice of a sexual assault. The so-called “Plan B” medication either works to prevent ovulation (and thus is a contraceptive) OR to prevent implantation, depending on the woman’s cycle when the medicine is administered (and thus could cause an early abortion). That is why the LH / ovulation test is so critical. The Church forbids us to give Plan B once ovulation has occurred as then it could possibly work as an abortifacient. Legislation passed in the Senate last week prevents our Catholic Hospitals from performing this LH test while requiring the administration of Plan B.

So, Bishop Lori is stating that…

a) the Church permits contraception (prevention of ovulation) in the case of sexual assault,
b) Plan B prevents ovulation (= contraception) OR implantation (= abortion),
c) if it found that ovulation has NOT taken place, then Plan B can be used,
d) Plan B cannot be used if there is a risk of prevention of implantation (= abortion).

I am just reporting what I read.

The Lifesite story says (my emphases):

The bishops of these dioceses believe they are allowing the use of emergency contraception only in cases where "appropriate testing" has determined that the woman is not pregnant and thus the pill, in halting ovulation may prevent a pregnancy occurring as a result of the rape.  The science however does not definitively back up their hopes.

Medical evidence, accepted by the largest association of Catholic doctors in the United States, demonstrates that the pregnancy tests used cannot accurately detect a pregnancy at fertilization but only after implantation which takes more than a week after the new life is formed.  A more stringent protocol known as the ovulation method used in some Catholic hospitals, seeks to determine if the patient has ovulated and if the test indicates she has not, the pills can be given.  However, medical evidence demonstrates considerable doubt that even these tests can detect a potential fertilization in time to prevent an abortion caused by  administration of the pill. (for a detailed look at this aspect of the medical evidence see here: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007_docs/UScatholichospitalsand…)

Even if such tests could accurately determine that ovulation has not yet occurred another difficulty exists.  A study by Dr. Chris Kahlenborn in 2003 found that the pill only works to halt ovulation half the time.  Thus fertilization may occur even after the pill is administered, and an abortion would result since in addition to stopping ovulation the pills act to weaken the lining of the uterus making implantation unsustainable.  See Dr. Kahlenborn’s study here: http://www.polycarp.org/postfertilization_polycarp_1.htm