Canadian Archbishops Collins (Toronto) and Prendergast (Ottawa) on the M.P.

We haven’t yet heard much about Summorum Pontificum from Canadian sources.  However, in the Catholic Register, a Canadian paper, there is this article of interest. 

My emphases and comments.

 

Latin Mass increases diversity, says Archbishop Collins     
Written by Michael Swan, The Catholic Register  
Wednesday, 11 July 2007

TORONTO – For Toronto’s Archbishop Thomas Collins, more diversity equals less controversy [Can I believe my eyes?] in Canada’s Catholic community over liturgy.

“We celebrate Toronto as the most diverse diocese in the world. We’ve just been enriched. I think the whole church has.” Collins told The Catholic Register following the release of Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, which declared the 1962 Latin Missal one of two approved forms of the Mass. “This is a great thing, and it solves all of this disputing and all this stuff.”

Greater availability of the old Latin Mass will mean people estranged from the church by introduction of the Novus Ordo version and its vernacular translation into English in 1970 will no longer have any reason to feel their church has taken something away from them.

In Collins’ view, rumours, gossip and controversy over Latin versus English have tied up the church for too long.

“There’s all this rumours and gossip and all these silly things. Now we have this wonderful document, and now we can move onto other things,” Collins said.

For Toronto’s 1.7 million Catholics, Mass is already regularly celebrated in 34 languages [Holy Cow!] – including five parishes where Latin Masses according to the 1962 Missal of Pope John XXIII are celebrated. As of Sept. 14, the date Summorum Pontificum comes formally into effect, priests will be able to celebrate the 1962 Latin Mass privately, with a small group of people, without obtaining an indult or special permission from the archbishop. Priests will also be permitted to use the 1962 breviary and to use old Latin formulations for Confessions, weddings, Anointing the Sick, and Baptisms. Bishops may use the 1962 Missal for Confirmations.  [And ordinations too, though I sure they won’t.]

Public Masses said on a Sunday morning in a parish at a scheduled time will still need the approval of the archbishop on the advice of his council of priests, said Collins. It will be up to bishops to decide whether there is a substantial and stable community requesting the Latin Mass in a parish, and whether the priest is capable of offering the Mass, he said.  [Actually, I believe this may be stepping across the line a little in terms of the provisions of the Motu Proprio.  For example, the M.P. does not say the group (coetus) must be "substantial" or "large".  A coetus would be at least three people, surely.  It can also include the priest himself!  And the issue really is left in the pastor’s hands, more than this statement implies. ]

“What we do in terms of anything more than individual priests and a few people coming to be with them – if you come to things like a semi, a quasi-parish – that would all have to be dealt with by the council of priests,” Collins said.  [Hmmm… it seems to me that the bishop can do this on his own.]

The archbishop said he intended to be as free as possible with granting permission, and even held out the possibility priests may begin to celebrate the Latin Mass privately with his permission before Sept. 14. All Masses throughout the world are said in the name of the local, ordinary or bishop [Hmm… I wonder if that is actually true.] who is the moderator of the liturgy and responsible for unity within the diocese.

Collins said he didn’t see a danger of liturgical elitism among enthusiasts for the older rite, or any threat to unity by offering an alternative to the Novus Ordo Mass. The 1970 vernacular Mass is the ordinary form of the Mass, and the 1962 version has been designated extraordinary.  [ARGH!  The same error keeps cropping up. LATIN is the normative language of the Novus Ordo.]

“The church assumes that a person celebrating the 1962 liturgy would not in principal object to celebrating the 1970 liturgy,” said Collins.

The archbishop believes the two forms of the Mass will enrich each other, and allow more Catholics to get in touch with the church’s rich liturgical tradition. “We can be enriched by the 1962 rite, so that’s a blessing for all of us,” Collins said.  [Excellent!]

Sunday Latin Masses are currently offered in Toronto at St. Vincent de Paul, 263 Roncesvalles Ave., Holy Family, 1372 King St. W., St. Theresa, 2559 Kingston Rd., Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Resurrection Rd., every other week, and St. Patrick’s, 91 Church St., Schomberg.  [I like that this concrete information is provided.]

Collins puts the freer use of the 1962 Missal in the context of a coming renewal of the Novo Ordo Mass [YES!  Very well said!] which should be available in a new English translation within a year.

“The liturgy will vault forward in terms of the quality of English when the new translation is put into action,” he said.   [Nicely put. How refreshing!]
Collins said he was ready to welcome back any person or group who has split off from the Catholic church over the introduction of the Missal of Pope Paul VI and the vernacular.

“If the only issue in their breaking away from the church is that they were attached to the 1962 liturgy, well they would hardly have a reason for remaining broken away from the church. If they have other reasons, well that’s another problem, but they don’t have this reason.”

In the nation’s capital, Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., welcomed Pope Benedict’s decision.

“The Pope’s action simultaneously affirms the Second Vatican Council’s teachings on the liturgy and seeks to return to active church life those drawn to the Mass as it was celebrated in Latin prior to 1970. These include older Catholics alienated from the Church since the Mass was changed and younger Catholics seeking worship that is evidently transcendent,[The implication here is that it is easier to discern the transcendent in the older form than the newer.]  he said in a prepared statement released July 7.

Prendergast noted that the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter has been offering Latin Masses in the archdiocese of Ottawa since 1994. The archbishop said he hoped that this papal initiative will be “welcomed widely, studied carefully and implemented correctly in the archdiocese and elsewhere.”

What a nice article!   There were some good and refreshing comments from both those Canadian prelates.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in SESSIUNCULA. Bookmark the permalink.

39 Comments

  1. Richard says:

    Oh, praise Jesus! Father, praise your holy name! Hana meleka shina hanuna hata!

  2. Jeremy says:

    As an ex-pat, things are looking brighter north of the border!
    Praise the Lord!

  3. Giovanni says:

    “All the Masses said thoughout the world are said in the name of the bishop.”

    Well, I guess that’s why we have had so many “clown Masses!” LOL! Mea culpa! Yes, I know, there was FULL consent of the will in this one, and, I will be going to confession on Saturday!

  4. Jonathan Bennett says:

    Archbishop Collins, who was appointed quite recently, is turning out to be an excellent Bishop. Unfortunately, Bishops of his substance are rare in Canada.

  5. FYI
    The Mass at Holy Family (the Oratorian Fathers) is the 2002 Missale romanum. The same fathers offer the Mass according to the 1962 missal at St. Vincent de Paul.

  6. Timothy James says:

    Great article! It should be known that there are many of us here in Canada that are very excited about the MP! So often all of Canada gets thrown into this generalization that all Canadians are radical liberals or something. It’s true that a lot of the country is moving more in the direction of San Francisco than of Rome, but there are still some very faithful Catholics up here and we pray that God will spare the whole country for the sake of the few faithful, as He did in this week’s reading. The sad state of Canada is all the more reason for God to raise up mighty saints within her borders!

    Christi crux est mea lux!

  7. Raphael Ma says:

    Agreed, Archbishop Collins is an excellent bishop, although being 19 I haven’t met many bad ones.. or many bishops in general.

    I did meet him in person at morning mass at the parish he grew up in http://www.churchofourlady.com/
    and I’ve heard him preach on several occasions, a man of erudition yet humility and charity.

    Fools often make the loudest noise, there’s an ongoing quiet but forceful growth in Canada, and I’m sure you’ve also noticed in the states, so please pray for us!

  8. Francis Brennan says:

    Fr. Z.,

    Archbishop Collins is a smart guy. Not only has he pronounced wisely regarding Summorum Pontificum, but he is also taking advantage of liberal-left Canada’s infatuation with “diversity” – among other things, the national buzzword for gay-friendliness and other facets of the dictatorship of relativism – to present the extraordinary rite in terms that will be hard for modernist clergy and diocesan officals to rebut.

  9. Maureen says:

    No, the right song is:

    Let us break bread together on our knees.
    Let us break bread together on our knees.
    When I fall on my knees
    With my face to the rising sun,
    Oh, Lord, have mercy on me.

    Clearly, we need T-shirts. :)

  10. victor herman says:

    Fr. Z, or anyone else – are you sure the Motu Proprio allows for ORDINATIONS according to the 1962 rites?

  11. Larry says:

    Father Z,

    Regarding your question about whether “all Masses … are said in the name of the local ordinary” … as I read that part of the text, it called to mind Lumen Gentium (28):

    “Associated with their bishop in a spirit of trust and generosity, (priests) make him present in a certain sense in the individual local congregations, and take upon themselves, as far as they are able, his duties and the burden of his care, and discharge them with a daily interest.”

    So, although I can’t speak on the technical juridic aspects of the statement, it seems to be drawing upon sentiments expressed in Lumen Gentium, if not elsewhere…

    Larry

  12. Larry: There is no question that there is a special bond between diocesan priests and the bishop. The bishop’s name is also read in the Mass.

    But I am not sure that that statement, that “all Masses … are said in the name of the local ordinary” is accurate.

  13. jmgarciaiii says:

    I’d like to, on the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, highlight that Abp. Prendergast is a (gasp!) Jesuit. This is a comfort for those of us who sweat out the future of the Society in our daily prayers.

    -J.

  14. Jeffery says:

    Ah, how I miss Archbishop Collins, that man who ordained me a transitional deacon, and who told me before he departed for Toronto, that he wished he could have ordained me a priest.

    I recall a conversation with the Archbishop, while I was driving him to one of the many way-points in our sprawling Archdiocese for Confirmations, the topic of the ’62 Missal came up. A man who actually took classes in Latin in Rome, spoke positively of the Mass. It was the Mass of his youth. He was also happy to point out he was among the last seminarians to receive tonsure and to be ordained a subdeacon.

    Fr. Z. I’ll agree it is probably not totally accurate to say that the exactly the every Mass is offered in the name of the local Bishop, but some of the language of the Second Vatican Council and the liturgical books seem to speak of something of a similar nature.

    Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 9, speaks of the relationship between the Bishop and priests in the following manner. “The Bishop is ‘the steward of the grace and the supreme priesthood.’ On him depend both priests and deacons in the exercise of their orders. Priests, appointed to be prudent co-workers of the order of Bishops, are themselves consecrated as true priests of the New Testament; deacons serve as ministers ordained to service for the people of God in communion with the Bishop and his priests. The Bishop himself is the chief steward of the mysteries of God and the overseer, promoter, and guardian of all liturgical life in the particular Church entrusted to his care. To him ‘is committed the office of offering to the divine majesty the worship of Christian religion and of administering it in accordance with the Lord’s commandments and the Church’s laws, as further specified by his particular judgment for his diocese.'”

  15. JD says:

    I go to the Latin Masses at both Holy Family and St. Vincent de Paul. The article doesn’t make the distinction that the Mass at Holy Family is not according to the ’62 Missal but is the Novus Ordo celebrated Ad Orientem and in Latin. The Fathers of the Oratory serve both these neighbouring Parishes and are truly great men. They celebrate Mass according to both forms of the Roman Rite and are ALWAYS available for confession before every Mass.

  16. Jeffrey: I don’t think that passage from the CerEp sheds any light on this.  Stewerds themselves speak and act in the name of another.  And that passage says: “Priests, appointed to be prudent co-workers of the order of Bishops, are themselves consecrated as true priests of the New Testament”.

  17. TO says:

    Glad to see that you approve of what my bishop is saying :)

  18. Rose says:

    Father, can a Tridentine Mass be celebrated in English?

  19. The alleged quotation by Archbishop Collins–Public Masses said on a Sunday morning in a parish at a scheduled time will still need the approval of the archbishop on the advice of his council of priests, said Collins. It will be up to bishops to decide whether there is a substantial and stable community requesting the Latin Mass in a parish, and whether the priest is capable of offering the Mass, he said–is actually NOT a quotation at all.It does not appear in quotation marks because, the writer, Mr. Swan, knows it not to be true–he has clearly taken some liberty here. The fact is, it is wrong and misleading. Why would Archbishop Collins say something that is wrong? He has not, The Catholic Register is playing games. I know that questions rose about this and the Archbishop was done ill by the Register on this one, he did not make this statement. The Catholic Register owes the Archbishop an apology and the readers a clarification. I am still waiting for my letter tothe Editor to be acknowledged on this. The Catholic Register was once venerable and today needs a complete housecleaning…hopefully it will be one of the items on Archbishop Collins’ agenda. Privately, I’m betting that he will be celebrating the “Extraordinary Form” before the year is out…and I wonder where it could be???

  20. Rose: can a Tridentine Mass be celebrated in English?

    Not really, no. 

  21. Jason in San Antonio says:

    A fine lot of prelates you have. I actually think this is the best response to the MP yet, questionable eloquence notwithstanding:

    “‘This is a great thing, and it solves all of this disputing and all this stuff.'”

  22. Timothy James says:

    With all of the talk about Archbishop Collins I don’t want Archbishop Prendergast to be left out from the positive comments! Archbishop Prendergast was assigned to the Archdiocese of Halifax in Nova Scotia in 1998. At the time the diocese was in debt and full of dissenting priests and other liberal groups. The Archbishop stood up to all of the dissenting priests, putting an end to much of the scandal that was being caused by them. He brought in a number of orthodox religious orders and began a number of programs for the youth. Today, the Archdiocese of Halifax is vibrant with faithful Catholics of all ages, in the wake of Archbishop Prendergast’s time there. I have met him a few times and witnessed first hand the people’s love for him. He was one of the 46 Archbishops from around the world to receive the Pallium from Benedict XVI on June 29th this year, signifying his unity with the Pope. Of course good Bishops are hard to find and so Archbishop Prendergast is needed elsewhere to effect the same kind of good in Ottawa as he did in Halifax. He will be greatly missed but Halifax is happy to share the wealth of a good Bishop with another Diocese.

  23. RBrown says:

    Fr. Z. I’ll agree it is probably not totally accurate to say that the exactly the every Mass is offered in the name of the local Bishop, but some of the language of the Second Vatican Council and the liturgical books seem to speak of something of a similar nature.

    Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 9, speaks of the relationship between the Bishop and priests in the following manner. “The Bishop is ‘the steward of the grace and the supreme priesthood.’ On him depend both priests and deacons in the exercise of their orders. Priests, appointed to be prudent co-workers of the order of Bishops, are themselves consecrated as true priests of the New Testament; deacons serve as ministers ordained to service for the people of God in communion with the Bishop and his priests. The Bishop himself is the chief steward of the mysteries of God and the overseer, promoter, and guardian of all liturgical life in the particular Church entrusted to his care. To him ‘is committed the office of offering to the divine majesty the worship of Christian religion and of administering it in accordance with the Lord’s commandments and the Church’s laws, as further specified by his particular judgment for his diocese.’”
    Comment by Jeffery

    This is a fairly complex topic.

    1. NB: The jurisdiction of the pope is universal. When he names a bishop, the pope does not renounce his own jurisdiction in that diocese. And so jurisdiction in any diocese cannot be reduced to merely that of the ordinarius loci.

    And so with Summorum Pontificum the pope is merely exercising his own authority within a diocese.

    2. The pope is the bishop for any priest in a religious institution of Pontifical Right–that is why they are under the Congregation for Religious. Historically, religious orders have been used by the pope to exercise his influence over dioceses without removing the ordinary.

    There were efforts at VatII to place all religious priests under the jurisdiction of the ordinary, as if they were diocesan priests. Those efforts failed. Deo Gratias.

    3. After a religious house (of Pont Right) has been established within a diocese, the ordinarius loci has almost no authority over it. He cannot order it to be closed, only ask Rome to close it. If he objects to the liturgy, he cannot stop it–but he can forbid his own flock attending it.

  24. TO says:

    In response to David Anthony Domet’s comment about the misquote in the Register, today’s issue (Weeks of August 5-12, 2007) has a correction on page 5, “In the July 22-29 article, “More diversity is a plus, says Collins,” it was incorrectly stated that a priest wishing to schedule a Latin Mass as a regular Sunday liturgy would require permission from his bishop. A priest needs no permission to celebrate the Latin Mass in private or to regularly schedule a Mass if enough people request it. To establish a quasi-parish for those who wish to have the 1962 Latin rite does require permission of the bishop. The Register apologizes for the errors.”

  25. RBrown says:

    The response isn’t quite correct–the private mass can also be attended by people.

  26. Karen Russell says:

    Timothy James, thank you for the piece on Archbishop Prendergast.

    I also live in the Diocese of Halifax and wanted to post in his favour. I particularly remember the strong and public stand he took against gay “marriage”, including requesting a “couple” who had very publicly flaunted church teachings either repent or depart. The media, of course, had a field day with that, but he stood his ground.

    There are still some good Jesuits.

  27. dcs says:

    It is certainly good to know that His Excellency did not make the comments that were attributed to him.

    Now I wonder what the article means when it says that “he intended to be as free as possible with granting permission” — could that be referring strictly to personal parishes?

  28. Jeffery says:

    RBrown,

    It is true the Holy Father has fully, immediate, and universal jurisdiction, however a Bishop’s jurisdiction is not merely an exercise of papal jurisdiction, he exercises it in his own right as a successors of the Apostles. This is part of the nature of the Order of Bishops. This is different from an Apostolic Vicar, in a region where a Particular Church has not been erected.

    In a sense a Pope is the Bishop for every priest, a religious priest does not receive his faculties from the Holy Father himself, nor is a religious priest of pontifical right incardinated into the Diocese of Rome, but rather in their order.

    The Bishop has a large degree of authority in regards to any religious order operating within his diocese, weather it is of pontifical right or not. A priest receives his faculties from the local Bishop, obviously there is appeal to a higher authority, but in the first instance this is the case. In all celebrations of the liturgy outside their private oratory the Bishop is able regulate the liturgical life of religious. A lot depends on the exact nature of their constitutions though.

  29. Rose says:

    Thank you for the response, Father. You must have thought it an odd question. When I enquired about a Tridentine Mass in my diocese, I was told that a Tridentine Mass is already celebrated at one of the Churches on Saturday morning, in English. I will have to go and find out for myself; it may be a matter of miscommunication.

  30. WhooHooo!

    Re: The Catholic Register misquoting Archbishop Collins—Yes, it just goes to prove that if you complain enough and copy the Archbishop you can affect change!!!

  31. David M.O'Rourke says:

    I am not even a Roman Catholic. I am an Anglo-Catholic who prays, “Ut Omnes Unum Sint.” I do have a lot of connections and I first heard of Archbishop Collins a few years ago when he was archbishop of Edmonton. I was convinced that he was right for Toronto and already he is proving to be a wonderful man. Toronto is the richest archdiocese in Canada and the fifth largest (counting Mexico) in North America. It can boast 5 canonised martyrs within it’s boundaries but all is by no means well and the archbishop will have his work cut out for him, notably, I expect, within his own Curia.

    But he is just the man for the job, He is intelligent, orthodox and a first rate pastor. Surely a worthy appointment of good Pope Benedict.

  32. Luke Togni says:

    Greetings,

    Glad to see other Haligonians or Nova Scotians. We are actually beginning to Plan a Latin Mass society. But we need information, if anyone reading from Nova Scotia sees this, please contact me at bubbaschism@hotmail.com.

  33. Bryce says:

    “The archbishop said he intended to be as free as possible with granting permission…”

    Many of these bishops seem to be missing the main point pf Summorum Pontificum: the priest does not need their permission any more!

  34. RBrown says:

    RBrown,
    It is true the Holy Father has fully, immediate, and universal jurisdiction, however a Bishop’s jurisdiction is not merely an exercise of papal jurisdiction, he exercises it in his own right as a successors of the Apostles. This is part of the nature of the Order of Bishops. This is different from an Apostolic Vicar, in a region where a Particular Church has not been erected.

    It is Karl Raher’s argument that jurisdiction is intrinsic to episcopal order. In fact, it is intrinsic to office, which is given and taken away by the pope. (If an Apostolic Vicar is a bishop, he doesn’t lack the Sacrament but does lack the office.)

    Bishops have Potestas Ordinis and Potestas Iurisdictionis. The first is intrinsic to the Episcopal Order and cannot be taken away. The second is given to the bishop by the pope when he is appointed to a diocese, and taken away if he is given a titular see.

    If a bishop has a titular see, where is his jurisdiction?

    In a sense a Pope is the Bishop for every priest, a religious priest does not receive his faculties from the Holy Father himself, nor is a religious priest of pontifical right incardinated into the Diocese of Rome, but rather in their order.

    The pope is the Bishop for every priest because his primacy is universal, but the ordinarius loci is only the bishop for priests incardinated in his diocese.

    Papal primacy is universal, extending beyond the diocese of Rome. Thus it is not necessary to be incardinated in the diocese of Rome to be under the pope.

    The Bishop has a large degree of authority in regards to any religious order operating within his diocese, weather it is of pontifical right or not. A priest receives his faculties from the local Bishop, obviously there is appeal to a higher authority, but in the first instance this is the case.

    Incorrect. For religious or other priests living night and day in a religious house, faculties are given by the Superior–not by the bishop (cf CCI 969.2).

    In all celebrations of the liturgy outside their private oratory the Bishop is able regulate the liturgical life of religious. A lot depends on the exact nature of their constitutions though.
    Comment by Jeffery —

    I already acknowledged the authority of the ordinarius loci in liturgy celebrated outside the religious house.

  35. Jeffery says:

    RBrown,

    I’m not sure Rahner’s view can be dismissed out of hand. The exact nature of Jurisdiction, Office, and Power of Orders, as it related to Episcopal Ordination had been debated among theologians for centuries, and while the Second Vatican Council answered many questions, it still left a lot of room for discussion.

  36. Kim D'Souza says:

    RBrown,

    I’m not certain that Jeffery’s point about jurisdiction of the ordinarius loci is rightly reduced to nothing more than “Rahner’s argument.” For one thing, it seems to be a view of considerable antiquity, well before the Pope was appointing bishops. For another, even today the Pope does not appoint the bishops of the sui juris Eastern Catholic Churches, but simply recognizes their canonical election or appointment and shared ecclesial communion. So, while in fact jurisdiction is intrinsic to office rather than order, I think Jeffery’s claim is that the ordinary episcopal jurisdiction is not simply given and taken away by the Pope. Even though this may be the case in the Roman Church, this is a consequence not of the Pope’s universal jurisdiction, but rather of the particular historical arrangement – sanctified by tradition – whereby the Pope appoints bishops.

    Kim

  37. dcs says:

    Isn’t the fact that the Church has consecrated bishops but then not given them jurisdiction sufficient to answer (negatively) the question of whether jurisdiction is intrinsic to the Sacrament?

  38. Jeffery says:

    dcs,

    Is it that they don’t give them jurisdiction or rather restrict the inherent jurisdiction?

  39. RBrown says:

    As I said above, it is a complex question.

    1. I realize that Rahner was not the only adherent to what is sometimes known as the Episcopal Theory (or German Theory) of Jurisdiction, but he is the best known of the contemporaries.

    2. DCS touched on the problem with the German theory. If jurisdiction is intrinsic to Episcopal Order, then there is no reason why a titular bishop (or for that matter, one suspensus a divinis) could not give faculties for confession. And by extension, any priest could hear confessions without faculties. Either or both would reduce the question of validity of the Sacrament of Penance to one of liceity.

    3. The power to bind and loose is usually considered the potestas iurisdictionis. That was given to Peter (Mt 16:18). Although it is also given to the Apostles (Mt 18:18), Peter’s primacy is still preserved (acc to Origen, who was an Eastern theologian).

    4. The Eastern Churches are of Apostolic Origin independent of Rome. And so their status cannot be compared to particular churches in the West.

Comments are closed.