Here is an interesting little piece from Zenit with remarks made by Card. Pell of Sydney about the Holy Father’s Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.
Cardinal Pell: Pope Didn’t Turn Back Time
SYDNEY, Australia, SEPT. 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI’s move to make the older form of the Mass more available "is not a step backward," according to Cardinal George Pell.
The archbishop of Sydney said this during a press conference earlier in the week on the preparations for World Youth Day 2008.
"I agree with Benedict XVI on this subject," he said. "The Holy Father insists on the continuity between the old Church and the Church of today: He often says that there was not a break with the past, present, future and the time of the council, and I fully agree with him."
The cardinal added, however, that there is not a lot of interest in Australia for the Mass said according to the 1962 missal: "It is not a highly important topic. Even in my meetings with priests in the last three to four days, I wasn’t even asked one question on the importance of the Latin Mass."
Regarding World Youth Day in Sydney, July 15-20, Cardinal Pell said that at least some liturgical celebrations said according to the older form will be available: "At World Youth Day in Cologne in 2005 I myself celebrated Vespers according to the Latin rite. We will do something similar in Sydney."
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‘Time will run back’
From The Hymn, in John Milton’s poem Ode on the Morning of Christ’s Nativity:
For if such holy song
Enwrap our fancy long,
Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold,
And speckled Vanity
Will sicken soon and die,
And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould;
And Hell itself will pass away,
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.
Fr. Z.,
“The Cardinal added that there is not a lot of interest in Australia for the Mass said according to the 1962 missal.”
What Cardinal Pell really meant was that the [Australian] public wants what the public gets!
I am a great admirer of Cardinal Pell. He is without doubt one of the greatest prelates in the English-speaking world.
However, IF this quote is accurate, it ignores a couple of important issues. To wit, in a country of 20 million people, the Mass of John XXIII is only offered perhaps IN TOTAL on Sunday on half a dozen occasions in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth. The existence of the rite is spread only by word of mouth or the internet. It is not as if Australian Catholics are given any choice abouth the rites offered. The older rite has been expunged so thoroughly that most Australian Catholics under 45 would not be aware that it ever existed. If several parishes in each diocese offered the 1962 Mass, and bearing in mind the size of Australian dioceses, it would give Australian Catholics a choice they have not hitherto had. “Build it and they will come”.
Even in my meetings with priests in the last three to four days, I wasn’t even asked one question on the importance of the Latin Mass.
That alone would worry me if I was a cardinal: the neglect of Latin is a serious danger – not my words but those of a certain Pope of recent memory.
“I agree with and appprove of it, but it doesn’t really matter because no one here really wants it.”
His Eminence appears to be having the traditional Australian two bob each way.
James Daly
there is not a lot of interest in Australia for the Mass said according to the 1962 missal
And on a wholly unrelated note, the SSPX has three priories, several more “Mass centers,” three schools, and a seminary in Australia. Just sayin’.
As an Australian reader, I must agree with the others who indicate that
in Australia there is virtually no promotion of the Extraordinary Form.
Whilst the Cardinal and Archbishop of Melbourne have acceded to requests
to celebrate the Extraordinary Form themselves, I haven’t – as yet –
seen anything by way of promotion.
Word of mouth is indeed the only way people come to find out about it.
There is much work to be done.
To that end, in Melbourne, monthly Latin Novus Ordo with Gregorian Chant and
ad orientem has been started up in an inner city parish.
See the Glorificamus Society for the Renewal of Catholic Liturgy:
http://glorificamus.blogspot.com/
The comments of others are correct. There is no promotion of the Old Mass. The Cardinal is not so interested in the liturgy. His interest is doctrine. I know him and have had meals with him. As he would say concerning the Old Mass faithful “lets just do something for them” so he once every now and then will say an Old Mass. It keeps his doctrinal supporters on side.
On the other hand he has entrusted the seminary to a touchy feely charismatic auxiliary bishop who pushes his agenda not the Cardinal’s. I have heard one first year seminarian bravely asked about the motu proprio and its application in a student/staff meeting at the seminary. The rector gave no reply.
Polite good hearted seminarains who like the Old Mass have been dismissed from the seminary for not being able to join group hugs and street evangelisation.
My point is the comment by the Cardianl that no priests asked him abou the OLd Mass is because hey are mostly liberal and also know they will be ostracised by fellow priests and not encourgaed by the Cardinal if they do. We are about 10 years the rest of the church in the Archdiocese of Sydney. Cardinal Pell is not Archbishop Bourke. His interest again is doctrine.. not practise.