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On the blog Rinascimento Sacro, there is an update about the three priests in the Diocese of Novara, in N. Italy, who have run into a conflict with their Bishop, H.E. Most Rev. Renato Corti over the use of the older form of Mass according to Summorum Pontificum.

Three priests have decided they will not celebrate Mass on Sunday because they cannot say the TLM.   Only the TLM.

Summorum Pontificum says that one Sunday Mass in a parish can be TLM.  Effectively, these priests don’t want to use the Novus Ordo at all in their parishes.

People are staying away from the churches in protest over how the priests are being treated.  In one place, Vogogna, where the patronal feast was to be celebrated, there was no Mass for the first time in 500 years.  Another priest was sent out, but found only three women in church.  After giving the priest a piece of their mind, they left.

As amusing, and alarming, as that is, the really interesting point is in this quote from the article:

"The bishop," Fr. Secci continued, "told us that we are right concerning the fundamental issues.  Acting on his advice we contacted Msgr. Camille Perl, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, who told us that the bishops could grant us a three year experimental period, backing up his words with the concept that we weren’t in the letter of the Motu Proprio, but in its mens ("its ‘spirit’, ‘internal logic’).  And so I’ll cite Msgr. Perl’s words that the three year experimental period could be granted because ‘law follows life, and not vice versa.’"

Frankly, I find the suggestion of Msgr. Perl to be excellent. 

It will be interesting to see what happens to these priests.  They just might get suspended for real. 

But then the question is going to be this: "If a priest wants to say Mass but with only the old book, can he be suspended?"  Given the fact that many priests have never followed the rubrics of the Novus Ordo, and have not been suspended, would that be just?

Do the words of Msgr. Perl say something about the forthcoming clarifications the Commission must publish?  Probably.

We shall see.

 

Damien Thompson posted about writing to Rome about how some prelates are seeking to stonewall Summorum Pontificum. It deserves some attention.  If this applies to the UK, it applies elsewhere!  Read his piece and, if you think it is proper to write… and be prudent about that… check back here for my tips on how to write to the Commission.

Write to Rome in support of the Pope

Posted by Damian Thompson on 28 Nov 2007  at 14:49

I’ve just written a letter to the senior Vatican cardinal in charge of the Pope’s liberation of the Latin Mass, complaining about the English bishops’ disastrous attempts to block the reform. I urge you all to do the same – there isn’t any time to lose.

Here are good tips for writing to the P.C. "Ecclesia Dei" (or any other office of the Vatican) and an address:

 

 

• BE BRIEF. Make your letter no longer than one side of one sheet of paper.
• Avoid writing long-hand.  Make it easy to read.
• Include relevant documents: Vatican dicasteries can’t act solely on the basis of Mrs. Joe Bagofdonuts’s description of events.  The best thing you can do is send concrete evidence, printed.  If someone wrote and distributed something, send a copy.
  
• If you have relevent past correspondence, such as previous responses from priests or bishops, send copies.
• Do not tell them their job!  Don’t quote canons, blah blah, as if they didn’t know them already.  Leave the incredibly obvious unsaid.
  
• Do not engage in character assassination.  State FACTS with as little editorializing as possible.  Blathering on and on about how "disobedient" priests or bishops are will not strengthen your case.  State facts. They will know if they are disobedient.
• If you must talk about your feelings, keep it incredibly short, and do not be mean-spirited. If something made you sad or angry, okay, say it, but don’t DWELL on it.  The nastier you are, the weaker your letter will be.
• At the end thank the one you are writing to for his service, and promise your prayers.  And mean it.
  

In summary, be brief, send evidence, leave out the obvious, don’t vent.

His Eminence
Dario Card. Castrillon Hoyos
President of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei"
Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio
00120 VATICAN CITY

If you want to know why I think these are good tips, I worked at the P.C. "Ecclesia Dei" for some time. 

This is personal experience.

I got an e-mail.  I ask those who live in Minnesota to pay attention to this.

This is about a meeting:

12:45 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas. Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.

Dear Fr. Z,

I wanted to make you aware that the University of St. Thomas will again be renovating its main campus chapel.  Unfortunately, it is NOT in a more traditional direction. 

They are having a campus discussion TOMORROW (Thursday 29 November) with the liturgical "designers" (one of whom collaborated on the dreadful "Art and Environment in Catholic Worship") about the proposed renovations.  Essentially, the chapel will become more of a performance space than a "worship" space.  (There is an increasing desire to have orchestras, choirs, and recitals in the chapel). 

See here:

http://www.stthomas.edu/bulletin/news/200748/Wednesday/chapel11_28_07.cfm

I think it would be helpful to notify your many Minnesota readers, especially UST alumni, about the proposed changes, and encourage them to show up and (non-belligerently) ask pointed questions about whether the new "designs" make celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass possible, or hinder that celebration.  And ask why, as the Church returns more and more toward traditional liturgical architecture, the chapel moves away. 

The "designers" also designed the School of Law’s ugly Chapel of St. Thomas More. 

Thanks and God bless,

Do you remember that recently the Board of UST got rid of the Archbishop of St. Paul?  Here is that entry.  Do you remember what the University assigned for obligatory reading for all freshmen?  Read that here.

On the other hand.

Does this inspire confidence that the chapel work will be well-done?

The recent article in America Magazine has sparked some very good discussion.  After parsing that article, I started a spin-off, about the "lonliness" the priest/writer felt at saying the Roman Canon during his first celebration of the traditional form of Holy Mass, with the 1962 Missale Romanum. 

That entry brought some comments by priests.  Here are a few excerpts I found revealing:

Father J wrote:

My celebration of the Novus Ordo is now tempered and has been considerably enhanced by what I feel when celebrating the TLM and the “continuity” of the Rite’s seem to make more sense, though I feel I am supplementing from the old when celebrating the new. I know it is wrong to say it, but the Mass feels like The Mass in the extraordinary form and “extraordinary” seems a very fitting way to describe this awe inspiring rite.

 

Note here that learning the older form of Mass has changed the way this priest says the Novus Ordo.

This is a major reason why Pope Benedict issued Summorum Pontificum, folks.  He knew that as the use of the older Mass would spread, those priests would rethink the way they said Mass.  They would therefore also rethink who they are.

The priest (above) also says that the older form of Mass is now, for him, the truly "extraordinary" Mass in the sense of being "special" or "superior".  The rite inspires "awe", which is really the purpose of liturgy, isn’t it?  Mystery … awe at trascendence.

Fr Francis Coveney wrote:

 

Just as it is a real challenge for priests trained since Vatican II to learn how to celebrate the TLM, so too it must have been difficult in different ways for priests formed before Vatican II to celebrate Mass facing the people. I have often heard it said that most priests are basically introverts rather than extroverts – and yet each time we celebrate Mass (certainly on a Sunday)were are on public display. I wonder if this is not a factor in the number of priests who at some time suffer nervous breakdowns.

 

This is a good insight.  This is something that would have been difficult for me to grasp before I began to spend more time in quite isolation at The Sabine Farm.  I was an actor and musician before going into seminary.  I was never nervous in front of people.  Some priests however, very much are introverts.  Overcoming that introversion must be very hard.  It might drive a fellow to do all sort of peculiar things during Mass. 

Fr. John Boyle said:

It is thanks to laity that I now celebrate the Extraordinary Form on a regular basis for those faithful who adhere to it. It has transformed my priesthood and my celebration of the Mass. ... Like others, when celebrating the Novus Ordo facing the people, I do so with a crucifix upstanding on the altar. I am now less conscious of any need to ‘interact’ with the faithful, I choose options less frequently and now adopt the Confiteor and Roman Canon as the default options for the celebration of Mass on all days. All subjectivism is removed. ... In the fixed older usage, such clerical domination is impossible.

Again, a priest changes how he says the Novus Ordo.  Also, note that one cannot be so "clerical" in the negative sense, because the priest is controlled so closely by the older rubrics.  That drifts over into the way he says the newer Mass.

Note that the lay people are the reason why he uses the old Mass.  If you act like jerks when approaching your priest about this, you might fail.  Remember that.

The great Fr. Finigan wrote:

This gets across something of the burden of responsibility upon the priest at this sacred moment of the Mass. Facing eastward, on his own, with the intense concentration of the people behind him, not in front of him, speaking sotto voce, he experiences the most sacred moment of his priesthood that day.

Might I use this opportunity to remind people that priest need to prepare to say Mass before Mass?  They also might want to remain a little recollected afterwards?  Don’t jump on Father immediately before or after Mass. Give him a little space. 

There are more comments from priests along those lines.  These are merely few.  It is worth going back and reading that entry.

Here is a list of the new members of the USCCB’s "Committe on Divine Worship" (note the name change of the Committee.)

H.E. Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman is not long the Chair.

H.E. Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, about whom we have written fairly frequently on WDTPRS, is now Chairman.

I am sure we will remember them in our prayers as they begin their terms and work.

USCCB Committee on Divine Worship

Justin F. Cardinal Rigali Archbishop of Philadelphia Most Rev. Daniel M. Buechlein, OSB Archbishop of Indianapolis Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap. Archbishop of Denver Most Rev. George H. Niederauer Archbishop of San Francisco	Most Rev. Kevin J. Farrell Bishop of Dallas Most Rev. Ronald P. Herzog Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana Most Rev. Octavio Cisneros Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn [Final Member To Be Determined]
Subcommittee on Liturgy for Hispanics
Most Rev. Octavio Cisneros Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn Subcommittee Chairman [Members To Be Determined]
Consultants to the Committee on Divine Worship
Roger M. Cardinal Mahony Archbishop of Los Angeles	Most Rev. John G. Vlazny Archbishop of Portland in Oregon