Bp. Magee of Cloyne writes to his priests on Summorum Pontificum
I received a very interesting scan (folks… if you want me to post on what you send, please send transcriptions if you send scans of documents).
I received a letter to priests by the Bishop of Cloyne in Cork, Ireland, H.E. John Magree (whom some of you may know as a former Master of Pontifical Ceremonies).
The document I got, dated 16 November, called "Circular Letter from the Bishop to Priests engaged in Pastoral Work in the Diocese of Cloyne", and signed by the Bishop, quotes extensively from Summorum Pontificum. That part isn’t worth reproducing.
Here is the interesting part towad the end (my emphases and comments):
It is clear [What follows is far from clear, actually. The Holy See will be making clarifications.] from this Article 5 of the Motu Proprio, my dear follow Priest, that the request for the use of the extraordinary form of the Eucharist should come from a [BAD TRANSLATION ALERT] stable group of the faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition in a Parish to the Parish Priest. [This leaves out other forms of communities, doesn’t it? What about a rector of a chapel? Etc.] The spirit of the Motu Proprio does not envisgage, [Is this like the "spirit of Vatican II"? Does a spirit envisage?] therefore, any form of campaigning or of soliciting of faithful either from within the Parish or from without. [This is wayyyyy out of bounds. Bishops have authority, but they cannot tell people what to desire, talk about, or promote, unless it is contrary to good Catholic faith and morals. They can’t tell priests what tooth paste to use, and they cannot stop them from favorably presenting or speaking about the Motu Proprio, the old Mass, or use of the Ritual. There is precisely nothing wrong with Catholics of the Latin Church promoting the Roman Rite is as sacred now as it was in yesteryear. ] It envisages a genuine Pastoral need that must be responded to.
...Dear Father, I wish to emphasise that I welcome the Motu Proprio of His Holiness, Pope Benedic XVI and I ask you to willingly see to its implementation in your Parish, if ever occasion arises. [! ... Now this last part is really interesting.] I shall see to it that a number of copies of the Roman Missal, promulgated in 1962 by Blessed Pope John XXIII, will be available at the Cloyne Diocesan Centre shuld any Parish Priest have need. I enclose or you a copy of the Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum" for your own personal use. [But don’t distribute it to the faithful? Hmmm… ]
What mixed signals. Don’t tell anyone about it, but implement it.
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Today is the feast of St. Ambrose of Milan (+4 April 397), a titanic figure of the late 4th century who changed the shape of Church and State relations for a thousand years, who brought much of the wisdom of Greek writings to the West, and who helped to bring St. Augustine of Hippo into the fold.
