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

Witha tip of the biretta  o{]:¬)  to Rorate we read a press release from the SSPX about the Pope Benedict’s new Good Friday prayers for Jews:

we read a press release from the SSPX about the Pope Benedict’s new Good Friday prayers for Jews:

The SSPX have a comment (my translation):

    Subsequent to pressure from outside the Catholic Church, the Pope believed himself obliged to change the very venerable Prayer for the Jews which is an integrating part of the Good Friday liturgy. This prayer is one of the most ancient; it goes back to around the 3rd century, and has consequently been recited through the whole history of the Church as the full expression of the Catholic faith.

    It must be noted that the commentaries of Cardinal Kasper – which one can consider authoritative – give to this amputation the appearance of a genuine transformation, expressing a new theology of relations with the Jewish people. It is in with the liturgical disruption which is the characteristic mark of the Council and of the reforms deriving from it.

    Although the necessity of accepting the Messiah in order to be saved has been preserved, one cannot but profoundly regret this change.

I respond saying

1) ... that Cardinals can speak their minds part from official statements of the Holy See.  Card. Kasper is not the same as the Magisterium in this regard, though his observations must be listened to (and parsed) carefully, given his mandate.

Also,

2) I cannot square with reality the notion that the old prayer for the Jews is "the full expression of the Catholic faith".  That seems somewhat overwrought.  I also cannot quite make the leap to the idea that prayers cannot sometime be improved upon.  The older prayer didn’t say everything there was to say about Jesus, the Church, and the Jews.  Nor does the newer prayer.  However poetic, ancient and clear that older prayer is, it is not the be all and end all of Christian/Jewish relations, much less the "the full expression of the Catholic faith".

And,

3) Is it not possible for the Church to shift positions occasionally, given the circumstances of the Church and the world, concerning relations with and aspirations for some non-Christians?  I think so.

Finally,

4) The SSPX says "the necessity of accepting the Messiah in order to be saved has been preserved".  Isn’t that much closer to being the ""the full expression of the Catholic faith"?

Welcome to another installment of What Does the Prayer Really Sound Like? 

Today we will hear the prayers for the 3rd Sunday of Lent in the 1962 Missale Romanum.  I speak all the prayers and readings and sing the Preface for Lent in the solemn tone, and also sing the Collect and Post Communion in the solemn tone.  

http://www.wdtprs.com/prayercazt/080223_03_lent.mp3

If priests who are learning to say the older form of Holy Mass can get these prayers in their ears, they will be able to pray them with more confidence. So, priests are my very first concern. 

However, these audio projects can be of great help to lay people who attend Holy Mass in the Traditional, or extraordinary form: by listening to them ahead of time, and becoming familiar with the sound of the before attending Mass, they will be more receptive to the content of the prayers and be aided in their full, conscious and active participation.

My pronunciation of Latin is going to betray something of my nationality, of course. Men who have as their mother tongue something other than English will sound a little different.  However, we are told that the standard for the pronunciation of Latin in church is the way it is spoken in Rome.  Since I have spent a lot of time in Rome, you can be pretty sure my accent will not be too far off the mark.

  I deliver them at a slower pace than I would ordinarily during Mass.  But hopefully the pace will help you hear the words a little more clearly.

If this was useful to you, let your priest friends know this resource is available.  And kindly make a little donation using the donation button on the left side bar of the blog or or by clicking here.  This is a labor of love, but those donations really help.  And don’t forget to check out the PODCAzTs!

Pray for me, listen carefully, and practice practice practice.

The Catholic Herald, in addition to the article by the diligent Anna Arco, has an editioral about the older form of Mass and training of seminarians.

Shall we parse it in our Usual Way?

Training seminarians to serve the Church of the future

February 22, 2008

It now seems very likely that all seminaries will be required to teach students to celebrate the classical (“Tridentine”) form of the Roman Rite as well as the post-Vatican II Mass. A letter from the Vatican’s Ecclesia Dei commission says that the provision of instruction in both forms will be included in the long-awaited clarification of Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum. This is very welcome news, for several reasons.

First, if Ecclesia Dei effectively orders seminaries [I don’t think that is quite the right way to put this.  The Commission, I am sure, doesn’t want to "order" anything.  Remember also that the Supreme Pontiff will issue clarifying document and this issue should be included.] to teach the extraordinary form, that should clear up once and for all any confusion about the Holy Father’s intention in issuing his Motu Proprio. [Right.  I also think that his replacing the 1962 Good Friday prayer for Jews was a signal that he intends that this Missal be used.] The Pope believes that the Missal of Blessed Pope John Paul XXIII, while not the liturgical norm, is every bit as valid as the 1970 Missal containing the Novus Ordo usually celebrated in the vernacular. If young priests everywhere are to be trained to use the older liturgy, then the argument that Summorum Pontificum was intended to mollify a Lefebvrist rump is seen to be the nonsense that it always was.  [Or that this is just for old people suffering from obtuse nostalgia.]

Second, and irrespective of the fine print of the Motu Proprio, the Mass of the 1962 Missal, codified in 1570 but drawing on much more ancient patterns of worship, is a glorious thing in itself. [Yes!  Before and after the MP was issued I hammered the point that, aside from the practical benefits, derestricting the older form of Mass was simply the right thing to do.] To deprive seminarians of the opportunity to learn to celebrate it is to alienate them from a wonderful aspect of their heritage. [to which they have a right.] Likewise, it is only fitting that priests learn to celebrate the Hippolytan canon that forms the basis of the modern Second Eucharistic Prayer: that, too, is part of their heritage.  [This would, perhaps, apply to seminarians in traditionalist seminaries,... perhaps.]

Third, as we report today, several seminaries of the Church in England and Wales have signified their readiness to provide the necessary instruction. One might imagine that they had no choice in the matter; but opponents of Summorum Pontificum are great exploiters of loopholes, and it is a relief to learn that some seminary rectors are not prepared to waste their energies trying to sidestep any new requirement. Like many Catholics, they have reassessed their attitude towards the classical form of the Roman Rite; they are looking forward to the challenge of teaching seminarians to celebrate this most beautiful and numinous of liturgies.  [The tide has shifted.]

The charming Anna Arco of the Catholic Herald has a piece in the same paper about the training of seminarians for the entirety of the Roman Rite!  We had a story about this here.

My emphases and comments.

All seminaries must teach the old Latin Mass, says Vatican

Anna Arco
February 22, 2008

Seminaries throughout the Catholic world will have to teach candidates how to celebrate the pre-Vatican II
Latin Mass, it emerged last weekend.  [I would be happy if the phrase simply ended "seminaries will have to teach".]

A letter from the Ecclesia Dei commission, the body which deals with matters concerning the 1962 missal, said that the Vatican is preparing to order rectors to “provide for the instruction of their candidates in both forms of the Roman Rite” in a forthcoming clarification of Summorum Pontificum, the Apostolic Letter which liberated the traditional Mass last July.

The Ecclesia Dei letter said: “Candidates for the priesthood in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church have the right to be instructed in both forms of the Roman Rite.

“Those responsible for the formation of candidates for the priesthood in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church should provide the instruction of their candidates in both forms of the Roman Rite.”

The letter surfaced last weekend on an internet site run by Fr John Zuhlsdorf, an American blogger who once worked for Ecclesia Dei.
Several seminaries which serve England and Wales are planning to follow the Pope’s instructions.  [Yay!] This could mean that in a few years every new priest will be qualified to say the traditional Mass.  [Brick by brick, my citizens! Brick by brick!]

The Beda College in Rome has no problems with the demands made by the letter, its rector Mgr Roderick Strange said. “When the clarification comes, then we’ll start making provisions for it. We’ll be able to establish the needs for it and so on at that time,” said Mgr Strange.

Fr Mark Crisp, rector of St Mary’s College, Oscott, Birmingham, said he was open to the possibility.  [I should hope he is "open".]

“What we have at the moment is a Latin Mass in the ordinary rite [Novus Ordo] once a month and we teach Latin, [Excellent!] though we don’t have anyone competent to teach the extraordinary rite at the moment,” he said. [I’ll come!]

But Canon Jeremy Garrat at St John’s College, Wonersh, expressed caution. “We’d better wait for the instructions from Rome before taking any steps,” he said.  [They could ask the exceptional Fr. Finigan, of The Hermeneutic, who already teaches there, to help them with this.  But they better do it before he is named to be the next Archbp. of Westminster.]

Rectors from the Venerable English College in Rome, Allen Hall in London and St Cuthbert’s College in Ushaw, Durham, were unavailable for comment.  [I am glad Miss Arco took the time to call these seminaries.  Good for her!  That was interesting.]

The extraordinary form has not been taught in seminaries in England and Wales for over 40 years and most priests today have never been taught how to celebrate it. Priests who have wanted to learn it have had to fund their own lessons at traditional rite seminaries.  [Isn’t that sad… and great… at the same time?]  One priest ordained in 1967 remembered being trained according to the 1962 missal for the first two years of seminary and then switching to the New Rite. “I can celebrate in both forms but I’m quite rusty on the extraordinary form,” he said.

In the letter giving the reasons for the Motu Proprio Pope Benedict XVI noted that the extraordinary form was increasingly popular among young people.

“Young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist particularly suited to them,” he wrote.

But with the liberalisation of the traditional Mass came the problem that too few priests were actually able to celebrate in the extraordinary form.

There has now been a surge of interest in the rite, according to John Medlin of the Latin Mass Society. He said he hoped the clarification of the Motu Proprio would be published soon to clear up confusion and to end attempts to stall new initiatives.

Upon my return home from Ol’ Blighty I found a wondrous pile of little boxes all heaped up Santa-like… waiting for my prying fingers!

First, there was an envelope from the UK.  Family Piublications fired off to me a copy of Aidan Nichols newest, The Realm: An Unfashionable Essay on the Conversion of England.   Since I cannot find this book on Amazon, I can’t give you a link.  This is the book which caused little stir a while back.

Also, the kind folks at Roman Catholic Books sent me Sacred Then and Sacred Now: The Return of the Old Latin Mass by Thomas E. Woods Jr.

Then I happily starting ripping open the little boxes to find what people had sent me from my Amazon wish list!

Many thanks to the kind soul who sent me the excellent mo li hua cha ... Chinese jasmine tea.  I immediately made a cup.   Alas, there was no invoice with the name of the person who sent it.  It’s delicious.

MP of Denmark sent me The Liturgy Betrayed by Denis Crouan and Marc Sebanc.

KK of KY sent WordPress For Dummies, a book I obviously need.

So, as I sit here with a grin amidst heaps of torn cardboard and bits of plastic wrapper, I am truly grateful for the generosity you readers demonstrate.  Getting these books helps me keep up to date with the issues and arguments.  They also are a concrete sign of your support. 

Another concrete sign of support comes from those of you who have recently used the donation button on the side bar and some posts. You are tops! 

Another way to support the blog will be by voting in the Catholic Blog Awards, which is coming up in a while.  I hope WDTPRS can count on you this time as in the past.  Nominating and voting is a bit of a pain, since you have to register, but perhaps you will take the time and effort. 

These awards accomplish something important: they establish benchmarks for this blog and will make us a bit harder to take down when I get behind the scenes "pressure".

I think it is of upmost importance to participate at Holy Mass also using a sound "hand missal".  A good hand missal, whether of the TLM of the Novus Ordo, can enrich your interior receptivity. 

A while back I reviewed the hand missal published by Baronius Press. 

Now let’s look at the hnd missal published by Angelus Press, the publishing arm of the SSPX.  For the purposes of this review, the fact that it comes from the SSPX’s printing concern matters not a whit to me.  I am grateful that they sent me a copy for my review.

First, let’s have a look general look at the cover and binding.



There are five ribbons and the pages are gilded.  the gilding isn’t like it was in the old days, but that’s no surprise.  It is still pretty good.  The binding of the new volume was still pretty tight, but it seems durable from what I can tell.  That is very important in such a book.

I still have to hold it open with my fingers for the shot, but it will loosen up.

You can see that the pages well laid out.  There is both English and Latin side by side.  The black ink is dark and well contrasted with the paper which is slightly yellowish.

 

Here is the basic information for the translation and the commentaries.  You can see that the paper is very thin, to keep the book a reasonable size, but the paper seems sturdy.

NB: They are in their 3rd printing for November 2007.

There are good sections for devotions and private prayers.



There are propers for the USA and Canada.

In the back there is a Kyriale.  I hope that means that the SSPX wants people in the pews to sing along… (which I doubt).  Seriously, this could help in the formation of a small schola: you would not have to buy too many more books to get it started.

 

I liked this feature in the back: pages for you to write in special events like baptisms, marriages, ordinations, deaths, and your own special intentions.  If someone were to use this at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, however, that ordinations page would have to have an extension added.

 

Here is the first pages of the Ordinary.  you can see that they use red ink for the rubrics and comments. 

 

Let’s now compare the Angelus Press version with the Baronius Press version. 

 

The Baronius Press version is a little smaller, but they are roughly the same thickness and feel in the hand. 

 

The Baronius binding is somewhat subtler.

Let us see them open and next to each other.  The Angelus Press edition is on the top, Baronius below.

Click the image below for a bigger view.

Note that the Baronius edition has somwhat whiter paper. 

I don’t know if that would help in a darker church or, in a brigher space it might annoy.



The gilt on the pages of the Baronius is marginally better accomplished.  The Baronius edition has 6 ribbons and the Angelus version 5.

In sum, the Angelus Press book is very good.  I like the commentaries and the extra sections for devotions. 

I did not do a side by side comparison of the translation, so at this point I have nothing to say about that.

This book is very useful and should prove to resist years of being hauled around in bags or in the hand. 

I am sure that some of you readers will have your own experienecs and preferences, which you can post below.

Once in a while I get something via e-mail and I am not quite sure if someone isn’t having me on.

A parishioner of at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Durham, NC, a Franciscan run parish known for its emphasis on social justice, sent my an e-mail detailing something rather bizarre which I cannot help but write about.

A visit to the website of Immaculate Conception reveals on the surface nothing out of the ordinary.  As a matter of fact, it looks fairly straight foward.  They have a rather thin confession schedule (Saturdays from 10-11am) but ... they have confessions. The rosary is prayed after Mass every weekday and there is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each Friday until 3:30pm.  Not too bad.  Other items from the website suggest that this is a pretty busy place, a normal urban Catholic parish.  They don’t seem to have anything going concerning the TLM, or use of any traditional expressions in their Novus Ordo Masses, but that’s par for the course.

Another great advantage they have is that they are in the Diocese of Raleigh, where one of WDTPRS’s favorites, His Excellency Most Rev. Michael Burbidge presides.  You can read about Bp. Burbidge here and here and here and other places on this blog.

So, now we get to the weird stuff.

The parishioner of Immaculate Conception sent me this note (edited and with my emphases and comments:

This evening, I attended the Stations of the Cross [at Immaculate Conception], and the liturgy that was utilized was called The Ecological Stations of the Cross—an adaptation of a liturgy composed by the Office of Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation, of the Franciscan Province of St. Barbara. Simply stated, the liturgy was horrendous. I don’t even know where to begin in detailing its shortcomings. As just a few examples, within the context of the liturgy, a prayer was directed to mother earth, the earth was compared to our crucified Lord, the earth’s care for humanity was offered as an analogy to the Blessed Mother’s care for Christ, Jesus’ crucifixion was reduced to the level of species extinction, mention was made of the Buddhist myth of a life-giving serpent under the Bodhi tree, and a reference to the Nietzschean notion of eternal return was set forth.

As you can see, this isn’t simply sloppy liturgy; this is outright paganism.

I have already written the pastor of my parish and am also in the process of composing a letter of complaint to my Bishop, the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge. My question for you, Father, is this: does the egregious nature of this liturgy warrant taking the matter to a higher authority, perhaps even to the Congregation for Divine Worship? [Yes, it does.  More about this below.]

"But Father! But Father!", you might be exclaiming. "Surely this person is exaggerating.  I can’t believe they would have done anything so… so.. well.. blasphemous.  I think the person who wrote to you must be mistaken."

That is possible, I suppose, but let’s look at some excerpts from the Ecological Stations the writer sent to me. 

Excerpts from the Ecological Stations of the Cross

Second Station: Jesus Embraces the Cross
(Earth as Suffering Servant—Isaiah)

Meditation:
Mother Earth, you are alive with Christ’s Spirit. You, like Christ, are the suffering servant. You serve all Earth’s creatures so splendidly and graciously, but we often treat you as nothing more than a storehouse of goods. May we awaken to see both your suffering and your generosity. May we only harvest wood from your forests in ways that are sustainable and may we leave your ancient, mystical, old-growth forests to grow in peace.

Third Station : Jesus Falls the First Time
(The Poor and Unjust Systems)

Meditation:
Christ, we see you alive in all creation, and know your love extends in a special way to the poor and suffering. Like you, the poor fall so often under unjust social systems that strangle their right to good housing, health care and meaningful work. May we awaken to see how our economic systems and multinational corporations could be made more just. May we create just systems in solidarity with all peoples and nature.

Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother, Mary
(We Meet Christ in Mother Earth)

Reflection:
Just as Jesus met and was comforted by his mother, so too can we all be comforted by the compassionate care of our Mother Earth. Christ’s love pulses through her, and we are truly welcome and at home on Earth. May we be aware of the healing, nurturing love with which she cares for us and all creation. May we awaken to know Christ’s wisdom and care through nature. May we, like Jesus, know our sacredness as children of God and as children of Earth.

Fifth Station: Simon from Cyrene Helps Jesus
(Earth Saints)

Reflection:
The Earth must stand up under the cross of global warming, water pollution, chemical and radiation poisoning, strip mining and deforestation. There are those who stand up for her to alleviate the burden. Earth Saints like Rachel Carson, Francis of Assisi, Hildegard of Bingham, Chico Mendes and John Muir have felt the Earth’s pain and offered their service to her. May we too respond to alleviate the burden of the Christ of Creation, and be of service to our sacred Earth Mother.

Eighth Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem
(Women and Education, Hunger, Poverty and Sustainable Population Growth)

Reflection:
Christ, you look with compassion on women: the birth-givers, the nurturers, and the comforters. May we commit to sustainable world population growth by bringing women out of poverty; by providing adequate nutrition, health care and education, and by honoring the lives of all women.

Point to Ponder:
Unsustainable population growth is a direct result of poverty, hunger and illiteracy, especially for women. Without food, economic security, and education, no amount of family planning programs will curb high birth rates.

Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
(Redemption for All Creation)

Reflection:
Christ, you created all things, and you liberate all life as well: human, hummingbird, whale, Sequoia, and bacteria. We cry out to you to save our Earth, [Have we prayed for our souls or forgiveness of sin yet?] and you answer that your liberation of Earth arises within each of us. May we understand that your hands are our hands, that your love can work through each of us, that your suffering body is our suffering Earth. [?] May we become deeper lovers of you by loving each other, by loving the world.

Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
(Cosmic Christ is Not Embraced)

Reflection:
Christ of the cosmos, we continue to drive the nails when we try to bind you to a cross of small vision. [What the hell is a "cross of small vision"?] We need to see you through the revelation of some thirteen billion years of creative delight we call the cosmos. May we be free of our limited vision of you. May we greet your living abundantly in our lives as revealed in science, literature, cosmology, imagination, and play.

Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies Upon the Cross
(Species Extinction)

Reflection:
Christ, through you is manifested an unaccountable number of species of animals and plants. One of your species, the mysterious serpent bears the curse in the Garden of Eden, while under the Bodhi tree the serpent provides protection and life.  [I think this praised the serpent, Satan, whom God the Father cursed for destroying the bond between man and God.] The snake is born of itself anew each time it sheds its skin and is a symbol of eternal return. Each individual of each species is born with your blessing, and makes up the full mosaic of your heart. Our choices have led to the unprecedented death of entire species, and with their loss the universe forever loses a cherished gift. May we through your grace transform ourselves into a culture of life. May we humbly honor the life of every creature and the ecosystems that support them.

Had enough?

I don’t think the writer was exaggerating.

People have the right to express themselves to their pastors about their concerns.  What I read here is troubling enough to bring to the attention of the local bishop, Bp. Burbidge.

I think in this case I would write to the local bishop and wait for his guidance before considering writing to the Congregation for Divine Worship.  This should be addressed locally first.

In writing to the bishop, I would include copies of any and all correspondence I had had with the pastor of the parish, or its staff.  I would be extremely careful to stick to facts, and avoid harsh language or inflamatory expressions which will just cloud the issues.  I would keep my letter very brief and absolutely avoid telling the bishop what his job is or what he should do.  He will know what to do.  I would avoid setting a time-table in my head for when I might hear back or see results.  

Be respectful of everyone involved. 

Just convey FACTS and hard copies.