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

There has been some confusion among people who need to organize celebrations of Holy Mass using the 1962 Missale Romanum about when the Feast of St. Joseph ought to be celebrated this year, since it falls during Holy Week. 

I believe that some of the traditional version of an Ordo are in disagreement about the date to which St. Joseph should be transferred.

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (which has competence in this matter) has made a determination.

That is to say that the instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments about the date of St. Joseph applies also to the use of the 1962 Missale Romanum.  Therefore, the First Class Feast of St. Joseph in 2008 is shifted from 19 March to 15 March.

Also, the Feast of the Annunciation is shifted from 25 March to 31 March.

Ecclesia Dei nimmt Stellung zum Josefsfest:
Anweisung der Gottesdienstkongregation gilt verbindlich auch für die Missa Tridentina

Die Kongregation für die Sakramente und den Gottesdienst hat bekanntgegeben, dass das 1. Klasse-Fest des heiligen Josef im Jahr 2008 ausnahmsweise vom 19. März auf den 15. März verlegt wird. Das 1. Klasse-Fest "Verkündigung des Herrn" wird ebenfalls verlegt und am 31. statt am 25. März gefeiert; bei letzterem ist es jedoch eine liturgisch "planmäßig" vorgesehene Verlegung, während die Verlegung des Joseftags eine einmalige Ausnahme darstellt.

Monsignore Camille Perl, Sekretär der päpstlichen Kommission "Ecclesia Dei" hat am 11.03.2008 auf Nachfrage persönlich gegenüber introibo.net erklärt, dass die ganze Kirche am Samstag den 15. März 2008 nun das 1. Klasse Fest des Heiligen Josef feiere und dass dies (Zitat) "natürlich" auch für die außerordentliche Form des römischen Ritus verbindlich sei.

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

Today we will hear the Passion of St. Matthew, to be sung on Palm Sunday using the 1962 Missale Romanum.   We hear it sung according to the traditional passion tone from the book called the Passionale. 

The Passionale is often divided into three books for each of the three parts, the voice for the words spoken by Christ (Christus), the voice of the narrator (Chronista), and all the voices of speakers in the Gospel narrative other than Christ (Synagoga).  The three parts are sung in different registers to differentiate them more easily.  In this recording I sing all three parts.

Often if a Passionale or set of Passionalia are available, they are older editions and some adaptations must be made for the 1962 Missale Romanum.  The older editions have parts that were removed at the time of the reform of Holy Week by Pope Pius XII.

However, at the end I include the very last section of the Passion as it was sung before the reforms of Pius XII.  This part is not to be done in the 1962 Missale.  However, it is a beautiful tone and I include it here, lest it be forgotten.  Perhaps there would be a way in which this tone could be recaptured for the last part of the gospel sung after the moment of silence for the death of the Lord.

http://www.wdtprs.com/prayercazt/080311_passion_matthew_palm.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.

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.

Pope to hear confessions of Roman youth?

Vatican, Mar. 10, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Pope Benedict XVI will hear the confessions of several young people in St. Peter’s basilica on Good Friday, according to the Italian ANSA news service.

The Vatican has not confirmed plans for the Pope to hear confessions himself. But the Holy Father is scheduled to lead a penitential service for the youth of Rome, and there will be opportunities for individual confession.

Pope John Paul II made it his regular practice to appear in the Vatican basilica on Good Friday, without prior notice, to hear the confessions of ordinary penitents.

This in from Zenit...  my emphases and comments.

Jesuits Affirm Obedience to Pope

General Congregation Approves 5 Decrees, Declaration

ROME, MARCH 9, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Obedience to the Pope and the magisterium of the Church is just one of the themes of the five decrees approved by the Jesuits upon concluding its 35th General Congregation.

The two-month meeting of 225 members of the Society of Jesus ended Thursday in Rome. The congregation closed the meeting with a Mass of thanksgiving at the tomb of its founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, in the Church of the Gesù.

The congregation approved five decrees on 15 themes, and a declaration that affirms adherence to the letter Benedict XVI sent to then superior general Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach in January.

In the letter the Pope urged the congregation to reaffirm "its own total adhesion to Catholic doctrine" in areas such as interreligious dialogue, liberation theology and sexual morality.

The declaration titled "With New Fervor and Dynamism, the Society of Jesus Responds to the Call of Benedict XVI," was approved by a large majority, reported L’Osservatore Romano.  [In other words… some voted against it.]

Father Adolfo Nicolás, elected Jan. 19 to succeed Fr. Kolvenbach, 79, as superior general, said to reporters Friday that the Jesuits’ tradition of fidelity and obedience never stopped them “in their theological research or in their way of living the Christian faith.”

“At the same time,” he noted, “we understood that we need more humility because conflicts and difficulties are what make us grow.”

On the traditional obedience of the order, Father Carlo Casalone, the Jesuit superior in Italy, explained that it is always accompanied by “many commonplaces” and is interpreted “in militaristic terms.”

“In reality, obedience understood as uncritical obedience to the will of another is not a virtue,” he observed, emphasizing that in reality it is a matter of “seeking the will of God together with another person, that is, seeking the good to be done.”

Father Nicolás, 71, also touched on the question of the resignation of Father Kolvenbach, who presented his resignation for reasons of age after having led the order since 1983.

“The Holy Father was near to Father Kolvenbach in his decision to step down,” Father Nicolás said, “so I think I will also have the same support when circumstances lead me to ask to resign.”

Decrees

One of the five decrees addressed the topic of obedience to the Pope and the special relationship that unites the Jesuits to the Successor of Peter.

Jesuit Father Tom Feely wrote on the Web page of the 35th Congregation: "Anyone who looks at the history of the Society will see that we have always understood our role of service in the Church in relation to the papacy.  [History?  How about present?]

"Therefore, the decree goes on to offer some reflections on living our relationship of obedience to the papacy today, especially with regard to our mission in the broadest sense."

The other decrees are dedicated to missions, the Jesuit identity, working with the laity and people of various faiths and the governance of the society.

L’Osservatore Romano explained that the decrees answer the 15 questions analyzed by the General Congregation, addressing missions and the internal life of the order.

With regard to missions, the Society identified several areas where the society would focus its attention, including Africa, China, the intellectual apostolate, international houses in Rome, and migrants and refugees.

With respect to the internal life of the order, particular attention was given to vocations—especially in Europe and North America—and to the formation of priests and brothers.

Other issues that were dealt with during the congregation included youth, indigenous populations, religious fundamentalism, communication in the Internet age and ecology.

A reader wants to know where one might obtain a funghellino.

I don’t know why one couldn’t just use a cake or pastry stand. 

They seem to be about the same. 

I got this question via e-mail. Edited and with my emphases:

We have had the EF for five years now.  From the start, the Good Friday service in the old rite has been done very strictly.  All Latin, all Gregorian chant from the Liber.

I have strongly advocated that on Palm Sunday, that the Passion be chanted in English with the Gregorian setting (while the celebrant reads it in latin softly). After a two year hiatus during which the Passion was said aloud in English, we are chanting it again this year. There is some grumbling that this is not appropriate at the EF.  What is your opinion?

My opinion is that you should follow the books.

I don’t recall reading anything anywhere that foresees in the older books that the Passion could be sung in the manner you describe. 

I think you should just sing the Passion in Latin as it is.

Also, I don’t believe that in the 1962 form the celebrant read the Passion in Latin quietly by himself.

Stuff that is interesting to me. 

 

‘Exceptional’ Roman ruins found at Wansford

AN "EXCEPTIONAL" ancient Roman site has been discovered in woodland near Peterborough.

Despite numerous digs and excavations across the region over the past two centuries, the huge site, hidden deep in woods at Bedford Purlieus, had miraculously gone unnoticed.

Early work has only scratched the surface of the Roman remains, but indications have left experts stunned by how well preserved the remains, of what appears to be a building of some importance, are.

Forestry Commission District Operations Manager, Hugh Manall said: "It’s unusual for us to find a site of this significance that we didn’t realise was there. Generally, sites as good as this are known about."

Experts believe the remains at the site, just off the A47 at Wansford, near Peterborough, probably date back to between the second and fourth centuries AD.

Excavations have been taking place at three areas in the woods thanks to funding from Augean Ltd’s landfill tax and Peterborough City Council.  City council archeologist Ben Robinson described the find as "exceptional".

He said: "I’ve not seen a Roman building as well preserved as this. The work we have done has shown we have got a building of quite some importance, with all the features of a high-status Roman site. This was something big and impressive."

Luxuries included in the building were heating and paintings hung on the wall.

And, because the site has been hidden in a forest, it has remained virtually undisturbed.

Mr Robinson said: "We’ve only scratched the tip of the iceberg, there’s a lot more to be discovered.

"But we have to be mindful that sites like this are rare and we shouldn’t destroy them by digging them up. We also have to be careful about the wildlife and rare plants in the forest, but I really hope we will get to do more there.

"The thing about this is people have been carrying out archaeological digs in this area for the best part of 200 years. You would think that with the amount of work that has gone on that everything has been discovered. This shows that’s far from the case, we’re getting new finds on a weekly basis.

"This area is a very, very exciting place to do archaelogy."


It was only a chance discovery that led archaeologists to the site. For 44 years forest craftsman Ricky Hannah worked in the woodland without ever noticing the massive remains.

Until one day in 2005, astonished Ricky suddenly spotted a strange rectangular lump.

He called in experts, who initially thought it was a 2,000 year-old travellers’ stop-over complete with bedrooms, baths and steam rooms – so it was nicknamed "Ricky’s Motel".

It is only after months of careful excavation that it has finally been confirmed that the find is actually Roman remains.

Speaking at the time of the discovery, Mr Hannah said: "I first noticed a lump and thought, well that looks like a corner. I followed the line and found another, and another, and another.

"Then I looked up and saw the site spreading out all around me up to 80 metres away.

"The managers wanted us be able to spot things that might turn out to be ancient remains. And blow me, after a while you find checking the ground for interesting lumps and bumps becomes addictive."

 

This just in… to which WDTPRS reponds, "Duh!"

Vatican, Mar. 10, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Despite the disappointment expressed by some Jewish leaders at the revised text of a Good Friday prayer, Pope Benedict XVI does not plan to make any alterations in the text, Cardinal Walter Kasper has disclosed.

Speaking to a German ARD television audience, Cardinal Kasper – who heads the Vatican commission for relations with Jews – said that no further change in the Good Friday prayer is necessary because "it is entirely correct from a theological perspectieve."

The German cardinal is scheduled to meet this week with Jewish leaders who will make a last effort to persuade the Vatican that a second change in the prayer is necessary. [... ho hum…] Cardinal Kasper made it clear that the chances of such a change are extremely remote. He added that he hoped relations between Catholics and Jews could be renewed on a friendly footing despite any "irritation" caused by the disagreement.

In February, Pope Benedict released the text of a revised prayer for Jews, to be used in the Good Friday service celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal. The revised text – which will be used only in traditional liturgies celebrated in Latin – eliminated a reference to the "blindness" of Jews but retains a prayer for their conversion.

From CWN… a look at what the media did about the "news seven sins" 

The Forum: Not "new sins" but an old media blind spot

by Phil Lawler
special to CWNews.com

Mar. 10, 2008 (CWNews.com) – When he finished his interview with L’Osservatore Romano, Archishop Gianfranco Girotti probably thought that his main message had been an appeal to Catholics to use the sacrament of Confession. Little did he know that the English-language news media would play the interview as a newly revised list of sins.

Archbishop Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, spoke to the Vatican newspaper about "new forms of social sin" in our era. He mentioned such transgressions as destructive research on human embryos, degradation of the environment, and drug trafficking. Within hours, dozens of media sources were suggesting that the Vatican had radically revised the Ten Commandments, issuing a list of "new sins."

As usual, a British newspaper leapt to the forefront with the most sensational and misleading coverage. The Daily Telegraph made the preposterous claim that Archbishop Girotti’s list replaced the traditional Catholic understanding of the seven deadly sins:

    It replaces the list originally drawn up by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th Century, which included envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and pride.

Could we have a reality check, please?

When a second-tier Vatican official gives a newspaper interview, he is not proclaiming new Church doctrines. Archbishop Girotti was obviously trying to offer a new, provocative perspective on some enduring truths. The effort backfired—but in a very revealing way.

An ordinary reader, basing his opinion only on the inane Telegraph coverage, might conclude that a "sin," in the Catholic understanding, is nothing more than a violation of rules set down by a group of men in Rome. If these rules are entirely arbitrary, then Vatican officials can change them at will; some sins will cease to exist and other "new sins" will replace them. But that notion of sin is ludicrous.

Sin is an objective wrong: a violation of God’s law. What is sinful today will be sinful tomorrow, and a deadly sin will remain deadly, whether or not Telegraph editors recognize the moral danger. The traditional list of deadly sins remains intact; nothing has replaced it. Greed, gluttony, and lust are as wrong today as they were a day or a year or a century ago. If Archbishop Girotti referred to "new" sins, it is because some of the offenses he named (such as genetic manipulation) were impossible in the past, and others (such as international drug trafficking) are much more prevalent today, in a global society. Insofar as people could have engaged in these activities a century ago, they would have been sinful then as well.

A sin is not a sin because simply an archbishop proclaims it so. Sin, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, "is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience…" The precepts of "reason, truth, and right conscience" do not shift in response to political trends, nor do they change at the whim of Vatican officials.

The fundamental point of the L’Osservatore Romano interview was that Catholics need to recover a sense of sin, make use of the sacrament of Confession, and receive absolution for their offenses. Sin, the archbishop insisted, is a reality that man cannot escape.

Archbishop Girotti said that the modern world does not understand the nature of sin. With their coverage of the interview, the mass media unintentionally underlined the prelate’s point.

I am sure you recall that the CDF issued a note about the invalidity of baptisms where the sacramental form was changed to a non-Trinitarian version.

This was sparked by what was going on in Brisbane, Australia, where priests were changing the form and therefore baptizing invalidly.

I posted on this and have a PODCAzT on it.

Now I read this in the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.  My emphases and comments.

Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane admits baptism blunder

By Neil Hickey

March 06, 2008 12:54pm


DOZENS – even hundreds – of Catholics in Brisbane may have been illicitly baptised in a bungle the church is now trying to correct. 

The Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane says the blunder may affect anyone baptised at the St Marys Catholic Church before 2004. [Oh gee whiz… sorry! Just a blunder… just a little mistake!]

The notice has been issued after a fresh directive this week from the Catholic Church in Vatican City.  [Good heavens!  Who is this writer?]

The baptisms used two illicit formulas: "I baptise you in the name of the Creator and of the Redeemer and of the Sanctifier and "I baptise you in the in the name of the Creator and of the Liberator and of the Sustainer.  [Ehem… not just illicit but also INVALID.  That is the point… right?  They were INVALID!]

The legitimate [valid] formula is "I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’‘

The chancellor of the diocese, Father Jim Spence, said the priests at the parish were ordered to revert to the traditional formula in 2004 but that some people may still be unaware their baptisms were wrongly administered.

He said he was unaware how many people it may affect. The church is currently considering whether there will be a need for those illicitly [INVALIDLY] baptised to have the ritual legitimately. [VALIDLY]

"It doesn’t mean it’s invalid, it just means it’s illicit, he said.  [ .....  ? ... ]

"It doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, it means that it shouldn’t have happened.

"I guess (those affected) would have all sorts of reactions. I would hope that anybody whos [sic] troubled by it would get in touch.’’ [!]

Baptism, the first of seven sacraments in the church, is the rite of initiation into the church and is usually administered shortly after birth.
 
Fr Spence said the illicit baptisms did not invalidate subsequent sacraments, including confirmation, penance and marriage.  [Ummm…. Father… are you sure?]

Anyone concerned they may be affected should call 3268 3040.

What did the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith say:

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS PROPOSED

on the validity of Baptism conferred with the formulas

«I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier»
and «I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer»

 

QUESTIONS

First question: Whether the Baptism conferred with the formulas «I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier» and «I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer» is valid?

Second question: Whether the persons baptized with those formulas have to be baptized in forma absoluta?

RESPONSES

To the first question: Negative.

To the second question: Affirmative.

The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved these Responses, adopted in the Ordinary Session of the Congregation, and ordered their publication.

Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, February 1, 2008.

William Cardinal Levada
Prefect

 Angelo Amato, S.D.B.
Titular Archbishop of Sila
Secretary

What does this mean?

"The response of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith constitutes an authentic doctrinal declaration, which has wide-ranging canonical and pastoral effects. Indeed, the reply implicitly affirms that people who have been baptised, or who will in the future be baptised, with the formulae in question have, in reality, not been baptised. [Read: the baptisms are INVALID, not just illicit.]  Hence, they must them be treated for all canonical and pastoral purposes with the same juridical criteria as people whom the Code of Canon Law places in the general category of ‘non- baptised’".