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

I tip my biretta   o{]:¬)   to Kevin D. Dello Iacono who tagged me on Facebook with an article from The Australian.

Let’s have a quick look with my emphases and comments.

Pope resurrects old rituals for mass

   
Sian Powell | July 19, 2008

IN a return to tradition, the Pope will tomorrow offer communion to kneeling Catholics, and preferably on the tongue rather than in the hand.

The final World Youth Day mass at Sydney’s Randwick racecourse will attract up to half a million worshippers and will be beamed to as many as a billion viewers around the world.

A firm believer in the importance and beauty of liturgical traditions, the Pope will seek to set an example to a massive audience with his return to pre-1960s ritual.  [Notice a couple things.  First, memory is short… or the writer is too young to have known anything other than Communion in the hand, standing.  This practice was introduced against the Church’s law well after the Council.  Also, it remains the exception (in law) to the rule (in law) that Communion should be (even now) received on the tongue.  Furthermore, the law protects Catholics who want to receive in the proper way.]

"The Holy Father has requested that those whom he gives communion to will kneel, and his preference is that they receive communion on the tongue," said Father Mark Podesta, an official World Youth Day spokesman.

However, these preferences will not apply to the crowds at the racecourse, who could be pressed for kneeling space.

"His request is not a mandate for the church, it’s merely an indicator," Father Podesta said. [Give it time, Father.]

"He is concerned with the question of reverence. [If it is a matter of reverence, then perhaps it goes beyond an "indicator".]

"(Standing and receiving the host in the hand) could be open to irreverence. It’s a reminder for those who watch it that this is very special."

The mass will also include a recital in Latin of the Our Father prayer, and a few other words in Latin, [Oooo… a few words…] Father Podesta added. World Youth Day was an international event, he said, and the language of the church was [is] Latin.

"World Youth Day is about communicating with youth," he said. "The Pope’s message will be made in a way that youth can most easily identify with."  [Yes… but some things are communicated in better in a language that is different from what we speak daily.]

Latin was largely lost to Catholic churches after the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican that began in 1962 – which the Pope attended as a young theological adviser.

It permitted [yes] masses to be celebrated in the vernacular, much to the horror of traditional Catholics such as the writer Evelyn Waugh, [and others] who said the changes made going to church "a bitter trial".

According to a report in the Inside the Vatican magazine, Australia will be one of the first places in the world outside Italy where these changed customs will be used in a papal liturgy. [Good point.]

"Australia is a country well known for lax liturgical practices following in the wake of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, and this was particularly evident during liturgies celebrated by John Paul II on visits there in 1986 and 1995," the report said.

"After criticism of liturgical music at a recent mass celebrated by Pope Benedict in Washington DC, there was much debate over whether, despite an evident return to older customs in the Holy See, liturgical committees would follow a similar pattern in a country like Australia."

In July last year, the Pope issued an apostolic letter announcing greater use of the Tridentine or Latin mass.  [We are talking about Summorum Pontificum of course.]

World Youth Day director of evangelisation Stephen Lawrence said Vatican II had never demanded the removal of all Latin – it only said that priests could use the vernacular.

"We don’t want Latin completely removed," he said. "I think he’s keen to make sure the Vatican II implementation actually happens. The common practice up until now is there hasn’t been much use of Latin." [I think it is great that the a WDY official said this.  Excellent.  Could we have imagined that a few years ago?]

Let’s have a look at the Pope address in an ecumenical gathering with non-Catholic Christian leaders:

This address is not without problems.  There are a couple phrases I think some people will misunderstand and extract.  This happened also in the USA when Papa was talking about Catholic Education.  Alas. 

There are good things here too.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I give heartfelt thanks to God for this opportunity to meet and pray with all of you who have come here representing various Christian communities in Australia. Grateful for Bishop Forsyth’s and Cardinal Pell’s words of welcome, I joyfully greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus, the "cornerstone" of the "household of God" (Eph 2:19-20). I would like to offer a particular greeting to Cardinal Edward Cassidy, former President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who, due to ill health, could not be with us today. I recall with gratitude his steadfast dedication to improving mutual understanding among all Christians, and I would ask all of you to join me in praying for his speedy recovery.

Australia is a country marked by much ethnic and religious diversity. Immigrants arrive on the shores of this majestic land hoping to find happiness and opportunities for employment. Yours, too, is a nation which recognizes the importance of religious freedom. This is a fundamental right  [Which it was a theme in the USA too.] which, when respected, allows citizens to act upon values which are rooted in their deepest beliefs, contributing thus to the well-being of society. In this way, Christians cooperate, together with members of other religions, for the promotion of human dignity and for fellowship among all nations.

Australians cherish cordial and frank discussion. This has served the ecumenical movement well. An example would be the Covenant signed in 2004 by the members of the National Council of Churches in Australia. This document recognizes a common commitment, sets out goals, and acknowledges points of convergence without glossing over differences. Such an approach demonstrates not only the possibility of formulating concrete resolutions for fruitful cooperation in the present day, but also the need to continue patient discussion on theological points of difference. May your ongoing deliberations in the Council of Churches and in other local forums be sustained by what you have already achieved.

This year we celebrate the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of Saint Paul, [whose year we Catholics are celebrating] a tireless worker for unity in the early Church. In the scripture passage we have just heard, Paul reminds us of the tremendous grace we have received in becoming members of Christ’s body through baptism. This sacrament, the entryway to the Church and the "bond of unity" for everyone reborn through it (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, 22), is accordingly the point of departure for the entire ecumenical movement.  [So…. we ask…. what is authentic ecumenism?  What does it lead?] Yet it is not the final destination. The road of ecumenism ultimately points towards a common celebration of the Eucharist (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 23-24; 45), which Christ entrusted to his Apostles as the sacrament of the Church’s unity par excellence. Although there are still obstacles to be overcome, we can be sure that a common Eucharist one day would only strengthen our resolve to love and serve one another in imitation of our Lord: for Jesus’ commandment to "do this in memory of me" (Lk 22:19) is intrinsically ordered to his admonition to "wash one another’s feet" (Jn 13:14). For this reason, a candid dialogue concerning the place of the Eucharist – stimulated by a renewed and attentive study of scripture, patristic writings, and documents from across the two millennia of Christian history (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 69-70) – will undoubtedly help to advance the ecumenical movement and unify our witness to the world.  [I wonder if this isn’t a signal to Lambeth.  Hmmm.]

Dear friends in Christ, I think you would agree that the ecumenical movement has reached a critical juncture. To move forward, we must continually ask God to renew our minds with the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 12:2), who speaks to us through the scriptures and guides us into all truth (cf. 2 Pet 1:20-21; Jn 16:13). We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly [!] more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live.  [People will hear this and make a connection with the Kyoto Accord, or not drilling in Alaska.  The Pope does think doctrine is important. We can’t doubt that he believes that doctrine can and must at times be divisive.] In fact, the history of the Church demonstrates that praxis is not only inseparable from, but actually flows out of didache or teaching. [Let’s make this current: a bunch of women are going to pretend get ordained in Boston.  Read that here.  They spew about "injustice" and get the newsies dwelling on how the "Vatican" has unjust "laws" or "policies" and how it repeats them in "statements", that the "Vatican" repeats that ordaining women is "illegal".  But the reason it is "illegal" is because it is invalid.  We know it is invalid because of the Church’s teaching and Tradition.  Our laws are based on teaching.  Our prayer is based on belief.  Praxis flows from didache.] The more closely we strive for a deeper understanding of the divine mysteries, the more eloquently our works of charity [If we really buy into the Gospel message (the kingdom of God has been given to us) then we will act upon that belief.] will speak of God’s bountiful goodness and love towards all. Saint Augustine expressed the nexus between the gift of understanding and the virtue of charity when he wrote that the mind returns to God by love (cf. De Moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae, XII, 21), and that wherever one sees charity, one sees the Trinity (De Trinitate, 8, 8, 12).  [To drill into this more there is a very good article on this in a recent number of Lateranum, for you priests and seminarians, etc., with Italian and access to a good library.  A handful of people would make this connection.  Benedict must have written this part.  Basically, whenever one sees charity, one sees the Trinity.  Take a look also at Deus caritas est.]

For this reason, ecumenical dialogue advances not only through an exchange of ideas but by a sharing in mutually enriching gifts (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 28; 57). An "idea" aims at truth; a "gift" expresses love. Both are essential to dialogue. [This is harmark Benedict.  The basis of dialogue must be the truth.  So, doctrine will divide. ]  Opening ourselves to accept spiritual gifts from other Christians quickens our ability to perceive the light of truth which comes from the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul [whose year we Catholics are celebrating.] teaches that it is within the koinonia of the Church that we have access to and the means of safeguarding the truth of the Gospel, for the Church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets" with Jesus himself as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20).

In this light, perhaps we might consider the complementary biblical images of "body" and "temple" used to describe the Church. By employing the image of a body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31), Paul draws attention to the organic unity and diversity that allows the Church to breathe and grow. Equally significant, however, is the image of a solid, well-structured temple composed of living stones rising on its sure foundation. Jesus himself brings together in perfect unity these images of "temple" and "body" (cf. Jn 2:21-22; Lk 23:45; Rev 21:22).  [Papa Ratzinger wrote a book called A New Song for the Lord: Faith in Christ and Liturgy Today, in which there is a section entitled: "Built from Living Stones": The House of God and the Christian Way of Worshiping God.  Check it out.  It is a fascinating book providing some of Papa’s starting points for a theology of liturgy.  One of them, rather provocatively, is from Liberation Theology.  Christ is liberator.  He frees us from the slavery of sin and the necessity of eternal death.  In all He says and does He liberates us.  So too in the Church’s liturgy.  In the texts and gestures of Mass, Christ the True Actor is liberating us.  But I digress…]

Every element of the Church’s structure is important, yet all of them would falter and crumble without the cornerstone who is Christ.  As "fellow citizens" of the "household of God", Christians must work together to ensure that the edifice stands strong so that others will be attracted to enter and discover the abundant treasures of grace within. As we promote Christian values, we must not neglect to proclaim their source [Christian revelation and grace illuminating reason] by giving a common witness to Jesus Christ the Lord. It is he who commissioned the apostles, he whom the prophets preached, and he whom we offer to the world.

Dear friends, your presence fills me with the ardent hope that as we pursue together the path to full unity, we will have the courage to give common witness to Christ. Paul speaks of the importance of the prophets in the early Church; we too have received a prophetic calling through our baptism. I am confident that the Spirit will open our eyes to see the gifts of others, our hearts to receive his power, and our minds to perceive the light of Christ’s truth. I express heartfelt thanks to all of you for the time, scholarship and talent which you have invested for the sake of the "one body and one spirit" (Eph 4:4; cf. 1 Cor 12:13) which the Lord willed for his people and for which he gave his very life. All glory and power be to him for ever and ever. Amen!

More dissent.

Here is a piece from The Boston Globe.  Sad business, really.

My emphases  and comments.

3 women to be ordained Catholic priests [Nooo… will pretend to be ordained.] in Boston
Excommunication automatic, church warns

By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff  |  July 18, 2008

Three aspiring Catholic priests [B as in B.  S as in S.] will be anointed and prayed over this weekend in an ordination liturgy that will resemble the traditional in most ways but one: The three [not] being ordained are women.

The [fake] ordination ceremony Sunday, at a historic Protestant church [That’s about right.] in the Back Bay, is the first such event to take place in Boston, one of the most Catholic cities in the nation. [?]

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, in accord with Vatican teaching, [two millennia of Christian tradition] says the participants in the ordination ceremony will be automatically excommunicating themselves.

But the women [not] being ordained say they are acting because they feel called to the priesthood and compelled to resist what they view as a wrong church teaching.  [Because they get to make that determination, I guess.  Right?]

"We’re part of a prophetic tradition of disobeying an unjust law,"  [Remember folks: reject premises.  This isn’t unjust, because it is not a matter of justice, and it is not a law, but an infallible teaching.] said Gabriella Velardi Ward, a 61-year-old Staten Island architect with two children and five grandchildren, who will [not] be ordained along with Gloria Carpeneto of Baltimore and Mary Ann McCarthy Schoettly of Newton, N.J.

Ward said she has wanted to be a priest since age 5, [And her parents dropped the ball on that one, I guess.  They should have taught her better.  But, then again.. you can’t always accomplish what you want with kids, can you.] and that she actively considered becoming a nun before deciding that the priesthood was her calling because she wants to be able to celebrate Catholic sacraments.  [She can!  Just not as a priest.]

"Excommunication or not, I will still be a validly ordained priest [This is simply a wicked lie.] and still will be able to serve the people of God," she said.

The women are to be [fictionally] ordained by Dana Reynolds, a California woman who was [not] consecrated as a bishop in Germany in April.

Reynolds and the others are part of an organization called Roman Catholic Womenpriests, which has been holding [invalid] ordination ceremonies for women since 2002; the organization says there are now 28 women Catholic [pretending to be] priests in the United States.

Among those already ordained is Jean Marchant, a former director of healthcare ministry for the Archdiocese of Boston, who with her husband presides over a small congregation that has a weekly Catholic Eucharist in a Protestant church in Weston.

The organization says its ordinations are valid because its first bishops were ordained by Catholic bishops in good standing – bishops whose names have not been released because they would face sanction by the Vatican.  [Gratis asseritur gratis negatur.  Besides, a real bishop can no more ordain a woman than I can transsubstantiate a banana into the Body of Christ.  It just doesn’t work.]

But the Vatican says the ordinations are illegal [Not only illegal but invalid.  INVALID.  NULL! ZERO! VOID!  Can they not get why it is "illegal" to attempt to ordain women?  Because it is invalid and therefore makes a mockery of the sacrament of Holy Orders!] under church law [The newsie is sticking to the shallow end of the pool.] and yesterday the Archdiocese of Boston sent an e-mail to all priests declaring that women play key roles in the church, but cannot be priests.

"Catholics who attempt to confer a sacred order on a woman, and the women who attempt to receive a sacred order, are by their own actions separating themselves from the church," the archdiocese said. "As a faith community rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus Christ, we pray for those who have willingly fallen away from the church by participating in such activities."

The [false] ordination will be Sunday afternoon in Church of the Covenant on Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay. The church is affiliated with two Protestant denominations, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Church of Christ.

The interim pastor of Church of the Covenant, the Rev. Jennifer Wegter-McNelly, said the congregation decided to rent its historic space, [sounds like a form of ecclesiological prostitution] with Tiffany windows depicting women of the Bible, at a nominal fee to show support.

"It’s our effort to encourage and celebrate with them," Wegter-McNelly said. "This church’s commitment to women goes back a long time." [As if the Catholic Church doesn’t have a committment to women.  Right.]

The ceremony has been scheduled to coincide with the first joint conference of four organizations pushing for the admission of married men, as well as of women, to the priesthood. That conference begins today at the Hyatt Harborside.

In St. Louis, a recent Catholic women’s [fake] ordination ceremony at a synagogue led to a rift in Catholic-Jewish relations.  [When you are that rude and obstuse, bad things happen to dialogue.]

The Boston archdiocese declined to comment about the Protestant church’s decision to allow the dissident Catholics  to meet there. [Wow.  A sentence that got it right!]

The Vatican has repeatedly said that women cannot be priests because Jesus did not have female apostles.  [Not the only reason, of course.  But notice how this shallow comment leaves the impression that the Church is behind the times, etc.]

In 1994, in the most definitive recent Vatican statement [not a teaching, I guess, just a policy statement] on the issue, Pope John Paul II issued an apostolic letter in which he wrote, "I declare that the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women."

In its own statement, sent to priests by a vicar general, the Rev. Richard M. Erikson, th