Radio Vaticana: Interview with Fr. Kramer in Rome

Fr. Joseph Kramer, FSSP, Pastor of Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome, gave an interview to Vatican Radio:

Here is the Italian text.  I am rather too busy to do a translation.  Maybe one of you Italian readers can do the job?

Click here for audio:

 A Roma, la parrocchia per i fedeli che vogliono assistere alla Messa in latino, secondo il "Summorum Pontificum" del Papa. Intervista con don Joseph Kramer

A un anno dalla pubblicazione del Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum di Benedetto XVI, una conseguenza pastorale concreta del documento papale è stata la creazione, l’8 giugno scorso, della parrocchia "personale" della Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, nel settore Centro della Diocesi di Roma. Si tratta della prima comunità parrocchiale costituita in Italia in applicazione dell’art. 10 del Motu Proprio e dunque non sulla base del territorio ma del rito, in quanto composta da fedeli legati all’antica forma del rito romano. La parrocchia, eretta per decreto dal cardinale vicario su disposizione del Papa, è stato affidata a don Joseph Kramer, religioso australiano della Fraternità sacerdotale di San Pietro, in Italia ormai da tren’tanni. Eccolo al microfono di Fabio Colagrande.

R. – L’apertura è andata molto bene: erano tutti contentissimi. Questo ha suscitato molto interesse – anche la stampa ne ha parlato – e da quel giorno la gente è venuta in Chiesa ogni giorno a vedere di cosa si tratta. Questa è una parrocchia personale che non dipende dal territorio. E’ aperta a tutti i fedeli che vogliono frequentare i Sacramenti e la Santa Messa, secondo la forma antica del rito romano. E’ una parrocchia che bisogna creare a distanza. La difficoltà è, infatti, che la gente abita lontano e deve venire da fuori. L’idea è di avere non solo la Messa, ma tutti i Sacramenti – battesimi, matrimoni – oltre alla Quaresima e al Triduo pasquale.

D. – Chi sono i vostri parrocchiani, don Joseph?

R. – Molto vari: gente di tutte le età, molti giovani, famiglie con bambini, persone oltre i 50 anni, che ricordano il rito antico e che sono contente di riacquistare un posto nella vita normale della Chiesa. E anche la gente locale è contenta di vedere che siamo lì, con la forma antica del rito, e che teniamo aperta una chiesa rimasta chiusa per molti anni.

D. – Il cardinale Castrillon Hoyos ha ricordato che l’erezione di questa parrocchia personale ha un valore esemplare per le altre diocesi, sia in Italia che nel mondo…

R. – Sì, perché Roma è sempre un esempio, una città centrale per tutto il cattolicesimo. E già altri vescovi hanno deciso di aprire delle parrocchie seguendo l’esempio dato qui a Roma, ed è molto importante.

D. – Padre Kramer è corretto dire che la sua è una parrocchia di fedeli tradizionalisti?

R. – Questa parrocchia è per tutti i fedeli cattolici normali, che apprezzano la forma antica, ma non appartengono ad una categoria diversa, dei tradizionalisti appunto. Seguire la forma antica non vuol dire diventare necessariamente tradizionalisti. Il nostro desiderio è di essere integrati nella vita quotidiana della Chiesa. E siamo molto, molto grati al cardinale vicario per questa opportunità di entrare nella vita della Chiesa e di non essere considerati un "branco" al di fuori della normativa.

UPDATE: 13 July 19:45 UTC:

NLM has a translation.

A year after publication of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, Benedict XVI… a "personal" parish [was erected], Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini, located in the center of the Diocese of Rome. This is the first parish community established in Italy under the motu proprio… The parish, erected by decree of Cardinal Vicar at disposal of the Pope, was entrusted to Fr. Joseph Kramer, an Australian priest of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter…

Fr. Kramer: – The opening [Mass] went very well: they were all content. This has aroused great interest – even the press has spoken of it – and from that day people have come to church each day to see what is going on. This is a parish that does not depend on territorial boundaries and is open to all the faithful who wish to attend the sacraments and the Holy Mass in the ancient form of the Roman rite… The idea is to have not only the Mass, but all the sacraments – baptisms, weddings – in addition to Lent and the Easter Triduum.

Who are your parishioners, Father Joseph?

R. – Very different: people of all ages, many young people, families with children, persons over 50 years who recall the ancient rite and are happy to regain a place in normal life of the Church. Even local people are happy to see that we are there, in the form of ancient rite, and that we re-opened a church that had remained closed for many years.

Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos said that the erection of this parish has an exemplary value for other dioceses, both in Italy and worldwide …

R. – Yes, because Rome is always an example, a city that is central to the whole of Catholicism and other bishops have already decided to open parishes following the example given here in Rome, and that is very important.

Father Kramer is it correct to say that this is a parish for faithful traditionalists?

R. – This parish is for all the Catholic faithful who appreciate the ancient form…. Worshipping in the ancient form does not mean necessarily becomes a traditionalist. Our desire is to be integrated into daily life of the Church and we are very, very grateful to the Cardinal Vicar for this opportunity to enter the life of the Church and not be considered a "flock" outside the law.

Remember Rule #4?

4) Be engaged in the whole life of your parishes, especially in works of mercy organized by the same.  If you want the whole Church to benefit from the use of the older liturgy, then you who are shaped by the older form of Mass should be of benefit to the whole Church in concrete terms.

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7 Comments

  1. Petros says:

    Reading the above I find it heartening to see that many families with children, and young people attend the TLM. This has been my experience here in Dublin,IRELAND,where the same applies. Also to see the many altar boys, is also a sign of hope,for the future.

    I also see that other bishops have seen the fruit of the old rite,and are prepared to encourage its availability,in Italy,if I am correct.

    Let us pray that the bishops here in Ireland will also see what benefits the old rite,has in the salvation of souls,for that is what it is all about.

  2. josephus muris saliensis says:

    His last paragraph is very important, the world of the Extraordinary Form is no longer a ghetto of a closed group of “Traditionalists”, but, as he says, for all the normal Catholic faithful. We must all remember this, and allow the exchange to be both ways, as clearly has succeeded at SS Trinità, where the locals inform those who have come specially for the older forms, and vice versa.

  3. Joey says:

    In Rome, the parish for the faithful who desire to assist at the Latin Mass, according to the motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum” of the pope. Interview with Fr. Joseph Kramer

    A year after the publication of the motu proprio Summorum pontificum of Benedict XVI, a concrete pastoral effect of the pope’s personal document has been the creation of the “personal” parish of Santissima Trinita’ dei Pellegrini in the central sector of the Diocese of Rome last June 8. This concerns the first parrochial community founded in Italy pursuant to article 10 of the motu proprio, not on the basis of parrochial territory, but based on the faithful attached to the older form of the Roman Rite. The parish, erected by decree of the Cardinal Vicar [Ruini] on the disposition of the Pope, was entrusted to Fr. Jospeh Kramer, an Australian religious of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, who [Kramer] has been in Italy 30 years. Here he is, interviewed by Fabio Colagrande.

    Kramer: The opening went very well. They were all very pleased. This has caused much interest- even the press spoke of it- and from that day people have come to church every day to see what it’s all about. This is a personal parish which does not depend on territory: it is open to all the faithful who want to attend the sacraments and Holy Mass according to the older form of the Roman Rite. It is a parish which needs to be created at a distance. The difficulty, in fact, is that people live afar and must come from outside. The idea is to have not only the Mass, but all Sacraments- baptisms, marriages- except in Lent and the Triduum.

    Question: Don Joseph, who are your parishioners?

    Kramer: It varies a lot: people of all ages, many youths, families with babies, people older than 50 who remember the ancient rite and who are happy to re-aquire a place in the normal life of the Church. Also the local people are happy to see that we are there, with the ancient form of the rite, and that we are keeping open a church which has remained closed for several years.

    Question: Cardinal Hoyos says that the erection of this personal parish has an exemplar value for other dioceses, be in Italy or in the world at large…

    Kramer: Yes, because Rome is always an example, a city which is central for all Catholicism. Already other bishops have decided to open some parishes according to the example given here in Rome, and this is very important.

    Question: Would Fr. Kramer be correct to say that his parish is a parish of faithful traditionalists?

    Kramer: This parish is is for all normal and faithful Catholics who appreciate the older form, but do not make up a different category of traditionalists. To follow the older form does not necessesarily entail becoming traditionalist. Our desire is to be integrated into the daily life of the Church. And we are very, very grateful to the Cardinal Vicar for the opportunity to enter into the life of the Church and to not be considered a branch outside of what is normal.

  4. Matt says:

    My new bride and I met Fr. Kramer and his wonderful assistant Fr. Brennan Gerard while we spent a week in Rome recently. The church is fantastic and the liturgy sublime. I highly recommend it as an important pilgramage site in the eternal city.

    God Bless,

    Matt

  5. The Ordinary Form is also an “ancient rite,” namely the Roman Rite.

  6. Brian Mershon says:

    Yes, Mr. Sobrino. A whopping 38 years old. My children think that 38 years is ancient also.

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