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UK: Petition to bishops for the TLM
This just in.
I have a slight problem with this petition, though the idea and motive is certainly good!
Remember that under the provisions of Summorum Pontificum, parish priests don’t need permission or help from the local bishops to establish regular TLM’s in their parishes.
Again, parish priests don’t need for bishops to do what they can do themselves!
Of course only bishops can establish "personal parishes". Also, if you want a bishop for a Solemn High Mass… well… he needs to want to do it.
But one of the most important things Summorum Pontificum did was take the ball from the hands of diocesan bishops and put it into the hands of parish priests.
In a sense, "personal parishes" could be a way of slowing or isolating into ghettos those who want the older form of Mass.
That said… in what follows, my emphases and comments.
Leading Catholics petition for Latin Mass
Thursday, July 24, 2008, 02:52 PM GMT
As the Catholic Herald reveals this week, leading Catholics including Lord Alton of Liverpool, Bianca Jagger and Dom Antony Sutch have signed a petition asking the bishops of England and Wales to provide more Latin Sunday Masses in the extraordinary form (Tridentine rite). [Parish priests can do this!]
Bianca Jagger wants to see provision of the Old Rite extended [Think about this. If Bianca Jagger can be a devotee of the TLM, isn’t there hope for a few more bishops?]
The petition – which has been signed by Catholics from across the political spectrum – "humbly requests" that the bishops make traditional Masses widely available to the faithful, in accordance with Pope Benedict’s wishes. Progress on this front has been slow, to put it mildly. [Are they asking bishops to promote the TLM? Or to get out of the way?]
Signatories include Catholics not normally associated with traditionalist circles, such as the concert pianist Stephen Hough and Robin Baird-Smith, publisher of Continuum Books. He has written on the petition: "Liberal and progressive, I am nonetheless in support of the petition’s aims."
Bianca Jagger, a devout practising Catholic, is well-known as a radical human rights activist; but she also regularly attends Latin Mass at the London Oratory and wishes to see the provision of the Old Rite extended throughout the world.
Prince Rupert zu Löwenstein, former president of the British Association of the Order of Malta, has signed the petition, as have Sir Rocco Forte, a major shareholder in the Catholic Herald, and Peter Sheppard, chairman of the Herald.
Priests supporting the petition include Dom Antony, former headmaster of Downside, Fr Tim Finigan, Fr Dominic Allain and Fathers Julian Large and Rupert McHardy of the London Oratory.
Writers who have signed the petition include Mary Kenny, Cristina Odone, Stuart Reid, former deputy editor of the Spectator, and the historian Desmond Seward.
Prince Albert and Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis – whose family has been close to the Holy Father since before he was elected Pope – are also among 750 signatories.
The petition, started by Eveline Booth, a young worshipper at the Oratory, reflects concern at lack of official enthusiasm for Summorum Pontificum, the Pope’s Apostolic Letter liberating the older form of Mass, published just over a year ago.
Since then, however, the number of weekly Sunday Masses celebrated in the extraordinary form has increased only very slightly, and traditionalists claim that some dioceses have done nothing to promote the Motu Proprio.
As the Herald reports in detail, the Archdiocese of Liverpool has abandoned plans to create Britain’s first parish dedicated to celebrations of the traditional Latin Mass.
Miss Booth said: "I started going to the extraordinary form and discovered that it was a much more reverent experience.
"I thought it was such a shame that Catholics outside London didn’t have access to this liturgy – and also that some bishops and clergy didn’t even want to know about it. Yet it is the Pope’s wish that the older Mass should be at the forefront of worship."
The petition will be presented to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and a copy sent to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which recently asked the English and Welsh bishops to implement the Motu Proprio more thoroughly.
I am glad that this issue is being brought to the fore in such a public way.
But I would remind everyone not to fall back into pre-Motu thinking about this.
These are no longer the days of the provisions of Quattuor abhinc annos.
The days of Ecclesia Dei adflicta have come to a close.
This is the time of Summorum Pontificum. We mustn’t fall into the trap of seeing that the local bishop is the one who controls the entire implementation of the Motu Proprio.
Don’t be distracted.
Father Z, I agree with you 100%! We should not go back to the pre-_Summorum Pontificum_ days at all. Petitions like this, “humbly” begging the bishops, just seem out of place in this day and age, thanks to Pope Benedict XVI. Priests can just simply start saying the extraordinary form on their own.
Comment by Fr. A — 24 July 2008 @ 1:21 pmWhile it is true that the local pastor can put on the EF without asking his bishop, IN PRACTICE priests need encouragement from on high before they do anything. A simple letter from a bishop inviting his priests to respond to SP if they so wish would do wonders. So I think this petition is a great idea.
Comment by Patrick — 24 July 2008 @ 1:44 pmYou have the authoritas and knowledge to know how to complain effectively. For an ordinary Catholic in the pew, if the Bishop or Archbishop fobs you off – it is difficult to know how to escalate the complaint. In my former local church there is a priest who has done various things which may or may not constitute doctrinal and fiscal abuse. A canon lawyer might know. A layperson cannot fathom the intracate exceptions of canon law. He is the “priest in charge” – but the nominated parish priest recently disappeared unexpectedly from his own parish – and no replacement has been publicised on the otherwise uptodate parish and diocesan websites. Members of the congregation have written to the Archbishop, expressing disquiet, and been accused in return, of being bigoted against the priest because of his personal circumstances – which are exceptional for a catholic priest. Ironically these people welcomed the man into the parish, and told me I was bigoted for choosing to worship elsewhere, (actually I did not like being lectured on the superior spiritual wisdom of catholic-hating heretics like Bunyan and pantheists like Ghandi from the pulpit). People on blogs talk of referring things to Ecclesia Dei, or Cardinals Hoyas or Levada – but nowhere on any official website is there an easy to understand complaints escalation procedure. So I understand, as an “amateur” catholic, why these celebrities are trying to shame the bishops publicly. Perhaps you could publicise the correct and respectful way to complain to a level above the archbishop in the UK. We are in a window of opportunity to re-establish a beautiful liturgy – but the powers that oppose it are playing a cynical delaying game – and time, unfortunately, may be on their side.
Comment by Therese Bolger — 24 July 2008 @ 1:44 pmI do not think (even with SP published) that most any, “ANY” priest would go against what his Bishop has made a point of not supporting.
To do so would in effect be a slap in the face of their Bishop (Betrayal), and though we may not like it, politics are stronger than the provision and feeding of souls in the the Catholic Church.
The priests in the UK and many in the USA are afraid of the wrath of their Bishops. Look at Altoona Johnson Doicese and many others that I can not remember specifically, where very good, holy, and dear Jesus “TRADITIONAL” priests have been defamed by their own bishop for the SIN of supporting tradition.
Fr. Z I am sure you know good Priests who have been railroaded (defrocked) or shunned or defamed and who have had their priestly rights removed.
I know two priest here in SC that have faced punishment for tradiion. It was nasty, terrible, disgusting and full of lies.
What makes you think that SP changed this status quo? [HUH? Look around!]
Where would a priest who dared to go against their Bishop go for support? Rome?
Ha, Ha, Ha, ....Ha, Ha, ......
Yea like the Church would come their deffence.
Has not happened.
Will not happen.
SLOW JUSTICE IS NO JUSTICE.
Jim Dorchak
Comment by Jim Dorchak — 24 July 2008 @ 1:45 pmThe bishops’ dallying in implementing SP is a scandal of major proportions: not only do they not wish to help their flock who might benefit from it, but they are also signalling quite strongly that they believe in the rupture and are just waiting for the Pope to pass on. So is the Pope just an aggravtion for these gentlemen?
And you wonder why the SSPX is hesitant?
Frankly I am thinking the Orthodox do not have these kinds of problems…
Comment by Woody Jones — 24 July 2008 @ 1:50 pmMight just be my optimistic way of looking at things, but I think they are asking for the Bishops to be pro-active in this regard.
Comment by Baron Korf — 24 July 2008 @ 1:54 pmSo, how long do we think it will take for the ‘clarification’ to be produced? It’s only been a year and two weeks since the promulgation of the motu propprio. I seem to recall some claiming that ‘Rome had a strategy’ and wanted to see the episcopal reaction…well, we’ve seen it, so can we please have the document that says ‘yes, the motu proprio actually means what it says’? I know of many cases in which bishops tacitly or explicitly discourage priests from privately offering the Mass, or publicly offering their services to those in need, despite this being expressly illegal under SP.
Comment by Jrbrown — 24 July 2008 @ 1:59 pmHey those look like sour Apples, not grapes!
Jim Dorchak
Comment by Jim Dorchak — 24 July 2008 @ 2:06 pmDear Father A,
Although I agree with you that no priest needs his bishop’s permission to celebrate the TLM, I think that a petition of this kind is
helpful to the cause because the signatories are very prominent and influential and it will ultimately reflect poorly on the bishops
in a very public way if they prove to remain contumacious on the matter.
Regards,
Tom
Comment by TJM — 24 July 2008 @ 2:15 pm“Bianca Jagger????” Who knew?
Comment by FrGregACCA — 24 July 2008 @ 2:33 pmAny businessman will attest that major changes in a company must be initiated and actively encouraged from the President or CEO, or the program is doomed to fail. If Pope Benedict would only back up his words with some actions then the bishops and priests would feel both the pressure and the support to promote the TLM. I fear, though, that His Holiness is enamored with the so-called “Benedictine arrangement” of the NO altar and has no intention of publicly celebrating the Extraordinary Form. Just two or three times would demonstrate his assertion that the EF is equal to the OF. Instead, it’s beginning to appear that he simply tossed it out there to sink or swim on its own. So who can blame the hierarchy for virtually ignoring it, when the boss is doing likewise?
Comment by TJ — 24 July 2008 @ 2:48 pmI have good reason to believe that priests in my diocese resist making the Gregorian Mass available for fear of the bishop’s reprisals. He is not fond of the LM and has stated publicly that SM is a concession to older Catholics who miss it when in fact, it is clear that he wants as few laity as possible to have knowledge that the Motu Proprio even exists. Despite the success of many parishes establishing the TLM on a “regular” basis, the vast majority have been met with the door being slammed to further discussion. The excuse in these parts is that priests can’t be spared long enough to learn the LM properly. Bollocks! There’s always an excuse.
Comment by Freddy — 24 July 2008 @ 2:54 pmFr. You are right,the well intentioned drive for a personal parish as well as the effort for a special prelature for traditional catholcs really ghettiozes the TLM instead if it becoming part of the average parish’s litutigcal life. Bianci Jagger
! This refutes any effort to stereotipe TLM foloweres as merely archconservatives. Forgive teh spelling;my srtroke shows.
Comment by fr.franklyn mcafee — 24 July 2008 @ 2:58 pm“Bianca Jagger, a devout practising Catholic, is well-known as a radical human rights activist; but she also regularly attends Latin Mass at the London Oratory and wishes to see the provision of the Old Rite extended throughout the world.”
THIS is what we in the traditional movement need more of. Too often we are seen as dour cloistered self-centered fuss-budgets who are hyperfocused on one and only one issue within the church (being the TLM).
Bianca – if you’re reading, good on ‘ya, lass.
Comment by Deusdonat — 24 July 2008 @ 2:59 pmThe problem Father is that these priests are saying no. Not the bishop. It’s sad that this community wants to take over this church, but some community of priests are scared of the EF Mass. They may be part of the Sandlistas for all we know and read about.
Comment by Bob K. — 24 July 2008 @ 2:59 pmHey, does anyone know if the aforementioned Dom Antony Sutch is kin to the wacky Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl Harrow and founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party? If so, what fun!
Comment by TomG — 24 July 2008 @ 3:09 pmI don’t think many parish priests – especially those who would want to be a pastor dare risk upsetting a Birkenstock wearing bishop when it comes to the Latin Mass.
There are a few doing it, but interestingly – these Latin Masses aren’t listed on diocesean websites. Gee, why do you think that is? I suspect it is because we’re working on developing an underground church of our own.
Comment by Dark Knight — 24 July 2008 @ 3:13 pmI agree with the brick by brick theory but every house need beams and cinder blocks now and again for additional support. It is time to “shore up” what is being built. It is true that it is a delicate time for the TLM. IF the intention is to reclaim tradition, restore a sense of the sacred (whether it be by gravitational pull on the NO or exclusive celebration of the TLM) then its’ access has to be accelerated. If not we could be in danger of the same polemics that followed the imposition of the NO. I think there is a sense of “Let’s get this overwith already” out there in the pews. It is reflected here in this post.
Comment by Mitchell — 24 July 2008 @ 3:27 pmFather Z: Sour Grapes awards ordinarily are great fun. However, I have personal knowledge of situations in other dioceses just like those Jim Dorchak describes. Priests wanting to celebrate the TLM are right now being threatened with unrelated trumped-up charges, revocation of faculties, or transfers to boondocks far from the traditional Catholics who desire their service. [Tell me about it! – Fr. Z]
There are such priests hanging in the fire this very minute. They will almost certainly suffer grievous undeserved damage unless our Holy Father takes prompt action. Only he can do it. Prolongation of the present situation of a slow and uncertain appeal process through channels may well result in the destruction of the careers of some of the finest priests in certain dioceses. In this situation, justice delayed certainly can be justice denied, brutally and with a vengeance. [Yes, a bishop has a thousand ways to hurt a priest. Priests can wins battles and lose wars, big time.]
I do not know how these individual disasters can be averted without such steps as (1) prompt public celebration of papal TLMs to show plainly the legitimacy of the TLM and the Pope’s support of it to those in authority who still argue that he’s only “tolerating” it and question the legitimacy of all EF aspirations, and (2) prompt publication of the alleged document implementing Summorum Pontificum, with sufficient teeth to provide protection to those priests and lay Catholics seeking to claim their rights under the motu proprio. [Both of those would really help!]
There are indeed many dioceses where wonderful things are happening. But there are also dioceses where terrible things are happening. They likely will continue to happen until all bishops are somehow “encouraged” to actively promote rather than reluctantly tolerate (and actually sabotage) the TLM.
Comment by henrici — 24 July 2008 @ 3:39 pmI think such petitions are fine if they are understood as a petition for more RESOURCES to be directed towards the TLM. For example, the Bishop can do much to extend the Motu Proprio by simply providing formal training programs for priests, servers, scholas, etc. These are things that could and should be petitioned for, it seems to me. It will be difficult to implement the Motu Proprio is Bishops are unwilling to direct sufficient resources to ensure that it can develop properly in the life of the diocese.
Comment by schoolman — 24 July 2008 @ 3:41 pmI