Writing to Rome when the bishop or pastor does nothing to correct liturgical abuses

Letter by letter.

At the blog Socon or Bust I saw a post about a woman who had been writing to her local bishop for some years about liturgical abuses at her parish.  The bishop, predictably, did nothing.

She wrote to the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome.

She received a response from Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome.

The Congregation encouraged her to continue to write to the bishop.

I suspect the Congregation has sent an inquiry to the same bishop to determine what gives.

I have posted TIPS for how to write to ecclesiastical authorities about your concerns.  HERE.

The least helpful thing you can do is send a letter full of acrimony and very little proof of what you claim is going on.

Read the tips.  Really.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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12 Comments

  1. robtbrown says:

    Many years ago, not finding satisfaction from writing to the Archbishop about a Latin mass. He didn’t answer, so I wrote to the office of the Apostolic Delegate. I received a less than sympathetic reply from a Msgr Clemente Faccani, who told me that there had been many problems with mail delivery (maybe he was thinking of Italy, not the US), and that was probably the problem.

    Later, Clemente Faccani became pro nuncio to Seychelles and Kenya, both vital participants in international politics, and where–no doubt–there actually are problems with mail delivery.

  2. Muv says:

    Tactically, this lady now has it made. Next time she writes to the bishop she sends a copy of the letter to CDW and tells the Bishop she is doing so. If he fails to reply, CDW gets a copy of her chasing letter, until he finally replies, and she sends a copy of his reply to CDW. The Bishop has to know that whatever he says, she is factoring CDW into the correspondence. Bravo to her.

  3. no email addresses to contact the respective offices? in this day and age?

  4. Matthew says:

    Wow, their Latin is terrible !

  5. cathgrl says:

    Matthew,

    In case you’re not kidding, yea, the Latin would be terrible, since it’s French.

  6. Matthew says:

    Oui!

    Yes, I was kidding, although my French is as bad as their Latin.

  7. Peter in Canberra says:

    Well with what Sandro Magister has just reported: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350567?eng=y
    “In addition to the above, the Holy Father Francis has directed that every religious of the congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is required to celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary rite and that, if the occasion should arise, the use of the extraordinary form (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities, for every religious and/or community that makes the request.”

    I wouldn’t bother writing to Rome about anything liturgical at present. Sorry to sound snide and cross but this is really depressing news.

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  9. Nancy D. says:

    I am not surprised. See page 117 of the book On Heaven and Earth.

  10. Nancy D. says:

    Oops! That should read anti-pope Francis, for in order to be Catholic, one must be in communion with Christ and His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

  11. Nancy D. says:

    Sorry, that should read: I am not surprised. See page 117 of the book On Heaven and Earth by anti Pope Francis.

  12. Random Friar says:

    Documentation is always good for CYA: correcting your antistes.

Comments are closed.