Italian Press on the Extraordinary Ordinary @BishopMorlino

I keep coming back to the passing of Bp. Morlino, and not merely because of my personal connection.

The passing of Bp. Morlino – and the naming of his successor – is an important moment for the Church in the USA, particularly in light of The Present Crisis.  

We have to pay attention now.

Will the Holy See consider subsidiarity?  Will the Holy See opt for continuity?   People have written to me from all over the world.  Many priests of the SSPX have sent notes, for Bp. Morlino also garnered their respect even after some rocky moments.

The passing of Bp. Morlino – and the naming of his successor – is an important moment for the Church in the USA.

Today I saw a piece in Italian at La Nuova Bussola.

Robert Morlino, morte di uno “straordinario ordinario”

Nice phrase. They wrote: “I fedeli americani lo chiamavano affettuosamente The Extraordinary Ordinary, perché celebrava Messa nella «forma straordinaria» del rito romano… American faithful affectionately call him The Extraordinary Ordinary, because he celebrated the Mass in the ‘Extraordinary Form” of the Roman Rite….”

Not quite, Nuova Bussola!

We – I, who promulgated the phrase – call him that also because he joyfully used the traditional rite, but mostly because he was truly an extraordinary man and bishop.

I don’t have the energy to translate the whole thing right now, but it is very well done. It covers many of the important points: increased vocations, defense of human life, bastion against secularism, firm about abuse and realistic about its roots.

Thank you, Nuova Bussola.

 

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3 Comments

  1. Uxixu says:

    Offer Bishop Fellay SSPX to be ordinary. :D

    ha ha though seriously many great traditional priests in the FSSP, too as well as the diocese. Continuity is double-edged. Many of us hope for the biological solution to term out the hippy “spirit of Vatican II” generation while at the same time getting someone non-traditional in Madison would be a disaster and not solicitous to the welfare of souls.

    It brings up that the idea of the Holy Father personally appointing every bishop in the world is not part of his universal primacy but his office as Patriarch (of the West) and that this didn’t really take off until after Vatican I at the end of the 19th century. Before, many if not most European sees were filled by the cathedral chapters nominating their coadjutors and successors, subject to the confirmation of the Holy See. Some of this was also tied up in the Investiture controversy and reserved to certain secular powers.

    It would make a certain amount of sense for new Patriarchates for the Americas if not also East Asia out of subsidiarity. As most all the old thrones with the privilege have fallen, and places that never had them (like the US), cathedral chapters could be a perfect solution, as there’s simply no way for one man to be familiar with enough men so it’s being delegated to committees and bureaucracies without sacred trappings – much less a liturgical role like a cathedral chapter has in chanting the Office and celebrating Pontifical Mass at the Throne.

    Let’s pray they reinforce and restore those traditions in the Extraordinary Form and introduce them to the Ordinary Form!

  2. JustaSinner says:

    God has His plan. We being mere mortals are beat to pray for the repose if the Bishop’s soul, and acceptance of what may come to pass. I pray that we may have the strength of the Bishop in these less than extrodinary ordinary times…

  3. iamlucky13 says:

    That’s great to hear that his service to his diocese is receiving positive press as far away as Italy.

    Perhaps this will be part of the answer to our prayers for a fitting successor for Madison – If word of the appreciation of his episcopacy makes its way into conversations in Rome, perhaps that will help guide Pope Francis to send a similar successor your way.

    Or if taking the cynical viewpoint, perhaps some traditional-minded, outspoken auxiliary bishop will be sent there as a way of sequestering him from some unwitting progressive diocese.

    Am I remembering correctly that the first step in the process is usually for the nuncio to discuss potential candidates with other bishops in the conference and to send several recommendations to Rome?

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