Archbishop Raymond Burke is living up to his middle name: Leo.
In the daily of the Italian Bishops Conference, Avvenire, His Excellency the Prefect of the Signatura spoke with candor on many issues, including the situation of pro-abortion Catholic politicians and, of great interest to us here, Summorum Pontificum.
Your Excellency, you are known also as a bishop favorable to the Motu Proprio by which the Pope derestricted the use of the pre-Conciliar Mass…
True. I remember also the happiness with which the Holy Father presented this document in a preview for a restricted group of prelates to which I was invited. The Pope with this courageous gesture wanted to reaffirm that in the Church the liturgy must develop in an organic way, without having to avert to traumatic ruptures, something which unfortunately occurred in the post-Conciliar period. Personally, I don’t find any difficulty or any contradiction in celebrating Holy Mass according to the Novus Ordo or according to the so-called rite of St. Pius V. The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was a wise move, which, I am convinced, will bring out good fruits in the Church.
But, Excellency, don’t all these characteristics of yours run the risk of painting you as a harsh conservative…
Good things must always be conserved. Insofar as "harsh" is concerned, those who know me at least a little bit, know that that doesn’t correspond to who I am.
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As someone who was able to speak personally with Archbishop Burke many times, I can say that he is indeed anything but “harsh.” On the contrary!
To be honest, I have never met a man whose personality and disposition more closely resemble that of a teddy bear, and I mean that in the most positive, complimentary, respectful way possible. He’s so meek, humble and gentle, you just want to give him a big huge hug! (Though of course I much prefer kissing his ring)
“Good things must always be conserved.” Here’s a statement for the ages.
Where might I find the full text (in English) of the Avvenire interview of Archbishop Burke? Thanks!
That is absolutely true about Archbishop Burke. While I’ve only talked to him briefly, he is very kind and humble-anything but the stereotypical blackhearted archconservative. However, he does have the courage and charity to call a spade and spade and this is why the people who do not like his stands on the truth try to characterize him as mean and uncaring.
Archbishop Burke walks with the angels. He is very far from being arrogant, prideful and insensitive. He is a wonderful man and I do not believe for a moment that he was called to Rome to remove him from the American political scene or to keep him close to the Pope.
Burke is the smartest Canonist in the world and no one else could have filled that position, IMHO. His thought is clear and organized.
I’d sign away my life for Archbishop Burke.
First American Pope in the making? :)
“This is sometimes referred to as the priest ‘having his back to the people,’ but scholars and devotees of the older form of Mass reject this language, pointing out that most people at Mass offered in its ordinary form have their backs to other participants.”
What an outstanding and imaginative thought! I love it, and I intend to use that as an argument supporting ad orientem worship in both forms of the Roman Rite.