Crunching duck bones and wishful thinking

It was a beautiful day in Rome today. It is still summery warm and the evenings are cool. Today found me in the library, then at lunch at my place with blogger "Zadok" (spaghetti with olives and capers followed by rabbit and green salad), and later back in the library and then at supper eating ???? (B?ij?ng k?o y?) with a couple well-informed friends at a decent Chinese place near the Vatican.

And all day long, reading and chatting, writing, lots of walking, sifting rumors and sorting news, crunching duck bones from the soup, thinking, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something nice is going to happen soon. Amidst the lists of my agenda and the fixed points of praying and digesting, I am getting the feeling we are at one of those critical mass points for something to happen. Lots of small signs point to something. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Wishful thinking, perhaps.

Well, even if it isn’t soon, as a consolation prize here is a nice photo of the cupola from an angle you might not ever see.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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

  1. Séamas says:

    You aren’t the only one, Father. I’ve been feeling it, too, and so has Amy Welborn:

    http://tinyurl.com/yzkybt

    It’s strange that so many people seem to smell something in the air, eh? The Grace of God pouring down from Heaven, perchance?

  2. Fr. John Pecoraro says:

    Fr.Z , All of these wisps of smoke indicate that something is smoldering. Even if all of these rumors are just whiffs of smoke and nothing more, it does indicate that the renewal movement is coalescing. When in recent history has the liturgical renewal movement been treated with such attention, even in the major media? Those who are reacting against these rumors perceive the threat to be real. The 10 French bishops seem to think that more is coming, their arguments seem to me self defeating, after all they pretty much stated their belief in the hermeneutic of rupture with in their statement. All of this controversy has brought up a lot of conversation and queries among the faithful which at least gives the opportunity for instruction. I believe, hope and pray that something of substance will happen.

    Onward, Upward Eastward!

  3. Fr. John Pecoraro: Indeed. I am still sifting some things I am hearing, not of themselves terribly newsworthy, but something is going on. I particularly like the fact that some of those French bishops are freaking out.

  4. Sidney says:

    “The Grace of God pouring down from Heaven, perchance?”

    *****

    Yes, I agree with you, Séamas!

  5. Fr. John Pecoraro says:

    Don’t ya love it!! hehe

  6. My brilliant cugino Father John Pecoraro says it all. Grazie, Giovanuccio.

  7. Az says:

    Fr. Z, I’m more intrigued by the “duck bones from the soup”. It sounds as though you’ve had a proper BÄ›ijÄ«ng kÇŽo yā (I’m sure you know what I mean). Where is this place in Rome, I must check it out next time I am there!

  8. Fr. Bartoloma says:

    Fr. Pecoraro,
    I love your use of the term “Liturgical Renewal”!

  9. Was that photo from up on the roof of the Vatican? If so, I’ve been there! That is very cool, indeed!

  10. Fr. John Pecoraro says:

    Fr. Baroloma,

    Thank you for your comment. As I see it, being a victim of the turmoil of the early 70’s and 80’s with all its misguided “innovations”, I see recent events fostering an emerging liturgical renewal. Since many tried to make the Liturgy contemporary and fresh it quickly has become overly tired, misdirected and dated. Pope Benedict’s enthusiasm for the liturgy has caused many to have the courage to question what the Council really intended.

  11. Az: There is a small place I go to with some frequency where the V. Aurelia begins. We asked for the duck the day before just to be sure they had it. The owner was enthusiastic about our interest in good Chinese food and so brought us gratis a couple interesting things not on the menu, such as meat filled steamed buns. It helps to speak a little of the language, of course, but it is one of the better places I have discovered.

  12. A friend says: “If you want to find good food in Rome, if you see priests
    or nuns, that’s the place you want to eat”

    Readers of this blog would say: “If you see Father Zuhlsdorf, go in right away!”

  13. Catholic Lady says:

    “If you see Father Zuhlsdorf, go in right away!”

    I would agree. I had the great pleasure of preparing a meal for him one evening and his compliments on my eggplant will always be a treasured memory.

  14. Here’s an interesting quote from Archbishop Ranjith, excerpted from New Oxford Review:

    The newly appointed Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship for the Holy See, Archbishop Albert Ranjith, was interviewed by the I Media news agency. Reporting on the I Media interview, the August/September Catholic World Report (CWR) stated that he supports the “reform of the post-conciliar liturgy,” this according to CWR. The Publisher of CWR is Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., and one of his passions is to “reform the reform” — that is, reforming the New vernacular Mass. Fr. Fessio is not a big fan of the Tridentine Latin Mass.

    However, in The Remnant (July 31), in the same I Media interview with Archbishop Ranjith, it was reported: “In the end, the people will assist at [attend] the Tridentine Mass and our churches [the New Mass] will empty,” this according to Archbishop Ranjith himself. That quote was not mentioned in CWR. Wonder why? This was the bombshell!
    end excerpt.

    The only problem with this in my part of Florida is there are not enough churches or priests to fulfill this “prophesy”.
    Deacon John

  15. Does the quote in the Remnant sound plausible? One is inclined to suspect a misunderstanding somewhere.

  16. Zadok: You are certainly correct. But there was no “misunderstanding”, simply a miuse of what Archbp Ranjith said. I will post something on this.

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