Use of the 1962 Missale Romanum has been growing since Summorum Pontificum went into effect. And growing steadily.
Here is some good news from Denmark:
Dear Father Z
I have great news from the cold north of Scandinavia. The Saint Charles Borromeo Group have finally brokered a deal with the Bishop of Copenhagen and the parish priest at Jesus Heart Church in Vesterbro(a Borough) every first and third sunday 6.00 pm/ 18.00.After some unsuccessful results in the initial phase of trying to get a TLM mass at the Church, we went to the Bishop. But it took two months of negotiations. It has to be said that it is not the Parish Priest who celebrates the mass but the secondary priest. The Parish Priest and the Parish Council turned our group away, saying that they could not recognize us as a stable group. Even though our group have existed since 1997 and have been celebrating the TLM once a month in a secluded school chapel.
Note well: There were patient negotiations involved. They overcame resistance with patience and negotiation.
Going to priests and bishops and being nasty or pushy will not get you what you want.
Be careful and prudent.
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Patience is not one of my best virtues… and I can attest to the fact that impatient demands only increase the resistance on the part of a pastor not very inclined to offer the TLM. I tried it and it most decidely did NOT work with him! A word to the wise…
That is nice for the Danes. But in many places in the USA the TLM is a non-starter. We seem to know where the TLM is occurring, but the USA diocese where it is not happening speaks more to the truth of the matter. This is a silent phenomenon, like a dog that does not bark, one does not know of its absence unless one looks for what is missing.
Examples:
Diocese of Brownsville
Diocese of Las Vegas
Diocese of Boise
Diocese Salt Lake City
Diocese Gallup
Diocese Las Cruces
Ever notice the western Diocese tend to be the laggards in this issue? El Paso also has more than fair resistance from Bishop Ochoa, another Mahoney protege. However the demand for Extraordinary form is great and not able to be adequately suppressed since the Spanish speaking population of that Diocese, many of whom are descendants of Cristeros, tend towards Catholic conservatism and have an expressed desire for the TLM.
Harry: But in many places in the USA the TLM is a non-starter.
I’m curious as to what you mean by this. Is there really a diocese in the USA where there are not enough lay people interested in the TLM for a group to request it? The import of Summorum Pontificum is that, if the lay want the TLM sufficiently, their young priests will ultimately provide it, whatever their bishop of the moment thinks. Maybe not last year, maybe not this year, but next year or the next.
Or are you referring to some other consideration?
Don’t forget the Diocese of Baker….
I usually put the cynical spin on TLM progress in Ireland – it does leave a lot to be desired.
But this time last year, there were five Irish dioceses which had not yet allowed an indult. and a sixth where the traditional Mass could only take place privately:
Clonfert
Cloyne
Dromore
Kerry
Ossory
and the sixth was Ardagh & Clonmacnois.
Dromore and Ardagh & Clonmacnois were settled prior to Summorum Pontificum, with Bishop O’Reilly saying Mass in the latter: all credit to the Edgeworth Commemoration Committee for this.
Mass has already taken place in the Kerry Diocese a couple of weeks ago and is now a marker on the third Sunday of the month in the Dominican House in Tralee.
Masses have been announced for the Ossory and Cloyne Dioceses (23 February in the former in the Capuchins in Kilkenny City and 25 March in Cobh Cathedral in the latter).
That just leaves Clonfert and I am confident there are plans afoot there. I am not privy to them but I have heard about them.
The point is: Something is happening.
Congratulations. I am both amused and bewildered that a group of TLM devotees called “The Saint Charles Borromeo Group” which has been around for 11 years, was not deemed to be a “stable group”. I wonder exactly what the test was!
Patience and prudence… Certainly. One reason I tend to defend Steubie; that and that I’m fairly confident the people here do mean to follow Christ wholeheartedly even if they aren’t as rooted yet.
James A.,
I suspect that the problem was that the St. Charles group was not considered “in the parish.” Notice that they had already been having E.F. Masses in a “secluded school chapel.” I know from a member of the FSSP in England that they were occasionally sending someone to Copenhagen to celebrate. So yes, the group is “stable” but it also might seem independent of parish’s life. To the pastor and council this sort of group can look like outsiders appearing out of nowhere and asking to be served. By the way, I have no special knowledge of this group, but the report does suggest this was the case.
The bishop did correctly in facilitating their integration into the normal liturgical life of the parish, but people who want a sympathetic ear will always get a better first hearing if they are already active and contributing to the parish where they approach the priest.
I don’t say it should be that way, but in my experience that is the current reality. Insiders get a better hearing than outsiders.
Most of the members of the St. Charles Group belong to the Jesus Sacred Heart Parish of Vesterbro and are faithfully attending a latin no mass celebrated by the secondary priest every sunday morning. But some of the members belong to neighbouring parishes. So its a mixed group.
It is true that the FSSP have been sending priests to celebrate mass. But we have also been visited by ICKSP priests.
A link to our homepage http://tridentinsk.suite.dk
Thanks for the information, Michael. I am glad to see that you have all supported your parish. I have no doubt that that (and the willingness of the assistant pastor) made the bishop’s job a lot easier.
God bless you all.
The only problem we have is that of all the priests in denmark the assistant pastor is the only one able to offer the TLM. But in 2007 the first danish FSSP priest was ordained and he has been up here to assist and offer the tlm also.