UPDATE 0019 GMT 30 May
One of the commenters, below, says that this report is not true.
Scroll down to see his comments.
_____________________
Our friends at Rorate have an entry which has me a little steamed.
Try to wrap your mind around this. My emphases and comments.
"’They’ truly desire the demise of the Catholic Church"
Denis Crouan writing on the site of the Pro Liturgia association:
Let us state the case clearly and with suitable vocabulary: A certain clergy are perpetuating the degradation of the Church…and consequently the disgust of the Faithful.
The proof: On Sunday May 31, the Feast of Pentecost, there will be only one Mass offered in Nice for the entire diocese. It will be celebrated at the Palais Nikaïa (a concert hall – Mornac). [Get that? ONE MASS in the D. of Nice on PENTECOST.]
Obviously, the Faithful who will not be assisting at this Mass (one can guess at what the “style” of this “celebration” will be) are invited to pray for all the Catholics of the department.
Perhaps more telling is the fact that (according to the diocesan website) the Mass will be celebrated by none other than the Apostolic Nuncio.
Merci à XA au Forum Catholique
Is it possible that this is true? That someone made a decision that there would be only one Mass in a diocese for Pentecost?
"But Father! But Father!", you are energetically about to write. "Don’t you get it? One Mass? The birthday of the Church? All the Christians gathered together and the Spirit descending…"
Blah blah blah
PIFFLE!
One Mass in a whole diocese for PENTECOST??
Will they sell tickets?
Will they dispense the people who can’t fit in the concert hall?
If no one shows up… what will that say?
What a terrible idea. Is it possible that this is true?
I bet they even came up with a logo and theme music.
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But Father…It’s France…there probably aren’t enough Catholics left to fill a music hall!
…and the NUNCIO is celebrating it?
Could replacing the entire Corpo Diplomatico with the first hundred of tourists that happened to pass by St. Peter’s square cause more damage to the Church than leaving the Second Section of the Secretariat as it is (if the news is accurate)?
Vous en etes sur? Mass at one church has been moved to the Nikaia Hall, at the closing of the synod. You can check again at http://www.nice.cef.fr.
Salutations a tous.
It’s inconceivable that there’d be only one Mass IN the diocese on Pentecost; it’s possible that there’s one Mass FOR the diocese. The diocese has over a hundred parishes in 1600 square miles, a couple hundred priests. It cannot be that there is only one Mass IN the diocese.
The old liberal bishop here in this diocese did it several years ago, same thing. thank goodness we were out of town. iirc, there may have been a vigil at some individual churches
Here is the invitation for this mass: http://nice.cef.fr/actu.php?action=10
And here is a website of a parish vom Cannes, which has the same news: No other mass at pentecost: http://www.stnicolascannes.org/
Wow. I am so sad to see this news. We honey-mooned in Nice. One Sunday evening, we were dining in a square next to the St. Raparata Church. There was a huge glorious and traditional-looking procession through the square celebrating the ordination of new priests.
“I bet they even came up with a logo and theme music.”
Probably a big birthday cake and “Joyeux anniversaire,” with the mandatory French liturgical balloon release at the end of the Mass.
I bet there will be some old priest who is unable or unwilling to go that’ll be saying Mass somewhere. I sure hope so.
I hope that news of this makes its way to Pope Benedict.
I fear I believe this only too well. It is the custom in France to have “one-parish” celebrations for the great Feasts for grouped parishes, so for instance, where we are, fifteen villages spread over a two-hour round drive will sometimes have ONE MASS for such feasts, to EMPHASISE OUR UNITY.
I am sure Nice will not be alone, though may win the prize as the first Diocese to do this.
Why do we not just let the Pope celebrate ONE MASS for us for the whole world, so we can all stay at home?
Want to know why not? Because the Gallican French Bishops would not want their Mass to be said by the Roman Pope! SO there will always be at least ONE MASS in France on these days! Deo Gratias.
EMPHASISE OUR UNITY!
Can a bishop even DO THIS???? Could an abuse like this be a good cause for the faithful to avail themselves of the sacraments for that Feast at a SSPX chapel? When I was studying in Paris I could not bear the horrible Novus Ordo Masses that are so typical in France, and I went first to St. Nicolas-du-Chardonnet (without knowing at first it was of the SSPX, and then to the FSSP parish). I found that people were less eager to support any of the polemics and simply wanted a beautiful and well celebrated Mass.. this is actually the case in so much of Western Europe. If there is any truth to this thread – then how could we doubt that Summorum Pontificum was absolutely necessary.
Father Z:
Thank you for sharing the “bad” news. It is similar to Abp. Weakland, i.e., all his critics were comforted when he charged HIMSELF in his own autobiography! The same applies here, to whit, all criticism of the Traditionals (the SSPX, FSSP, and the Institute)is dropped when the people see how their critics celebrate the Mass, how frequently and in what manner. The Traditionals are the “good” news!
I didn’t know Nice was a diocese in France. From the title I thought you were sarcastically sayinging that France was doing a nice job.
Perhaps they should see about going to the SSPX monastery for the Mass.
Is this some sort of joke?
I would say the Holy Mass anyway. It is a priest’s duty to say the Mass on Sunday and the Bishop has to revoke a priest’s faculties to prohibit him from saying Mass. One of the Masses on Sunday is to be offered for the parish.
don Jeffry
Unless they’re planning to make dioceses much smaller, this will never work.
I always thought that EACH and EVERY Mass was offered in union with the whole Church?
For all of those who like to break out the obedience stick, now what? This Bishop has obviously issued an unjust command (taking Denis Crouan’s report at face value) and carries no weight. Some will not be able to comply, due to the distance, without a grave inconvenience. For others, it will be impossible to comply because there is not enough room for all of the Catholics in the diocese.
So, should all of those disobedient souls just obey anyway and “offer it up”, or should they obey a higher law and attend Mass wherever they are able. Maybe even at a – gasp – SSPX chapel
Moreso – each and every mass is the same singluar sacrifice on Calvary.
I think the bishop has forgotten this.
What is it about Whitsun that causes some in the church to do these barmy things? A few years ago our then bishop stopped celebrating confirmations personally and had parish priests confirm all candidates on the same day – at Pentecost – precisely to (wait for it Josephus) “emphasise unity”. And one Whitsun I was unfortunate enough to assist at a university chaplaincy mass where the reading from Acts was given simultaneously in several different languages – the antithesis of the meaning of the reading, and unintelligible!
Of course in the earliest centuries, when dioceses only had a few hundred people, one assembly under the bishop was the norm. And up through the middle ages…peasants from the whole diocese were known to all come to the Cathedral on major feasts. Maybe not “all” of them, obviously some were infirm and there were still the local options…but the idea of gathering everyone for mass with the bishop on major feasts is not untraditional. It’s the rigidity with which they are imposing it (ie, leaving no other option, seemingly forbidding other masses) which is.
Our parish once tried this. Just our parish, not the whole diocese (we’re in the New York Archdiocese).
The pastor’s idea was great. We have six Masses over a weekend, and the people who go to one hardly ever go to the other Masses. Plus, there was (and is) a Shrine nearby, with an outdoor altar, and a grass field in front of it that would easily have room for the entire parish at Mass.
In addition, Pentecost that year was over Memorial Day weekend, so we thought it would be a great occasion. Everyone, from the pastor on down, was really pumped up for this.
God, however, had other ideas.
“When the day of Pentecost dawned …” the heavens opened up. With rain. Lots of it. Buckets. For hours. Total washout. They attempted to have a Mass back at the parish, trying to fit six Mass congregations in a space designed for one.
I decided to skip it and go to a late afternoon Mass at a different parish.
Catch you at 6pm Saturday at Our Lady in the Pines. Thence to salade nicoise.
A bientot.
Salutations a tous.
Hmmm. Now I don’t know the boundaries of the Diocese of Nice; there is one slightly odd thing, though: the text does NOT refer to there being only one mass in the DIOCESE, as such, but rather in the (government administratitive) départemente of Alpes-Maritime. Certainly, it says that thousands of people are expected in the one place….
But having found maps of the two units (the diocese, here: http://www.nice.cef.fr/carte_paroisses.php ; and the départment (the area labelled 06) here: http://www.voyagesphotosmanu.com/Complet/images/carte_alpes_maritimes.jpg – they DO seem to be identical, or at least almost identical.
How very very very very odd. And quite outrageous.
Dear Fr. Zuhlsdorf (Father, bless!)
This would appear to be yet another “Good Idea” TM by LiturgiNazis. I had seen this quite often during my sojourn among Novus Ordo Latin Rite parishes in Los Angeles, CA. (or whatever is the current PC title these days).
The “good idea” part of this particular debacle-in-progress is that in the early Church , both East and West, (and as Mark had noted above) it was the custom on major feast days for the clergy and congregations of all of the parishes of a diocese or eparchy to gather at their individual churches, and to make processions from their church to the Cathedral. Often, the people would hold up icons or banners proclaiming the feast, and would sing the hymns appropriate for the feast, or sing psalms until they arrived at the Cathedral. Once all of the clergy and people of the diocese had arrived there, the bishop would then begin a Divine Liturgy in which all of his clergy and priests would attend and participate. All in all, if done in that context, it actually is a Good Idea.
Of course, if you are trying to get people to cooperate with this, or even attend, it might be a good idea to educate them as to what is happening. One way would be to have the priests give homilies in which the historical and liturgical context is given, and even have the people do processions around the church itself to get the idea. Another way would be to have a few parishes nearest the Cathedral actually process to the Cathedral to show how it could be done.
But such catachesis (as I believe you chaps would call it) doesn’t seem to have occurred to the LiturgiBozos at Nice, or much of anywhere else for that matter. I fear that this “my way or the high way” approach, which seems all too often to have been taken for the last forty or so years, for other Good Ideas like “communion in the hand” or “orientatio ad populum” has had the effect of showing most former Catholics that the highway looks pretty good by comparison.
I do hope that those priests who are trying to return to the Good Old Days would actually begin by educating their people through homilies and example, rather than making the same mistake of the Liturgicides of simply imposing it.
Again, thank you for your website, and for posting interesting things on it. I do hope that you will continue.
Does anyone know roughly how large this diocese is? I was speaking with a fellow [maddeningly liberal] parishioner and she said that no European churches are well attended and so a concert hall would be more than able to fit an entire diocese. That and she thought it was a fantastic idea to emphasize unity.
Like everyone else has said, I never thought we all needed to be jammed like sardines into a concert hall to illustrate Catholic unity.
Dear Father Zuhlsdorf,
I am a bit disappointed that you have been a bit abused by this purported “Pro Liturgia” association.
I checked for a few time into the matter : The diocese of Nice is composed of 45 parishes. Although it is true that the downtown Nice parishes won’t have any mass on the Pentecost day because probably the bishop wishes to draw most of the faithfuls to the mass said by the Apostolic Nuncio at the Nikaia Palace (and I don’t intend to question the bishop’s policy on that matter) IT IS FALSE TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE ONLY MASS IN THE DIOCESE. See by yourselve:
On the 31st:
Valbonne church of St Blaise: at 9:30
Valbonne church of St Paul des Nations: at 11:00
Le Cannet church of St Charles: at 10:00
Le Cannet church of Ste Philomene: at 9:30 and 10:00
Antibes church of St Joseph: at 10:00
Etc… Etc… try through this link: http://www.inxl6.org/annuaires/horaires_messe.php
I am apalled that too often everybody in the US or the UK takes any occasion to bash the Church of France and denigrate it.
I agree that there were in the past many times the Church of France was worthy to be blamed for its progressivist and modernist views that led a lot of sto leave and the practice to be reduced by the 3/4, but I sincerely believe that the dinosaurs of the post VatII era are slowly giving place to more orthodox young priests (and nextly bishops) that are making the things to change.
I was sad to read some fielous comments on your blog.
What about the canonical duty of the parish priest to provide Mass for his subjects within the parish on a Sunday?
I continue:
Masses on the 31st in the diocese de Nice
Le Bar sur Loup church of St Arnoux at 9:00
Le Bar sur Loup church of St Antoine de Padoue at 10:30
CANNES SAINT NICOLAS La Miséricorde 31/05/09 18h00
CANNES SAINT NICOLAS La Miséricorde 31/05/09 18h00
CANNES SAINT NICOLAS Le Souvenir 31/05/09 08h30
CANNES SAINT NICOLAS Notre Dame de Bon Voyage 31/05/09 10h00
CANNES SAINT NICOLAS Notre Dame de l Espérance 31/05/09 11h00
CANNES SAINT NICOLAS Notre Dame des Pins 31/05/09 10h30
Prof. Basto,
Don’t try to divert the controversy: Someone has said there was ONLY ONE MASS IN THE FULL DIOCESE OF NICE. THAT IS A PURE SLANDER.
There is no mass in dowtown parishes on Sunday, OK, but there are a lot os anticipated masses on saturday evening.
Merci, Jacques!
Sanity still reigns.
Whatever, Jacques. That website only includes automated information: for instance, if a parish has Sunday Mass every Sunday at 9AM, then the website merely repeats the information for any Sunday, including next Sunday. The website includes several Sunday Masses for, for instance, Saint Nicolas in Cannes (NOT DOWNTOWN NICE, but CANNES) on Sunday, but the website of the parish itself, referred above, makes clear that there will be only ONE Diocesan mass on Sunday – and three on Saturday. http://www.stnicolascannes.org/
The truth remains: only one diocesan Mass on Sunday (Sunday meaning… Sunday). Congrats, Your Excellency, the Ordinary!
Prof:
I was wondering the same thing.
*******
I am wondering whether the reference was to one Mass in Nice (ville) as opposed to the diocese of Nice.
Braz,
I will give a call to Cannes parish and clear the matter tomorrow.
But I believe that you are wrong since the website doesn\’t display any mass in downtown Nice on the 31st but only in a few monasteries:
Miséricorde (Pénitents Noirs) 31/05/09 10h30
Monastère Sainte Claire de Cimiez (Clarisses) 31/05/09 09h00
Saint Dominique et Saint François de Paule (Dominicains) 31/05/09 19h00
Sainte Trinité (Pénitents Rouges) 31/05/09 10h00
That means that the faithfuls of Nice who want to attend a mass have a choice: Either the crowded Nikaia Palace or a quiet monastery.
I repeat: There are a lot of masses in the diocese of Nice on the Pentecost day, not only one mass. That\’s ridiculous.
Sounds like what a parish is doing in Los Angeles, canceling all Masses and holding one Mass to show unity…I’m not supportive of the idea at all.
How can all the downtown churches not have mass on Sunday? Jacques, you live in a nightmare.
Another modernist flip on changing things around…When will they leave the Church and the faithful alone and let things settle down for a few decades? Just let it alone, let people go to Mass when they are used to going, why do they have to heard everyone together like cattle and then the rest of the year separate people into different language Masses and refuse to allow them together to hear Mass in Latin? Can someone answer this using the Diocesean logic?
I, for one, celebrate this effort by the Diocese of Nice to encourage parishioners to enter into closer communion with their irregular SSPX brethren. Worshipping side by side with them on Pentecost Sunday should serve to de-demonize the SSPX. Kudos to the Bishop of Nice and his liturgical establishment for seizing this opportunity to foster a closer relationship with the SSPXers. Just remember, non-SSPXers, if you fall in love with the beautiful traditionalist underneath the mantilla kneeling next to you, you may need a dispensation before getting married. Better write to Rome for a clarification.
This kind of thing happened last year in my diocese (saskatoon). Luckily, the bishop did not require the Sacred Heart of Jesus Latin Mass (our personal parish name) to attend, so we had our liturgy, but all the other parishes had to attend the MegaMass at the stadium.
Jacques,
You and the Church in France are in my prayers. Those of us on the western shores of the Atlantic should recognize the assault you are under both from the Islamicists and the Atheistic Socialists.
nobody goes to diocean chapels in france anyway. why would they? I mean, as there are so many FSSPX chapels, why would they have to?
“Those of us on the western shores of the Atlantic should recognize the assault you are under both from the Islamicists and the Atheistic Socialists.”
True. Just remember that folks in the US have elected a king, his highness BO, who is both a muslim appeaser and an atheist socialist, and who is being supported by not a few “catholics”.
Dear Fr. Z.,
Is it that the translation is poor? Perhaps the intention of the Mass is the diocese, and thus the Mass is for the diocese?
I’m trying to be charitable as I read this.
Bro. How about doing everyone a favor and drill into this good question.
A couple of things. The Cannes parish page announcement does say “One Single Masss IN the Alpes-Maritimes.” It doesn’t say “FOR” which would lead me to think this is simply something that all in the diocese are welcome to, but not expected to attend as their only option. The language suggests it’s their only Sunday option for Mass in the diocese.
Further, the Cannes “parish” is actually a combination of what were once 6 parishes. It is like a “cluster” as we call them in the states. Some of those parishes do have anticipatory masses as stated on the site. It may very well be that most parishes or “clusters” are offering the vigil masses for those who cannot make the trip to Nice. Wiki indicates that the Alpes-Maritime and the diocese boundaries are one and the same. I’d say the departments are a more modern creation than the diocese and this one was probably shaped by the longtime boundaries of diocese, which were probably already based on the natural mountainous boundaries and such.
Also, googling about the diocese of Nice (in English) turned up some discussion of the clustering in Nice. The lack of priests is stated as the major problem. Laity are running parishes and acting in place of priests–where they can. So, they are like parish life coordinators we have in some dioceses here. This article [URL: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/0708/1215380380583.html%5D describes that the Nice diocese combined 265 parishes into 47 parishes and laity do much of the work now. I have no idea why changing the number of officially-designated parishes so drastically helps matters. [Yes, many fewer official pastors, thus priests, needed.] The Cannes parish linked by others here has quite a few priests.
I found the diocesan web site. The bishop’s letter does acknowledge that some for grave reasons cannot attend. He says they “will be able to join from a distance.” It is not clear from this what that means. A letter was read to all parishes back in January. Young people from the diocese will be confirmed at this mass as well. There are other materials to encourage folks to come to the event. Small font, lots of text. I will end this post now. I don’t know if I’ll get to the rest soon. It’s late; my kid’s will be up early as usual.
Clearly the bishop is desirous of all the faithful to attend, who can. While the headline appears to indicate that this is the only Mass in the diocese on Pentecost Sunday, save the vigil masses, there is no statement that no other masses will or may occur on Pentecost Sunday.
Nice diocesan web site–in French, of course.
http://nice.cef.fr/
Sorry, I don’t know how to do hyperlinks in comboxes.
Yes it is possible.
The Bishop of Toowoomba, the largest (geographic) diocese in Queensland, Australia, has done this before. Some piffle about “all gathered around their bishop once a year”. A couple of old priests wouldn’t play ball.
The same bishop presided at a youth Mass dressed, complete with paint, as a clown.
A travesty, whether in french or english.
I read both the bishop’s letter and the flyer advertising the event. Neither say that this will be the only Mass on Pentecost in the Diocese of Nice. It would be possible to infer that, however. Could someone post a quote or, better, a link where this is explicitly stated?
I think I’d have take the train to Monaco or even Italy on that day, if this were true. Here’s a link for the entertainment at the convocation (hopefully not at the Mass): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambours_Du_Bronx
I used to live in Nice in the early 1990’s. Even though I was not Catholic at the time, I used to go to the Cathédrale Ste-Réparate on Sunday mornings where the then-bishop of Nice would celebrate an Ordinary Form Mass in Latin with an excellent choir singing good sacred music. I don’t know if this was every week, but I remember going several times.
markomalley,
I thank you very much for your prayers.
We, Catholics of France are experiencing the socialist and islamist assaults since decades. Bear in your mind that French people have recently opened their eyes on what socialism really is. In 2007 we got the most right wing government and President since 50 years. Moreover this President has catholic and fiercely anticommunist origins although he is not a practicing faithful and he is at odds with religion in his personal life (but the very christian king Louis XV wasn’t he himself so and his grandfather Louis XIV too?). He had the courage to speak about the Christian roots of France what his predecessor (crypto socialist Chirac) fiercely denied in the EU constitution. I would be surprised if the Socialists would come back unless as an outcome of the current crisis.
Regarding the islamism, that’s another story opened. In my opinion the Islam never will take over in France: There will be a violent revolt beforehand.
However, as I said previously, the number of practising catholics have much decreased here since the last sixties.
But aren’t the US Catholics experiencing some harsher issues than in France?: You got a devastating scandal with the clergy’s child abuses. We didn’t. Our seminaries, although almost empty (except the lefebvrist ones that currently represent one quarter of all French seminarists) aren’t infected by homosexuality.
And you just got the first black and crypto islamist president in your history. That we never had in France until, now thanks God. A Russian newspaper ironically warned the US not to take the road to the socialism. In my opinion you are heading in that way with Obama.
Our Lady was crowned Queen of France by the king Louis XIII. I still believe that we remain under her protection althoug France was harshly chastised every time she became unfaithful. That will happen again probably in the same time the whole world will too.
But don\’t say that the faith is dying in France.
I know of 2 parishes in the Marseille region where their young parish priests are doing wonders. See: http://saintmichelderolleboise.unblog.fr/2009/03/16/marseille-le-cure-qui-multiplie-les-paroissiens
Another one in Sanary at 30 km from Marseille(Fr Racine) is spreading the devotion of the perpetual worship of the Eucharist. He is known up to the Philippines.
Eucharistic adoration by Fr Racine in Sanary (Diocese of Toulon). See: http://www.adoperp.com
Jacques,
Good news from France: In the Diocese of Frejus-Toulon (next door to Nice), Bishop Dominic Rey will ordain 14 priests and 11 deacons this June, 2009, among them 3 Americans, one of which is our son. He will be saying the Traditional Latin Rite Mass daily as encouraged by
his Bishop. Please pray for these young men and their Bishop.
Jo
I haven’t read the commentaries on this post but I will answer your question: yes, it is absolutely true that there will not be Mass offered in Nice except for one in Nice for the whole diocese. I was there until 2 days ago and for the past 3 Sundays priests at tow different churches have told us again and again: be aware that there will be no Masses at Pentecost at this church or any church of the diocese, except for the one at the Convention Center Nikaia in Nice.
The Institute of Christ the King obtained a derogation for their chapel in Nice (the EF Mass) but not for the Sunday 6pm Mass in Cannes.
I was also told by a priest friend that in the diocese of St Die (Lorraine) there won’t be any Mass either, the only Mass that will be offered in the whole diocese is for a Church (diocese) project where all the priests are required to attend (and pretend they are one heart with their Bishop on this future project, I suppose).
If I read the announcement correctly the Bishop of Nice is promulgating the results of a Diocesian Synod on this occasion. It is perfectly logical to draw as many of the ‘practicing Catholics’ as possible (and convenient)at least from Nice itself to celebrate and acknowledge this event — especially on the great Festal Mystery of Pentecost. One could also presume that people (including priests) involved in the Synod from other parts of the Diocese would want also to be present on this occasion. As Jacques has already pointed out there are other Masses available on Saturday evening, the Vigil of Pentecost in most parishes — as well as on Sunday morning and in religious order chapels too.
To Jacques and all concerned:
MASS in Nice aux Penitents Rouges (Institut du Christ-Roi): Messe dans le rite extraordinaire 10 am I believe
MASS sur l’Ile St Honorat par les Moines: take the 9am boat in the Cannes harbor to be able to attend the 9:50 am Mass on the island.
Jacques, Please give accurate information:
I have read your commentaries. I was in Cannes for the past 3 weeks. The priests, in the NO masses and others, have warned us that there will be no Masses as priests and faithful have to attend the Nikaia Mass in Nice. If some priests do not obey, that’s possible. I am not sure your information is right because at St Philomene in Le Cannet the Sunday Mass at 9am has not been celebrated since August of 2007.
You seem to forget that mostly old people attend mass in France and in the diocese of Nice especially.I don’t have a car when I am in Cannes and many older folks don’t have one either.
Benedicta,
You are confusing the town of Nice and the diocese of Nice.
As I told previously there will be no masses in the dowtown (except in 4 monasteries).
But in remote parishes in the mountain like St Etienne de Tinée it is unconceivable there will not be one because the faithfuls of the diocese of Nice are in majority old retired people who offten cannot make long trips to other parishes.
Anyway, you can check by yourselves (http://www.inxl6.org/annuaires/horaires_messe.php)
, there are a lot of masses available elsewhere in the diocese. The 4 masses on the 31st in the downtown monasteries of the Clarisses, the Dominicans, the black an the red Penitents orders clearly demonstrate this.
Now I consider the case is over.
More thoughts. Benedicta’s info on the ground is helpful. If the bishop was planning to prohibit all masses, except EF or monastery masses as permitted, he would have needed to start the heads-up as early as January which he did. The flyer indicates that diocesan priests are expected to concelebrate, and apparently the papal nuncio to France will be present. Also, regarding the elderly parishioners, the parishes are advised to arrange bus service to get folks in to Nice, and people are not necessarily encouraged to drive themselves, due to traffic congestion and all.
Jacques is incorrect and Benedicta is right. If you check MessesInfo at http://messesinfo.cef.fr/index.php you’ll see that on Ascension the diocese of Alpes-Maritimes had celebrations in 280 or so locations (I may have miscounted the lengthy two page listing), while on Pentecost there will be nine (9) Masses total on Sunday, as well as 11 on Saturday. So, effectively, in the diocese there is only the one Mass for Pentecost.
It’s a Synodal event with concelebrated Mass at the convention center in Nice. It’s an all-afternoon event, featuring processions, laying of flowers by all the faithful, performances by professional actors, dancers, singers and a group called Les Tambours du Bronx (Drummers of the Bronx). The precise time of the Mass cannot be determined because it depends on the timing of the rest of the activities. So if the Tambours aren’t your thing I guess you’ll have to bring earplugs and wait until the Mass starts or try to get to one of the 18 non-Synodal celebrations of the Eucharist.
Sorry, miscounted. The diocese of Alpes-Maritimes (Nice) will have a total of 20 Pentecost services in regular churches this weekend.
I don’t pretend to have on the ground info like Jacques and Benedicta. That being said, I clicked on the diocesan link others have provided & looked at the letter from the bishop. It says: “Cette invitation est à recevoir comme un cadeau exceptionnel offert à tous, plutôt que comme une injonction. Les personnes qui, pour des raisons graves et diverses, ne peuvent se déplacer, pourront s’unir à distance, ainsi que je m’en expliquais dans la lettre qui vous a été lue à toutes les messes les 10 et 11 janvier 2009 (Les Nouvelles religieuses n° 320, page 5).
“This invitation should be taken as an exceptional gift offered to all, more than as an injunction. Those who, for various grave reasons, cannot move from their area [“displace themselves”], may unite themselves at a distance, as I was saying in the letter which you received at all Masses January 10 and 11 2009.”
Hmm… so that does sound “highly encouraged to mandatory” barring the unwell, etc. Hmm.
Thanks Rcesq,
I just controlled on the website “Messe info” that on the feast day of Pentecost (today, may 31st) the following villages in the diocese of Nice:
– Sospel
– Saint Etienne de Tinée
– Carros
each one have at least one mass said in the parish church.
Those who want to check into the matter, like Rcesq, in the 42 remaining parishes of the diocese are welcome.
Unless someone would demonstrate that Messeinfo is not reliable and is wellknown in misinforming the french catholics, I repeat for the last time that saying that only one mass is available in the diocese of Nice IS A PURE LIE BORDERING TO SLANDER.
However the question remains open in questionning the will of the bishop to attract a great number of catholics to the mass said by the Apostolic Nuncio.
Thanks to Fr Zuhlsdorf whether he intends to open the debate or not.
I just sent an e-mail to the Pro Liturgia association asking them to be more prudent in the future before displaying such informations.
Now, my French is not as good as it might be, but the men in this preparatory video (http://www.nice.cef.fr/video/09.05.28_nikaia.wmv) spoke slowly and clearly enough for me to make out that this event was to include the only mass in the departement, celebrated by the bishop in the presence of all the priests, a once-in-a-century event (perhaps it will be regular?).
Perhaps someone with better French can confirm this – or perhaps someone from Nice could explain what happened today. Perhaps there were some early morning masses in the parishes after all?