Diocesan bishop lets ordinands choose older or newer rite for ordination

Here is some interesting news.

Every once in a while I get the question whether a diocesan bishop could ordain priests using the older, traditional Roman Pontifical.

I always write back Yes.

Now this news comes via our friends at Rorate.

Bishop Dominique Rey of Frejus-Toulon will be ordaining two priests according to the traditional rite of ordination on September 26, 2009 in the cathedral of Toulon.

Of note is the fact that both of them will be ordained for the diocese. Deacon Marc de Saint-Sernin will be serving as a diocesan priest for Frejus-Toulon. The other ordinand, Deacon Eloi Gillet, will be serving with the Missionary Society of Divine Mercy, which runs the personal parish for the TLM in the same diocese (St. Francois de Paule).

To my knowledge, Frejus-Toulon is the only diocese in the whole world that offers to its seminarians the choice of being ordained either according to the usus recentior or the usus antiquior. (14 priests and 11 deacons had been ordained for the diocese of Frejus-Toulon according to the liturgical books of Paul VI last June.)

As mentioned previously in this blog, the diocesan seminary of Toulon is open to those who wish to become priests of the diocese while continuing to prefer the usus antiquior.

 

Now that is an enlightened bishop.

WDTPRS kudos.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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

  1. Agnes says:

    That is sweet, glorious news!

  2. Brian Day says:

    Now that is an enlightened bishop.

    Agreed.

    On a tangential note, [Note too fond of tangents.]

  3. Tina in Ashburn says:

    This is very happy news. I do wish the Church would return to the old ordination rite. The words used are much more specific about the purpose, blessings, and powers conferred on the priest.

    This older rite seems to me to a much fuller, more precise expression of the Faith.

  4. Tina in Ashburn says:

    correction: This older rite seems to me to BE a much fuller, more precise expression of the Faith.

  5. xathar says:

    Now all we need is a bishop-elect who requests the older form of episcopal consecration. That would be awesome!

  6. RichR says:

    That seems like a very diplomatic solution: offer the ordinands a choice.

  7. TJM says:

    Very generous and wise. Perhaps this bishop prefers to see his churches full of Catholics rather than adhering to a rigid, liberal ideology. Tom

  8. I pray that a bishop in the US will do the same for his diocsean clergy

  9. William says:

    A recently ordained priest in our diocese elected to say his first Holy Mass according to the EF (Extraordinary Form), albeit in a neighboring diocese. Still, one brick at a time….

  10. Hidden One says:

    Let us hope that usus antiquior-friendly bishops worldwide provide and publicly announce this option.

  11. C. says:

    Makes one want to learn French.

    I pray that my bishop will do the same for his clergy.

  12. irishgirl says:

    Wow-that’s great news!

    Yeah, C.-I wish my new bishop would offer the same for his clergy, too!

  13. Jayna says:

    A most excellent idea. Here’s hoping the idea will catch on elsewhere.

Comments are closed.