Leo signaled to the French bishops that he wants them to be good to people who desire the Traditional Latin Mass.
The Bishop of San Angelo, Texas, starts a new TLM “motivated by the salvation of souls”.
And now we read that the Bishop of Pittsburgh, motivated by who knows what, has cancelled a long-standing Mass.
Motivated by what? Watch for the buzz-word in the first sentence of his letter:
Throughout my ministry as your bishop, I have sought to encourage the unity of our local Church and to help all of us grow ever more deeply in our love for the Eucharist and the sacred liturgy.
Did you spot it?
It might be understandable were to imagine that he could be currying favor.
Could one not curry favor be doing what he asked the French bishops to do?
BTW… they have not done what Leo asked.
Remember: It’s not about the Rites, it’s about the people who want those Rites. They don’t just dislike the Rites, which make them squeamish, they don’t like the people who want them.
The Bishop of Pitt didn’t ask for an extension. He could have. He didn’t. He says made this choice after “consultation with experts on the matter, and with much time spent in prayer and discernment”. Much time in prayer? Over this matter? I wonder if this bishop has ever celebrated the older, traditional Mass.
I’ve come to the realisation that “experts on the matter” inevitably means “those with the loudest opinion” or “those who are MOST annoying”.
This is the Cross. Jesus’ heart was pierced on the Cross and Blood and Water flowed out. “The servant is not greater than the master.” We are not above experiencing what He suffered.
The state of the liturgy is this to us: our opportunity to experience the piercing of His Sacred Heart. As with all suffering God wills, its better than not to embrace it, if one can.
And to add to nex001’s words, those of us who are blessed to have the TLM are fervently praying for its complete restoration, for the conversion of its enemies, and especially for those blessed to have this sad persecution placed upon their shoulders. It is a heavy cross, but it is obviously a persecution. O my God, it is for love of Thee, in reparation for sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the conversion of poor sinners. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
Sadly quite correct. It is clear that these bishops have a dislike for the people who attend the TLM. I thought at one time that they simply have no understanding of the TLM, let alone any affection for it and their harshness was because they sincerely believed that they are merely adhering to the guidance from Rome, but in view of the fact that dispensations are to be freely given merely upon request by a bishop, there has to be an underlying antipathy. It’s a choice that they are making to be cruel. Also, they always sound the same with the same mealy mouthed buzz words and platitudes. It’s clear that they have no interest in convincing anyone, let alone engaging in a true”dialogue” with the faithful who love the TLM.
I am not from Pittsburg however I must respectfully disagree with nex001. Why should those persons who attend the TLM at this parish not protest when the Mass is summarily cancelled by the Ordinary citing a Motu Proprio from a deceased Pope. Pope Leo has indicated that generosity should be shown towards devotees of the TLM in addressing the French Bishops , I trust that such generosity applies to Pittsburgh. Also ,Pope Leo has also urged synodality in dealing with this issue ;was any synodal process initiated by the Bishop with the faithful devoted to the TLM at this parish? When you have a precious treasure and someone summarily takes it from you unjustly it is proper to cry out and protest.
And what is it exactly that they don’t like about the people who want those rites?
The holding closely to the Apostolic Faith as it had been taught by the Catholic Church until the advent of Vatican II.
Funny how stuff built on rock doesn’t budge regardless of hurricane-like forces that hit it.
Do these bishops, like Bishop Martin, have any idea of how much credibility they lose when they say things like “… consultation with experts on the matter, and with much time spent in prayer and discernment”, when EVERYONE knows they never even bothered to consult with those affected?
I wouldn’t believe him if he told me the sky was blue unless I could see it myself.
I sense this is the current longterm strategy, if there is even a strategy: for diocese with FSSP or ICKSP, slowly strangle out all diocesan TLM except those. Or for those that have like one TLM, invite on of the ecclesia Dei institutes to take it over. In effect, where possible, create a small, stable TLM ghetto restricted to the institutes.
Of course, with so many dioceses, no single “strategy” will present. You’ll have the iconoclasts wiping out everything here, the allies expanding options there. But overall, I sense this is the trend.
Not directly at nex001 but at everyone who offers these types of comments – I don’t understand this mentality of trying to frame the destruction of the liturgical tradition of the Church as a positive good because “God wants us to suffer like Jesus.”
Are we called to a life of suffering? Undoubtedly. And rare is it to find someone whose life is not laced with some type of suffering. Death, sickness, injustice, families in disarray, lives crushed by economic factors or by crime, children without parents, parents abused by children, addiction, the slavery of sin . . . . our lot is one of suffering, sometimes by our own actions and sometimes beyond our control. And, yes, sometimes we are wrongfully persecuted by those who should defend us, support us, and even nurture us, and this can include one’s own pastor and bishop (and pope, for that matter).
BUT – it is always a grave evil when evil men try to destroy the Church, wrongfully restrict access to the sacraments, and sow confusion where God sacrificed His own Son for the sake of certainty. This is not something to ever be born meekly (although we may, personally suffer from these efforts and offer that suffering up to God). Rather, these efforts MUST always be vigorously, loudly, and boldly opposed. Not for our sake, but for the sake of the Church. Perhaps I am mistaken, but it seems to be almost blasphemous to suggest that God wills the desecration of His Church, or that He desires souls to be lost because of the wrongful restriction or formal confusion of the Sacraments that He established, all so that some of us can have the opportunity to enjoy some shared suffering along with the Church. It seems close to doing the work of evil to encourage people to abide such destruction in the name of “suffering” – and history and the testimony of countless saints shows God absolutely allows men to play a critical role in the defense of His Church. In other words, sitting around and waiting for God to just “sort it all out” has NEVER been the path pursued by the saints.
To those more learned and holier than myself, am I up the wrong tree on this one? Because I truly and sincerely dislike the “oh, just be quiet and share in the ‘Passion of the Church'” language. Christ suffered to bring about our Redemption, and that Redemption is carried from generation to generation within the Church. A new Redemption will not be won by allowing this most holy of vessels to be destroyed, and God will not be pleased with us for failing to do our duty, however small our own role might be, in protecting it.
In Port Chester, NY, there was a long-term Sunday Latin Mass at Sacred Heart Church. They closed the church in 2017 and sold it off two years ago; it is now an apartment building.
Many older Catholic luminaries from the area attended that Latin Mass, including Alice Marie von Hildebrand, widow of Dietrich von Hildebrand.
One of my main concerns about these liturgy wars among the brother bishops, is that it’s happening among the BROTHER bishops. I make emphasis of the word “brother” because their attitude towards each other as brothers could have a spiritual impact any trickle down effect to the laity part of the body of Christ, causing even more bickering among the brethren than before.
@WVC said, “…but it seems to be almost blasphemous to suggest that God wills the desecration of His Church…” “It seems close to doing the work of evil to encourage people to abide such destruction in the name of “suffering”…”
And what do you say to this?
“From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Matt. 16:21-23
Not to belabor this. But to simply do nothing when the TLM is threatened unjustly in order to suffer as Our Lord did does not make any sense. Did St. Nicholas allow Arius to propagate denying the Trinity?Did St Pius V allow the Turks to conquer Europe?Did St. Edmund Campion cease to offer the Mass when faced by persecution under Queen Elizabeth I in reformation England? St Teresa of Avila often opposed powerful people to protect her reforms. We must pray as if everything depends on God and ACT as if everything depends on us.
@fac
I would say you didn’t actually read most of my comment.
Pretty much everyone who @me in the comments misinterpreted my original comment. No where did I say the prohibitions on TLM are a good thing. Please do not put words in my mouth.
@WVC
Oh. Sorry you think I misunderstood. But I did read all of your comment, and I understood you to be saying that you disagree with those who say we must accept what is happening to the Church and suffer it, and you disagree with those who appear to say God wills the destruction of His Church (although you use the word “desecration.”)
Yet, the scripture I cited describes how, when Jesus said to His apostles they would go to Jerusalem where He would undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and scribes and He would be killed, Peter rebuked Him, saying such a thing should never happen to Him, and Jesus told Peter he was wrong, that he was thinking in human terms, not in line with God’s will. Your post seems to be a lot like Peter’s rebuke.
Is it not possible that the time has come, as even the Catechism says, when “The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.”? CCC 677 The Catechism teaches the Church will appear to die, to be destroyed, just as was Our Lord, and that She will be resurrected, just as was Our Lord, and this is God’s plan…His will.
The question is what should be our response to this reality? Should we be like Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane and pull out swords to fight? Jesus rebuked him for that too. (Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” Matt. 26:53) Do we think God is unable to send 12 legions of angels to defend the Church?
I just wanted to give a defense for the position of the people you disagree with.
LifeSiteNews is reporting that the new TLM started in Midland, Texas is 5 minutes from an SSPX parish, while vast expanses of territory in the diocese are without any TLM nearby.
@fac
You’ve somehow elevated resignation to personal suffering over and above the duty to defend the Church, as if we are called to reject our duty in order to embrace the suffering.
Comparing to the desecration of the Church by modern liberal Catholics with the actual Passion of the Christ and concluding that our role should be that of meek submission to the desecrators is exactly what I deplore. I’ll repeat my point – the Sacrifice of Christ was a specific event that brought about Salvation. While I’m not disputing that the Church will enter a final state of destruction in the time of the Antichrist, I reject your ability to know that this is, in fact, that time. If Christ did not know the day or the hour, than none of us do, either. In the meanwhile, actual souls are being lost by the confusion of doctrine, the restriction of the sacraments, and the scandal that is running rampant amongst the Curia.
In every other age of the Church’s history, saints rose up to fight for the Church. How on earth does one then conclude that, in today’s age, God is instead calling us to not fight but to instead just go along with the flow? If anything, St. Paul cajoles Christians to do their duty and stop looking for the end time to happen. Our duty is to defend the Church. And that duty includes opposing even bishops and cardinals if they are trying their best to destroy the Church and her Sacred Liturgical Tradition.
WVC writes: “A new Redemption will not be won by allowing this most holy of vessels to be destroyed, and God will not be pleased with us for failing to do our duty, however small our own role might be, in protecting it.”
I’m not sure what is meant by “a new Redemption will not be won.” Are we waiting from something “new” to happen? I didn’t think so. The single necessary redemption was won already. The saving effects of that one win are applied to us individually at every Mass and through the other Sacraments of the Church. The Church isn’t going to “break”. It’s not dependent upon us. Rather, we are dependent upon it. There can be good Popes and bad Popes and still the Church survives.
It’s like saying we have to work to protect gravity otherwise it just might not keep us on earth. God set up the Catholic Church like He set up gravity. As long as we don’t wander off into outer space, we should be pretty confident that we’ll be kept wandering around on the surface of the earth. That’s our reality. As long as we don’t wander off into some look-alike church, we should be pretty confident that the institution that God formed is sufficient for the salvation of souls until the end of time. Why would He have created it if it was breakable? He desires our salvation.
Obviously, each individual has to do their own part in saving their own soul, but that is an entirely different topic. One can be in the Church Christ founded and still be at risk of losing their individual soul. That’s why it’s imperative for individuals to learn the Catholic faith and not be dependent on others to teach it to them. Not everyone is very smart, but that doesn’t mean that God also isn’t smart. He is Smartness Itself.
@prayfatima
“God set up the Catholic Church like He set up gravity.”
This is about as wrong a statement as one can make from almost every conceivable angle. It feels like belaboring a point just to try to argue against it. Please, show me the human aspect controlling gravity, for starters, or when gravity was loss to great parts of the earth due to schism.
Many today have perverted the teaching on the indefectibility of the Church as if it’s a super force field that will magically keep the Church safe and sound no matter what anybody anywhere ever does. This is manifestly not the case. The Church was certainly not protected from great swaths of it being torn away during the Protestant revolt. The Church was not protected from the Great Schism that has lasted almost a thousand years. The Church was not magically protected from Arianism running rampant. And the Church clearly has not been magically protected from an overwhelming infection of modernism and sexual perversion (and, of note, while the Church has had to face great eras of sexual perversion amongst the clergy in the past, it was a case of laxity in practice and not determination to change dogma and even the meaning of Scripture to support it).
The Church is not even guaranteed to continue to exist in the West as we know it. Remember, North Africa was once a stronghold of the Catholic Church.
And at each of these events hundreds of thousands of souls were lost (probably millions upon millions, if one carries the effect down through the ages). Think of the vast number of souls that have been cut off from the sacraments.
Fortunately, God often inspires saints in every age to fight on behalf of the Church. Sometimes they’re clergy. Sometimes they’re laity. But in all cases, they fought hard against those forces trying to destroy the Church and did not say, “Oh well, the Church is unbreakable, God will fix it just like He works gravity.”
Christ instructed us to be as innocent as doves while being as wise as serpents, not as innocent as doves while being as naïve as babes. If God relies upon men to lead the Church, He also calls upon men to serve that Church. And part of that service to protect her against enemies, foreign and domestic.