Here's what Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State in the Vatican, said in an April 2 interview in Le Figaro--(using a somewhat modified Babelfish translation, not too accurate, but you'll get the drift.)
The value of the conciliar reform is intact [not trying to undo Vatican II and the Novus Ordo]. But the great liturgical inheritance given by saint Pius V [the old Latin Mass] should not be lost, as the faithful want to attend Masses according to this rite, within the framework of the missal published in 1962 by the pope John XXIII. There is no valid reason not to give to the priests of the whole world the right to celebrate according to this form. The new authorization [of the old Latin Mass] by the sovereign pontiff obviously does not invalidate the rite of Paul VI [the Novus Ordo Mass]. The publication of the Motu Proprio specifying this authorization will take place, and it will be the Pope himself who will explain its motivations and the framework of its decision. The sovereign pontiff will personally give his vision of the use of the old missal to the Christian people, and in particular to the bishops.Then on April 7, a nasty editorial was published in the French national daily, Le Monde, entitled "The Church in Retreat" which lamented the Papal decision to further expand the old Latin Mass. Some of my favorites of the 30 comments on the Rorate Coeli post on the nasty Le Monde editorial included:
"Weeping and gnashing of teeth."Finally, the Italian daily Il Tempo published an unsigned article on April 10 claiming in the headline that the Motu Proprio will be issued next Monday, 16 April, after the celebration of the Holy Father’s 80th Birthday. [Thanks to Father Z for this information.]
"This is one of the most ludicrous editorials that I have read in some time. Given the howls of indignation the Pope is right on target with the motu proprio."
"More drivel brought to us from the authors of the French Revolution and secular humanism."
" Sore loosers"
" Militants of ancient tradition, unite! Thank you, Le Monde, for reminding us that our instincts are correct."
3 comments:
We shall see what happens. Time
will tell, as always.
I suppose, though, that everyting
I've heard so far has me wondering.
It does not sound like this MP will
be all that it was hyped to be.
For example, there doesn't appear
to be rumours circulating about
the MP's stance on the SSPX
anymore. Those rumours have gone
noticeably silent; and the SSPX
has made it quite clear that they
will not offer anything except the
TLM under *any* circumstances.
So, if the MP doesn't resolve
the greater question of
traditional Catholicism (I'm
talking about more than the SSPX
now), the MP will split the
Church neatly in half (or more
likely, 90%/10%, with trads
getting the short end of those
percentages -- we are still few
in terms of numbers).
So, there is, to say it in as
few words as possible, much more
concerning Vatican II than simply
the liturgy. During that Council
there was clearly a cabal of the
Church's enemies involved, with a
rather clear intent to subvert
the actions of the Council.
There was a Zeitgeist in place
then, that sought to change the
tune of the entire world to the
harsh melodies of the 'Me'
generation. And there was a
false sense of ecumenism then,
that was frought with the idea
that closer relationships could
be had through the partial
destruction of one of the parties
to the Council. Such ecumenism
is not bilateral: It arrives,
before a word is spoken, with
the clear expectation that one
party is there to give in to the
other.
So, I welcome what is expected
in the MP. But I hope that it
contains much more than what is
currently being leaked-out to
the press. What I am hoping for
is a letter of unmistakable
authority; one that will clearly
define the recent Conciliar past
so that the future is not built
upon a false foundation. With a
sense of history and of all that
has transpired in the world, I
feel that the issues I have cited
above will only prove to become
more dangerous as time goes on.
The Church now resembles, in some
fashion, the Partition of India
-- a sudden, sorrowful loss for a
peaceful future built on love and
togetherness, now painfully
cleaved into two identities.
India and Pakistan cannot be
reunited unless its past is dealt
with; and it is my opinion that
the Church will be similarly
confused and disunited as long as
our recent past is ignored.
There will always be those who
will not stay in the Catholic
Church, or who will not join the
Church in the first place. But
there should never be a choice
as to 'which Catholic Church'
one should attend. A glass
mirror, dropped down the side
of a stony cliff, rarely ends up
on the bottom of the valley floor
neatly cleaved into only two
pieces. After seeing what
happened as we bounced off that
first rock some forty years ago,
I fear that we are not even close
to the bottom of this cliff -- or
the echoes of that Council --
yet.
So, I pray for true leadership;
and a thorough going-over of all
that is now known and documented
about that Council and those
times. And if it delays this
Motu Proprio -- even for a several
more years -- then such a delay,
in my mind, will be more than
worth it in the end and will turn
out to be absolutely priceless
for our future.
- rllw
I could be very wrong about Monday's deliverance, and I don't have any idea about the strength and effect of the MP. Some bishops will probably use an MP to refuse further admittance of FSSP or ICK or other traditional Mass groups to their diocese.
Yes, the MP doesn't resolve "the greater questions of traditional Catholicism" or "the liturgy" or "ecumenism" or "religious liberty" or a number of other issues associated with Vatican II. But it is the most important step forward I can imagine at this time.
Frankly the Church is already divided, and the MP won't split the Church anymore than what it already is, except to give a few Novus Ordo priests a little bit more backbone in asking for a weekly old Latin Mass in their parishes. Methinks several young priests will use their very real influence (NOT power) to persuade their Bishop to let them offer the old Latin Mass--even if the MP doesn't specifically require the priest to ask his Bishop for permission.
For example, priests favorable to offering the old Latin Mass could remind the Bishop that if they were able to offer the old Latin Mass in their parish, they could attract a few wandering traditional Catholics home from the indult Mass to reinvigorate their parish.
Take a look at what new Catholic bloggers are saying about finding the traditional Mass--they have definitely concluded where they want to live their spiritual lives. I think many others will follow--a really good crop of future Catholic saints that is beginning to germinate--possibly a group of the greatest saints of all time.
I heard that Alice Von Hildebrand is saying May 5th.
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