Posted by
Maudie in Mandeville on Saturday, July 14, 2007 9:41:26 AM
Re: the Holy Father's directive establishing the right of any Priest to celebrate the Tridentine Latin Mass; I've written to 4 of the largest churches in the area but have had only one response. As appreciated as it was, the good Father said that " The pronouncement just came down the wire. We haven’t received any directives from the Archbishop regarding his intentions. This may take some time."
Given that it had only been a week, Father probably hadn't read many of the details, the most obvious being that any Priest wishing to celebrate the Latin Mass doesn't need the Bishop's permission. That's how the Holy Father has circumvented the liberal Bishops circumvention of Pope John Paul II's motu proprio Ecclesia Dei in 1988 (first authorized in the letter Quattuor abhinc annos of the Congregation for Divine Worship, dated October 3, 1984).
Pope John Paul II called on the Bishops to make "a wide and generous application" of the Tridentine Mass available. Some might question Maudie's use of the word liberal to describe the Bishops. What word would you use to describe them after 23 years of having ignored the Holy Father's directive, having eradicated the Latin Tridentine Mass even though no where in Vatican II does it call for eliminating it, and grudgingly interpreting "wide and generous" as 300 miles or more to the nearest service? Maudie is one of the luckier ones, having only to drive 130 miles round trip to Baton Rouge (and don't be late for the 9:30 service, or you'll have to wait until next week).
The dioceses have until September 14 and then by Pope Benedict's edict, the Latin Mass may be celebrated by any Priest. What are the odds that these same liberal Bishops, who despise the traditional celebration, and who've implanted Protestant-like rubrics into the Holy Mass, have Priests trained in the Latin Tridentine Mass? What are the odds young Priests will stand up to their Bishop? What are the odds of retribution from their Bishop for any Priest brave enough to celebrate the Latin Mass?
Maudie isn't holding our breath.