Tuesday, May 20, 2008
English Roman Catholic Hierarchy Subverts Latin Mass
A big reason Pope Benedict issued his Motu Proprio mandating that the 1962 Latin Mass be made widely available is that, although it has remained permissible since Vatican II, many bishops and priests were suppressing it.
Even with Pope Benedict’s directive, many RC clergy are still trying to hamstring traditionalists wishing to have the Latin Mass. The English hierarchy is Exhibit A in that regard. There are numerous masses every day at Westminster Cathedral. How many of them are Tridentine?
The episode this past weekend at Cardiff Cathedral is particularly egregious. Permission was supposedly given for a Latin Mass there. But at the last minute, the Dean insisted that women servers be used. The Archbishop refused to intervene. And the Latin Mass Society was compelled to cancel.
The wrench the Dean threw into the Mass was so last minute, many traveled to the Cathedral for the Latin Mass only to be told at the door what had happened.
Leaving aside the issue of women servers (I have no problem with them.), when one celebrates the liturgy in whatever form, it goes without saying that you follow the rubrics. When I lead Evening Prayer tomorrow (Oops, I let the cat out of the bag!), when we have the confession, we will do it kneeling. We won’t break out into liturgical dance. The rubrics for good reason say kneel, not dance. So we will kneel. I really don't think that's terribly hard to understand. There are also other requirements. For example, for a layman to lead Evening Prayer in the Reformed Episcopal Church, he must have a nice Reader’s License from the bishop as I do.
Now the rubrics and requirements for the 1962 Latin Mass do not allow women servers. So for the Dean to supposedly permit a Latin Mass, but require women servers or anything else that violates the rubrics and laws of said Mass is a contradiction. Again, if you do a form of the liturgy correctly, you follow the rubrics. So, in effect, the Dean gave permission for a 1962 Latin Mass then arbitrarily withdrew it at the last minute at the great inconvenience and expense of many.
Whatever one's liturgical proclivities, that is flat wrong and an underhanded defiance of the Pope’s Motu Proprio.
Even with Pope Benedict’s directive, many RC clergy are still trying to hamstring traditionalists wishing to have the Latin Mass. The English hierarchy is Exhibit A in that regard. There are numerous masses every day at Westminster Cathedral. How many of them are Tridentine?
The episode this past weekend at Cardiff Cathedral is particularly egregious. Permission was supposedly given for a Latin Mass there. But at the last minute, the Dean insisted that women servers be used. The Archbishop refused to intervene. And the Latin Mass Society was compelled to cancel.
The wrench the Dean threw into the Mass was so last minute, many traveled to the Cathedral for the Latin Mass only to be told at the door what had happened.
Leaving aside the issue of women servers (I have no problem with them.), when one celebrates the liturgy in whatever form, it goes without saying that you follow the rubrics. When I lead Evening Prayer tomorrow (Oops, I let the cat out of the bag!), when we have the confession, we will do it kneeling. We won’t break out into liturgical dance. The rubrics for good reason say kneel, not dance. So we will kneel. I really don't think that's terribly hard to understand. There are also other requirements. For example, for a layman to lead Evening Prayer in the Reformed Episcopal Church, he must have a nice Reader’s License from the bishop as I do.
Now the rubrics and requirements for the 1962 Latin Mass do not allow women servers. So for the Dean to supposedly permit a Latin Mass, but require women servers or anything else that violates the rubrics and laws of said Mass is a contradiction. Again, if you do a form of the liturgy correctly, you follow the rubrics. So, in effect, the Dean gave permission for a 1962 Latin Mass then arbitrarily withdrew it at the last minute at the great inconvenience and expense of many.
Whatever one's liturgical proclivities, that is flat wrong and an underhanded defiance of the Pope’s Motu Proprio.
Labels: life, liturgy, Roman Catholics
Monday, May 19, 2008
Brad Drell’s Patience “Wears Utterly Thin”
Drell’s Descants is one of the several blogs I check out from time to time. I find his posts thoughtful and knowledgeable. He hasn’t been blogging much lately. I hope that is just a temporary lull.
However, I have found him in the past perhaps a bit too wedded toward working within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. So I find his latest (written) post very interesting. In his own words, his patience with the Anglican Communion and TEC is wearing “utterly thin.” He even avers, “I’ve often thought over the past years that some of the folks that left [the Episcopal Church] perhaps did so prematurely. I don’t think that anymore.”
Brad Drell has been the epitome of patience since 2003. So for him to say this is . . . saying something. It certainly shows that those orthodox who still insist on staying in the Episcopal Church may soon find themselves very very lonely.
He cuts to the core of the problem that is exhausting even his capacity for longsuffering:
Moreover, what everyone seems to be missing is that some sort of structural relief is necessary to provide conservatives some sort of safe haven within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. TEC was asked to provide this a number of times. They have not. The only thing that can be done is to excommunicate TEC from the Anglican Communion and recognize someone else.
Strong words. But ++Rowan and Company are not only unwilling to discipline the Episcopal Church, they don’t even lift a finger to provide that sorely needed relief for North American orthodox.
A church that shows it cares so little about the faith and the faithful is not worthy of allegiance. And the days that many orthodox – including even Brad Drell? – will remain aligned to said church are numbered.
However, I have found him in the past perhaps a bit too wedded toward working within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. So I find his latest (written) post very interesting. In his own words, his patience with the Anglican Communion and TEC is wearing “utterly thin.” He even avers, “I’ve often thought over the past years that some of the folks that left [the Episcopal Church] perhaps did so prematurely. I don’t think that anymore.”
Brad Drell has been the epitome of patience since 2003. So for him to say this is . . . saying something. It certainly shows that those orthodox who still insist on staying in the Episcopal Church may soon find themselves very very lonely.
He cuts to the core of the problem that is exhausting even his capacity for longsuffering:
Moreover, what everyone seems to be missing is that some sort of structural relief is necessary to provide conservatives some sort of safe haven within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. TEC was asked to provide this a number of times. They have not. The only thing that can be done is to excommunicate TEC from the Anglican Communion and recognize someone else.
Strong words. But ++Rowan and Company are not only unwilling to discipline the Episcopal Church, they don’t even lift a finger to provide that sorely needed relief for North American orthodox.
A church that shows it cares so little about the faith and the faithful is not worthy of allegiance. And the days that many orthodox – including even Brad Drell? – will remain aligned to said church are numbered.
Labels: Anglican Communion, blogs, The Episcopal Church
Friday, May 16, 2008
Mugabe’s Pure Evil
I find what Robert Mugabe and his thugs are doing in Zimbabwe so disturbing, I’m at a loss to comment and hardly trust myself to do so. So I will simply refer you to this article from the Daily Mail with a hat tip to Cranmer.
(I must warn you, however, that Cranmer has posted very disturbing photographic documentation of torture by Mugabe’s thugs.)
(I must warn you, however, that Cranmer has posted very disturbing photographic documentation of torture by Mugabe’s thugs.)
Labels: Zimbabwe
Thursday, May 15, 2008
BREAKING: ++Orombi Responds to --Schori
Things are a bit hectic this morning, so I can’t comment in detail now. But I wanted to alert my good readers to this excellent response of the Archbishop of Uganda Henry Luke Orombi to the letter from PB Katharine Schori I mentioned Tuesday.
I will note that ++Orombi confirms that Schori’s letter was released to the internet before it got to him. Sad.
I will note that ++Orombi confirms that Schori’s letter was released to the internet before it got to him. Sad.
Brian McLaren: Another Reason Not to Go to Lambeth
It’s been confirmed that Brian McLaren will be speaking to the Lambeth Conference.
I think it’s a very sad commentary on the Archbishop of Canterbury that, with all the great minds Anglicanism still possesses, he invites McLaren to speak. McLaren’s co-called “generous orthodoxy” is no genuine orthodoxy but is just another flavor of wimping out on the faith along with much of the rest of the haze that comes from the “emergent church movement”. And the only thing really new or “emergent” about it is the packaging, if even that. Such has always been around and always will be around until Jesus comes back and cleans house. (And I speak as someone who used to be sympathetic to emergent stuff until I came to know better.)
And about the headline, I do fully respect the decisions of +Venables, +Iker, and other strong orthodox bishops to go to Lambeth to make a stand for the faith. I hope one way they will take a stand is to stand up and walk out when McLaren starts emitting his fog.
I think it’s a very sad commentary on the Archbishop of Canterbury that, with all the great minds Anglicanism still possesses, he invites McLaren to speak. McLaren’s co-called “generous orthodoxy” is no genuine orthodoxy but is just another flavor of wimping out on the faith along with much of the rest of the haze that comes from the “emergent church movement”. And the only thing really new or “emergent” about it is the packaging, if even that. Such has always been around and always will be around until Jesus comes back and cleans house. (And I speak as someone who used to be sympathetic to emergent stuff until I came to know better.)
And about the headline, I do fully respect the decisions of +Venables, +Iker, and other strong orthodox bishops to go to Lambeth to make a stand for the faith. I hope one way they will take a stand is to stand up and walk out when McLaren starts emitting his fog.
Labels: "Emergent", Lambeth, Rowan Williams
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Catholic Call to Action Outrage
In case you think only oh-so-trendy Episcopalians are capable of liturgical outrage, watch this video, if you can endure it.
This is from a Catholic Call to Action service. Yes, libchurch in Roman Catholic guise.
I was laughing at the liturgical dance, giant scary puppets, and old libs getting hip . . . until I heard this from the celebrant at the end: “And may we bless ourselves in the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier.”
Then I got angry. That “may we bless ourselves” bit and desecration of the Trinity is grounds enough for severe discipline of that priest. I hope my Catholic friends demand it.
Hat tip to Holy Smoke.
This is from a Catholic Call to Action service. Yes, libchurch in Roman Catholic guise.
I was laughing at the liturgical dance, giant scary puppets, and old libs getting hip . . . until I heard this from the celebrant at the end: “And may we bless ourselves in the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier.”
Then I got angry. That “may we bless ourselves” bit and desecration of the Trinity is grounds enough for severe discipline of that priest. I hope my Catholic friends demand it.
Hat tip to Holy Smoke.
Labels: liturgy, Roman Catholics
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tennessee Dept. of Education Declares Homeschool and Church School Diplomas Worthless
I thought state attacks on home and church schools went out with men wearing short shorts (a relic of the 70’s and 80’s for those who are blessedly free of that memory). But apparently, the Tennessee Department of Education is back to the past.
Labels: education
