Dom Gérard, Eternal Memory!

Dom Gérard Calvet of blessed memory, the famed Abbot of Sainte-Madeleine-du-Barroux can best be remembered for his work for those who love and desire the Traditional Latin Mass.  

He can be seen in the two pictures above that were taken at his 50^th jubilee anniversary as a priest. One particular address he gave at the ten year anniversary for Ecclesia Dei at their conference held in Rome on October 24, 1998 was titled, “Let the war of rites cease”. ( http://www.unavoce.org/domgerardspeech.htm )

In summarizing Dom Gérard’s address, the three main solutions which he continued to propose  for promoting the Traditional Latin Mass included:

1)      an  extension of the powers of the Pontifical “Ecclesia Dei” Commission, or the institution of an intermediate authority answerable to the Commission and  taking the form of an apostolic delegation which would regulate each case  at the local level together with the diocesan bishops. 

2)      the creation on the part of the episcopal authorities or of the Holy See of quasi-parishes of a personal nature in every diocese where a minimum number of faithful  have requested them 

3)      the insertion of the old Ordo Missae “ad libitum” in all the new Missals if not the granting of permission to all priests to celebrate according to the 1962 Missal. 

Does this sound familiar?  And again, it was 1998.  

Dom Gérard, thank you for your service, requiescat in pace and eternal memory!