St John Bosco Latin Mass Community June TLM Calendar

St. John Bosco Latin Mass Community

Located at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Carmel, Indiana

 

Mass Schedule for June 2008

June 1st     5:00 pm   Low Mass, Father Christopher Roberts (OLMC) ** 

June 8th     5:00 pm   Sung Mass, Father Gerard Saguto, FSSP               

June 15th   5:00 pm   Sung Mass, Father Daniel Geddes, FSSP               

June 22  2:00 pm   Solemn High Mass, Father Jonathan Romanoski, FSSP ***  

June 29th   5:00 pm   Low Mass, Father Christopher Roberts (OLMC) 

** Father Roberts is offering his first Traditional Latin Mass.  Father Roberts is studying the week of May 18th at the TLM workshop at St, John Cantius, Chicago, Illinois

*** Father Romanoski will be ordained at the Cathedral in Lincoln, Nebraska on May 30, 2008 by His Eminence, Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos.    

New tests will reconsider dating for Shroud of Turin

May. 21, 2008 (CWNews.com) – An American researcher has convinced Oxford University scientists to reconsider a test that had cast doubts on the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin.

After carbon-14 testing on a fragment from the Shroud, an Oxford team announced in 1989 that the cloth was only about 600- 7000 years old. That result undermined claims that the cloth was used for Christ’s burial. The carbon dating also clashed with other studies that have tended to confirm beliefs that the Shroud dates back to the region of Palestine and the time of Christ.

Now John Jackson, a University of Colorado physicist who has become a leading authority on the Shroud, has persuaded the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit to undertake new studies, to determine whether the 1989 testing was flawed. Jackson theorizes that the fragment of the Shroud used in the earlier tests had been contaminated by smoke from a fire that damaged a portion of the Shroud. Carbon monoxide from smoke could easily produce a false result in carbon-14 dating, he reasons.

Christopher Ramsey, the head of the Oxford study group, said that he had agreed to reconsider the results of the earlier test because he recognized the need to reconcile the dating of the Shroud with other evidence suggesting that the cloth is much older than 600- 700 years.

Pope considering limits on concelebration

Vatican, May. 22, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Pope Benedict XVI (bionews) plans to curtail the practice of organizing large-scale Eucharistic celebrations with hundreds of priests concelebrating the Mass, according to a report in Italy’s Panorama magazine.

Panorama reports that the Holy Father has directed the Congregation for Divine Worship to study the question and prepare appropriate instructions. His objective, the Italian journal says, is to eliminate the concelebration of Mass by hundreds of priests at a time, with many of them standing at a distance from the altar.

The Vatican has not commented on the Panorama report.

If the story is accurate, the new liturgical guidelines could bring significant changes in liturgical celebrations at which the Pope himself presides, such as Masses attended by tens of thousands of people at World Youth Day or during papal trips abroad.

Cardinal Hoyos, 4 FSSP Ordinations and EWTN

Vatican Cardinal to Visit Nebraska

DENTON, NebraskaMay 21, 2008 – On Friday, May 30th, 2008, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the following four men will be ordained priests for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter by Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, the President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

  • Rev. Mr. Jared McCambridge, FSSP, from Arlington Heights, Illinois
  • Rev. Mr. Dennis Gordon, FSSP, from Nogales, Arizona
  • Rev. Mr. Justin Nolan, FSSP, from Guthrie, Oklahoma
  • Rev. Mr. Jonathan Romanoski, FSSP, from New Cumberland , Pennsylvania

To be televised live on EWTN at 11:00AM (EST), the ordinations will take place at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, in the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska.

About the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

Established in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right. The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter strives to serve the Catholic Church by means of its own particular and specific role or objective, i.e. the sanctification of priests through the faithful celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Through the spiritual riches of the Church’s ancient Roman liturgy, the priests of the Fraternity seek to sanctify those entrusted to their care. The Priestly Fraternity instructs and trains its priests to preserve, promote, and protect the Catholic Church’s authentic liturgical and spiritual traditions. The Fraternity has nearly 200 priests and over 100 seminarians studying in its two international seminaries in Bavaria, Germany and Denton, Nebraska.

About Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary

Located in rural Denton, Nebraska, is the English-speaking seminary for the Priestly Fraternity. Men come from all over the world to study for the priesthood in the seminary’s seven year program. Some represented countries have included Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, French West Indies, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, and Trinidad/Tobago.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary has also become the center of the world’s largest provider of training resources and materials for priests who wish to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Since June of 2007, priests from over 60 dioceses in the United States have been personally trained.

The seminary building itself has a total of 100 seminary rooms and 13 priest suites. The final phase of construction began last Fall with the ground breaking ceremony for the seminary’s jewel and crown, the chapel. Actual work, beginning with the excavation and footings, recently began in March of this year. Presently, the contractor is working on the footings and basement walls with the construction. God willing, the seminary’s long awaited chapel will be completed in the Fall of 2009.

About EWTN

Founded by Mother Angelica, EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 27th year, is available in more than 146 million television households in 144 countries and territories. EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.

A Biography for Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos

His Eminence Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos is originally from Medellín, Colombia. Following his theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he was ordained to priesthood for the Archdiocese of Medellin, in 1952. While in Rome, he also earned a doctorate in Canon Law. He also specialized in religious sociology, political economy and ethics in economy.

His Eminence soon took on many duties including serving as a parish priest in two country parishes, functioning as a delegate for Catholic Action, teaching as a professor of Canon Law the Free Civil University and assisting as the General Secretary of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference.

In 1971, he was ordained to the episcopacy and become the diocesan bishop of Villa de Re in 1976.
From 1983 to 1971, he was the General Secretary of the Latin American Episcopal Council His Eminence would later serve as the President of this Conference of Latin American Bishops from 1987-1991.

In 1992, he was named the Archbishop of Bucaramanga. Also, in 1992, he was called by the Holy Father to be the Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy on 15 June 1996. The Congregation of the Clergy, instituted in 1564, oversees the spiritual, intellectual and pastoral ongoing formation of the Catholic clergy. The Congregation also supervises the catechetical formation for the Church.

As a Delegate of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, he participated in the Latin American Bishops’ General Conferences held in Puebla and Medellín.

On 15 November 1996, he had the privilege of presenting the book “Gift and Mystery” of John Paul II. Also, as Pro-Prefect of the Congregation, he personally organized the Anniversary Celebration of Pope John Paul II’s golden jubilee of his priesthood.

On 18 September 1997, he presented the General Directory for Catechesis and on 17 October 1997, at the conclusion of the International Catechetic Congress, he presented the conclusion of the Congress to the Pope John Paul II.

During the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops held from 16 November to 12 December 1998, His Eminence served as President Delegate and member of the post-synodal Council.

In 1988, Pope John Paul II, created and proclaimed him a cardinal. Today, he is a Cardinal Priest of the Most Holy Name of Mary on the Forum Traiano.

Also in 1988, His Eminence became the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

Currently, His Eminence Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos is the President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. . The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei is the ecclesiastical authority erected by the late Pope John Paul II to oversee matters regarding the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite for the entire world. This Pontifical Commission works to guarantee full ecclesial communion for “all those Catholic faithful who feel attached to some previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition,” and to offer “the necessary measures to guarantee respect for their rightful aspirations. ” In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI recently reaffirmed in his Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum that this Commission exercises “the authority of the Holy See, supervising the observance and application of these dispositions. ”

A Biography for Father John Marcus Berg, FSSP

Fr. John Marcus Berg was elected the third Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in July of 2006 succeeding Fr. Arnaud Devillers and Fr. Joseph Bisig.

Fr. Berg was born and raised in a Catholic family in Minnesota. He entered the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter immediately after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College, in Southern California. In 1993 he began with the first class of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Scranton Pennsylvania. He was tonsured in Wigratzbad by Bishop Zieglebauer and did his theological studies at the Seminary of St. Peter.

Fr. Berg finished his studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome where he received a Licentiate Degree in Dogmatic Theology. He was ordained a priest by Bishop James C. Timlin of Scranton, Pennsylvania on September 6 1997. He then returned to Rome where he worked at the FSSP chapel there, San Gregorio dei Muratori. He has taught Dogmatic Theology on the seminary staff at Our Lady of Guadalupe. He served as Pastor of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish in Sacramento, California.

During the General Chapter in the summer of 2006, Fr. Berg was elected as the Superior General of the entire Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. He currently lives at the Priestly Fraternity’s General House in Fribourg, Switzerland. Placed in charge of the Catholic Church’s largest religious community attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, Fr. Berg oversees and coordinates the Priestly Fraternity’s apostolates worldwide. In light of this, Fr. Berg often meets with diocesan bishops throughout the world.

A Quick Glossary of Terms

The Mass – With supernatural faith, Catholics believe that the Mass is the re-presentation, in an unbloody manner, of the sacrifice of Calvary in which Jesus offered his life to atone for the sins of all humanity. Christ’s one-time death won from His Father an infinite amount of spiritual merit. At every Mass, that infinite spiritual merit is applied to humanity in space and time. At every Mass, the substance of bread and wine become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. The separate Consecration of the bread into the body and the wine into the blood signifies the death of Christ.

At each and every Mass, Jesus Christ is the Priest and the Victim. Christ is the Priest because since He is “always living to make intercession for us”, He offers to God the Father the Sacrifice of Calvary. The Victim is also Christ insofar as Christ is offering Himself in an unbloody manner to the Father as a propitiation for the sins of men.

Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the spiritual life. Christ is present in various ways in the Church but only in the Eucharist is He present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. Catholics’ belief for this is largely based on Divine Revelation in, for example, the Gospel of John, chapter 6

Merit-Reward proper to a work accomplished.

Sacrament-An outward (visible) sign, instituted by Christ, to give Grace to men

Grace-a participation by the soul in the Divine, Trinitarian life.

Motu Proprio – A type of Papal document of prescriptive nature

Supreme Pontiff – The word Supreme Pontiff is taken from the Latin word “pontifex” which means bridge-builder. Catholics see that Supreme Pontiff or Pope as the Vicar of Christ on earth. The Supreme Pontiff or Pope enjoys full, supreme and universal power within the Church. The biblical basis for the Papacy is found, for example, in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16.

Cardinal– The English word cardinal is derived from the Latin word “cardo” which means hinge. In the Catholic Church, cardinals serve as close assistants to the Pope. In the past, they have been his envoys for particular missions. As signs of their office, cardinals wear red robes, a red biretta (box-like hat), and are given their own coat of arms. They are freely selected by the Pope. Should he die, the College of Cardinals convenes in Rome to elect a new Pope.

Liturgy-Public worship offered to God on behalf of the Church by one in Holy Orders who is deputed by Authority to do so.

Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite – Sometimes referred to as the “More Ancient Use,”the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite refers to the traditional Latin liturgy as codified by Pope Pius V in 1570 and, most recently, reaffirmed by Pope John XXIII in 1962. After Vatican II Council, which ended in 1965, different liturgical books were introduced and become normative, most often in vernacular languages. In the Papal document “Summorum Pontificum”, released last July, Pope Benedict XVI laid out a structured plan by which the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is again to be used more widely in the Church.

Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED) – One of many dicasteries or departments in Rome that assist the Pope with the governance of the Catholic Church around the world. Ecclesia Dei is the competent authority for matters relating to the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy. It was instituted by Pope John Paull II in 1988. Currently, Darío Cardinal Castrillon Hoyós is the President of this Commission.

Sacrament of Holy Orders – Catholics believe that during the Last Supper, Jesus, after transforming bread and wine into his Body and Blood, gave his twelve apostles the power of Holy Orders with the words “Do this in memory of me.” Christ also gave His twelve apostles the power to ordain other priests. The four men who will be ordained priests on Friday, 30 May, will continue the ancient line of the Catholic priesthood that derives directly from those twelve apostles. Catholics believe that a man does not so much choose to become a priest as that Christ first chooses this vocation for him. This man, in freedom, can accept this calling or not. As Christ said “You have not chosen me. I have chosen you to go and bear fruit that will last.”

Priest – In every religion, a priest is one who offers sacrifice. The unique aspect of the Catholic priesthood is that he becomes an “Alter Christus” or another Christ. This is because the Catholic priest is called to be an instrument as he acts “In Persona Christi” or “in the Person of Christ.” The main duties of the Catholic priest are to offer up the Holy Mass and to absolve sins in the Sacrament of Penance, commonly known as Confession.

Latin-Official language of the Church. Latin, as a “dead” language is useful, since its meanings don’t change over time. Thus, Latin is excellent for theology and the transmission through succeeding ages of the unchanging (and unchangeable) doctrines in which the continuity of precise meanings is necessary among different cutures and times. Also, one finds the sound of Latin to be sublime and lofty, devoted as it is uniquely to worship of the God.

Ad Orientem – These two Latin words mean “to the east” or “towards the east”. East is the theological direction for the manifestation of God. According to the most ancient belief, Christ will come again from the East on the Last Day. In the Extraordinary Form, the priest, while speaking with God, often faces East. Just as a father faces forward when driving the family car, and a shepherd thus leads his flock, so also does the priest stand directing the faithful to God. This orientation has recently been re-emphasized by Pope Benedict XVI in his frequent exhortation that in the Liturgy, the whole community be “Conversi ad Dominum”, that is, “turned toward the Lord” in prayer. The priest offers up to God the prayers of his people which accompany the sacrifice at the altar and distributes to them, especially in Holy Communion, the graces that come to them from God.

Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter– Established in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is an international society of Pontifical Right comprising about 200 priests and over 100 seminarians To the community the Church has entrusted the work of preserving, propagating, and protecting the Catholic Church’s ancient Latin liturgical traditions. The seminarians are preparing for the priesthood in the Fraternity’s two seminaries in Bavaria, Germany and Denton, Nebraska.

Diocese of Lincoln-For the sake of organization, the universal Catholic around the world is split up into smaller portions. A diocese is a portion of this universal church bounded within a geographical territory established by the Holy See in Rome. Normally, a bishop is at the head of a diocese. Currently, His Excellency, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz is the diocesan bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Helpful Information

Welcome again! Thank you for your interest and participation in this special Catholic event in Nebraska!

In order to facilitate the flow of the Priestly Ordination Mass and the Press Conference, please note the following details.

The Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) will be able to provide a clean feed to any television stations that would like footage of the Mass.

During the Priestly Ordination Mass, the use of cameras is allowed only in the back of the church, and the outside of the church. No flashes are allowed.

On 30 May, at 2:00PM, a press conference with the media will be held with His Eminence Darío Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and Fr. John Berg, FSSP, the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. His Eminence will be available for a period of 30 minutes from 2:00-2:30PM. Fr. John Berg, FSSP, the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter will also be available to take any additional questions after the Cardinal departs.

Time and Location of the Ordination Mass with His Eminence Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos

10:00AM (CST)

Cathedral of the Risen Christ

3500 Sheridan Blvd

Lincoln, NE 68506
Time and Location of the Press Conference with His Eminence Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos and Father John Berg, FSSP.

2:00PM (CST)

Blessed John XXIII Diocesan Center (two blocks from the Cathdral)

Dawson Hall

3700 Sheridan Blvd
Lincoln, NE 68506

The proper way to address the Cardinal is “Your Eminence.”
The proper way to address Father John Berg, FSSP is “Father”.
To ask a question during the Press Conference, please raise your hand, identify yourself when recognized and ask your question briefly.

Please stand for the Cardinal when he enters and leaves the room.

Appropriate dress for the Priestly Ordination Mass and the Press Conference is semi-formal. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Please, no jeans!

You may find the following websites helpful in learning more about:

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter: http://www.fssp.org

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary: http://www.fsspolgs.org

Extraordinary Form Workshops: http://www.fssptraining.org/

Thank you for your cooperation during this solemn occasion!

Below is an article that you may find useful to learn more about the Cardinal’s mission in the Catholic Church.

The following summary is taken from Darío Castrillón Hoyos: Tradition Without Contestation
by Vittoria Prisciandaro posted on the New Liturgical Movement website by Gregor Kollmorgen on Thursday May 8, 2008.

The full article is available at:  http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/

You Eminence, a few months after the promulgation of the Motu proprio, how do you take stock?

“With the Motu proprio the Pope wanted to give everyone a renewed opportunity to benefit from the enormous spiritual, religious, and cultural richness present in the liturgy of the Gregorian rite [It appears the Cardinal is coining a term; he has uses this term repeatedly]. The Motu proprio emerges as a treasure offered to all, not in the first place to accommodate grievances and requests of anyone. Not a few of those who first were not involved in this extraordinary form of the Roman rite now manifest a great esteem for it. Among the faithful I would distinguish three groups: those who are linked in quasi-organic form to the Fraternity of St. Pius X; those of the Fraternity of Saint Peter; and lastly the most important and numerous group consisting of persons attached to the religious culture of all times, who today discover the spiritual intensity of the ancient rite, and among whom are many young people. In these months have come into being new associations of persons belonging to this last group.”

Speaking of richness, some liturgists stress the fact that the extraordinary rite does not offer the biblical richness introduced by the novus ordo.

“Those have not read the Motu proprio, because the Pope affirms that the two forms shall enrich each other. And it is evident that such a liturgical treasure is not being squandered. In the novus ordo, within the year practically the entire Bible is read, and this is a richness which is not opposed to but complements the extraordinary rite. [non si oppone, ma va integrata nel rito straordinario – this could also mean ‘is being integrated into the extraordinary rite’]”

Another objection is about the danger that separate and different celebrations can create separate communities.

“It is a multiplicity which enriches; it is a wider cultural liberty which the Pope introduces in a bold form. Incidentally, in the parishes there are many differences in the celebrations, and I do not want to talk about the abuses, because the abuses are not the main reason for the Motu proprio.”

Your secretary, Monsignor Camille Perl, announced that shortly there will be a document clarifying the Motu proprio. When will it be released?

“It was Cardinal Bertone who announced it, and he has the right to do so. But I, who am a servant of the Pope, will only announce it when the Pope will say so. Our Commission has reported to the Pontiff that from all over the world so many questions come, very many justified, others due to lack of knowledge. The Holy Father, and he alone, will say whether it is convenient to issue such a document and when.”

What are the questions that have arrived and would deserve an answer?

“The first regards Latin, because – they say – to celebrate in a language which you do not know is not convenient. Unfortunately, the seminarians, but also some priests, have not studied it and therefore it is difficult for them to celebrate in the extraordinary form. To do so one should at least know the canon of the Mass, the part of the consecration. We in “Ecclesia Dei” are equipping ourselves and we are preparing meetings, courses, and means of electronic communication for a deep knowledge of the earlier liturgy. Some courses are already being held in France, Germany, Brazil, Central America, and the United States. At Toledo, Spain, for example, it is being evaluated whether it is convenient to erect a seminary specifically for preparation for the extraordinary rite or to give special courses in the seminary of the diocese. In general, we see an interest for the return of Latin in academia. It was sad in these years to see the abandonment not only of the language but also of certain theological content connected to the semantic precision of the Latin language.

Another problem is the shortage of priests …

“If in a diocese priests are lacking and only three or four faithful request the extraordinary rite, it is a thing of common sense to think that it is difficult to meet this demand. However, since it is the intention, the “mens”, of the Pope to grant this treasure for the good of the Church, where there are no priests the best thing would be to offer a celebration according to the extraordinary rite in one of the parish Sunday Masses. It would be a Mass for everyone, and everyone, including the younger generations would benefit from the richness of the extraordinary rite, for example, from those moments of contemplation that in the novus ordo have disappeared.

So you maintain that, even if there is no consistent and stable group, in the future it is intended to offer one of the Sunday Masses in the extraordinary rite?

“I think so. On the other hand, this possibility had already been approved unanimously in 1986 by a commission of cardinals in which was also present Cardinal Ratzinger, but then it did not become operative. Now I would be sure that it could be done.”

Another point to clarify is the definition of a “stable and consistent group”. What does it mean exactly?

“It is a matter of common sense: why make an issue if the people who ask for the rite come from different parishes? If they come together and request a Mass, they become a stable group, although they did not know each other before. Also, the number is a question of goodwill. In some parishes, especially in the country, on weekdays the persons who come to the ordinary Mass are three or four, and the same happens in not a few religious houses. Why, if those same three people request the old Mass would it be pastorally necessary to reject it?”.

So the future document should be more welcoming of requests from few?

“Yes, but it has to be understood not as something that should be at the expense of others, of the majority, but for their enrichment and always avoiding any even minimal form of antagonism.”

Then there is the problem of the sacraments: I think of the rite of Ordination or the one of Confirmation, which refers to a different code of canon law and uses different formulas…

“Certainly at first sight there are some problems with regard to the sacred Orders, to Confirmation and also concerning the difference of the calendar. With regard to sacred Orders, in the ancient form there was tonsure, the minor orders, and the subdiaconate. This form is still in use and will continue to be so in the Institutes permanently attached to the ancient rite, as the Fraternity of Saint Peter, the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, and other institutes. On Confirmation, even before the Motu Proprio, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had already made it clear that there is no conflict between the two formulas, given that both the new formula and the old enjoy validity and the same is to be said for the other sacraments where the formula is different. With regard to the calendars that do not always coincide, there are actually problems as in the case of feasts of the patrons of a parish, of shrines, religious congregations and institutes, etc. With prudence and common sense the necessary arrangements will be made; and with this also the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” will deal.”

What time do you foresee for the reconciliation with the Fraternity of Saint Pius X?

“There are positive signs; there is an uninterrupted dialogue. A few days ago I wrote a new letter to Msgr Fellay, superior of the Fraternity, as a response to an earlier one of his. In addition to meetings and correspondence, we also communicate with each other on the telephone. I regard as viable the reconciliation with the Fraternity of Saint Pius X because, as we have often said at “Ecclesia Dei”, this is not a real schism but an anomalous situation which arose after the “schismatic action” of Msgr Lefebvre in conferring the episcopate without papal mandate, even against the express will of the Pope. In my heart I have great confidence that the Holy Father will be able to mend the fabric of the Church with the arrival of these brothers to full communion. Some differences will still remain, as we always had in the history of the Church”.

But with the Lefevbrians there is also a problem of acceptance of ecumenical dialogue…

“Yes, indeed there are difficulties with the interpretation of texts of the Council on this issue and with some concrete ecumenical practices, but no bishop of the Fraternity of St. Pius X will say that there is no need to seek the unity of the Christians.”

After the Motu proprio have some of the Fraternity of St. Pius X come back to communion with the Church of Rome?

“Yes, and others have the will to do so. But I have the hope that the whole group comes, I would not want them to divide themselves. However, if an individual comes and says he wants to enter now into unity with the Pope, one must accept him. The Motu proprio did also draw other people near. For example, on March 28, I received a letter from a non-Catholic bishop, who has decided to enter the Catholic Church with other bishops and priests who celebrate the Tridentine Mass”.

Do the new powers of “Ecclesia Dei” not conflict with the ministry of the bishops?

“The Pope, who has the authority over the whole Church, over each of the faithful and the bishops, has set new norms in the Motu proprio, and the Pontifical Commission is only an instrument at the service of the Vicar of Christ, so that his decisions are being implemented. “Ecclesia Dei” takes care to apply the Motu proprio in fraternal harmony, understanding and collaborating with the bishops. Attitudes of antagonism with the shepherds must be avoided by persons, groups, or institutions because of the Motu proprio. Certainly the shepherds, in obedience to the Pope, will have to have understanding for those faithful who have a special love for the liturgical tradition. With bishops who have contacted us, I have always found them understanding.”

In the introduction to the reprinting of the “Compendium of Practical Liturgy” by Trimeloni [the Italian Fortescue], you write that the Pope avails himself of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” because in the diversity of the forms of cult there can shine the richness of the treasures of faith and spirituality of the Bride of Christ. In what consists the difference between the liturgy of John XXIII and the one reformed by Paul VI?

“Pope John has incorporated also the liturgy in his desire for dialogue of the Church with contemporary culture. Paul VI gave organicity to the reforms born of this desire. The Holy Spirit, which always accompanies the Church, inspires the necessary changes in every moment of history, without violent rupture of the process of perfection which He Himself has inspired in the course of history. Benedict XVI, with this motu proprio, makes common the riches of the two phases of the process, healing even so, the anxiety of those who believed that in matters liturgical there had been an unacceptable rupture.”

After the reformulation of the Good Friday prayer it was said that it was a returning 40 years back in Christian-Jewish dialogue. Had these criticisms been expected?

“Is it not a good thing to pray for our brothers, the sons of Abraham? Abraham is the father of faith, but in a chain of salvation in which the Messiah is expected. And the Messiah has arrived. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that, in one day, five thousand Jews converted. I am not contesting the prayer of the novus ordo, but I consider perfect the present one of the extraordinary rite. And I pray gladly for the conversion of my many Jewish friends, because I believe truly that Jesus is the Son of God and the Saviour of all”.

Cardinal Mahony bars dissident Australian bishop

Los Angeles, May. 20, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Cardinal Roger Mahony (top) of Los Angeles has barred a controversial Australian bishop from speaking in his California archdiocese.In a May 9 letter to Bishop Geoffrey Robinson (above), a retired auxiliary of the Sydney, Australia archdiocese, Cardinal Mahony invoked the Code of Canon Law to explain that he had decided to “deny you permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.”

Cardinal Mahony took action just as the Australian bishops’ conference issued a public statement warning of “doctrinal difficulties” in Bishop Robinson’s new book, Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church. The Australian bishops noted problems with Bishop Robinson’s treatment of “the nature of Tradition, the inspiration of the Holy Scripture, the infallibility of the Councils and the Pope, the authority of the Creeds, the nature of the ministerial priesthood and central elements of the Church’s moral teaching.”

Bishop Robinson, who is in the US on a speaking tour to promote his book, is due to speak in Los Angeles on June 12. He is also scheduled to visit Boston, Seattle, and San Diego during his US visit. Cardinal Mahony urged the Australian bishop to cancel those appearances.

Bishop Robinson is likely to continue his speaking tour, defying the ban by Cardinal Mahony and challenging prelates in the other cities where he is scheduled to appear.

The liberal activist group Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) has issued a statement denouncing Cardinal Mahony’s ban and praising Bishop Robinson for “trying to help us heal from the abuses which he saw first-hand” in Australia as head of a committee responding to the sex-abuse scandal there.

The VOTF statement acknowledges that the Australian bishops have found that Bishop’ Robinson’s book calls into question “the authority of the Catholic Church to teach the truth definitively.” But VOTF adds: “Those who read Bishop Robinson’s book carefully may question such conclusions.”

In his own response to the cautionary statement issued by the Australian bishops’ conference, Bishop Robinson complained that “the bishops appear to be saying that, in seeking to respond to abuse, we may investigate all other factors contributing to abuse, but we may not ask questions concerning ways in which teachings, laws, and attitudes concerning power and sex within the church may have contributed.” Because of that attitude, he said, he had “broken with” the episcopal conference.

Vatican reaffirms ban on homosexual seminarians

Rome, May. 20, 2008 (CWNews.com) – The Vatican has affirmed that a policy barring homosexuals from admission to seminaries applies to all Catholic dioceses and religious orders.In a brief letter to the world’s bishops, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio – news), the Vatican Secretary of State, underlined that a November 2005 policy statement from the Congregation for Catholic Education is “valid for all formation houses for the priesthood,” including those administered by religious orders, the Eastern Catholic churches, and missionary territories.

Cardinal Bertone’s letter– which, he noted, was specifically approved by Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news)– refers to the Instruction released by the Congregation for Catholic Education in November 2005, saying that neither active homosexuals nor celibate men with “profoundly deep-rooted homosexual tendencies” should be ordained to the priesthood or allowed to begin seminary training.

That Vatican document, which has now been reinforced, instructed bishops and religious superiors to use “painstaking discernment” in appraising the candidates for priestly training. Candidates who are identifiably homosexual are not qualified for ordination, the Vatican said. “In the case of a serious doubt in this respect, they must not admit him to ordination,” the document added.

Since the release of the Instruction in November 2005, some bishops and religious superiors had questioned whether the policy was to be applied universally throughout the Church. Cardinal Bertone’s letter, which he wrote to all the world’s bishops and religious superiors in response “to numerous requests for clarification,” answers those questions in the affirmative.

Archbishop Burke to ordain nine to priesthood after making vocations “top priority”

.- Archbishop of St. Louis Raymond L. Burke will ordain nine men to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Louis on Saturday at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

It is the largest ordination class for the archdiocese since 1987.

Some credit Archbishop Burke for the boom in seminarians.  A frequent visitor to the seminary, the archbishop sometimes drops by unannounced for lunches with the students.

“He’s the center and the core of this whole thing,” archdiocesan vocations director Rev. Michael Butler said to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Archbishop Burke explained that he decided vocations would be one of his priorities. 

“A bishop’s principal responsibility is to provide priests for the people in his pastoral care,” the archbishop said in an interview last week from Rome. “Ordinations have to be absolutely right at the top of my priorities.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported that Archbishop Burke has a habit of inviting each student at the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary for a walk near his residence.  “The walks,” as the seminarians call them, are opportunities for the young men to have heart-to-heart talks with their archbishop. 

Seminary officials organize the walks using time sheets.  When new sheets are posted, seminarians rush to sign up.

“It’s like when you throw pellets at the Japanese fish at the Botanical Gardens,” said ordinand Edward Nemeth, 26. “Guys falling over each other to get their names on the list.”

There are more than 100 men enrolled at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, more than half of whom are studying to be priests for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.  Monsignor Ted Wojcicki, president of the seminary, said he hopes to enroll 120 students next year.

All of the ordinands have earned master of divinity degrees and master of arts degrees in theology from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.

‘Smearing the Pope’

Matt C. Abbott
May 20, 2008

Earlier this month, the Catholic League issued a news release in response to an April 29, 2008 media advisory titled “Pope Gets Pass on Church Abuse History” issued by Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, which subsequently defended its initial advisory. The Catholic League then responded to FAIR’s response.

Got all that?

The Catholic League and FAIR’s press release exchange specifically involves the 1962 Vatican document Crimen sollicitationis, which, unfortunately, has been a subject of controversy and misunderstanding over the last few years.

The following PDF article, “Smearing the Pope,” written by canon lawyer Dr. Edward Peters, covers the still-timely debate regarding said Vatican document. It is reprinted (with permission) from the December 2006 issue of CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT.  Click on the photo below:

A critical turning point in the life of the Church

by George Neumayr, editor of CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT

Summorum Pontificum marks a new era of liturgical seriousness.

The forces in the Church most responsible for dividing Catholics from magisterial teaching are the quickest to use the word “divisive” in any controversy. A “divisive moment” is the Catholic left’s euphemism for any papal action that seeks to unite Catholics to the actual teachings and traditions of the faith.

So it goes with Pope Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, which authorizes wider use of the traditional Latin Mass. “Any liberalization of the use of the Tridentine rite may prove seriously divisive,” British prelate Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, said to the Telegraph shortly before the Motu Proprio’s release. “It might send out an unfortunate signal that Rome is no longer fully committed to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council…”

No, what it signals is a welcome new era of liturgical seriousness and the beginning of the end to the demoralizing liturgical chaos and distortions of the last four decades. In Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict has not only revived a venerable liturgical tradition but supplied a catalyst to reform the new liturgy.

By making the traditional Latin Mass and the new Mass two uses (extraordinary and ordinary) of “one and the same rite,” Pope Benedict is fostering a climate of healthy coexistence, perhaps one could even say healthy competition, in which false innovations may fall away and a sense of the sacred can be recovered.

In his letter to the bishops explaining Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict writes:

the two forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching: new Saints and some of the new Prefaces can and should be inserted in the old Missal. The Ecclesia Dei Commission, in contact with various bodies devoted to the usus antiquior, will study the practical possibilities in this regard. The celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of Paul VI will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality, which attracts many people to the former usage.

Far from ignoring the “needs of our time,” as he is often accused, Pope Benedict is responding to the most crucial one: the hunger for holiness, the simple desire for a transcendent, God-centered liturgy. Ordinary Catholics have asked for bread and been given stones, and the Holy Father is correcting the injustice:

Many people who clearly accepted the binding character of the Second Vatican Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the Bishops, nonetheless also desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them. This occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear. I am speaking from experience, since I too lived through that period with all its hopes and its confusion. And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the Church.

Never too concerned about the trauma these arbitrary deformations caused in the faithful, the liturgical innovators now give voice to their own. “I can’t fight back the tears. This is the saddest moment in my life as a man, priest and bishop,” Luca Brandolini, a member of the liturgy commission of the Italian bishops’ conference, said to La Repubblica, reported Reuters. “It’s a day of mourning, not just for me but for the many people who worked for the Second Vatican Council. A reform for which many people worked, with great sacrifice and only inspired by the desire to renew the Church has now been cancelled.”

This reaction would only make sense if the Second Vatican Council had decreed a hostility to tradition. But it didn’t. All Summorum Pontificum cancels is the misapplication of Vatican II and mindless contempt for tradition, which resulted in a “fabricated liturgy,” as Pope Benedict has said previously. The Catholic left’s game of driving a wedge between Vatican II and previous councils-of treating Vatican II as in effect a mandate to start a new religion from scratch-now appears over.

By shaking up a failing status quo, Pope Benedict has performed a great service for the Church. It is abundantly clear that postconciliar attempts to make the Mass “relevant”-which were often nothing more than a pretext to smuggle secularism into it-has rendered the liturgy increasingly irrelevant and catechetically destructive, as declining Mass attendance and gross ignorance of the faith confirm.

And he deserves great praise for having the courage to address an act of self-mutilation which treated a long and fruitful liturgical tradition as something “forbidden” or “harmful”-an act that appears all the more perverse in light of the fact that many of those who endorsed it were simultaneously using the new liturgy to advance bewildering innovations alien to the traditions of the Church.

Summorum Pontificum represents a central piece in the overall project of this pontificate: to arrest a culture of self-worship and restore God to the center of life. Many years hence, historians will likely see it as a critical turning point in the life of the Church-the moment the liturgy moved away from functioning like the invention of men and regained its splendor as the work of God.

 

Institute of Christ the King’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes, 2008

On March 29-30, 2008, the Institute of Christ the King conducted a pilgrimage to Lourdes in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady there. The superiors, seminarians, and sisters of the Institute came en masse from Gricigliano, along with many of the Institute’s priests from France, led by their Provincial Superior, Abbé Benoît Jayr (below).

They were all joined by a great number of friends and faithful from France, Ireland, Italy, and the United States. The two days were filled with private and scheduled devotions, including the Rosary, Way of the Cross, and an impressive candle procession Saturday evening. Solemn High Masses were celebrated in the upper basilica chapel, which was filled to capacity.

On Saturday, the celebrant was Vicar General Msgr. Michael Schmitz (above), while Msgr. Gilles Wach, Prior General, offered Mass that Divine Mercy Sunday. The Rector of the Shrine, Father Raymond Zambelli (below), greeted the pilgrims with a warm welcoming speech.