Posted on 03/03/2014 10:29:03 AM PST by markomalley
My mail box has filled up this morning with reports that the Bishop of Fort Worth, Most Rev. Michael Olson, who was recently consecrated and installed in his see in November 2013 at a mere 47 years of age, has “banned” celebrations of Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the chapel of Fisher More College.
The source of these reports seems to be the blog Rorate Caeli, which provides a copy of the letter that Bp. Olson sent to Mister Michael King, who is the President of Fisher More College.
Here is the letter, which I found at the aforementioned blog:
None of us are privy to the conversation, mentioned by the bishop in his letter, that took place on 24 February. I have no idea what the tone of that conversation was or how many conversations took place.
However, I am appalled at the tone of the Bp. Olson’s letter to Mr. King. Frankly, it reminds me of a note an authoritarian seminary rector would pin on the mailroom bulletin board about student attire or lights-out time, rather then gentle pastoral solicitude of a diocesan bishop in the era of Pope Francis. I am shocked at the suggestion that this decision is taken for the sake of the souls of the students and the president himself, as if the Extraordinary Form were somehow spiritually harmful.
That said, what we don’t know about this situation could fill volumes.
For example, I discern in the bishop’s second point, the one about his granting faculties, the possibility that the priest who had been saying Mass at Fisher More on a regular basis may not have had any faculties at all, from any bishop or religious superior. I suspect that there is more to that poorly phrased second point than meets the eye.
Also, while some Catholic college and university chaplaincies also have the canonical designation as a parish (e.g., St. Paul’s at the University of Madison), Summorum Pontificum doesn’t seem to apply as clearly. The Motu Proprio doesn’t seem to apply to college chapels and chapels on military bases. That said, the spirit of both Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae communicate something far different from the tone, at least, of the bishop’s letter.
Again, what we don’t know about this situation could fill volumes. I, at least, don’t know who the priests were who were saying that Mass for the students at Fisher More. Were they of the SSPX or some independent group? Were they preaching things that were improper (e.g., attacking Pope Francis from the pulpit)? More will come out, and soon.
In the meantime, it is hard to imagine why a letter with such a menacing tone would be sent to a layman about something which soon-to-be St. John Paul II described as a “legitimate aspiration”. You will recall that Bl. John Paul asked, nay rather, required by his apostolic authority, that respect be shown to those who desire the traditional forms of the Roman Rite (cf. Ecclesia Dei adflicta, 6c).
My first hope and prayer, and petition to the Guardian Angels of those involved, is for cool heads and a positive resolution to this conflict so that the students and staff of Fisher More will be able to have their legitimate aspirations respected according to the will of St. John Paul and Benedict XVI.
As he points out (and as I said on the earlier thread), there very well may be more than meets the eye at the surface of this.
It’s interesting that he (as I did) also questions whether SP applies here.
And if it doesn’t, nothing will stop this bishop.
Still a worrisome situation. Keep praying.
"What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place." - PBXVI
I too was taken by Father Z’s very lucid response, balancing the known, with the unknown. The known is a jolt and painful, on its face. Therefore, there better be a dang good reason coming, immediately.
I must say, that since Vatican II and Novus Ordo, the masses are nearly foreign, in every possible way, regrettably and fully protestant to the rules and piety established in the old form mass.
Obviously, Pope Benedict’s regard for the Tradition has been fought tooth and nail in the United States. We have seen the carnage, ever since. ( I was only received in 2000, and even in that short time have seen increasing impiety, myself.) It’s getting pretty stunning out there.
I had an opportunity to meet Dr. James Patrick, a past president of the school. He is a learned and serious man. I think the school is small enough that it might look to make a quickie move outside of the diocese.
When someone is being penalized, it is a courtesy to inform him of the penalty. “You know what you did!” isn’t sufficient for grownups. This school has kept some folks from going full-bore SSPX.
UPDATE:
A priest friend forwarded information from HIS priest friend in Dallas. Thus, I will edit a great deal and use bullet points. These things either happened or they didn’t and can be verified one way or another:
- In May a prof of FMC (Fisher More College) gave a talk and denied aspects of Vatican II
- The FSSP priests withdrew their services at FMC some time ago.
- Taylor Marshall, married with several children, resigned his job at FMC without another job.
- At Thanksgiving, 2013, Fr. Nicholas Gruner, the suspended Fatima Priest, said Mass at FMC.
- These things took place when the Diocese of Fort Worth was vacant.
- “This is NOT about hatred for the TLM.”
All of these points (except the last, which was an opinion) suggest dysfunction which the new bishop needed to address.
It may indeed be that this is not about “hatred for the TLM”. If that is the case, then Bp. Olson will surely want to make that clear in some way.
One commentator, below, observed that the bishop said that students could go to a parish, off-campus, where the TLM is offered, thus suggesting that he doesn’t have a problem with the TLM itself.
I hope that is the case. The tone of the bishop’s letter certainly fueled that suspicion. Getting some of the details out will help diffuse some of this tension about an “attack by a bishop on the TLM”. It may not be that at all, though I still scratch my head about this.
As I said above, what we don’t know can fill volumes, that it will swiftly come out, and that we must must must pray for cooling heads and the help of our angelic companions.
RM/AM, can you please highlight the update in the title? Thanks.
Thank you for the speedy post of this update.
>>— As is typical, certain bloggers who don’t like to do their homework, are suggesting the chaplains at Fisher More could have been SSPX or independent priests. A nominal amount of fact checking would have informed them that the first two chaplains were FSSP, and the third who just left was a Fathers of Mercy priest. And all three were personally approved by the previous bishop.<<
from rorate caeli
>>The orientation is unique among Catholic colleges, and it has led to some disagreements about tradition and contemporary Catholicism; a professor’s criticisms of the Second Vatican Council last academic year provoked internal debate, and concerns prompted the chancellor and a professor to resign.<<
But Dr. King says the College does not question the validity of the Ordinary Form Mass and eagerly submits “with mind and will to the infallible teachings of the Church and Her ordinary and universal Magisterium.”<<
http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/TheNewmanGuide/RecommendedColleges/FisherMoreCollege.aspx
I have been told that the fact that there is a TLM available SOMEWHERE in my diocese (albeit in an inacessible place at an inconvenient hour) is an adequate response to Summorum Pontificum and a reasonable excuse for disbanding a long-established group of parishioners. The net effect is, of course, that fewer people will be able to attend the TLM, and the chancery knows this. The TLM "problem" is thereby solved through attrition.
Regarding Fr. Gruner, he says he is incardinated in India, yet the Vatican refuses to recognize his incardination. IF what he says is true, then he is the victim of a grave injustice. Regarding the Fatima message, it is a fact that the consecration in the exact form specifically requested by the Blessed Virgin has not yet occurred. It's interesting that we are now seeing the errors of Russia repackaged under the guise of liberation theology and actually marketed by the Vatican in Cardinal Mueller's book (prefaced by Pope Francis).
Regarding "denying aspects of Vatican II", there are legitimate questions regarding the abruption and discontinuity with Tradition that the council unleashed, and some statements within the documents that are contradictory and vague. Since Faith and reason are supposed to be inseparable, there are clearly questions that should be addressed.
I sincerely hope that the Fisher More students and faculty will be treated justly by their bishop. There seems to be a developing pattern of intolerance toward traditional Catholicism and against those who legitimately question the prudence of certain papal comments and behaviors, and who dare to question the problems regarding Vatican II. The FFI demolition, the Radio Maria firings, the CMTV manifesto, and the derogatory comments by the pope appear to be part of a new backlash against traditional Catholicism. Whether this Fisher More situation is also part of the unfortunate trend is still unclear.
A new member of our TLM parish just returned from FMC, he quit because of stuff going on there.
Really? Is there any additional information that you would be at liberty to share?
We’d all be better off if Fr. Nicholas Gruner was pope.
From a source in a diocesan office Somewhere In The English Speaking World, edited and with my emphases and comments:
This morning I asked our excellent team of orthodox canon lawyers to comment on the situation at Fisher More as reported by Rorate. Here are their thoughts:
Essentially they said the whole matter centers on the fact that Masses for the school are held in an oratory… [that's why I raised the issue of "parish", above] because of this, they said the bishop is probably on solid ground despite the fact that they “took an immediate dislike of the bishop when reading the decree.”
[...]Canon 1225 states that “All sacred celebrations can be performed in legitimately established oratories except those which the law or a prescript of the local ordinary excludes or the liturgical norms prohibit.”
Everything that happens within oratories are subject to regulation by the local ordinary. Because the local ordinary can lawfully regulate, restrict, or eliminate the celebration of the Mass or any of the sacraments in any oratory in his diocese, our canonists said that he most likely can restrict which form of the Mass is celebrated, because “he who can do the greater can do the lesser.” If you can prohibit Mass outright, the principle in law would suggest that you certainly can prohibit one form of the celebration. Furthermore, this is in a similar vein of regulating activities in Oratories with stipulations — for instance, “the Mass may only be celebrated in this oratory when some of the Christian faithful are present,” or “the Mass may only be celebrated in this oratory if extraordinary ministers of holy communion are not used.” [That's gonna happen!]
Again, the whole thing here hinges upon the fact [presumed] that the ordinary is regulating the activities in an oratory. (If there was a parish church across the street from Fisher More, and the pastor gave approval for the priests of the college to celebrate the vetus ordo their every day, the bishop could not prevent it because the situation would fall under the norms of Summorum and UE). [My point, above.]
[...]
There is some doubt about his ability to differentiate between the forms… and hopefully ED [Ecclesia Dei?] will swoop in and issue a clear statement…. but we’ll just have to see. [Don't hold your breath. And... I must add... it isn't always a good idea to ask when you don't know the answer in advance.]
If the oratory at Fisher More is really a private chapel instead of an oratory (unlikely but technically possible), Canon 1228 — which governs the sacraments in chapels — is even more restrictive: “Without prejudice to the prescript of can. 1227, the permission of the local ordinary is required for Mass or other sacred celebrations to take place in any private chapel.”
There you have more grist for the mill.
UPDATE:
This, from a person who wrote to the PCE about the situation for the chapel of a Catholic college:
Not as yet but will check with him on Sunday.
Fisher More Welcomes Bishop-Elect Olson
November 20, 2013
Laudétur Iesus Christus
Fisher More College extends a most jubilant welcome to Bishop-Elect Michael Olson as the new shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. For almost one year the College has been offering a weekly rosary for the election of a good shepherd to our diocese, and during this same period many members of the College community have been offering Mass intentions for the man who was ordained by Almighty God from the beginning of time to be our next bishop. It gives us joy to now commence offering prayers and sacrifices for His Eminence-to-be, and we hope to soon welcome him to our campus and community.
On Thursday, December 5 at 12 NOON, a Votive Mass of Thanksgiving for the election of Monsignor Olson will be offered in our college chapel.
Deus ómnium fidélium pastor et rector, fámulum tuum Michael, quem pastorem Ecclésiae Fort Worth praeésse voluísti, propítius réspice: da ei, quaésumus, verbo et exémplo, quibus praeest, profícere; ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi crédito, pervéniat sempitérnam.
(O God, the shepherd and ruler of all faithful, look down favorably upon Thy servant, Michael, whom Thou hast been pleased to appoint pastor over the Fort Worth Church; grant, we beseech Thee, that he many benefit both by word and example those over whom he is set, and thus attain unto life eternal, together with the flock committed to his care.)
http://fishermore.edu/chronicles/fisher-welcomes-bishop-elect-olson/
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