Posted on 04/16/2007 2:36:12 PM PDT by monkapotamus
Commentary: After a quiet and cautious start, major reforms are on their way
By Damian Thompson
Last Updated: 11:55pm BST 14/04/2007
Commentary
Many popes have celebrated their 80th birthday, but few have reached this milestone in such good form as Benedict XVI. Fighting form, perhaps.
After two cautious and successful years, in which he has surprised critics by writing about God's love rather than raging against contraception and homosexuality, the Pope is preparing a series of reforms of the Catholic Church.
Just how far he will go remains to be seen. But there are many nervous bishops at the moment - especially in this country.
The election of Joseph Ratzinger on April 19, 2005, deeply shocked liberals: the Rome correspondent of one Catholic magazine burst into tears in St Peter's Square. The new Pope realised that he had enemies in the Church, and decided not to play into their hands by, for example, instigating a witch hunt against gay clergy or reinstating the Latin (Tridentine) Rite of Mass.
Far from acting like a rottweiler, Benedict has manifested prayerful elegance - both in his writings and in church.
His pastoral, unexpectedly upbeat style has won him many friends, especially among non-Catholics who found John Paul II intimidating. When he attended a conference in support of the family in Spain last year, he failed to mention gay marriage or abortion - not because he does not oppose them, but because he felt that the Church should explain what it was for before it got round to explaining what it was against.
Recently, however, it has become clear that Benedict's agenda remains essentially the same as it was when he was Cardinal Ratzinger. When he was elected, he described himself as "a humble worker in the Lord's vineyard". Where John Paul II roamed far outside the vineyard, Benedict is staying close to the soil, pulling out weeds.
Those weeds are not so much people as bad habits - rambling sermons; smug, self-centred celebrations of the Mass; ugly music and architecture that, in his opinion, insults God.
Benedict is a bit like Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York: he believes that by fixing every broken window, fining every litter-lout, a city can be transformed. But his task is immense. It will not be easy to drag the lazy old precinct captains out of the donut shop.
Last month, the Pope issued a magnificently well-written document, Sacramentum Carititatis, ignored by the English bishops, which contained explicit instructions about the greater use of Latin and plain chant. Soon, liberal bishops in Europe and America could find their loyalty really put to the test.
Benedict is rumoured to be on the verge of removing restrictions on the celebration of the ancient Tridentine Rite, which liberals see as elitist. For two years, Catholics have wondered what sort of papacy this will turn out to be. Now they are about to find out.
Damian Thompson is editor-in-chief of the Catholic Herald
ping
Ping!
viva il Papa bump
The problem here in the USA is that there are no consequences for disobedience. So whatever the Holy Father says the majority of Bishops will continue to ignore him. They’ll pay lip-service but nothing will change.
Thanks, monk, I didn’t want to get into the UK news sources. Appreciate your posting. I will ping the folks.
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic News Ping List.
I so hope so. Lord please bring us back closer to the Traditional Church! : )
Maybe that will be one of the changes.
I worry about crumbs accidentally falling to the floor, when they use real bread for the consecration. I told my priest about my concern, and he said: “Don’t worry about it, God will take care of it.” Is he correct?
And I have heard that some churches use glass, rather than metal (gold) chalices; however, this states that they should not use breakable vessels:
According to the new Vatican document on liturgy, vessels for the Lord’s body and blood “must be made in strict conformity with the norms of tradition and of the liturgical books.” Common vessels, those lacking in quality or devoid of all artistic merit, those made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily, should not be used, according to the document “Redemptionis Sacramentum” (“The Sacrament of Redemption”), written by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. (CNS file photo from Crosiers)
excerpt: http://www.cdom.org/wtc/wtc_archives/wtc042904/wtncatholic_042904.html
A commentator on EWTN said that if a church doesn’t use metal chalices, they should be reported to the bishop, in part, because there is a chance the vessel could break and spill the Precious Blood.
I wonder if Pope Benedict will see that all churches in the United States follow these kinds of laws.
"real bread"?
The only valid and licit matter for the Eucharist in the Latin rite is unleavened bread made of wheat flour and water only.
"Real bread," at least as most people in the US understand it, contains yeast, salt, and often milk and other ingredients in addition to flour and water. It is not licit matter, and perhaps not valid, either. (Even in the Byzantine rite where they use leavened bread, they don't allow milk and other ingredients besides yeast, flour, and water.) There is a serious possibility that you are not getting a real Eucharist, and from your description, it doesn't sound like you're getting one celebrated according to liturgical law.
If your pastor won't fix a problem like this, your bishop ought to, and if he won't do it either, it's time to write a letter to the Papal nuncio.
I told my priest about my concern, and he said: "Don't worry about it, God will take care of it." Is he correct?
God will certainly "take care of it" at his particular judgement.
In the meantime, are you receiving a valid Eucharist? It doesn't sound like you're receiving a licit Eucharist to me.
I wouldn’t speak so fast my friend. There are Cardinals and Bishops who have been recently been replaced or are awaitng to assume their new assignments. All are in the same vein as the Holy Father. It will come back, slowly, but it will come back.
My mother in law asked the Novus Ordo “Priest”??? Why they have not had Benediction. He told her they were not allowed!! Can you imagine the Catholic Church not allowed to have Benediction.
Place your trust in the Lord. It will all come back.
Well it crumbles like real bread, but MAYBE it is unleavened, but it isn’t the wafer.
It’s a shame we have to have all of these uncertainties in the United States Catholic churches.
They OUGHT to be nervous. Some Priests, Bishops and Cardinals have fallen so far from Mother Church that they're technically no longer Catholic.
“Now they are about to find out.”
Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please!
**My mother in law asked the Novus Ordo “Priest”??? Why they have not had Benediction. He told her they were not allowed!! Can you imagine the Catholic Church not allowed to have Benediction.**
One of the married deacons in my parish calls it “cookie worship”!!!
I once asked our choir directress if at mass we could sing “Kyrie” instead of “Lord have mercy”. She told me no that since V2 everything has to be in English!
Wow!! That’s interesting!! Must be in English!!
Well, actually Pope Benidict was at V2 and he knows exactly what went on and the who’s that did it! So now and believe me it can’t be soon enough for me the church will be going back to the Tridentine Mass and the Lutheren Catholics or as I have been informed the “Joyful Catholics” can leave and start their own church’s.
Sit abck and watch the slow but methodical march back to the RIGHT WAY
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