Something very wrong, or very right?

One of the more positive ‘signs of the times’ is the increasing number of diocesan bishops who are celebrating pontifical Mass at the throne in the old rite. Yesterday the New Liturgical Movement reported that His Excellency, The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, Bishop of Lake Charles, did just that on Sunday December 26th in his Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, assisted by his own clergy and seminarians. Seems like there's lots of good things happening down in Louisiana nowadays.

Bishop Provost is a fine successor of the apostles, and it's really great to see ordinary diocesan clergy doing this and reminding us that the old rites aren't copyright to some traddy group or other.

The pictures on his diocesan website show that a lot of care was taken to get everything right. The ceremony looks beautiful and they even remembered that a bishop doesn’t use altar cards. The Pimpernel is impressed.

But the Pimpernel’s interest has been piqued by this photograph of His Excellency leaving his Cathedral.

Either somebody got something very wrong, or very right. No, it’s not that they're all wearing the white of the 1962 calendar’s Sunday within the Octave of Christmas and not the red of Saint Stephen from obsolete calendars, and no, it’s not that they didn’t unvest in the sanctuary – they're allowed to do that in the sacristy. It’s something else. Suggestions in a comment please.

Happy feast

Depending upon what liturgical calendar you follow, in the Christian West today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (1962), the Octave Day of the Epiphany (pre-1955), Thursday of the first week of Ordinary Time (1969) or Saint Sylvester (pre-1582).

Happy feast of whatever.

With calendar reforms and the ability of Bishops to transfer feasts to other days, which they've being doing for longer than just modern times, anyone can be forgiven for getting confused about the the calendar after Christmas. What date was Epiphany where you are this year? What date will it be next year? It is a liturgical and pastoral mess that cries out to heaven for vengeance.

A kind reader has brought to the Pimpernel's attention an interesting article that raises some good points over at the New Theological Movement. It is well worth a read.

Mutual Enrichment?

When the good Pope John Paul II was reigning, liturgically daring people including a certain Bavarian Cardinal used speak about the “reform of the reform”. Even to talk about the possibility was somewhat exciting, nay, daring.

Now the Reigning Pontiff has spoken about the “mutual enrichment” of the older and the newer forms of the Roman Rite and has given some examples of what he has in mind. That was more than three years ago. Not very long at all in Vatican time, but it probably won’t be too long before we see some of what he spoke about implemented, and perhaps some other things also.

The learned Father Hunwicke  published something about this a week ago (it was from him that the Pimpernel adapted the phrase “traditionalist fundamentalists” – it just works for them, doesn’t it?) Now, the inspiring Chant Café has published another consideration on the question.

It is certainly good to talk about possibilities, and even better to do so with one’s feet on the ground as it actually is in 2011, looking forward. It is also refreshing that the persons doing so are not insulting the person of the Sovereign Pontiff or prophesying that the next pope will be a liturgical anti-Christ or pretending that no authority exists in the Church other than their own opinion.

Realistic, respectful and intelligent conversation, the Pimpernel commends.

There is a danger though. That is that our liturgical ‘wish lists’ can become political manifestos, as they have with the pre-1962-, the 3rd Confiteor-, the 1920 missal-, the pre-Pius X breviary-, the folded chasuble-, the pre-Trent sequence-, the 1955-, etc. etc. ‘societies’ (well, small, unstable groups of individuals or an individual, actually). Each of these stances may have something to commend them, but when they become politicised, and cut people off from the worship and life of the Church, that is another matter altogether.

No. As Catholics we stand with the Church. Yes, we respectfully discuss. We may put our case strongly and clearly. But we do not stamp our feet and turn away if our own manifesto does not win the day.

If we truly believe that in conscience we must protest the abolition of the Octave of the Sacred Heart, or the reclassification of semi-doubles to the end, St Thomas Aquinas gives us guidance on how to proceed. If, however, we can accept that the Church, for her reasons, perhaps for what we believe to be badly informed or even erroneous ones, has nevertheless made a decision that, whilst not prejudicing her indefectibility, is not what I want or think best, we can still be her loyal sons. We can also, as sons before a loving mother, try and persuade her to reconsider. Tantrums and calling popes and the Holy See names won’t help.

At the time of writing it is not clear to the Pimpernel whether Fr Hunwicke is soon to rejoice in full Communion with the Holy Father (...oremus!), but his sentiments are certainly Catholic. The author at the Chant Café already does. Both have made the contributions one would hope for from loyal sons. 

More sensible and non-partisan discussion of these questions is all to the good, but the Pimpernel asks, let’s all remember that “I” am not the ultimate judge of what should or should not be. The Church is.

The Times They Are a-Changin'

Does anyone remember Dr John R. Page, the former Executive Secretary/Director of ICEL? Dr Page was at the helm in ICEL until the 2002 revolution sent him and his old ICEL ideologies into exile. Recently he was one of the signatories of the futile but probably very therapeutic “What if we just said ‘wait’?” petition against the implementation of the new ICEL translation of the Mass due out this fall.

Mgr Wadsworth: the face of the new ICEL

Lots has been said about the new ICEL, mainly as an attempt to sabotage its good work coordinated by Dr Page’s successor, the Oxford Don Mgr Bruce Harbert. He has retired now, but honourably, and not sent into exile. His successor is another priest from the other side of the pond, Mgr Andrew Wadsworth.

News has been doing the rounds today that as well as his good work for ICEL Mgr Wadsworth is now on the road promoting both forms of the Roman Rite. He’s slated as the keynote presenter at a priests’ seminar In Utroque Usu scheduled for the end of the month at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, all the way down there in Shreveport, Louisiana. Topics will include: 

● Mutual Enrichment
● Hermeneutic of Continuity - Reform of the Reform - Noble Simplicity
● Ars Celebrandi
● Discussion regarding resources and on-line resources
● Low Mass Practicum
● A comprehensive introduction to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and its liturgical principles
● An introduction to Sung Mass and Gregorian Chant
● Hands-on instruction and training in the ceremonies of Sung (and Solemn) Mass
● Overview and practice in the chants of the Sung Mass
● Training in all the altar server positions for Sung Mass
● An overview of the 1962 Roman Missal and liturgical calendar
● A complete explanation and demonstration, with practical hands-on instruction, in the ceremony of Low Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal
● Tips and strategies for gaining proficiency in Latin

What a revolution. This sort of thing taking place in a cathedral with an ICEL official leading from the front is a real sign of the times and a reason for thanksgiving. What an inclusive Church we live in today. Yep, as Bob Dylan first told us way back there in 1964 The Times They Are a-Changin'!

Don’t tell the traditionalist fundamentalists, though, in case they notice that “1962” date. And don’t tell Dr Page. He deserves a peaceful retirement after all his hard work up to 2002. 

Active Participation at Midnight Mass

Thanks to Andrea Tornelli, the Pimpernel has discovered a worthy recipient of the 2010 Active Participation Award: Father Frédéric Lefevre, Pastor of Bavinchove in the North of France. His chasuble is also a contender for the 2010 Liturgical Arts Award, but the final decision on that can wait. Enjoy this extract from his 2010 midnight Mass. If you like his style, there is a nice photo gallery on his parish website. There are more videos there too.

Permission to keep the Old ICEL Mass?

1st January 2011
Another "iconic insult"

Father Gaudium et Spes seems to be remarkably short of both in his retirement, which is sad. One wishes that the poor man did not have to suffer the continuing "iconic insults" he complained about so loudly of before Christmas.

Now Father has written another article in which he tells us that "a vast crowd of priests and laity who passionately love the church...are alarmed at having a new and unsatisfactory translation of the liturgy about to be foisted on them due to power politics at the top."

"This last confrontation" he warns us "may well backfire. Many priests are simply not going to introduce the new translation. They say that if the Anglican newcomers and the Latin Mass groups can keep their liturgy, so can they."

He may be on to something here. Priests and people of his generation may be unwilling or unable to change. We should be sensitive to them. Why should they have to suffer an accurate vernacular translation of the Mass of Paul VI after all these years of using the ICEL version from the 1970’s, which has made them what they are, of course?

Why not give elderly priests who would find it difficult to make the change permission to keep using the old ICEL Mass? Only in private, without a congregation, of course.

If there really is a “vast crowd” of laity who want this translation, perhaps they could organise themselves into “The Old-ICEL Mass Society”? They could lobby the hierarchy for an indult to have public celebrations of the old ICEL Mass. After about fifteen years they could be given permission, but only on condition that this never took place in parish churches and didn’t involve any criticism of the new Mass, of course.

The Old ICEL Missal

Perhaps they could try the outright disobedience warned about by Father? They could even found a “Priestly Society of Paul VI” which could set up rival chapels, clergy, and even bishops, to ensure the continuation of the old ICEL Mass into the future. But they would risk excommunication, of course.

They may even hope for a pope who would encourage bishops to be generous with the indult for the use of the old ICEL Mass, or for another one almost twenty years later still who, to promote reconciliation, would permit it to any group of the faithful who really wanted it, only on condition that they recognised it as “extraordinary”, of course.

Perhaps by then Father Gaudium et Spes may be enjoying its fullness at last, but be looked back upon as a prophet who knew that the old-ICEL Mass of Paul VI had never really been abrogated. Or perhaps not. Time will tell, of course.

A Gaudium et Spes priest speaks



Father in his apartment

 Down under a priest has published his Reflections on an Ordination Golden Anniversary. They make for very interesting reading. Father has a quite a lot to say, including some things about the Holy Father and the Sacred Liturgy. An extract:

"Benedict XVI has continued the reversal of Vatican II. He is imposing a new English translation of the Sacramentary on a resisting English speaking constituency. This may very well backfire because many priests are not going to implement it. Benedict has received back bishops from the schismatic Society of St Pius X. He has encouraged the Tridentine Mass in Latin. He has reintroduced kneeling for communion on the tongue at his public Masses – all deliberate key pointers to regression from the spirit of Vatican II. To the priests who embraced Vatican II they are iconic insults."

Discuss.