Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

On this day last year, September 14, 2007, Fr. Eduard Perrone, the celebrant elevates the Chalice in the first public Mass - a Solemn High Mass - using the 1962 Missal at Grotto in about 40 years. It was the fruit of Summorum Pontificum - the motu proprio by Pope Benedict XVI which allowed for broader use of the Mass.



I deeply regret that I could not make it to Assumption Grotto today for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The last I had heard, Fr. Perrone was not going to be able to celebrate a Solemn High because there were not enough priests available who celebrate according to the 1962 Missal. We have a number of priests who celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form, including two associates, but circumstances just didn't allow for a Solemn High. That is, unless something changed since last week (feel free to explain in the combox how it went today and who had the Mass).

Related:

• Pontiff Denies Claim 1962 Missal Is a Regression (Zenit)
• EWTN Page for Archives of Televised Extraordinary Masses (watch this page for an uploaded MP3 of the homily from today's Mass).
• Photopost from September 14, 2007 at Assumption Grotto
• Fr. Perrone's homily on September 14, 2007
  

Here are more times you can catch it:

SOLEMN HIGH MASS ON THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS (LIVE) 2 hrs.

Solemn High Mass of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in the Extraordinary Form. The Tradional Latin Mass from the Shrine of the Most Blessed

Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama.
Sun 9/14/08 8:00 AM ET & 5 AM PT LIVE
Mon 9/15/08 12:00 AM ET & 9 PM PT (Sat) Encore

Those time are for Hanceville. I do know they match our time here in Detroit.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Summorum Pontificum One Year Later - Inteview with Fr. Z on Zenit

Zenit has done a two-part inteview with Fr. Z on Summorum Pontificum, which broadened use of the 1962 Missal. Rather than go back and update a post most of you will probably not think to check back on, I'm going to isolate those two links here. This is really good reading folks and, as usual, Fr. Z does a very good job of explaining how things have all panned out, with good examples...

Summorum Pontificum One Year Later (Part 1)
Summorum Pontificum One Year Later (Part 2)

You will want to check Fr. Z's post on this for the dialogue in the comboxes which is always interesting....

ZENIT and Fr. Z: “Summorum Pontificum” One Year Later (Part 1)
ZENIT and Fr. Z: “Summorum Pontificum” One Year Later (Part 2)

While you are there, you may want to read: Stalled again: USCCB fails to pass draft translation of Proper of Seasons

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!.

July 7th - Summorum Pontificum One Year Later...

It has been one year since Pope Benedict issued the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, which liberated what is now called, the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (EF). The Mass uses the 1962 Missal. At Assumption Grotto, Mass is celebrated in EF (9:30am Sundays and 7:30am weekdays) and in Ordinary Form(OF), commonly called the Novus Ordo. Sometimes, you will see the EF Mass referred to as usus antiquior (ancient use). More recently, I've seen it called, "Gregorian Rite". Either way, there is only one rite - the Roman Rite, but it has two forms - ordinaryand extraordinary. The expression, "Old Mass" is often considered a bit derogatory. If you want to use the expression "Latin Mass", be sure to say Traditional Latin Mass since the ordinary form can also be celebrated in Latin (which we often call the Latin Novus Ordo).

There are some interesting articles and blog posts out there on this. Many secular news sources will say that the motu proprio was designed to bring the SSPX home. Recently, I've heard some assert that the pope wanted the ancient-use Mass bring home traditional Anglicans.

Of course, while those things may have played a role, they were not the sole purpose of bringing back the usus antiquior. I'm sure the Holy Father noticed, as others were observing, that around the world, there has been a movement towards the 1962 Missal, especially among the young. I'm convinced this is the work of the Holy Spirit and no amount of tampering by unapproving bishops will prevent it from taking it's full course. While many diocesan seminaries have barely been attracting young men, the institutions which had an indult, or permission, to celebrate the ancient-use Mass, have seen an increase. This exploded after Summorum Pontificum. Ask any young man who has applied to those institutes, such as the FSSP and the ICKSP.

What I find hopeful, are the many seminarians that are showing interest around the world. What I find disheartening are the lengths to which some seminaries and bishops will go to in an attempt to suppress interest. It can merely be in the form of responding slowly to requests or making life difficult for interested seminarians. Those who engage in this behavior are actually thwarting the work of the Holy Spirit which draws these people to this Mass. How else can you explain so many young people around the world having an interest?

There's so much more that I would like to say, but for now, would like to leave you with some other, excellent articles and commentaries by people with true expertise.

Look for updates later in the day.....

INTERVIEW WITH FR. Z ON ZENIT

Summorum Pontificum One Year Later

First, I would like to point out that Fr. Z was interviewed by Zenit to give his analysis one year later. Part One of the Interview with Fr. Z has been published Sunday, and Part Two will be published later in the day. Watch Fr. Z's blogpost on this interview for the combox dialogue which is always interesting.

Edit: Part Two of the interview is now online

ARTICLE IN CATHOLIC HERALD BY SHAWN TRIBE

Second, I would like to point you to an article which appeared in the Catholic Herald by Shawn Tribe of The New Liturgical Movement blog: In a year Pope Benedict XVI has reshaped the liturgical landscape

MORE ON THE ANGLICAN SITUATION

Damian Thompson of the UK Telegraph, in his blog, Holy Smoke, talks about, [Anglican] Bishops plan conversion to Rome, and in a more recent post reveals the troubling thought process at the top in, Jesus is all over the place, says Rowan. Let's pray that our Anglican brethren will act on the graces falling upon them and come home. Here in the US, I'm aware of several Anglican-use Catholic parishes which are very traditional in nature, such as Our Lady of Walsingham in Texas.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Vatican asks for goodwill in interpretating Summorum Pontificum

From CWNews:

Vatican, May. 9, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Dario Castrillon-Hoyos has told an Italian magazine that diocesan bishops should show good will in granting requests for the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass under the terms of the motu proprio authorizing wider use of the extraordinary form.

In an interview with Jesus magazine, the president of the Ecclesia Dei commission declined to comment on reports that his office will soon issue a new document clarifying the motu proprio. Any decision on the release of such a document will be made by Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news), the cardinal said.

However, the Colombian cardinal-- whose office supervises implementation of Summorum Pontificum-- did comment on some inaccurate interpretations of the papal document. He spoke, for instance, about the frequent claim that the extraordinary form of the Mass should be used in parishes only when a "stable and consistent group" of the faithful request the older liturgy. That phrase is not intended to restrict the use of the traditional liturgy, the cardinal said.

"It is a matter of common sense," Cardinal Castrillon told Jesus; "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."

Read a translation of the entire inteview at NLM, in which Cardinal Castrillon of the Pontificial Commission Ecclesia Dei answers a number of questions

Source article at CWNews


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EWTN's Missa Cantata from April 6, 2008 - Multimedia

EWTN has updated their webpage dedicated to Masses celebrated in the Extraordinary Form. If you have not visited this page, it is well worth it. You can listen to audio of the sermons online or download them. Ditto with video clips.

As previously mentioned, those in the various traditional latin Mass communities in metro Detroit and Flint will have recognized the celebrant as Rev. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC. For the most part, he is seen at Assumption Grotto in Detroit, followed by St. Josaphat where he has celebrated the TLM during the Indult years.

The homily on April 6th was magnificent and powerful. It focused on vocations, the priesthood, and the need to pray for priests. I strongly encourage you to at least listen to that homily.

EWTN Archive of Televised Masses in Extraordinary Form

There is a DVD available of the April 6, 2008 Missa Cantata, but it reads that it is temporarily out of stock. I would try ordering it anyway. It's possible they will make them as they need them.

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Forthcoming clarifications on Summorum Pontificum

There has been much discussion of late at the blog of Fr. Z, which I check daily and highly recommend if you are interested in liturgical news, on a forthcoming clarification of the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. In addition to Associated Press releasing an excellent article on the topic (below), you may want to read through some blogposts I have listed at the bottom.

While some bishops have been helpful and supportive of priests celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass others have been less than supportive, if not going out of their way to make it difficult by way of "norms" and other tactics.

The TLM had required the permission of the diocesan bishop through an "indult" prior to Summorum Pontificum which went into effect September 14, 2007. In metro Detroit, St. Josaphat was granted this indult and had already been celebrating the Mass using the missal of 1962.

Vatican clarifying Latin Mass rules
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press Writer

VATICAN CITY --The Vatican has begun drafting a document to elaborate on Pope Benedict XVI's recent liberalization of the old Latin Mass because some bishops are either ignoring his move or misinterpreting it, Vatican officials said.

The Vatican's No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said in comments published Thursday that the Vatican would be issuing an "instruction" on how to put the pope's document into practice, since there had been what he called some "uneven" reactions to it since it went into effect last year.

The document Benedict issued in July removed restrictions on celebrating the so-called Tridentine Mass, the rite celebrated in Latin before the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s paved the way for the new Mass used widely today in local languages.

Following the 1960s reform, the Tridentine rite could only be celebrated with permission from local bishops - an obstacle that supporters of the old rite said had greatly reduced its availability.

In a gesture to such traditional Catholics, Benedict removed that requirement in his document, saying parish priests could celebrate the Tridentine Mass if a "stable group of faithful" requested it.

Implementation, however, has been uneven, with some bishops issuing rules that "practically annul or twist the intention of the pope," Monsignor Albert Malcolm Ranjith, secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for the Divine Cult and Discipline of Sacraments, said recently, according to the Vatican's missionary news agency FIDES.

Such reactions amounted to a "crisis of obedience" toward the pontiff, he was quoted as saying, although he stressed that most bishops and other prelates had accepted the pope's will "with the required sense of reverence and obedience."

Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, said the upcoming instruction would lay out criteria for the pope's document to be correctly applied, according to an interview published Thursday in the Italian religious affairs weekly Famiglia Cristiana. He gave no date for its publication.

He complained that reactions to the pontiff's document had been uneven.

"Some have even gone so far as to accuse the pope of having reneged on Council teaching," Bertone was quoted as saying. "On the other hand, there are those who have interpreted the (document) as authorization to return exclusively to the pre-Council rite. Both positions are wrong, and are exaggerated episodes that don't correspond to the pope's intention."

Despite such incidents, the Rev. John T. Zuhlsdorf, who runs a blog that has charted implementation of the pope's document, said he had seen growth in both interest in and celebrations of the older form of the Mass.

"In some dioceses in the United States, bishops have been stepping up to the plate and not only learning the older form, but celebrating it themselves," he said in an e-mail. "Younger priests are attending workshops. Several seminaries are offering training for their priesthood candidates."

Even before the pope's document was released, liberal-minded Catholics had complained that Benedict's move amounted to a negation of Vatican II, and some bishops and cardinals publicly warned that its implementation would create a rupture in the church.

Jewish groups also complained because the old rite contains a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews. Bertone has said the issue could be resolved and that the church in no way intended to go against its spirit of reconciling with Jews.

Benedict's document was also a bid to reach out to the followers of an excommunicated traditionalist, the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who split with the Vatican over Council reforms, notably the introduction of the new Mass.

Since the release of the motu proprio, several parishes in metro Detroit are offering the so-called Tridentine Mass, including Assumption Grotto.

If someone wants to provide a list of other parishes in the area, please feel free to drop it in the combox. I can't recall all of them off hand, but the list does include St. Josaphat. I am aware that others will be offering it within the next few months, as well.

Related Documents and posts:

• Pope Benedict's letter on Summorum Pontificum (Vatican.va)
• Fr. Z's commentary on the AP article
• Abp Ranjith: Opposition to Summorum Pontificum "beneath the dignity of a shepherd" (this post contains links to other blogposts by Fr. Z with examples of episcopal behavior).
• Abp Ranjith: Those resisting Summorum Pontificum are guilty of the sin of pride
• Card. Bertone on the instruction about Summorum Pontificum
• A little humor from Curt Jester on disobedience of some bishops

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Canon Law Society of Great Britain on Summorum Pontificum

A very interesting article at the blog of Fr. Z on the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and it's explanation the controversial issue of "stable group" with regards to Summorum Pontificum.

As you know, certain bishops have issued letters, which Fr. Z has been reviewing extensively for months now.

Go read the article at Fr. Z's blog with his comments



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Abp Ranjith: Those resisting Summorum Pontificum are guilty of the sin of pride

It's refreshing to hear bishops speak so frankly. I'll start you out here with the interview as Fr. Z provides it, and you'll need to follow up at his blog for an excellent commentary which follows. I still run into people who don't realize that Fr. Z is the author of the column in The Wanderer called, What does the prayer really say? He has a blog of the same name.

The highly estimable Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, His Excellency Most Reverend Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige gave an interview to Bruno Volpe of Petrus where you can find the original Italian. Rorate has their own translation, but here is mine with my emphases:

Your Excellency, what kind of reception has Benedict XVI´s Motu Proprio which liberalized the Holy Mass according to the Tridentine Rite had? Some, in the very bosom of the Church, have got their noses bent out of shape…

"There have been positive reactions and, it’s pointless to deny it, criticisms and oppositing positions, also on the part of theologians, liturgists, priests, Bishops, and even Cardinals. Frankly, I don’t understand this distancing from, and, let’s just say it, rebellion against the Pope. I invite all, above all shepherds, to obey the Pope, who is the Successor of Peter. Bishops, in particular, swore loyaly to the Pontiff: they must be consistent and faithful to their commitment."

In your view, what are these demonstrations against the Motu Proprio due to?

"You know there have been, on the part of some dioceses, even interpretative documents which inexplicably aim at putting limits on the Pope’s Motu Proprio. Behind these actions there are hidden, on one hand, prejudices of an ideological kind and, on the other hand, pride, one of the gravest sins. I repeat: I call on everyone to obey the Pope. If the Holy father decided he had to issue the Motu Proprio, he had his reasons which I share entirely."

The derestriction of the the Tridentine Rite by Benedict XVI appears to be the right remedy for the many liturgical abuses sadly recounted after the Second Vatican Council with the ‘Novus Ordo’...

"Look, I don’t want to criticize the ‘Novus Ordo’. But I have to laugh when I hear it said, even by friends, that in a some parish, a priest is a ‘saint’ because of his homily or how well he speaks. Holy Mass is sacrifice, gift, mystery, independently of the priest celebrating it. It is important, nay rather, fundamental that the priest step aside: the protagonist of the Mass is Christ. So I really don’t understand these Eucharistic celebrations turned into shows with dances, songs or applause, as frequently happens with the Novus Ordo."

Monsignor Patabendige, your Congregation has repeatedly denounced these liturgical abuses…

"True. However, there are so many documents which have sadly remained dead letters, winding up on dusty shelves or, worse yet, in waste baskets."

Another point: one often hears very long homilies…

"This is an abuse too. I’m against dances and applause during Masses, which aren’t a circus or stadium. Regarding homilies, they must be about, as the Pope has underscored, the catechetical dimension exclusively, avoiding sociologizing and pointless chatter. For example, priests jump onto some political point because they didn’t prepare their homily well, which really ought to be scrupulously worked on. An excessively long homily is synonymous with poor preparation: the right length of time for a sermon should be 10 minutes, 15 at most. You have to remember that the high point of the celebration is the Eucharistic mystery, without of course intending to downplay the liturgy of the Word, but rather to make clear how to carry out a correct liturgy."

Returning to the Motu Proprio: some criticize the use of Latin during Mass…

"The Tridentine Rite is part of the tradition of the Church. The Pope has duly explained the reasons for his provision, an act of liberty and justice towards traditionalists. As for Latin, I would underscore that it was never been abolished and, what is more, that it secures the universality of the Church. But I repeat: I urge priests, bishops, and cardinals to obedience, setting aside every kind of pride and prejudice."

Now, go read Fr. Z's excellent commentary on this interview!

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Positive article in Washington Times on TLM

What a breath of fresh air and it comes from the secular media. Deo Gratias! If you enjoy the article you might consider emailing them or sending a letter to the editor telling the Washington Times what you think. Emphases mine.

I have a lot emphasized in bold - I mean, you have to read the whole article. It's dead-on. What must the dissident Notre Dame theologian, the Rev. Richard McBrien think?

Article published Oct 28, 2007
Mass appeal to Latin tradition


October 28, 2007


By Kristi Moore - Roman Catholic churches nationwide are rushing to accommodate a surge in demand for the traditional Latin Mass, which is drawing a surprising new crowd: young people.

Since July, when a decree from Pope Benedict XVI lifted decades-old restrictions on celebrating the Tridentine Mass, seven churches in the Washington metropolitan area have added the liturgy to their weekly Sunday schedules.

"I love the Latin Mass," said Audrey Kunkel, 20, of Cincinnati. "It"s amazing to think that I"m attending the same Mass that has formed saints throughout the centuries."

In contrast to the New Order Mass, which has been in use since the Second Vatican Council in 1969 and is typically celebrated in vernacular languages such as English, the Tridentine Mass is "contemplative, mysterious, sacred, transcendent, and [younger people are] drawn to it," said the Rev. Franklyn McAfee, pastor of St. John the Beloved in McLean. "Gregorian chant is the opposite of rap, and I believe this is a refreshing change for them."

Susan Gibbs, the director of communications from the Archdiocese of Washington, said the attraction demonstrated by the young adults is "very interesting."

Besides the liturgy"s rich historical content and spiritual significance, the younger generations show an interest in the old becoming new again, said Louis Tofari of the Society of St. Pius X, an order of clergy that opposed the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

"People who never grew up with the traditional Mass are finding it on their own and falling in love with it."

The Tridentine Mass helps people in their 20s and 30s who have grown up in a culture that lacks stability and orthodoxy see something larger than themselves: the glory of God, said Geoffrey Coleman of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter"s Our Lady of Guadalupe seminary in Denton, Neb.

The Tridentine Mass "detaches me from the world and lifts my mind, heart and soul to heavenly things," said Michael Malain, 21, of Houston.

Kirk Rich, 21, of Oberlin, Ohio, remembers the first time he attended a Tridentine Mass and recalls thinking that a new religion had been invented.

"That"s certainly what it seems like when comparing the two forms of the Mass," Mr. Rich said.

The biggest difference between the two forms is that the Tridentine Mass is always celebrated in Latin, except for the homily. The priest also leads the parishioners facing east, the traditional direction of prayer. The New Order Mass can be celebrated in Latin, but usually is not. There are also differences in some of the prayers, hymns and vestments.

As a result, the overall feel of the Tridentine Mass is more solemn and serious.

"The coffee social is after the traditional Latin Mass, not in the middle of it," said Kenneth Wolfe, 34, of Alexandria. "No one can say, with a straight face, that the post-Vatican II liturgy and sacraments are more beautiful than the ones used for hundreds and hundreds of years."

Like the churchgoers now demanding the celebration of the Tridentine Mass, the priests learning the rite are usually younger as well.

The Society of St. Pius X trains priests in the liturgy of the Tridentine Mass and has received as many as 25 requests a week for instruction since July.

"The phone was ringing nonstop, and I was getting e-mail after e-mail,' Mr. Tofari said. "The response was absolutely incredible; most of the people who call are below the age of 30."

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter has collaborated with Una Voce America to host workshops for clergy in Denton, Neb. Una Voce America, which promotes the celebration of the Tridentine Mass, usually teaches the rite to 12 students a session. But in September, it increased that number to 22 to meet the increased demand for training.

Many priests think the changes approved by the pope will do more than bring young people into the church. They think the celebration of the Tridentine Mass will increase the faith of many followers.

The Rev. Paul Scalia, 37, has been celebrating the Tridentine Mass at St. Rita Church in Alexandria. He said the increase in young attendance is evidence that the Mass is something living and life-giving.

"The beauty is tremendous, as it draws us to God, who is beauty Himself," Father Scalia said.

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Solemn High Mass on EWTN Now!

Note: This post has undergone some editing and fine-tuning so if you read it previously, don't be surprised to see some things added.

Today is the Feast of the Triumph and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the first day that the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite may be freely celebrated based on Summorum Pontificum.

I am on a vacation day today and have on the Solemn High Mass on EWTN right now, celebrated by the visiting FSSP priests who are there training several of the friars interested in the Mass. WOW!

EDIT: Right after the Consecration, EWTN seems to have encountered technical difficulties and we have lost the Mass, at least temporarily. It came back just as the priest was drinking from the Chalice.

FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST!
I must confess, when the priests entered, wearing the most breathtakingly beautiful Sacred Heart vestments, and birettas, I cried. I felt like a caged-bird released. While I was too young to have any recollection of this Mass before Vatican 2 (I was born in 1962), there was an awesome sense of freedom in my soul that I just can't describe. I never would have known that when I stumbled into Assumption Grotto in 2005, God was leading me to a place that would release something I never knew was there: A longing for this old Mass. For me personally, I can see how the Latin Novus Ordo was a stepping stone to something so much more magnificent.

Te Deum laudamus; te Dominum confitemur


I am following along in the pamphlet which is downloadable at EWTN made by the FSSP for today's Mass. You can find it here on the motu proprio resources page. The Epistle and Gospel are being read in english - good english - the kind I like to hear in Church, so different from ordinary conversational english.

Rev. Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP, wearing a beautiful preaching stole, has just read the Gospel and is now doing the sermon. He is talking about Summorum Pontifcum, about the Mass itself, and now is addressing the use of Latin, and the ad orientem posture of the priest who faces the altar, not the people, leading them in prayer. I hope EWTN or the FSSP will publish the words of the sermon so we can link to it.

MOTHER ANGELICA SIGHTING
As a sidenote, there was a "Mother Angelica sighting". Yep, Mother is there behind the grates right in the front row, assisting at this Mass. I am so glad she lived to see this come to pass. She is being shown a second time in the background and appears deep in contemplation. This Mass is conducive to it. All of the stimulii common to the new Mass I grew up with, are completely removed. As I have witnessed at Assumption Grotto during the Latin Novus Ordo, those stimulii are totally unnecessary even in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It is the absence of interpersonal stimulii which enabled me to first discover the depths of the Latin Novus Ordo when experiencing it as it is celebrated at Grotto. The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, "kicks it up a notch" in the area of sacredness, magnificence, and reverence.

HUMILITY IS A GOOD THING
God is wholeheartedly placed at the center of this Mass and it is loaded with humility. Just as an example, before the priest ascends the steps to the altar, here is the exchange between priest, deacon, and subdeacon. If you pray the Divine Office or read Scripture regularly, you may recognize some of the words, straight out of Psalm 42.

V: I will go to the altar of God.
R: To God the joy of my youth.

V: Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight against an unholy people, rescue me from the wicked and deceitful man.
R: For Thou, O God, art my strength, why hast though forskaen me? And why do I go about in sadness, while the enemy harasses me?
V: Send forth Thy light and thy truth: for they have led me and broughtme to they holy hill and Thy dwelling place.

R: And I will go tothe altar of God, to God my, the joy of my youth.
V: I shall yet praise Thee upon the harp, O God, my God. Why are thou sad, my soul, and why art though downcast?
R: Trust in God, for I shall yet praise Him, my Savior, and my God.


This Mass brings something back to the liturgy, that in my humble opinion has been lost and even shunned: the concept of humility. As I read the translations in this booklet, it also brings back an understanding that we are a sinful people, but a people whose salvation is made possible by the graces of God through the Sacrifice of the Mass, if we respond to those graces worthily. I recall all too well a reaction I developed to the use of the altar rail: It begs for humility and for a pure soul, free of mortal sin. Unfortunately, in many parishes today, the confession lines are empty, but the Communion lines are full. I say again, that rail which is suppose to be an extension of the altar, whispers a sense of the sacred and it BEGS for a clean soul. This is true especially where confession is readily available before Mass. Those lines of penitents have a gravitational pull.

BE A STUDENT OF THE MASS
Since coming to Grotto, I have become a student of the Mass. Now, I see myself as a student of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. I hope all of you too, will deep dive this Mass to see all of the richness it offers us from a spiritual standpoint. Every single thing (vestment, tool, etc), and ever single action (bowing, removal of biretta, ringing of bells, etc.) has a purpose and it gives us an opportunity to meditate. For example, as the priest drinks from the Chalice, the deacon and subdeacon back away to either side, and each bows his head until the celebrant puts the Chalice down. Such subtle moves provide us with a chance to reflect on the sacredness of the Precious Blood. It goes to the magnitude of what has taken place, and Who it is we receive.

I don't see less opportunity to participate. I see more opportunities. These are just in a whole different dimension - much of it interior, but some also manifesting themselves in certain outward expressions, as well. We genuflect during the Creed instead of bowing out of reverence and humility for the fact that God became man, born of a Virgin.


This Mass will be rebroadcast at 6:00pm tonight, and at midnight. Set your tape or Tivo to record if you will be at the Mass.

As I close this post, Fr. Goodwin is doing an excellent job of bringing out many of the Church's teachings on the Mass, especially words of Pope Benedict. He has addressed the "deformations of the liturgy" found in the way the Novus Ordo is often celebrated - not the way the Church intends it to be celebrated. He is talking about how this deformation includes the emphasis on "celebration", as opposed to the reality of the representation of the sacrifice made by Jesus. The Mass is not a celebration, it is a sacrifice. His sermon offers us a good dose of solid catechesis.

Come to Grotto tonight and dive into the Solemn High Mass at 7:00pm.

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Motu Proprio Updates - Masses on Friday

I plan on writing more posts on GIRM 160, but have been terribly short on time with choir last night. Now I am heading off to work, and then I will be at Grotto this evening for the Fatima Devotions. The parish children will put on a skit to re-enact the September apparition, and this will be followed by a talk by Fr. Perrone. It all starts at 7:00pm with Mass, followed by an outdoor procession and will end sometime after 9:00 with that talk and refreshments. It is suppose to be quite cool tonight so dress warm.


WORSHIP GOD IN SPLENDOR FRIDAY
When I think about it, I get chills. In various parishes the world over, people will be experiencing the "Mass of the Saints" on Friday on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite has been around a very long time. When you look at many of the saints with whom you are close, they assisted at this Mass, or the similar, earlier version of it prior to 1570 (stemming from around the 6th century, I believe).

I look at the saints and consider how many of them didn't even know Latin, yet were very fond of the Mass. Hence, the notion that you can't "get anything" out of this Mass is nonsense. Grace is not something you feel. Both the Novus Ordo and the TLM bring to us the Body Christ - the ultimate source of grace, but the older form in my humble opinion, enables us to slip deeper into contemplating the mystery of the Mass. No doubt the Novus Ordo as celebrated at Grotto enables this, which is why people commute from all over southeast Michigan to experience it weekly. However, I now see that as a stepping stone to something that can take us to a whole new level. I encourage people to experience it, and follow along in the Missal or pamphlets provided and you will find yourself participating in ways you never thought possible.

Active participation is first an interior thing. We receive the grace of God to adore Him and to worship Him in the depth of our hearts, and with our being. It is in our silence and stillness that we transcend the world and it's ways and slip into that dimension which includes the entire Mystical Body - the angels, the saints, and those in purgatory, as well as those present in human form. This happens in any Mass - old or new, but when all of the external stimulii silence us, it is so much easier to grasp the magnitude of what is taking place.

Assumption Grotto will have a Solemn High Mass at 7:00pm. One reader wrote to ask if she would need to wear a chapel veil. The chapel veil is not required. This is one question that was answered by Bishop Bruskewitz when EWTN had it's first round table on the motu proprio. The Bishop called it a "discipline", not a requirement. It's my experience at Grotto that perhaps 15-20% of the women wear them during the Novus Ordo masses.

If you are in or near the Chicago, IL you can experience the Mass in all of it's splendor at St. John Cantius. Here is a Catholic PR Wire update excerpt (click to see the music program and more):

The Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, chosen by Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, to serve the pastoral needs of the faithful attached to Traditional Latin Mass, extends deep gratitude to our Sovereign Pontiff for this great spiritual benefit.

In joyful thanksgiving for the blessings of Almighty God poured out so lavishly upon the Roman Church by the hands of our Pontiff, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (1962 Missale Romanum). The Latin High Mass will be held on September 14, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. at St. John Cantius Church, 825 N. Carpenter Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622. The public is welcome to attend.

After the Traditional Latin High Mass, the faithful will chant the "Te Deum" and join in a special outdoor procession (weather permitting) with the Relic of the True Cross. During the procession the Catholic faithful will chant the Litany of the Saints in Latin. Returning to the Church all will be invited to venerate the Relic of the True Cross.

The Cantate Domino Choir, directed by Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C., will provide choral music. The choir is to be accompanied by Walter Whitehouse, the Associate Chapel Organist of the Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago.

Pre-Order your 1962 Missal from Baronius Press

Baronius Press is in the process of making a "Motu Proprio" edition of their 1962 Missal. This version has an imprimatur by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, and a foreword by him, as well. They are currently taking pre-orders for the book, which should be available in October.

You can find a complete list of what is in the Missal by following this link.


EWTN Resources on the Motu Proprio

I also want to direct your attention to a page set up by EWTN with a list of resources. Something of interest to those of you who are planning to assist at a Mass on Friday, but don't have a missal, is a printable pamphlet made by the FSSP. It is good for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross only, but can be saved for other years, or used one time only. This will tell you what to do, as well. EWTN suggested in their roundtable last night (which will air again today at 10:00am EST), that people print it out and follow along if they are going to watch the Mass which will come to us live at 8:00am Friday.

Click here for the EWTN Motu Proprio resource page


From Fr. Z

Standing, Sitting, Kneeling...
Read the list of comments to find a Mass in your area Friday


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EWTN Motu Proprio Roundtable - Tuesday 10:00pm

Stay tuned to EWTN for special programming involving the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, which will be airing tomorrow night - Wednesday, at 10:00pm EST. I think it is showing an encore at 10:00am Thursday.

On Friday at 8:00am, you can watch accordingly (on TV or online by going to EWTN.com):

SOLEMN HIGH MASS ~ EXTRADORDINARY FORM OF THE ROMAN RITE (LIVE)
Celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama.

You can find more here starting on 9-12-2007 so scroll down.


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Upcoming EWTN special on Motu Proprio

I just wanted to pass this along from EWTN's home page for The World Over Live.

The World Over Live will be taping a program on Pope Benedict XVI's recent motu proprio on the Traditional Roman Mass, Summorum Pontificum. Our guests will be bishops and canon law experts who will be able to answer your questions on this very important document that restores the use of the pre-Vatican II liturgy (1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII). Email us your questions now to worldover@ewtn.com .........." [link to a form to fill out a question has been removed but if you go to EWTN you can fill out your question right there outside of sending an email]


The taping will occur on Thursday, August 30. It will air on the September 14, 2007 World Over Live.

Quick! Get your questions in while you still can - there's only a few days left.

I will be busy at assisting at Assumption Grotto's first Traditional Roman Mass that evening, but will set my tape to record it. I'm sure it will be rebroadcast many times too.

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Fr. Perrone Comments Further on Tridentine Preparation at Grotto

I want to pull out of the Grotto bulletin PDF listed in the post below for August 26th, this week's comment by Fr. Perrone. He is planning on writing something each week about preparation and celebration of the Old Mass and I'll bring those words to you here since the PDF will not remain on the web indefinitely. I have added white space for easier reading.

In my spare moments I have been
orchestrating the music for the musical
play, Palla Eius. I have therefore not
been devoting those extra hours to a
needed and careful study of the
Tridentine Mass.

However, I have perused, in casual fashion,
some books which contain detailed instructions
for the priest and the altar servers on how to
celebrate correctly the older form of the
Mass. You would not believe the degree
of complexity specified in such manuals
(often called ceremonials).

But just so that you get some appreciation of
how exacting the so-called Tridentine Mass is
over details of how the celebration
should be conducted, I offer you here a
snippet from these directives. Take, for
example, this randomly picked passage:

“Placing his left hand in the usual
manner on the node of the chalice, and
still holding the Fragment of the Host in
his right hand over the cup, the priest
says aloud Per omnia sæcula
sæculorum... Then, moving his hand and
forearm quietly, he makes with the
Sacred Particle three crosses over the
mouth of the chalice, moving the Particle
from edge to edge, but without touching
the chalice. He makes the first cross
while saying aloud Pax Domini, the
second at the words sit semper, and the
third at vobiscum. dividing these words
as the text of the Canon indicates. When
the server has replied Et cum spiritu tuo,
and not sooner, the celebrant drops the
Sacred Particle into the Precious Blood,
saying silently Hæc commixtio, etc. At
the Holy Name he bows his head.”

Note that the book from which this brief
excerpt is taken runs to over 600 pages!
I quote this to you for a few reasons. I
want you to appreciate the exactness with
which the Church used to expect her
priests to celebrate the sacred liturgy. Not
a single movement was left to chance,
even though there were a few alternative
ways of doing certain gestures.

The next thing I want you to ponder is, by
contrast with the foregoing, in how slipshod
and cavalier manner the new form of Mass is
sometimes celebrated. Although the
revised rite of Mass does not demand the
precise uniformity of the old, departure
from prescribed directives (called rubrics)
in the new Mass is forbidden and often
shocks the religious sensibilities of the
faithful.

Another thing to notice is that,
even in this brief quotation from a
handbook on the liturgy, words such as
Particle (referring to the Host after it has
been broken by the priest), Fragment are all
capitalized. This is a far cry from our current
vernacular usage in liturgical books and reflects
the desacralizing that has been going on for the
last 45 years. This is also evident in the
current orthography in Sacred Scripture
and in liturgical books by which pronouns
that refer to the Divine Name are in small
case (thus ‘he’ and ‘him’ instead of ‘He’
and ‘Him’. (Faithful readers, kindly note
that your pastor long ago reverted to the
older and more reverential practice of
capitalizing such words, as also ‘She’ and
‘Her’ when they refer to Our Lady.)

I wrote that I would say something about
the Tridentine Mass every week in
preparation for September 14’s 7:00 p.m.
Mass, the first day the Pope has given
permission to celebrate it. I hope that our
execution of the ceremonial will approach
some measure of the perfection which the
old rite expected of its sacred ministers.

For this, let us pray.

Fr. Perrone

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Fr. Perrone: Tridentine Mass at Grotto starting on Feast of Holy Cross

Grotto's pastor, Fr. Eduard Perrone gave parishioners some indication of what will happen with regards to the motu proprio on the old form of the Latin Mass, in this week's bulletin.

I had said that I would be writing a little each week about the TRIDENTINE MASS. Here I would like to remind you and to inform for the first time our more recent parishioners, that our parish had twice in recent years signed petitions to Cardinal Maida requesting permission for the Tridentine Mass to be celebrated here. And twice the permission was refused. No doubt his Eminence had reasons of his own for this and I do not question his judgment. He has the grace of office and must direct the affairs of the archdiocese according to his own counsel.

Now, however, that the Holy Father has manifested his will that the Tridentine form of the Roman Rite be granted greater availability, we will avail ourselves of his graciousness and begin to celebrate the older form of the Latin Mass here regularly. My plan is to offer the fullest expression of the splendor of the old Mass, the ‘Solemn High Mass,’ on the very first day of its permitted return, September 14, the Feast of the Holy Cross, for the 7:00 p.m. Mass. Thereafter our Sunday 9:30 Mass will ordinarily be a Tridentine High Mass. This practice will be evaluated in the weeks following and your comments–surely ever charitable–will be thoughtfully received. It will take some time, however, for us to get used to this manner of celebration, although I dare say that for Grotto parishioners it will be an easy transition.

In talking with Fr. Perrone at the conclusion of Assumption Day, I can say that he is geared up to train the altar boys, who are now in the process of memorizing some things. This will be a learning process and will take the entire crew of people involved, time to learn very well. Practice makes perfect.

Just today I was thinking that with so many boys in our program, there will also be other things to work out with scheduling since there can only be one such Mass on Sundays, and a limit on servers. Father may need to train a crack-crew before others can join in and I pray that all will be patient and flexible in this regard.

I plan on assisting at this Mass and have asked Father for permission to take photos, and perhaps video. I have only experienced the old form of the Latin Mass once, and from own perspective, I felt that it was a contemplative's Mass. The language in the 62 Missal along with prayers (through translations) that I've never heard before, were so beautiful and so worthy of the God I was there to worship that I became quite excited over the motu proprio.

I know many at the parish who are bursting with excitement at the opportunity to experience it in our home. I also have met some who don't particularly care for it and for them, I am glad that the other Masses will be unaffected. The Novus Ordo at Grotto will always be reverent and majestic. Our Lord will be as joyful at those who lift their hearts in worship at both forms of the Mass in our parish.

MYSTERIOUS LONGINGS NOW UNDERSTOOD

I have been reflecting so much on this of late, digging back all the way to my early teen years.

I am 45 now. But I actually purchased a Latin Grammar book when I was 16 and attempted to teach myself Latin. I truly loved the language that I had only heard in Christmas songs, like Adeste Fidelis, and yearned to know it. That yearning is still there. But, now it comes with a desire to read The Confessions of St. Augustine in Latin.

As a young child I recall the disappointment that the "good old songs" were being replaced by contemporary songs. I yearned for those hymns that I now sing regularly at Grotto. I yearned for chant and was always intrigued by it, and sacred polyphony. I was a closet-choir fan all of my life, but actually caved in and played instruments at folk masses. I would have jumped at the chance to be in the choir all those years - the choir that was shown the door by the newer "music ministers" I now call "choir-killers".

I actually have recollections of the Lefebvre break and later, Ecclesia Dei. I was so far removed from it, yet what little I knew, i recall wondering secretely if I could ever experience the old Mass. I remember the disappointment at the realization that only few would get that opportunity because traveling great distances was not possible for me on Sundays.

I have longed for a sense of the sacred, while allowing myself to become like a wild animal just subsisting on what would come my way. Worship was as casual of a thing as going to the mall, as was evidenced by my irreverence, my coming late and leaving early, and by being nothing more than a body in the pew.

I yearned terribly for hard-hitting homilies that would jar me from my complacency and sinfulness, yet week after week, year after year, the homilies were becoming more banal. I yearned to know the faith deeply, but could never find what the Church truly taught - or at least, could not get past the confusion of vocal theologians. All I had was "My Butterfly and Me" catechism.

My wild-side resisted the sacredness of Assumption Grotto's Latin Novus Ordo at first, but in such a short time, those old yearnings found their way to the surface where I was able to truly worship God fully.

Now, the Latin Novus Ordo at Grotto had many of these things. But it now seems to have been a stepping stone to the old Mass.

I have no doubts from Whom those yearnings were prompted. How else does someone born in 1962 have them throughout a lifetime after never having been exposed to these things?

Summorum Pontificum, in my view, is an affirmation to me, that the Holy Spirit was front-and-center in all that I yearned. Now, it feels it is about to be complete. Someday, I hope to cap it off by learning Latin once and for all.

Deo Gratias!



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Summorum Pontificum - A Pastor Breaks the News on What V2 did not Teach

Here is a pastor at work, explaining the new motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, in the church paper and making clear what Vatican 2 did not teach. Here is how it starts out:

Despite what the media tells you, the Pope is not renouncing the Second Vatican Council, he is authentically implementing it. He is correcting the mistakes and misinterpretations that came after the Council. One of them is with the return of the Mass. Contrary to what most of the media tells us, Vatican II did not:

• 1. order Mass to be said in the Vernacular


• 2. tell priests to face the people at Mass


• 3. establish Communion in the hand


• 4. tell people to stand for reception of Communion

The Mass we now say at St. John’s whether in English or Latin came after the Council. The Council ended in 1965, the new order of the Mass came in 1970.

The Church, since the days of Pope St. Pius X, has encouraged actual participation at the Mass. The 1962 missal contains changes that foster that participation, so the charge of the congregation being dumb spectators is not true.

Why was the Motu Propio issued?

Continue reading at CMR...


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AJC: The Latin Mass not cause for contention

Oh, what a jewel of an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution there in Georgia - a place where I once lived and a city I fell in love with.

Here is some real straight-talk on the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, by Lorraine Murray and she nails it all perfectly. I don't know if this is one of those news sites that only posts an article for a limited time, so I bring it to you in it's entirety for your reading pleasure!

God bless you, Lorraine! My emphases in bold and comments in red.

The Latin Mass not cause for contention

By Lorraine V. Murray
Published on: 07/21/07

In the sixties, hippies shunned their elders' traditions, including their approach to paying bills, which involved jobs. With time, however, many hippies traded love beads for suits and realized that working beat living on the streets.

Hippies are long gone, but the anti-tradition crowd lives on and reared its head recently when Pope Benedict XVI announced that the Latin Mass would be more widely offered to Catholics.

Some folks protested that the Church was moving backward instead of forward, but what's wrong with that?

First, a little background: The liturgy of the Tridentine Mass, usually celebrated in Latin, dates back to the sixth century.

And it was the only option for Catholics until the Second Vatican Council rolled out an updated Mass in the vernacular in the 1960s.

Although the Latin Mass was still celebrated after that, it became rarer than the proverbial hen's tooth and today might exist in one parish among hundreds of others.

That one parish for Atlanta's Catholics is in Mableton, where the pews at St. Francis de Sales are filled with parishioners from all over the city, as well as adjacent states.

Clearly, there are people who love this reverent and ancient liturgy and will travel far to find it [and why should they have to travel so far, and how many more would be attending if it weren't so far?].

Which may baffle advocates of the newer Mass.

After all, isn't a Latin liturgy confusing and unintelligible? And doesn't the priest show disrespect to the congregation by turning his back toward them during these Masses?

No on both scores: Catholics who cherish tradition find beauty in Latin, which is an unchanging language. And even children follow along at Latin Masses without confusion, since the missals post the vernacular side by side with Latin.

Another wonderful thing about the Latin liturgy is that Catholics can attend Mass anywhere in the world and worship God just like at home, since Latin remains fixed in Nigeria, Paris or Idaho.

As for those critics who claim the priest is disrespecting the people in the pews: He and the entire congregation traditionally faced East, which symbolizes the risen Christ. [I'll add to this by saying for me, it aided in my seeking the face of God in the Mass, rather than seeking the face of the priest. This heightens my worship of God, who should be at the center of the Mass in all of our hearts.]

I grew up with the Latin liturgy, and when I stepped into the sanctuary, I entered another dimension entirely. [I can relate to that. Step out of the busy, contemporary world and into a sanctuary of prayer where silence is actually deafening!].

One that was serene and dignified, fragrant with incense and echoing with Gregorian chant. [Yeah - the smells upon entering the doors at Assumption Grotto, where incense is used every Sunday at the 9:30am Latin Novus Ordo are inviting to prayer]

Before long, I knew all the prayers in Latin by heart, so when the priest said, "Dominus vobiscum," I knew he meant, "The Lord be with you." [Ditto. I've only been attending the Latin Novus Ordo at Grotto for just over two years and this is my experience with all of the Latin responses, and to many of the parts to which I now listen. This carried over into my one and only experience with the old Latin Mass I attended, on Ascension Thursday at St. Josaphat in Detroit]

Unfortunately, the post-Vatican II Mass has led to some egregious problems.

Traditional Gregorian chant gave way in some parishes to awful, folksy, feel-good music. Organs gathered dust, while guitars and drum machines took center stage. [And, this gave way not only to casual appearance (shorts, tank tops, etc., but it gave way to casual attitudes and replaced reverence. Relationship with God became just as casual - I'm ok, you're ok. I should know, I was guilty, and I find it still difficult to walk into such a casual liturgical atmosphere to not begin to drift back into that casual demeanor.]

Obviously, I favor the traditional Mass, but I see no reason to turn Benedict's proclamation into a war between conservatives and liberals. Instead of girding for battle, let's look at the larger picture.

For one, the pope is not doing anything radical. He is merely giving Roman Catholics greater access to something that is their birthright, since the Latin liturgy was standard for many centuries.

After Vatican II, it took a bishop's permission for such a Mass to be offered, but, thanks to Benedict, all that's needed now is a willing pastor in one's local parish.

People who favor Mass in their local language are not being asked to give it up [as many news articles will have you believe. You would think, by the reaction of some in the media, that King Kong had entered into our midst. But, I believe it is because they fear the loss of the casual among those who will discover and gravitate to the more formal way of worship. This will undoubtedly yield people who know their faith better, who will no longer find acceptable many things the media tries to jam down our throats, which run counter to our faith - in particular, the culture of death]. But those who have sat longingly in the pews, missing the powerful liturgy their ancestors enjoyed, now can have their day. In a church that prides itself on being universal, this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Lorraine V. Murray is the author of "Grace Notes. Embracing the Joy of Christ in a Broken World" and "Why Me? Why Now? Finding Hope When You Have Breast Cancer." She works in the Pitts Theology Library at Emory University. Web site: http://www.lorrainevmurray.com/

Source page for article

Once again, God bless you Lorraine, for an article well written. You speak for me!

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Motu Proprio - Summorum Pontificum - Blog & News Roundup

I have limited time and must head off to work, but I'll point you to some interesting news items on the motu proprio.

At the blog of Fr. Z:

The Tablet: against Summorum Pontificum (this is the cousin-paper of the National Catholic Reporter in the US, both of which are "RED" on Catholic Cultures Site Review List).

Bp. Lori of Bridgeport on MP: what a pleasure!

CNS v CWN on Benedict XVI using older Mass in private

Also, reader Leo Wong from St. Mary's by the Sea in Orange County California has notified me that he has a blog for the parish called: Extraordinary Time (cute). He also tells us that the pastor of the parish has stated that the old Mass will resume at St. Mary's by the Sea. Click on this post, and then click on the bulletin to read Fr. Tran's discussion of Summorum Pontificum and how it will affect parishioners who have longed for the old Mass.

There has been a very troubled past at St. Mary's over the old Latin Mass. Let's pray that Summorum Pontificum will yield healing for pastor and parishioners at St. Mary's by the Sea and that all can move forward with charity.

From The New Liturgical Movement (NLM) blog.

Before you hit the Liber Usalis link below, know that it is a very large PDF file that will take time to download. It took about 30 seconds on my fast connection so on dialup you may as well walk away and get something else done. PDF files can be saved onto your computer.

Shh, don't tell anyone just yet
posted by Jeffrey Tucker

I'm ever so slightly concerned about the server's being overwhelmed, so go easy: Liber Usualis (1961, yes, the whole thing)

That link originates at Musica Sacra.

Also at Musica Sacra - the website of the Church Music Association of America - is an interview with an associate pastor of St. John Cantius in Chicago, where one of Grotto's sons has recently gone in pursuit of the priesthood. I believe this interview will appear in their Fall 2007 magazine.

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Motu Proprio - Summorum Pontificum - Blog & News Roundup

This just dropped into my email inbox and from what little I read, looks like an interesting read.

The Scotland on Sunday: The Mass of All Time will outlive the Sixties revolutionaries

The Z-Blog Roundup

Now, I need to devote an entire section to the analyses of various statements and articles by Fr. Zuhlsdorf. He makes some interesting points and distinctions. I think one of the more disappointing (but not surprising) statements I've read comes from Bishop Trautman - current Chair of the Bishops Committe on Liturgy, which I give you first. This is followed by one from the Diocese of Orange in California - home of St. Mary's by the Sea. You may recall the plight of the people in that parish who wanted to continue with the Indult and were denied, even after one of the priestly societies known for the old Mass offered to help.

Here is a collection of some of Fr. Z's analyses of diocesan and religious order statements with comments:

An observation made by Fr. Z, mirrors thoughts I was having as I read through these. Fr. Z writes:

Most of the USA diocesan statements include similar elements. When the tone tends more to the negative, there are comments like "we don’t expect many people will want this" or "this document won’t make much difference here". Many statements mentioned the need to consult and study. Often there will be a mention of the place where the older Mass is already available. When the approach is more negative and limiting, the statements often say that this move was to bring back into unity people who are separated or on the edge.

-Statement of Bishop Trautman on Summorum Pontificum
-MP Statement of Diocese of Orange
-Bp. of Salt Lake City on Summorum Pontificum
-Diocese of Harrisburg, PA, on the MP
-MP statement of Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI (USA)
-Official Statement of Archd. of Detroit on MP
-MP statement of Archdiocese of Denver, CO (USA). Nice!
-Steubenville, Bp. Conlon, and Summorum Pontificum
-Diocese of Raleigh, NC, very good
-A Memorandum from the Diocese of Pittsburgh
-A Franciscan take on the Motu Proprio
-A FRENCH prelate reacts to Summorum Pontificum

Here are some recent news articles analyzed by Fr. Z

-Boston Globe on the MP: “the heyday of the Inquisition”
-The Independent…. the usual stuff about the MP
-Philadelphia Inquirer on Mater Ecclesiae in Camden, NJ
-Sr. Chittister on Summorum Pontificum


Moving to some other good resources on the Summorum Pontificum:

-NLM: Alcuin Reid on National Australian Radio
-NLM: The Abbots of Fontgombault and Barroux speak on the MP
-Ignatius Insight: Reform or Return? An Interview with Rev. Thomas M. Kocik, author of The Reform of the Reform?
-Parish Priests: What resources do you need to implement Summorum Pontificum?

And, of course, the one place that collects all things Summorum Pontificum: the Summorum Pontificum Blog.

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Motu Proprio - Summorum Pontificum - Blog Roundup

Here we go...

With limited time the best thing I can do for those hungry for motu proprio updates is to check out these posts.

First, I want to point out the brand new blog, Summorum Pontificum blog. This is the mother of all blogs for all things Summorum Pontificum. I can't match the links made here and anyone finding something not found on this blog, should send it to that owner.

Fr. Z's analyses of stupid articles on the MP:

Fr. Z analyzes Sr. Joan Chittister's article in the National Catholic Reporter. This would be the same nun whose visit New Zealand Bishop Barry Jones opposed. Here is one excerpt revealing just what kind of disinformation is being fed to the lambs. Remember the passage, "beware of all kinds of strange teachings...." (Hebrews 13:9). Here are the words of Sr. Chittister (Fr. Z's comments in red):

The symbology of a lone celebrant, [cue Clint Eastwood music….] removed from and independent of the congregation, [a clear whistled melody…. the distant howl of a wolf and… what’s that hear? Gunfire?!] is clear: ordinary people have no access to God. They are entirely dependent on a special caste of males to contact God for them. [B as in B. S as in S.] They are "not worthy," to receive the host, or as the liturgy says now, even to have Jesus "come under my roof." [Ehem…. one of those things the lone male priest is saying silently up there at the altar Sister can’t approach is "Domine, non sum dignus… Domine, non sum dignus… Domine, non sum dignus…" before anyone else says it. And, NEWS FLASH: No one is worthy to receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ Jesus in the Eucharist. We approach Him because He invitingly commands it and we, in hope that He will crown His own merits in us, extends to us now this great pledge of future glory. We come with humility, not a sense of our own "worth". His Holiness even before his election wrote and warned eloquently about an unbridled sense of "self-sufficiency" in the Church.]

Analysis of Boston Globe article.

Analysis of The Independent article (UK)

Analysis of Time Magazine article


Fr. Z on Various Press Releases

American Jewish Committee

Archdiocese of Detroit - Cardinal Maida (my home diocese)

Note: An entire collection of press releases can be found at the Summorum Pontificum blog. If you are aware of one not linked here, please contact that site owner or put it in the combox there. There is a huge list, but only some have links. Those are places where statements are known to be released and available online.


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