Servite Prior Bans Traditional Mass to Pilgrims in Austria

(Vienna) A Liturgical scandal occurred in the Austrian Servite  Monastery of Maria Luggau. The prior of the monastery has banned a group of pilgrims, who want to celebrate Holy Mass in the Sanctuary of Mary in the Immemorial Mass of All Ages.  The Fatima initiative that undertakes a pilgrimage to Maria Luggau  annually in October wanted to celebrate the Old Rite. Prior Andreas M. Baur, said the Carinthian newspaper, Kleine Zeitung : "I am critical of the Tridentine Mass. It does not correspond to the spirit of the Second Vatican Council ".

Under Benedict XVI. permitted, prohibited under Francis

In the years 2011 and 2012 the Mass was to be celebrated even without problems and with the permission of Prior Baur in the Extraordinary Form at the request of the pilgrims the Holy Mass. At that time Pope Benedict XVI. was still the leader of the Catholic Church, now the pilgrims are harshly rejected. Benedict XVI. was the one who  with the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum had restored the Old Mass in 2007 to Its full rights of citizenship in the Church. Now, however, that Pope Francis rules in Rome and the prior of the Servite Monastery no longer feels bound to the "rights of citizenship" for the Old Rite as a papally binding arrangement.

"It is absolutely allowed to celebrate Holy Tridentine mass in Church law. To ban us is an arbitrary act," said Anna Stranner of the Fatima Initiative who will venerate the Mother of Sorrows of Mary Luggau in a special way. "A prior can not but be more Catholic than the Pope," lamented Stranner at the unfriendly treatment of the prayer community. As in previous years, a priest would come to Maria Luggau to celebrate the Holy Mass in the Old Rite with the pilgrims.  In 2013 the celebrant would have been  the Austrian military Dean, Siegfried Lochner. So the Servites would not have been so  much as "bothered" that the Fatima Initiative  group of pilgrims, more than others who have been to visit during the year at the church. Dean Lochner is surprised about the cancellation and also angry about the behavior of the monastery superintendent: "I have often celebrated Holy Mass according to the traditional Roman Rite/ But such a brusque rejection of the faithful, as by this prior is new to me."

Prior Baur: "Critical of the Tridentine Mass"

Prior Baur is struggling to justify his decision, which is in open contradiction to church law. He explained that the group of pilgrims had "not involved" him. In addition, he was "being harassed by phone", for "days" by the pilgrims because of the prohibition of the Old Mass. "I'm not going to be forced" said the Servite priest energetically to the Kleine Zeitung  and came to an idiosyncratic understanding of the law. According to Prior Baur the Ancient Mass does not correspond "to the spirit of Vatican II", from which he concludes that this "spirit" breaks the current law.

The diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt does not want to mess with the monastery and certainly not because of the Mass of Saint Pius V., the diocesan chancellor, diocesan official, and cathedral canon, Msgr. Jakob Ibounig, says of "such Masses", by which he means the traditional rite: "The prior makes the house rules." And anyway: "If he does not want that such Masses are celebrated in his church, this is the legitimate," said Msgr Ibounig.

At least   Prior Baur, whose consecration year is [groovy] 1973, hasn't closed the door completely, to the press: "The tone has to change. I also want to have a talk with the priest holding the Mass. Then we'll see,"  he is  quoted as saying by the Kleine Zeitung .

The monastery with the pilgrimage church of Maria of the Snow in Maria Luggau lies in the diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt in Upper Carinthia Lesachtal. The pilgrimage goes back to a devout woman, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in 1513 in a dream and instructed her to build a church on a wheat field. The present church, whose foundation stone was laid in 1515, has as yet no Volksaltar [Cramner Table].  Since 1639 the Servites have overseen the pilgrimage they took over from the Franciscans. Currently, three Servites live in Maria Luggau monastery after a brother from Nigeria joined the Convent.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Wikicommons

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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