Traditional Rite Codified for the First time in the Constitution by the Roman Curia

"AMAZEMENT" AMONG JOURNALISTS ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE 

March 22, 2022 

Yesterday was the presentation of the new Constitution of the Roman Curia, which had already been published last Saturday, much to the annoyance of accredited journalists.  

(Rome) The Association of Journalists Accredited to the Holy See expressed their "amazement" at the manner in which the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium "on the Roman Curia and its service to the Church in the world" was published.

The association complained that the new constitution was promulgated "without prior notice".

The new constitution regulates the work of the Roman Curia. It will come into force next June 5th, Whit Sunday. Up until now, Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus from 1988 has been in force. The new constitution Praedicate Evangelium will replace the previous one in June. The new constitution incorporates a number of changes made by Pope Francis over the past nine years.

Traditional Rite Anchored in the New Constitution

For the first time, the traditional form of the Roman Rite, and thus indirectly tradition, was codified in a constitution of the Roman Curia. Specifically, this happened in Article 93, which regulates the tasks of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments:

"Art. 93 The Dicastery is concerned with the regulation and discipline of the sacred liturgy as regards the use, according to the norms in force, of the liturgical books of the period before the reform of the Second Vatican Council.”

The previous Constitution, Pastor Bonus contained no such codification. It was promulgated by John Paul on June 28, 1988, while the establishment of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei by the motu proprio of the same name did not take place until four days later, on July 2, 1988. It showed that the granting of Ecclesia Dei was improvised on the one hand due to the events (consecration of bishops by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on June 30th, which the Pope did not allow) and that the Holy See at the same time had not yet wanted to commit to anchoring the traditional Rite in the Constitution for the Roman Curia.

This is what Pope Francis did now, almost 34 years later, at a moment when he was severely affecting tradition, the traditional Rite and the communities connected to it with the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. In Traditionis Custodes he determined the transfer of responsibilities to the Congregation of Worship, which are enshrined in the new constitution. The English Archbishop Arthur Roche, who is openly hostile to the traditional Rite, leads the congregation as Prefect.

In the original version, which had already been published on Saturday, the "extraordinary form of the Roman Rite" was expressly mentioned, as Pope Benedict XVI. in the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of 2007.

"Art. 93 The Dicastery deals with the regulation and discipline of the sacred liturgy in relation to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.”

The existence of such an extraordinary form is denied by Pope Francis with the motu poprio Traditionis Custodes. The new constitution was thus in open contradiction to Traditionis Custodes. On Monday, therefore, Article 93 was amended by Msgr. Marco Mellino, the secretary of the Council of Cardinals, who advises Francis on curial reform. The unofficial reason given was that a typographical error had to be corrected. An official notification that a change has been made has not yet been made. In Monday's press conference, Monsignor Mellino stated:

"In the Editio Typica, which will be the original and fundamental text, you will find the wording as it is. Also because of the whole question of the Society of Peter. We have to find the best formulation so that everything is well taken into account".

The first version of March 19 and the corrected version of March 22 on the Holy See website. On the other hand, there is no specific reference to the institutes of tradition, the so-called former Ecclesia Dei communities, in the articles of the new Constitution which regulate the work of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life. With Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis had transfered all competences not related to the liturgy for the former Ecclesia Dei communities of the Congregation of  Religious.  It follows that the communities of tradition are treated in the same way as any other religious community. The top leadership of this congregation, under the leadership of Cardinal João Bráz de Aviz, is also not considered to be tradition-friendly.

Excitement among the Vaticanists

The excitement among the Vaticanists is understandable: Yesterday (March 22nd) the press conference to present the new Apostolic Constitution took place. Loup Besmond, a correspondent for La Croix, was the first journalist to address it, and expressed the "surprise" of the Association of Journalists Accredited by the Holy See at the communication policy of the Holy See. The press conference on a document that had already been published on Saturday and took place on Monday. The publication took place without prior notice and only in Italian. Normally, the Vatican documents are made available to journalists in advance but are subject to a blocking period. This gives journalists the opportunity to prepare themselves, read the document and possibly translate parts before they are supposed to report on it at the time of publication.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, justified the unusual procedure with reference to the "reason of state" and the feast of St. Joseph, which the Church celebrated last Saturday. This is an important date for Pope Francis, Bruni said, as it marks the anniversary of his pontificate.

Of course, this is not an explanation for the actions of the Vatican press office.

A number of journalists took to Twitter to echo Besmond's expression of astonishment to send a signal of disapproval.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi Image : MiL/vatican.va (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Traditiones Custodes: The Hermeneutic of Arbitrariness

On February 4, Pope Francis received two priests from the Society of St. Peter who were able to express their concerns about the implementation of Traditionis Custodes. On February 11, he granted the Society of St. Peter a special decree on Traditionis Custodes.

Argentine blogger Wanderer, “ a traditional Catholic in unity with Rome,” has been running the Caminante-Wanderer blog for many years. A few days ago he published a hermeneutics of arbitrariness. In it, he tries to give a slightly different interpretation to the decree for the Society of St. Peter, with which Pope Francis largely freed this Ecclesia Dei community from the yoke of the Motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, and to draw attention to some aspects that, in his view, have not been sufficiently addressed so far have received attention.

Hermeneutic of Arbitrariness

by Wanderer

The Decree of February 11, by which Pope Francis authorized the Society of St. Peter (FSSP) and with it, it seems, the other Ecclesia Dei Institutes to use the surviving liturgical books, including the Roman Pontifical, has triggered countless comments. Few of us expected such a measure, and it came as a surprise, especially to those who claim that the pontiff was possessed of a particular hatred of the traditional liturgy. Traditions Custodes was certainly bad news and seemed to confirm this assumption: Francis is attempting to suppress the traditional liturgy and, by forbidding the use of the Roman Pontifical before liturgical reform, effectively condemns the traditionalists to extinction or to relying on one or the other to join the Society of Saint Pius in any other way, which would result in the “resignation” from the Church.

In this blog, however, we have always maintained that Pope Francis is neither a traditionalist nor a progressive on liturgical matters. He's a Jesuit, maybe the best Jesuit who ever lived, and as such he doesn't care about the liturgy. He does not understand them, for a purely practical mind is unable to understand the worship offered to God for its own sake. He is interested in politics and pastoral action. The rest is incomprehensible to him. The decree favoring the Society of Peter confirms this hypothesis.

The surprise has led many observers to speak of a kind of papal "schizophrenia": the pope issues a motu proprio fatal to the traditional liturgy and shortly thereafter opens the floodgates for a sizeable group of traditionalists to continue celebrating their Latin Masses as they want. And we must not forget that the authorization granted to the Society of St. Peter is not the first, that of the motu proprio deviates from what he himself had proclaimed. In addition to several granted by him on a personal level, and despite intense pressure, he has granted others that are public. For example, in St. Peter's Basilica, where even the rite of Paul VI. cannot be celebrated privately, according to Traditions Custodes, two solemn masses are celebrated in the traditional Rite.

The possible papal "schizophrenia" is not the only explanation for the decree. I propose the following hermeneutical keys to the papal contradiction:

1. We all know how good Pope Francis is with the language of gestures, for better or for worse. Suffice it to recall, for example, the grim and sullen face with which he can be seen in photos with Donald Trump or Mauricio Macri. With the priests of the Society of St. Peter, on the other hand, he shows a smiling and satisfied face, which suggests that the conversation took place in the best conditions and that he felt comfortable with them, and this is one of the traditionalist groups, considered the most rigid, as you can imagine.

2. The conversation is said to have lasted an hour, which is a very long time for a papal audience granted to two priests who hold important positions within the Society of St. Peter but are not its supreme authority. Perhaps a reader more knowledgeable than I can tell us whether Pope Francis frequently receives Superiors General of religious orders and congregations and, if so, how long these audiences last.

3. It is known, because it has also been published, that the origin of the audience was a letter that some priests of the Society of St. Peter sent to the Pope expressing their concern about the consequences of Traditions Custodes, and in response to the letter they were summoned to Rome to meet with the Holy Father. And I believe that the initiative for such a privilege came directly from the pope and not from a secretary of the papal household. No halfway skilled and loyal subordinate would put his superior in an embarrassing and compromising situation. Everyone knew it was a touchy and thorny subject. This fact and the two points mentioned above suggest that the Holy Father has no particular aversion to the traditional liturgy. If that were the case, it would be easy for him, plain and simple, to apply Traditions Custodes to demand what he has every right in the world to do. Or, as is his habit, he would avoid any interviews or meetings where he expects a confrontation. It should be remembered that Francis practically suspended the consistories at which cardinals and other Roman prelates meet with the pope to discuss ecclesiastical matters. Bergoglio, as Bishop of Buenos Aires, has always avoided confrontations and therefore avoids granting audiences or going to places where he foresees a difficult situation. I know a number of people who have asked for a personal audience with the Pope and have not even received an answer. The Priests of the Society of Peter were summoned to Santa Marta by Pope Francis to discuss the motu proprio.

4. To what extent can Traditiones Custodes be considered as a Franciscan manifesto against the traditional liturgy? This is certainly the first and simplest reading, but the facts on which we are commenting allow for other interpretations that were not possible until recently. Let's look at some facts:

a. The motu proprio comes from the office of Archbishop Arthur Roche and his staff. This English Archbishop was appointed by Benedict XVI. as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and is not a liturgist, which suggests that all his liturgical knowledge and consequent bungling is the fruit of the express training he received from Andrea Grillo, and this is no exaggeration as illustrated: The text of Traditiones Custodes repeats almost verbatim many paragraphs from articles and other writings that Grillo has been publishing for at least fifteen years ( here, here and here ), and the principles on which it is based are exactly the same ones propagated by this Bolognese liturgist since Pope Ratzinger promulgated the Summorum Pontificum. In short, Traditiones Custodes was not written or conceived by Bergoglio; he merely signed what others wrote for him.

b. I don't mean to say that Bergoglio didn't know what he was doing. He knew that very well. For years he was under constant pressure from the Italian bishops, who were alarmed at the growth of the traditionalist movement and, above all, at the strong sympathy among young priests for the traditional Mass. And the Pope did not want to have any problem with the Italian bishops, especially in the midst of the excesses that he committed and still commits himself in that episcopacy (suffice it to say the recent appointment of the new Archbishop of Turin). And he gave in to the pressure.

c. Bergoglio was also aware of the American bishops' functional sympathy for conservative and traditionalist positions. Bergoglian hostility towards Americans deepened after the shocking incident of the American Bishops' Conference virtually flouting papal wishes regarding Biden and the admission of pro-abortion politicians to Communion. To obstruct the traditional Mass would be to anger Americans, which, being a good Peronist, he abhors, all the more so when it threatens his power.

5. Several traditionalist websites rightly argue that the permission given to the Society of St. Peter is an "indult" and can therefore be revoked at any time, which would prove the malice and duplicity of Francis. It is true that it is a gesture of mercy, but we should keep a few points in mind:

a. For Bergoglio, everything is a gesture of grace, even canon law. He made several reforms to the code just a few weeks ago. The only thing he hasn't changed is the Scriptures. We cannot expect him to proclaim a universal law.

b. It should be remembered that for decades the only way to celebrate the traditional Mass was by indult and that there had to be a “schism” for it to be granted. According to some scholars,  Benedict XVI's authorization given in Summorum Pontificum is also an indult. The curious thing is that with both the indults of John Paul II and Pope Ratzinger, a long time must have passed and/or extraordinary events must have taken place. The indult to the Society of St. Peter was granted immediately after an audience.

c. What other legal form was possible besides an indult? Only one: the abolition of the Missal of Paul VI, which is the only "ordinary" form of celebration of the Latin Rite. We can't expect that much.

i.e. Many believe that the Indult is a very fragile legal form and that its days are numbered. We recall, however, that this is not always the case: the Crusade Bull is an indult that has been, or is still, valid for more than eight centuries, and we traditionalist Spaniards rely on it to eat meat on Fridays. Or Communion in the hand is an indult that still applies and is unlikely to be abolished.

6. It is also said that the papal decree insists on Traditions Custodes in the last paragraph and I think this is one of the most interesting and positive aspects of the situation. There it is suggested ( suadet ) that as far as possible ( quantum fieri potest ) this motu proprio should be carefully considered ( sedulo cogitetur ) . It's something minimal, remarkably minimal. The priests of the Society of Peter are not even obliged to read Traditionis Custodes . They are just suggested to think about it, if possible.

7. It is also said that the indult was not published and is therefore of dubious validity. However, it should be noted that this is not a law that comes into force upon its publication in the country's official gazette. It is permission given to a specific group within the Church. One could make a long list of indults that have never been published and yet whose validity has not been compromised. For example, the so-called "Agatha Christie Indult," which makes it possible for the traditional Mass to continue to be celebrated in the United Kingdom under certain circumstances.

I think that the above facts lead to the conclusion that for Pope Francis, Traditions Custodes is a document of political rather than liturgical significance, while for Archbishop Roche and his collaborators in the Congregation for Divine Worship it is an eminently liturgical measure with a clear intention to destroy the traditional liturgy. Consequently, and paradoxically as it may seem, Pope Francis is our main or only advocate on liturgical questions, for whatever reason.

Precisely for this reason, it makes sense to reconsider the strategy of groups and analysts from the traditional world who, after the publication of the motu proprio, devoted themselves to the violent attacks on Francis, even committing incomprehensible mistakes, the consequences of which we are all feeling. The priests of the Society of St. Peter have shown us a path that has led to the goal.

But what is the goal we are striving for? To protect as much as possible the position that Pope Benedict XVI. has won for the traditional liturgy, to preserve it as much as possible, or to make a name for oneself with constant attacks on the Holy Father for what he does or does not do on liturgical questions? If it is the first option, we should be cautious and meek, which does not mean that we remain silent in the face of the devastation the Argentine Pope is wreaking on the Church. But it means having clear goals in mind and using the necessary common sense.

Translation: Giuseppe Nardi 

Image : Caminante Wanderer

Trans: Tancred vekronn99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Cardinal Sarah: "The Church is Not a Battlefield"

 

Cardinal Robert Sarah in the first interview since his retirement by Pope Francis.

(Rome) The daily Il Foglio today published a conversation with Robert Cardinal Sarah, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship who was resigned on February 20 by Pope Francis. The cardinal from Guinea is one of the most prominent Church representatives, who was repeatedly in conflict with the ruling Pope. Cardinal Sarah comments on current and future challenges for the Church and his relationship with Pope Francis. He talks about the background to his book with Benedict XVI. in defense of the sacramental priesthood and priestly celibacy and warns against the German Synodal Way and a "creeping apostasy". The interview was conducted by Matteo Matzuzzi, Il Foglio's Vaticanist.

"The Church is Not a Battlefield"

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Matzuzzi recalls that Cardinal Sarah's books, four in number, the first of which was published in 2015, all became international bestsellers. "Which is something of a miracle, given the complex subjects of his works and the low inclination in modern humanity to read," says Matzuzzi.

Many were surprised when the Vatican press office announced the retirement of Cardinal Sarah two weeks ago. However, the decision was not as surprising as Matzuzzi represents. The autumn of 2019 was the expiration of the five-year term of office as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Order of the Sacraments. A formal extension, contrary to what the Vaticanist suggested, did not take place. A second term would have lasted until 2024. Obviously too long for Francis. He tacitly left the cardinal in office, which gave the Pope the opportunity to terminate Sarah's mandate at any time and without a spectacular dismissal. This was all the more true when the cardinal turned 75 in June 2020 and Francis had to put his resignation on his desk.

“The Pope asked me to do my job in the service of the universal Church donec aliter provideatur to continue, that is, as long as the Holy Father does not determine otherwise. A few weeks ago the Pope informed me that he had now decided to accept my resignation. I immediately told him that I was happy and grateful for his decision. I have repeated it many times: obedience to the Pope is not just a human necessity, it is the means to obey Christ who put the Apostle Peter and his successors at the head of the Church. I am happy and proud to have served three Popes, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI. and Francis, in the Roman Curia for more than twenty years. I have endeavored to be a loyal, obedient, and humble servant of the truth of the Gospel. Even if some journalists keep repeating the same stupid things: I have never opposed the Pope."

 

Matzuzzi wants to know what memory he takes with him of his service at the Divine Service Congregation, which deals with the liturgy.

“Some see the leadership of this dicastery as an honorary position of little importance. In contrast to this, I believe that responsibility for the liturgy places us in the center of the Church, the very foundation of her being. The Church is neither an administration nor a human institution. The Church mysteriously extends Christ's presence on earth. 'The Liturgy', says the Second Vatican Council, 'is the climax towards which the Church's work strives, and at the same time the source from which all her strength flows' ( Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10), and 'consequently every liturgical celebration, as the work of Christ the priest and his body, who is the Church, is primarily a sacred act, the effectiveness of which no other activity of the Church achieves in rank and measure' ( Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7). The Church exists to give God to people. That is precisely the role of the liturgy: to worship God and impart divine grace to souls. When the liturgy is sick, the whole Church is in danger because her relationship with God is not only weakened, but profoundly damaged. The Church therefore runs the risk of breaking away from its divine source in order to become a self-centered institution. It affects me very much: There is a lot of talk about the Church and its necessary renewal. But are we talking about God? Let us talk about the work of redemption that Christ accomplished, mainly through the paschal mystery of his blessed suffering, his resurrection from the dead and his glorious ascension, the paschal mystery, through which he 'destroyed our death by dying and recreated life through his resurrection' (Sacrosanctum Concilium , 5). Instead of speaking of ourselves: let's turn to God! That is the message that I have repeated over and over for years. If God is not at the center of the life of the Church, then she is in mortal danger. That is certainly the reason why Benedict XVI. declared that the crisis of the Church is essentially a crisis of the liturgy because it is a crisis of the relationship with God. That is also why I, Benedict XVI. following, insists: The purpose of the liturgy is not to celebrate the community or man, but God. This is very well done by expressing the oriented celebration. 'Where a direct common turning towards the east is not possible', says Benedict XVI., 'The cross can serve as the inner east of faith. It should stand in the middle of the altar and be the common point of view for the priest and the praying community. So we follow the old call to prayer that stood on the threshold of the Eucharist: 'Conversi ad Dominum'- Turn to the Lord. So we look together at the one whose death has torn open the temple veil - at the one who stands for us before the Father and embraces us in his arms, who makes us the living new temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19) . When everyone turns to the cross together, the danger of being too human and self-contained, face-to-face is avoided. Let us open our hearts so that God can break in. For the idea, as Joseph Ratzinger said, that the priest and the people must face each other in prayer, arose only in modern Christianity and was completely foreign to early Christianity. It is clear that the priest and the people do not face one another, but pray facing the only Lord, the Christ, who walks towards us in silence. That is one of the reasons why I have insisted on the need for there to be room for silence in the liturgy. When man is silent, he leaves room for God. Conversely, when the liturgy becomes 'talkative', it forgets that the cross is its center and one organizes around the microphone. All of these questions are crucial because they determine the place we give to God. And unfortunately they have turned into ideological questions." 

“The regret” that speaks from these words is unmistakable, said Matzuzzi, who asked what Cardinal Sarah meant by “ideological questions”.

“Too often today in the Church we behave as if everything were a question of politics, power, influence and the unjustified imposition of a hermeneutic of the Second Vatican Council of total and irreversible break with tradition. It was very painful for me to see these factions fighting. When I have spoken of liturgical orientation and a sense of the sacred, I have been told: 'You are against the Second Vatican Council'. This is wrong! I don't think there is any point in the struggle between progressives and conservatives in the Church. These are political and ideological categories. The Church is not a political battlefield. All that counts is the ever deeper search for God, to meet Him and humbly kneel down, to worship Him. 

When Pope Francis appointed me, he gave me two instructions: to implement the liturgical constitution of the Second Vatican Council and to implement bringing to life the liturgical legacy of Benedict XVI.. I am deeply convinced that these two instructions form a single direction, because Benedict XVI. is certainly the personality that understood Vatican II most deeply. To continue the liturgical work of Benedict XVI. is surely the best way of applying the true council. Unfortunately, some ideologues want to oppose the Church before the Council to a Church after the Council. They divide and do the work of the devil. The Church is one, without breaks, without changes of direction ,because their founder Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13: 8). The Church strives towards God, orientates us towards him. From the Creed of Saint Peter to the Second Vatican Council to Pope Francis, the Church turns to us Christ. Giving the liturgy its sacred character, leaving space for silence and sometimes celebrating it towards the East, as Pope Francis does in the Sistine Chapel or in Loreto, means applying the Council in a deep and spiritual way. I point out an extraordinary coincidence: On the day on which my replacement was announced, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI sent me. the French edition of his works on the liturgy. I saw in it an invitation from Providence to continue this work of  restoring a liturgy that places God at the center of the life of the Church." 

But how was the collaboration with Pope Francis?

“Some insinuate that we are enemies for no reason and without being able to provide concrete and credible evidence. But that's not correct. Pope Francis loves sincerity. We have always worked with simplicity, regardless of journalists' imaginations. Pope Francis, for example, received and understood the book 'From the depths of the heart,'  for which I worked together with Benedict XVI. I have not hidden my concern to him about the ecclesiological consequences of questioning priestly celibacy. When he received me after this publication, while press campaigns accused me of lying, the Pope supported and encouraged me. It seems that he had read with appreciation the copy with a dedication, which Pope Benedict XVI. in his fine way had sent him. On this occasion I could see that the truth always triumphs over the lie. There is no point in starting large communication campaigns. All it takes is the courage to be honest and free. The support of Pope Francis, the constant affection of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. and the thousands of letters of thanks from priests and laypeople from all over the world have allowed me to understand the depth of the message of the risen Jesus: Do not be afraid! "

But how does Cardinal Sarah see the future of the Church?

“I am a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. There I see with immeasurable joy how the Church radiates holiness. Let us rejoice to see the impressive number of so many daughters and sons of the Catholic Church who take seriously the Gospel and the universal call to holiness  'for from the side of Christ who fell asleep on the cross has emerged the wonderful mystery of the whole Church ''' ( Sacrosanctum Concilium, 5). Regardless of what those “born blind” say, and despite the many sins of their members, the Church is beautiful and holy. It is the expansion of Jesus Christ. The Church is not a secular institution. Her health is not measured by Her power and influence. The Church experiences Good Friday today. Water seems to be entering the ship from all sides. Some betray Her from within. I think of the drama and the terrible crimes of the pedophile priests. How could mission be fruitful when so many lies obscure the beauty of Jesus' face? Others are tempted to betrayal by leaving the ship to follow the powers that be right now. I think of the temptations especially in Germany from that Synodal way. We are asked what is the Gospel, if all this is pulled through to the end: a real silent Apostasy. But Christ's victory always comes through the cross. The Church must go to the cross and to the great silence of Holy Saturday. We must pray with Mary over the body of Jesus. See, pray, repent and make amends so that we can better proclaim the victory of the risen Christ." 

And what will Cardinal Sarah do now?

“I will not stop working. I'm also happy to have more time to pray and read. I will continue to write, speak, and travel. Here in Rome I continue to receive priests and believers from all over the world. More than ever, the Church needs bishops who speak clearly, freely and faithfully to Jesus Christ and to the doctrine of faith and morality of His Gospel. I intend to continue and even strengthen this mission. I must continue to work in the service of the unity of the Church, truth and love. I humbly wish to sustain the reflection, prayer, courage and faith of many confused Catholics who have been through the many crises we are currently going through, confused and disoriented: anthropological crises, cultural crises, crises of faith, crises of the priests, crises of morality, but above all crises of our relationship with God." 

  

Text: Giuseppe di Nar-
image: MiL

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Bugnini Man Appointed to Congregation of Divine Worship -- 4 More Ratzingerians Dismissed

Purge in the Congregation of Divine Worship

(Vatican) Pope Francis continues to purge the liturgical sensibility of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

On 5 November it was announced in the daily bulletin of the Holy See that Pope Francis had appointed a new Under-Secretary for the Congregation for Divine Worship. What was not there is that the two other undersecretaries were also dismissed. The Congregation has had no Cardinal Prefect since the beginning of October, after Pope Francis sent back the previous head of the dicastery, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares   as archbishop of Valencia in Spain. Now the number two of the Congregation has been exchanged and thus within a month, the entire leadership.

Previous  Undersecretaries Have Learned of their Ouster from the Bulletin

The previous Undersecretaries, the Marist Father Anthony Ward and Msgr. Juan Miguel Ferrer-Grenesche had learned from   the publication of the bulletin that they were not re-elected. The dismissal was not preceded by a conversation with the Pope, nor they were previously informed in other ways about it.  Msgr. Ferrer is a priest of the Archdiocese of Toledo, whose Vicar he was. Cardinal Cañizares, the former Archbishop of Toledo, brought him to Rome in 2009.

Msgr. Ferrer is an acknowledged expert in the Mozarabic rite, those Visigothic rite, which was celebrated in Spain before the introduction of the Roman rite and which has been preserved during the Spanish rule in underground and still maintained in some places,  including Toledo and Salamanca. Msgr. Ferrer  is distinguished by a special liturgical sensibility and a close relationship to the Old Rite.

New Undersecretary a "Staunch Bugninist"

The bulletin from Wednesday announced the appointment of the new undersecretary, Monfortian Father Corrado Maggioni. As Pope Francis seems to be the liturgical antipode to Pope Benedict XVI., the same for Father Maggioni seems similarly in comparison to his recently deposed predecessors. 

The Montfortian is a "confident Bugninist" as Riposte Catholic  reports and a "great friend of Msgr. Piero Marini", the papal master of ceremonies of John Paul II. Annibale Bugnini (1912-1982) was largely responsible for the development and implementation of the liturgical reform of 1969/1970.

At the beginning of his pontificate, Francis dismissed all of Benedict XVI's liturgically related consultants in the Office of papal ceremonies. From the staff of Benedict XVI.  who performed ceremonies according to the "reform of the reform", only the papal master of ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini is left. One of the members appointed by Pope Francis  as a consultant was Father Maggioni.

Four Ratzingerians Dismissed in One Month

With Msgr. Miguel Ferrer falling within a few days, another head of the Ratzingerian Vatican has fallen, already replaced by  Pope Francis on October 8, Msgr. Celso Morga Iruzubieta as secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy and Msgr. Alberto Gonzalez Chaves as office manager of the Congregation for Bishops. Taking into account Cardinal Cañizares as the highest-ranking dismissed figure, four senior Ratzingerians were removed last month. Including the full leadership of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Divine Worship,  the staff in those two congregations most clearly showed the signature of Benedict XVI. 

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Riposte Catholique

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

Sign of Peace Yes, But Without Confusion --- Pope Francis Corrects an Abuse

The Priest Leaving the Altar is a Liturgical Abuse

(Rome) The sign of peace in the New Roman Rite caused quite a mess. It is limited in the Old Rite only to the chancel and is exchanged in a dignified, unobtrusive way, it was expanded in the new rite to all participants in the Mass. With the right numbers, some believers and priests have their hands full. The greeting of peace will remain with the new provisions in the same place in the Holy Mass as before, namely shortly before communion. However, there are abuses to be corrected, which have crept in since the liturgical reform.

In some parishes, there is the greeting of peace, great confusion up to the point of a new year's party. Some of the faithful, but also priests,  mistake the liturgical greeting of peace with the bourgeois greeting habit and decide that they   want to welcome as many attendees as possible. Some priests even leave even the sanctuary, to go into the nave and shake a lot of hands. In some places Small Talk is entertained, which leads to the trivialization of the sacredness of the Mass. The greeting of peace should be the unexcited  symbolic gesture to bystanders in the neighboring pews, but not around all sides, those accessible front and rear. At the papal Mass in Bethlehem last 25 May, the  Muslim Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was curiously nearby at the sign of peace with the Pope on the altar  to visibly exchange an embrace. [The embrace implies mutual orthodoxy.]

Liturgical abuse: Inappropriate forms the sign of peace and walking around in the nave during  Holy Mass.

In contrast, the Congregation for Divine Worship now has intervened under its Prefect, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera. It has sent a circular letter to all bishops' conferences of the world. The circular is signed by Cardinal Cañizares and the Secretary of the Congregation, Archbishop  Arthur Roche and is reminiscent of the study on the subject, which was created as part of the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist in 2005.

The circular cites the Congregation for Divine Worship, which Pope Benedict XVI. in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis which wrote on the Eucharist as "the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church". The number 49 of the letter is devoted to the "sign of peace".

The Sign of Peace

49. By its nature the Eucharist is the sacrament of peace. At Mass this dimension of the eucharistic mystery finds specific expression in the sign of peace. Certainly this sign has great value (cf. Jn 14:27). In our times, fraught with fear and conflict, this gesture has become particularly eloquent, as the Church has become increasingly conscious of her responsibility to pray insistently for the gift of peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family. Certainly there is an irrepressible desire for peace present in every heart. The Church gives voice to the hope for peace and reconciliation rising up from every man and woman of good will, directing it towards the one who "is our peace" (Eph 2:14) and who can bring peace to individuals and peoples when all human efforts fail. We can thus understand the emotion so often felt during the sign of peace at a liturgical celebration. Even so, during the Synod of Bishops there was discussion about the appropriateness of greater restraint in this gesture, which can be exaggerated and cause a certain distraction in the assembly just before the reception of Communion. It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a sobriety which preserves the proper spirit of the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one's immediate neighbours (150).

Benedict XVI. added in the footnote 150 added:

Taking into account ancient and venerable customs and the wishes expressed by the Synod Fathers, I have asked the competent curial offices to study the possibility of moving the sign of peace to another place, such as before the presentation of the gifts at the altar. To do so would also serve as a significant reminder of the Lord's insistence that we be reconciled with others before offering our gifts to God (cf. Mt 5:23 ff.); cf. Propositio 23.

Before the Offertory is also the moment in which the sign of peace in the Ambrosian rite takes place, which is in the ecclesiastical province of Milan.

The New Guidelines of the Congregation for Divine Worship

Liturgical Abuse: The Muslim Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the greeting of peace with Pope Francis.

The circulars of the Congregation for Divine Worship, dated June 8 is approved by Pope Francis. On 7 June, the Pope received  Cardinal Cañizares in audience and approved the text to the Bishops' Conferences. It says that after consultation with the Bishops' Conferences about the greeting of peace at its previous location before Communion they are to make no structural changes to the Roman Missal.

At the same time, however, a number of practical guidelines would be adopted to remedy the abuses.

1) It is to be reminded that it is not necessary to mechanically invite the faithful every time to exchange the sign of peace. If it seems appropriate, one should pass it up.

2) It is recommended to improve the recommended procedures for the sign of peace in a new edition of the Missal by the Episcopal Conferences. A specific recommendation is here, for example, a more appropriate than familiar and profane gestures, to proceed with more appropriate gestures.

3) The Congregation for Divine Worship refers to the need that the following should be avoided in the greeting of peace: the establishment of a peace song which is non-existing in the Roman Rite; that the faithful leave their place; that the priest leaves the altar to enjoin some believers in the sign of peace. In addition, it is suggested to avoid that on special occasions such as high feasts of Easter, Christmas, baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings, ordinations, religious professions, requiems, the misuse of the greeting of peace to congratulate others, or express condolences to them.

4) The Bishops' Conferences are invited to develop liturgical catechesis on the importance of peace in the Roman Rite liturgy and on the correct procedure in the Holy Mass.

The circular already dated for June 8th was known about in Spain, where it was sent to all the bishops together with a letter of 28 July. "You will now see whether and how it is used: in Spain and elsewhere," said Sandro Magister of Vatican expert who introduced the matter.

Text: Settimo Cielo / Giuseppe Nardi
image: Katholisches.info
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
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