For Decades, a Bitter Opponent of the Traditional Rite
For decades Msgr. Manganini was a fierce opponent of tradition and the traditional rite, he "insulted it in every possible way". Among other things, he spoke publicly of "old scrap iron destined for the heap," said Messa in Latino.
Canon Manganini was not just any priest, but until his retirement in late 2012, the most prominent liturgist in the Ambrosian Archdiocese.
Notorious is the episode when the already elderly Msgr. Angelo Amodeo as privately celebrating Msgr. Manganini canon of the Cathedral of Milan, was on his way a few months before his death in 2012 in the house of the canons, to say the Holy Mass in the traditional Ambrosian rite, as it had been approved in 1954 by Blessed Archbishop Cardinal Ildefons Schuster. On the way he met Msgr. Manganini. When he saw the maniple and chalice veil, he berated him loudly and hurled against Msgr. Amodeo all the curses which one can only imagine. This Holy Mass was known as the "insult Mass" in Milan Church history.
"The Holy Mass was to be celebrated, as if we were in the Soviet Union"
Msgr. Manganini at the celebration of Holy Mass in the traditional rite
Or the episode where in Saregno he forbade the celebration of the traditional Mass at first, then allowed, but only behind "closed doors", on the grounds that such a celebration would trigger "astonishment" among the faithful. Without rehashing all the details: In Saregno a conference on Blessed Newman took place in 2010 with.Abbé Jean-Pierre Herman, the Secretary of the then Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, the just consecrated Msgr. Leonard who wanted to celebrate the Holy Mass in the traditional rite. Msgr. Manganini forbade it and then allowed the celebration only when Rome intervened. Nevertheless, he tried wherever possible to hinder the celebration. He knew at that very time already that the traditional Mass attracts the faithful. Therefore, the doors of the Church had to be closed. The faithful could only reach it through the sacristy into the church. They had almost to secretly sneak into the church, as if they did something illegal or to hide in the Jacobin France of the Revolution or in Communist Russia of the Soviet era. But what happened in Saregno 2010 was not played out in the time of the French Revolution and not in the Soviet Union, but in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan under Archbishop Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi and had been ordered by Msgr. Manganini.
The Rediscovery of the Traditional Rite
Msgr. Manganini is now retired and it was very quiet around him. A few months ago he accepted the request of a group of faithful in Milan to celebrate the traditional Rite. "The formerly so despised and traditional believers are apparently the only ones still showing honor to him, while in the higher church circles that he defended so zealously, no one seems to look after him," said Chiesa e postconcilio.
"What would those now say of Msgr. Manganini who was once an idol? Will they also go the way to Damascus, which was opened by Christ for all? " says Messa in Latino.
But Christ makes it possible that from Saul there can always be a Paul. And so it was that old Msgr Manganini, from whose mouth now came the words, which are a cause of real "astonishment":. Introibo ad altare Dei. Ad Deum qui Laetificat Juventutem meam.
Msgr. Manganini was ordained a priest on 21 June 1958 by the then Archbishop of Milan, Giovanni Battista Cardinal Montini, the future Pope Paul VI. even in traditional Ambrosian rite.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Chiesa e postconcilio
Image: Chiesa e postconcilio
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG
