Despite the current discussions between the Society of Pius X and Rome, it looks like for the foreseeable future, that Pope Benedict will stick to his Hermeneutic of Continuity. Does this mean that it is possible that the SSPX will be allowed to critique this point of view and still be fully reconciled?
It is encouraging that Archbishop Koch didn't stray from the course set for him by Pope Benedict. Unlike his predecessor, he doesn't appear to have an agenda all of his own making, he's Pope Benedict's man.
Accordingly, just now, we've discovered that Bruno Volpe has confirmed the Motu Proprio.
The priority of the Hermeneutic of Continuity -- Archbishop Koch and his reflections in Castel Gandolfo -- by Dr. Armin Schibach/ Rome
Rome (kath.net/as) The current year's meeting of the "Ratzinger Schülerkreis'
" in Castel Gandolfo was a reflection over the Second Vatican Council and devoted to its interpretation. "True to Tradition, open to the future": with these words the main speaker, Archbishop Kurt Koch, began the meeting, that the "most correct interpretation of the Council as a whole, that even in the third century it remains "the Magna Carta of the Church".
According to the Vatican times "L'Osservatore Romano" (edition from the 1st of September 2010) the President of the Papal Council Promoting the Unity of Christian his impressions together with his summation. The Congress of the Schülerkreis with Pope Benedict XVI. he descried as a "concrete, lively and positive experience".
In his first speech Koch presented in a reflection on the manner of reading and interpretation of the Second Vatican council and relegated that to a priority for a "hermeneutic of continuity". This problematic is taken up then in a second lecture and developed further. Then Koch had above all enlarged upon the Constitution on Liturgy "Sacrosanctum Concilium", in order to show in a concrete way, how the Hermeneutic of Reform can be realized.
The Papal Advisor for the Promotion of Christian Unity worked at the order of the Pope.
Both lectures were then followed by an hour of discussion. Therefor, it became clear, for Archbishop Koch to further encompass the spiritual dimension of the Christan life in all of its aspects. The concrete character of the discussions were very useful for the work of each of the participants, which were affirmed by the warm words of the Pope, as Koch began on the 30th of August with a private audience: "We have spoken about my new ecumenical efforts, that the Papal Adviser for the Promotion of Christian Unity is no reality unto itself, rather a mission of the Pope's, in order to see, how dialogue can be developed for the future".
The meaning of the "Hermeneutic of the Reform"
In the center of the first lectures "stand the Second Vatican Council between Tradition and Renewal", so Koch proceeded. He put the themes in seven points: 1. A history of the reception and the erroneous reception; 2. Hermeneutic of the Reform in a fundamental continuity; 3. Break with Tradition of the Council; return to sources and "Aggiornamento"; [There's a debate between the ressourcement and more liberal exponents, neither of which are satisfactory from a Traditionalist POV] 4. Criteria of a Hermeneutic of the Reform (complete interpretation of the Council texts, unity of Dogmatic and Pastoral; no separation between "spirit and letter"); 5. Catholic breadth and fullness; 6. The heritage of the Council in relevant challenges; 7. Ecclesiastical Reform of the spiritual mission.
The Liturgy -- Center point of the Hermeneutic of the Council
The second lecture concentrated itself on the theme of the "post-Conciliar liturgical reform between continuity and discontinuity". As Archbishop Koch made clear, he explained them withal in eight individual themes. Flowing from the declaration, that the liturgy is the center of the Conciliar Hermeneutic, these are discussed in the following eight points: 1. Phenomenology and Theology of the Liturgy; 2. The Liturgy in its organic development (with the principle of "participatio actuosa" of all believers in the liturgy and with the principle of an easier comprehension and simplicity of the rites); 3. Light and shadows in the post-Conciliar liturgy; 4. The protection of the great heritage of the liturgy; 5 The necessary Reform of the Reform, which must be based on the primacy of Christology; 6 The unity of the New Testament culture and the New Testament liturgy; 7 The Christian liturgy and the religion of man [Religionen der Menschheit] 8. The Cosmic Dimension of the Liturgy.
The renewal of the Paschal Mystery is then the last topic, which was discussed before the final remarks on the object for consideration.
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