Jul 24

This comes from a reader for the brick by brick file.

Dear Father Z, 

After yesterday’s, February 21, 2010, TLM at San Secondo d’Asti Parish, Guasti, Ca, Una Voce San Bernardion handed out a pamphlet including their accomplishments in 2009. Among the many articles they reported that the Midnight Christmas Sung TLM at St. Catherine of Sienna Parish in Rialto, Ca, had 1,000 faithful in attendance. The count was reported by the Pastor, Fr. Stephen Porter.

My wife and I were in attendance and I knew that the church was packed. So many presented themselves for communion that toward the end Father was down to about 1/8 of a regular sized host per person. Father even hat to return to the altar and take a good portion of the large host that he used in Consecrating the body of Christ. It was obvious that the overwhelming attending had never been to a TLM.

I have been to many TLM’s in Ca. none have been anywhere close to a 1,000. I do not know if this normal in the rest of the USA.

So… how is your Mass attendance?

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/02/brick-by-brick-in-san-bernardino/?comments=true

Apr 19

by Shawn Tribe

A very interesting interview with the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, has been published by Paolo Rodari and Il Foglio on January 9th, 2010.

[Note: The blogger over at The New Theological Movement (you read that correctly) has done a partial translation of this same interview, which he kindly notified me of, and to give credit where it is due, I used some of his translation as the beginning point for our own NLM translation, going through it and the original interview, making our own revisions from that basis. From that, I have further added the other paragraphs which pertain to the sacred liturgy.]

Here are the relevant liturgical excerpts, which forms most of what Rodari presents us with. The bolded emphases are from the NLM.

The former archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, has led the Vatican “ministry” which concerns itself with the liturgy for a little over a year now. A delicate task in a pontificate, such as that of Benedict XVI, in which the liturgy and its “restructuring” has a central role after the post conciliar drift. Indeed, the liturgy is the centre of the life of the faithful. The Pope said it again at Christmas: as for the monks, so it is for every man, “the liturgy is the first priority. Everything else comes after.” It is necessary, “to put in second place all other occupations, as important as they may be, to set out toward God, to allow Him to enter into our life and our time.”

Cardinal Cañizares says as much to Il Foglio and more in an assessment after having passed one year in the Roman Curia:

“I have received — he explains — the mission to complete, with the valuable and indispensable help of my team, those tasks that are assigned to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus of John Paul II with respect to the order and promotion of the sacred liturgy, in the first place of the sacraments. For the religious and cultural situation in which we live and for the same priority which corresponds to the liturgy in the life of the Church, I believe that the primary mission which I have received is, with total dedication and engagement, to promote, revitalize and develop the spirit and true sense of the liturgy in the consciousness and life of the faithful; that the liturgy becomes the centre and the heart of the community; that all, priests and faithful, consider it as substantive and indispensable in our lives; that we live the liturgy in the fullness of truth, and of it, which is in its fullness, as the Second Vatican Council says, “the source and summit” of the Christian life. After a year at the head of this Congregation, every day I hope and I feel more strongly the need to promote in the Church, and on every continent, a strong and rigorous liturgical impulse to re-vivify the rich legacy of the Council and of the great Liturgical Movement of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century — with men like Guardini, Jungmann and many others – brought to fruition by the Church at the Second Vatican Council. There, no doubt, is our future and the future of the world. I say this because the future of the Church and of all humanity is placed in God, in the life of God and that which comes from Him, and this happens in the liturgy and through it. Only a Church which lives the truth of the liturgy will be able to give the one thing which can renew, transform and recreate the world: God and only God and His grace. The liturgy, in its purest character, is the presence of God; God’s saving work and regeneration, communication and participation in His merciful love, adoration, acknowledgement of God. It is the only thing that can save us.”

Read More…

 

Feb 12

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2010/02/ewtn-programming-note-fssp-north.html

by Shawn Tribe

DENTON, Nebraska – February 1st , 2010 – On Wednesday night, February 24th, EWTN favorite, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, will be interviewing two members of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, Father Calvin Goodwin and Deacon Rhone Lillard.

The topic of the interview will be the Pontifical Consecration of the Fraternity’s newly built chapel at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary which EWTN is televising live on Wednesday, March 3rd at 11:00am (EST). His Excellency, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska , will celebrate the Pontifical Consecration and Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

The ancient ceremony will be in the presence of William Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Joining Cardinal Levada, will be several bishops from around the United States.

Watch EWTN Live online on Wednesday, February 24th at 8:00PM (EST)!

Jan 2
Rorate Caeli: New PCED Members
icon1 Laurence Gonzaga | icon2 Blog World | icon4 01 2nd, 2010| icon3No Comments »

Messa in Latino has announced that the newest members of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei will be Fr. Vincenzo Nuara OP and Fr. Almiro de Andrade FSSP.

Fr. Almiro de Andrade is the first member of any of the “Ecclesia Dei Communities” to be officially appointed to the Commission. He also serves as MC at SS. Trinita dei Pellegrini, and is already considered as the de facto “secretary to the Secretary” of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Msgr. Guido Pozzo.

Read More…

Sep 23

Active Participation in the Mass: A Statistical Study – Part 1 of 4

Tridentine Community News (August 16, 2009):
 
One of the most frequently debated topics about the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass relative to the Ordinary Form is the level of “active participation” in the Mass. As envisioned by theologians up to and including Pope Benedict XVI, “active participation” means much more than just vocally responding at Mass. It means a level of involvement in prayer and focus on the Holy Mysteries taking place at the altar, following the Ordinary and Propers of the Mass, uniting one’s intentions with the priest’s, recollecting oneself before Holy Communion and making thanksgiving afterwards, and so on. Many advocates of the Tridentine Mass would say that the structure and rubrics of the Extraordinary Form fosters such interior participation to a greater degree than the Ordinary Form.
 
Conversely, Novus Ordo supporters often place a greater emphasis on exterior forms of participation. They maintain that the congregation has a greater role in the Ordinary Form, primarily with making responses. The Tridentine is a more quiet Mass, they say, with the congregation left to do their own thing. How can one really be involved in the Mass if the priest is facing the wall, mumbling in Latin?
 
Not surprisingly, the editorial position of this column sides with our Holy Father on this issue: Active participation is all-encompassing, and not just vocal. Nevertheless, let’s consider the opposing view: If “active participation” does mean making responses at Mass, then just how many responses are made in the Ordinary Form versus the Extraordinary?
The Numbers Tell the Story
Below, we present a numbered listing of the responses in the Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form. Both sides are presented in English. Longer responses are abbreviated to save space, as the idea is to count the responses, not to write them out in entirety. If you wish to see a complete comparison of the texts of both forms of the Mass, please see the series of columns we presented in early 2008, available at the web site below.
The typical sung Sunday Mass is presented, including the Aspérges. In some churches, the congregation makes the responses to the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar silently, and not out loud. We thus show two counts: The first number includes these responses, while the second, bracketed number does not. It must be stated that the notion of silent responses may be a new concept to those unfamiliar with the Extraordinary Form. We maintain that those are responses nonetheless, just as the priest’s silent Canon is indeed a prayer.
ORDINARY FORM/NOVUS ORDO MASS
INTRODUCTORY RITE
1. Amen.
GREETING
2. And also with you.

ACT OF CONFESSION
[Option 2 and 3 are available, Option 1 proceeds thus:]
3. I confess to almighty God …

EXTRAORDINARY FORM/TRIDENTINE MASS

RITE OF SPRINKLING WITH HOLY WATER
1. [1.] (sung) Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop …
2. [2.] As it was in the beginning …
3. [3.] Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop …
4. [4.] And grant us Thy salvation.
5. [5.] And let my cry come unto Thee.
6. [6.] And with Thy spirit.
7. [7.] Amen. 

PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR
8. [7.] To God, Who giveth joy to my youth.

PSALM 42
9. [7.] For Thou art, God, my strength …
10. [7.] And I will go in to the altar of God …
11. [7.] Hope in God, for I will still give praise to Him …
12. [7.] As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be…
13. [7.] To God, Who giveth joy to my youth.
14. [7.] Who made heaven and earth.

ACT OF CONFESSION
15. [7.] May almighty God have mercy on thee …
16. [7.] I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever virgin, …

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for August 16, 2009. Hat tip to A.B.]

Posted by Pertinacious Papist at 8:34 AM

Labels:

Active Participation in the Mass: A Statistical Study - Part 2 of 4

Active Participation in the Mass: A Statistical Study - Part 3 of 4

Active Participation in the Mass: A Statistical Study - Part 4 of 4

Aug 22

Saturday, August 22, 2009

URGENT
The “Reform of the Reform” is in motion

In today’s edition of Italian daily Il Giornale, religious journalist Andrea Tornielli brings the news that several “propositiones” approved by the plenary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (reserved session held on March 12, 2009) regarding several reforms of the new Mass of Paul VI. Full translation below:

ROME The document was delivered to the hands of Benedict XVI in the morning of last April 4 by Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship. It is the result of a reserved vote, which took place on March 12, in the course of a “plenary” session of the dicastery responsible for the liturgy, and it represents the first concrete step towards that “reform of the reform” often desired by Pope Ratzinger. The Cardinals and Bishops members of the Congregation voted almost unanimously in favor of a greater sacrality of the rite, of the recovery of the sense of eucharistic worship, of the recovery of the Latin language in the celebration, and of the remaking of the introductory parts of the Missal in order to put a stop to abuses, wild experimentations, and inappropriate creativity. They have also declared themselves favorable to reaffirm that the usual way of receiving Communion according to the norms is not on the hand, but in the mouth. There is, it is true, and indult which, on request of the [local] episcopates, allows for the distribution of the host [sic] also on the palm of the hand, but this must remain an extraordinary fact. The “Liturgy Minister” of Pope Ratzinger, Cañizares, is also having studies made on the possibility to recover the orientation towards the Orient of the celebrant, at least at the moment of the eucharistic consecration, as it happened in practice before the reform, when both the faithful and the priest faced towards the Cross and the priest therefore turned his back to the assembly.

Those who know Cardinal Cañizares, nicknamed “the small Ratzinger” before his removal to Rome, know that he is disposed to move forward decisively with the project, beginning in fact from what was established by the Second Vatican Council in the liturgical constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, which was, in reality, exceeded by the post-Conciliar reform which came into forceat the end of the Sixties. The porporato, interviewed by monthly 30Days in recent months, had declared regarding this: “At times change was for the mere sake of changing from a past perceived as negative and outdated. Sometimes the reform was regarded as a break and not as an organic development of Tradition.”

For this reason, the “propositiones” voted by the Cardinals and Bishops at the March plenary foresee a return to the sense of sacredness and to adoration, but also a recovery of the celebrations in Latin in the dioceses, at least in the main solemnities, as well as the publication of bilingual Missals - a request made at his time by Paul VI - with the Latin text first.

The proposals of the Congregation, which Cañizares delivered to the Pope, obtaining his approval, are perfectly in line with the idea often expressed by Joseph Ratzinger when he was still a Cardinal, as it is made clear his unpublished words on the liturgy, revealed in advanced by Il Giornale yesterday, and which will be published in the book Davanti al Protagonista (Cantagalli [publisher]), presented beforehand at a congress at Rimini. With a significant nota bene: for the accomplishment of the “reform of the reform”, many years will be necessary. The Pope is convinced that hasty steps, as well as to simply drop directives from above, serve no good, with the risk that they may later remain a dead letter. The style of Ratzinger is that of comparison and, above all, of example. As the fact that, for more than a year, whoever approaches the Pope for Communion, have had to kneel down on the kneeler especially placed by the cerimonieri.

RORATE note: The Pope needed, for practical purposes, this first bureaucratic step by the Congregation for Divine Worship. His decisions on this matter will come in the next few months and years. May God grant him many more fruitful years of work as Successor of Peter.

posted by New Catholic at 8:24 AM

May 6

3 May 2009

Guardian (UK): an interesting TLM first impression piece