Wednesday, August 5, 2009

follow the Popes orders, PLEASE

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Vatican tells bishops to implement Motu Proprio

Guido Pozzo, the new secretary of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei "

The Pope asks bishops throughout the world to follow his instructions about the so-called old rite of the Mass. "The local bishop must adhere to the directives "which concern the extraordinary rite of the Mass, writes the new secretary of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", Guido Pozzo, in a letter that the Internet portal "messainlatino.it" has published. "If in a diocese, there are a significant number of believers who wish for the older rite, they need no special permission from local bishop" writes Pozzo, according to the website. The bishop should instead "examine" how this desire is to be "effectively implemented". He should not specify the number of believers who are asking for the rite which are to be "significant", which depends very much on "local circumstances"

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, this is true to a point. The local bishop can still make life tough on anyone wanting to say the latin mass. For example, he can put the priest to a "test" of his latin...ect. That's what we don't see here. You still must pass the muster of the local bishop to make sure the mass is done in the correct manner. This is funny to me as most N.O. masses in our area completely neglect the GIRM. This is why a priest at St. Charles who says the latin mass on a regular basis is our best set up here.

Kurt H said...

My two cents: There's a significant amount of wiggle room for local ordinaries and pastors to exercise their prudential judgment. For example, how large must the "stable group" be in order to warrant an extraordinary form liturgy? If a pastor doesn't make it available, the bishop is "strongly requested" (not "ordered") to make it available. But even then, it's up to the bishop to decide whether, for instance, an extraordinary form liturgy in Dayton makes the option adequately available to us in the northern part of the diocese. In general, the Motu Proprio sets forth what can be done, not what must be done.

Contrast that with the clear instructions of the Holy Father to the bishops of the SSPX that they are not to ordain seminarians to the priesthood, under penalty of excommunication. It is clear that if anybody is disobeying the direct orders of the Vicar of Christ, it is your beloved SSPX.