Traditional Latin Mass in Maryland

Fascinating news is reported by Rorate Caeli . I am awaiting this document with great interest. From an interview granted by Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State, to the largest Italian Catholic weekly, Famiglia Cristiana (excerpts: Apcom and A. Tornielli ): "It is predicted that an Instruction which clearly determines the criteria of application of the motu proprio will be made available... There have been confused reactions. Some have accused the Pope of having disowned the Conciliar teaching. On the other hand, there have been those who have interpreted the motu proprio as an authorization for the return of the pre-Conciliar rite only. Both [are] wrong positions, exaggerated episodes which do not correspond to the intentions of the Pope.." The release of this document should clear up a great deal of misinformation and incorrect interpretations.

Due to travel during Christmastide, this is the final post for this week. I can think of no better meditation than that on the Incarnation written by Frank Sheed . It is linked here from the Ignatius Insight blog. I wish all a Happy and Most Holy Christmas! The human race then had broken its right relation of friendship with God: men had lost the way because they had lost the life (without which the way cannot be followed) and the truth without which the way cannot even be known. To such a world Christ, who had come to make all things new, said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." In those three words–way, truth, life–Christ related Himself quite precisely to what man had lost: as precisely as a key fits a lock. In the precision of that threefold relation, we are apt to overlook the strangest word in the phrase–the word "am." Men needed truth and life: what they might have expected was one who w...

Shawn Tribe at The New Liturgical Movement posts some interesting material on the TLM youth apostolate, Juventutem . I would encourage people to setup local chapters, and to that end, please use the comments to express interest in becoming part of, or even helping form, local Juventutem chapters in your region. For our many North American readers, I note that Juventutem intends to be active at the upcoming Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, complete with Pontifical High Mass. This event might be a glorious opportunity for you to organize yourselves and come to a location nearer your own which you can participate in. Without further delay, the news of upcoming events for Juventutem: November 2007 in Rome: In November (2007) several Juventutem members met in Rome on the occasion the Una Voce International Federation (FIUV) Open Forum. We had the deep joy of meeting with new Italian and Spanish supporters of Juventutem, as well as with cofounders of Juventutem from Russia and England. Juve...

Dr. Philip Blosser, author of the blog, "Musings of a Pertinacious Papist," reprints an article in the The Catholic News & Herald, Dec. 21, 2007 by Karen A. Evans . Here is an interesting segment of that article: "The main benefit of Pope Benedict's document is two-fold," Bishop Peter J. Jugis said. "It recognizes the beauty and legitimacy of the extraordinary form of the Mass and promotes the unity of the faithful because, as Pope Benedict has noted, there are people devoted to this form of the Mass ." "Both forms of the Mass are legitimate means of worship; we don't want to hurt or leave people behind because of their devotion to earlier liturgical forms," said Bishop Jugis. "We've had a good response from our priests wanting to celebrate using the 1962 missal," said Bishop Jugis. "However, many of them need to learn the rubrics and details of the 1962 missal." Therefore, 14 priests from the Diocese of Charl...

Shawn Tribe, author of the blog, The New Liturgical Movement, has a compelling post on Pope Benedict XVI as the "Liturgical Pope ." His essay is quite interesting. He says, for example: In the same regard, we are only two and a half years into the pontificate of Benedict XVI, but it seems to me that we might already be able to refer to Pope Benedict as "the liturgical Pope". When one considers how much work has gone on under this pontificate as regards the sacred liturgy it is really quite astounding. As Dr. Alcuin Reid pointed out in Columbus, Ohio at the annual Society for Catholic Liturgy conference, we are already beginning to be able to speak of the "liturgical reform of Pope Benedict XVI" -- a sentiment that was made even prior to recent Vatican liturgical developments. One need only consider the numerous statements the Pope has made as regards sacred music and its relation to the sacred liturgy, or the statements at Heiligenkreuz Abbey on liturgi...

Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. posts a beautiful meditation on Ignatius Insight : In Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost , we find the following stanza: "At Christmas I no more desire a rose / Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth; / But like of each thing that in season grows" (I, 105). Today, of course, we can order roses for Christmas from the local florist. He will get them from a hot-house or flown in from some distant spot where they are in bloom. And if we run ski slopes during May, we can manufacture our snow when late spring storms fail to fall on slopes in Colorado or the Alps. Yet, Shakespeare is right; we know things better if we wait till their time. My own childhood memories of the days leading up to Christmas were ones of waiting and expectancy. These are both great categories of finite being. Without the waiting, the reality of Christmas is not nearly so wondrous. Some things we cannot have unless we wait for them to be what they are. I so...

The Black Biretta makes thoughtful comments on a post by The Cafeteria is Closed on the cover story in US News & World Report: You won't see such articles in most diocesan newspapers, yet ironically, in a secular periodical like U.S. News & World Report we get a glimpse into a profound truth on sacred worship. Indeed, the NEED for ritual transcends religion. Human nature is oriented toward ritual since it reminds us that we are hylomorphic beings (body & soul; material & spiritual; matter & form; for those who slept through Aristotelian Philosophy 101). Ritual is the prescribed set of symbolic actions, clothing, artifacts, gestures and words which are done consistently and intentionally. By using symbols, man, who is physically confined to space and time, is nevertheless able to transcend the spatial-temporal limits and thus connect the past, present and future. Even people who may have a personal dislike or disdain for routine in general still have an inner l...

UPDATE : Fr. Z. weighs in with more information on his blog. Click here for more information ! A hat tip to the blog Rorate Caeli which posted this fascinating story: From the website of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) in Melbourne : Personal Parish for the Extraordinary Form to be established in Rome: the traditional Mass apostolate in Rome under Fr Joseph Kramer is to be elevated into a personal parish, with Fr Kramer as its first parish priest. The apostolate will move early in 2008 into a larger Church, which will be given for the exclusive use of the new Parish: the Church of Trinita dei Pellegrini. We are told that the Holy Father wishes this model to be “an exemplar for the whole Church” [emphasis mine]. We thank God for this development, rejoice in the Holy Father’s leadership, and congratulate Fr Kramer and his community.Congratulations to Father Kramer and the Traditional Mass congregation in tiny Muratori. Please check the link to read the fascinating com...

Philip Carl Smith has written a beautiful essay entitled, "The Monastery, the Motu Proprio, and the Heart of the Church" on his blog, Dappled Things . He says, in part: Dom Antoine Forgeot, the abbot of Notre Dame de Fontgombault, greeted me upon my arrival at the monastery by pouring water on my hands before the evening meal, welcoming me as if I were Christ. Fontgombault, founded in the eleventh century, has had an immense influence on the religious life of France and the United States since its reestablishment in 1948 by the Benedictines of Solesmes, and it is now an important center of Gregorian chant. For several days this past summer I received the hospitality of the monks, attending the singing of the Divine Office and participating in the solemn conventual Mass chanted each day according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII—a form of the Mass also known as the usus antiquior or the Tridentine Mass. One afternoon before one of the hours of the Office, I spoke ...

Great news from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO posted by Saint Louis Catholic! There are reliable indications that the Archbishop will soon announce a major expansion of the facilities of the Archdiocesan Seminary. The seminary's enrollment increased this year by 50%, with all signs pointing to another increase in enrollment next year. The seminary has simply run out of room. Architectural plans have been submitted to His Grace for approval. A new residence hall is certainly needed, and perhaps a new library and other facilities are in the works. This is great news, of course. But another reason to be grateful is the faithful, orthodox and pastoral care of the Archbishop that has led to the increase in the number of young men entering Kenrick-Glennon. As has been proven all over the world, when the Diocesan Ordinary teaches and defends the Catholic faith, Diocesan vocations increase. Dissent and ambiguity lead to dwindling numbers of priests. Where the fullness of faith is held, ...

Shawn Tribe of The New Liturgical Movement posts a beautiful story about the beginning of the restoration of the High altar of the Immaculate Conception church in Kražiai, Lithuania . Here are before and after shots of the restored altar. See the complete story here!

I am indebted to a friend who sent me an email with a link to this article in the Telegraph. In the "Holy Smoke" column by Damian Thompson of December 14th , he reports the following: Bad news for England’s ludicrously overstaffed Catholic seminaries, one of which employs 37 staff for 32 students. The Pope wants them to teach trainee priests how to say the traditional Latin Mass. They won’t like that... England’s seminaries are all pretty much in the same mould: Left-leaning, liturgically trendy, politically correct, therapy-obsessed and terrified of a younger generation of conservative Catholics. Most of them would rather teach Unitarian circle-dancing than the Tridentine Mass. But they may not have much choice. The pontifical commission Ecclesia Dei, unimpressed by certain bishops’ sour response to the liberation of the Latin Mass, realises that there is a shortage of priests who know how to celebrate the complicated ancient liturgy. Since demand for it is rising, semina...

Fr. Zuhlsdorf has posted a note to either seminarians or to seminary faculty asking for feedback on the status of the Traditional Roman Missal in their training. I would like some news from seminarians or seminary instructors . What is happening in your seminary with the "Traditional Latin Mass"? Are there celebrations of the older Mass now? Are there plans? Is there instruction for men now to learn to celebrate Mass with the 1962 Missale Romanum ? Are there plans? What about the Rituale Romanum ? Any training for how to marry, bury and baptize? Let’s avoid rumors . Let’s get facts . The comments so far are illuminating and quite hopeful, I think. JUST A REMINDER: The Rorate Mass is scheduled tomorrow on EWTN . It should be something quite beautiful to see!

Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog, "What Does the Prayer Really Say?" has an email report and some comments on the initiation of the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He writes, in part: I received this wonderful bit of news via e-mail from a seminarian at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, in Philadelphia: I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that the rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia made the announcement tonight at the rector’s dinner. Next semester St. Charles will have the Mass according to the 1962 Missal , an elective on the Mass and Sacraments from the 1962 form, and the Eucharist and Liturgy classes will be modified to cover the extraordinary form. These are all the details for now. God Bless Pope Benedict! We never thought this could ever happen, even a year ago. There will be celebration tonight in Philadelphia! Please read the entire post and the comments which are very ...

The Summorum Pontificum blog has a link to a fascinating article posted on the blog Catholic Church Conservation . A portion of the post is cited here: A prerequisite for the request for the old Mass is the existence of a "fixed group of believers." The German Bishops are attempting to use this point against the Motu proprio 'Summorum Pontificum'. The latest edition of the German theological journal 'Una Voce Correspondence' has published an article with the title "A Canonical Note on " Summorum Pontificum "and its practical implementation". The author is the Right Revd. Father Wolfgang Rothe, Canon Lawyer and former Subregens of the Seminary of St. Pölten. The paper deals with the question of how big a group of believers must be to request the old Mass, or whether such a group needs to be of a particular size. Father Rothe also raises the problem, as to what is to be understood by the phrase "enduring existance" of this grou...

I received an email from a member of Ad Altare Dei about the Christmas Tridentine Mass schedule for Saint Alphonsus Church in Baltimore . On Tuesday, December 24th, 2007, there will be carols sung by the Mixed Choir starting at 11:30 P.M. followed by a Midnight TLM Mass. On Christmas Day, there will be a TLM Mass at 11:30 A.M. Please check for updates and for a full schedule on the Ad Altare Dei website.

Catholic World News on-line is reporting that the Vatican Congregation for Clergy has initiated a new campaign of prayer for priests . The story reads in part: The Congregation for Clergy, in a document released on December 8, calls for a major worldwide drive to promote Eucharistic adoration "for the reparation of faults and sanctification of priests." [emphasis mine] In a document issued on December 8, the Congregation for Clergy urges diocesan bishops throughout the world to join in the prayer campaign, and recommends specific steps that should be taken to foster a spirit of Eucharistic adoration. In response to troubles within the ranks of the clergy, the Congregation acknowledges that "a great many things are necessary," but announces its plan "for the departure point to be a spiritual endeavor." A spiritual renewal will only come through prayer, the document argues. The Congregation for Clergy notes that Pope Benedict XVI, in the apostolic exh...

Catholic Online reminds us that there will be a " Rorate " Mass celebrated by the F.S.S.P. on EWTN from Hanceville, AL on Saturday morning December 15th at 8:00 AM EST . The Mass takes its name from the openings words of the Mass: The " Rorate Mass," so called because it begins with the words " Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum ..." (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One...), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Please tune in if you possibly can and have your TIVO ready to record. The first TLM celebrated on EWTN had a huge backlog of DVDs on order.

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae, ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte; et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exilium ostende. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria. The publication of the Motu Proprio , Summorum Pontificum , by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, has opened the Traditional Latin Mass to the faithful more widely. As the " usus antiquior ," the "extraordinary form" can be said by all priests privately at their discretion and publicly in those locations where a group wishes to participate in this form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The greater availability of the TLM has been amazing as even the lay press has amply documented. The Mass was celebrated this weekend as part of the Triduum of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in New York . A Req...