Whispered in the Sacristy

The Rumors of My Demise are Premature

Prester Thomas has been taking a few weeks to rest and recharge his batteries.  Now that the Sacramental/Easter Season has ended, this blog will start up again in the next few days.

More n the New Translation of the Missal

Few things can be more a matter of public interest than the liturgy and the process of developing new texts should be as open as it is possible to make it.  However, the fact that it is being done in a closed gatherings,  demonstrates the political character of vernacular language and used by ruling groups to assert their power.
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In other words this debate shows yet again the wisdom of using a "dead" language for public worship.  No doubt the Inquisition could have learned lessons from ICEL in its acquiescence to Roman/Curial centralized power and its enforcement.

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As one asked to be a “reader” of the new translation of the Mass for Bishop CVG, I had the dubious honor of seeing and hearing (the second version I received was not the text but a recording of the Mass) several versions. 

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The New Gloria

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Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
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[A Deacon seeking permission to proclaim the Gospel will ask the Presider: Pray, Father, your blessing.]

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The New Creed

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I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and he Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
And one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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The mystery of faith.  [Instead of “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.]

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We proclaim your death, O Lord,
and profess your resurrection
until you come in glory.
or —
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again.
or —
Saviour of the world, save us,
for by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.

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[NB.  I don’t know if Rome will permit “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again,” or not.  I believe our Bishops asked that it be permitted, although it is not in the Latin texts.]

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Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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Our Father …
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Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, sustained by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope,
the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

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For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
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Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles,
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and be pleased to grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
Amen.

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The peace of the Lord be with you always.

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And with your spirit.

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Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the banquet of the Lamb.

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Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
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Eucharistic Prayer I
To you, most merciful Father,
we therefore humbly pray
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
We ask you to accept and bless these gifts,
these offerings,
these holy and undefiled sacrifices,
which we offer you first of all
for your holy Catholic Church.
Be pleased to grant her peace,
to guard, unite and govern her
throughout the whole world,
together with your servant N. our Pope
and N. our Bishop,
and all Bishops who, holding to the truth,
hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.
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Remember, Lord, your servants N. and N.
and all gathered here,
whose faith and devotion are known to you.
For them we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and they offer it to you for themselves
and all who are theirs,
for the redemption of their souls,
in hope of health and security,
and fulfilling their vows to you,
the eternal God, living and true.
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In communion with the whole Church,
they venerate above all others the memory
of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ,
† then of blessed Joseph, husband of the Virgin,
your blessed Apostles and Martyrs,
Peter and Paul, Andrew,
James, John,
[etc.]
and all your Saints:
grant through their merits and prayers
that in all things we may be defended
by the help of your protection.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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In communion with the whole Church,
and celebrating the most sacred night/day
on which blessed Mary the immaculate virgin
brought forth a Saviour for this world,
they venerate above all others the memory
of the same glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †
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In communion with the whole Church,
and celebrating the most sacred day
on which your Only-begotten Son,
eternal with you in your glory,
appeared in a human body, truly sharing our flesh,
they venerate above all others the memory
of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †
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In communion with the whole Church,
and celebrating the most sacred night/day
of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh,
they venerate above all others the memory
of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †
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In communion with the whole Church,
and celebrating the most sacred day
on which your Only-begotten Son, our Lord,
set at the right hand of your glory,
our weak human nature,
which he had united to himself,
they venerate above all others the memory
of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †
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In communion with the whole Church,
and celebrating the most sacred day of Pentecost,
on which the Holy Spirit
appeared to the Apostles in tongues of fire,
they venerate above all others the memory
of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †
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Therefore, Lord, we pray:
graciously accept this offering from us, your servants,
and from your whole family:
order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Therefore, Lord, we pray:
graciously accept from us, your servants,
and from your whole family,
this offering which we make to you
also for those to whom you have been pleased to give
the new birth of water and the Holy Spirit,
granting them forgiveness of all their sins:
order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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We pray, O God:
be pleased to bless, recognize,
and approve this offering in every way:
make it spiritual and acceptable,
that it become for us
the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Who, on the day before he was to suffer
took bread into his holy and venerable hands:
with eyes raised to heaven
to you, O God, his almighty Father,
giving you thanks he said the blessing,
broke the bread
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.
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In the same way, when supper was ended,
he took this precious chalice
into his holy and venerable hands,
and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for all [I believe this now is “many”]
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.
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Therefore, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed passion,
the resurrection from the dead,
and the glorious ascension into heaven
of Christ, your Son, our Lord,
we, your servants and your holy people,
offer to your glorious majesty
from your own generous gifts,
the pure victim,
the holy victim,
the spotless victim,
the holy Bread of eternal life
and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.
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Be pleased to look upon them,
with a serene and kindly gaze,
and to accept them
as you were pleased to accept
the gifts of your just servant Abel,
the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,
and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek,
a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
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In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God,
bid that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel
to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty,
that all of us who receive
the most holy Body and Blood of your Son
through this sharing at the altar
may be filled with every grace and blessing from above.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N.
who have gone before us with the sign of faith
and rest in the sleep of peace.
Grant them, O Lord, we pray,
and all who sleep in Christ,
a place of refreshment, light and peace.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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To us sinners also,
your servants who hope in your abundant mercies,
graciously grant some share
in the communion of your holy Apostles and Martyrs:
with John the Baptist, Stephen,
[etc.]

and all your saints,
into whose company we beg you admit us,
not weighing our merits but granting us pardon,
through Christ our Lord.
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Through whom
you constantly create all these good things, O Lord,
you make them holy and fill them with life,
you bless them and bestow them on us.
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Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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Eucharist Prayer II
The Lord be with you
-And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
-We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
-It is right and just.
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It is truly right and just, our duty and salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy,
through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,
your Word through whom you made all things,
whom you sent to us as Saviour and Redeemer,
incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin.
Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people,
he stretched out his hands as he suffered,
to break the bonds of death and show forth the resurrection.
Therefore, with the Angels and all the Saints
we proclaim your glory,
as with one voice we say:
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Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
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You are indeed the Holy One, O Lord,
you are the wellspring of all holiness.
Therefore, make holy these gifts, we pray,
by the dew of your Spirit,
that they may become for us
the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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Who, as he was handed over
and entered willingly into his Passion,
took bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.
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In the same way, when supper was ended,
he took the chalice
and, once more giving you thanks,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.
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Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his death and resurrection,
we offer you, Lord,
the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation,
giving thanks that you have deemed us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
Humbly we pray
that, sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ,
we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
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Remember, Lord, your Church
spread throughout the world,
and bring her to the fullness of charity,
together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop
and all the clergy.
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Remember also our brothers and sisters
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection,
and all who have died in your mercy:
welcome them into the light of your countenance.
Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
the blessed Apostles,
and all the Saints from every age who have pleased you,
we may be worthy to share eternal life,
and may praise and glorify you
through your Son, Jesus Christ.
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Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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Eucharist Prayer III
You are indeed the Holy One, O Lord,
and all you have created
rightly gives you praise,
for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the power and work of the Holy Spirit,
you give life to all things and make them holy.
You never cease to gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting
a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.
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Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you,
graciously make holy by the same Spirit,
these gifts we have brought to you for consecration,
that they may become the Body and Blood
of your Son our Lord, Jesus Christ
at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.
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For he himself
on the night he was handed over
took bread
and, giving you thanks, he said the blessing,
broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.
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In the same way, when supper was ended,
he took the chalice
and giving you thanks he said the blessing,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.
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Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial
of the saving passion of your Son,
his wondrous resurrection
and ascension into heaven,
and also look forward to his second coming,
we offer you in thanksgiving
this holy and living sacrifice.
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Look, we pray, upon your Church’s offering
and, recognizing the Victim by whose sacrificial death
you willed to be reconciled,
grant that we, who are strengthened
by the Body and Blood of your Son
and filled with his Holy Spirit,
may be found to be one body and one spirit in Christ.
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May he bring us to perfection
as an eternal gift to you,
that we may gain an inheritance with your elect,
above all with the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs,
[with Saint N.]
and with all the Saints,
whose intercession in your presence
is our unfailing pledge of help.
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We pray, O Lord,
may this Victim who is our reconciliation,
advance the peace and salvation of all the world.
Be pleased to strengthen in faith and love
your pilgrim Church on earth,
with your servant N. our Pope and N. our Bishop,
the Order of Bishops, all the clergy,
and the entire people you make your own.
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Listen graciously to the prayers of this family,
whom you have called into your presence.
Merciful Father, in your compassion
gather to yourself all your children
scattered throughout the earth.
†Lovingly receive into your kingdom
our departed brothers and sisters
and all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life.
In that kingdom we hope to be filled with your glory for ever
through Christ our Lord
through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.
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[† Remember your servant N.
whom you have called {today}
from this world to yourself.
Grant that he/she who was united with your Son in a death like his,
may also be one with him in his resurrection,
when from the earth
he will raise in the flesh those who have died,
and transform our lowly body
to be like his own glorious body.
Lovingly receive into your kingdom
our departed brothers and sisters
and all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life.
In that kingdom we hope to be filled with your glory for ever
when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
For seeing you, God, as you are,
we shall be like you for all ages
and praise you without end,
through Christ our Lord
through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.
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Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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This latest version [at least the one I have] is greatly improved from the first I saw, which had very jarring construction, many archaic word choices and convoluted turns of phrase.  I still find it awkward in places and wonder whether it might not have been easier to just offer minor correction, rather than a full re-translation.  I suspect that our Bishops felt compelled to avoid being presented with a fait accompli by Roman, like the 1990’s version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in English.
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Sixth Sunday in Easter

I today’s Gospel from St. John, Jesus says:

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“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

And he promises the Holy Spirit who is to teach us all things.” [John 14:23-24.]

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At the heart of this teaching are clear directions for us to live in this passing world. Clearly in the early Church we see that the Holy Spirit does not speak just to one person alone, but to the assembly. Yes, the Holy Spirit speaks to you and to me and to each one who believes. But when we come together as a Church to try to make decisions, it is very clear that the Holy Spirit has not given the same message to each one of us. But our differences are clarified when the Bishops of the Church come together under the leadership of the Pope.

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This is particularly clear in the events in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  Described is the most critical event in the history of the Early Church between Pentecost and 4^th Century when the bishops gathered to formulate the Nicene Creed.

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Circa 49 or 50 A.D. and sometimes called the Council of Jerusalem, the Apostles (the magisterium or teaching office of the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) gathered to settle the question: Was it possible for non-Jews to become Christian without following the strict Jewish traditions of circumcision and dietary laws? It was decided, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, that gentiles would not have to become Jews in order to be full members of the Church.  It was a great event in the Church as it truly followed the mandate of Jesus to "Go out to the whole world and Baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  It meant that the Church would not be a sect of Judaism, but truly a universal, catholic Church.   "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities."
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This is a sign of the Advocate promised by Jesus … the on-going presence of God in the Holy Spirit.  Ever since the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been here, on earth, to guide the Church of God in order that the message of Christ might be faithfully preserved and transmitted, from generation to generation, by means of both the Holy Scriptures, Holy Tradition and the exercise of the Sacraments.

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Founded on the faith of the Apostles, the Christians of every age are called by the Holy Spirit to put their faith in the words of the Lord. Then, the Father will come, and Jesus with him: all will be but one in God and the Peace of the Lord will reign everywhere! Jesus says: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." Jesus is still with us and the Holy Spirit guides the Church every moment.    

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"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him."  We only need to follow Jesus, to live the Gospel message every day of our lives.  He says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."  How can we be afraid if we truly believe that He is with us always, as He promised?
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We need to be aware of the role of the Church and its teaching authority in the world.  We must accept this and see in it the work of the Holy Spirit, acting through the Church.  Most importantly, we must be aware of our own personal (individual and communal) call to be the voice, the hands, the eyes and ears of Christ in the World today.  Who is to make Christ present if not you and me?  This is not a job that we can pass along to anyone else.  We can not expect the Government to do it, nor some social service agency.  It’s our job, yours and mine.  When we receive the Eucharist today, we can become one with Christ in a very powerful way.  He calls us to take Him out of the church and into the World.  Pope John Paul II, said that our Faith does not come alive until we share it with another.  Let us make our Faith alive today!

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More on the New Missal Translation

Bishop Donald W. Trautman, the Bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania, currently serving his second 3-year term as chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, launched a most blistering salvo on the revised translation of the Roman Missal in the most recent edition of America Magazine:

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What will the person in the pew hear and comprehend? Will the words “prefiguring sacrifices of the Fathers” and “born ineffably of the inviolate Virgin,” for example, resonate with John and Mary Catholic? Is this prayer intelligible, proclaimable, reflective of a vocabulary and linguistic style from the contemporary mainstream of U.S. Catholics? Is the liturgical language accessible to the average Catholic and our youth? Does this translated text lead to full, conscious and active participation? I think not.
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This prayer is not an isolated example. While the latest ICEL translations for the proper of the saints and the commons are improved, we still encounter the following: “O God, who suffused blessed John with the spirit of mercy” (Collect for March 8) and “Cyril, an unvanquished champion of the divine motherhood” (Collect for June 27) and odd expressions like “What you have charged us to believe will taste sweet to the heart” (Collect for April 21). Does the heart “taste?”
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All liturgy is pastoral. If translated texts are to be the authentic prayer of the people, they must be owned by the people and expressed in the contemporary language of their culture. To what extent are the new prayers of the Missal truly pastoral? Do these new texts communicate in the living language of the worshiping assembly?...
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Will the priest and people understand the words of Eucharistic Prayer 2: “Make holy these gifts, we pray, by the dew of your Spirit”? This translation was among the top 10 texts that the U.S. bishops in their consultation considered most problematic, but still ICEL did not change it.
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In the new missal you will hear awkward phrases like “We pray you bid.” This is not American English. Ponder these concrete examples and judge for yourself.
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What happened to the liturgical principles of the “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy”? The council fathers of Vatican II stated: “Texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, as far as possible, should be able to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively and as it befits a community” (No. 21). Note the words “with ease.” This is the norm, the expressed wish in the constitution. This is a prerequisite that calls not just for the accuracy of translated texts but for the easy understanding of those texts.....
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Liturgical translations must communicate. If liturgical language is divorced from the reality of culture, communication is impossible.
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What is missing in the present moment, unfortunately, is the voice of liturgical scholars and the voice of the laity, the assembly.
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If the language of the liturgy is inaccessible, how can liturgy catechize and convey the reality of the living, risen Son of God in the Eucharist? If the language of the liturgy is a stumbling block to intelligibility and proclaimability, then the principle lex orandi, lex credendi is severely compromised. If the language of the liturgy does not communicate, how can people fall in love with the greatest gift of God, the Eucharist?

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Church of God, judge for yourselves. Speak up, speak up!

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As I said some months ago, the new translation now grinding toward approval in Rome, it is an exercise in Roman control and the centralization of Church authority and power.  The new translation reflects an insalubrious (you see, I could have used the word “unhealthy,” here) approach to theology and language.  In an attempt to control the precision of language at Mass, we will end up with liturgy more reflective of Shakespeare, King James and the Eighteenth Century, than the language of the Common Man, which the New Testament and the Vulgate reflected.

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If it’s still there you can check out The Gray Book (the latest version of the new translation sent to Rome) at http://newmasstexts.blogspot.com/ Previous publication were deemed copyright infringement and ICEL demanded they be removed from several blogs.

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Brain Freeze

After over 100 consecutive days of blogs, Prester Thomas has temporary writer's block.  It's not that I've run out of things to say, reflect or comment on, but to be perfectly honest, as we draw this season of Sacraments to a close, and now that Bishop Farrell is firmly installed, my brain is just too tired for creative thinking.  I'm taking some personal retreat time and will get back to in a few days.  A little rest and prayer always does wonders!

God bless!

The Illusive Motu Propio

Since it was Rocco Palmo’s blog Whispered in the Loggia that got me started on this blog, I am encouraged by his recent column on the much-rumored motu propio of Pope Benedict XVI, which is said to approve greater use of the Tridentine Latin Mass (Mass of Paul V, 192 version,) by any priest with or without the bishops’ approval.

While separating the wheat from the chaff hasn't been easy on this one, it's why these pages are read, so here's the scene as it's looking. At least, for now. You never know -- the way things are going, it could all change in 20 minutes. Again.

As of earlier today, not one copy of the document had yet turned up at the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, nor among other usual suspects who customarily get embargoed copies of significant papal messages; alongside the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which handles matters pertaining to the Pian Rite indult, CDW and the Congregations for the Clergy and the Doctrine of the Faith were the three lead dicasteries involved in the consultations and prep-work for the drafting of the text.

The means of transmission has become an element of note as credible reports say that, like the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's recent "Notification" on the work of the Basque Jesuit theologian John Sobrino, the world's bishops could be receiving a special cover letter over and above the public contents. It should go without saying that any such added missive on a topic which has engendered such strong reactions in many quarters of the global episcopate will be as interesting, if not moreso, than the integral text. With its cover letter, the Sobrino judgment was sent electronically to the bishops several days before its publication (sans cover) in the daily Bollettino of the Holy See Press Office and the pages of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.

While supporters of the "classical" liturgy, placed in abeyance after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, expect the document to affirm the Mass of Pius V (in its 1962 version) as an immemorial custom of the Roman rite and the privilege of celebrating it under the new text's provisions as permanent, it's also been said that Benedict might implement his intended norms solely for an ad experimentum period of five years, at whose end the Holy See would revisit the question with the benefit of observing its results in the field.

That's the canvass as of this minute. As for the other shoe(s), wait and see.

It is my certain and sincere hope that such a document does not occur as rumored.  I have no problem with the Latin Mass since I grew up with it and recall it vividly, but I hope not to be forced to celebrate it or see priests pitted against bishops, under Roman approval.  Any permission granted that bypasses the local ordinary would be a grave error and come to no good.

Bishop Farrell ... Can We Talk?

Way back on January 23, 2007, in my very first blog, I wrote:

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So what are we priests looking for? The next bishop needs to be open, personable, sensitive and accessible to his all priests. Trips to the Chancery ought not to be liked to journeys to the Tower of London or crossing the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. This person unquestionably will need to understand the growing Hispanic population of the Diocese as it approaches majority status.

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The new bishop will need to work to restore order and confidence to our wounded diocese.  He must certainly be a man of prayer, simplicity and kindness. He must not surround himself with layers of protection and separation and continue to rule through others from the Fifth Floor [of the Chancery.]

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We need a strong defender of Church teaching – a stance that has not been without controversy in other dioceses – and a leader who brooks no contradiction between firm fidelity and warmhearted charity. He needs to live the balance of the Law and the Prophets. He must be a defender of both the Letter and the Spirit of the Law. He needs to know the Law of the Church is always counterbalanced by “what Jesus would do.” He must seek the opinion of others. He must understand that being pastoral sometimes means being unpopular among the wealthy and powerful.

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Dallas Catholics need a bishop whose judgment they can trust, a strong leader worth following, a shepherd who cares most of all about the welfare of his flock and who works collaboratively with his priests. My lips to God’s ears: Given what we have been through in the past fifteen years, is that too much to ask?  We have been crucified together with Him.  Can we not also rise with Him?

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I begin to believe that most of our initial “wish-list” will be fulfilled in Bishop Kevin Farrell.  Time will tell.  But now we are beginning to formulate “talking-points” or issues we wish to set before Bishop Farrell … our concerns:

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1. The priest shortage.  Some of us are in large parishes, celebrating as many as six Sunday Masses, and two or more each day during the week.  Eliminating Masses will alienate our parishioners and drive them to other parishes and even other denominations.  We need help to do our jobs/exercise our vocations in a way that does not drive us to illness and exhaustion or away from active ministry.

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2. Disunity Among Priests. Too many of us feel that we operate as Lone Rangers, lacking the support of our brother priests or our bishop. We know here is no program to make presbyteral unity happen. It must be the deliberate choice of bishops and priests together. It is the individual commitment for each priest to name and actively oppose the countercultural influences that prevent them from working with one another. It is a collective commitment to remember who we are, what we’re about, and where we’re going, and to do the hard and necessary work to get there.

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3.  Diocesan Finances.  We don’t know where money goes, and yet must meet growing increases in the cathedraticum, and a Catholic Community Appeal that has become a requirement that parishes must meet through voluntary contributions or make up the short-fall out of savings.  The CCA is now an additional assessment or tax for which we as Pastors are more likely to recieve threats than encouragement.

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4.  JP II High School.  Due to poor financial planning seventeen parishes are bearing the burden of keeping the new high school afloat with no guarantees.  Some parishes that had already met their original goal to support the high school were told, in essence, that “the old order had passed away,” and they had to start over raising more money.

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5.  Redemptoris Mater Seminary.  According the original minutes of a Presbyteral Council meeting, Council members were told that not a cent of Diocesan money would be spent on the Neo-catechumenate Seminary.  For that reason, Council members reluctantly approved the plan.  That proved to be radically untrue.  Why are we spending the little money we have on training for seminarians/priests that will at best serve the Diocese for three years before being sent outside our Diocese to serve?  That money should be used to increase our own vocations and not that of a particular spirituality that will give little back to this Diocese.

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The list is not exhaustive.  I can also add: 1) trying to respond to an aging priesthood and their concerns about retirement and health care; 2) the international priests who are often making a difficult transition from one culture to a very different culture; 3) a presbyterate who do not readily work to help the new person integrate into a local presbyteral culture; and, 4) the people in the pews who often struggle with language and cultural differences and immigration issues.

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Some Quotes From Bishop Farrell

On the Sexual Abuse Crisis: "Certainly I believe there is zero tolerance for anyone who harms a child. I cannot emphasize that more. … I believe the church has done more than any other institution over the last few years to protect children."

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On Being Bishop of Dallas: "At this particular moment, this is my dream job."  "It's a great challenge. It's growing tremendously, in 10 years from 200,000 to over one million Catholics, (and that) has placed a tremendous strain on the limited resources of the diocese, and especially on the number of priests... It's exciting, it's a new challenge.”

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Quoting a prayer by Thomas Merton:  "Lord, I do not know where I am going, nor what lies ahead, but one thing I do know is that I am here to do your will." "That," Bishop Farrell said "is what our life as priests is all about... We're here for the service of the Church and the people."

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The Plan: "I hope to be a pastor for the people Dallas.” “People ask me all the time, 'What's your agenda?' I don't have one," he said, smiling. "I have to get to know the priests and get to know the people. After that, I will work on a pastoral plan."  "What is going to be my agenda? What am I going to do new or different? I wish I knew. That would make my life a lot easier," he said. "I wish there were a textbook written on all of this. There aren't any such things."

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For his episcopal motto:  "State in Fide," which means "remain steadfast in the faith." He said, "I believe that in life, we all go through moments of difficulty and moments of crisis. When everything else changes in life, the only thing that remains is our faith in Christ."

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On Religious Relativity: “We live in a world where there is a tendency to create our own God … a religion to suit our own particular lifestyle."  The Church, he Bishop Farrell, is not supposed to accommodate itself to the culture of the day. "It is not a matter of a new program.   It's the plan found in the gospel and the living tradition. It is as it has always been."

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On Immigration: "I have something in common with immigrants who just got to this city, because I am also new, and now is the time to reach out and help them," he said. "This is a country that was founded by immigrants from all over the world who came in search of a better way of life."

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On Bishop Charles V. Grahmann: "You have served and guided this church through some of the most difficult times in the life of this church," Bishop Farrell said, noting in particular the dramatic growth of the diocese. The new bishop made no mention of the criticisms Bishop Grahmann had received from some prominent local Catholics.

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Next Time: Ten "Talking-Points" for Bishop Farrell From Dallas Priests ... well, some of us anyway.

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Now the Hard Work Begins

Some would say that a wet and rainy day is inauspicious for the Installation of Bishop-Designate Kevin Farrell as the seventh spiritual leader of the Diocese of Dallas.  But for those of us who know our local need for rain, it’s probably a very hopeful sign.  There is all symbolic value in rain as a sign of cleansing and washing away the stains of the past, bringing life and refreshment to this new day.

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Yesterday's installation was the culmination of events set in motion back at the beginning of March when Bishop Charles Grahmann’s resignation (tendered back on July 15, 2006) and the appointment of Bishop Kevin Farrell, then an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. were made public. The ceremony marked the official transfer of spiritual authority for the nearly one millions Catholics of the Diocese of Dallas to Bishop Farrell, who became the seventh Bishop of Dallas since the Diocese was founded in 1890.

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Literally hundreds of priests and deacons, vested in white, processed into the packed Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe, followed by nearly forty bishops, archbishops and one Cardinal.  Several hundred of the faithful were gathered in a tent set up on the Cathedral plaza with a close circuit feed from inside. Then the doors of the Cathedral were closed as Bishop Farrell approached them, only to be opened after he knocked and asked for admittance.   After offering reverence to a crucifix presented to him by Archbishop Gomez of San Antonio, and accepting a holy-water container and sprinkler offered him by retiring Bishop Grahmann, Bishop Farrell made a complete circuit of the interior of the Cathedral blessing all present.

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Then joined by Altar Servers, Cross and candle bearers, incense and all the other Bishops and Archbishops, the procession entered the Sanctuary.  Archbishop Gomez and Bishop Grahmann greeted and welcomed the assembled Faithful.  A Deacon invited the College of Consultors (six priests of the Diocese) and the Chancellor (Mary Edlund) to inspect and examine the Apostolic Mandate as required by Canon Law.  Archbishop Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, then publicly read the Mandate, and asked Bishop Farrell , "Are you willing to accept this See in the tradition of the apostolic faith of our church?"  The Bishop responded: “I do accept the pastoral care of the People of God in the Diocese of Dallas.” Archbishop Gomez then escorted Bishop Farrell to the cathedra or Chair of the Bishop and handed him a crozier, the sign of the Bishop as Good Shepherd and leader of the flock of the Diocese of Dallas.  The newly enthroned Bishop then welcomed representatives of the clergy, laity, and religious of the Diocese of Dallas, as well as leaders of other faith communities.

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In his homily, Bishop Farrell thank Bishop Grahmann for leading the Diocese through a time of unprecedented growth and the sexual abuse scandal, but now, he said, begins a new chapter and a new work.  He also expressed a deeper gratitude: “I am grateful to God for calling me to His service in the priesthood and for the privilege of being your shepherd.”

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He was very clear that he wasn’t looking for or bringing in new programs as a solution for the difficulties of facing the Catholic Church of Dallas in the Twenty-First Century, since a clear plan already exists: “We are called to teach the true and authentic faith.  The Gospel of the Lord Jesus is not to be accommodated to the culture of the day, but rather it is the Word of God which must guide our life and our culture.”

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He ended his homily: “With all that I am I pledge to the people of the Diocese of Dallas, with all of my heart and energy, to make this journey with you and for you.  And may God bless us as we begin this new and important work.  May God bless you all, and thank you.”

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The smell and bells, the cheers and clapping are past.  Now the hard work begins!

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On the Eve of a New Day for the Diocese of Dallas

Last evening the Priests and Deacons (along with their wives) of the Diocese of Dallas were invited to a reception and buffet dinner at the Cathedral for Bishop-Designate Kevin Farrell.  All the usual suspects were in attendance ... including the ones that are customarily disinclined to participate in clergy gathering unless under threat by the Bishop.  Bishop Farrell worked the room in a calm and gracious manner, friendly and genuine.

At 7:00 all adjourned to the Church for a Vesper Service, presided over by Bishop Farrell accompanied by Metropolitan Archbishop Gomez of San Antonio, Bishop Van of Fort Worth, and retiring Bishop Grahmann.  Bishop Farrell addressed his homily to the priests and deacons present, calling them his closest advisers and collaborators.  He said "we share a common priesthood and a common apostolic mission."  He thanked Bishop Grahmann for his 17 years of dedicated service and priestly solicitude to the Diocese of Dallas.

Bishop Farrell said, "I am filled with an eager desire to know this new mission. We are deacons, priests and bishop, about to begin a new chapter.  Let us proceed with faith, hope and charity together."  He asked the clergy to see in him "a father and a brother, who will love and support them."

Using the image of Jesus calming the storm from the Gospel of Mark, he said, "The boat was about to sink and the disciples were terrified.  Now we seem to be in that boat, but we must remember that Jesus said "Do not be afraid!" He is in the boat with us and will not abandon us."

The clergy were reminded of three obligations. First, to preach the Word of God, second, to sanctify the people, especially through the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, and third, to be good shepherds to our people.  He said, "the challenges today are formidable," especially in light of the sexual abuse crisis.  For that reason he took as his Episcopal Motto, State In Fide, Latin for Stand Firm in the Faith.

He concluded his homily by stating, "We begin a new journey of Faith together.  Have faith in the promise of Christ.  Let us begin this mission together as we began on the day of our Ordination." Bishop Farrell than offered a Profession of Faith together will all those assembled, one hand on a Bible resting on the Cathedral Altar.  He followed this by signing his oath of loyalty to the Apostolic See, witnessed by all of us presented and countersigned by Diocesan Chancellor Mary Edlund.

All told, an auspicious beginning.  Let us hope tomorrow's weather does not "dampen" the Installation!