Letter #39, 2022, Tuesday, February 22: Liturgy

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Letter #39, 2022, Tuesday, February 22: Liturgy

[2022-02-22]

[Engleză]

There have been various rumors, in and away from Rome, that Pope Francis intends to issue further restrictive decrees against the use of the old rite of the Mass in the near future, possibly just before, or on, Ash Wednesday, next week.

But in actual fact, Francis recently had two meetings which suggest that this rumor may be false.

The more recent one was, strikingly, with the head of the Society of St. Pius X, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, on February 8 — the first time the two have met.

A few days earlier, Pope Francis met with two leading priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter on February 4. The Pope assured the two priests at the second meeting that the decree Traditionis custodes (“Of tradition the custodians,” July 16, 2021), which places restrictions on the celebration of the old Latin Mass, does not and would not apply to the Fraternity of St. Peter, which celebrates its Masses in the old rite.

These two meetings have left many observers puzzled about the intentions of Pope Francis with regard to the old liturgy.

The articles published below are intended to provide you with some further context, but the true reason for these meetings remains for the moment unclear. —RM

P.S. We continue to pray for a solution without bloodshed to the disputes between Russia and Ukraine, and hope that the religious leaders of the two nations, and also Pope Francis himself, may be able to unite their voices in a call for a negotiated settlement of these issues, without the shedding of blood and the terror and destruction associated with military action, especially for children.

***

The American District of the Society of Saint Pius X will soon release a statement regarding the meeting of Fr. Pagliarani with Pope Francis on February 8.

On Tuesday, February 8, Pope Francis received in audience Father Davide Pagliarani, according to reports on several websites.

Since his election in 2018, this is the first time that the new superior general of the Society of Saint Pius X has met the current pontiff.

Previously, Bishop Fellay had the opportunity to meet Pope Benedict XVI (August 29, 2005) or Pope Francis (April 1, 2016). Similarly, Archbishop Lefebvre had met Paul VI and John Paul II.

This visit underlines the maintenance of relations between the Holy See and the Society of Saint Pius X. Those relations have never been interrupted even if they went through a period of frost between 1988 and 2000.

The Argentine pontiff has granted to the members of the Society of Saint Pius X powers to confess, to marry, to ordain, to judge in first instance, etc.

An Italian priest, Father Pagliarani was, for six years, superior of the seminary of the Society of Saint Pius X in Argentina. He is now assisted in his government by Bishop de Galarreta, of Argentinian nationality, one of the four bishops ordained by Archbishop Lefebvre, and Father Bouchacourt, who met Cardinal Bergoglio on several occasions when both were living in Buenos Aires.
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And then, there was the meeting on February 4:

IMPORTANT — Pope meets FSSP superiors — Official communiqué of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (link)

Fribourg, February 21, 2022

On Friday, February 4, 2022, two members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Fr. Benoît Paul-Joseph, Superior of the District of France, and Fr. Vincent Ribeton, Rector of St. Peter’s Seminary in Wigratzbad, were received in private audience by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for nearly an hour.

During the very cordial meeting, they recalled the origins of the Fraternity in 1988, the Pope expressed that he was very impressed by the approach taken by its founders, their desire to remain faithful to the Roman Pontiff and their trust in the Church. He said that this gesture should be “preserved, protected and encouraged”.

In the course of the audience, the Pope made it clear that institutes such as the Fraternity of St. Peter are not affected by the general provisions of the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes, [July 16, 2021] since the use of the ancient liturgical books was at the origin of their existence and is provided for in their constitutions.

The Holy Father subsequently sent a decree signed by him and dated February 11, the day the Fraternity was solemnly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, confirming for the members of the Fraternity the right to use the liturgical books in force in 1962, namely: the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary.

Grateful to the Holy Father, the members of the Fraternity of St. Peter are in thanksgiving for this confirmation of their mission. They invite all the faithful who feel close to them as a spiritual family to attend or join them in prayer at the Mass tomorrow, on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, and to pray for the Supreme Pontiff.

[SOURCE]
IMPORTANT II – Decree of Pope Francis confirming the use of the 1962 liturgical books (link)

[First post on the matter: Meeting with FSSP superiors.]

[Original: Latin and Spanish]

The Holy Father Francis, grants to each and every member of the Society of Apostolic Life “Fraternity of Saint Peter”, founded on July 18, 1988 and declared of “Pontifical Right” by the Holy See, the faculty to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass, and to carry out the sacraments and other sacred rites, as well as to fulfill the Divine Office, according to the typical editions of the liturgical books, namely the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary, in force in the year 1962.

They may use this faculty in their own churches or oratories; otherwise it may only be used with the consent of the Ordinary of the place, except for the celebration of private Masses.

Without prejudice to what has been said above, the Holy Father suggests that, as far as possible, the provisions of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes be taken into account as well.

Given in Rome, near St. Peter’s, on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, in the year 2022, the ninth year of my Pontificate.

+ Francis
On the Meeting with the Pope – Interview granted 2/21/22 to Anne le Pape by Fr. Paul-Joseph, Superior of the FSSP district of France (link)

Interview by Anne le Pape, February 21, 2022

Anne le Pape: Father, what is the backstory of your recent meeting with the Holy Father?

Fr. Benoît Paul-Joseph: We confidently appealed to his solicitude. He answered us by hand the next day (everything was done by scan, but yes, the letter was in his hand), reassuring us and inviting us to come and meet him to talk things over. So we contacted his secretariat and the date of February 4, 2022 was set; that is the day when Father Ribeton and I went to Rome.

We were received at Saint Martha’s House for almost an hour. The Pope was very kind during the whole interview, he showed real concern. He confirmed orally what he had implied in writing, namely that he was really distinguishing our situation from that of priests who are not members of the ex-Ecclesia Dei communities and that, in our particular case, since our Institute has the specificity of using ancient liturgical books, this document was not intended for us.

So you were immediately reassured?

Yes, indeed. The Pope pointed out to us that in the motu proprio, where it speaks of the ex-Ecclesia Dei institutes, it indicates that they will henceforth be under the jurisdiction of a new dicastery, that for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and that it was by design that we were not mentioned directly in this document, since we were going to be under a new jurisdiction. “You are not affected by these restrictions,” he told us, “but you retain your proper right, granted at your foundation in 1988.”

The Pope was truly touched by the history of our Fraternity, by our founders’ going to the Holy Father in 1988 to express their dismay, much as we did this time; he thought it an act of faith that deserved to be honored and encouraged. He assured us that we would keep the use of all the liturgical books, including the pontifical for ordinations.

So now you have every guarantee?

We respectfully asked him if this could be formally put down in writing. We received the document yesterday, Saturday February 19, which is why we did not want to talk about it publicly until then.

This decree repeats the decree of the Ecclesia Dei Commission of September 1988 confirming the use of the liturgical books of 1962 for our Fraternity, but this time it is signed by the Pope (the 1988 decree was signed by the Ecclesia Dei Commission).

So your position is confirmed vis-ŕ-vis the bishops?

The bishops remain free to accept us or not in their dioceses, but, from the moment we exercise an apostolate in a diocese, we cannot be asked, on the grounds of obedience to the successor of Peter or to the prior document, to use the current liturgical books, since our proper right is preserved by a de facto exemption.

What about ordinations?

There is still a small grey area: no bishop is a member of the Society of St. Peter. It was recently stated that they no longer have the right to use the ancient pontifical, and this may produce hesitation among some of them. But the Pope was happy to hear us talk about our future ordinations, and the position is clear on that side.

Do you know whether other institutes will receive the same treatment as you, or was that subject not broached during this visit?

Orally, during the audience, the Pope used the plural to speak of “the institutes”, i.e. formerly Ecclesia Dei institutes. I can’t be more categorical, but that’s what came out of the discussion.

Translation by Jerome Stridon.

And now, for an overview of the issue of the old and new liturgy of the Mass, and its theological context and meaning, here is a talk given recently by the head of the Society of St. Pius X (the SSPX), Fr. Davide Pagliarani, in which he sets forth his view of the matter…

A recent lecture by the head of the SSPX
“We must maintain Tradition and pass it on” (link)

FEBRUARY 11, 2022 (FSSPX.NEWS)

This is a full transcript of the conference given in Paris by Don Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, at the conclusion of the XVI Theological Congress of Courrier de Rome, in partnership with DICI, on January 15th, 2022.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WANT, AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOOD OF SOULS THROUGH TRADITION AND A NEW CHURCH WITHOUT TRADITION.

By Fr. Davide Pagliarani

Talk delivered on January 15, 2022, in Paris, France

It is certain that we are at a crucial moment, a moment that is both sad and logical. We have reached a point that was foreseeable.

It is true that the Society of Saint Pius X is not directly affected by the motu proprio Traditionis custodes, for the reasons you all know.

However, in all reality, this new situation that has arisen, shows more than ever that the position of the Society of Saint Pius X is the only viable position that holds together.

I am, perhaps, not the best person to say it, but there are facts that are objective and they are obvious.

Why is that?

Simply because even if the various institutes under Ecclesia Dei, who are directly implicated by this motu proprio, are not part of the Society of Saint Pius X, they exist however, because the Society of Saint Pius X exists. Their origin, from a general point of view, is linked in one way or another to the history of the Society. Therefore they depend upon it, at least indirectly. Furthermore, this new situation underlines even more the scope of the Society’s role and mission – and inevitably, the need for Tradition in its entirety.

Tradition is a single unit, because the Faith is one. The need for an unhindered profession of this Faith is now felt more than ever. First and foremost, the true freedom of God’s children is the freedom to profess their Faith.

Pope Francis’ opposition

If I may digress for a moment… We are inevitably going to talk about the Ecclesia Dei institutes. Therefore, I would like to make it clear that on a personal level, I have nothing against those who belong to these institutes – neither the faithful, nor their members. We are totally outside the realm of personal opposition. On the human level, everywhere there are nice people and unbearable people. This is true for the whole of humanity, and it is also true for us, in a certain manner. I insist on this preliminary remark as it will allow me to be freer in my presentation.

The problem is not that the Society of Saint Pius X could “launch an attack on the Ecclesia Dei institutes.”

In fact, at the moment, it is Pope Francis himself who seems to be tired of the Ecclesia Dei institutes, and more generally, tired of all priests who are attached to the Tridentine Mass.

So let us go back to the beginning of Ecclesia Dei.

This text, of July 2nd, 1988[1], contains the condemnation of the Society of Saint Pius X and of Archbishop Lefebvre, and also reaches out to the Ecclesia Dei institutes.

Even if it is well known, it is worth reading a few passages so as to make comments on it, in the light of recent events.
The motu proprio Ecclesia Dei adflicta

First of all, here is the theological reason why Archbishop Lefebvre and the Society were condemned:

“The root of this schismatic act can be discerned in an incomplete and contradictory notion of Tradition. Incomplete, because it does not take sufficiently into account the living character of Tradition, which, as the Second Vatican Council clearly taught, ‘comes from the apostles and progresses in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. There is a growth in insight into the realities and words that are being passed on. This comes about in various ways. It comes through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts. It comes from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which they experience. And it comes from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right of succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth.’

“But especially contradictory is a notion of Tradition which opposes the universal Magisterium of the Church possessed by the Bishop of Rome and the Body of Bishops. It is impossible to remain faithful to the Tradition while breaking the ecclesial bond with him to whom, in the person of the Apostle Peter, Christ himself entrusted the ministry of unity in his Church.”

And there you have the crux of the problem.

This act of Archbishop Lefebvre, in 1988 – like the entire history of the Society of Saint Pius X – is an act of fidelity to the Catholic Church.

It is an act of fidelity to the Pope, to the Catholic hierarchy and to souls.

And that is regardless of what the Roman authorities may say or not say. Regardless of what they think or what they prefer not to think.

On the other hand, with the notion of a Living Tradition, what do we end up with? It was difficult to foresee it in 1988.

However today, we have Amoris lćtitia, we have the worship of the Earth, and we have the Pachamama.

And there are other consequences that we don’t know about yet, because with this dynamic and evolutionary notion of Tradition, you can end up with absolutely any result. In truth, they are in another dimension.

They are cut off from the Tradition that is rooted in the Apostles and in Divine Revelation, and which is itself a source of Revelation.

A little further on, in the same text, we find the outstretched hand of Pope John Paul II, towards those who were to become “Ecclesia Dei” groups:

“I wish especially to make an appeal both solemn and heartfelt, paternal and fraternal, to all those who until now have been linked in various ways to the movement of Archbishop Lefebvre, that they may fulfil the grave duty of remaining united to the Vicar of Christ in the unity of the Catholic Church, and of ceasing their support in any way for that movement. Everyone should be aware that formal adherence to the schism is a grave offence against God and carries the penalty of excommunication decreed by the Church’s law.

“To all those Catholic faithful who feel attached to some previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition I wish to manifest my will to facilitate their ecclesial communion by means of the necessary measures to guarantee respect for their rightful aspirations.”

You can easily see the problem here. Unity is obtained through the Faith. Unity cannot be achieved by an indult or a privilege, which, for some, aims at one thing, and for others, the opposite. For the priests and faithful who wanted to keep the Tridentine Mass, it was the way of keeping to Tradition, albeit in a certain form. However, for the Roman authorities – who are now openly admitting it – it was a way of making them adhere, slowly but surely, to the “conciliar Church” and to adhere to the Church’s modern way of thinking.

All this was established and promised in the light of the protocol signed on May 5th, 1988[2], by Cardinal Ratzinger and Archbishop Lefebvre.

So let’s now look back at the wisdom of Archbishop Lefebvre.

Archbishop Lefebvre signed this protocol and, if you like, he held to it for a few hours. But after spending the night in prayer and solitude, he understood what God expected him to do. He who had to take a decision that would be so important for history, so important for the Church and for souls, understood after a few hours in solitude, what those who are part of “Ecclesia Dei” can also understand, thirty years later.
“The Benedict XVI experience”

One thing that is important to understand, and even if it has been mentioned this morning, it is important to return to, what I call in a simplified way, “the Benedict XVI experience”: Summorum Pontificum[3], which must be understood in the light of the “hermeneutic of continuity”, the major axis of the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

With Summorum Pontificum, the Tridentine Mass was then granted a much wider right. This allowed a certain number of priests to discover it; and by celebrating it – it must be acknowledged – many priests began to question their priesthood, and to question the Council and the New Mass. It is precisely this process that frightened the Vatican.

However, the perspective of this motu proprio, which remained flawed, was based on an error: two forms of the same rite of Mass, and above all, I would like to add, the illusion of improving something in the current crisis without discussing the causes of the crisis.

This was the error of Pope Benedict XVI and the limitations of this motu proprio: it just could not work. It could work for a while, but sooner or later it would lead to what has happened.

Mistakes cannot be corrected without acknowledging them as mistakes and without rejecting them. This is crucial. The hermeneutics of continuity has tried to “overcome” or to short-circuit these problems. The Church has a lesson here for the future.

How often have we asked ourselves the question: when will the Council be corrected? Will the Council have to be rejected? Can it be simply forgotten? Will all the good things in the Council be saved? After all, the Council does not only contain errors…

But here, we have to be realistic. It is true that the Council does not only contain errors – it would be metaphysically impossible. Error is always mixed with truth. But let us be honest and realistic.

What really made the Council, what was the backbone of the Council – the real Second Vatican Council – was the New Mass, ecumenism, the dignity of man and religious freedom. They were the essential elements and the errors that changed the Church. They are the centrepiece of the real Council that changed the Catholic Church!

Everything else in the conciliar documents – and I’m simplifying things a bit – all the quotations from the Church Fathers and the quotes from previous councils are simply the padding to go around the essential central elements, like a picture frame around a picture.

Again, we must be honest. The real Second Vatican Council, it must be rejected. The Catholic Church cannot regenerate herself if it is not rejected. We have the experiment of Pope Benedict XVI and it cannot work: to put truth next to error; to put the two Masses next to each other, so that one can “fertilise” the other; to have “a reform of the reform through continuity”… it is a total illusion.

Sursa: www.InsideTheVatican.com

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