I've changed my mind.
About new religious communities, that is. Especially the diocesan hermit and consecrated virgin type, as well as the new Benedictine monastic groups around the United States and Europe - well, pretty much all of the 'new' religious groups. I have come to believe that these groups are proof of the New Springtime John Paul II envisioned. I have come to this conclusion considering that all - or most of these groups have been founded by seasoned religious and/or priests, and approved by the diocesan Bishop. In some cases, the communities were actually called forth by the diocesan Bishop.
It's a sign.
(And strangely enough, most of them seem to favor the traditional or Extraordinary Form of Mass.)
Just a thought.
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Terry, have you read Fr. Angelo Geiger's article about Summorum Pontificorum, the hermeneutic of continuity, and the way forward?
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty amazing, and Fr. Geiger is a pretty brilliant man.
I have never been to an EF Mass. I would like to, but after encountering the vicious things traditionalists say on the Internet, I feel like I have to stay very far away, otherwise be given wholly over to despair.
Sorry if that offends any traditionalists, but the last thing I need to do is walk into a Church where the sermon is about the grave sinfulness of women wearing pants (and I have read some people's experiences where this was the FIRST sermon the ever experienced at a Latin Mass).
Mercury writes : "Sorry if that offends any traditionalists, but the last thing I need to do is walk into a Church where the sermon is about the grave sinfulness of women wearing pants"
ReplyDeleteI've been a parishioner of the FSSP here in Denver since the first month it came here and know of only on such sermon. And that priest caught hell for it from the pastor.
And at the motu proprio mass which I've been going to rather regularly the last year or so one can find all manner of attire one will find at any novus ordo mass.
Which is not to say I haven't heard plenty of horror stories myself, but those priests are not the norm.
I think the person who wrote the story I read was talking about Denver!
ReplyDeleteSo maybe there is only one priest who does things like that ? :)
Actually, I have heard that there's a Church in New Orleans that offers a beautiful EF Latin Mass and has continually since the OF was introduced - they just never stopped, so their 9:15 am Sunday Mass is the EF. Whether this is due to sheer New Orleans laziness (thank God for it on this case) or some other fluke is not known. But it's odd to find an EF Mass offered continuously like that.
Of course, I live in Baton Rouge ... the distance is about 90 miles.
If the person is from Denver, well, what can I say? We had an assistant pastor for a year or so who at one Mass took some of the women to task during Mass when they went up for communion.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I knew of, with a few exceptions, was appalled by his boorish behavior, especially the women.
It's rather hard to believe that person just happened to be at that Mass, unless he or she was a long term parishioner, and if that person was, then he or she would know it was out of the ordinary.
The current dress code doesn't allow pants, but I'm rather sure it used to because our first pastor once explained during Mass what kinds of pants were acceptable for women to wear such as nice dress pants but not dress jeans.
as an aside, Fr. Ganssle, who was not FSSP but who said one of the early Masses for a number of years was once asked if pants on a women was modest.
ReplyDeleteTo which he answered "depends on the women and depends on the pants".
Like that common sense response.The same answer an be given for men, you know - I've seen men wear some pants that left little to the imagination.
ReplyDeleteBased on what does the current dress code not allow pants? The catechism? The hidden secret rule book? Someone's personal ideas regarding modesty? And who has oversight there, the bishop? Or no one?
Is the implication that pants on woman is sinful (if so every woman I have ever known will burn in hell), or is it just that the dress code is formal? But then what about pantsuits?
Perhaps this is why the motu propio is so important?
Merc - I think I read it - I'll go back and check - Fr. Angelo is very good.
ReplyDeleteI think the return of the traditional liturgy is a great grace - the response of traditionalists in the pews doesn't affect me all that much any longer. I go to the Ordinary Form of Mass and I like it - the Mass is the Mass and I am so grateful for Christ's presence in the Blessed Sacrament. I have to keep my eyes fixed on him. I try to do that and no longer care about what I'm wearing - jeans and t-shirt and jacket. I slip in to church and I slip out, trying not to bother anyone.
As we get older, we become sort of invisible - no one bothers with eccentrics, so long as they know their place and keep quiet.
For me the Mass is the Mass.
Thanks Terry.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for all your prayers, too.