Hello everyone,
This post is the second part of my analysis/commentary of the actual articles in the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes. The second half is articles 5 to 8.
“ Art. 5. Priests who already celebrate according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 should request from the diocesan Bishop the authorization to continue to enjoy this faculty.”
Well at least some hope is contained in the paragraph. I’m of mixed blessings though. The negative is that a cruel and heartless bishop can just suspend any existing EF saying priest’s faculties immediately. Also this is a grandfathering clause so that, in the geriatric minds of Francis and his cohort all the old priests who are saying the Latin Mass will die.
But … there are positives to this. First, with political forethought, it’s an obvious compromise for the faithful attached to the EF and the priests saying it.
Second, it holds those priests accountable to the bishop and they know whom they are, also allowing the bishop to make sure that if they are granting faculties they know what they are doing. Finally, should priests be priming their lay faithful towards schism with the Holy Father and the regular Church, or blasting off his mouth on the RMT blogs, he can revoke that faculty at will, combined with the other articles of TC, allowing only those priests faithful to the Church to promote the EF.
Thirdly, unforeseen, I don’t think that Francis and his cohort of middle of Vatican II heyday ordained bishops thought the following: that a number of the younger priests will outlast not only his lifespan and papacy but also those who succeed him. If the younger crop hold the force and outlast, by the time they are of the old folks near the end of their vocations coming from the John Paul II and Benedict XVI generations of ordained priests, they will lead seminaries and become bishops to the Church. These generations of ordinands will assume power in multiple places in the Church, which could make things more friendly for those in the EF … if Satan or those above them do not corrupt them first.
Finally, as is being observed immediately on the Internet blogs, both radically misrepresenting Traditionalists and borderline, bishops are already granting faculties to allow the EF to continue in those diocese to priests already holding offerings.
“Art. 6. Institutes of consecrated life and Societies of apostolic life, erected by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, fall under the competence of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies for Apostolic Life.”
This paragraph is relevant to the EF communities such as FSSP, ICKSP, Canons New Jerusalem, Institute Bon Pasteur (aka Good Shepherd,) etc. Basically their existence and governance falls under a different dicastery of the Vatican so they are not entirely under the same governance of the bishop as diocesan priests are and have some layer of protection against wayward bishops, unlike diocesan priests who have little to no protection against their bishops if they want a place to sleep and eat.
That being said it does NOT protect them entirely. If said bishop decides to kick them out of a diocese, for whatever reason, that society must go and it will take a lot to fight and bring them back in. But in the short run, as long as these societies are not morphing into the SSPX, the bishop will likely let them stay and will not touch them. Do not worry Virginia, there will likely still be the FSSP in your diocese (that is … if you have them.)
Even more encouraging, so as not to lose devoted faithful to the SSPX who have a schismatic attitude/mindset despite their eccleastical/legal status, if these canonically legitimate orders/societies exist in a diocese with SSPX, most bishops will keep them to discourage self-schism amongst the faithful.
“ Art. 7. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for matters of their particular competence, exercise the authority of the Holy See with respect to the observance of these provisions.”
This mostly pairs with article 6. It also restates what is known within the Church that Latin Mass related matters became under the CDWDS after the Pope in 20xx declared that the Ecclesia Dei commission was not to stand alone anymore, signifying an end to serious negotiation to bring the SSPX back into the Church.
“ Art. 8. Previous norms, instructions, permissions, and customs that do not conform to the provisions of the present Motu Proprio are abrogated …. Everything that I have declared in this Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio, I order to be observed in all its parts, anything else to the contrary notwithstanding, even if worthy of particular mention, and I establish that it be promulgated by way of publication in “L’Osservatore Romano”, entering immediately in force and, subsequently, that it be published in the official Commentary of the Holy See, Acta Apostolicae Sedis.“
In short, Summorum Pontificum is now abrogated and TC is in force. Also because Francis knows that the Radicals Misrepresenting Traditionalism will use and abuse Church laws to disobey Pope Francis, he “crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s” not only in his authoritative language but by promulgating it in the official publications and legal/eccleastical records and/or books. Thus there is no question it is in force and active.
Overall, it is clear that this document was meant to give bishops more control over the Latin Mass in what is an increasingly out of control situation that threatens the Church and the souls of the faithful. While it is not every soul that attends the Latin Mass, unfortunately there are enough voices, societies etc. That have adopted the RMT element, and attitudes of anti-Church, Anti-Francis, and anti-Novus Ordo mentality, one that is clearly expressed in the Social and Internet media being purported by these voices. Also, especially in the USA as evidenced in former President Trump’s endorsement of disgraced and ever increasingly schismatic Archbishop Vigano leading up to the 2020 election, the Latin Mass and the RMT elements became further entwined with far-right politics, elevating the situation outside the realm of the Catholic Church to one of theo-political importance.
Now, does it give too much power to them? I agree and it’s clear that Francis doesn’t care about wayward bishops abusing their power, because the bigger spiritual threat is Radicals misrepresenting Traditonalism in his mind. There could have been better solutions to the problem or a tweaking of TC could have been the best tool to combat the situation.
Also, Pope Francis is swatting harmless houseflies of the laity in a way, by targeting mainly the clergy who can celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in that form. Most of the social media that attacks the Novus Ordo, the Holy Father and the Church is being controlled by laity. He should have also added clauses to bring punishment to those organizations and/or individuals guilty of promoting radical Traditonalism and corrupting the younger faithful in their physical presence attending the Mass. I would roughly guess that 2/3 of the Radically Traditonalist social media is laity controlled. Pope Francis took the analogy of a shotgun to the problem scattering bullets all over the target and even missing it altogether. He needed a “sniper rifle” approach to tackle this problem instead of a broad granting of power and restriction.
If personally, we’re I Pope, in a separate Motu Proprio or as part of TC, I would have established a punitive trial process whereby cases of abusive bishops/chaplains/pastors could be submitted by laity alone or jointly with good priests to curb clericalism and spiritual abuse of TC.
Regardless, quod scripsi, scripsi.
Now that I have gone through the actual document, my third and final post is going to be my worst …. As in the bluntest, and most curt I've ever written, regarding my personal experience and thoughts on TC and why it was badly needed, especially in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
Unfortunately what has happened to both my good friends and I, has exactly been the caricature of the RMT that Francis sees, and thus why such control is needed and exactly what Francis sees.
Pax, Julian.
