Wednesday 14 July 2021

Thoughts on the Supposed (Dreaded?) Document (Possibly) Restricting Summorum Pontificum


"OH NO, THE SKY IS FALLING!" 

 (From the 2005 Disney Movie, Chicken Little, Source:https://biggerpieforum.org/health-care/chicken-little-is-wrong-again/ )

Hello Everyone, 

Just a quick post asking for prayers and to let you all know I’m alive and doing ok, working full time and raising now TWO kids with my wife. Just had her in January this year and she’s blessed and happy. 

So, there are somewhat plausible rumours going around on the Radical Traditionalist (and borderline) websites that apparently, Pope Francis or the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) under which Latin Mass matters got moved to, with His Holiness’ approval, will be replacing Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum with a document that will restrict the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form to some degree.

It appears that this is the result of a questionnaire sent to dioceses back in 2020 regarding the Latin Mass. Other blogs go into speculation and try to make the codex of things prelates and Pope Francis has said fit their narrative too, but can't be relied upon. I tried to fill out the 2020 survey myself but it was a heavy endeavour, needing at least an hour to complete and I couldn’t afford that on my 45 minute lunch break, where I had to respect my colleagues coverage to allow my meal. 

Sadly, the radical Traditionalist sites are predicting that these restrictions are negative. However we cannot trust these sites blindly as (1) they do NOT cite their sources as to where they are getting their information from, (2) those sites are often anti-Francis and anti-Novus Ordo/regular Church culture (to the point of hatred and the spiritually deadly sin of Pride) and (3) other more reputable or trustworthy information sites including the Vatican’s own news.va are NOT corroborating with said reports, leaving the information of doubt and highly biased. 

Now, the sites are predicting this Friday, July 16, 2021 is when said restrictive document will be publicly released. And what if it is true? Well, one must first read the document in whole to see what the restrictions are. Also, perhaps it is just a foolish rumour based on a statement of one Curia member taken too far and NO such document exists. Guess one will have to wait and see that day, possibly late Thursday night as Rome is many times zones ahead of E.S.T. here in Toronto. 

One thing we can be sure of, it will NOT be a total ban on the EF. One thing Pope Francis is NOT, is stupid politically speaking. As a Jesuit he is particularly capable of being a politician in the Church (institutionally speaking) and he wouldn’t be so stupid as to kill the Latin Mass sparking a war amongst the faithful and his priests. This is especially so pertaining to the United States; Francis would be cognoscente of the wealth of the USA, and also the sizeable, gradually growing dissent on the right tied to Trump/right-wing politics. The Church would be sufficiently damaged in terms of charitable funds coming from the USA as the EF ban in full would be the fire to light the powder keg of these spiritually corrupting forces. 

What if it was strictly controlled by the bishops again? Well, that depends on the diocese. This might be the case of what the document would do, knocking it back to 1988 indult status. I personally wouldn’t agree with this as some dioceses have good level headed bishops, others would abuse this law to punish the good Trads with the bad. 

Now were that scenario of bishop-controlled Latin Masses or approval required to be here in Toronto, I foresee that at least with the contacts I am with, there would be reasonable ability to continue with the EF as long as ++Collins is in charge. Other parties, I cannot speak for. Mind you we have a chaplain for the Latin Mass in our Archdiocese so it might be just left as it is, with no interference from the chancery office. 

And what if the EF is abolished and I cannot serve another Latin Mass until someone overturns Francis? Well, I might pursue other opportunity at my local parish in the Novus Ordo, in discussion with my pastor, but that would be as my children become older and not need as much of my help. If the extreme scenario occurs, what I will NOT do, and I implore you NOT to do, is go the way of Satan and rebel against God, by fleeing to the SSPX who are anti-Novus Ordo, Anti-Francis, rife with the potential for yourself and your family to become schismatic in attitude, and thus separated from Holy Mother Church. They also have not been immune to sexual abuse scandals and cover-ups, as Michael Voris of ChurchMilitantTV (TM) has done his own investigation work and found numerous cases, including lay members, guilty of such charges. 

In the meantime let us pray earnestly and honestly that this is either false, or the restrictions have been carefully thought out that they will not infringe on the charity of the lay faithful seeking out the Latin Mass, nor the ability of priests to be trained in the EF, nor the ability to hold offerings in diocesan parishes and chapels in its boundaries.

Sancte Michele, Ora Pro Nobis! Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin. 

No comments:

Post a Comment