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Monday 29 July 2013

What does Summorum Pontificum really say?

With due apologies to Father Z and a hat-tip to Neil Addison in the combox at Rorate for reminding us what Summorum Pontificum really says:

Art. 3. Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical or diocesan right, wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962, for conventual or "community" celebration in their oratories, may do so. If an individual community or an entire Institute or Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, habitually or permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors Major, in accordance with the law and following their own specific decrees and statues.

The Protocol issued states:

"... Holy Father Francis ordered that religious of the Congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary and that, where appropriate, the use of the form extraordinaria (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities every religious and / or community who makes the request.

Look, we keep saying "read the documents of Vatican II!" 

Well, read Summorum Pontificum!

So, where's the conflict?

Father Paul Nicholson's comments earlier were right on.

Now, get back to work and organise a Mass, send a priest for training or form a schola.


CONGREGATIO
PRO INSTITUTIS VITAE CONSECRATAE
ET SOCIETATIBUS VIATE APOSTOLICAE

PROT. N. 52741/2012 

DECRETO


La Congregazione per gli Istituti di vita consacrata e la Società di vita apostolica, attese le consiedrazioni formulate nella Relazione presentata dal Rev.do Mons. Vito Angelo Todisco a conclusione della Visita Apostolica disposta con decreto del 5 luglio 2012, al fine di tutelare e promuovere l'unità interna degli Istituti religiosi e la comunione fraterna, l'adeguata formazione alla vita religiosa e consacrata, l'organizzazione delle attività apostoliche, la corretta gestione dei beni temporali, ha ritenuto necessario nominare un Commissario Apostolico per la Congregazione dei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata con le conseguente attribuite dal diritto particolare ed universale al Governo Generale del citato Istituto religioso. 

Atteso che la suddetta decisione il 3 luglio 2013 è stata oggetto di approvazione in forma specifica a norma dell'art. 18 della cost. ap. Pastor Bonus dal Santo Padre Francesco, con il presente decreto si nomina


il Reverendo P. Fidenzio Volpi O.F.M. Cap.
Commissario Apostolico
ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,
per tutte le Comunità e i sodali della Congregazione dei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata

Nell'espletamento delle sue mansioni, il Rev.do P. Volpi assumerà tutte le competenze che la normativa particolare dell'Istituto e quella universale della Chiesa attribuiscono al Governo Generale. 

Sarà inoltre sua facoltà avvalersi, se lo riterrà opportuno, di collaboratori scelti a sua discrezione e da lui nominati previo assenso di questo Dicastero, a cui potrà chiedere il parere quando lo riterrà necessario. 

Il Rev.do P. Volpi ogni sei mesim, dovrà informare questo Dicastero del suo operato, inviando una dettagliata relazione scritta circa le dicisioni adottate, i risultati conseguiti e le iniziative che riterrà utili realizzare per il bene dell'Istituto. 
Infine, spetterà all'Istitutodei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata sia il rimborso delle spese sostenute da detto Commissario e dai collaboratori da lui eventualmente nominati, sia l'onorario per il loro servizio. 
In aggiunta a quanto sopra, sempre il 3 luglio u.s. il Santo Padre Francesco ha disposto che ongi religioso della Congregazione dei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata è tenuto a celebrare la liturgia secondo il rito ordinario e che, eventualmente, l'uso della forma staordinaria (Vetus Ordo) dovrà essere esplicitamente autorizzata dalle competenti autorità per ogni religioso e/o comunità che ne farà richiesta. 

Nonostante qualunque disposizione contraria 

Dato dal Vaticano, l'11 luglio 2013 

f.to Joao Braz Card. de. Aviz 
prefetto 

+ José Rodrìguez Carballo, O.F.M. 
Arcivescovo Segretario 

5 comments:

Bear said...

Would a schola of one count?

Anonymous said...

I find your comments about "getting back to work," and downplaying the significant of what has occurred to the FFIs rather flippant. Some of us have been very hard at work to improve the liturgy available in our dioceses for years and have very little to show for it. Maybe a half-hearted once a week Novus Ordo Mass offered versus poplum and at a terrible time. Surely, we can simply be dismissed as whiners.

I'm sure you don't intend it, but it almost sounds as if you're implying that just a bit of effort is needed to achieve everyone's liturgical dreams. "Organize a Mass." Please.....I don't know where you live, but it doesn't work that way in the vast majorities of dioceses in the United States. Perhaps your protecting a sensitive nerve. Never been stonewalled, lied to, manipulated, laughed at, or otherwise abused?

With regard to this specific post, the "superiors major" had already made the decision to offer the TLM liberally, along with the availability of the NO. The case now is, that leadership was found defective, has been removed, and a whole new leadership installed. Instead of all communities in the FFI having blanket permission to offer the TLM, now there is the need to get specific approval. That is a very different, and much more difficult, situation. Stop pretending nothing has happened. This is very, very significant.

How many Capuchins do you know? How many do you know who love the TLM? I know one of the latter, and he has just about been run out of the Capuchins over it. Perhaps obtaining that permission to offer the TLM will not be a simple thing.

I am not much moved by quite possibly self-serving posts from FFIs who were both quite involved in this controversy, and not from the standpoint of the defeated. The complainants in this case were, it is becoming apparent, all American, and very few in number. Some have already left the FFI. Ars Orandi relates some chilling comments from one former member who may have been involved.

I completely understand keeping spirits up, not getting defeated, etc., but I also know certain people are so fearful of seeing the truth, because it hurts too bad, they'll do just about anything to avoid it. So, I'll not whine, if you'll stop clutching Aunt Pollyanna's pearls.

Barona said...

Thanks for being a voice of sanity!

Vox Cantoris said...

Dear Veneremur Cernui,

I am familiar with your blog though thank you for posting here and reminding my of it, it's been awhile since I perused it.

http://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/

I certainly meant no offense, nor do I have a Pollyanna view as any of my readers or friends or colleagues can attest to; and I surely cannot speak for the situation in Dallas.

I write from Toronto. When you speak of the United States most of us here look upon America as the great hope for the liturgical renewal. Why? Well, the FSSP seminary and all the chapels and personal parishes, the "don't tread on me" and the "independent' spirit of Americans and who respect tradition, the number of Masses now verses 2007, Jeffrey Tucker, Jeff Ostrowski in Corpus Christi, William Mahrt and the whole gang at Chant Cafe and the CMAA. In Canada, we have none of this.

Every initiative in the EF in Toronto has come from the laity. This is also true in the Dioceses of Hamilton and London where I work weekly. The situation here liturgically in the OF is the same as most places, but not as bad as many. The EF is slow but we are making progress. It is not for the bishops that we are, that is for sure.

My point is, first, I don't know all the facts but I do know what Paragraph 3 says in SP. I know that there is upset within the Order and I can say this, unless one is a "traditionalist" order such as the FSSP or ICK, how can one refuse to celebrate the OF; is this not he real issue? They were going exclusive EF and in this day and age, that is not the norm. Let's be realistic.

So, my point is let's get on with what we have been doing and keep our eye on the prize.

As for the situation in Dallas, you have options under SP. We are not out of the woods in terms of dignified OF or expanse of the EF but we need to keep marching on.





Vox Cantoris said...

http://www.materdeiparish.com/

I note that you have the FSSP in Dallas.

Read this:

http://voxcantor.blogspot.ca/2010/02/fssp-apostolate-in-toronto-comes-to-end.html