What If We Said, 'Wait'? The case for a grass-roots review of the new Roman Missal
Fr. Michael G. Ryan | DECEMBER 14, 2009
the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments that have raised rubricism to an art form, or the endorsement, even encouragement, of the so-called Tridentine Mass. It has become painfully clear that the liturgy, the prayer of the people, is being used as a tool—some would even say as a weapon—to advance specific agendas.
I know
with all that the church has on its plate today—global challenges with regard to justice, peace and the environment; nagging scandals; a severe priest shortage; the growing disenchantment of many women; seriously lagging church attendance—it seems almost ludicrous to push ahead with an agenda that will seem at best trivial and at worst hopelessly out-of-touch.
“What If We Just Said No?” was my working title for this article. “What If We Just Said, ‘Wait’?” seems preferable.
Fr. Michael G. Ryan is pastor of St. James Cathedral in Seattle .
You can read his entire article at America (here)
it might smack of insubordinationto talk this way, but it could also be a show of loyalty and plain good sense—loyalty not to any ideological agenda but to our people,
with all that the church has on its plate today—global challenges with regard to justice, peace and the environment; nagging scandals; a severe priest shortage; the growing disenchantment of many women; seriously lagging church attendance—it seems almost ludicrous to push ahead with an agenda that will seem at best trivial and at worst hopelessly out-of-touch.
“What If We Just Said No?” was my working title for this article. “What If We Just Said, ‘Wait’?” seems preferable.
Fr. Michael G. Ryan is pastor of St. James Cathedral in Seattle .
You can read his entire article at America (here)
Go to the website of What if we said wait? (here)
Listed below are the Jesuits who signed on to this project as signatories
Fr. Dave Anderson, S.J.
Fr. Anthony Egan, S.J.
Fr. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J.
Fr. Hilary Thomas, S.J.
Fr. Joseph Spieler, S.J.
Fr. George B. Wilson, S.J.
Fr. Charles R. Gagan, S.J.
Fr. Edward Vacek, S.J.
Fr. Thomas Massaro, SJ
Fr. John R. Sachs, S.J.
Fr. John W. O'Malley, S.J.
Fr. John Baldovin, S.J.
Fr. Jack Morris, S.J.
Fr. Philip Endean, S.J.
Fr. Eugene J. Nevins, S.J.
Joseph Carver, S.J.
Fr. John A. Coleman S.J.
Fr. William A. Clark, S.J.
Fr. John D. Whitney, S.J.
Fr. Paul J. Bernadicou, S.J.
Find the mentioned Jesuit and all of the 1489 signatures (here)
On January 7th, 2008, at the opening Mass of the 35 General Council, His Eminence, the Most Reverend Franc Cardinal Rodé, C.M. had this to say in his homily to the leaders of the Society of Jesus.
An excerpt.
An excerpt.
With sadness and anxiety I also see a growing distancing from the Hierarchy. The Ignatian spirituality of apostolic service “under the Roman Pontiff” does not allow for this separation.
Link (here) to read Cardinal Rode's full homily.
In the Letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the 35 General Congregation
An excerpt
Link (here) to read the full letter
Read the resulting decrees of the 35 General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (here)
Fr. Z on the new missal translation (here)
Link (here) to the new missal.
A new petition has been formed entitled We've Waited Long Enough
We believe that the newly approved English translation of the 2002 Missale Romanum needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
We believe that the Church in English-speaking nations has waited far too long for an accurate, faithful translation of the original Latin.
We believe that the current translation currently in use in English-speaking nations is overdue to be replaced, as it was developed using the method of dynamic translation, a method rejected by the Vatican in the document Liturgiam Authenticam.
We stand united with the English-speaking bishops' conferences in their approval of the new translation.
We oppose any efforts to continue to delay this new translation.
In the Constitutions which he left you, Ignatius wanted to truly shape your mind and in the book of the Exercises (n 353) he wrote” we must always keep our mind prepared and quick to obey the true Spouse of Christ and our Holy Mother, the Hierarchical Church”.Religious obedience can be understood only as obedience in love. The fundamental nucleus of Ignatian spirituality consists in uniting the love for God with love for the hierarchical Church."
Link (here) to read Cardinal Rode's full homily.
In the Letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the 35 General Congregation
An excerpt
I too gladly wish to take this opportunity of a General Congregation to bring such a contribution to light and, at the same time, to offer for your common reflection some considerations which might be of encouragement for you and a stimulus to implement ever better the ideal of the Society,
in full fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, such as described in the following formula which is well familiar to you: “To serve as a soldier of God beneath the banner of the Cross and to serve the Lord alone and the Church, his spouse, under the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth” (Apostolic Letter Exposcit debitum, 21 July 1550). One treats here of a “peculiar” fidelity confirmed also, by not a few among you, in a vow of immediate obedience to the Successor of Peter “perinde ac cadaver”.The Church has even more need today of this fidelity of yours, which constitutes a distinctive sign of your Order, in this era which warns of the urgency of transmitting in an integral manner to our contemporaries — distracted by many discordant voices — the unique and immutable message of salvation which is the Gospel, “not as the word of men, but as it truly is, as the word of God”, which works in those who believe.
Link (here) to read the full letter
Read the resulting decrees of the 35 General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (here)
Fr. Z on the new missal translation (here)
Link (here) to the new missal.
A new petition has been formed entitled We've Waited Long Enough
We believe that the newly approved English translation of the 2002 Missale Romanum needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
We believe that the Church in English-speaking nations has waited far too long for an accurate, faithful translation of the original Latin.
We believe that the current translation currently in use in English-speaking nations is overdue to be replaced, as it was developed using the method of dynamic translation, a method rejected by the Vatican in the document Liturgiam Authenticam.
We stand united with the English-speaking bishops' conferences in their approval of the new translation.
We oppose any efforts to continue to delay this new translation.
7 comments:
Should one be surprised by this self-indulgent article and petition?
There are many Jesuits who have no intention of taking any notice of the decree of the last Congregation concerning fidelity to the Pope and the Magisterium. They believe that the Society is so progressive that it has to make a Church in its own image. They also believe that they think FOR the Church, not WITH the Church, as recommended by St Ignatius.
In the revival of Ignatian spirituality during the last forty years St Ignatius's Rules for Thinking With the Church have been tacitly ignored and are seen as redundant. It's the same with the Constitutions. Lip service is paid to the fact that they were not abrogated after Vatican II. Instead they have become swamped and subsumed by the Complementary Norms. They survive selectively, rather like the Exercises.
Many Jesuits accept this decree with relief but many more do not and see it in cynical terms. The collective arrogance of the Society of Jesus is breath-taking and assumes the proportions of collective delusion. Thank God the decision to implement the new translations lies with the Bishops and has nothing to do with the Orders.
Let the signatories sulk. It's the only thing they can do unless they decide to take unilateral action and brings more discord to the Church and even greater discredit to themselves.
Amen re post # 1 by Anonymous.
Maria
Seeking Jesuit advice about liturgy is like asking a bedouin for snow plowing advice.
I was honestly shocked to see a former provincial on the list.
My friends their are great Jesuits out there! Love them all pray for them all!
JMJ
Joe
I think Anonymous has struck the nail on the head. But what he does not recognize is the essential mediocrity of much contemporary Jesuit thought, compounded by impenetrable complacency. As time passes this will limit their influence but, in the meanwhile, it gives confidence to lay mediocrity and complacency and that represents a, indigestible, dough-like lump in Western Catholicism, especially in the United States.
I applaud the courage of these Jesuits in standing for the truth, i.e. that this new translation is really really bad.
The only truth that I see Robin is that the Jesuits want to become a society with no vocations until their inevitable suppression.
Jesuits are not The Church and as long as they may be apart from it they will continue to dwindle.
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