Thursday, November 08, 2007

Cardinal Murphy O'Connor defies the Pope over the MP

Local action as appropriate: this may simply be ignoring the Cardinal's letter in practice.

The Cardinal demands that he be kept informed of all celebrations of the Traditional Mass, the other sacraments, and even the private recitation of the 1961 Breviary. Further, he claims that public Masses is only permissible 'under the guidance of the bishop', and that the judgement of pastoral need and a priest's ability to say the Mass belongs to the bishop. This is an attempt to retain a veto over the Traditional Mass, which the Holy Father's Motu Proprio deliberately and explicitly removes. These judgements are the preserve of the 'pastor'; bishops can no longer forbid priests from saying the Mass privately or, where there is any number of persons desiring it, as part of the public Masses offered in the parish. See Fr Z (who quotes the Cardinal's letter in full) and Damian Thompson.

We may not have to wait long for a follow-up document from Rome, to clarify matters.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Benedict liberates: Cormac castrates!"

John Kearney said...

We must ask Rome to give us Bishops who will give us the `freedom to practice our faith`. What we have is a Marxist Dictatorship.

Unknown said...

Can anyone on this site name a bishop in UL who is truly Roman Catholic?

Anonymous said...

What is 'UL'?

Pope Leo XIII's Prayer to St Michael

Holy Michael, Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust down to Hell Satan, and all wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen