27 August 2009

Vincent Nichols

I was impressed by VN's piece on the Extraordinary Form. Despite Tablet trouble-making, what he said was a careful, accurate and sensible distillation of what the motu proprio said and meant. Take, for example the bit near the beginning where he said that the Training Week was owned by the diocese of Westminster and put on with the help of the Latin Mass Society. That is exactly right as a balanced combination of everything the mp said and of the Holy Father's assurance in his letter to his Venerable Brethren that their supervisory role in Liturgy remained intact. It seems clear to me that Archbishop Nichols is a main-stream Benedictian, if that's the right word, loyalist.

I was intrigued by his insistence that the OF should also have an honoured place even in a week's course devoted to teaching the EF. I don't think this is a cheap "I'll show who's really boss" dodge. I would not be in the least surprised if he followed it up by insisting, in some generally OF event, that the EF should also have an honoured place. Similarly, since he says there is no place for those who call the OF deficient, I give him credit for being very likely to say, in a future and different context, something sharp about those who slag off the EF.

More broadly, I think that this could mean that if our Holy Father does something for Anglican Catholics, VN would accept what the Pontiff decreed, think positively and carefully about it, and endeavour to fulfill the decree acurately, and completely ad mentem Summi Pontificis.

I pray that I am right. If I am, well, you can't want more than that.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

From your keyboard to God's ear, Father.

Summorum Pontificum is due to "sunset" in approximately one year (Sept. 14, 2010). If it is to be re-Uped, I see that two things that are necessary.

1) the Pope himself must begin saying the Old Mass. He has yet to say the Old Mass since the issue of SP. Can anyone remember the last time he said it? Can he remember? He needs to put his money where his mouth is.

2) Parochial priests are going to have to grow some cajones and start saying the Old Mass even in the face of disapproving bishops and laity. The Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by force - wisdom is justified of her children. I know a parochial priest of a very large, rich parish who not only says the Old Mass he moved it (against the shrill screeching of the buggers in the Chancery) to 8:30AM, replacing a NO "liturgy!" He packed the house.

Sue Sims said...

Do you read 'The Sensible Bond', Father? Brian has some very interesting points on VN's piece.

http://thesensiblebond.blogspot.com/2009/08/nichols-odeon.html

David Swyer said...

Does SP really have a shelf-life? CAn anyone say whether this is true? Also can we not use words like "sunset" as a verb, it puts my teeth on edge!

Anonymous said...

Dear David;

"Furthermore, I invite you, dear Brothers, to send to the Holy See an account of your experiences, three years after this Motu Proprio has taken effect. If truly serious difficulties come to light, ways to remedy them can be sought."

-from the Letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Bishops of the World issued 7 July 2007 together with his Apostolic Letter "Summorum Pontificum."

If that isn't a great big WATCH OUT IN THREE YEARS, I don't know what is.

FYI, the word "to" as I used it is an ADVERB, making "to "sunset"" and adverbial phrase; thus, "sunset" is a noun. The word "to" is not always a part of the infinitive. So what's your problem David; is English a second language for you?

David Swyer said...

Dear rev'd up,

Your grammatical explanation is puzzling and ridiculous but, more importantly, the tone of your message is so rude that it just confirms me in my view that our Church does not deserve to survive with such nastiness in it. I give up! I shall never be passing this way again.