The Central Catholic Chaplaincy for the London Universities, at Newman House in Gower Street, is to have a celebration of Mass in the older form of the Roman Rite on Saturday 10 May.
Fr Peter Wilson has written about this at the Newman House blog. Fr Zuhlsdorf has added his own comments and analysis.
I would only add that it does not seem necessary to seek permission from the Ordinary for such a celebration. In the post "If... but not "only if", I pointed out that Summorum Pontificum does not limit permission for the "extraordinary form" to cases where a group of people ask for it - in those cases he must do what he can to facilitate their request. According to his own pastoral judgement, the Pastor may arrange for the not-abrogated and not-forbidden form of the Mass to be celebrated if this form of Mass would be pastorally helpful. If a group of students ask for it, that seems to me a "slam dunk" as the Americans might put it. No?
In any case, I am sure that the students are grateful to Fr Wilson and it is very good to hear that the central London chaplaincy is making the traditional Roman liturgy available to students in their own chaplaincy.
8 comments:
Father ~ I have been on Fr Wilson's blog and am struck by the lack of contributors or "stable community", to use his own expression, on ANY thread. In contrast, Fr Z regularly shuts down "com boxes" in order to prevent the self-indulgent, like me, from droning on and on interminably. Says it all.
The anally retentive meaness and downright arrogance of Fr Wilson's response to Fr Z. was so predictable. Fr Z was just too darn'd American to grasp the sarcastic undertones of Fr W's missive and/or too much of a gentleman to respond in kind.
Dear Father Finigan,
I was one of the small number of students who requested the mass in the extraordinary form at Newman House. I am very grateful to the Cardinal and to Fr Peter for allowing it to go ahead.
The Chaplaincy Team at Newman House are pastorally sensitive to all requests and I am absolutely confident that there was no hindering of this one. The situation as regards mass attendance is quite unique and Fr Peter's blog entry and email to Fr Z sum it up well.
Whilst I am sure this is not what comments flying round the internet about this mass meant, I wouldn't want it to be thought that this annual mass was reflective of a battle at the chaplaincy between those fighting for use of the Old Rite and an incongrous Chaplaincy Team. Nothing could be further from the truth, and everyone is looking forward to the mass on the 10th May.
With best wishes,
Edward B
Given Fr Peter Wilson's extremely strict interpretation of Summorum Pontificum, I would have to say that he has acted responsibly by referring the matter to the Cardinal and then implementing the Cardinal's wishes. It would be wrong to complain about his actions.
However, I think that his interpretation of SP is very questionable in two respects.
Firstly, his assertion that students cannot form a stable group. I do not believe that the Holy Father intended that the Extraordinary Form should be available to those who seek it, but with the exception of students and gypsies.
Secondly, his assertion that a pastor who is technically not a parish priest cannot act as if he were a parish priest. I live in a parish that, due to proposed but not implemented reorganisation, has not had a parish priest for four years; surely it would be unreasonable to deny the EF on these grounds.
Edward - I have only visited the chaplaincy a couple of times but I have always found there a great atmosphere with students working positively together. I am sure that Father Wilson's provision of the TLM will only help to further this. Thank you for your helpful comment.
Incidentally, this is the only thread attracting any comments. Speaks for itself!
Sadie, I think you're wrong about Fr Peter. His reply was genuine, not sarcastic. It was somewhat pointed, but one can hardly blame him given the public 'frisking' his letter was submitted to.
For me, all the critical talk about Fr Peter by people who don't know him highlights some of the weaknesses of blogging, and especially the Catholic blogosphere. It's all too easy to be dismissive about somebody when we don't really know them and aren't addressing them face to face. Does anybody else agree with this?
Is this the same one that is only going to be offered once a year?
Felix - I agree with you that this does highlight a danger, and perhaps weakness of blogging. Fr Wilson's post was put on a blog on the internet and got picked up by Fr Z. If you look at his comments in the original fisk, they are about the issues, not a personal attack on Fr W. Looking again at Fr W's comment on Fr Z's blog, there is certainly some sarcasm there, as well as the characterisation of Fr Z's suggestion (that they should get lots of people there) as calling for a "political rally". To engage in someone's combox like this is all part of the fun but it is rather an open invitation to other commenters to flame in. Fr Z graciously turned the combox off to prevent this happening.
The combox does, of course, also offer the opportunity for others to put positive points from their own experience - as Edward has done here.
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