English episcopal opposition to Motu Proprio
The Daily Telegraph today has a report titled Catholic bishops resist advance of Latin Mass. The key point:
Despite the unfairness of this, I support Fr Zuhlsdorf's "rules of engagement" for the Motu Proprio. When he wrote it, the title was "when and if it comes" - recent official confirmations make it clear that we can now drop the "and if" clause. His first rule is perhaps the most important:
In a confidential letter, the Cardinal, the head of the Church in England and Wales, has argued that the provision of the Old Rite was already adequate in this country.Adequate for whom? one might ask. In many places, restrictive permission for the Classical Rite means that people have to go to Sunday Mass at 4pm, or travel to different Churches each Sunday, or have to find priests from the FSSP, the ICKSP or the Archdiocese of Southwark who are willing to travel. Many simply have no provision at all. Several blogs have already pointed out the inconsistency between this letter and the active negotiations which secured approved status for the Gay Mass at Warwick Street, Soho.
Despite the unfairness of this, I support Fr Zuhlsdorf's "rules of engagement" for the Motu Proprio. When he wrote it, the title was "when and if it comes" - recent official confirmations make it clear that we can now drop the "and if" clause. His first rule is perhaps the most important:
Rejoice because our liturgical life has been enriched, not because "we win". Everyone wins when the Church’s life is enriched. This is not a "zero sum game".
