Cardinal Raymond Burke visits Melbourne: Solemn Pontifical Mass and Confirmation and other events

His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke will be visiting Melbourne from 29 August 2014.

Below is His Eminence's programme, culminating in Solemn Pontifical Mass at St Aloysius, the Parish of Blessed Henry Newman, The Personal Parish for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, St Aloysius Church, 233 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Victoria.

Friday, August 29, 5.30 pm

Low Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form, Sacred Heart Church, 199 Rathdowne St, Carlton 3053

Friday, August 29, 6.30 pm

Theology at the Pub with Q&A "Marriage, Divorce and Annulments", The Pumphouse Hotel, 128 Nicholson St, Fitzroy, 3065

Saturday, August 30, 9.00 am

World Congress of Families' Regional Meeting, "Life, Freedom and Family" St Patrick's Hall, 16 Childers St, Mentone, 3194

Saturday, August 30, 11.30 am

"Natural Law and Conscience - Key to Freedom and to the Integrity of Marriage and the Family" (Key Note Address by Cardinal Burke), St Patrick's Hall, 16 Childers St, Mentone, 3194

Sunday, August 31, 10.30 am

Solemn Pontifical Mass & Confirmations in the Extraordinary Form, St Aloysius' Church

Summorum Pontificum: the Seventh Anniversary

It was seven years ago today that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI issued his Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and the accompanying letter, liberalising the Old Mass, variously known as the Traditional Latin Mass, the Tridentine Mass, the Old Rite, Vetus Ordo, the Old Mass and which has also since become known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

We give thanks to Almighty God for this gift, and the courage of Benedict XVI in issuing the Motu Proprio. He has suffered as a result: His Holiness has told us as much.

We also give thanks for everything that has happened since which has seen the promotion of God-centred, transcendent worship in the form of the Traditional Mass and the promotion of a more reverent celebration of the Ordinary Form.

It is natural, given this is the anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, to consider what, if any, advances there have been in the celebration of the older form and its effects on the newer form of the Mass. 

Every day, we see reports of the growth in celebrations of the Extraordinary Form all over the world, its attraction to the young who are experiencing it for the first time, the uptake of newly ordained priests and other clergy who are learning to celebrate it. As Benedict XVI foresaw, the older form is having a positive influence on the promotion of reverent celebration of the Novus Ordo too.  This is all positive.  And the progress is there. But it is gradual, slow, often painstaking work.  Nothing is happening in a hurry.  It’s also on a limited scale. We are not talking about millions and millions of Catholics.

And, of course, things are not great everywhere and at all times.  Whilst there are many stories of very supportive bishops and others would are positively in favour, there remain stories of situations around the world that suggest open hostility to the older forms and to reverent worship more generally.  In other places still, it’s a studied indifference as if Summorum Pontificum never existed, with nothing done to raise its profile and nothing done to bring this to the lay faithfuls’ awareness. As some have quipped, faced with Summorum Pontificum some bishops are implementing Quattuor Abhinc Annos.

And, since Benedict XVI’s abdication and the election of Pope Francis, the mood also seems to be different.  Whereas there was a feeling of full steam ahead during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the election of Pope Francis has seemingly slowed things down.  So much so, that some have declared the death of the Reform of the Reform (which we will deal with another time).

It seems uncontroversial to conclude that whilst Pope Francis respects the liturgical vision of the Pope Emeritus, His Holiness does not prioritise it particularly.  In the early days of his Pontificate, His Holiness eschewed certain externals which suggested he had other priorities and he then dispensed with liturgical law on particular occasions presumably with the intention of making a “greater” point.  Did that however suggest a position directly against the liturgical vision of the Pope Emeritus?  Well, taken as a whole and with the benefit of more than a year of this pontificate, it doesn’t seem so, and there is enough in his public statements and actions to suggest this.  However, this doesn’t stop some seeking proof of a rejection of the Pope Emeritus’ vision in these actions, and in particular in the events affecting the Franciscans of the Immaculate and, ultimately, the stalled negotiations with the Society of St Pius X.  It also does not stop the incessant interpreting in some quarters of every move and countermove of ecclesiastical authorities on these issues.  Whilst all these are realities, and they affect the lives of real people, there is a risk that too much focus on it unduly distracts from the work of promoting and celebrating worthily our divine liturgy; a work that never stops.

Even if we accept that Pope Francis’ priorities are elsewhere, does this change anything for those seeking greater reverence, transcendence and, where it is desired, greater availability of the Traditional Mass?  Is the need for transcendent worship really dependent on who sits on the Throne of Peter as the Servant of the Servants of God? Whilst it’s self-evidently a great help that the Successor of St Peter openly and consistently champions it and is an exemplar all the time, isn’t it also independent of all that?  Rather, we think it goes to the “legitimate aspirations” which Pope Saint John-Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have recognised as being present with all the faithful who find the older forms of spiritual  use to them. It is consistent with Catholic Tradition and the tradition of our closest brothers in the faith, the Orthodox Churches.  And it’s consistent in our belief in the Real Presence and its implications for our lives here and hereafter, regardless of the form of the liturgy we as individual Catholics are drawn to are which is available to us.  A liturgy with only serves to celebrate ourselves rather than being centred on God, serves no-one, least of all ourselves.

And so, in giving thanks to Almighty God for Summorum Pontificum, and in remembering our beloved Pope Emeritus on this day, let us also pray for Our Holy Father, Pope Francis in his arduous task of governing the Church and for the continuing progress throughout the world of the worthy celebration of the Mass in all forms and all its rites so that God may be glorified, His people grow in love and mercy and His people – us – be saved. 

Restore Latin to the Mass. The Lutheran mass, that is.

Really, who would have thought it.

Perhaps, just perhaps, these guys are on to something in this piece on the restoration of Latin to the liturgy of Lutherans.  

If we take every reference to "Lutheran" and substitute for it "Catholic"...

No Extraordinary Form Mass at St Patrick's Cathderal for 2 weeks; resumes Wednesday 14 March at 5.30pm

Please note that there will be no EF Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral either this Wednesday (29th February), or the following week (7th March).

The Cathedral Mass will resume on 14th March at the usual time of 5.30pm.  Entry to the Cathderal is via the door at the Right Transcept and parking available in the Lansdowne Street Carpark.

Ash Wednesday: Traditional Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral

This Wednesday, 22 February, the Traditional Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral will move to 6.30pm. 

This will be this Wednesday only.

Weekly Traditional Latin Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne

Yesterday evening, Wednesday 10 August 2011, the Feast of St Lawrence, saw the commencement of the regular weekly celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass at St Patrick's Cathderal Melbourne, following successful petition of the faithful (led by Mr Chris Glendenning and Ms Claire Lindorff).

Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated each Wednesday at 5.30pm in the beautiful Sacred Heart Chapel on the right of the Sanctuary (picture opposite courtesy of the Newman Community).

The Bulletin of the Newman Community noted the kind provision by the Dean of the Cathedral, Fr John Salvano, and that attendees are welcome to park in the Cathedral car park off Lansdowne Street after 5.00pm. Entrance to the Cathedral for all attendees is via the Diocesan Centre car park gate, and through the south transept door.

The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, in continuity with Tradition: not difficult after all.

If it can be done in a field...

Photo and the following, courtesy New Liturgical Movement:

Some of our readers in Michigan were inspired by the pilgrimage of Chartres and determined one year ago to start up their own small pilgrimage. We reported on this last year, and this year, they have continued their efforts with the "Pilgrimage for Christian Culture". The walking pilgrimage, which took place from August 13th to 14th, left from Camp De Sales, Brooklyn, Michigan and proceeded to Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Jackson, Michigan -- 27 miles in total.

Liturgically, I would note that this pilgrimage includes Masses in both forms of the Roman liturgy -- a very "Benedictine" pursuit indeed -- as well as the Divine Office (chanted according to the Mundelein Psalter).

The organizers report:

We believe that ordinary lay Catholics can and should work together to transform our culture.

On Friday, August 13th, following a Mass celebrated by Fr. Mathias Thelen in the Sacred Heart Chapel at Camp De Sales in Brooklyn, MI, a group of young adults received the pilgrimage blessing from him and set out on a 27-mile pilgrimage route to Queen of the Miraculous Medal, Jackson. The pilgrims sang, prayed for Christian Culture and greeted onlookers as they traveled the pilgrim road.

In the course of the two days of the pilgrimage, a total of 31 young adults from around the state joined in the walk or (actually) participated in the pilgrimage's liturgies, which also included the sung Liturgy of the Hours (chanted according to the tones in The Mundelein Psalter), an Extraordinary Form Mass celebrated by Fr. Paul Ward, the chaplain of the Trailblazers WYD pilgrimage group out of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and the Vigil Mass of the Assumption at Queen of the Miraculous Medal, celebrated by Fr. Tim MacDonald. 8 of the pilgrims came from St. Thomas parish, the home of Generation Christ; 7 came from other Ann Arbor parishes; 8 from the Archdiocese of Detroit; and the rest from Saginaw, Lansing, Flint and the greater Jackson area.

The focus of the pilgrimage was Christian Culture - praying that God would inspire the pilgrims as to how they might best win the culture for Christ as well as making concrete efforts towards cultural contributions (in the form of the sung Liturgy of the Hours) and intercultural understanding (in the form of learning and praying the Rosary in Latin and Spanish, in addition to English).

Missale Romanum: A new version for the Altar

Courtesy Rorate Caeli, we have this notification of how to get the new edition of the Messale Romanum for the Extraordinary Form (Missal of Blessed John XXIII (1962), available for the Vatican publishers:  Pax Book [http://www.paxbook.com/algorithmiS/servusPrimus?]iussum=monstraScriptumEditum&numerus=31969

Abbe' Franck Quoex (1967-2007): In Memoriam

Abbe' Franck Quoex: 1967-2007

We have not really paid tribute before to persons on this Blog.  But the more we read about this holy priest, liturgist and academic - who, above all, was both a simple priest and one of the most significant liturgists in the Traditional Latin Mass and who died at a tragically young age of 39 - the more it seems deserving of bringing his life and work to the attention of our readers.  So, please read his remarkable achievements from New Liturgical Movement.

Photo of the Day: what's happening

Courtesy: Orbis Catholicus Secundus

Credo VII? Yep, it's new to us too, but here it is. Sing it.

How to do the Offertory Chants?

This is one way: the more complicated, but authentic.

This exceedingly rare book appeared in 1935 to provide the complete offertory verses for the Offertory chant in the Roman Rite of Mass.

Note that these are not Psalm tones but thoroughly composed chants that add a beautiful dimension to the chant at this point in Mass.

It is a much-valued addition to the CMAA's liturgical library, applicable to the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms.

Buy it here and/or download it for free from here [http://musicasacra.com/books/offertoriale1935.pdf]

The "Reform of the Reform": it's coming (eventually)

Photo: Orbis Catholicus (JPSonnen)

Reputable Vaticanista Andrea Tornielli of the Italian daily Il Giornale reports that Card Canizare Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation of the Divine Worship has put proposals to the Holy Father in April covering an emphasis on a greater sacrednss in the Rite, the recovery of a sense of Eucharistic adoration, use of the Latin in the liturgy of the Mass, communion on the tongue, and ad orientem posture (at least for the Eucharistic Prayer).

Roma: Il documento è stato consegnato nelle mani di Benedetto XVI la mattina del 4 aprile scorso dal cardinale spagnolo Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefetto della Congregazione per il Culto Divino. È l’esito di una votazione riservata, avvenuta il 12 marzo, nel corso della riunione «plenaria» del dicastero che si occupa di liturgia e rappresenta il primo passo concreto verso quella «riforma della riforma» più volte auspicata da Papa Ratzinger. Quasi all’unanimità i cardinali e vescovi membri della Congregazione hanno votato in favore di una maggiore sacralità del rito, di un recupero del senso dell’adorazione eucaristica, di un recupero della lingua latina nella celebrazione e del rifacimento delle parti introduttive del messale per porre un freno ad abusi, sperimentazioni selvagge e inopportune creatività. Si sono anche detti favorevoli a ribadire che il modo usuale di ricevere la comunione secondo le norme non è sulla mano, ma in bocca. C’è, è vero, un indulto che permette, su richiesta degli episcopati, di distribuire l’ostia anche sul palmo della mano, ma questo deve rimanere un fatto straordinario. Il «ministro della liturgia» di Papa Ratzinger, Cañizares, sta anche facendo studiare la possibilità di recuperare l’orientamento verso Oriente del celebrante almeno al momento della consacrazione eucaristica, come accadeva di prassi prima della riforma, quando sia i fedeli che il prete guardavano verso la Croce e il sacerdote dava dunque le spalle all’assemblea. Chi conosce il cardinale Cañizares, soprannominato «il piccolo Ratzinger» prima del suo trasferimento a Roma, sa che è intenzionato a portare avanti con decisione il progetto, a partire proprio da quanto stabilito dal Concilio Vaticano II nella costituzione liturgica Sacrosanctum Concilium, che è stata in realtà superata dalla riforma post-conciliare entrata in vigore alla fine degli anni Sessanta. Il porporato, intervistato dal mensile 30Giorni, nei mesi scorsi aveva detto a questo proposito: «A volte si è cambiato per il semplice gusto di cambiare rispetto a un passato percepito come tutto negativo e superato. A volte si è concepita la riforma come una rottura e non come uno sviluppo organico della Tradizione».Per questo le «propositiones» votate dai cardinali e vescovi alla plenaria di marzo prevedono un ritorno al senso del sacro e all’adorazione, ma anche un recupero delle celebrazioni in latino nelle diocesi, almeno durante le principali solennità, così come la pubblicazione di messali bilingui - una richiesta, questa fatta a suo tempo da Paolo VI - con il testo latino a fronte.Le proposte della Congregazione che Cañizares ha portato al Papa, ottenendone l’approvazione, sono perfettamente in linea con l’idea più volte espressa da Jopseph Ratzinger quando ancora era cardinale, come attestano i brani inediti sulla liturgia anticipati ieri dal Giornale, che saranno pubblicati nel libro Davanti al Protagonista (Cantagalli), presentato in anteprima al Meeting di Rimini. Con un nota bene significativa: per l’attuazione della «riforma della riforma» ci vorranno molti anni. Il Papa è convinto che non serva a nulla fare passi affrettati, né calare semplicemente direttive dall’alto, con il rischio che poi rimangano lettera morta. Lo stile di Ratzinger è quello del confronto e soprattutto dell’esempio. Come dimostra il fatto che, da più di un anno, chiunque vada a fare la comunione dal Papa, si deve genuflettere sull’inginocchiatoio appositamente preparato dai cerimonieri.

This gave way to supposed denials from Assitant Director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr Ciro Benedettini, which amount to nothing of the sort, he merely saying that "so far there are no institutional proposals for amendment of the books currently in use." That is to say, nothing official, nothing that requires amending the books and nothing yet. But implicitly recognising that what is afoot requires nothing to change in the books but much to change in attitudes and enforcemet/encouragement on the part of those involved in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

And on his blog, Tornielli says as much in response to a commentator:

Mi scusi Luisa, se ho risposto sull’altro thread, ma mi sembrava di aver letto lì quelle domande. Ora, lei mi chiede della smentita della Sala Stampa. Beh, se si legge bene, si vedrà che non è una vera smentita a ciò che ho scritto. Non ho mai affermato che esiste un testo già approvato per la riforma della riforma, ma ho scritto che sono state avanzate delle proposte, che queste proposte sono state mostrate al Papa, che la Congregazione del Culto ci sta lavorando. Ho scritto anche che è un lavoro lungo, che ci vorranno anni, che l’intenzione non è quella di procedere facendo calare le indicazioni dall’alto, ma di coinvolgere gli episcopati… etc. Ora, temo che la smentita sia stata provocata dal dibattito che si è scatenato dopo i miei articoli e che ha fatto considerare imminente la promulgazione di nuove norme ancora ben al di là da venire.

Interesting, hot on the heels of the Bishop Slattery of Oaklahoma, USA who has announced that he will celebrate his Masses in his Cathedral ad orientem from now on.

Promoting Reverence, the Sacred and Beauty in Catholic Liturgy

Masses are celebrated on the last Sunday of each month.

Next Mass: The fourth of these monthly Masses will be celebrated on Sunday, 24 June 2007 at 6pm.

Solemn Mass in the Modern Roman Rite (Novus Ordo) “ad orientem”, in Latin with Gregorian Chant at St Brigid's Catholic Church, Fitzroy North, Victoria.

What: A new initiative has been launched to offer Mass celebrated in a way that more closely follows the teachings of the Second Vatican Council in its document Sacrosanctum Concilium.

Solemn Mass in the Modern Roman Rite (the Novus Ordo) will be celebrated in Latin, with Gregorian chant and in an "ad orientem" posture for the Liturgy of the Eucharist: where Priest and Congregation together face liturgical east toward the Tabernacle.

Why: Many people think that the Second Vatican Council mandated the removal of Latin and Gregorian chant in the Mass and required the Priest to face the people when saying Mass. However, the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) mandated none of these things. It actually required that Latin and Gregorian Chant remain an essential part of the Mass and envisaged no change to the venerable tradition of the Priest and Congregation together facing the Tabernacle (“Liturgical East” or "ad orientem").

This initiative of the Parish of St Brigid’s in conjunction with the Glorificamus Society seeks to answer the call of Cardinal Ratzinger, now His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, for a return to a greater sense of reverence, mystery, beauty and sacredness in the celebration of Holy Mass, by recovering these traditions of Latin, Gregorian chant and ad orientem posture.

When: The first of these monthly Solemn Masses was offered on Sunday, 25 March 2007 at 6pm. The fourth Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, 24 June 2007 at 6pm.

Where: St Brigid's Catholic Church, 378 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North (Melways Map 2C Ref A4). All are most welcome to attend.

Mass booklets with full Latin/English translations will be available for those without their own Novus Ordo missals.

For more information: This initiative is supported by the Glorificamus Society for the renewal of Catholic Liturgy. Contact us at glorificamus@gmail.com for more information. You can keep up to date with Mass times and this initiative on this website.

You are invited to let as many people as you can know about this initiaive. We look forward to welcoming you, your family and friends to these Masses.