2 August 2017

Summorum Pontificum?

It was because of rumours that the current papal regime might reverse Summorum pontificum that I wrote my recent series on Concelebration in the Roman Colleges. I suppose I must learn that people don't read all one writes and commonly fail to grasp what one is really getting at.

I will put my opinions as simply as I can.

I do not think it is the Holy Father's style to do things in an unnecessarily and publicly confrontational way.

There are certainly gruesome individuals around like Andrea Grillo who do hope for SP to be eviscerated. This, they hope, would be achieved by eliminating the Subsidiarity according to which all presbyters can celebrate the EF without needing permissions.

But I do not think that the HF would just reverse SP, certainly not during the lifetime of his predecessor.

I think the current pope prefers to achieve his ends by more subtle and round-about means.

I suspect the draft Working Paper which I discussed at such length, of being an attempt by Pope Bergoglio or, more likely, his intimates such as the Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, to destroy the priestly culture that SP fed into. That's much more his style.

Anyway, Benedict XVI, not the stupidest of men, got in first by making clear that it would be ultra vires for any pope to attempt to extinguish the classical Roman Rite.

Remember also that it is historically the position of the SSPX that they did not ask for permission to celebrate the older Rite themselves in a private ghetto, but insisted, absolutely rightly, on this fundamental liberty, never lawfully abrogated, being confirmed to every presbyter of the Latin Churches. Pace Bishop Williamson's mistrust of his former colleagues, I do not think the Society would renege upon such a highly important principle.  

4 comments:

Mick Jagger Gathers No Mosque said...

ABS routinely exchanges emails with a woman with deep connections in the Roman Curia. She specialises in outlandish rumors, obvious lies, and puissant pipe dreams and this is the latest from Fey K. Nuz: Look, ABS, you didn't hear it from me but I have it on good authority that Franciscus is this close to cutting a deal with Bishop Fellay and the juiciest part of the deal is that Franciscus is not only going to reestablish full communion with The SSPX, but he is going to name Bishop Fellay a Cardinal and make him the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and then let Cardinal Fellay choose whomever he wants to be Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for The Docttine of the Faith

John Vasc said...

...and six months later abolish the entire Curia and outsource all decisions on liturgy, faith and morals to the national conferences led in each case by his own named cardinal :-)

Move over, Maduro.

Christopher Boegel said...

ABS + JV above = The Current Reign of Terror.

Impressive assessment..."wise as serpents...."

Anonymous said...

Since we're in the realms of conspiracies here, Father, might I ask you to post on the Freemasons - and this for two reasons:
They were for a time hand in glove with the Anglican clergy - 1/3 of clergy apparently (a nice Apocalyptic figure).
Did you come across them and their influence before you crossed the Tiber? They're still around, after all.

And secondly: the baleful influence of the Freemasons in the Catholic Church over the last 50+ years. Fantasy or reality?

The ghost of Fr Malachi Martin starts its banshee wail...

Any time you care to turn your erudite and informed attention to this I, for one, would be grateful to read your thoughts.
So much confusion these days!