Sunday, November 18, 2007

Address to Seminarians


The Italian News Agency Androkronos reports:
"... According to what has been learned from authoritative sources, the dicastery presided by Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos (among the main supporters of the return of the Mass according to the pre-Conciliar rite) would be considering a circular addressed to seminarians which, in practice, is aimed directly to those bishops who, 'disobeying' the Pope's motu proprio, do not want them to know how to celebrate Mass according to the rite of St Pius V."
Cardinal Castrillon de Hoyos of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei met with the Holy Father on Thursday but it would seem unlikely for him to address seminarian in particular, he would be stepping on the feet of the dicastery responsible for Religious Education, so if there is any substance here it would seem to indicate that there is a more general document about to be brought out.
No-one should doubt the importance that the Pope places on the "Extraordinary Form" to reconcile the "hermeneutic of rupture", the Church of today and its history and culture.
It seems to me that the Pope is creating a grassroots movement of younger priests who want to celebrate the EF. I know more priests under 50 who celebrate "the Old Mass" than those over that age, who would have grown up with it. If younger priests are interested then why not encourage seminarians?

4 comments:

Dr. Peter H. Wright said...

An interesting rumour from the city of rumours.

I'm sure Father Ray is right about an address to seminarians being
unlikely.

There is, presumably, no reason why the forthcoming clarification from Ecclesia Dei could not contain a reference to future training, leaving the Congregation for Religious Education to issue a fuller document at a later date.

Anonymous said...

What is the point? I can't see a British seminary laying on a course!

Anonymous said...

Para 62 of Sacramentum Caritatis requests "that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant".

For starters, I'd be interested to know how our seminaries are getting on with complying with that request.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Pattif,
I suspect they will have to start doing something soon.

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