Schönborn's Spokesman to Zhulsdorf

Fr Zuhlsdorf received a letter from a spokesman for Cardinal Schönborn, here there are over 250 comments. Fr Z believes the Cardinal was doing this unwillingly.

Dear Father Zuhlsdorf,

regarding Your blog on the celebration of His Eminence in Wolfsthal I would like to beg you to publish my communiqué of yesterday for the orientation of your public.

Kind regards
Erich Leitenberger
Spokesperson for H.E. Card. Schönborn

Some people have taken serious offense in the Holy Mass for young people which was celebrated by the Viennese Cardinal Christoph Schönborn on the 16th of November in Wolfsthal, a village close to the Austrian-Slovakian border.

In contrast to the presumption, due to the in many ways amateurish und unrealistic the spokesman makes no attempt to say what is unrealistic recorded broadcasting by Gloria TV, the camera has got it wrong. it must be clearly stated that in this celebration in no way any kind of liturgical specifications have been violated. The directory on Children's Liturgy allows a great deal of flexibility, it is the duty of Bishops to ensure that clergy are formed in sound liturgical practice in order to be abe to implement it wisely. Ceramic vessels of course are strictly forbidden, in the context of a children's liturgy anything that appears to be ceramic should be forbidden.

The Eucharistic bread was unleavened and its shape strictly followed the shape which has been used in the Middle East since the 1st century. The “flat cake” is similar to that form used in Mossul in these days – this is the metropolis located at river Tigris where Christians still testify the truth of Jesus with their own blood. I find it deeply offensive that those who are being martyred for the faith daily should be cited to defend a prelate who has caused such outrage! This is an adolescent arguement.

Werner Pirkner, the spiritual councilor for the Holy Mass in Wolfsthal, and Stephan Bazalka, coordinator of the Catholic Youth, paid highest attention to the fact that when breaking the bread no tiny little piece of bread ever touched the floor. BREAD! this is the Body of Christ! As the children have been given such large pieces that they are nibbling it, I see no way in which this claim can be made! Nothing destroys faith more than children being forced to treat the sacred as profane.

Those who have dared, dared! tempted by a fragmentary news coverage, on the diocesan website care is taken not show the distribution and reception of Holy Communion to bring forward accusations against the archbishop of Vienna, no priest or prelate is above question or beyond the Law of the Church may contemplate, repent and ask God for his forgiveness. The Austrian Church's spokesman has obviously taken a leaf out of Dr Goebbels book Let us pray all together for the Holy Church! and let us pray for reverence to the Blessed Sacrament.

PO'D does it again

At the end of October Bishop O'Donahue gave an interview to Zenit about his document Fit for Mission, in which he said that Catholic graduates are spreading scepticism and sowing dissent. The story still continues to rumble on, the former priest Nicholas Lash had a go in last weeks Tabet being characteristically silly by saying everything is alright from his Cambridge Ivory Tower, and yesterday the Telegraph took up the story.

I am a great believer in original texts, here is the relevant passage from the interview.

What we have witnessed in Western societies since the end of the Second World War is the development of mass education on a scale unprecedented in human history -- resulting in economic growth, scientific and technological advances, and the cultural and social enrichment of billions of people's lives.
However, every human endeavor has a dark side, due to original sin and concupiscence. In the case of education, we can see its distortion through the widespread dissemination of radical skepticism, positivism, utilitarianism and relativism. Taken together, these intellectual trends have resulted in a fragmented society that marginalizes God, with many people mistakenly thinking they can live happy and productive lives without him.
One of the great truths recognized by the Second Vatican Council is that the Church is part of human history and culture. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise us that the shadows cast by the distortion of education, and corresponding societal changes, have also touched members of the Church. As Pope Benedict XVI puts it, even in the Church we find hedonism, selfishness and egocentric behavior.

The Second Vatican Council tends to be misinterpreted most by Catholics who have had a university education-- that is, by those most exposed to the intellectual and moral spirit of the age. These well-educated Catholics have gone on to occupy influential positions in education, the media, politics, and even the Church, where they have been able to spread their so-called loyal dissent, causing confusion and discord in the whole church.
This failure of leadership has exacerbated the even greater problem of the mass departure from the Church of the working-class and poor. For example, the relentless diatribe in the popular media against Christianity has undermined the confidence of the ordinary faithful in the Church.
I strongly support Catholics receiving a university education, but we have to ensure that they also have a firm grounding in the fullness of the faith from an early age in our homes, schools and parishes, and that they are equipped to challenge the erroneous thinking of their contemporaries.

I think the context of his remarks is that we fail to prepare young men and women at school and in the parish to hold their own in Universities. The constant theme of Fit for Mission is that we have failed to evangelise and catechise effectively, to the point where the brightest who hang onto the faith, do so without any real understanding of the Catholic Faith.

Chant Workshop

click on picture to enlarge
Jeremy Satge is doing a workshop for us this Saturday.
If you want to come contact stmarymagdalenchoir@googlemail.com.

It begins at 10.30.

You can park behind the Church in our school playground.
It is primarily a chant workshop, but Jeremy will be looking at polyphony and even hymn singing. It is for those who are trying to implement the Church's instruction on music in the Liturgy in their parish.

The day ends with the Mass of Christ the King at 6pm.

The cost is £10

Lunch

Fr Tim and I had lunch yesterday with with Jane and her mother-in-law Kathleen. Keep an eye on Jane's blog Thoughts from an Oasis in French Catholicism over the next couple of weeks.

Brothers of St John in a parish near us

Last time I was in Rome it was awash with members of the Community of St John, the brothers and sisters were everywhere, they filled St Peter's. The amazing thing is that they are a new religious community, part of that post-war flowering of French monasticism below are so0me extracts from their newsletter.

October 1, 2008: foundation of the Brothers of St. John in Canning Town, London (diocese of Brentwood, GB).

September 21, 2008: foundation of the Brothers of St. John in Avignon (France).


June 21, 2008: in Ars (France) twenty brothers were ordained to the diaconate and seven brothers to the priesthood by His Eminence Cardinal Paul Poupard, former President of the Pontifical Counsel for Culture.

On Pentecost week-end (May 10-12, 2008) in Paray le Monial (France), ten Brothers received the habit of the Community, seven Brothers pronounced their temporary vows, eleven Brothers and four Apostolic Sisters pronounced their final vows

As you see they are now in England, next week they are coming down to Rottingdean a neighbouring parish on the edge of Brighton, this is the wekend programme.

Friday 21st November
7.30pm Talk and Ministry ‘The Healing Power of Mass and Confession’
followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with the
opportunity for confession or spiritual guidance… Church

Saturday 22nd November
9.30am Rosary for Life

10.00am Holy Mass

10.45-12.15pm Pro-Life Meeting
Opportunity for local groups to share experience, information
and support after the HFE Bill.
5.45-6.15pm Confessions
6.30pm Vigil Mass of Christ the King
8.30pm-10.00pm Candlelit Vigil ‘The Power of Prayer’
Meditation, music, quiet Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn

The American Papist and one or two other sites reproduce this video of a Youth Mass celebrated by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna in Wolfsthal. It leaves me speechless that a close collaborator with the Holy Father and one of the authors of the Catechism of the Catholic Church should be complicit in such an action.

Some blogs endlessly criticise our own UK bishops, but one could hardly imagine a single one being so cavalier with the Holy Eucharist. Earlier this year the Cardinal was forced, after fierce criticism, to close an exhibition in which the Last Supper was depicted as a homosexual orgy which he had allowed in his own Cathedral.

Of your Charity

Of your Charity

pray for the Soul of Peter Horan who died fortified by the rites and sacraments of Our Holy Mother the Church.

Saints of God come to his Aid

Come to meet him Angels of the Lord