Canada: Opposition to the Mass of St Pius V on Doctrinal Grounds
Document sans nom
In the DICI no. 177 (6/14/2008), we already wrote of the opposition of Bishop André Rivest, the bishop of Chicoutimi, to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. On February 7, 2009 it was the moderator of the parish of the Sacred Heart in this town, Bishop Jean-Roch Gaudin – to whom 140 faithful attached to Tradition requested a traditional Mass once a month – who explained why he was against this Mass.
His reasons are doctrinal. According to him, the traditional Mass is a vehicle for “an outdated theology”, as he stated to a journalist from the Quotidien: “It is not the use of Latin or the current fashion for Gregorian chant, which pose the problem. It is the message which the texts from the ancient rite convey. He condemns them irrevocably, deeming them, in many respects, opposed to the values which the Church has been promoting since Vatican II. ‘It goes much further than Latin or Gregorian, with which I have no problem. They (the supporters of the Tridentine Mass) use a missal which pre-dates the Council, in which there are prayers which speak of a vengeful God, rather than a God of love. There are prayers for the conversion of Jews, who are portrayed as the ‘bad guys’ who killed Christ. It is an outdated theology, of a false vision from which, thankfully, we have broken free,’ Bishop Gaudin said.”
“He fears that once the right to celebrate Tridentine Masses is obtained, we will see a return to the old style sacraments. ‘Previously the funeral rite put the emphasis on death and the idea of departure. The new rite focuses rather on the resurrection. There is no great big black hole after death, he said. It is the same thing for marriage. Under the old rite the man and the woman were not on an equal footing.’”
In the face of this refusal by both the bishop and the priest, the faithful of Quebec have sent their request to the Ecclesia Dei Commission in Rome, which is responsible for the application of the Motu Proprio. Without blinking an eye, Bishop Gaudin replied: “I hope that Rome will support our bishop. Otherwise I shall advise him to resign.”
In the meantime…
… Muted opposition in the United Kingdom, where the archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Murphy O’Connor has refused permission for Bishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the apostolic signature and former archbishop of St. Louis (Missouri, U.S.A.) to celebrate the traditional Mass in his cathedral. Approached by members of the Latin Mass Society, Bishop Burke had agreed to come and celebrate their annual mass next June. Cardinal Murphy O’Connor’s excuse is that he did not receive a bona fide request from the Latin Mass Society for the Roman prelate to assist at the Mass which is usually celebrated by one of the auxiliary bishops of Westminster.
(Sources: http://motupropriochicoutimi.over-blog.com and http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian thompson)
