Our Lady Virgin an Queen

Today the Church calls us to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen - or sometimes called Our Lady Virgin and Queen (as in my 1962 Missal). I notice (with some confusion) that the Anglican Breviary does not include the festival of Our Lady Virgin and Queen.

On a personal note, this morning while saying Mass I was praying about a number of things. First, I have been considering joining the Society of Mary. Somehow I cannot send the Application for Membership away. Maybe I am just not a joiner. Second, I found the statue of Our Lady (on the left) at the bottom of a cupboard in the vestry. I cannot quite work out how I missed it before. So I have replaced in its rightful place. It is not a cheap mass produced statue either - the artist signed the back. Loxton has a number of original artworks, most noteably the Stations of the Cross. They are know as the Loxton Stations and there is a copy is a cathedral somewhere in England. SO I was praying and I wondering why the statue of Our Lady was hidden in the cupboard.

BTW: I found the following article on Wikipedia on the Society of the Holy Cross.

SSPX and Rome

From an interview with Bishop Fellay which first appeared on the DICI website on 1st April 2006:

The two preliminary conditions: liberalization of the use of Saint Pius V missal and withdrawal of the excommunication – are meant, beyond the traditional faithful, for the good of the whole Church. It is a question of allowing Tradition to recover its right of citizenship in the Church and to prove itself in fieldwork. In this manner we can help Rome to solve the crisis in the Church. These two preliminary conditions work – according to the theological expression – as a removen prohibens, they must remove the interdicts which prevent Tradition from acting practically, pastorally.

The Ascension

I read this on the FSSP Melbourne website:

The Solemnity of the Ascension will be celebrated liturgically this Thursday. There will be an 11.00am Low Mass and a 7.30pm Solemn Mass. However, currently in Australia, the obligation attached to this Solemnity is fulfilled by attendance at Mass next Sunday.

Something is wrong when one can fulfill one's obligation but never hear the Mass of the Ascension. This Sunday is the Sunday after the Ascension (with it's own Mass).

Anyway, blessed Ascension of Our Lord (to those who have kept it today!).

Fr Neuhaus on liturgy

Father Richard John Neuhaus (Lutheran convert to Catholicism) has released a new book, "Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy and the Splendor of Truth" (Basic Books).

In an interview with Zenit, Fr Neuhaus said the following:

Q: A major theme in your book is the importance of a revitalized liturgy for renewing Catholic life. How do you see that occurring?

Father Neuhaus: Don't get me started. The banality of liturgical texts, the unsingability of music that is deservedly unsung, the hackneyed New American Bible prescribed for use in the lectionary, the stripped-down architecture devoted to absence rather than Presence, the homiletical shoddiness.

Where to begin? A "high church" Lutheran or Anglican - and I was the former - braces himself upon becoming a Catholic.

The heart of what went wrong, however, and the real need for a "reform of the reform" lies in the fatal misstep of constructing the liturgical action around our putatively amazing selves rather than around the surpassing wonder of what Christ is doing in the Eucharist.

Read the whole Zenit interview.

Our Lady, Help of Christians

Today is the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians. In Australia it is a First Class Feast as she is the Patroness of Australia.

I said Mass this morning at 8:00am (with Eli serving). It was -4 degrees when we started. How did monks say Mass in those medieval monasteries in the middle of the winter in Europe?

Anyway, blessed feast to you all in Australia.

Sancta María. Ora pro nobis.

Rogation Monday

Today according to the 1962 Calendar is Rogation Monday. Before Mass today the people of God implore the intercession of the saints saying the Litany of the Saints in procession. The Catholic Encyclopedia gives these liturgical uses of the Litany of the Saints:

Three forms of the Litany of the Saints are at present in liturgical use.

First form. The form given above is prescribed by the Roman Ritual at the laying of the corner-stone of a new church, at the blessing or reconciliation of the same or of a cemetery, in the rite of blessing the people and fields in virtue of a special papal indult, for the major and minor Rogation Days, in the procession and prayers to obtain rain or fine weather, to avert storms and tempests, in time of famine or war, to escape mortality or in time of pestilence, in any tribulation, during the translation of relics, in solemn exorcisms of the possessed, and at the Forty Hours' Devotion. The Roman Pontifical, besides the occasions given in the Ritual, orders its recitation in the conferring of major orders, in the consecration of a bishop, benediction of an abbot or abbess, consecration of virgins, coronation of a king or queen, consecration of a church, expulsion and readmission of public penitents on Maundy Thursday, and in the "Ordo ad Synodum".

Second form. Another form is given in the Roman Missal for Holy Saturday and the Vigil of Pentecost. It is an abbreviation of the other. Each verse and response must be duplicated in this litany and in that chanted on Rogation Days (S.R.C., 3993, ad 4).

Third form. A third form is in the "Commendatio" of the Roman Ritual, in which the invocations and supplications are specially chosen to benefit the departing soul about to appear before its Maker (Holzhey, "Thekla-Akten", 1905, 93). This and the preceding form may not be used on other occasions (S.R.C., 2709, ad 1).

Here are some links to the Litany of the Saints:
From EWTN.
From Pope John Paul II Funeral.
In Latin and English from www.breviary.net.

As you asked ...

Someone posted a comment about the register of Missal Masses around the world. I confess through illness, Holy Week, computer things, and parish work I have not updated it or kept it running. I am very sorry. It is one of the orginal reasons for this blog and I was planning to post something on a weekly bases.

There is a Draft Register avaiable in the archives and I am planning something more solid on a separate website. Also maybe some resources on updating the 1985 English Missal to bring it in line with the 1962 Missale Romanum. So if you do not see the name of your favourite Missal parish, let me know and I will add it and repost the list again.

Please pray for me as I have to travel today to go to Synod and MC the liturgical functions.

More Papalism

Mr Yelton emailed me privately this morning and among other things he mentioned:

I should not think Anglican Papalism will go into paperback, as the market for that sort of thing is fairly limited. They printed between 950 and 1000 and when I last heard had sold about 550. That was before a review by Fr Leech in the Church Times which was very encouraging. Canterbury are pleased with the sales so far and are hoping to sell it out.

So don't wait for the paperback.

Books

I have finished the two books I was reading (Williamson and Fortescue) so I went back to Yelton's Papalism to re-read it last night. I stumbled across this quote from Spencer John Jones in in his book Catholic Reunion:

... our differences (with Rome) are due to our separation, not our separation to our differences.

It puts into words everything which Anglican Papalism is all about.

On another note: I have been inspired to try my hand at podcasting and will soonish publish the first edition of the Traditional Anglo-Papist Podcast. The name still needs some work but I am planning to work a little more on a definition of Anglican Papalism with particular attention on the Tradition element. Any comments and suggestions are most welcome!

Hugh Ross Williamson

Along with The Early Papacy I am reading Hugh Ross Williamson's autobiography, The Walled Garden. It has some interesting inside material from one who was an Anglo-Papist but later converted to Rome. In fact, the book has an interesting Appendix: On My Reasons for supposing one could be a Cathcolic Priest in the Church of England. I will quote material from the book when I have time.

The Early Papacy

I am reading The Early Papacy: To the Synod of Chalcedon in 451 by Adrian Fortescue. It is, in part, written against the Anglo-Papist position which Fortescue calls the Romanising section of the High Church group.

Of great interest is the summary of the rights of the Pope in Chapter 3 What are the Papal Claims?:

What we believe about the rights of the Pope is contained in these four points: (1) The Pope is the chief bishop, primate and leader of the whole Church of Christ on earth. (2) He has episcopal jurisdiction over all members of the Church. (3) To be a member of the Catholic Church a man must be in communion with the Pope. (4) The providential guidance of God will see to it that the Pope shall never commit the Church to error in any matter of religion.

Apostolic Succession

Here is an article about yesterday's general audience: Only true apostolic succession guarantees loyalty to the Gospel.

Benedict XVI, partly improvising and reading off his prepared speech, highlighted the role of the Church of Rome, “sign, criterion and guarantee of the uninterrupted transmission of the apostolic faith” in the context of apostolic succession. ... the words spoken by the pope today cannot but appear to be a stress on bishops’ need for a relationship “with Peter”.

Email group

Mr Goings excellent comment to my last post has given me an idea: an email discussion group. So I have set up an Yahoo Group. Anything Anglo-Papist is open for discussion. I have not set any restriction on the group but be warned - I will!

Towards a definition …

The comments on the entry concerning Michael Yelton's book (thank you to Mr Goings and Mr Fulton) have made me think about how one may define Anglican Papalism, or what may the theology of an Anglo-Papist look like?

I think there is a natural development from the Oxford Movement and the Tractarian emphases on Apostolic Succession and Anglican Papalism. The Anglo-Papist world view adds to the Tractarian one. Maybe Anglo-Catholicism (whatever that may be in the 21st century) adds very little to the Tracatrian movement and lives, to some extend, within the theological and philosophical sphere of the Oxford Movement. Without a doubt most Anglo-Catholics have adopted Roman liturgical norms but have they a philosophical or historical criteria for doing so? Some Anglo-Catholics have adopted Eastern liturgical practises but for what reason?

Brooke Lunn, Couturier and the Church Unity Octave: from Anglican Papalists to the Present Day defines Anglican Papalism as those who are:

... convinced that the fullness of the Church is to be found both in the local Church, the bishop and his people, and in the universal Church, the communion of all the Church with the Church of Rome, the Apostolic See

I would like to add to this definition. The Anglo-Papist, through experience, knows that Apostolic Succession cannot be removed from the context of the Church and obedience to the Tradition of that Church. A mechanical touchy-feely view of Apostolic Succession is not the answer. Apostolic Succession does not create the Church but continues and sustains it.

The Anglo-Papist finds themselves within the context of the western Catholic Tradition. Through an accident of history, the Anglo-Papist finds themselves in schism with the Patriarch of the West. This "sin agaist the unity of the Church" has to be overcome on a cooperate not individual bases.

The Anglo-Papist has no choice but to express their obedience within the context of the liturgy. The Traditional Anglo-Papist’s natural movement is towards the Missal (whether English, Anglican, or American). But note: the liturgy not an Anglo-Papist makes!

More Anglican Papalism

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. The mother of all flus has turned into a chest infection with a strained chest muscle (from the coughing) both of which are rather painfull. I have been spending my days in front of the heater sleeping.

However, this morning I did find the following review from the Church Times on Michael Yelton's book. I thought some may be interested. I will also post my thoughts later today about how we may define Anglican Papalism in the modern context.