Corpus Christi

Via Juventum, from FSSP Melbourne:

Icons and the western tradition

The picture above comes via All Too Common blog and is of the St. Michael's Conference.

I have nothing against the S. Michael's Conference - in fact, I think it is a great idea. But the picture makes me wonder about the use of icons within the western liturgical tradition. I know it common is some places but I wonder why? Are icons part of the western tradition?

"Anglican" monastic communites

Okay, my little depressed bit on Elmore Abbey has awaked some people. I do not think there are any Traditional Anglo-Papist communities anywhere anymore. (Anyone interested in joining me in forming one?) Nashdom is gone and nothing and no-one has taken its place.

Here are a couple of links which may be of interest to someone:
Alton Abbey
S. Benedict's Abbey, Bartonville (mentioned on the Alton Abbey website).

More on Elmore.

From a comment:

Do you mean the former abbot has been dispensed of his vows and gone into secular life? Is he still an active priest? Has Elmore been downgraded from an abbey to a priory because there are too few monks?

Yes, the abbot has been dispensed of his vows and is now, according to the Record, doing voluntary work as an assistant priest at the Church of the Advent of Christ the King, San Francisco. In fact, he is listed on the website as an associate priest.

In his letter to the community, quoted in the Record, he writes:

the last ten years or so .... have been years of disappointment in that the community has not seen the hoped-for growth; indeed, we have steadily reduced in numbers and monastic life generally has, in my view, deteriorated as a result. They have not been happy years; indeed, I regard the past few years as the unhappiest of my life.

No, the abbey has not been downgraded officially.

Elmore Abbey

I just received a copy of the Elmore Abbey Record for 2005/2006. It includes the sad news that Dom Basil, Abbot of Elmore, has been secularised by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the 14/11/2005. The abbey has elected Dom Simon Jarrat as the Conventual Prior due to the decrease in monks.

I wonder what Dom Gregory Dix would think of his brethren?

Liberalisation of the Traditional Rite?

[I wrote this a couple of days ago but have been unsure about posting it. Today's comment by Mr DG Fulton has helped me make up my mind and post!]

The recent Paschal Feast brought with it speculations concerning the possible liberalisation of the Traditional Rite by the Holy Father. I, for one, was deeply disappointed when the rumours did not give birth to anything but numerous blog entries. The rumours are again gaining weight towards a possible document being released in October.

Yet in reflection, I have been wondering if any liberalisation of the Traditional Rite will make any difference. I always thought that Universal Indult was a misnomer. But is it?

If, as has been suggested, the Holy Father in an attempt to move the Society of Saint Pius X back into the Roman fold gives permission for the use of the 1962 to all priests within the Western Latin tradition, will this move change anything? NO! Why? The very same priests are still bond by the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Any move towards a wider use of the Traditional Rite would be incomplete without a corespondent move in Canon Law. It would remain an Indult and not a matter of Law!

Let’s just look at a few examples: a) the Communion Fast (changed from the midnight the night before to an hour before Communion); b) Holy Days of obligation (often now moved to Sunday eg Ascension and Corpus Christi); c) days of Abstience removed.

In addition to a liberalisation of the Traditional Rite, a canonical existence needs to be brought forward. Maybe a uniate rite for Traditional Catholics? This would give a long-term canonical existence to the tradition rite.

Archbishop Hepworth

I have to post the occasional Anglican picture to show that I am an Anglo-Papist, so here it goes:
The picture is from S. Mary of the Angles, Hollywood and the bishop in the picture is the Most Rev'd John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion.

TAP Picture - Requiem

I have been enjoying reading the Orbis Catholicvs blog. Today I found this picture:I must admit I have never seen a Missal like that. It must be a Requiem Missal (I hope) and not something more sinister.

SSPX and the Holy See

Via Santo Stupido!

Rome Losing interest in reconciliation with SSPX?.

In a homily preached to participants in the SSPX pilgrimage, Bishop Fellay illustrated the extent of Lefebvrist disaffection from Rome, saying that the modern Church leadership was engaged in "suicide" because Catholicism had renounced its missionary spirit.

Sounds more like SSPX is not interested in reconciliation with Rome!

What does this mean for the Traditional Rite?

Anglican Marianists

I found the page (via Anglo-Catholic Central) of The Community of Anglican Marianists. It looks very interesting. Does anyone know something more about them?

BTW: How do people feel about the Luminous Mysteries? Do you use them?

TAP Picture - Dominican Liturgy

Via Orbis Catholicvs. A Dominican priest about to say Mass in the traditional Dominican Rite at Rome's Angelicum. Check the blog for more pictures. From the blog: Here's the scoop: During this 2005-2006 academic year, there has been a weekly Mass every Friday at one o'clock for studetns and faculty, in the Dominican Rite, at Rome's famed Pontifical Univeristy of Saint Thomas Aquinas. I do love the traditional Dominican Rite and were my life different (ie if I did not have the love of my life and five children) I would join the Fraternite Saint-Vincent-Ferrier in a second.

Here is a picture of a Dominican Missal.

Conformity vs Obedience

Yes, I am still on about that.

I am troubled by the confusion amongst a large portion of people between Anglo-CATHOLIC and Anglo-PAPIST. It appears, to some, that Anglo-Papist is a stronger version of Anglo-Catholic: those who refer to the pope as the Holy Father and speak of the Holy See. I will not even attempt to try to define the adjective Traditional but just to focuses in on a definition of Anglo-Papist.

To me the easiest way to philosophise about the difference is in terms of obedience and conformity. At the root of this difference is, of course, ecclesiology. Is there a living voice for God in the Church today which requires my obedience? Or is Tradition disembodied? Can I just adopt the liturgical usage of another Communion without needing to obey that Communion in matters of Faith and Morals?

Conformity is defined as the act of consciously maintaining a certain degree of similarity (in clothing, manners, behaviors, etc.) … Usually, conformity implies a tendency to submit to others in thought and behavior other than simply clothing choice. Conformity does not include the idea of authority, especially an authority which has a divine claim on me.

Obedience starts with the question of authority: whom must I obey? By definition that someone must be outside of myself. Yes, above all else I must obey God and seek to be a saint in my daily life. Yet how does God speak to me today? Does God have a living voice in the world today? I think Fortescue puts it well in his book The Early Papacy:

The only real standard is a living authority, an authority alive in the world at this moment, that can answer your difficulties, reject a false theory as it arises and say who is right in disputed interpretations of ancient documents.

So, as opposed to conformity, obedience is behavior intended to comply with explicit demands of authority.

So the Anglo-Papist Spencer Jones could write in 1930: "... our differences [with Rome] are due to our separation, not our separation to our differences".

So some interesting articles on the topic of obedience from a traditional (sometimes tradionalist) point of view:
Michael Davies, True and False Obedience - Part I
Michael Davies, True and False Obedience - Part II
SSPX District Superior's Letter to Friends & Benefactors December 2004