Comments on: Why the Old Form thrives in my parish

By: Dio

Dio — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:47:00 +0000

Get thee hence, protestant heretic, lol.

By: Dio

Dio — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:46:00 +0000

hundreds of generations befor 1970 had NO trouble understanding the mass of the ages – why should you? It was the mass most of the peasants of Europe knew and loved, my Grandparents among them. They surely knew a thing or two about christianity and catholicism, that today´s christians don´t.

By: Marysia

Marysia — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:10:00 +0000

While the old form mass undoubtedly has an elevated solemnity it is not a form that encorages participation and understanding of the unfolding of the mass. Let us not forget that this form of mass is not necessarily what God wanted but was how the “Church” interpreted and decided on the structure over the many centuries of the form of how the mass should be celebrated. It has little relevance for many of today’s Catholics, resulting in being an observer rather than a participant of this great celebration. We have seen in history many instances of the fallibility and humanity of the Pope. Mel, do you speak fluent Latin in order to be able to understand what is happening in the mass and if you have children, do they? Sick of the Hypocrisy has it right when he says “Christianity is a simple faith. Live it simply.” Not all catholics have the mental acuity to appreciate the extraordinary form. Would you deny these simple souls then the joy of the understanding of what is unfolding before them? Of less concern I would say is how you celebrate the mass and your actions following the celebration in whatever form. And that whatever your stance you should make people feel that their celebration of the mass in inappropriate. That is no way what God ever wanted in his followers. In my own view a regular attendee of the mass of any type does not a catholic/christian make and is not what pleases God but how we live our lives in relation to a few simple precepts – love God, and love thy neighbour as we do ourselves, for by these two simple precepts we fulfill the majority of what God & Jesus want of us.

By: Paul_mather1

Paul_mather1 — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:06:18 +0000

In my Archdiocese the Archbishop's council of priests voted 15 or 16 to 1 against having any Mass in the extraordinary form available. PM

By: Et Expecto

Et Expecto — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 01:32:42 +0000

Well all I can say is, where I live the Bishop has been instrumental in stopping ANY Extraordinary form Masses in the Diocese.

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:07:36 +0000

Thank you, Fr Gary Dickson. This is a helpful article people of my generation (I was born as Paul VI died) who weren't brought up with the Latin Mass. We have to discover it for ourselves so that we can understand our own faith as widely as possible and educate our own children fully in the faith. This isn't easy and we have to struggle to educate ourselves first in some areas since older generations can be reluctant to help.

I found this post amusing; less so the flagrant disregard for the teachings of our Holy Fathers:

"If you are a progressive and social justice is your thing be in. You fail to recognize that social justice has socialist roots planted in the late nineteenth century. No matter, cling to your bankrupt liberation theological underpinnings and have a puppet show on me."

Catholic Social Teaching (which I'm pretty sure isn't communist) is long established in orthodox Catholicism. It is to be read, as I understand it, in the light of continuity.

http://www.osjspm.org/social_teaching_documents.aspx (There are some summaries here, too.)

Rerum Novarum Leo XIII (from 1891!)
Gaudium et Spes John XXIII
Populorum Progressio Paul VI

Solicitudo Rei Socialis http://www.osjspm.org/majordoc_soclicitudo_rei_socialis_official_text.aspx
John Paul II

Caritas in veritatae http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html Benedict XVI

Sick of the Hypocrisy, please, please don't dismiss the Vatican's teachings as a "fractured creed"; read them!

By: Mamasnookems

Mamasnookems — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:09:34 +0000

The only Holy Father is God in heaven, not the pope and we shouldn't be calling priest “father” either, they are not my father and i only have one on earth which is my dad and the ultimate Father in Heaven! We should only confess our sins to God and not man, ANY man! Just God, trust in His Son Jesus Christ for your salvation and believe that you are forgiven when you confess your sins to God, no man can ever forgive your sins. Read the bible, Jesus loves you all.

By: Petrus

Petrus — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:14:07 +0000

Scriptura ista stullta est. Sed in “English” lingua, et non in Latine proclamavit–pessime, pessime est!,

By: Jan C

Jan C — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:08:40 +0000

Fr Dickson this is an excellent article. The only thing I find surprising is that you give communion on the hand at EF Mass while our priest, who celebrates Mass both in the OF and the EF, has said he is unable to distribute communion on the hand at the EF Mass as the rubrics don't allow for it and everyone accepts that. I think that if you start introducing novelties into the Mass we will have the same problem that has come about with the Novus Ordo. The Holy Father has set the example in that he will only distribute to those who kneel and receive on the tongue and communion on the hand is after all only an indult which may well be taken away. But thank you for what you are doing.

By: Sick of the Hypocrisy

Sick of the Hypocrisy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:44:28 +0000

Typically obtuse and academic response to what is a clear and simple decision. The use of politically correct language is an abomination when a simple phrase will suffice. For too long the clergy have indulged themselves in language that is at once two faced and obstructive. Please no more of this nonsense. Christianity is a simple faith. Live it simply. Say what you mean but also mean, to the very depth of your soul ,what you say. The flowery pontificating style of many clergy, for affect rather than information is saccharine to the taste and detracts from the gist of what is being offered. There is a progressive and sometimes Fascist faction within the Church. We all recognize it, but it remains the 'elephant in the chapel'.

Enough of this nonsense. Enough of the mealy mouthed obfuscation. Spit it our man for God's sake! Let the progressive leftist within the Body of the Church do whatever rings their bell , be it bongos and guitars, or shared worship with Satanic Islamists, Taoists and Wiccans , all in the spirit of community non-judgemental understanding you understand. The road to Fascism is the uncompromising non-judgemental acceptance relative religiosity that eventually leads to the belief in nothing in particular and theism. At which point those believers in nothing will believe in anything, including fascist progressive secularism.

Enough of this. If you are a progressive and social justice is your thing be in. You fail to recognize that social justice has socialist roots planted in the late nineteenth century. No matter, cling to your bankrupt liberation theological underpinnings and have a puppet show on me. You cheapen that which you fail to understand and harden your heart against, for academic, political or philosophical reasons. Just remember that your fractured creed is not universal and the Spirit moves to lift the 'Old Form' (in your quite quaint way of expressing yourself) Mass. Get used to us. We aren't going away and grow stronger every year as the Spirit guides us. We'll prey for the progressives as they may yet find their way out of the thicket of man focused worship.