Tag Archive for 'vatican'

What age communion?

Published on September 2, 2010 in liturgy. 28 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Put up your hand if you believe that children should not be fed until they can at least articulate the five food groups.

Put up your hand if you fully understand the Eucharist.

Put up your hand if you understand x% of all there is to be understood about the Eucharist, and at the current rate of learning you will know all there is to be known about the Eucharist in y years.

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has just called for the possibility of Roman Catholic children to receive communion prior to the age of seven. He was reflecting on the teachings of St Pius X. “With this decree … he taught the entire Church the meaning, the opportunity, the value and the centrality of Holy Communion for the life of all of the baptized, including children,” wrote the cardinal prefect of St. Pius X. First communion, as the beginning of our “walk together with Jesus” should not be put off.

Pius X pointed out that the ancient tradition of the Church was to give babies Communion immediately after their baptism. The practice died out in the West. Eastern Rite Catholics, of course, in full communion with Rome, receive communion from their baptism. Then the children are catechized from a very early age in what it is they have received.

“This practice of preventing the faithful from receiving, on the plea of safeguarding the august sacrament, has been the cause of many evils. It happened that children in their innocence were forced away from the embrace of Christ and deprived of the food of their interior life,” Pope Pius wrote.

New Zealand Roman Catholics, surprisingly, have an inconsistent variety of approaches. Most make their first communion aged 8 or 9. It normally requires first Confession, and Confirmation prior to receiving communion. But Christchurch Diocese and Palmerston North Diocese do not follow this practice, and have confirmation after first communion.

Canon lawyer Msgr Brendan Daly (in the newspaper NZ Catholic) explains that canon law requires children to be carefully prepared for first communion so that they understand what the mystery of Christ means and can receive with faith and devotion.

The issue, of course, with that approach is that what is sauce for the Eucharistic goose is sauce for Baptismal gander. If you demand “that they understand what the mystery of Christ means and can receive with faith and devotion”, then the Baptist position of requiring understanding and at least the “age of reason” to be baptized is a logical consequence, is it not?

Furthermore, why does the rationale not apply to Eastern Catholics whom the Vatican allows to receive from Baptism?

New Zealand Anglicans, and other provinces, have, in the renewal of liturgy, returned to the historic Christian practice of the Eucharist for all the baptised. Eucharist completes the sacrament of initiation, and is the repeatable part of the sacrament of initiation.

persons of the feminine sex

Published on August 27, 2010 in liturgy. 14 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Archbishop Raymond Burke, the Roman Catholic Church’s top legal authority, has stated that reading at Mass or distributing communion is not a right of the baptized. “Assistance by “persons of the feminine sex” at the altar” is also not a right.

Pope John Paul II, of course, allowed “persons of the feminine sex” at the altar. The recent altar server pilgrimage to the Vatican drew thousands of boys and girls. “Archbishop Burke clarified, however, that the reality of the matter is that neither the presence of girls at the altar, nor the participation of lay faithful “belong to the fundamental rights of the baptized.””

The attitudes to women, particularly around menstruation, has a long history, going back into Biblical times. In 241 AD Dionysius, Archbishop of Alexandria, wrote: “menstruous women ought not to come to the Holy Table, or touch the Holy of Holies, nor to churches, but pray elsewhere.” Pope Gelasius I (494 AD) objected to women serving at the altar. The Decretum Gratiani (1140 AD), which became official Church law in 1234 AD, part of the Corpus Iuris Canonici has

  • Women may not distribute communion
  • Women may not teach in church
  • Women may not touch sacred objects
  • Women may not touch sacred vestments

The Corpus Iuris Canonici (1234 – 1916 AD) also has:

  • A woman may not touch the corporal
  • Women may not receive communion during their monthly periods
  • Women should receive communion in their hand on a ‘housel-towel’ or on the tongue
  • Women should be veiled when receiving communion
  • Women may not be singers in Church

From 1917

  • Women may not distribute holy communion
  • Girls or women may not be Mass servers at the altar
  • Women should have their heads veiled in church
  • Sacred linen must first be washed by men, before women touch them
  • Women may not read out Sacred Scripture in church

IMO, and with respect, I suggest the understanding of laity as there to pay, pray, and obey is not the understanding of Jesus. Renewal of liturgy has rediscovered liturgy is (as the origin of the word suggests) “the work of the people”. It is not a spectator sport. It is a team sport, where each has a particular role. I would suggest that the laity, in fact, are the ones appropriately reading lessons, leading the prayers of the faithful, bringing forward the bread and wine, taking up and presenting a collection and other gifts for the poor, etc. Clergy should not usurp these tasks. Laity have responses particular to them in the liturgy. Clergy should not usurp these responses. Many post-Vatican II church buildings do not have a “sanctuary” (this became a problem with a recent Vatican ruling that priests not “leave the sanctuary during the Sign of Peace”). In such a building, at which point is a “person of the feminine sex” deemed to be “assisting at the altar”? May she take up the collection, but not present it? In such a church building may no woman go beyond the front seats or pew? Or even sit in the front seats or pews if there is no physical barrier between her and the altar?

Even further delays in English Missal?

Published on August 21, 2010 in liturgy. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , .

This site, as one of the most significant English-language ones on liturgy, has tried to keep people abreast of developments in English-speaking Roman Catholicism in relation to the new English missal.

There has been the news that the new English translation was approved by the pope.

The New Zealand RC bishops announced that the new translation would come into effect here Advent Sunday 2010. Apparently collects/opening prayers and other propers would not be used yet. But priests and bishops met for days with the new approved texts. Laity also had special meetings. A liturgical expert, Fr Paul Turner, led these meetings.

In other countries it appears that nothing will happen for at least a year later than in New Zealand. So in comments here, and emails, people were astonished, and in some cases incredulous that this actually was going to happen here.

Well, those people may yet prove to be correct. It appears impossible to ascertain what is actually going on. But it appears that the new translation has actually not received papal approval. Behind closed doors there are mutterings of … embarrassing… anger… ICEL… Vox Clara… sham… show…

The New Zealand Catholic, a fortnightly newspaper I subscribe to, states on its current front-page story:

… despite Vatican approval for the new translations in April, the final texts had yet to be released by Rome at the time NZ Catholic went to press. Fr Turner told a national workshop … that the delay was unexpected. “No one expected that this would happen and everyone is feeling a bit confused by it,” Fr Turner said, adding that he was sure the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was simply making a few final corrections and changes.

Call me slow here, but I thought that the Vatican’s approval (recognitio) on April 30, 2010 was of English texts which had previously been voted on by the different Roman Catholic regional Bishops’ Conferences. That being the case, those texts are in the hands of the bishops and others already. Does it not now appear that the process is being reversed? Rather than the Vatican approving texts voted on by English-speaking Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conferences, does it not now appear that the Vatican is altering those texts and that these altered texts are not being sent back to the Conferences for their consideration?

Does this not give further weight to the concerns expressed by Marilyn Elliston in the latest Tui Motu, a NZ Roman Catholic magazine, in which in her article “do this in memory of me” she laments the shortcomings of the new translation and also reminds the readers of the teachings of Vatican II that the bishops of each region have the authority to produce local liturgical translations, subject to Vatican approval. She also reminds us of ICEL’s 1998 translation which was rejected by Rome.

In all this confusion, it is once again from overseas that we hear that all that may be altering in New Zealand in November is the congregational parts. This is termed “the New Zealand Plan”. Old priest’s parts with new people’s parts – a mongrel Mass.

Loss of ecumenically agreed texts
Delays in new missal

Update: returning to the overseas site, Gotta sing gotta pray, from which I got “the New Zealand plan” above, I notice that they have just now received from the Vatican “the final text of the Roman Missal for the Dioceses of the United States” (does anyone have the link to the mentioned press release?). My understanding would be that this will be, barring spelling differences, the same text for New Zealand and elsewhere – but I might be wrong. Different English speaking Roman Catholic regions use different translations for the readings and the Divine Office. Keep an eye on the NZ National Liturgy Office site for developments. Alterations the Vatican made to the American (presumably all) translation included in the absolution, creed, and Eucharistic prayers. The people’s response, “Christ has died,…” (again very popular internationally ecumenically following RC lead) the Vatican has forbidden.

Sample of a Eucharistic prayer - other texts can be found from the links there.

Update 2: Here is a pdf of the text approved for USA, I’m assuming that, except for changes (corrections? ;-) ) to the spelling of “Savior” the English/NZ/Australian text will be the same?

the other friends of Jesus

Published on August 11, 2010 in liturgy and spirituality. 38 Comments Tags: , , .

JesusWithWomenIs the Pope serious?! Or has the Vatican PR machine merely given up being concerned about even attempting to prevent publicity gaffes in the current administration? Are the half a billion women Roman Catholics mostly silently compliant? How are the world’s three-quarters of a million nuns and religious sisters reacting?

Benedict XVI is, apparently, the first pope to ever publish a children’s book. His is called “Gli amici di Gesù -The friends of Jesus”. Here is the Pope’s list of Jesus’ 14 friends: Peter, Andrew, James the older, John, Thomas, Matthew, Philip, Bartholomew, James the younger, Simon, Judas Thaddeus, Judas Iscariot, Matthias, and Paul.

Yep! You got it… they are all males! No explanation. No apology!

The book went on sale on July 22, the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene!
[As an aside, Mary Magdalene, the “apostle to the apostles”, surprisingly (or possibly not?) is only given a Memorial in the Roman Catholic Church, the lowest rank of liturgical days (Solemnity, Feast, Memorial). She does not even deserve a feast day!]

Now, yes, we are all reading Luke’s gospel together this year – including the Pope. Has he not noticed that in the Gospel according to Luke there are 24 times when Jesus meets a woman, talks about a woman, or has a woman in a parable? And for every single one of those mentions the image is a positive one.

So here is my book of “The friends of Jesus”:

Mary – mother of Jesus
Anna
Mary Magdalene – “apostle to the apostles”
Martha of Bethany
Mary of Bethany
Salome mother of James and John
Mary mother of James and Joses
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza
Susanna
Lydia
Prisca/Priscilla (mentioned first on three out of five occasions)
Dorcas/Tabitha
Phoebe
Junia the apostle

Oops that’s my 14 used up!

I haven’t even got to Lois, Eunice, Pilate’s wife, Peter’s mother-in-law, the daughter of Jairus, the woman with the flow of blood, the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, the woman accused of adultery, the Samaritan woman,…

Nothing actually very notable about Jesus in his day and culture having some male friends, what was revolutionary was Jesus’ relationship with women. Jesus’ disciples included women who travelled with him (and, take note, provided a lot of the funding!). It was to Martha that Jesus declared himself to be The Resurrection. Jesus let a woman of ill repute anoint him. In a culture where the testimony of women was not considered valid, Jesus sent Mary Magdalene as the first to proclaim his resurrection to men.

Ps. My list is copyright. If you get your book out before I do – please credit me. And that includes you, Benedict XVI, if you happen to be reading this, and are thinking about doing a “revision” or a “volume 2”.

preparation for new Missal

Published on July 27, 2010 in liturgy. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , .

turner-paulFr Paul Turner has been touring New Zealand to help clergy and laity prepare for the new Mass translation. The intention is that this commence Advent Sunday this year in New Zealand. I am not sure that this timeline will be realised. As I understand it currently, only the Mass text has received the Vatican’s authorisation – the propers, translations of the collects/opening prayer are yet to receive authorisation. This helps to understand why New Zealand appears to be a year ahead of other parts of the English-speaking world. I think the intention is that New Zealand use the new Mass text with the current propers, prayers etc. Also, I understand, central questions like the positioning of the Peace (current RC practice of prior to communion or current Anglican practice of at the Preparation of the Gifts) have not yet been decided or approved. I am very happy in comments to receive anyone’s better information on any of these things.

Thanks to a reader of this site, here are links to the presentations:

Fr_Paul_Turner-Clergy_Workshop_Notes.pdf
Fr_Paul_Turner-National_Workshop_Notes.pdf
Fr_Paul_Turner-Lay_Faithful_Workshop_Notes.pdf

These are from

http://www.nlo.org.nz/missal5.html

Paul Turner has his own excellent website
with a lot of good material on the new Missal

Paul Turner is pastor of St. Munchin parish in Cameron, MO and its mission, St. Aloysius in Maysville. A priest of the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, he holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, and has published many books.

He is a former President of the North American Academy of Liturgy and a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. He serves as a facilitator for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy.

Further reflections on the new Missal on this site:

English Mass translation launch
Further delays in English Missal
pope gives approval to new English Mass translation

iMass

Published on June 23, 2010 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

jobs-steve-ipad-economist-coverFr. Paolo Padrini has developed an application that will let Roman Catholic priests preside at the Eucharist using an iPad instead of a missal book on the altar .

The application will be launched in July in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Latin, and will be free.

Two years ago, Fr Padrini produced the iBreviary, an application for iPods and iPhones. That initial version had some bugs. The current version is iBreviaryPro. The bugs are ironed out, but it only works when connected to the internet. It is a free application.

The iPad application will be similar but also contains the complete missal – all that is required for presiding at the Eucharist. There are plans for audio, commentaries, sermon suggestions and music ideas.

Fr Padrini was asked by the Vatican to oversee its youth outreach program in the new media, www.pope2you.net.

iPhone iPodTouch for Christians

Image taken from the Economist cover.

pope gives approval to new English Mass translation

Published on May 6, 2010 in liturgy. 9 Comments Tags: , , , .

Last week the Vatican approved a new English translation of the Mass and its associated prayers and texts.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke to Vox Clara, chaired by Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, the special committee of Catholic bishops and consultants from English-speaking countries convened to assist with the translation. The pope said, “I welcome the news that the English translation of the Roman Missal will soon be ready for publication, so that the texts you have worked so hard to prepare may be proclaimed in the liturgy that is celebrated across the anglophone world. Through these sacred texts and the actions that accompany them, Christ will be made present and active in the midst of his people,” Benedict told them.

He also realised, “many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly 40 years of continuous use of the previous translation. The change will need to be introduced with due sensitivity, and the opportunity for catechesis that it presents will need to be firmly grasped.” The new translation could provoke “confusion or bewilderment” among worshippers if not “introduced with due sensitivity,” the Pope warned.

It appears that the changes will not be implemented this year.

Two months ago I wrote this about the impending change.

Alternatives to Pope Benedict XVI

Published on April 30, 2010 in liturgy. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Pope Benedict XVI is not the flavour of the month in some contexts. So if you are looking for an alternative for pope, might I suggest Pope Michael I:

“Pope Michael” Trailer from Pope Michael Documentary on Vimeo.

Pope Michael I

Pope Michael I

David Bawden was elected Pope Michael I in Kansas in 1990. According to him and his followers, Pope John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul I were all heretics. They could not therefore appoint Cardinals so by 1990, there was only one true cardinal left. He was a modernist so he couldn’t elect a Pope. Faithful Catholics were bound, under pain of mortal sin, for the good of the Church, to elect a Pope themselves. Catholics who subjected themselves to any of these false popes can’t vote. Traditionalists are not true Catholics and all their ordinations are invalid so they can’t vote. Therefore, six people met July 16, 1990 in Belvue, Kansas in the United States in a store owned by the Bawden family and legitimately elected him the Pope. This included himself and his parents, a Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hunt, and Teresa Stanfill-Benns, who had been the main motivator of the conclave. Pope Michael I is not ordained.

Teresa Stanfill-Benns has since withdrawn her support because laity cannot under any circumstance participate in the election of a pope, and a layman cannot be Pope. Pope Michael has condemned her work as heresy and she has been excommunicated.

A documentary is being produced about the pope.

More information from the Vatican in exile. And the now-archived site (click on the image to go further in).
Become a friend on the pope’s facebook page (position: pope).
This link is clearly the photo of an imposter.
ps. in his writings Pope Michael I justifies wearing a mitre without being a bishop, but I see no justification of his wearing a stole without being ordained?

Further delays in English Missal

Published on March 24, 2010 in liturgy. 15 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Instructional resources to help people move into the new English translation of the Roman Missal were to have been available in February. The hope is still to launch the new translation on the first Sunday in Advent this year, but the instruction resources may not be out until next month, and the launch may be delayed into next year.

In the three months since Michael Ryan’s article “What If We Said, ‘Wait’?, the associated petition, What if we just said wait? has been signed by 19,849 people. In the recent NZ Catholic, Bishop Denis Browne describes the petition, signed by NZ priests, religious, and the principal of a Catholic secondary school, “not helpful”. A counter-petition We’ve waited long enough has 4,804 signatures.

Many are unaware that in the mid 1980s translation work began which produced a new English translation in 1998. This 1998 Missal was approved by all the English-speaking conferences of bishops, mostly unanimously. It was rejected by the Vatican. The story is told by Bishop Maurice Taylor, the Bishop Emeritus of Galloway, who was chairman from 1997 to 2002 of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) in It’s the Eucharist, Thank God. You can also read about it in an article by John Wilkins’ Lost in Translation: the bishops, the Vatican & the English Liturgy published in Commonweal in 2005.

As a lover of the traditional collects/opening prayers, the current ICEL English translations are thin and people visiting this site are regularly surprised when I highlight that Catholics and Anglicans are actually praying different translations of the same Latin prayer. I look forward to improved translations of the collects. Anyone who knows of the 1998 Missal online, please place the URL in the comments. If the 1998 Missal is for sale anywhere, please let us know where in the comments.

I am greatly saddened by the loss of ecumenically agreed texts. I have seen no other commentator lament this loss. With it will also be lost all the musical settings used for the Mass, both those unique to the Roman Catholic Church and those musical settings shared ecumenically.

Finally, I was intrigued by Fr. Paul Turner writing in a recent Tablet about his trialing some of the new texts. Especially by the reaction of the teenagers, “They giggled at the word ‘consubstantial’. They thought the word ‘man’ was offensive. They thought that saying they ‘confess one Baptism’ sounded like Baptism was a sin. They resented the revised Confiteor that tried to make them feel guiltier than they were before. The expression ‘And with your spirit’ sounded weird to them. On reading the revised Sanctus, one thought ‘Lord God of hosts’ referred to the real presence of Christ in the Communion wafers.”

The “What if we said wait?” movement has:

We are very concerned about the proposed new translations of the Roman Missal. We believe that simply imposing them on our people — even after a program of preparation — will have an adverse effect on their prayer and cause serious division in our communities.

We are convinced that adopting translations that are highly controversial, and which leaders among our bishops as well as many highly respected liturgists and linguists consider to be seriously flawed, will be a grave mistake.

For this reason we earnestly implore the bishops of the English-speaking world to undertake a pilot program by which the new translations — after a careful program of catechesis — can be introduced into some carefully selected parishes and communities throughout the English-speaking world for a period of one (liturgical) year, after which they can be objectively evaluated.

We are convinced that this approach will address the concerns of those many bishops who feel that they have lost their voice in this matter and that it will also give a voice to the People of God whose prayer is at stake and who accordingly have the most to gain or lose by the translations.

We realize that a pilot project of this kind is unprecedented, but so is the process by which these translations have been approved.

When they say “unprecedented”, I’m presuming they mean “in Roman Catholicism” – certainly such ideas, I would have thought, are not unprecedented elsewhere.

Mary MacKillop’s canonisation

Published on February 22, 2010 in lectionary and liturgy. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .
Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop

Pope Benedict XVI announced on Friday that Mother Mary MacKillop would be one of six canonised at a Vatican ceremony on October 17.

Together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, Mary MacKillop founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. She was for a while excommunicated, but now there are more than a thousand Sisters in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Peru.

This Australian has strong associations with New Zealand. She visited here on several occasions. The first school run by her sisters in New Zealand was opened in Temuka in 1883. Other schools and institutions followed and the work continues into the present. While in Rotorua on a visit to New Zealand in 1901 Mother Mary was partially paralysed by a stroke.

In 2006 I put a motion to our diocesan synod which led to Mary MacKillop being voted to be added to the NZ Anglican calendar for August 8. This has passed a majority of diocesan synods and will this year be presented to a second meeting of General Synod. After this there is a year “lying on the table” for anyone to object. The church is so confident of her inclusion that she has already been included in the 2009 and 2010 lectionaries. It does mean, however, that her official inclusion in our NZ Anglican calendar will now be after that of the Roman Catholic Church. I would be interested if there is any movement to add her to the calendar by the Australian Anglican church.

Gracious God,
you gave to your servant Mary MacKillop
a heart to teach and care for children.
We thank you for the good she and her order have done.
By your grace give us a like compassion for the poor
and a concern for the education of the young
that we all may learn to praise you with joyful hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

pope urges priests to blog

Published on January 26, 2010 in liturgy. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

popeThe pope has issued a proclamation challenging priests “to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.”

Internationally there are some Anglican blogging bishops (I try to keep up with these in the links section). Of the 31 bishops in our province, not one blogs as far as I know (the bishop-elect of Dunedin blogs – we shall see if that continues). Of the more than one and a half thousand Anglican priests in this province I’m aware of a couple that blog, and a few more on twitter. The official website of the province has not been updated in more than a year. Maybe there are Roman Catholic blogging bishops and priests in New Zealand. I am not aware of them. There are still parishes and ministry units without even a website – in spite of web-hosting and production being free and easy now, with advice and help provided on this site. Every parish can have a facebook page (and a twitter). Blogging has never been easier using wordpress or blogger. Such things are not, as those in the church often make them appear to be, things that require great planning and debate. These things take less than 10 minutes to set up. Nothing manifests the yawning gap between average young people and average churchgoers more than the unwillingness of most churchgoers to embrace late 20th century communication technology. The church can be so last millennium!

The pope is on youtube (his videos do not appear to be able to be embedded), and has an iPhone and facebook app, pope2you. Let’s urge him to take his own advice and start blogging. If he is reading this: “I’m very happy to swap links with you”. Some suggestions for the name of the papal blog? “Mass communication”? Maybe not “Papal Bull”. (Definitely not “Red Shoe Diaries”!)

Vatican allows Anglican dress-up

Published on November 10, 2009 in liturgy. 12 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

How to really annoy Anglican clergy

You can offer whiskey instead of Gin – some Anglican clergy find that slightly irksome. You can deny the validity of Anglican sacraments – Anglican clergy without a sense of humour can find that irritating. But if you really want to annoy Anglican clergy …  get their titles wrong! Anglican clergy basically all earn the same – so titles are what distinguishes the men from the boys – or whatever the inclusive version of that is.

Right Revenerends, Most Reverends, Very Reverends, Canons, Venerables, Doctors, Archdeacons, Deacons, Rural Deans, Deans, Non-stipendiary acting priest assistants, Locally Licensed Ordained Non-stipendiary Assistant Ministers, Vicars, Vicar-General, Deputy Vicar General, Priests in Charge, Presiding Bishops, Senior Bishops, Archbishops, Deacon Assistants, Ministry Educators, Chaplains, … the list goes on …

Each with their title, abbreviation, appropriate address, order of titles … dress and insignia.

Anglican clergy may not know their Greek Aorist from their Dative, but years of training make certain that one doesn’t confuse The Ven. Canon Dr. with The Very Rev. Mr. Or get the order of those titles wrong! The minute a priest is collated (and never confuse ordination, induction, collation, installation, licensing,…!!), out go all the old letterheads and visiting cards to be replaced by flashier ones with new titles and the latest popular font.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Mark Twain

And don’t you dare put on the wrong clothing! Priests may wear clergy shirts coloured pink or blue or polka-dot, but dare to put on one with even a purplish tinge and you won’t make it through the day without a comment. And dare to wear a pectoral cross – even out of devotion! Or a large bejeweld ring. Recently I saw an official photo of an NZ bishop with no less than three pectoral crosses on :-)

At the recent ordination everyone had their appropriate attire to signal not only their status but where they fit in churchmanship (or whatever the inclusive version of that is). Light blue cassocks and matching preaching scarves for canons, copes for archdeacons or above, biretta or cassock and surplice for churchmanship, mitre and cope, mitre and chasuble, biretta with chasuble, no mitre with rochet and chimere,…  Not a cope above one’s station. Not a blue scarf out of place.

The Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus

In a stroke of genius one line in the Complementary Norms of the newly published Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus demonstrates that one of Benedict’s advisers (or possibly even Benedict himself!) knows the Anglican ethos only too well. You can almost hear echoes of the evening chuckling over the Barenjager or Jagermeister. The Anglican bishops are not recognised as being bishops, they are not even recognised as having been members of a church. Essentially they have been playing dress-up. Often excessively. But

A former Anglican Bishop who belongs to the Ordinariate and who has not been ordained as a bishop in the Catholic Church, may request permission from the Holy See to use the insignia of the episcopal office. (Article 11:4)

Those who have been previously ordained in the Catholic Church and subsequently have become Anglicans [anyone spring to mind?], may not exercise sacred ministry in the Ordinariate. Anglican clergy who are in irregular marriage situations [anyone spring to mind?] may not be accepted for Holy Orders in the Ordinariate. (Article 6:2)

Such a man can’t function as a priest (which means he can’t be an Ordinary), he may not even be able to receive communion, but… most significantly for Anglicans – Rome in its regulations allows for the possibility that if he previously functioned as a bishop he can continue to wear a purple cassock, a pectoral cross, and a bejewelled ring.

*****

I am kidding.
There was no one wearing a biretta with a chasuble at the ordination.
But there could have been :-)

Comments from people without a sense of humour (sorry, I mean: humor) – thankfully Wordpress has a powerful filter. These comments are immediately automatically deleted and their email addresses are sent to the Inquisition (sorry, I mean the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith). Because of the Recession – soft pillows will no longer be supplied.

Previous posts:
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Further help with your Millinerianism

Anglican Rite?

Published on October 28, 2009 in liturgy. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

It is worth adding some further reflections to the Vatican’s recent announcement of Anglican Personal Ordinariates. You may wish to read my post the end of the Anglican Communion first.

Firstly I want to highlight that, in my opinion, denominational boundaries are far far less significant than previously. Increasingly, it appears to me, denominational boundaries are no longer the primary “partitioning”. If one visualises denominational boundaries, for example, as vertical lines, then it seems to me that the horizontal lines are far more significant – where people receive support and encouragement from “evangelical”, or justice-focused, or environmentally-conscious, or contemplative, or liturgical – etc. And one finds those perspectives, with which one resonates, across denominations. The internet, of course, fits in with this “cafeteria style” spirituality.

Let us also not forget that, to most people on this planet, discussions about different denominations are as esoteric as debates about different perforation gauges on postage stamps. And we need to remember that these are people to whom we are called to bring the good news, and the way we live and model our unity and disunity will affect our ability to bring that good news.

Many have highlighted that some people genuinely will benefit from moving denominations. They will flourish, they will grow in holiness and be better suited in their new context to further God’s reign of love. We need to wish them Godspeed and encourage them. But there will be others who will essentially be as little suited in their new denomination as they were in their old – because of temperament or an inability to live within any constraints, be they Anglican on the one hand, or Roman Catholic on the other. [To be fair, those who encourage people to move denominations, with the understanding that some people suit one rather than another, tend to be of an Anglican perspective. To Roman Catholics, Anglicanism formally cannot even be categorised as a "church" but rather is referred to as an Ecclesial community]

Also let us not forget that the Anglican tradition has always been open to receiving members of the Roman Catholic denomination. In our own New Zealand Anglican binding liturgical formularies there is the allowance for communities to celebrate the whole Roman Catholic English (ICEL) Novus Ordo Mass as it is without alteration. The only concrete personal experience I have had since the Vatican announcement last week has been of a Roman Catholic priest seeking information on how to become a priest serving within Anglicanism (Note: Anglicans accept the validity of Roman Catholic orders and all other sacraments).

Ecclesiology

Anglican ecclesiology is essentially identical to Eastern Orthodox and Old Catholic ecclesiology in seeing the local Church centered on the bishop as “the catholic Church”, the full manifestation of the Body of Christ. This Episcopal or “Eucharistic Ecclesiology” (as it is often now termed) stands in contrast to Roman Catholic ecclesiology in which the local Church is a “particular Church” manifesting the universal, worldwide Church. In this Roman Catholic ecclesiology, such a local Church can only be considered “catholic” if it is a member, part, or portion of the universal Church, ie. in communion with Rome. Whereas the former approach sees each bishop as successor of Peter (where the bishop is there the catholic church is – Ignatius of Antioch et. al.), the latter has a universal bishop for the universal Church. It will be very interesting to see the document “The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium” when it is finally produced. (Please let me know when it does come out where one can find it online). One co-president of the commission, Metropolitan Ioannis Zizioulas of Pergamum, is well known for his exposition of “Eucharistic Ecclesiology.” The other, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was notable by his absence in the multiple press-conferences last week.

Many Roman Catholics are totally unaware that the Catholic Church has a great number of different rites (see here and here). In many of these rites priests are married. Since the 1980s there has been an “Anglican Use” within the Roman Rite. The pope granted some former Anglican and Episcopal clergy and their parishes the faculty of celebrating the sacramental rites according to slightly-altered Anglican forms. The new Apostolic Constitution, as I said, extends Anglican Use in an analogous way similar to what the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum” did for the Latin Mass.

Within the Catholic Church anyone may attend any Catholic Church of any rite and receive the sacraments. It is no different than attending a different parish church in the same town. If you commit to a rite you can be married and ordained in that rite as a Catholic priest (if they have married priests). You would be “incardinated” in that rite. Eg. a Latin Catholic can join an Eastern rite, marry and be ordained. (Thanks for confirmation of this paragraph from Dr. William Ditewig).

The Vatican announcement came at the time the Church of England General Synod was working through issues about women bishops. It also came during the month-long meeting of Roman Catholic African bishops in Rome. Some Africans are seeking a relaxation of the Vatican’s celibacy rules. This is a no-go area for the current pope. While Anglican Use, with its non-celibate priests, is well-known in some countries, the African bishops were unaware of it. Its extension by the Apostolic Constitution caught them by surprise. Some suggest there was much muttering in the Vatican’s grand corridors. Others say that muttering is not only happening there.

It is my intention to continue this reflection in the future.

More on marriage and ordination

part 3 of this reflection is here

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October 25 Catholics & Anglicans share prayer

Published on October 23, 2009 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , .

With Roman Catholic-Anglican relations currently so newsworthy, it is particularly appropriate to note that this Sunday and next week Roman Catholics and Episcopalians (Anglicans) again pray the same prayer. Catholics will pray:

Almighty and ever-living God,
strengthen our faith, hope, and love.
May we do with loving hearts what you ask of us and come to share the life you promise.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anglicans will pray:

Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity;
and, that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Both are translations of:

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, da nobis fidei, spei, et caritatis augmentum:
et ut mereamur assequi quod promittis, fac nos amare quod praecipis.

The reflection on this week’s collect/opening prayer is found here.

Not all Anglicans and not all Roman Catholics will be praying this prayer, certainly. But at this time I would encourage more to – and for others to join in.

Let us widen the circle that prays this prayer together this coming weekend and week.

End of Anglican Communion?

Published on October 21, 2009 in liturgy. 43 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Update: I am thrilled with the interest in this post, which is currently running about a reader every 8 seconds. It is also gratifying to see such helpful and positive comments. If there are any developments, rather than altering this post I think I would produce another – I already have some ideas in mind. So if you are interested, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or other ways of seeing what is new here.
Update: part 2 of this reflection is here

A few hours ago there was an absolute internet frenzy as people predicted and then reported, tweet by tweet, the announcement from the Vatican and the joint press conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Westminster.

Let me add my own initial thoughts to this confusing dust-cloud following the announcement that the pope will create “Personal Ordinariates” for Anglicans who wish to come home to Rome. Archbishop Rowan said that it would be a “serious mistake” to view the development as a response to the difficulties within the Anglican Communion. As we in New Zealand say: “Yeah right!”

To anyone who has been watching the direction that Pope Benedict has been moving, and those he has been welcoming into his fold, the commentary that this is “surprising” is itself surprising. Just to mention recent events that have been in the news: the reconciliation with Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson and his Society of St. Pius X, the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum” giving wider possibility to celebrate the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass, reconciliation with the traditionalist “Transalpine Redemptorists,” and so forth. I want to highlight some things I have not yet seen mentioned:

  • married priests in Anglican Personal Ordinariates will have to marry prior to ordination to the diaconate

They will not be able to marry after ordination. Should his wife die, or he gets divorced (sorry – his marriage is annulled) he will not be able to marry. Roman Catholic deacons can be married, but in order to do so, must be married prior to ordination. In the tweeting frenzy Scott Richert wrote, “There is no warrant in tradition for marrying AFTER receiving Holy Orders. None.” He may very well be right. I am genuinely interested in this point, and hope that people in the comments box below might provide evidence for or against this. My reply to him for clarification has not yet been responded to.

  • bishops in Anglican Personal Ordinariates are celibate
  • there has been no rescinding of Apostolicae Curae.

Anglican orders are not accepted by the Vatican. Anglican “priests” joining Anglican Personal Ordinariates in order to function as priests will have to be ordained twice (or at least conditionally ordained twice). And they will have to be males. Anglican “bishops” joining Anglican Personal Ordinariates in order to function as bishops will have to be ordained thrice (or at least conditionally ordained thrice). And they will have to be males. And celibate.

From a church (New Zealand Anglican) that leads Christian history in having created a “Tikanga” structure (where there are parallel episcopal jurisdictions according to cultural streams) I am intrigued by the concept of “Personal Ordinariates.” These are described by John Allen as “non-territorial diocese” (which sounds like an oxymoron to me!) My comment to Scott Richert and anyone else is: There is no warrant in tradition for “Personal Ordinariates.” None. But, of course, as usual, I am very very comfortable to be demonstrated wrong on this also. Please… anyone?

The end of the Anglican Communion?

As Mark Twain would say, “The reports of the end of the Anglican Communion are greatly exaggerated.” Andrew Brown, a regular person lining up for the funeral of the Communion, highlights his own weak grasp on the issues by declaring that only homosexuals can be celibate! Clearly heterosexuals, it would appear according to him, are either too weak or too immoral to be able to control their urges (not to mention that Andrew Brown is unable to distinguish doctrine from discipline). Scott Richert may have a slightly better grasp on the consequences for Anglicanism. Whilst no one would want to impugn curate’s-egg motives to the Archbishop of Canterbury, one cannot help wondering if there is just the flicker of a smile under that beard. In one Roman gesture he may be rid of, at one estimate, up to 2,000 of his CofE priests who have been holding out against his strong conviction for women in all three orders. Rowan Williams is well-known for ordaining openly practising homosexuals. Traditionalist Anglicans around the globe have struggled with women and with gays in a committed relationship being ordained. Commentators are repeatedly highlighting that this is an invitation from Rome to misogynists and homophobes.

In North America some Anglicans formed a new denomination The Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). This brings together two extremes of the Anglican spectrum – Rome-facing and Geneva-facing. This marriage of convenience, like the 1977 followers of the Affirmation of St. Louis, cannot last, as, at its heart it is united around being against one thing. Rome’s declaration cannot but affect it. If the Rome-facing ACNA (married) bishops can stomach losing their purple, pectoral crosses, honorary doctoral gowns, and complex titles, they may yet lead their groups home to Rome. This will impact the attempt of some Anglicans to produce a “covenant”. Nigerian “Anglicans” have already formally removed the Archbishop of Canterbury from their constitution. Sydney Anglicans, leaders in GAFON/FOCA/Mainstream, are now not only struggling with theology, church history, and liturgical practice, but have recently realised they haven’t been that good at investments either (their $265 million assets are now worth $105 million). This Geneva-facing, congregationalist end of the Anglican spectrum does not need a Communion in the way that others see it. Rome’s announcement may help towards trimming off the extremes leaving an Anglican Communion that is certainly leaner but hopefully spending far less energy on peripherals and with a stronger focus on the end of the Communion, in the sense of the purpose of the church.

It is not the numbers inside the church that is ultimately significant IMO. It is the focus on service – in the two senses: our liturgical worship of God, and our service to God by our care of people and God’s world. Anglicanism may yet, through this, become more clearly a 21st century church episcopally led, synodically governed, and adapted for the particular context in which it finds itself, working “together with other Provinces and with our ecumenical and interfaith partners to promote God’s reign on earth.”

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part 2 of this reflection is here

part 3 of this reflection is here