By Nicholas Wansbutter, Esq.
Not to oppose error is to approve it, and not to defend truth is to suppress it, and indeed to neglect to confound evil men when we can do it, is no less a sin than to encourage them.
Pope St. Felix III
Let me be clear at the outset: the crisis in the Church is not over, and despite Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI is not the über-traditionalist Panzerpapst that somewould have us belive he is. The evidence I tender in support of this thesis, in this the first post of my new series, is the outrageous Mass celebrated by His Holiness in Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium yesterday. This cheap, pathetic display of multicultural extravagance is proof positive that we are far from the end of the war. Deo gratias, I did not see this outrage since I do not have a television, but New Liturgical Movement described the abominable noise that accompanied the Papal Mass:
… music more suitable to dingy dance halls than Churches. The Psalms of David were distorted to the point of ear-splitting dissonance. The congos, pan flutes, meringue rhythms, the jazz and blues and rock, the swaggering vocals, the puffed-up soloing, went beyond even the most pessimistic predictions.[1]
To say nothing of the use of an incorrect interpretation of the Missale ("for all" v. "for many") and the handing out of Our Lord into grubby unconsencrated hands including those of militantly pro-abortion politicians[2] who had brazenly announced they would seek to receive communion[3] (so there’s no possibility of claiming no one knew this would happen) that we can all read about. I shan't dwell on the other horrific particulars of this shameful event. Suffice to say it was yet another humiliation for Holy Mother Church and Our Blessed Lord. And to be followed-up with another syncretistic oecumenical prayer meeting this evening, no less.
I disagree with the New Liturgical Movement in their perpetuation of the myth that “its not the pope's fault” and that he was "subjected" to this by disloyal underlings (I also disagree with their naïve assessment that this has nothing to do with the Novus Ordo Missae itself, but will leave that aside for now). I must confess that I grow very weary of these constant excuses for the Holy Father's actions and inactions. Nothing is ever his fault according to this reasoning. Nothing is/was ever the fault any of the post-Vatican II pontiffs. Yet if this is so, if he is truly so impotent, how did Summorum Pontificum go through? How is it that the pope is able to move swiftly to censure traditionalists? I agree that some things are out of the pope's power, but he's still the pope. Even if he were completely impotent in the face of unruly subordinates (but who appointed all these subpordinates?), why attend the U.S. in the first place? Why decline to review the programme for the Mass he’s going to celebrate? No one put a gun to his head to force him to go to the U.S. (or the Jewish synagogue or aforementioned relativist joint prayer service in New York for that matter).
I think, upon reflection, that His Holiness can't be accused of hypocrisy, however, despite his numerous published comments condemning certain aspects of yesterday's Mass. That is because he holds strongly to the false notion of “collegiality” that emerged after Vatican II, and therefore, would never object to this Mass since it was put together by his American "colleagues". This is because in his thinking there is a hierarchy of principles and in that hierarchy, collegiality trumps all else (apparently). It's a pretty fine and legalistic distinction, but modern minds are legalistic and capable of holding many contradictory positions simultaneously. Bishop Williamson is correct to call such minds "sick".[4]
However, he could be accused of hypocrisy or, at best, cowardice for using the worst of the Novus Ordo Eucharistic prayers (Number II[5]) and at the same time using the words “for all” rather than “for many” in the words of consecration -- despite having ordered that the formula be properly translated.[6] I single this act out, because I don’t see how collegiality comes to play here.
No, dear readers, the crisis is not over. It is not even close to being over. If anything, the state of emergency exists even more startlingly than it did in 1988. I dare say that when Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated the four S.S.P.X bishops, a Mass like that in Washington yesterday would still have schocked the conscience of most Catholics whereas today it's taken in stride. Things are getting worse, rather than better, the occasional bone tossed the way of traditionalists and some nice old-fashioned attire on the pope’s person, notwithstanding. The Holy Father and Holy Mother Church need our prayers more than ever. But most importantly, we must continue the fight.
Posted on the Feast of St. Calocerus of Brescia, Martyr, a.D. MMVIII
[1] Tucker, Jeffrey. “Music for the Mass in D.C. : End of an Era and the Beginning of Something New”. The New Liturgical Movement. 17 April 2008. <http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/2008/04/music-for-dc-mass-end-of-era-and.html>
[2] Soroghan, Mike. “Pelosi Takes Communion at Papal Mass”. The Hill.com. 17 April 2008. <http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-takes-communion-at-papal-mass-2008-04-17.html>
[3] Kellman, Laurie. “Abortion-rights lawmakers to receive Communion”. The Associated Press. 16 April 2008. <http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hHnd03OonVIyIk2yvWoMXVvhbtIwD9037ITO1>
[4] New Catholic. “Williamson: ‘...modern minds are very sick ... and Benedict XVI has a modern mind..."’”. Rorate Cæli. 30 August 2006. <http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2006/08/exclusive-williamson-modern-minds-are.html>
[5] For the text of this prayer, see: http://saints.sqpn.com/pray0179.htm
[6] “Pro multis means "for many," Vatican rules”. Catholic World News. 18 November 2006. <http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=47719>
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