The cruel implementation of the cruel legacy document of the Francis’ era continues in these USA, this time in Jacksonville in the Diocese of St. Augustine.
This is from the Bulletin of the Immaculate Conception.
The PDF has an absurd typeface, so I filtered it through Notepad. I cut out some blah blah…
Dear Parishioners and Friends of the Basilica.
As you may have heard at Mass this weekend or in conversations this past week, the Celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass also referred to as the usus antiquior & more commonly the Traditional Latin Mass, will cease at the end of June.
[….]In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI liberalized the use of the 1962 Roman Missal. Since then, Pope Francis has diverged from Pope Benedict in disposition toward continued celebration of this form of the Mass. Most recently these decisions were in part informed by a survey he’d sent out to the world’s bishops in 2020. Last summer Pope Frances [sic] issued a decree “Traditionis Custodes” to address his concerns and promote unity, [LOL] while giving each bishop — “as moderator, promoter and guardian of the liturgical life of the church” — limited authority within the confines of the document and subsequent letter of clarifications, to apply it based on their judgment and the character of their dioceses. In response to the decree Bishop Estevez established a committee to aide [sic] him as he discerned the best way forward for the people of the diocese while also being obedient to both the letter and spirit of the decree. He spent several months studying the pope’s decree, “Traditionis Custodes” (“Guardians of the Tradition”), listening to the people who would be most affected by any decisions he would make, surveying the responses of other Bishops in the country, and considering the input of committee members & affected priests. The Bishop sought to authorize the continuation of the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass and to that end made a proposal to Rome for particular exemptions. [He didn’t have to do that, of course. Can. 87.]
Due to the official denial of permission for the continuation of the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass at the Basilica [ummmm…?] and the other restrictions having been put in place by the decree of Pope Frances, [sic] this past week the Bishop issued his decree as to how the Pope’s decree would be implemented locally. You can read the decree of the Bishop on the next pages.
Both the Bishop and I understand that the direction given by Rome will be very painful for some of our parishioners and friends of the Basilica. For those who attend regularly the Traditional Latin Mass, I know important and meaningful this form of the Mass is to you and I am sorry that it will no longer be available to you hear at the Basilica. Some of you will be angry. Others will be confused and feel abandoned. This will take us some time as a parish to process and to heal. [read: “too bad”] Trust that parishioners who attend other Masses here, will be praying for all of you, [Of course they will. Perhaps with one of the sometimes seemingly endless pre-offertory intercessions in the NO?] and of course we hope that you will continue to worship here and be a part of this parish family as registered parishioners or as ‘Friends of the Basilica’.
This parish has seen many changes in the past 175 years and will be here to see many more in the next century. Some, the people of God will understand and embrace, some will be difficult – As always, we must continue to trust God with His Church and engage all the challenges we face with firm faith and humble obedience to the will of God for ourselves and for the Church as discerned by those the Spirit chooses to lead His Church. Each of us are followers of Christ and together we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ the Church.
Sincerely;
Father Blair
The bishop’s decree. Note a few things.
Point 4. Readings can’t be done in Latin. This reveals a significant misunderstanding of the very nature of the readings during Mass. It also reveals kind of fearful animus.
Point 8: Not sure how that is consistent with TC. But, hey, impose whatever the hell you want when you know people and priests have no recourse.
Point 9: Insulting, much?
Point 10: Apart from being a cheap shot, what would those be, exactly? “Elements”. By the way, this “point” expresses nothing other than an opinion with which people are free to disagree.
