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This Jesuit Pope
Two addresses by Pope Francis are making the rounds today, both of which provide further insights into his approach to his vocation, as pontiff and as a Jesuit. He seems to still consider himself very much one of the latter. "We Jesuits," Francis said in addressing many of his confreres as he visited the Gesu' in Rome, the mother church of the Society of Jesus.
He was also celebrating the canonization of Peter Faber, the Jesuit whose life of engagement and searching Francis appears to find deeply resonant.
AsiaNews has a report on the pope's powerful homily, which is worth reading in its entirety. This passage has jumped out as an important signpost:
"The temptation, that maybe many of us experience, and many other people have comes to mind; that of linking the proclamation of the Gospel with inquisitorial beatings of condemnation. No, the Gospel is preached gently, fraternally, with love."
That idea was also echoed in Francis' talk in November with the heads of religious communities of men meeting in Rome -- a three-hour conversation characteristic of this pope. According to an official report released today by Civilta' Cattolica (pdf here), at one point -- also indiscussing formation -- Francis said:
"Formation is a work of art, not a police action. We must form their hearts. Otherwise we are creating little monsters. And then these little monsters mold the People Of God. This really gives me goose bumps."
Can Francis change the direction of the church in this regard? It would be yet another welcome shift from the recent past. But it will require transforming a church culture, not just setting new policies.
About the Author
David Gibson is a national reporter for Religion News Service and author of The Coming Catholic Church (HarperOne) and The Rule of Benedict (HarperOne). He blogs at dotCommonweal.
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Mr. Gibson - this is music to the ears of any good formation director. But, then, put this in context of recent history in terms of the seminary investigation: http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=60273
But, keep in mind, recent changes by Francis:
Control of seminaries had been transferred to the Congregation for the Clergy from the Congregation for Catholic Education by a B!6 MP
However one of Francis first major moves was to send the Prefect Cardinal Piacenza to the be Apostolic Penitentiary
Cardinal Piacenza was appointed only three years ago by Pope Benedict XVI. He was a staunch defender of the traditional image of the priest. He saw the solution to the shortage of priests not in relaxations, but rather as a result of too many accommodations.Cardinal Piacenza had initiated visitations of the seminaries immediately, especially the numerous Roman seminaries.
Francis installed as the new Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy a person who had been President of the Diplomatic Academy of the Holy See since 2007 and thus responsible for the training of diplomats of the Church. Francis has also revamped the Congregation for Catholic Education reducing the influence of Europeans and increasing that of Latin America and Asia.
So wherever seminaries ends up under Curia reform it looks like Francis minded people are going to be in charge.
Thanks, David. How beautiful he is. The conversation reported by Civilta' Cattolica is amazing.
Does this pope ever understand clerical culture. Seminaries not only oftentimes create monsters but convert many of the good candidates coming in into monsters. Greeley would have been proud. Andrew Greeley was one of the few willing to acknowledge the monsters in the clergy. "I'll never stop being Catholic, despite the fact that many of the current leaders of the institutional church are corrupt thugs, from the parish right up to the Vatican." Many clergy and religious get offended by these remarks. The right response is to do something about it.
"But in life it is difficult for everything to be clear, precise, outlined neatly," the pope continued. "Life is complicated; it consists of grace and sin."
"He who does not sin is not human," said the pope. "We all make mistakes and we need to recognize our weaknesses. A religious who recognizes himself as weak and a sinner does not negate the witness that he is called to give, rather he reinforces it, and this is good for everyone."
"What I expect of you therefore is to give witness," he said. "I want this special witness from religious."
I meant to finish. The last quote from Francis above. Here he is attacking the religious and priestly culture which almost acts as if they are not sinners. Francis says mingle in with the people and give witness. Show yourself as a witness who is also a sinner. Such a departure from the Alter Christus language which is pompous and spiritually devoid.
BTW, the gimlet-eyed Jim Pauwels noted (privately, to spare me further mortification) that in my original post, now amended, I said that Francis went to the Gesu' for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which is in fact today, not yesterday. I think a Jesuit had first told me that was the reason for his visit, and of course I trusted him, which I should never do...
The Feast is today in fact. Now, off to penance for me!
Hanging around with Jesuits is penance enough! Go in peace my friend! (kidding of course!)
I don't think Francis is being especially Jesuit in the way he thinks about women, though ... one of the documents to emerge from General Congregation 34 was "Jesuits and the situation of women in church and civil society" ... http://www.sjweb.info/documents/sjs/docs/Dr%2014_ENG.pdf
And on March 18, 1977,, the faculty of the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley published an open letter to the Apostolic Delegate in The Los Angeles Times in response to the Vatican's 1976 document declaring women could never be priests. I can't link to the letter (An Open Letter to the Apostolic Delegate), but it's in Commonweal's archives and I posted a bit of it here ... http://povcrystal.blogspot.com/2013/10/jesuit-school-of-theology-berkele...
It's worth mentioning that not one but two Jesuit theologians are among the citations in Francis's apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. It would be interesting to know if there has ever been a document of the magisterium that cites two Jesuits before.
Henri de Lubac, SJ (1896-1991) is quoted in n. 93, specifically his book Meditation sur l'Eglise, on the topic of spiritual worldliness. Later, in n. 229, the Spanish-born Ismael Quiles, SJ, (1906-1993) and his book Filosofia de la educacion personalista is cited on the topic of unity and reconciliation of differences.
Henri de Lubac is, of course, well known. In fact, it occurred to me when I saw the citation in EG that I think he has also been quoted in encyclicals by both Paul VI and John Paul II, but I'd need to do some checking to be sure. (Can anyone confirm that?) If that's accurate, he may be the most often cited non-official source in church documents in modern times (perhaps in all time).
Though born in Spain, Ismael Quiles did much of his work in Argentina, especially at Universidad de Salvador in Buenos Aires, before his death in 1993. He also spent time as a visiting professor at Georgetown University in the United States.
PS - a few other Jesuits have also spoken for women's ordination: Robert Egan SJ had a couple of essays in Commonweal, one of them is here ... https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/why-not-0
And William A Barry SJ wrote on the subject in his book, "Paying Attention to God: Giscernment in Prayer" ...http://www.amazon.com/Paying-Attention-God-Discernment-Prayer/dp/0877934134
And then there was Karl Rahner SJ too ... http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1982/feb/04/the-dream-of-karl-r...
Sorry - that should be "Discernment" :)
Mr. Hudock:
The Vatican website--vatican.va--has an excellent search engine. If you type in names like ""de Lubac," "Congar," "von Balthasar," "Guardini," "Claudel," etc., you can find how often any of them appears in official documents.
Another interesting Pope Francis - Jesuit connection: The Joy of the Gospel (the title of the recent apostolic exhortation) is also the title of a book written by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, SJ, the prominent Italian Jesuit who died in 2012 (and was often considered papabile). La Gioia del Vangelo was published in 1999 in its original Italian. In 2002, Liturgical Press published it in English, and it remains in print today: http://www.litpress.org/Products/2126/the-joy-of-the-gospel.aspx
(Full disclosure: I work for Liturgical Press.)
Thanks for the suggestion, Fr. Komonchak. It was helpful. Looks like I was mistaken about JP2 having quoted de Lubac in an encyclical, but he does get citations in two major documents from Pope Paul VI (Populorum Progressio in 1967 and Evangelii Nuntiandi in 1975), Pope Benedict's 2007 encyclical Spe Salvi, and now Francis's 2013 Evangelii Gaudium. (Also a bunch of mentions in more insignificant letters and audiences.) Not bad!
Mr. Hudock,
Pope Francis' appreciation of Henri de Lubac is shared by Benedict XVI who cited de Lubac prominently in the encyclical Spe Salvi, numbers 13 and 14. Also, as Cardinal Ratzinger, he contributed the laudatory "Foreword" to de Lubac's Catholicism (published, alas, not by Liturgical Press, but by Ignatius Press).
Thank God someone is speaking about the problem of seminary formation. Having been studying with seminarians for a decade and a half, and having known many more in and around the institutions where I've studied, I know that the cult of secrecy is necessarily a big part of seminarians' lives. The reason is not that they are ashamed of who they are and what they think and do, but because there are, still, even after the reforms of Pope Benedict in this regard, "gatekeepers" to seminaries who still, even in 2014, think that "conservatives" should not be ordained. From all I hear, things are much better than in the 80s, where almost anywhere, saying the rosary in the chapel would raise suspicions. Even quietly attending the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is now tolerated by some faculties. But generally speaking, seminarians still must be guarded in their speech and actions in order to keep their orthodoxy from showing through too clearly. If anyone wonders why the traditionalist communities flourish, a big reason for that is that a man can be himself openly in them. (If this sounds completely backwards, well, it is. But thankfully a) it's waning and b) the Pope is on it.)
For what it's worth, I've posted an interesting look at the sources and citations of Evangelii Gaudium, at my blog this morning: http://barryhudock.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/evangelii-gaudium-exploring-the-footnotes/
Sorry, Kathy, you have completely misunderstood what Francis is saying. In fact, your approach and definition of *orthodoxy* as the be all and end all is exactly what he means when he says *little monsters*.
The type of candidate you describe is not healthy - rather,it is a form of a pietistic career focused on what is not important.
There's this:
Sorry, Kathy, you have completely misunderstood what Francis is saying. In fact, your approach and definition of *orthodoxy* as the be all and end all is exactly what he means when he says *little monsters*.
The type of candidate you describe is not healthy - rather,it is a form of a pietistic career focused on what is not important.
Or this:
"The temptation, that maybe many of us experience, and many other people have comes to mind; that of linking the proclamation of the Gospel with inquisitorial beatings of condemnation. No, the Gospel is preached gently, fraternally, with love."
As for me, I'll go with Francis.
"The type of candidate you describe is not healthy - rather,it is a form of a pietistic career focused on what is not important." I think you've just made my point rather clearly, Bill.
From the pdf:
"The formation of candidates is fundamental. There are four pillars of formation: spiritual, intellectual, communitarian and apostolic. The ghost to fight against is the image of religious life understood as an escape or hiding place in face of an "external," difficult and complex world. The four pillars should be integrated right from the first day of entrance into the noviceship, and should not be arranged sequentially. They must be interactive."
"Daily culture is much richer and conflictual than that which we experienced in our day, years ago. Our culture was simpler and more ordered. Inculturation today calls for a different attitude. For example: problems are not solved simply by forbidding doing this or that. Dialog as well as confrontation are needed."
"We must always think of the faithful, of the faithful People of God. Persons must be formed who are witness of the resurrection of Jesus. The formator should keep in mind that the person in formation will be called to care for the People of God. We always must think of the People of God in all of this. Just think of religious who have hearts that are as sour as vinegar: they are not made for the people. In the end we must not form administrators, managers, but fathers, brothers, traveling companions."
Ordinating women would violate [in my opinion as of now] the natural charism of women and men.God is neither male or female .But God chose to create us in [his] image as male or female and, one could add, as our knowledge of psychology has grown, God created us as transgendered. Though the church and humankind erred or sinned in claiming women as inferior to men, a male only priesthood is more then an expression of that error.The goodness of God is evident in the creation.A willow is not an oak. God's goodness is present in both.The charism of Jesus Christ is concretely,historically a masculine charism.God could have waited till the 1960s to incarnate as a woman but chose to incarate as a man.The call to put on Christ is a spiritual call for all humanity.That differs from the sign ,visceral sign of Christ in the world, in the church.There a masculine charism in the form of the male priest evokes the conctrete historicity of Jesus Christ,THE masculne charism. A woman does not possess that charism which Jesus chose for himself. [color, ethnicity, language are cultural changing constructs irrelevant to the genesis creation story where humanity, created in His image, is distingished by gender].If ordination is a real sacrament [outward sign] I can't see it as possible for women as they lack the masculine charism of Jesus Christ.Though women put on Jesus too their charism is [outwardly] different.A woman priest strikes me as a pretense, an act, a wannbee.Perhaps I'm just expressing a conditioned belief and the future will correct that?
I was trying to find what pope Francis might have to say to Kathy, and he does talk about forms of prayer in his apostolic exhortation, and in fact there is one mention of a rosary:
The evangelizing power of popular piety
125. To understand this reality we need to approach it with the gaze of the Good Shepherd, who seeks not to judge but to love. Only from the affective connaturality born of love can we appreciate the theological life present in the piety of Christian peoples, especially among their poor. I think of the steadfast faith of those mothers tending their sick children who, though perhaps barely familiar with the articles of the creed, cling to a rosary; or of all the hope poured into a candle lighted in a humble home with a prayer for help from Mary, or in the gaze of tender love directed to Christ crucified. No one who loves God's holy people will view these actions as the expression of a purely human search for the divine. They are the manifestation of a theological life nourished by the working of the Holy Spirit who has been poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5).
Spirit-filled evangelizers
262. Spirit-filled evangelizers are evangelizers who pray and work. Mystical notions without a solid social and missionary outreach are of no help to evangelization, nor are dissertations or social or pastoral practices which lack a spirituality which can change hearts. These unilateral and incomplete proposals only reach a few groups and prove incapable of radiating beyond them because they curtail the Gospel. What is needed is the ability to cultivate an interior space which can give a Christian meaning to commitment and activity. Without prolonged moments of adoration, of prayerful encounter with the word, of sincere conversation with the Lord, our work easily becomes meaningless; we lose energy as a result of weariness and difficulties, and our fervour dies out. The Church urgently needs the deep breath of prayer, and to my great joy groups devoted to prayer and intercession, the prayerful reading of God's word and the perpetual adoration of the Eucharist are growing at every level of ecclesial life. Even so, "we must reject the temptation to offer a privatized and individualistic spirituality which ill accords with the demands of charity, to say nothing of the implications of the incarnation". There is always the risk that some moments of prayer can become an excuse for not offering one's life in mission; a privatized lifestyle can lead Christians to take refuge in some false forms of spirituality.
Personal encounter with the saving love of Jesus
264. The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus which we have received, the experience of salvation which urges us to ever greater love of him. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known? If we do not feel an intense desire to share this love, we need to pray insistently that he will once more touch our hearts. We need to implore his grace daily, asking him to open our cold hearts and shake up our lukewarm and superficial existence. Standing before him with open hearts, letting him look at us, we see that gaze of love which Nathaniel glimpsed on the day when Jesus said to him: "I saw you under the fig tree" (Jn 1:48). How good it is to stand before a crucifix, or on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply to be in his presence! How much good it does us when he once more touches our lives and impels us to share his new life! What then happens is that "we speak of what we have seen and heard" (1 Jn 1:3). The best incentive for sharing the Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart. If we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us. But if this is to come about, we need to recover a contemplative spirit which can help us to realize ever anew that we have been entrusted with a treasure which makes us more human and helps us to lead a new life. There is nothing more precious which we can give to others.
You may have been looking for what pope Francis might say to Kathy, but I think what you found instead is what pope Francis is saying to those who are of the view of Mr. deHaas. And boy does this Jesuit pope say it well.
The question I raised wasn't about whether women should be priests or not but about whether Francis' view about women and their role in the church is typically "Jesuit". I'm thinking: not so much.
The Pope is indeed intensely prayerful, and is unabashedly moved in public when praying to the Blessed Virgin.
"Daily culture is much richer and conflictual than that which we experienced in our day, years ago. Our culture was simpler and more ordered. Inculturation today calls for a different attitude. For example: problems are not solved simply by forbidding doing this or that. Dialog as well as confrontation are needed."
I must say, these words from Pope Francis don't resonate with me. When I think of the priests I played ball with, went to the movies with, ate dinner with…it would be laughable to think they needed to "dialog" more. Sure, there were bitter priests, frequently carping about what others had or did, shooting first and asking questions later (if at all), but they were by far the exception. I wonder if these type of priests are more the norm in Argentina or the Vatican, and that's what's motivating this admonition.
The part about dialog continues with a warning against hypocrisy - seminarians who pretend to go along with what they're supposed to do, because it's not up for discussion, and who find themselves pushed to behave with hypocrisy. So it's about dialog between seminarians and their formation director. (pp. 8-9 of the pdf linked to in the post)
Doubt that most here would agree that Kathy/Mark interpret Francis correctly?
You both cite experiences with seminarians/priests - and yet, doubt that you live with them 24/7; day after day; week after week. You cite classroom or memories but that doesn't tell you much about the candidate. After ten years of formation work with hundreds of candidates which was 24/7, day after day, you arrive at different conclusions. Do you really know these guys academically, socially? Do you know how they interact with peers, with authority, with the folks they minister to? Are they emotionally balanced? (sorry, whether they like the rosary or various pieties tells us next to nothing - but, if that is the core of who they are, then, yes, you have issues and as Francis said, you create *little monsters that mold the people of God which gives me goose bumps* )
And, Mark, you appear to pick and choose - you cite Francis' words *when you like them* but then state that others words do not resonate with you. Francis is not talking about *bitterness* or *complaining* (in fact, you seem to be complaining about what Francis is saying because it doesn't match your or Kathy's ideology - btw, priesthood is a ministry and calling; not an ideology nor an orthodoxy) and, no, Mark, this doesn't pertain only to the *norm* in Argentina or the Vatican - what a generalization and projection on your part (and is what Francis saying an *admonition* - why, Francis seems to repeatedly try to avoid the use of admonitions? But, again, you really know what he is saying via your *correct?* interpretation)
Here is a link to examples of what you both seem to advocate:
Click and scroll down and listen to these newly ordained and seminarians - suggest that these four would give Francis *goose bumps*.
Go back to the first comment to Mr. Gibson's post/topic:
(note - this is five years old; biased investigation that reads like the typical episcopal whitewashing document e.g. points fingers at religious orders (wonder what Francis would say about that?) and does surface significant issues but concludes with the comment - *but, in general, US seminaries are healthy*...not sure after reading the actual visitation document how they arrived at that conclusion)
Some things to note:
"...the report nonetheless found grave deficiencies in seminary formation before the four years of theology formation. "Almost nowhere" has a propadeutic year before the two years of philosophical formation been implemented. While most college seminaries-- in which students receive philosophical formation-- are "good," seminarians, before the four years of theology formation, are at times not formed with adequate oversight and are even not looked upon fully as seminarians. The report urged bishops to take a greater role in the acceptance or rejection of priestly formation candidates and noted that in some institutes, "lack of vocations has caused a lowering of standards," with "possible wretched consequences."
"....the report noted that in some places, bishops ordain men against the advice of rectors"
".... while in "a few places," the evaluation process was suspect-- with the non-ordained, and even non-Catholics, voting whether candidates should be ordained. "Such practices are to cease." (wonder if Francis would agree with this conclusion?)
"The report also noted many seminaries' "laxity of discipline" over students' off-campus activities-- a problem avoided by Neocatechumenal Way seminaries." (wonder if Francis would see the Neo-cats methods as forming *little monsters*?)
the sections on homosexuality - what a disconnect given that most experts say that the US priesthood is 35-50% gay.
Doubt that most would agree that Bill interprets Francis correctly.
Doubt that Bill lives with seminarians/priests 24/7.
Does Bill really know very well the priests I grew up with? Doubtful.
I do like to cite Francis' words often, though my experiences may not be identical with his. Don't think that's inconstant of me. Most experts would agree.
Never said priesthood is an ideology or orthodoxy, so any attempt to attribute that to me is straw-man building…
Wondering how Bill knows that Francis' writings are not based on his experiences in Argentina…
Bill seems to think only he knows the correct interpretation of everything Francis says/writes…assume he must be with him 24/7 (since that's the standard he holds other to).
And so forth and so on.
Bill, are you still doing formation work? Just curious. In any case I don't really understand why you have pointed to two websites that seem to work against your point of view. Four engaging young men with totally different styles, trying to communicate to other young people their reasons for embracing a difficult vocation. In a bar. This is a brave thing to do (I've done ToT and it is more intimidating than most public speaking.) And one of the main points of the bishops' study is that the seminarians would be a lot better off without the constant interference and dissent of lay formators. What I would personally like to see is as much fidelity to the Holy Spirit as possible, in an atmosphere of fraternity and freedom. (Which is pretty much what the Holy Father says.) Yes, by the way, I actually know seminarians well, a lot of them, and as geography has allowed have known many of them in their priestly lives as well. Thank God they haven't been arbitrarily barred from pursuing their vocations by people with bitter agendas!
I can't seem to get the knack of making paragraph breaks in these comboxes. Is there a special formatting code of some kind? Thanks.
Extend your comment box by dragging the bottom-right corner out, and you will see "body" and "p" appear. I think that "p" is for formatting paragraphs.
Meanwhile, as long as I was looking at Evangelii Gaudium, I took a look at the Frenchg version as well, and the translation is sometimes hard to understand. For those who can read French, just consider the first 3 sentences of paragraph 262... I wonder: are these texts temporary versions?
262. Spirit-filled evangelizers are evangelizers who pray and work. Mystical notions without a solid social and missionary outreach are of no help to evangelization, nor are dissertations or social or pastoral practices which lack a spirituality which can change hearts. These unilateral and incomplete proposals only reach a few groups and prove incapable of radiating beyond them because they curtail the Gospel.
262. Évangélisateurs avec esprit signifie évangélisateurs qui prient et travaillent. Du point de vue de l'Évangélisation, il n'y a pas besoin de propositions mystiques sans un fort engagement social et missionnaire, ni de discours et d'usages sociaux et pastoraux, sans une spiritualité qui transforme le cœur. Ces propositions partielles et déconnectées ne touchent que des groupes réduits et n'ont pas la force d'une grande pénétration, parce qu'elles mutilent l'Évangile.
".The call to put on Christ is a spiritual call for all humanity.That differs from the sign ,visceral sign of Christ in the world, in the church."
rose ellen --
Doesn't "genital sign" describe your position better than "visceral sign"? And shouldn't the priest-as-sign-of-Christ be a sign of what is *most important about Him* -- that is, His wisdom and love? And aren't women just as capable of signifying His wisdom and love as men are? His wisdom and love were *completely* human, and that includes the virtues of the feminine.
Claire --
I think he's saying that mystical claims (i.e. claims about the mystical, other world) and abstractions ("discours et d'usages sociaux et pastoraux") about what ought to be done do not get down to the particular problems and questions of todays people.
I think he's right about the latter, but many, many Americans seem to be quite interested in the purely spiritual, the mystical, i.e., contemplative prayer. Would that the clerical powers-that-be were more intersted in it. I don't think I've ever seen an American bishop quoted as recommending any of the new prayer movements.
Francis speaks on "prophecy" vs "clericalism"
(Vatican Radio) A church without prophets falls into the trap of clericalism. These were the words of Pope Francis during his homily at Mass on Monday morning in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.
Commenting on the day's readings, Pope Francis said a prophet is someone who listens to the words of God, who reads the spirit of the times, and who knows how to move forward towards the future. True prophets, the Pope said, hold within themselves three different moments: past, present, and future. They keep the promise of God alive, they see the suffering of their people, and they bring us the strength to look ahead.
God looks after his people, the Pope continued, by giving them prophets in the hardest times, in the midst of their worst suffering. But when there is no spirit of prophecy amongst the people of God, we fall into the trap of clericalism.
In the Gospel, for example, the priests ask Jesus: "With what authority do you do these things? We are the masters of the Temple!" They didn't understand the prophecy, Pope Francis said, they had forgotten the promise. They didn't know how to read the spirit of the times, they didn't listen to the words of God, they had only their authority.
When there is no prophecy amongst the people of God, the emptiness that is created gets filled by clericalism. All memory of the past and hope for the future are reduced only to the present: no past promise, no future hope. But when clericalism reigns supreme, Pope Francis said, the words of God are sorely missed, and true believers weep because they cannot find the Lord.
As we prepare for the birth of the Lord, Pope Francis concluded, let us pray: "Lord, let us not lack prophets amongst your people!" All those who are baptised are prophets: let us not forget God's promise, let us not tire of moving forward.
Claire, I think it has been confirmed that the document was composed in Spanish and the other versions were translated from the Spanish
262. Evangelizadores con Espíritu quiere decir evangelizadores que oran y trabajan. Desde el punto de vista de la evangelización, no sirven ni las propuestas místicas sin un fuerte compromiso social y misionero, ni los discursos y praxis sociales o pastorales sin una espiritualidad que transforme el corazón. Esas propuestas parciales y desintegradoras sólo llegan a grupos reducidos y no tienen fuerza de amplia penetración, porque mutilan el Evangelio. Siempre hace falta cultivar un espacio interior que otorgue sentido cristiano al compromiso y a la actividad.205 Sin momentos detenidos de adoración, de encuentro orante con la Palabra, de diálogo sincero con el Señor, las tareas fácilmente se vacían de sentido, nos debilitamos por el cansancio y las dificultades, y el fervor se apaga. La Iglesia necesita imperiosamente el pulmón de la oración, y me alegra enormemente que se multipliquen en todas las instituciones eclesiales los grupos de oración, de intercesión, de lectura orante de la Palabra, las adoraciones perpetuas de la Eucaristía. Al mismo tiempo, « se debe rechazar la tentación de una espiritualidad oculta e individualista, que poco tiene que ver con las exigencias de la caridad y con la lógica de la Encarnación».206 Existe el riesgo de que algunos momentos de oración se conviertan en excusa para no entregar la vida en la misión, porque la privatización del estilo de vida puede llevar a los cristianos a refugiarse en alguna falsa espiritualidad.
205 Cf. Propositio 36.
206 Juan PabLo ii, Carta ap. Novo Millennio ineunte (6 enero
Claire, i was replying to your post of 5:44 pm. I've since noticed that in your 2:09 pm post you have a much better English version of #262.
Did you find that better one online or did you do it yourself from the Spanish? if the Vatican has published an improved English version, i'd appreciate a link so I can download it.
Here's what I had done for just the part of 262 you quoted in your 2:09 post
262. "Spirit-filled evangelizers" means evangelizers who pray and who labor. From the point of view of evangelization, mystical proposals without a solid social and missionary commitment are useless, as are speeches or social or pastoral activities without a spirituality that changes the heart. These fragmentary and unrelated proposals only reach small groups and lack the force to penetrate further, because they distort the Gospel.,
The outward sign of Holy Orders is the laying on of hands not the masculine charism of Christ. Holy Orders, like all the sacraments subsequent to Baptism, is a further determination of the baptismal charism. When they are ordained, men do not receive the male charism of Christ. There is nothing that is gender specific in the matter and form of Holy Orders.
John Hayes wrote: "Claire, i was replying to your post of 5:44 pm. I've since noticed that in your 2:09 pm post you have a much better English version of #262. "
Sorry, my mistake. Now that it is morning here, I see that they are both the same.
OhBoy![let's see if I can defend my, position].I would not reduce male charism of which Jesus partook of-as a genital sign.The male and female mytiques are both of God and encompass more then body parts.[hence the recognition of transgendered people].We're all called to be Christ like in love and to stirve for the wisdon of knowing and wanting God.That spiritural dimension is neither male or female.There are plenty of lovng and partaking of widom people on earth of both genders who are not Christian. They are Christ like by order of their goodness.To proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ -requires more then good deeds.Outward signs though not sufficient [they are dead without good works but that is betwaeen each person and God] are necessary to spread the truth about Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.Our savior of humanity is a male charismatic.The male priest in the world tody is the paradignamic emeblem of the male charism of Jesus Christ.A female priest dilutes the emblematic sign of the carismatic Jesus Christ.Just as people have always needed and used scramentals to exress a desire for and a conection with dvinity,the scramenality of a male priest, is a sign,reminder of the reality of Jesus Christ.A woman can remind one of Christ by her exprssed behavior or if she wears relgious atire.A male priest is a true sacramental[physica; merely physical Christ].A woman does not connote Christ visibly but by manifesting her inner life of Christlike love. A female priest is not necessary but a male priest as the ultimate [most potent sign] is .Peope need sacramentals.A male priest offers hmsef as that sacramenal.[visible sign]As an ordinary human he is still everything else a person is.
So Kathy @ 9:26 thinks that all those closet traditionalists in seminaries can "come out" now without fear of being "too conservative" to be ordained.
How curious.
Are they also "too conservative" to be accepted by your average parish perhaps? Maybe they need to go out and find or found stable communities who want the Tridentine Mass so that they can finally come out of the closet and expose their blinding orthodoxy to public view?
I don't see any connection between this hypothesis and what Pope Francis has said. "The pope is on it"? Really?
I have got to admit, I'm also very taken by the reference to a "cult of secrecy" because they dare not let their orthodoxy show. It is a very curious meme. Illusions of grandeur and persecution are usually called "paranoia."
Finally, I suppose every case is different, but I've talked at Theology on Tap a couple of times. It wasn't so hard. In a bar? It isn't exactly in a brothel. Don't people often have earnest conversations in a bar? Maybe not if their orthodoxy is subject to a cult of secrecy, I guess. But I bow to Kathy's wide experience of so many seminarians she has known over so many years.
John Hayes: thanks for your translation from the Spanish. "only reach small groups and lack the force to penetrate further" means something different from "only reach a few groups and prove incapable of radiating beyond them". But I expect that pope Francis did not polish his thought with so much precision that approximate translations would ruin his work.
Rose-Ellen: signs and emblems change in their strength and in their meaning, along with changing times and changing cultures. A few centuries ago it might have been impossible for a woman to preside at Mass without inviting shock or ridicule, but now that women as well as men are present in every position of leadership, or of service, or of both, gender no longer has strong connotations that would get in the way.
So, both Bill and Rita think that the average devout seminarian is unfit for normal parish work. Does everyone see the problem?
Oh.O.K ."A further determination of the baptism charism".All right.I see that now.Thanks for clarifying.Could this further determimatiom not then be a sign -another specific sign only applicable to men because only men partake of what Jesus visibly also was-a man?[Both genders made in God's image partake inherenly of either male or female charism]. Pehaps a further determination only applies to men because holy orders is a further sign of Christ's presence and reality.A sign that is visible [a sacramental] hence that further reminds the world of the being of Jesus Christ.No more is entailed then that.[ a natural affinity,a natural reminder]. Just as even as it is baptsm that brings one to the body of Christ, the church, non baptized people [lackig the visible sign of baptism] we now recognize may partake of the body of Christ ,though invisible to us. [Professed baptized chistians,the church, beng the visible sign].The sacrarments are sacramentals-not everyone partakes of them, outwardly visisibly, yet anyone can in fact be Christian. There is no need for women to partake of a further batismal determiation that that they lack by virtue of not possessig that physical similarity to the person Jesus Christ,.Women priests, then no priests The historic Jesus gets diluted. Jesus gets relegated to myth.Christianty is a culture, a noble just civilization but a belief in God and our innate desire for God is superceded by a chrisianity without Jesus norm ,Perhaps i'm totaly off the about thisI.I don't know.Right now the idea of women priests repels me.Perhaps I 'm just brainwashed by an over a thousand year tradition of mysognistic patriarchy.I don't know .
Oh, so they are "average." I see. A "cult of secrecy" around closeted, paranoid, "orthodox," devout, traditionalist seminarians = the new normal. However, they will come out of the closet now that Pope Francis is in charge and is paying attention to seminary formation.
I think I get it now.
Kathy, Bill did say that there was nothing wrong with the rosary per se, pope Francis seems to hint that it correlates with lack of education but is quick to point out that lack of education in no way means lack of faith or lack of depth. Unagidon had some wonderful posts about the rosary some time back, and was not criticized for it. I don't think that anyone here disapproves of the rosary in itself.
The extraordinary form is another matter. It's fine to be curious about the EF, that, after all, is part of our history. I have friends who, in the right context, with proper booklets and explanations, told me that they found the experience powerfully uplifting. But consider that the change in liturgy was near-unanimously voted by bishops from the entire world, was embraced and developed super-enthusiastically by people worldwide, maybe to an excess, and has been gradually refined over the past fifty years by the People of God. It's obviously imperfect, still a work in progress; but when a seminarian turns its back to it - it, the source and summit of our faith! it, the weekly event that shapes and unites us! - and prefers the EF, there is cause to worry. Of course there are aspects in which it may be superior, just like other religions have elements of truth from which we could learn something - it's fine to be interested in other liturgies or in other religions and to try to identify what they get right that we are currently missing to some extent, and to draw inspiration from that to attempt to improve some parts of our liturgies. But preferring the EF means being out of step with 99% of Roman Catholics, and if it indicates a desire to pull out of our common prayer, it's obviously cause for concern. Not to mention that websites that promote the EF unfortunately are often also antiSemitic, sexist, and intolerant of religious freedom, so the possible associated faults are also reason to worry.
its back -> his back
Point taken Claire.I can't wait to hear what Pope Francis has to say about women and ordination.I'll be glad to defer to him, because he's pope and becuse I already like the other things he's saying and becase my insights and knowlege is very limited.All I have is my intuition which more and more seems to be getting exposed as a conditioned bias.Though for now my conscience still oposses women's ordination. How can i get the letters i key to post without skipping?My illegible keyboard is one problem, but the keys are not posting consecutively and is there not an edit function or spell check?Why not use dsqus?This program is not use friendly! Or help me fix it here please.
My experience of Neo Catehumenate [I am a disgruntled ex menber of many years ago so maybe it's changed] is that the seminarians defer to the lay catechists. The lay catechists have no accountability to any one outside the Neo Catechmenate yet they have plenty of power to indoctrinate people. In my opinion the NC invert the gospel message. Love of neighbor is riduculed as impossible without blind obedience to them[lay cathechists]. If one blindly obeys ones cathechists-God in his time will make you holy[able to love your neighbor and put on christ] Till that day arrives-the neo catehumenate encourages all that opposses love of neigbor.The members are encouraged to proclaim their contempt of others -the more you hate others-the more that is a sign of being favored by God[God came for sinners ,after all,God chooses the worst of the worst, Tell us how you're the worst!] That is the half of it. The other half is the expressed secret knowledge of the road to holiness found only in the neo catechumenate.We don't cast pearls to swine they said as they paraded on palm sunday down the street but when a child came up to one -wanting a palm-that was the respone!The masses taking place in the church or in rented places, was only open to other neo cathumenate because non members woud not "understand",Non members lack knowledge that only Neo Cat members have.The longer you "walk" and obey your catechist, the more advanced you get. .Masses are often and preferably separated by communities as more "knowedge" is confered the longer you're there.They are heretcal-in my opinion and I pray one day the Church hierarchy will open its eyes to that fact.
You have nailed the reason why the EF is so problematic as an ecclesial option. Despite the rhetoric of Summorum Pontificum and the ruse of the hermeneutic of continuity, the Summorum Pontificum was promulgated to win over SSPX and to give disgruntled traditionalist Catholics a way to go to Mass without haveing to associate with those they found to be heretics. It was a way around Vatican II. What resulted is the legitimation of a pre-Vatican II Church within the Vatican II Church.
SSPX saw through the ruse and insisted that there could not be an EF in a Vatocan II Church. For the EF to be a true liturgy, Vatican II had to be rejected. The studies have yet to be done but, it would be intereting to know how many who frequent th EF see it as a rejection of Vatican II. SSPX was true to itself in rejecting Benedict's maneuvers to get them to sign onto Vatican II. I respect them them for their integrity. What they understood, and what Benedict failed to understand is that the EF has an ecclesiology that is diametrically opposed to the ecclesialiology of Vatican II. To offer the Mass in the EF in a Vatican II Church simply does not work because you have to have to total supportive structure of the pre-Vatican II Church to make the EF an authentic liturgical expression of the Church. You described that structure accurately including its anti-Semitic nature. Rita Ferrone can fill us in on that because of the excelent research she has done on that question.
Thanks, Rita.....you will note above that Kathy fails to respond to what I commented on...rather, she focused on Theology on Tap (sorry, doing TOT is not a frightening experience or even challenging - kids are there because they choose to come, listen, and participate... in fact, it is a rather ideal setting. Not sure what her experience is or what that had to do with what I commented on). Second, she tries to ignore the actual content of what the four speakers said - as if what they said was understandable given the overbearing nature of talking about their ministry at a TOT - really?).
She again tries to show that she knows *many* seminarians ( and is thus an expert?). She has never done formation work - never had to know, study, and make decisions/votes on candidates - that requires so much more than just the *conservative* label because you shared a rosary, novena, etc.
Have heard these stories many times before - the conservative seminarian (who may truly have some significant formation issues) complains that he is being targeted because he is *conservativ*. Yes, to be honest, can hypothesize that this does happen at times - so, has the exact opposite when your bishop is a Burke, Morlino, Olmsted, etc. Eventually, you have to get beyond this perpetual liberal vs. conservative labels - seminary is about ministry, calling, and suitability - it is not a political game with two categories.
Borrowed this from another blog - it obviously highlights the danger of some *conservative* seminarians and its impact on ministry, an actual parish, parishioners:
"......more than 90% of my parish would be immensely grateful. The 10% unfortunately includes the ultra-trad parish priest who seems to have hitched his whole identity to "living" pre-Vatican II style and substance, psychologically, theologically, (un)ecumenically, liturgically and very publicly, aggressively and exclusively.
During the pp's first week in the parish, our gentle, humble deacon had to suggest that it was important to preserve and maintain the unity of this country parish, but his warning was ignored and for 40 months now there has been much quiet suffering among parishioners. Representations to the Dean, the VG and the Bishop have been unavailing; the Bishop has given at least one order which the pp has refused to obey. There is a long story here.
Meanwhile our church premises have been made the centre of the usus antiquior in the diocese; a smallish congregation drives in. once a week but does not support the life of the parish, nor of the school."
Tlak about Francis and his phrase - *little monsters that mold the people of God - gives me goose bumps*
Continued; Read the book:The Pope's Armada if you want to know more about the NC.
rose ellen --
You've made the point clearly that a male can signify Jesus more completely *as male* than a woman could. But that would be relevant only if "being a male" were somehow included in the meaning of *being a Savior". But so far as I can tell there is nothing in Scripture or Tradition that says that a savior *has to be* a male, . There just isn't any necessary connection between the two.
True, maleness is included in the sense of "Jesus" (a male name), but it's not included in "Savior". [Did you say you were a philosophy major? If so, then you might want to remember Frege's distinction beaten reference and sense here, and what Russell had to say about definite descriptions.)
We need a separate thread or ten on this.
"They are heretcal-in my opinion and I pray one day the Church hierarchy will open its eyes to that fact."
rose-ellen ==
I strongly suspect you're right. Because groups like the New-Cats (think also Opus Dei) don't have to answer directly to any bishop, they can. for a very long time, get away with all sorts of non-Catholic/Christian things, whether teachings or practics. The bishops just don't know what they're up to. Yes, I'm open to dissent, but it must be open dissent. My motto: when in doubt don't go the secret route! The bishops themselves have caused the Church a mountain of trouble by their own secrecy.
Like you I agree with Claire's intuitions around the EF. However, I think that there is a significant portion of traditionalist leaning Catholics who feel ill at ease with the new liturgy. But, it has been a long time so a better discernment around how to address this issue should have occurred. My father, who was educated, was deeply troubled by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council particularly around liturgy. But, at the same time, was deeply compassionate and in solidarity with the poor and fairly social justice oriented. So, yes, growing up I knew who Lefebvre was. Not in detail and not the anti-Semitic and anti- religious freedom side of things, but mostly due to his steadfastness around the liturgy.
Granted, people like my late dad were in the minority but still, the reforms really did alienate people like him and I saw that although he remained involved in the parish as lector and other things.
So, in some ways Benedict's SP was also a pastoral attempt to address that issue. But, with all due respect to Benedict, SP was poorly thought out. I know he criticized the newer liturgy but his solution was not a workable one. For starters the EF does not even operate on the same calendar as the OF. The readings are also different. So, even if you had the perfect storm of a parish that was able to provide both, it would be completely, liturgically disorganized.
Yes, sure, it is good if people could have the option for different kinds of liturgies but they should follow the same calendar and same liturgical rhythms.
On the point of formation, it is not a problem at all if seminarians prefer traditional devotions and traditional liturgies but they must understand that they are serving a range of people and the parish or church is not about them and their paritcular liturgical fetishes (and that goes for progressives too).
Priesthood and ministry is about leadership and leadership is about listening and trying to accommodate a range of styes and people.
I am someone who likes and appreciates good, orderly liturgy but pace my late father am not in lined to traditional styles. I prefer simple, monastic type liturgies with space for silence, good homilies, vernacular, warm, intimate, but not slap happy.
One of Peter's callings was the famous "Tu es Petrus," but another is the more collegially-oriented call to "confirm the brethren." Peter can strengthen bishops, a mission whose history that goes back before the Tome of Leo. That's how I see Summorum Pontificum. The faithful were asking for the opportunity to worship reverently, and when it wasn't being allowed by various factions, the Pope intervened to make it possible. There is nothing strange about these congregations. It's not a neo-Nazi factory. If you attend a Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form you will simply meet a ton of happy young families. If you were to ask the parents why they attend the EF, they will probably say they want to do everything they can to help their children to grow up Catholic. It's not very complicated and it's certainly not anti-Semitic.
By the way, I should retract the expression "cult of secrecy," which I realize now is an alarming expression and is an exaggeration. It's more subtle than that, and has exactly to do with the dynamic Pope Francis mentioned, where someone in formation cannot speak openly with formators because the formators have preconceived lists of right and wrong. I would also mention that the young men I've met are almost uniformly very interested in being good pastors for their people. Of course there are one or two who seem "in it for the suit," but that is not the norm. The norm is a) love for God and for the people of God, and b) orthodoxy, including liturgical orthodoxy.
Summorum Pontificul was much more than a pastoral response to the faithful who wanted an opportunity to worship reverently. See John Thavis, The Vatican Diaries. On the anti-Semitism of the EF see Rita Ferrone, "Anti-Jewish Elements in the Extraordinary Form" by Rita Ferrone, Worship vol. 84, no. 6 (November 2010), 498-513.
Prof. Mitchell - yep, the whole story about SP reads in a similar way to the whole story behind Paul VI's HV decision. In both cases, tiny minorities appear to have held sway not based upon the actual issue at hand but, rather, in terms of maintaining *their* concept of papal authority. Sad.
Kathy at least now tries to clarify her *cult of secrecy* comment.
But, she continues her completely ridiculous re-interpretation of Francis' words with this: "....has exactly to do with the dynamic Pope Francis mentioned, where someone in formation cannot speak openly with formators because the formators have preconceived lists of right and wrong." Really - where do you arrive at that conclusion? Nothing like putting words in his mouth!!!
Finally, she repeats the usual mantra: "The faithful were asking for the opportunity to worship reverently, and when it wasn't being allowed by various factions, the Pope intervened to make it possible." Sounds so convincing but it doesn't resemble reality or accuracy. Let's start with *The faithful* - really, as you state.....in terms of western catholicism, a very small percentage of folks. *wasn't being allowed* - correct based upon solid and reasonable pastoral decisions by pastors and bishops....prior to SP and even with JPII's broadening of the criteria to make requests, there were reasons for making the request....you would find that most bishops did not find these requests to meet the level of the requirements (realize that, at times, this is a subjective decision but find it interesting that these groups *judge* many catholics as disloyal when they diagree with a bishop but when it comes to the TLM or EF, suddenly there is a sea change in attitude)
Sorry, Kathy, your re-interpretation reminds me of this article by Michael Sean Winters this morning in your neck of the woods: http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/contra-william-mcgurn
Key points:
- "WPFMTS (What Pope Francis Meant To Say) Syndrome is different from FDS (Francis Derangement Syndrome) But, madness is more easily discounted in its significance. WPFMTS is a more pernicious affliction not least because it tends to crop up among those who should know better.*
"...a person of faith might note that self-surrender is the essence of Christian discipleship, and it is so because it is Christ, the Lord of History, who is "in control" of His message. And, just as happened when He came the first time round, it is the wise teachers of the law who fail to understand, and the little children and the sinners who grasp the kerygma."
I'd suggest anyone unsure of whether SP is good for the Church should actually go to an Extraordinary Form Sunday Mass and the donut hour following (if applicable) and take a look at the youthful, joyful, Christian community they find. If the Church is about what is good for people, then SP is good for the life of the Church. I find it very troubling on a pastoral level that some other people want to impose a priori, prejudiced restrictions on other people's liturgical lives, going so far as to demonize them as Nazi sympathizers (!) because of their liturgical preferences.
"Where someone in formation cannot speak openly with formators because the formators have preconceived lists of right and wrong." This is exactly what the Pope was talking about. "Problems are not solved simply by forbidding doing this or that. Dialog as well as confrontation are needed. To avoid problems, in some houses of formation, young people grit their teeth, try not to make mistakes, follow the rules smiling a lot, just waiting for the day when they are told: 'Good. You have finished formation.' This is hypocrisy that is the result of clericalism, which is one of the worst evils."
Kathy, actually I did exactly what you suggested - go to an EF Sunday Mass to see what the big deal was. I found an assembly of people who sat as far as possible from one another, and a baffling liturgy. In front, an altar where some men were doing things I could not see and saying things I could not hear nor understand; in the back, a choir singing beautiful gregorian music, with words I could not understand; and in between, people doing various moves - standing, sitting, kneeling, crossing themselves, holding rosary beads -, seemingly at random times. At the end of Mass, everyone disappeared quickly. In appearance at least, it was a loose collection of individuals staying each in their own separate prayer world, and doing their best to avoid mingling with one another. I know from what other people have told me that it does not have to be like that, but it can be like that. (I will give it another try one day, but, given this first experience, I am in no rush!)
Ann Oliver; I get the logic of allowing women priests. My concern is theological. I'm thinking that perhaps allowing women priests would be a step backward. All pre christian religions acknowledge God as encompassing male and female. Christianity stands apart in that we claim God so loved humanty he entered history.Our savior could have been male or female.[or extraterrestrial for that matter].He chose to become a man.Allowing women to represent that history, that fact of our savior being the man Jesus, might evicerate over time belief in that historic event.We already have representations of Jesus that are symbolic and transcend gender-Christ as a fish and as a lamb and the cross[the human body]. These symbols cause no rupture with the historic event. They are obvious symbols.A woman priest representing Jesus -might over time-confuse the historic event and Jesus' incarnation becomes incidental and eventually insignificant.Our christian faith would become for adherents merely symbolism .Christ as an abstraction which we all aspire to, a model of human behavior, a goal,or a reference.[we are saved by a past event]. We re given more then God as abstraction -we were given the man Jesus who loves us so much he gave us the eucharistic body and blood commemoration as sign of his eternal presence wih us and as invitation to be being in relation with. A woman priest breaks the representation of the historic event of Jesus-the man with us, and over time may evicerate the belief in the the historic event.That monumental event.We're back to God as the abstact all encpassing male/female. now relabeled Savior.It's 's a- historical if not revisionist..We have God in history-why go a-historical?Just to prove a point that God encompasses male and female.That's old news actually.We know more then that .We have Jesus.[I could be on the wrong side of ihistory here and completely off the rails.I hope Pope Ftancis deals with this issue thoroughly and succinctly soon.I would be just as saisfied to be wrong.
I find it very troubling on a pastoral level that some other people want to impose a priori, prejudiced restrictions on other people's liturgical lives, going so far as to demonize them as Nazi sympathizers (!) because of their liturgical preferences.
Those who are willing to wade into the garbage pits where Nazi lovers supperate find stuff that makes it obvious what they and those who angelize them are up to. (Some examples at the link below. Take a look at the first one.)
I'd suggest anyone unsure of whether SP is good for the Church should actually go to an Extraordinary Form Sunday Mass and the donut hour following (if applicable) and take a look at the youthful, joyful, Christian community they find.
I have to say that this has been my observation as well.
Why is it that some Catholics find spiritual fulfillment in praying in Latin? Why does it resonate with them to pray from essentially the same book as their grandparents and great-grandparents? Why do so many of them choose to home-school? I don't know. None of these things particularly move or excite me. And yet such folks are part of the body of Christ - and, unlike members of the SSPX, are fully in communion with us. We owe them a certain reasonable amount of accommodation, just as we do to people who speak minority languages like Spanish. Those of us who are in the majority do need to come to terms with the existence and persistence of folks in our midst who, for whatever reasons and in whatever ways, reject many aspects of contemporary life including contemporary worship, and who look to the wellsprings of the past for worship that satisfies them.
SP, it seems to me, is one way to accommodate these folks. It is not the only way. It may not be the best way, at least not in every place. Personally, I'd prefer to give local bishops and pastors a freer hand to exercise pastoral judgment. Consider again the parallel with majority English speaking and minority Spanish speaking worshippers. There are several basic models for accommodating Spanish-speaking worshippers: create for them their own separate Spanish-language parish or mission (this is done in my particular deanery); or have separate Spanish-speaking and English-speaking masses in the same parish - something that puts greater demands on the pastoral staff, but which can be and is done successfully in many places; or try to have unified masses that use elements of both English and Spanish - something that wholly satisfies nobody but does make present in a concrete way that not everybody in our midst is just like us.
Kathy, actually I did exactly what you suggested - go to an EF Sunday Mass to see what the big deal was.
Claire - for what it's worth, I did something similar within the last year or two, although in my case it was a weekday mass. (The Chicago Archdiocese has a parish, St. John Cantius, that has become somewhat of a flourishing center for folks who prefer the old mass. It even has its own order of priests now). Some of my impressions were the same as yours. It was a 'low mass', and I found it difficult to discern where we were in the liturgy. All in all, it was mildly interesting but I don't feel the "pull" to go back again and again. But to be fair to such communities, we'd need to immerse ourselves more deeply to really get an accurate impression of the community. In my case, there were some very friendly people who chatted with me afterward. And there were some attendees who were rather young, including several young moms who had young children in tow (dressed up the way my mom used to dress me up for mass when I was little, back in the 1960s).
I was there to give a presentation to one of their parishioner groups after the morning mass. From the room next door to the room where I was presenting, I could hear a children's choir practicing songs for Easter. They were the Easter hymns that were sung in my parish when I was a young boy: "The Strife Is O'er, the Battle Won" and "Ye Sons and Daughters". No music director worth his/her salt in any parish in my area would trot those hymns out anymore - we lean more contemporary now. But I stuck my head in the choir room after my presentation ended, and was surprised to see twenty or thirty children, mostly African American (the neighborhood around that parish is racially mixed), being led by a stern young priest or seminarian (a white guy). That music would not be featured in the sort of music program I'd want to pursue, but for this particular community, it seemed to work.
In case folks here don't visit a sister blog/website:
NCR suspends comments on website
Dennis Coday | Jan. 6, 2014NCR Today
National Catholic Reporter suspended the commenting feature of its website, NCRonline.org, effective Monday 10 a.m. Central time.
We ordered our Web editor to suspend the commenting feature and to hide all previously posted comments because of the malicious, abusive nature of the comments that have bombarded our site in recent days.
Comments will be suspended indefinitely. NCR editors will explore options that will allow commenting to return in a way that respects our writers, the subjects of our stories, and our readers.
NCR has always stood for open discussion of issues of importance. Our website was among the early adopters of technology that allowed readers' comments on specific articles because we believed such a feature could be a valuable forum for the exchange of ideas. Ideas and discussions were exchanged, and much of it was valuable. Even in the rough-and-tumble Internet world, where arguments tend to more freewheeling, we strove for a long time to keep the forum as open as possible.
Unfortunately, we have reached a point where the good that an open discussion can do is being outpaced by the damage it can cause when commenters do not respect civil discourse.
Comments that have appeared on the website in recent days have been vile and demeaning. We could no longer support hosting a Web feature that allows such despicable comments to appear, and that is why we ordered the suspension of that feature.
We apologize to anyone who was offended by these appalling comments.
And yet such folks are part of the body of Christ - and, unlike members of the SSPX, are fully in communion with us. We owe them a certain reasonable amount of accommodation, just as we do to people who speak minority languages like Spanish.
Strange comparison.
The Feeny people "are fully in communion with us". Does that mean "we" are "fully in communion with" them? Does the "accomodation" we "owe" them include sharing the views of their beloved founder, "the greatest theologian we have in the United States, by far?"
Jim McCrea, are you surprised by NCR's decision?
The John Allen article today is interesting, imho. So glad the Franciscans of the Immaculate are being dealt with. And the pope's comments about the "novice trade" and the "little monsters" are . . . timely. That whole conversation with the heads of the men's orders was interesting.
Gerelyn - sorry, I have no idea who the "Feeny people" are nor whether they are in communion with the church or not. I am certain, though, that there are many, many Catholics who are fully in communion with the church who desire to take advantage of the pastoral provisions of Summorum Pontificum. The Catholic church is a vast, wide place, a big tent that accommodates many people who are different from us.
NCR turns off its online comments, and so now apparently they're moving over here? Please, no!
Rose-Ellen: directly relevant to your comments is the post https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/how-speak-about-ministry and also Fr. K's comment in https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/every-mass-wedding
It's interesting that Augustine doesn't draw that conclusion about the priest's being a "proxy bridegroom." In fact, he seemed leery of any identification of the priest or bishop with Christ, who, he said, were not the Bridegroom but "the friend of the Bridegroom," that is, his close attendant, which is what John the Baptist called himself and what St. Paul was when he spoke of betrothing the Corinthians to Christ. The marriage-metaphor referred to the whole Church, clergy included, in relation to the Bridegroom; for Augustine it was not used to distinguish clergy and laity in the Bride
Note the phrase in bolface. I don't know if this is Augustine or Fr K's interpretation of Augustine, of course, but in any case, the idea that one ought to be careful to not identify the priest or bishop with Christ is perhaps something to consider. Your comments seem to take it for granted that the priest is primarily a representation of Christ. Maybe that is worth reconsidering.
Aside: looking for that comment led me to re-read Martini's final interview. His description of "who can help the church today" (great question) sounds a lot like pope Francis! http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/translated-final-interview-martini I wish he'd lived a few more months so that he could have seen the papal resignation and election.
Hi Jim,
I realize you were probably merely refering to the idea of parish sub-groups when you made the comparison between the EF and Spanish Mass. But there is simply no comparison between Mass for Spanish-speakers and Mass in the Extraordinary Form. I think this is important enough to address here. There are many reasons why this is a totally wrong way to look at what is happening. Here are a few:
1. Use of the vernacular and respect for the multiplicity of human cultures around the globe are part of the liturgical reform of Vatican II. Perpetuation of the pre-Vatican II rites is not part of that liturgical reform. In fact, it is implicitly and explicitly a denial of the need for and/or the pastoral and spiritual efficacy of the reform.
2. 406 million people speak Spanish as a native language, and 60 million speak it as a second language. There is no census of those who participate in the Extraordinary Form. But even the most generous estimates that one finds on line argue for about one million people worldwide. There is simply no comparison. Inflated ideas of some sort of exponential growth of the EF since Summorum Pontificum have yet to be proven.
3. George D's observations above are correct, re: a different liturgical calendar and different lectionary in the EF. This is not true of a Spanish Mass. The EF also has different norms for who may minister (women are not allowed in the sanctuary in the EF, may not be servers or lectors, minor orders that were suppressed in the reform are required, etc.) and for how communion is distributed. The norms in force for the dioceses of the United States apply equally to Mass in other language groups.
4. It is not true that in order to celebrate the liturgy in Latin one must celebrate according to the Extraordinary Form. The Extraordinary Form may only be celebrated in Latin, but the Ordinary Form may be celebrated in either Latin or the vernacular or a mixture of both. If there is a great interest in praying in Latin, it could have been the subject of a movement to celebrate the liturgy of Vatican II in Latin. It was not; it never was what this movement desired. The Latin exists, and is used in various settings. Latin is not the issue. The reformed liturgy itself is the issue.
5. Offering Mass in Spanish is not boutique Catholic liturgy, where I prefer one form and you prefer another. It is the same liturgy, only in Spanish.
6. Finally, while anti-Semitism is not always and everywhere a current in the communities attached to the older rites, there is a serious and sustained thread of this phenomenon in traditionalist Catholic groups--both religiously and socially. This needs to be faced. As Massimo Faggioli argues in his book, True Reform, without the reformed liturgy you don't have Vatican II. With Vatican II came a solemn commitment to a new relationship with the Jewish people, as well as a realized imperative for an ecumenical dimension to our whole way of being Church. The liturgy incarnates this in important ways. Spanish speakers are heir to all of this. EF communities are given the freedom to hold it all at arm's length.
Rita, thanks for those thoughts. In general, I agree with virtually everything you wrote. And I should note that I thought SP, and even Ecclesia Dei, was a mistake: it takes what should be a sign of our unity, our liturgy, and makes it a sign of disunity. I don't think two, parallel missals is the right approach.
What I think Kathy was objecting to (one of the things she was objecting to) is tarring anyone who wishes to worship in the 'Latin mass" as anti-Semitic. My own interactions with such folks is that I don't think I've ever, ever, run across anyone who cited anything that can be considered anti-Semitic as a reason for preferring the 'Latin mass'. I believe Benedict was careful to specify the 1962 missal in part because some of the objectionable language, such as "perfidious Jews", had been cleaned up in that edition. I presume you've heard all the reasons that people wish to pray the 'Latin mass': it is the mass of saints, it has been used since time immemorial, there is something ineffably sacred about it, and so on and so on. I think those really are the reasons, i.e. I believe people when they tell me these things.
I guess my overall point of view, at least for purposes of this thread, is that, whatever we think about people who prefer the Latin mass, regardless of what pains in the behind they can be: they are real, they are here, and they don't seem to be going away. So what to do about them? To what degree are we obligated to be solicitous of their preferences? I don't think there is one right answer to these questions.
A few comments on your points:
1. I agree completely with what you say about respect for cultures and use of the vernacular being part of Vatican II. But so is use of the Latin. As you note, this could be done - and in fact is done, even in dribs and drabs - with the reformed mass. I think this could be explored much more than it has been. In fact, I go farther and believe that use of the Latin could be still another sign of unity across cultures. I suspect one of the reasons Latin in the reformed mass hasn't been pursued - contrary to Vatican II - is a certain insecurity: the fear that using Latin would somehow whet people's appetites to "roll back" more of the reforms. I don't think that would happen. My view is that the reform is extremely successful, and there is no going back. Surely the abject failure of the "reform the reform" crowd to make more headway during the pontificate of Benedict - of which the failure of SP to be accepted at a diocesan level is one instance - makes this clear.
2. You're certainly right about the sheer numbers of Spanish speakers. Even in the US, there are a number of dioceses (including mine, Chicago) that can properly be described as bilingual. But in the US, the primarily-English, minority-Spanish configuration is also quite common, both at a diocesan and a parish level. The parallel I wished to draw is the pastoral one: what to do about a minority group in the community for whom, for whatever reason, busines as usual isn't optimal. Naturally, the comparison, as is true of all comparisons, has limitations.
3. The differences in lectionary, calendar and liturgical law probably are good reasons to adopt the St. John Cantius model I referred to in a previous comment: a separate community for Latin mass adherents. I don't underestimate the difficulties for a pastoral staff to sustain two calendars. But the comparison to English and Spanish in the same community again has some aptness: different music ministries, lector lists, celebrant lists, and so on need to be sustained. It's complicated when the community is diverse.
5. I am not sure what you mean by "boutique liturgy". An occasional mass in Spanish, Vietnamese or Polish, it seems to me, can be a "boutique liturgy", too, if by "boutique liturgy", you mean, "a liturgy that caters to the preferences of a small, cohesive minority". The question I'm asking here is, "To what extent are we obligated to provide boutique liturgy?"
6. Anti-semitism in the church is broader than liturgy, and efforts to cleanse the liturgy of it are older than Vatican II. Anti-semitism is not universal among adherents of the Latin Mass, and it is far from eradicated among people who worship according to the "ordinary form". Unflattering references to "the Jews" are found in the reformed Lectionary even today, as they are right there in the Biblical texts. Concerns about anti-Semitism in the liturgical texts certainly can't be ignored, particularly in regard to those who (illegally) use missals from the 1940s or earlier. I just can't square accusations of anti-Semitism with the actual Latin mass adherents I know (and, in some cases, love). As I say, I don't think anti-Semitism is a prime motivator for them. I just don't see it. Kathy referred to one particular profile of Latin mass attendees: young people. Attitudes such as anti-Semitism frequently change across generations. I think it's quite likely that young Latin mass adherents are not markedly more anti-Semitic than anyone else of their generation.
Hi Jim,
Just one quick response.
You seem to think that Vietnamese people are Vietnamese by preference. No. They are born Vietnamese. Same with Hispanics. This isn't a question of preferences.
Do you see the difference between belonging to a group because of the absolute givens of your life and preferring one type of liturgy over another as an option? The latter is what I mean by boutique liturgy.
The great irony is that in order to gain the reintroduction of the older rites into the mainstream, they had to be sold as an "option" which is a far cry from what their main proponents really wanted. Of course, they are confident that the new rites will eventually die out...
rose-ellen --
I grant you that if the most important iconic factor a priest should illustrate is a physical likeness of Christ, then, yes, a male is more like Him than a female. But if His being a male isn't the most important thing about Him in the first place, why should looking like a male be most important?
You say that a woman priest would somehow "break" the history of Jesus being a man. But, again, why is it most important that his male-ness be what the priest represents? And if physicality is an issue, then surely a woman is a better representation of Him than the already allowed fish.
So, I grant you that a male priest has a (very minor) iconic edge. But I just can't see why that is so important, given the strengths a female clergy would bring to the Church. Being a priest is not only saying the words of consecration in the Mass, and our attention should be on the Hose and Chalice, not the person raising them up. And, as I said earlier, I just don't see that there are any theological reasons to deprive the Church of women priest. We'll just have to disagree.
I really don't understand what is hoped to be gained by a strict uniformity of rites. I spoke recently to a priest, a former Norbertine, who incardinated into a diocese after the Premonstratensian form was suppressed. He showed me the chanted sequence that in his early days as a Religious he had sung at Christmas. I don't understand why he had to lose the form of the Rite to which he had been accustomed. What is the point of suppression? What is the expression--let a hundred flowers bloom.
Kathy - the pre-1962 isn't a RITE. and even tho Benedict tried hard to sell the *two forms of the one rite*, as both Jim P and Rita state well, that has created more disunity than unity and, as most all experts agree, this type of papal approach has never happened before.
You are making an incorrect assumption when you think SP created a new rite. Liturgy is always developing; it is organic; it is not a museum piece.
The other rites of our western church accept the VII reforms.
Rita can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that part of the point of SP was to clarify that what is now referred to as the extraordinary form was never, technically, suppressed. I believe that the evolution of rites has been precisely that, an evolution. Some rites fall out of use naturally as the Church adopts reformed liturgies and this is what occurred. I was too young at the time but there was, I understand, broad consensus among all bishops. priests, and laity that the liturgy was in need of reform. I have heard stories of priests not really formed that well in Latin, not clearly understanding what they were saying and praying, or worse, whipping through the mass barely even pronouncing the text. It is total historical fantasy to imagine that the liturgies were all reverent, prayerful, and contemplative.
At the time, the vast majority welcomed the reformed liturgy. In retrospect, maybe they should have kept important elements from the other rite as the difference as jarring or maybe there should have been an easier transition. I know for certain that the reformed liturgy alienated at least on person I know as I mentioned! So I am sympathetic to those who miss the older liturgy. But very few of those people exist any longer.
I am convinced though that the older liturgy would just fall out of use naturally. Even now, you have certain segments, and priests like Fr. Z agitating for its return. But it is simply not a wide scale clamour and there is not the critical mass to support it. That is just an empirical fact. I would even go so far as to say that it is the sensus fidelium. Those websites are simply not representative of the bulk of Catholics in the world.
But, yes, let there be pockets for it but they will always be in the minority and those leaders should be attuned enough to the sensus fidelium to abandon their cult like devotion to a form that has run its course.
Liturgy should unite us and it is important that there be some kind of clear structure in terms of liturgy. That kind of cohesion lies at the heart of public religious worship. I am not saying it has to be completely uniform but it seems to me that the current liturgy is sufficiently flexible to incorporate elements from other cultures (e.g. language, also sweet grass instead of incense, different music). But the core of it remains. And from my point of view anyway this is important.
I have attended Eastern liturgies as well and there is a consistency with their practices even though it is a different rite.
Bill, yes, you've caught me. I l had looked back briefly over my comment to make sure I had used the word "form" instead of "rites"--and missed one. Good catch. As long as we're doing elementary liturgy, first of all, your experts are wrong. Wide variation of practice was allowed until Trent--15 centuries of popes allowing freedom of liturgical form. Even after Trent, ancient rites could continue. Is there a reason why you think Trent should be *less* liturgically restrictive than Vatican II? Secondly, when you say that the other rites of our western church accept the VII reforms, do you include, for example, the Carthusian rite?
George, thank you for your thoughtful comment. (I still haven't figured out how to make paragraphs, by the way, so thank you for taking the time to slog through sentences that might seem incongrously linked. When I expand the comment form it just becomes a bigger comment form without any extra icons appearing, unfortunately.) While I agree that there are many more people who are comfortable enough with the Ordinary Form than people who are clamoring for the Extraordinary Form, I believe that this cannot by itself suggest that the sensus fidelium is operative and acclamatory of the Ordinary Form as such, for a number of reasons. First, most people today have had no exposure to the Extraordinary Form, so it isn't as though there is even a perceived choice between the two forms. Secondly, those who did know the Mass pre-Vatican II were asked to make a switch to the new ritual books and either did so in good faith or stopped attending altogether, with the understanding that keeping the old form was not an option. (This was not a universally welcomed change. A lady who was elderly when I knew her in the 90s and who has since died used to say quite regularly, "Where we wrong then, or are we wrong now?") Thirdly, just because everyone in a certain age agrees on something is not sufficient to make in the sensus fidelium, particularly, as here, when secularizing attitudes have been at work. Fourthly, there is an enormous gap between the conciliar Constitution and the resulting liturgical practice. I am not suggesting an invalid liturgy, at all, but since the Church can always use reform, and since this gap is very real, it should be investigated and corrected. Fifthly and most importantly, the faithful have been formed inadequately since the Council, almost universally, in part by liturgical practices in many places that have no justification in any liturgical law including the early postconciliar Roman Missals, as well as by other peculiar practices, such as effective iconoclasm in many parish churches. Things are getting better, thankfully.
You seem to think that Vietnamese people are Vietnamese by preference. No. They are born Vietnamese. Same with Hispanics. This isn't a question of preferences.
Rita - that's true, of course. A person who speaks Spanish as a first language doesn't do so as something freely chosen; it's just part of her history - part of who she is. I take it your point of view is that the Spanish-speaking group has a better claim on diocesan or parish resources than a Latin mass group. I don't say you're wrong.
I am somewhat curious how a Latin mass adherent would respond to this point - but only somewhat :-) I'm sorry if you stayed up late last night strictly in order to read my too-long comment! Looks like this topic has now rolled off the first page at dotCom anyway :-)
Thank you Claire for the links and pointing out that the priest is not necessarily a stand in for Christ.I've been reading the linked article that Crystal posted about the theologian Karl Rahner.That gave me food for thought and helped clarify my thoughts about what is meant by salvation.All humanity is saved by christ.Meaning, though unfanthomable and infinite is the mystery of existence[god the father] jesus comes to spell out our reality-that existence is good and at its heart is love of mankind. He spells that out in his life and death and resurrection.All mankind is saved by Jesus mediating the unfathomable mystery with us; infinite[god] seeking finite beings.Jesus shows us our humanity[belonging to god who is good]The church is the outward sign of that fact. Baptied christians outwardly profess that fact. Yet that fact pertains to all humanity,Hence christiaity is universal and gets distilled more explicity in the church founded by jesus of baptized people, then in the form of the consecrated priest.All humanity is christian,all humans are priests in that sense; partakers of sharing in the life of the infinite unfanthomble mystery of being[father] Yet all this are abstractions. We're not all theologians or contemplative mystics or Hindu gurus contemplating reality.That is why we have salvation history.Jesus comes to save us by giving himself to and for us.THE mediator between god the impenetrable mystery of reality, and the bearer of the good news about this mystery that is god/reality and about man.A male priest is a needed distillation of salvaion history as it preserves the concrete fact of jesus christ as savior.Abolish this presence of the male priesthood and in time christianiy may become like buddhism an intellectual pursuit or a good works institution. Karl Rahner says the opposite about womens ordination but i draw a provisional oppossed conclusion.Ontologically the world is Christian[saved by christ], ontologocally we're all priests[partakers through grace of the infinite life of god], so the church of actually professed baptized are a further economy of salvation distillation instituted by Christ himself for the world. Consecrated male priests are part of that institution.Women are priests the same way all people are-by virtue of partaking in the holiness of existence;the goodness of god manifested in the redemptive event,Jesus Christ who we recognize as close to us.Women priests would be a throw back to god as unknown distant being.A male priesthood signifies that god indeed became man -.God is part of human history.The churchs and all christians proclaim Christ so does the presence of male priests.Women priests do not viscerally[psychologically], they do the opposte actually and over time will confuse then erase Jesus from church.[Jesus forgive me and me enlighten me if 'm all wrong.]
Yes - the issue you raise is that the pre-Trentan rites are found in geographic/cutural regions - e.g. Ambrosian. It wasn't the Trentan council that allowed exceptions - it was the popes after Trent who acted on Trent's few liturgical directives and implemented what we recognize as the Tridentine mass and the CDW codified this practice. Issue - EF is not regional nor cultural (sorry, latin and Gregorian chant are't a culture compared to Milan/Ambrosian)
You think these are historical precedens that can compare and justify the EF/TLM - but that is like cramming a square peg into a round hole.
Rita makes the key point - VII reformed our understanding of church and liturgy flows from this. Our understanding of church develops (it was thus different prior to Trent).
You and folks at Chant Cafe/ MSF act as if liturgy exists separate from church - as Rita stated - church that now wants to be less anti-Semitic and more ecumenical.
Trent was not less restrictive - your question misunderstands actual historical facts:
-Trent actually did not stop vernacular liturgy - exceptions were made and bishops could ask permission
- Trent allowed use of the cup (later catholic kings/rulers ended this - this type of royal fiats impacted pre and post Trent - something your simple comparison ignores
- Yes,later popes did codify one form but did allow for some old rites to continue
- VII also allowed the pre-1962 for certain reasons
Actually, Paul VI did the same as Pius V
Recommend reading O'Malley's *Trent*
Bill, you are mistaken. Trent allowed not only regional/ cultural variations in the rites, but also allowed the older rites peculiar to religious orders, such as the Carthusians and Dominicans, to persist. I suggest that the other point you mention might be much more fruitful: the ecclesial dimension. I am curious as to what effect a renewed ecumenical vigor would have on liturgy. I would be interested in hearing more about this. (Preferably without reference to the Nazi witch hunt argument.)
Didn't say that - see third bullet.
For some actual facts
- Sixtus V (25 yrs. after Trent) formed the Congregation of Rites in 1588
- Congregation and Pius V between 1567 and 1614 rewrote all liturgy
- Most importantly, in 1570 bull promulgated the 1570 Missal which stated:
*Universal adoptation of the Roman Rite unless another rite had prevailed in a specific region or religious order for MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED YEARS*
- from this bull forward, the congregation implicitly controlled all liturgy from Rome - it gave it uniformity and rigidity
- this is what we have over time called *Tridentine*
To your points:
- pre1962 missal is not a rite nor a religious order
- so your approach is what - EF/TLM is like a pre-Trent region or religious order?
Ecclesial dimension - articulated by SC/VII in the reformed liturgy - *people of God participating fullyand completely
Ecumenical - example before was ICET and shared lectionary, seasons, and worship responses
Exacrly, Bill. Two hundred years was enough to establish a rite for a religious order in Trent. And why then wouldn't the five hundred years' use of a form of the Roman Rite be sufficient to establish it? Have we have 500 years of invalid Masses, in your view? Was everyone worshipping entirely wrongly--for 500 years?
On the ecclesial and ecumenical dimensions, we'd need more to talk about than bullet points. What in your view is the goal of having worship that in some way resembles that of other Christians? Which other Christians, and how are they chosen? Should ecumenism lead the way for liturgy? Are there some matters, particularly regarding the theology of the Eucharist, that other Christians do not share? If there are some unlike elements, how are these expressed in the Mass and in other liturgical actions? Has the experiment of a common lectionary brought separated ecclesial bodies together, e.g., is there any real sharing of lectionary wisdom among local Catholic congregations and other congregations on a weekly basis, or any other significant cross-sharing on any level except that of pastoral resources? What has concretely happened to the celebration of those sacraments, including penance, that other Christians do not acknowledge? (Etc.)
The Roman Rite was reformed by VII (you have *invented* the pre-1962 Roman Rite). Figured you would come back with that.....again, that isn't what determined *rites* in the church for our whole history. The rite was reformed - in fact, the rite was constantly being modified and changed from the century after Trent onwards (we just choose to ignore that reality).
The usual EF mantra - are masses invalid? of course, not. nor were they wrong. Those questions are a dodge and ridiculous - reveals lack of moral theoloy understanding, etc. or even basic canon law about validity - you appear to be desperate, as usual
Now you have sunk to a new low......your prior validity statement reminds me of the famous quote from the papal birth control commission and a Jesuit, Zalba, who reminded the committee that any change from Casti C. would say - *what then with the millions we have sent to hell?* To which Patty Crowley said: *Fr. Zalba, do you really think that God has carried out all of your orders?*
Let's see - we have *validity* but we also have *licet* - but neither applies here. Keep stretching - since you are in Rome - ask some experts at one of the seminaries?
Of course neither validity nor liceity is at issue here. It was a rhetorical question for you: do you really think that the 500 years of Masses were as bad as you characterize them? And if not, what is the problem with Summorum Pontificum? (Still, I think the ecclesial question is MUCH more interesting than either of our opinions about the relative worth of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms.)


text:
chat.meta.stackoverflow.com is extremely confusing, crowded, and hard-to-figure-out for even an experienced Trilogy user such as myself. I'm having a really hard time understanding it because it seems all so complex. Can we work on dates (time), what posts come first, etc...
What is meta?
- Any Stack Exchange user can ask a question
- The community provides support, votes on ideas, and reports bugs
- Your voice helps shape the way Stack Exchange operates
Well, here's the getting started:
Maybe if you could clarify what exactly you find confusing? It is a different user interface than the trilogy because real time chat is a fundamentally a very different thing from Q&A.
I don't find it confusing. I find it impractical. I will argument as soon as I get a better picture, but the point is that it tries to mimic a IRC discussion, without the practicality of IRC. The sensation is that it adds something to IRC, but the additions do not improve it.
However, I like the idea. it just needs some shaping.
For example:
Small bug: if you click on "room" to get the roominfo popup and then on "starred posts" you get an error.
This is just a random set of cerebral activity, I don't claim it to be coherent at all, but it's feedback...
This is technically an answer to an answer, but since Stefano had a few interesting points, some of which might have had to do with the OP's confusion, I'll address them here:
Maybe, maybe not. Considering that room names aren't usually that long, and that more people usually have limited screen height rather than screen width, I'd say keep as much height as possible to the chat.
Yes, the lightness shows if the room was recently active. So when it's grey, you're not forced to give your attention to something that doesn't need it.
Same as above; when scanning the "user list", you can see quickly how many of those users are really active, and how many are just lurking. In addition, you'll get all info you need if you click on the avatar, including a larger and fully visible version of the same.
You actually have two choices: You can either a) open as many browser tabs as you want, with as many rooms as you want, or b) keep the chat in one browser tab only, and be notified of messages in other rooms via the sidebar. I usually use b), unless I'm active in conversations in several rooms at the same time.
This animation has actually been toned down quite a bit since earlier versions, because many people found it… well, too easy to spot. And let's be honest, in almost all cases, the fact that someone enters the room isn't really that interesting. If they engage in the conversation, you'll notice them, and if they just want to lurk, what's the point of cluttering up the timeline with "user entered" messages? Even more so for "user left".
Actually there are three; the lines fade away.
Yeah, that was less than optimal; we changed christmas tree coloring today.
chat.meta.stackoverflow.com is the beta site for the chat functionality that will, in the end, be available on all sites. There will be a chat.cookingoverflow.com, and the chef will go there to chat. All he'll need is an account on cookingoverflow.com, and that's where the "user profile on parent site" link will lead.
I assume you mean "on the right". That should actually be scrollable, and also only use as much screen height as is available. If that's not the case, it would be nice if you opened a bug report here on meta, preferably with a screenshot.
Space is valuable :) FWIW, the user icons next to the messages get larger if there is additional space to be filled (because they said several things in a row).
That depends on your screen (or browser) size. The chat should be usable at a screen width of 1024 pixels, and at that window size, there's not really any space left to put something. What would you insert there, anyway?
That's probably a matter of taste; but even more, it again touches the "screen real-estate" issue.
I'm not toally averse to that idea, although I wonder if it wouldn't cause more confusion of the "what the heck do those colors mean" kind.
Oh don't worry, the color scheme you currently see is just for the Meta version. This is more or less what the Super User chat will look like:
As I said above, every site will have their own chat.
You have already discussed that with Robert in the comments, so I'll skip this.
Not planned, nor ever was. Did anybody say differently?
Don't get me started on Shog9 :)

subset: commoncrawl