Letters

Response

Richard Stokes

Contents - Mar 2008 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Man-made global warming: new religion? - Michael Gilchrist Tribute: B.A. Santamaria: ten years on - Cardinal George Pell News: The Church Around the World Man-made climate change: another great hoax? - Peter Finlayson Recovering the sacred in modern church architecture - Moyra Doorly 40 Years On: Vatican II at its mid-life crisis - Br Barry Coldrey Easter: The Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (1962 Missal) Crescat amor: What is the nature and purpose of theology? - Fr John O'Neill PP La Sapienza: Benedict XVI: the papacy and the university - Pope Benedict XVI Vocations: The priesthood: a special relationship with Christ - Fr Pat Stratford Vocations: Signs of hope in US diocese Letters: Christ's Church - Frank Mobbs Letters: Married clergy - Frank Bellet Letters: Canadian Lectionary - Matt Walton Letters: Language - Kevin McManus Letters: Liturgical abuses - Dennis Macdonald Letters: Response - Richard Stokes Letters: Homosexual 'marriage' - Arnold Jago Letters: Altar rails - Corinne O'Loughlin Letters: 'Re-ordered' churches - Brian Tooley Letters: Abortion laws - Robert Prinzen-Wood Letters: From India - Fr. A. Joseph Poetry: Time-Warp - Bruce Dawe Books: GOD AND CAESAR: Religion, Politics, and Society, by Cardinal George Pell - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: SEARCHING FOR AND MAINTAINING PEACE, by Father Jacques Philippe - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: JOURNEY OF A FAITH COMMUNITY, compiled by Tom Johnstone - James E. Scarlett (reviewer) DVD: NO TURNING BACK: Confessions of a Catholic priest, by Fr D. Calloway - Fr Martin Durham (reviewer) Books: Books available from AD2000 Books Reflection: Benedict XVI on Lent: 'authentic conversion to the love of Christ' - Pope Benedict XVI

The courtesy of Mr Apthorp's letters to the Brisbane hierarchy would not seem to have been rewarded by any significant action on the part of those responsible.

Since there has been no perceptible response to the documents from Rome, such as Redemptionis Sacramentum, attempting to correct the errors which are almost universal in the archdiocese, our spiritual guides are hardly going to correct the activities reported by eyewitnesses among the laity.

Indeed, one advice, a number of years ago, was that to be taken seriously, one had to gather real evidence of abuses in the sacraments. When this was done in regard to illicit general absolutions there were cries of 'spies'.

Vatican II's liturgy document makes clear that no priest, on his own authority, may change anything in the Mass. Can a priest claim not to know what the Church requires of him? Hardly, since a significant number of laymen know about these abuses.

One might expect that any bishop, whenever he receives well- documented reports of abuses, would be outraged and act immediately to determine if there is any substance to the reports.

Yet in the Brisbane archdiocese it is difficult to find an abuse-free Mass. The words are constantly changed. 'Lamb of God' becomes 'bread of life' and 'Pray brethren ...' refers to 'gifts' instead of 'sacrifice'. Extraordinary ministers of Communion receive the Blessed Sacrament at the same time as the priest, and perform the ablutions at the end of Mass, while the priest remains seated.

And while extraordinary ministers were introduced to assist priests when there were large numbers at Mass, we now find them still used with congregations of fewer than 20.

Then we have the lack of vestments with chasubles out of favour with many. A priest once told me that the only way to get certain priests into chasubles would be for the Pope to ban them.

Abuses such as these are the norm in this archdiocese. Some are found almost everywhere while others vary from place to place.

Finally, how can priests who openly disregard lawful liturgical instructions expect us laymen to obey them? How can they present themselves as teachers of the faith?

In the short term, it seems likely that more of the same can be expected, however hopeful one might remain about the longer term.

RICHARD STOKES
Morayfield, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 21 No 2 (March 2008), p. 14