Month: <span>July 2021</span>

I rarely post articles on this site by choice, but this on was so on the money that it made me invoke the old adage that rules are made to be broken. To whet your whistle, here is a quote:

Most of the world’s Catholics won’t take any interest at all in Traditionis Custodes. In view of the small number of traditionalist communities, most will hardly understand what is going on. Indeed, we have to ask ourselves whether the pope had no more urgent task—in the midst of the sex abuse crisis, the Church’s financial scandals, schismatic movements like the German synodal path, and the desperate situation of Chinese Catholics—than to suppress this small, devoted community.

Go and read the rest at First Things HERE.

The following letter to Pope Francis was written mostly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Recently, my dear sister snapped this photo in one of my former parishes. I am touched by the cross, which is so central in this sanctuary. And, oh how this Motu Proprio has brought to so many bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and laity the cross. But we must not put our trust in princes, but in the Lord, who has, in times past delivered, us from the hands of many a tyrant. So, do not fear! Have confidence! And remember those words spoken by our Lady of Fatima, “my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way to God,” and  “in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” Let us flee to our mother, and in this Year of St. Joseph, let us cry out to St. Joseph, terror of demons, to soften the hearts of the Holy Father and drive from the Vatican, that evil which we know resides there.

22 July 2021

St. Mary Magdalene

His Holiness, Pope Francis

Vatican City State

00120

Most Holy Father,

PAX!

I write today in response to your latest Motu Proprio. I found it disturbing, cruel, and unnecessary. Let me explain.

My first real encounter with the Traditional Latin Mass was when I was studying liturgy at the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary. A class was offered on its theology and included a practicum. Learning the theology of the Mass and celebrating it often, even daily, changed my priesthood for the better. In time, being lonely at school and desiring to have a regular parish to carry out pastoral duties, especially on the weekends, the parish that welcomed me was a parish that offered both forms of the Roman Rite. Every other week I was afforded the privilege of offering a Missa Cantata. On the other weeks I offered the ordinary form. I also heard literally hundreds of confessions each weekend. It was the single most blessed opportunity while in Chicago. It made me understand the Mass more fully, and no doubt prepared me for the sacrifice I am now making in my suffering from ALS.

You see, Your Holiness, in December 2019, I was diagnosed with ALS. A terminal, non-curable disease that slowly has taken away my speech, my abilities to walk, talk, move, swallow, and eat. Right now, I am unable to offer Holy Mass, which means I have become the victim, with Jesus, upon the Altar of the Cross. That theology and spirituality comes directly from the Traditional Latin Mass, and saints who were formed by it. It has made me have hope in suffering instead of becoming bitter and angry. The Traditional Latin Mass also taught me that I can be a victim with Christ, and thus offer my sufferings for the Church in this time of confusion, idolatry, and schism in Germany.

As I look toward my death, this Motu Proprio has caused me deep grief and anxiety. To think, if this Motu Proprio is to be taken at face value, I will have to have my funeral, which I desire to be a Solemn Pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form in a gym or other non-parish setting. I’m sorry, Your Holiness, but that is cruel to me and my family, and all at the hand of someone who I am supposed to call Holy Father. No, you have shown yourself something less than that. Fathers do not give his son a snake when he asks for a fish.

The supposed excuse for this all, is unity. My time at Mundelein taught me that never did I find disunity there among the standing room only flock that filled the Church every Sunday. What I found was unity in the perennial teachings of the Church. I found unity in the reception of the Sacraments regularly and with devotion. I found unity in devotion. And I found unity in fraternity among parishioners. Would that this parish would spread like wildfire! Instead, in so many parishes we see disunity all around. Catholics not believing in the Eucharist, confusion about divorce and remarriage, and the elephant in the White House, should or should not Joe Biden receive Holy Communion? Let me assure you, there is no such lack of unity of faith or confusion in the parish I helped in Illinois.

I also can’t help but think of our seminarians, who themselves have come to love the richness of the Traditional Latin Mass, or the newly ordained who were confident that this Mass would be part of their lives? And now to have it so suddenly taken away, it is unfair and cruel, and I feel we will lose many of them, just when we need the most!

I beg of you, Holy Father, to promptly rescind this Motu Proprio, so that priests, like myself, seminarians, religious, and bishops may be able, once again, to celebrate the Mass that formed the saints throughout the ages.

At least, see us as the marginalized, which we now are. Consider visiting us at the margins with mercy instead of vengeance. Come see if you find anger, bitterness, disunity, or disbelief in the perennial teachings of the Church. Come immerse yourself in the smell of your newly marginalized sheep. I am confident you will find their love, joy, unity, lots of growth, and the living Spirit of God.

Again, I beg you, rescind this Motu Proprio.

Praying that your heart may be softened toward the marginalized sheep of your pasture, I remain

Yours, in the Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Fr. Dana Ambrose Christensen, Obl. OSB

22 July 2021

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Your Excellency,

PAX!

I want to thank you for asking consultation from both priests and seminarians after the latest Motu Proprio from Pope Francis. I found it disturbing, cruel, and unnecessary. Let me explain.

My first real encounter with the Traditional Latin Mass was when I was studying liturgy at the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary. A class was offered on its theology and included a practicum. Learning the theology of the Mass and celebrating it often, even daily, changed my priesthood for the better. In time, being lonely at school and desiring to have a regular parish to carry out pastoral duties, especially on the weekends, the parish that welcomed me was a parish that offered both forms of the Roman Rite. Every other week I was afforded the privilege of offering a Missa Cantata. On the other weeks I offered the ordinary form. I also heard literally hundreds of confessions each weekend. It was the single most blessed opportunity while in Chicago. It made me understand the Mass more fully, and no doubt prepared me for the sacrifice I am now making in my suffering from ALS.

Then, comes this bombshell out of the blue, which seems to negate the experience I had and what I learned. It has caused me deep sorrow. To think, if this Motu Proprio is to be taken at face value, I will have to have my funeral, which I desire to be a Solemn Pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form in a gym or other non-parish setting. I’m sorry, your Excellency, but that is cruel to me and my family, and all at the hand of someone who I am supposed to call Holy Father. No, he has shown himself something less than that. Fathers ought not give his son a snake when he asks for a fish.

The supposed excuse for this all, is unity. My time at Mundelein taught me that never did I find disunity there among the standing room only flock that filled the Church every Sunday. What I found was unity in the perennial teachings of the Church. I found unity in the reception of the Sacraments regularly and with devotion. I found unity in devotion. And I found unity in fraternity among parishioners. It is, bishop, your vision for this diocese in miniature. Would that this parish would spread like wildfire! Instead, in so many parishes we see disunity all around. Catholics not believing in the Eucharist, confusion about divorce and remarriage, and the elephant in the White House, should or should not Joe Biden receive Holy Communion? Let me assure you, there is no such lack of unity of faith or confusion in the parish I helped in Volo, IL.

I also can’t help but think of our seminarians, who themselves have come to love the richness of the Traditional Latin Mass, or the newly ordained who were confident that this Mass would be part of their lives? And now to have it so suddenly taken away. Will we lose them to orders whose charism it is to offer the Holy Mass according to the older rites? I think this is not out of the realm of possibility.

So, as you have gathered, I beg of you, on my knees, to not implement this Motu Proprio in our diocese, or to do so as liberally as you can. Do not alienate good faithful people, in our diocese, including priests and seminarians.

I would encourage you as part of your discernment to visit our Latin Mass community to see if you find there what Pope Francis expects you will find. Also study The Traditional Latin Mass yourself, and maybe even offer it. I think you will find there what I found, namely, rich prayers, healthy reverence, and unity among believers.

I also recommend that your discernment include canon 87§1. A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church. He is not able to dispense, however, from procedural or penal laws nor from those whose dispensation is specially reserved to the Apostolic See or some other authority. At least one bishop had already used this canon, because of the spiritual good of his diocese, dispensed his diocese from this Motu Proprio, so there is precedence in the United States for at least considering this.

This canon gives you a way to see the spiritual good of the flock entrusted to your care is able to go on as normal, as under Summorum Pontificum, by dispensing all laity, priests, deacons, and seminarians from this novel Motu Proprio from Pope Francis. Not to put undue pressure on you, but this canon gives you the ability to do something that will draw seminarians and priest who no longer feel welcome in their own diocese or religious order so you can better see your vision for the diocese fulfilled! What an opportunity to see many St. John Vianney’s who himself was daily nourished by the Traditional Latin Mass, the Roman Breviary, and The Roman Ritual.

If you would like to discuss this further, or if you have follow up questions, please let me know.

Praying for you as you discern, as well as for Pope Francis, that he would in mercy rescind this cruel document,

I remain yours in the Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Fr. Dana Ambrose Christensen, Obl. OSB