Calgary Bishop Suspends Latin Mass

[CDNowak]

It was truly a black Friday in Calgary, as Bishop Frederick Bernard Henry suspended the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in at least two of the locations staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).
The Bishop, as published on the diocesan website,… (whole article)

 

[redrosetea]

It only sounds to me like it is temporary, till the flu threat is over

 

[CDNowak]

It only sounds to me like it is temporary, till the flu threat is over

Temporary or not, it is beyond the scope of the bishop’s authority. Actually, we are now getting into the territory of contradicting Summorum Pontificum (a document published by the Pope on his own authority), as the bishop suspended only the EF.

 

[barb_finnegan]

Oh, good grief…that is unbelievable!

People have gotten so paranoid about swine flu, they’ve lost their common sense!

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

This story may be true, however, I’m yet to see anyone actual proof of this being true. Every news story on this seems to link back to each other. Where is the Michael C. who claims to have the email correspondence? Where is any statement from the diocese, PFSP, or the parish involved? Why do all the websites that report this link to each other like a circle?

 

[CDNowak]

This story may be true, however, I’m yet to see anyone actual proof of this being true. Every news story on this seems to link back to each other. Where is the Michael C. who claims to have the email correspondence? Where is any statement from the diocese, PFSP, or the parish involved? Why do all the websites that report this link to each other like a circle?

theologiasulum.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/calgary-suspends-latin-mass/, as linked in the smaller image on the Examiner. Thank you for questioning my integrity, btw.

The links tend to be circular because it is a newly breaking story, and all the facts come from one source, cfn. Therefore, anyone covering the story must link back to that one point of origin.

That is until someone (ahem) decides to contact the principals in the case and posted new information that they received first hand in a widely available site, to replace rumor with fact.

 

[ljubim]

What?! Right after the Vatican said bishops cannot refuse communion on the tongue… This bishop is playing with fire. Who does he think he is? Bishops do not have this kind of power, not in the least.

Awaiting a Vatican responseopcorn:

 

[marci]

I wonder if everyone freaking out about reception on the tongue is equally concerned about drinking from the communal cup?

 

[JaMc]

Does anybody know if they suspended the Mass during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918, which was much worse than the Swine Flu, when what is now the “EF” was the only form of the Mass in the Latin Church?

 

[ljubim]

Does anybody know if they suspended the Mass during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918, which was much worse than the Swine Flu, when what is now the “EF” was the only form of the Mass in the Latin Church?

I wonder if everyone freaking out about reception on the tongue is equally concerned about drinking from the communal cup?

EXACTLY!! I don’t want to say it’s an attack on tradition… but that’s what it feels like.

How about holding hands at the Our Father(as so many people do at OF)? How about the Precious Blood? How about communion on the tongue AT BOTH forms? This bishop’s actions disturb me…

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

theologiasulum.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/calgary-suspends-latin-mass/, as linked in the smaller image on the Examiner.

For some reason earlier that image was “x” on my browser. Good to finally see something substantial.

Thank you for questioning my integrity, btw.

How was your integrity questioned?

The links tend to be circular because it is a newly breaking story, and all the facts come from one source, cfn. Therefore, anyone covering the story must link back to that one point of origin.

Indeed, but CFN’s story was rather amateurish and didn’t explain who was emailing the diocese. They didn’t have screenshots of the emails, they had copy/paste which could have been fraudulent or altered.

That is until someone (ahem) decides to contact the principals in the case and posted new information that they received first hand in a widely available site, to replace rumor with fact.

This thread contains no mention of you contacting the PFSP. Another thread does and I had originally missed that post.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

What?! Right after the Vatican said bishops cannot refuse communion on the tongue… This bishop is playing with fire. Who does he think he is? Bishops do not have this kind of power, not in the least.

Awaiting a Vatican responseopcorn:

The Archdiocese of Toronto has also recently banned communion on the tongue. The CDWDS statement is apparently having little effect in Canada.

 

[CDNowak]

EXACTLY!! I don’t want to say it’s an attack on tradition… but that’s what it feels like.

How about holding hands at the Our Father(as so many people do at OF)? How about the Precious Blood? How about communion on the tongue AT BOTH forms? This bishop’s actions disturb me…

The diocese in question did suspend offering the chalice (which is within his authority), as well as noting that physical contact should be limited, more specifically on the SoP then the Our Father, but common sense would make the connection.*

The underlying principle is more of an attack on proper understanding of authority than an attack on tradition, but the expression is antagonistic toward tradition.

*Other dioceses, including my home diocese have explicitly asked hand-holding to cease for the duration.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

I wonder if everyone freaking out about reception on the tongue is equally concerned about drinking from the communal cup?

That has been banned as well.

 

[marci]

That has been banned as well.

Not in my parish.

 

[redrosetea]

I don’t drink from the cup unless I am the first to receive…I do want to say flu is air born so you have as much to fear from a sneeze as from anything else

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Not in my parish.

Did your parish also ban communion on the tongue? It usually goes hand-in-hand (no pun intended) to ban/suspend communion on the tongue, shaking hands, & sharing of the cup.

 

[ljubim]

The diocese in question did suspend offering the chalice (which is within his authority), as well as noting that physical contact should be limited, more specifically on the SoP then the Our Father, but common sense would make the connection.*

The underlying principle is more of an attack on proper understanding of authority than an attack on tradition, but the expression is antagonistic toward tradition.

*Other dioceses, including my home diocese have explicitly asked hand-holding to cease for the duration.

Thanks for bringing that up… my diocese hasn’t really done anything.
Perhaps a temporary modification(like what many are doing in the OF) of the EF would be more appropriate?

 

[CDNowak]

Thanks for bringing that up… my diocese hasn’t really done anything.
Perhaps a temporary modification(like what many are doing in the OF) of the EF would be more appropriate?

Not really, from my understanding. The CDWDS has ruled on forbidding reception on the Tongue (ie, according to RS it is not an option). It seems it would be possible for the bishop to suspend public communion (ie only the priest and viaticum), or the public celebration of the Mass (because gathering people is the largest way Mass contributes to the spread of disease) but as even Bishop Henry notes, this flu is not that serious. If the plague returned, perhaps.

However, it would be possible if the CDWDS were to make a temporary allowance, but this is not yet the case either.

 

[marci]

Did your parish also ban communion on the tongue? It usually goes hand-in-hand (no pun intended) to ban/suspend communion on the tongue, shaking hands, & sharing of the cup.

They have done nothing. People are still holding hands during OF, hugging during the Peace, drinking the Precious Blood. It’s one big germ love fest at my parish!