We want an EF mass. The priest says we sound like schismatics

[Prodigal1984]

Hi all. I would like some (name removed by moderator)ut on what to do.
I am in a young adult Catholic group, and a group of us want the EF to be made available to us in a parish close to us. Currently there is a EF mass in the southern part of the diocese on Sundays but this is almost an hour drive. There is a closer one but it is done by the SSPX and that is not what we are trying to attend. We just love the beauty of the EF. We know a priest who does the EF frequently who told us he would love to come up on Sunday afternoons and celebrate it.
When a few of us approached the priest of the parish and asked him if the church could allow the EF to be celebrated on Sundays at about 2:00(when there is no mass or anything happening at the Church), the priest told us he grew up with the EF and was in seminary during the Council and we need to forget about the old ways for they have passed away and we are beginning to sound like schismatics.This really upset us, we are not schismatics. We attend the OF the majority of the time. We are not trying to be hostile. We know a priest who thinks it would be a great idea to have one in the northern diocese and will serve it. How is this schismatic? And also, after reading Summorum Pontificum it seems as if this is not even factual or legal in the Church with how this priest reacted to our request. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The priest isn’t required to accommodate your request for an EF Mass.

If there’s another church where the parish priest is more accommodating, then go for it.

 

[Fauken]

How is this schismatic? And also, after reading Summorum Pontificum it seems as if this is not even factual or legal in the Church with how this priest reacted to our request. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks

It’s not schismatic. You have the right to request it. Fish Eaters has an article on what to do, but I’m not sure how up to date it is given that Ecclesia Dei is now under the CDF (I think).

https://www.fisheaters.com/tlmsetup.html

If there’s another church where the parish priest is more accommodating, then go for it.

This may be wise given his hostility towards it anyway.

 

[Prodigal1984]

The priest isn’t required to accommodate your request for an EF Mass.

This seems to go against the Pope.
Art. 5, §1 In parishes where a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition stably exists, the parish priest should willingly accede to their requests to celebrate Holy Mass according to the rite of the 1962 Roman Missal. He should ensure that the good of these members of the faithful is harmonized with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop in accordance with Canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Fine, show that to the priest and tell him the Pope says he has to accede to your request. Let us know how that works out.

 

[Prodigal1984]

Fine, show that to the priest and tell him the Pope says he has to accede to your request. Let us know how that works out.

We aren’t trying to be rude or demanding. It isn’t like that. It probably would be wise to try another parish, however being called schismatics when half of the group of us faithfully attend the parish and are lectors or in the choir seemed a bit harsh.

 

[DIERM]

We just love the beauty of the EF.

The reason for the Mass, whether EF or OF, is not for aesthetic beauty, but spiritual beauty, and if you don’t find spiritual beauty in the OF, its unlikely you are going to really find it in the EF.

And, if an hour drive is keeping you from attending the EF Mass, compare that inconvenience to people around the world, including the US (especially native people in the Southwest), who would feel lucky to find a priest and a Mass on any given Sunday at all.

 

[Frankie65]

You are not schismatic. There is a gut reaction by some people (who tend to be older people) vs the Latin Mass.
Great to hear you are young adults who love the old traditional ways

 

[Prodigal1984]

Yah. I don’t really understand the hostility to it. The younger priest in the parish said he saw nothing wrong with it and actually wants to learn it himself eventually, I guess he has served it but never celebrated it as a priest. I thought it would be good for the parish, not just for the group of us asking for it, which is 11 people ages 20-40, but also it would bring in people from other parishes in the area who may wish to attend. It would promote the parish and bring in more offertory contributions for the church. I don’t understand why it is viewed as something bad.

 

[stpurl]

That’s kind of dismissive. The Mass is the (un)bloody sacrifice of the Cross. And to claim that somebody who doesn’t find beauty in one VALID rite won’t find it in the other is bogus.

Why would anyone presume to say something like that about his/her fellow Catholics? How judgmental it sounds.

 

[Prodigal1984]

That’s kind of dismissive. The Mass is the (un)bloody sacrifice of the Cross. And to claim that somebody who doesn’t find beauty in one VALID rite won’t find it in the other is bogus.

I agree. And none of us don’t find beauty in the OF when said reverently. We went on a retreat where there was an EF mass, most of us had never been to it before, and we just fell in love with it and began going more frequently. None of us talks ill about the OF, all still attend it, we all accept the Church teachings, we just wish the EF to be offered in a parish closer to us, and we thought the place to go would be the parish where half of us are adherents to begin with. And we know a priest who is willing to do it! I don’t understand it at all.

 

[DIERM]

That’s kind of dismissive.

[it was not offered as criticism, but food for thought

quote=“stpurl, post:10, topic:566657”]
The Mass is the (un)bloody sacrifice of the Cross

And please don’t take what I offered in the comment on my first post as criticism, but rather food for thought.

And my following comment is offered as catechesis.

The sacrifice of the Cross, on that Good Friday, and at the altar, are both far from “(un)bloody”.

When we go there, we detract from the doctrine of transubstantiation and the True Presence.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

If you enjoy the EF Mass then an hour drive is hardly a burden.

 

[Wesrock]

stpurl:

That’s kind of dismissive.

[it was not offered as criticism, but food for thought

quote=“stpurl, post:10, topic:566657”]
The Mass is the (un)bloody sacrifice of the Cross

And please don’t take what I offered in the comment on my first post as criticism, but rather food for thought.

And my following comment is offered as catechesis.

The sacrifice of the Cross, on that Good Friday, and at the altar, are both far from “(un)bloody”.

When we go there, we detract from the doctrine of transubstantiation and the True Presence.

The mass is commonly referred to as an unbloody sacrifice by the Church since we do not behold the appearance of Jesus’ bloody body.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10006a.htm

Why Is the Mass Called the "Unbloody" Sacrifice of Our Lord on His Cross?

It’s quite simple, really. The Mass is called an unbloody sacrifice to clarify the fact that we do not behold the Lord’s bloody body as it was seen on Calvary....

www.catholic.com

 

[Tis_Bearself]

11 people is kind of a small number. Can you somehow amass a bigger delegation? I think the Fisheaters site talks about having 25 people.

edited to add, I agree with what Brendan says below about maybe finding another nearby parish and seeing if you could enlist some members of that parish who might be interested. Really, I would look at three or four different parishes and try to get a whole group together from several places and then see if any pastor among those parishes is open to the idea. This would both increase your numbers showing that there is more interest in an EF Mass and increase the number of churches you might approach about having one.

 

[Brendan_64]

Regardless of what a priest ought to allow or not, if the priest is dead set against it and has a negative view of the EF Mass, then I think your job trying to get him to agree (whether he ought to or not) could be very difficult indeed.

Perhaps asking for a Sunday Mass may be see as pushing things a bit? Perhaps he is nervous about what he might perceive as some sort of ‘traddie’ takeover of parish life. An evening Mass on a weekday might be a more achievable start?

But if you can find a nearby parish with a sympathetic, or at least neutral or open-minded parish priest then perhaps approach him. I think you would probably need to have some members of his parish among your group and maybe have them ask him on behalf of your group.

Good luck.

 

[Brendan_64]

Is there a Latin Mass Society (or the equivalent) that you could get in touch with and they could be able to put you in touch with like-minded individuals in parishes near you, or give you general advice? Here in the UK, we have the Latin Mass Society.

As for being told you sound like schismatics, let it go like water off a duck’s back.

 

[yankeesouth]

If he grew up with the EF I would think he would be near retirement age? Maybe the next priest will be more open to it or at least be more charitable. Meanwhile, why not organize your group to make the trip each Sunday or every other Sunday to the parish that is friendly towards the Traditional Latin Mass. Share rides, make a day of it, go out for brunch or lunch afterwards.

 

[1ke]

Perhaps the priest you have approached to celebrate the EF mass would be willing to talk to his brother priest about his desire to celebrate it and the potential to draw back SSPX chapel goers to the Church through this endeavor?

 

[godisgood77]

He should ensure that the good of these members of the faithful is harmonized with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop in accordance with Canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.

The above words are important to consider…

The pastor is not going against the Pope… he has great latitude when discerning making the the pastoral care of the parish and favoring the unity of the whole Church.