I’m a bit pressed for time today, but you should at least see this if you haven’t yet.
At NCReg
Minnesota Diocese Gives ‘Ad Orientem’ Worship a Shot
THERE’s a headline to make you put down your coffee and sit up straight.
[…]
Over the past year, Bishop Daniel Felton of the Diocese of Duluth has provided guidance for nine diocesan parishes to regularly celebrate Mass ad orientem on a trial basis after local pastors made the request.
And at least in some of the parishes, the results seem to be bearing fruit.
[…]
Since ad orientem is assumed in the rubrics, permission shouldn’t be needed… but… hey…
And this seems appropriate… HERE
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It’s nice to know SOMETHING good is happening in Minnesota. Because at this point I think the entire state must be on top of some kind of Ancient Indian Burial Ground.
This reminds me of Bishop Foley’s (1998 I think) decision to ban ad orientem masses in the diocese of Birmingham Alabama. Oddly enough, it turned out he was a great supporter of the VO, but I believe he was pressured to do this by the USCCB. The ban was appealed and (I have spoken to people who have seen the letter) was overturned (because the Church approves of ad orientem masses as Father Z states) except for televised Masses, that is except for EWTN’s masses. So pressure was applied to him in order to get at Mother Angelica for rightly criticizing a Cardinal for publicly denying the Real Presence. This is why she turned EWTN over to a corporation independent of the Church.
So if you ever wondered why EWTN masses changed from ad orientem to ad populum, this is it.
By the way, Bishop Foley, once he became Bishop of Birmingham tried to find a diocesan priest to regularly offer the VO. But no one was willing. When I asked the priest who told me this why did he not just order some one to do it, the priest said that JPII had changed canon law in a way that gave priests rights including the right to refuse to offer a Mass in a way they do not want to offer it. (This must sound like a joke to mistreated priests.) But Foley was a good man, once he reached retirement he served the diocese by offering masses whenever or wherever needed in whatever rite the congregation wanted. He always heard confessions before VO masses. The last time I saw him after he offered a TLM at an old church, he told us he would return to offer Mass again on Easter Sunday if he is still alive. But of course he died. His grave reads “Pray for me”.
…”but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” Romans 5:20
It just makes so much sense. Where is our focus.
My Novus Ordo parish has been ad orientem for years. We love it! When I attend another parish, it bothers me to have the priest looking at the people instead of concentrating on the Sacrifice or, worse yet, have to put on a show somehow.
@ProfessorCover, I served many TLM Masses for Bishop Foley at Blessed Sacrament Church. I miss those days.
The way he chanted was unique and very masculine. You don’t hear priests chanting that way anymore.
@ProfessorCover – I will second your praise of Bishop Foley. Whatever missteps he may have made with regard to Mother Angelica, I was at several VO Masses that he offered after he retired – he seemed to very sincerely love the traditional liturgy.