I don’t get it.
From a newpaper in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
New Archbishop hopes to blend Indigenous and Catholic spirituality
In his native tongue of Tamil, Susai Jesu’s name literally translates to Joseph Jesus.
Catholicism runs deep in the Indian-born priest who was recently appointed archbishop of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas, which covers northern regions of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
As a young boy, his mother would take him to church regularly at 4:30 in the morning and again in the evening.
“That’s how I strengthened my faith – directly from my Mom who gave me the seed for the religious vocation.”
During his time as a catechist, leading prayer service, as choir master, and alter boy, he noticed something that didn’t sit well with him. The priest would offer mass, but leave right away.
“There were lots of elderly women and men waiting to meet and receive blessings from the priest, but that wasn’t the case,” said Jesu. “I decided myself, if I ever became a priest, I would be available, at service, any time. So, availability is key for my becoming a priest.”
Jesu also believes availability will be the key to fostering reconciliation and stronger relationships as he oversees ministry of nearly 50,000 Catholics who are mostly Indigenous.
Jesu isn’t new to northern Saskatchewan. He spent seven years as a priest for Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay where he sat with Elders learning the Cree language through prayer and singing. Elders continue to play a big role in his personal and professional life. His recent episcopal ordination and installation mass began with traditional drumming, prayers in Cree and Dene and blessings from Elders. During his time at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in The Pas, MB he included Indigenous elements in his mass celebrations, like smudging. He’s also eager to incorporate more Medicine Wheel teachings.
“I’m hopeful that, you know, Indigenous spirituality and Catholic spirituality can blend and be parallel, which I can see very well.”
[…]
And somehow the TLM is … what again?
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What a wretched contrast with all the assorted local-vernacular 16th- and 17th-century devotional music produced in North, Central, and South America – what a betrayal of the faithful among those Cree (etc.) Catholics.
That’s probably what was missing from the Novus Ordo, more Indian smudging and prayers in Cree. No idea how the Council Fathers didn’t think of that. Less Latin, more Cree, people!
At first I thought “alter boy” (sic) must be a typo, but reading the rest of the piece, I’m not so sure!
It seems to me that when you fully embrace the Catholic faith as a priest you leave behind all those childish dalliances.
Perhaps he could spend time studying the writings of the Saints instead of wasting time trying to assimilate pagan practices with Catholicism.
He’s elevating those pagan practices to be on par with the Catholic Church.
Did you not read TC? Each Novus Ordo Mass is a “unique expression of the Roman Rite.”
I suggest your readers see Jen Fulwiler on you tube about her conversion to becoming catholic. OK a bit irreverent at times about relics. but she makes an important point. She says in one video, friends ask her why she does not become spiritual rather than religious. She tells us that at times when she is at Church, she is not feeling spiritual, like she wants to scold her kids, but she knows God is there with her, in the Eucharist, no matter what she is feeling. So it is better to be religious than “spiritual”. This is the point of being Catholic, is it not, we need not delve into esoteric or indigenous “spiritualities” , just accept that Christ is with in the Eucharist.
It’s simple. Religious syncretism like this doesn’t threaten the movement Francis and his ilk promoted, so rife with religious pluralism and indifferentism. The TLM explicitly stands against those things in an unambiguous way, so it must go. “Todos todos todos, unless you speak Latin” or something like that.
More to the point, this is telling Cree people who have a traditional Catholic spirituality that they’re wrong, whereas the people who may or may not be syncretic or non-Christian are right.
Best case, people are using practices like smudging as a personal pious devotion, in which case it doesn’t necessarily belong at Mass. (I’m kind of amazed that insurance companies let people do this indoors, when they often don’t like candles or incense.)
Props for learning the language. And props for trying to be available for blessings and such. But why dump every possible non-liturgical practice into Mass, like it’s a liturgical practice universally?
I am absolutely positive that the North American Martyrs would totally disagree with him.