Traditionis Custodes (2)

 Over the past week there has been plenty of ink spilled on the subject of Pope Francis' motu proprio seeking to limit the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite of the Holy Mass.  Sorting through all of this is the task of a parish priest who is privileged to serve those with a devotion to the usus antiquior

(another name for the EF).  Cardinal Burke has written an outstanding analysis of this motu proprio which has been published on his personal web-site which can be found here.  George Weigel, Pope St. John Paul the Great's biographer, has also written a piece worth reading.  Mr. Weigel is upfront about his preference for the Ordinary Form, he is also upfront about his disdain for the "bullying" this motu proprio represents.

It is sad that there are those who have taken this as an opportunity to gloat and cast aspersions on to those who love the Latin Mass; including a priest from the Diocese of Rockford (Illinois) who claims to be "writing from the trenches".  It turns out that there have only ever been two places where the usus antiquior has been offered in his diocese, of which only one survives with only about 200 souls.  Seriously?  ONLY??  I'm sorry, that does not count as "writing from the trenches".  That does count as gloating, i.e.: cheering for a pre-determined outcome without any real experience of the issue involved.

Sad too are those who take this as an opportunity to throw darts at the Holy Father, Vatican Council II, and any number of other targets in the contemporary Church.

Brothers & sisters, this is not a time for recriminations.  It is a

time for prayer and for purification.  Please pray for the unity of the Church; the purification of the Church.  But don't stop there!  Contribute to the unity of the Church by your own acts of charity - especially towards those with whom you may not agree.  Contribute to the purification of the Church by your own acts of penance - for your own sins against charity as well as those who have contributed to the chaos in which we find ourselves now.

We can get through this, as we have overcome every obstacle over the past two millennia.  But we can only do so through our reliance on God and his charity, justice, & mercy.