Sydney
31 August 2003
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A
place ‘where heaven meets earth’
Teach more religion
in school, says new Gov-General
Toys
for Solomons kids
‘Good
Shepherds’ can almost hear the water
Three
generations of caring for forces
Pastoral
care of the armed forces
League
seeks new laws to protect women
Truth,
a fictional conflict and the need for Christian morality
Editorial:
Find room for God
Letters:
Liberal arts
Conversation:
Sr Renée Heraud, missionary - Vila’s diminutive media dynamo
Why
do we have faith in Jesus?
They
‘need our prayers’
‘Walk
arm in arm’ call to Vinnies
In
touch with God on the roof of the world
Letters: Liberal arts
My son starts high school next year and after reading your article (Liberal arts focus at Campion College CW 10/8) I will certainly be encouraging him to consider undertaking a liberal arts degree there.
This of course assumes that he reaches sufficient academic standard to be accepted.
In these times of obsession about vocational training, its wonderful to see that the Catholic Church once again comes to the rescue of the western intellectual and cultural heritage.
Justine Leonard
Helensburgh, NSW
GREGORY THE GREAT
For those who are firmly convinced that the Tridentine way is the only right way, allow me to remind them of the words of St Gregory I, who was indeed truly Great.
St Augustine of Canterbury wrote to this pontiff (c597) worried about the differences in liturgy being practised by Christians in Wales (Celts) and Gaul from those of Rome.
Gregory replied: I approve of thy selecting carefully anything thou hast found that may be more pleasing to Almighty God, whether in the Roman Church or that of Gaul, or in any Church whatever, and introducing in the Church of the Angli ... what thou hast been able to collect from many Churches. For we ought not to love things for places, but places for things. (The Great Epistles Book XI Epistle LXIV)
This very letter, among other evidence, has been used by 20th century scholars to show that although “the Gregorianum contains a certain number of prayers which can be ascribed to St Gregory” (Ashworth 1959 p109), the Sacramentary which bears Gregory’s name and dates back to the first half of the seventh century “can no longer be attributed to Gregory the Great” (Vogel 1986 p79, who provides a list of references for follow up).
At first I was disappointed coming to this realisation, even more with the fact that the related cantus annalis and establishment of a formal Roman schola cantorum had to be even somewhat later (see J
MacKinnon The Advent Project 2000 passim).
However, compensation is in getting to know the real Gregory through his letters, which I recommend for reading.
MT Levey
Ashfield, NSW
MASS IN OLD FORM
Contrary to the headline Latin Rite Mass is ‘exception, not rule’ (CW 22/6), it is truer to say the ‘exception’ (the Novus Ordo Mass) has, within only the last 40 years, become the ‘rule’.
For centuries, the ‘mainstream Church’ celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Latin and largely in the same form.
Millions of faithful (including saints) attended the Mass in the old form, as have millions of contemporary Catholics for at least part of their lives. The article, however, slights those who feel ‘drawn to the past’, as if it were a fault. Perhaps the Latin and the music attract some to the old rite, just as the vernacular and contemporary music attract some to the new.
The attraction to the old rite, however, is much deeper. Let the serious reader compare the prayers of the Offertory of the old rite to those of the new.
Treasures of our past are usually preserved to show our heritage.
Why should the traditional Mass be scorned as the ‘exception’?
Greg O’Regan
Farrer, ACT
NATIVE TONGUE
I am astonished by the assertion of Arnold Jago (Special language, Letters CW 13/7): “What matters is that the New Mass prayers don’t say what the prayers of the Traditional Mass say. The New Mass prayers omit most references to the fact that the Catholic Mass is a sacrifice - Our Lord’s body and blood becoming really present when the priest consecrates the bread and wine.”
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Eucharistic Prayer I is the ‘Roman Canon’ of the ‘Traditional’ Mass; this prayer ‘says' exactly what it ‘said’ when Mass was celebrated by my Scottish ancestor in faith, St John Ogilvie SJ, before his martyrdom in the 16th century.
It continues to express the traditional Eucharistic doctrine of the Catholic Church, as, indeed, do each of the Eucharistic Prayers contained in the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul Vl; the General Instruction of the Roman Missal makes it very clear that the Mass is “... the sacrifice and paschal meal that make the sacrifice of the cross to be continually present in the Church, when the priest, representing Christ the Lord, carries out what the Lord did and handed over his disciples to do in his memory” (GIRM. n48).
In Eucharistic Prayer II, we pray, “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ”. In EP III, “And so, Father, we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the Body and Blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ”. In EP IV, “Father, may this Holy Spirit sanctify these offerings. Let them become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord”.
Before ordination I was required to take an oath of loyalty to what the Church taught and proposed to teach. In the course of my ordination, I pledged obedience to my bishop and his successors.
In this spirit I gladly accept the Novus Ordo Mass, and thank God every day for the privilege of celebrating his rich love in my native tongue.
Fr Michael Slattery
Parish of the Immaculate Conception
Harvey, WA
SINGLE CATHOLICS
Single Catholics who live in country areas are restricted in being able to meet other singles of their own age group (Checking to see if Mr Right’s in site CW 27/7).
The Church and the community need to become more involved in helping singles understand the meaning of Catholic social life and its promotion.
Single Catholics play an important role in the life of the Church and the Catholic community as it is they who marry, become priests and join religious organisations.
Some even remain single for various reasons.
M F Butler
Lismore, NSW