Monday, March 03, 2014

The EF banned at Fisher-More College

Over in Texas, in the diocese of Fort Worth, there is one of those small, conservative, Catholic, 'liberal arts colleges' which are a feature of the higher education scene on the other side of the pond. They are all fairly new, because all the older instutions have been taken over by liberals. Fisher-More College is particularly new and, inevitably, financially struggling. One important feature, which the slightly less new versions often do not share, is a genuine friendliness to the Traditional Mass. For the last three years it has been celebrated on campus every day. With the permission of the bishop - obviously.

The diocese has a new bishop, the Most Rev Michael Olsen, who has written to the college President, Mr King. The bishop thanks the students for their spiritual bouquet, and informs Mr King that the EF is forthwith banned on the campus.

The letter is over at Rorate Caeli.

This is a truly stunning move. Is the bishop ignorant of the effects of Summorum Pontificum? Perhaps not quite: let's not jump to conclusions. Rorate has a legal opinion pointing out that the Faithful have a right to the EF. Yes, but look at the wording of the letter. If the bishop's command is not obeyed, what will happen? Will he take canonical steps against the celebrant? No, because he can't. What he can do, however, is suspend permission for the public celebration of Mass on campus at all, and their right to reserve the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel is a private chapel, presumably, and the bishop's permission is needed to celebrate public Masses there, and for reservation.

It is as someone should say: I have no legal right to insist that you do what I want, but I can make life mighty inconvenient for you in other ways if you don't buckle down.

There is a word for this: blackmail.

What if the students asked for the EF? The chaplain would be obliged to celebrate it for them: it is a legal matter. He would in law not be able to fulfil the Bishop's wishes. But he would still suffer the consequences.

14 comments:

  1. "There is a word for this: blackmail."

    Other words for this:
    "Suppression"
    "Oppression"
    "Persecution"
    "Malevolent"
    "Disgusting"
    ..... there are more, but I'm in a hurry.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its possible that this has something to do with the group of teachers from the high school branch that were fired recently. Perhaps they had some pull at the diocese offices? Or perhaps the bishop had it in for FisherMore all along. Either way thats it for the school.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is this another example of the Church doing 'self destruct'.?
    .It's incredible that the bishop should persecute good Catholics because they want to hear Holy Mass in a form time honored and permitted by the Pope.
    When the Church is on the back foot all over the West we don't need these petty quarrels. The Devil must love it to see Catholics arguing over which form of Holy Mass is to be allowed.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I certainly believe the bishop - recently consecrated from priesthood, so he's new and unpracticed at this - has perhaps fired the wrong gun or at the wrong target. However, there appear to have been serious problems already ongoing at the college. A number of traditionalist faculty and students seem to have left because of the direction taken by the college president.

    Below are links to Father Z's blog with good commentary on the situation, and one of the links provided there is to a Catholic blog with deeper insights into the background at TMC.

    Again, I think the bishop's response is misguided but is likely borne of his lack of ecclesial experience and/or an agenda of his previously existing and probably very liberal staff.

    I hope these links expand your understanding.


    http://wdtprs.com/blog/2014/03/fr-zs-first-reaction-to-bp-olson-banning-extraordinary-form-at-fort-worths-fisher-more-college/#comments.

    http://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/fisher-more-denied-ability-to-offer-tlm/

    ReplyDelete
  6. There can be no justification for the prohibition of the traditional Mass of the Church to a Catholic College by the bishop (indeed there is no attempt at justification). That there may be problems or issues that may or may not need to be addressed at the particular college is irrelevant - let such be addressed in the proper way. The linkage of the prohibition of the traditional Mass (which is the sole substantive subject of the order, the sole subject of the bishop's letter) to "the good of your soul" is reprehensible and points to a disordered attitude to the sacred Mass of the Ages which all are bound to honour and defend.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Universae Ecclesiae says that "Christ’s faithful who ask for celebration according to the forma extraordinaria must not give assistance to, or join, societies which impugn the validity or the legitimacy of the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass and of the Sacraments according to the forma ordinaria, or which are in any measure hostile to the Roman Pontiff as Pastor of the Universal Church." The blogger over at VeneremurCernui says "there has been growing concern locally both over King’s [ie the head of the college] draconian style of administration and his seeming desire to make Fisher-More an informal (or formal, who knows?) appendage of the Society of St. Pius X. That may not be King’s intent, but it is the impression many have." We don't know all the details of what the concerns are, but this does in fact suggest to this laywoman a reason consistent with Church law why refusing the celebration of the Extraordinary Form might be justified, based on SP and UE, quite arguably for the reason cited by the bishop--the good of souls. I am very surprised no one is bringing up this passage of Universae Ecclesiae.

    ReplyDelete
  8. If the bishop wants to drive the college into the arms of the SSPX, he has adopted a brilliant strategy. Otherwise his actions are incomprehensible.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Until prejudice and intolerance ends toward the Old Latin Liturgy, there will remain a growth within the various groups outside the regular roman rite hierarchy. The SSPX, "Independent chapels", Eastern Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and related groups of catholics, schismatic or not will all embrace one who is ideally attempting to be loyal Roman Catholic but seeks refuge from chaos.

    Realistically, if it means enduring heretical teachings at an average school or parish, what choice does one have but to go outside the norm. Obedience to the Pope in a time of crisis becomes an abstract ideal.
    During soviet union days, the eastern catholics of ukraine in the 1940's in response to staliniest persecution, mostly all became members of the Orthodox church there. Yet after 40 years, when 1990 came, all those whose families were originally in communion with Rome came back again. You see the moral is that in their hearts, they desired this and felt this to be true, but do to their fear for their lives, they may have denied their faith or became Orthodox temporarily.

    If the Pope can't do his job in keeping his bishops and dioceses in line, one is left with no choice. The majority of lay people hardly know their own faith....

    But this I tell you, and remember it well,

    every single roman catholic I met in an SSPX chapel and every single ex-roman catholic who is now in the Eastern Orthodox Church (and even those still in communion with the Eastern Catholics) they all did it out of desperation, none of them had any intention of betraying Rome or being different or schismatic. Peoples intentions are good.

    When the majority of the Latin rite Roman Church becomes traditional again, than everything will be alright, many who left will come back, groups like SSPX will collapse. But for now, they exist for a legitimate reason in a fallen world where the battle between heaven and hell rages on.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Until prejudice and intolerance ends toward the Old Latin Liturgy, there will remain a growth within the various groups outside the regular roman rite hierarchy. The SSPX, "Independent chapels", Eastern Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and related groups of catholics, schismatic or not will all embrace one who is ideally attempting to be loyal Roman Catholic but seeks refuge from chaos.

    Realistically, if it means enduring heretical teachings at an average school or parish, what choice does one have but to go outside the norm. Obedience to the Pope in a time of crisis becomes an abstract ideal.
    During soviet union days, the eastern catholics of ukraine in the 1940's in response to staliniest persecution, mostly all became members of the Orthodox church there. Yet after 40 years, when 1990 came, all those whose families were originally in communion with Rome came back again. You see the moral is that in their hearts, they desired this and felt this to be true, but do to their fear for their lives, they may have denied their faith or became Orthodox temporarily.

    If the Pope can't do his job in keeping his bishops and dioceses in line, one is left with no choice. The majority of lay people hardly know their own faith....

    But this I tell you, and remember it well,

    every single roman catholic I met in an SSPX chapel and every single ex-roman catholic who is now in the Eastern Orthodox Church (and even those still in communion with the Eastern Catholics) they all did it out of desperation, none of them had any intention of betraying Rome or being different or schismatic. Peoples intentions are good.

    When the majority of the Latin rite Roman Church becomes traditional again, than everything will be alright, many who left will come back, groups like SSPX will collapse. But for now, they exist for a legitimate reason in a fallen world where the battle between heaven and hell rages on.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Until prejudice and intolerance ends toward the Old Latin Liturgy, there will remain a growth within the various groups outside the regular roman rite hierarchy. The SSPX, "Independent chapels", Eastern Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and related groups of catholics, schismatic or not will all embrace one who is ideally attempting to be loyal Roman Catholic but seeks refuge from chaos.

    Realistically, if it means enduring heretical teachings at an average school or parish, what choice does one have but to go outside the norm. Obedience to the Pope in a time of crisis becomes an abstract ideal.
    During soviet union days, the eastern catholics of ukraine in the 1940's in response to staliniest persecution, mostly all became members of the Orthodox church there. Yet after 40 years, when 1990 came, all those whose families were originally in communion with Rome came back again. You see the moral is that in their hearts, they desired this and felt this to be true, but do to their fear for their lives, they may have denied their faith or became Orthodox temporarily.

    If the Pope can't do his job in keeping his bishops and dioceses in line, one is left with no choice. The majority of lay people hardly know their own faith....

    But this I tell you, and remember it well,

    every single roman catholic I met in an SSPX chapel and every single ex-roman catholic who is now in the Eastern Orthodox Church (and even those still in communion with the Eastern Catholics) they all did it out of desperation, none of them had any intention of betraying Rome or being different or schismatic. Peoples intentions are good.

    When the majority of the Latin rite Roman Church becomes traditional again, than everything will be alright, many who left will come back, groups like SSPX will collapse. But for now, they exist for a legitimate reason in a fallen world where the battle between heaven and hell rages on.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Until prejudice and intolerance ends toward the Old Latin Liturgy, there will remain a growth within the various groups outside the regular roman rite hierarchy. The SSPX, "Independent chapels", Eastern Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and related groups of catholics, schismatic or not will all embrace one who is ideally attempting to be loyal Roman Catholic but seeks refuge from chaos.

    Realistically, if it means enduring heretical teachings at an average school or parish, what choice does one have but to go outside the norm. Obedience to the Pope in a time of crisis becomes an abstract ideal.
    During soviet union days, the eastern catholics of ukraine in the 1940's in response to staliniest persecution, mostly all became members of the Orthodox church there. Yet after 40 years, when 1990 came, all those whose families were originally in communion with Rome came back again. You see the moral is that in their hearts, they desired this and felt this to be true, but do to their fear for their lives, they may have denied their faith or became Orthodox temporarily.

    If the Pope can't do his job in keeping his bishops and dioceses in line, one is left with no choice. The majority of lay people hardly know their own faith....

    But this I tell you, and remember it well,

    every single roman catholic I met in an SSPX chapel and every single ex-roman catholic who is now in the Eastern Orthodox Church (and even those still in communion with the Eastern Catholics) they all did it out of desperation, none of them had any intention of betraying Rome or being different or schismatic. Peoples intentions are good.

    When the majority of the Latin rite Roman Church becomes traditional again, than everything will be alright, many who left will come back, groups like SSPX will collapse. But for now, they exist for a legitimate reason in a fallen world where the battle between heaven and hell rages on.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Until prejudice and intolerance ends toward the Old Latin Liturgy, there will remain a growth within the various groups outside the regular roman rite hierarchy. The SSPX, "Independent chapels", Eastern Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and related groups of catholics, schismatic or not will all embrace one who is ideally attempting to be loyal Roman Catholic but seeks refuge from chaos.

    Realistically, if it means enduring heretical teachings at an average school or parish, what choice does one have but to go outside the norm. Obedience to the Pope in a time of crisis becomes an abstract ideal.
    During soviet union days, the eastern catholics of ukraine in the 1940's in response to staliniest persecution, mostly all became members of the Orthodox church there. Yet after 40 years, when 1990 came, all those whose families were originally in communion with Rome came back again. You see the moral is that in their hearts, they desired this and felt this to be true, but do to their fear for their lives, they may have denied their faith or became Orthodox temporarily.

    If the Pope can't do his job in keeping his bishops and dioceses in line, one is left with no choice. The majority of lay people hardly know their own faith....

    But this I tell you, and remember it well,

    every single roman catholic I met in an SSPX chapel and every single ex-roman catholic who is now in the Eastern Orthodox Church (and even those still in communion with the Eastern Catholics) they all did it out of desperation, none of them had any intention of betraying Rome or being different or schismatic. Peoples intentions are good.

    When the majority of the Latin rite Roman Church becomes traditional again, than everything will be alright, many who left will come back, groups like SSPX will collapse. But for now, they exist for a legitimate reason in a fallen world where the battle between heaven and hell rages on.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Until prejudice and intolerance ends toward the Old Latin Liturgy, there will remain a growth within the various groups outside the regular roman rite hierarchy. The SSPX, "Independent chapels", Eastern Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and related groups of catholics, schismatic or not will all embrace one who is ideally attempting to be loyal Roman Catholic but seeks refuge from chaos.

    Realistically, if it means enduring heretical teachings at an average school or parish, what choice does one have but to go outside the norm. Obedience to the Pope in a time of crisis becomes an abstract ideal.
    During soviet union days, the eastern catholics of ukraine in the 1940's in response to staliniest persecution, mostly all became members of the Orthodox church there. Yet after 40 years, when 1990 came, all those whose families were originally in communion with Rome came back again. You see the moral is that in their hearts, they desired this and felt this to be true, but do to their fear for their lives, they may have denied their faith or became Orthodox temporarily.

    If the Pope can't do his job in keeping his bishops and dioceses in line, one is left with no choice. The majority of lay people hardly know their own faith....

    But this I tell you, and remember it well,

    every single roman catholic I met in an SSPX chapel and every single ex-roman catholic who is now in the Eastern Orthodox Church (and even those still in communion with the Eastern Catholics) they all did it out of desperation, none of them had any intention of betraying Rome or being different or schismatic. Peoples intentions are good.

    When the majority of the Latin rite Roman Church becomes traditional again, than everything will be alright, many who left will come back, groups like SSPX will collapse. But for now, they exist for a legitimate reason in a fallen world where the battle between heaven and hell rages on.

    ReplyDelete