Christmas Season in Birkirkara

Quotes to reflect upon (13)

Sir Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

“Much water has flown under Tiber's bridges, carrying away splendour and mystery from Rome, since the pontificate of Pius XII. The essentials, I know, remain firmly entrenched and I find the post-Conciliar Mass simpler and generally better than the Tridentine; but the banality and vulgarity of the translations which have ousted the sonorous Latin and little Greek are of a super-market quality which is quite unacceptable. Hand-shaking and embarrassed smiles or smirks have replaced the older courtesies; kneeling is out, queueing is in, and the general tone is rather like a BBC radio broadcast for tiny tots (so however will they learn to put away childish things?) The clouds of incense have dispersed, together with many hidebound, blinkered and repressive attitudes, and we are left with social messages of an almost over-whelming progressiveness. The Church has proved she is not moribund. ‘All shall be well,’ I feel, ‘and all manner of things shall be well,’ so long as the God who is worshipped is the God of all ages, past and to come, and not the idol of Modernity, so venerated by some of our bishops, priests and mini-skirted nuns.” Sir Alec Guinness in Blessings in Disguise.

Important announcement

Those interested in joining Pro Tridentina (Malta) are kindly asked to meet one of the member of the provisional Committee who will be attending Mass in the Extraordinary Form on the dates indicated in the poster or every Sunday at 19:00.

 

SPREAD THE WORD!

Festa tal-Beatu Karlu I tal-Awstrija

Bi pjaċir inħabbru li l-Festa Liturġika tal-Beatu Karlu I tal-Awstrija ser tiġi ċċelebrata permezz ta` Quddiesa bil-Forma Straordinarja tar-Rit Latin fil-Knisja ta` San Pawl tal-Wied f`Birkirkara l-Ħadd 23 ta` Ottubru, 2016 fis-7:00 pm. Kulħadd huwa mistieden biex jingħaqad mal-membri tal-Moviment ta` Talb tal-Imperatur Karlu għal din l-okkażżjoni. Wara jsir il-bews tar-Relikwija u ser jiġi inawgurat inkwatru tal-Beatu Karlu I li ser ikun espost permanenti f` din il-knisja.

Aktar tagħrif fuq: Emperor Karl League of Prayers for Peace among Nations

New schedule for TLM in Birkirkara

A laudable initiative by Canon Rev. Nicholas Doublet

A sustained attack in Malta on those in favour of the Tridentine Mass - 2

A smashed statue of Jesus (not in Malta)

Another contribution from the Sunday Times of Malta, dated 31 July 2016.

Fr John Caruana, Birkirkara

New and old in the Church

In his article ‘Thank you; but no thank you’ (The Sunday Times of Malta, July 17), which discussed the curious position of a Vatican prelate, Fr Joe Borg wrote that “our local brand of Tridentine conservatives, fuelled by several priests who were ordained during the past 15 years or so, were thrilled to no end”.

What is old, what is new in religion? What is progressive, conservative? If Fr Borg’s comment is valid, how come younger priests are giving the impression that they are conservative or antiquated, and the elderly priests more progressive or more modern? Admittedly these phrases – antiquated, modern – doctrinally mean very little, but they could have relative pastoral importance.

At 75 I am adamant not to distance myself from the young in general and more so from younger priests, and not to fall into the trap of the so-called ‘generation gap’. It would be stupid of us elderly in the Church to disdain any suggestion coming from the young, and equally stupid of the younger priests and laity – but especially the priests – to fall into the same trap.

I am in the 50th year of my priesthood. It is opportune to point out that the reforms that came about in the post-Vatican II Church, such as introducing the local language in the liturgy, were brought about by the old of today!

Other reforms simplified liturgical vestments: parish priests put away their munzetta (mozzetta) and the monsignors used the mitre more sparingly.

Great strides forward were taken in the administration of Church finances, including in Malta, leaving behind traces of feudalism and emphasising the fact that the Church is not after money for its own sake. Priests’ salaries reflect the fact that priestly life is essentially a mission, not a profession.

The missionary spirit was revamped by Vatican II. Most of today’s missionaries are among the elderly who are fortunately passing on a praiseworthy example to the young.

Above all, the magisterium accepted the principle of ‘development of doctrine’ meaning that not all teaching is ‘dogmatic’ in nature.

Pope Francis, who was incidentally chosen by elderly cardinals, is helping the Church, through the celebration of Synods, not to forget the irreversible path traced by Vatican II.

Let us pray that the fear expressed by Fr Borg, that a closed Tridentine  mentality is “fuelled by several priests who were ordained during the past 15 years or so” abates, following in the footsteps of Pope Francis whose pontificate is epitomising the best of  Vatican II.

After all, one is justified in asking, what is old, what is new in the practice of religion?

One thing is certain: fundamentalism kills the Spirit.

A sustained attack in Malta on those in favour of the Tridentine Mass - 1

Fr Joe Borg regularly writes against traditional Catholics.

The below letter, dated 17 July 2016, published in the Sunday Times of Malta, is the latest in a sustained attack on those Catholics faithful who like the Tridentine Rite. Seems that this priest (who is a member of the Facebook Group of Pro Tridentina Malta) has never heard of what the contemporary Popes said about the Tridentine Mass. And by contemporary we mean Popes who were very much involved in the Second Vatican Council and who implemented the reforms ensuing from it.

To facilitate matters, he might want to refer to the following documents, among others:

1. Veterum Sapientia - On the Promotion of the Study of Latin, issued by Pope Saint John XXIII in 1962;
2. Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium,  promulgated by Blessed Pope Paul VI in 1963;
3. Protocol N. 1897/71 issued by Archbishop Annibale Bugnini in 1971; 
4. Quattuor Abhinc Annos, issued by the Office of the Congregation for Divine Worship, in 1984;
5. Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, promulgated by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1988;  
6. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI and the accompanying letter addressed to all bishops;
7. Motu Proprio Latina Lingua, establishing the Pontifical Academy for Latin, promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI.

The text of the letter by Fr Joe Borg follows (emphasis ours):

Thank you; but no thank you

Those of you who during the past 15 days devoted your time to watching football, or lazing by the sea or cursing the English for Brexit, would have probably missed the stirring of the ecclesiastical pot as a result of the address given by Cardinal Robert Sarah during the opening of the Sacra Liturgia conference in London on July 5.

Sarah exhorted priests to start celebrating Mass facing the east while giving their backs to the congregation. Sarah is not an average Joe. As head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, his comments carry weight. More so since a couple of weeks earlier he took the same position during an interview with the French maga­zine Famille Chrétienne.

Social networks provided the battleground between those who were exultant or in shock at the proposal made by such an authoritative darling of the conservative wing of the Church. Our local brand of Tridentine conservatives, fuelled by several priests who were ordained during the past 15 years or so, were thrilled to no end.

Like conservatives overseas they form a motley bunch more than a monolithic block. Undoubtedly there are some mode­rate conservatives who have a right to their views and with whom one can dialogue. Others share the views of the extreme right, which consider the post-Vatican II Mass as ‘a protestant rite’. Sarah fell foul even with these ultra-traditionalists, so much so that the website askaCatholic describes Sarah as “a weak and incompetent neo-con hero”.

The practice of orienting both the liturgy – and Church buildings – toward the east is a very old tradition in the Catholic Church. It is still the norm for Orthodox Christianity and Eastern Catholic churches. John of Damascus wrote about it as far back as the seventh century. It is based on Matthew 24,27: “The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning striking in the east. And flashing far into the west.” This practice also means that the priest celebrates Mass with his back to the people.

Sarah believes that if this practice becomes mainstream (instead of the exception it now is) the Church will be putting God back at the centre of the Church’s liturgical life. He quoted the “lament of God” proclaimed by the prophet Jeremiah: “The people have turned their backs on me.” “Let us turn again towards the Lord!” he said.

I have no doubt that Cardinal Sarah has taken this position because he sincerely believes that it is for the good of the Church. However, he is intelligent enough to know that his use of this scriptural quote is, at best, very unfortunate, as it has nothing to do with the direction of one’s gaze or the position of one’s back while celebrating Mass.

Sarah exhorted priests to start celebrating Mass facing the East while giving their backs to the congregation.

Looking towards the east (as he suggests) or the west or in any other direction will not in itself help people experience the beauty of the love that is celebrated during Mass, which is the community’s sacrificial meal par excellance. The Church’s celebration of the earthly liturgy will not give participants a better foretaste of the heavenly liturgy just by looking towards the east and by having the celebrant give his back to the congregation.

When congregation and celebrant face each other their communication and bonding is definitively much better. This bonding will then help them experience the presence of Christ that is guaranteed whenever people are gathered in his name. The presence of he who is the way to the Father will then help the community understand that “the liturgy is not about us but about God” (to quote Benedict XVI). There is absolutely no need to revert to yesteryear’s symbols to live this perennial reality.

Luckily, the Vatican immediately quash­ed all rumours that Sarah was flying Pope Francis’s kite. Many got this impression as Sarah himself had twice mentioned during his London address that he had the full support of Pope Francis in his quest to “reform the reform”.

Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, the Vatican spokesperson, said that the Pope met Cardinal Sarah two days after the London speech, making it clear that the “ordinary” form of celebrating the Mass is the one promulgated after the Second Vatican Council. He added that the “extraordinary” form, while accepted under the means expressed by Benedict XVI, should not become the norm.

Francis practices what he preaches about the possibility of celebrating Mass ad orientem in extraordinary and exceptional circumstances. Since his election, he has celebrated this rite at least once a year, for the annual tradition of the Pope baptising the newborns of Vatican employees in the Sistine Chapel.

Lombardi added that the General Instruction of the Roman Missal states that the altar should be built in such a way “that Mass can be celebrated at it facing the people, which is desirable wherever possible”.

Lombardi also said that “it is better to avoid using the expression ‘the reform of the reform’ (as Sarah did in his London speech), given that this has sometimes been the source of misunderstanding”.

Those using the expression form a spectrum ranging from those who would reasonably like to tweak certain exaggerations that some unfortunately indulge in, to those eager to throw the clock backwards, thus deforming the reform.

Pope Francis is of a different opinion. Last year he celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Mass offered in Italian. In his homily he said that:

“Let us thank the Lord for what he has done in His Church in these 50 years of liturgical reform… It was truly a courageous gesture for the Church to draw near to the people of God, so that they are able to understand well what they are doing."

“It is not possible to go backwards,” he said. “Always forward! Those who go backward are mistaken.”

My final comment to the good cardinal and to the local enthusiasts of the deforming the reform movement: thanks, but no thanks.

Litanija ta` Riparazzjoni lil Ġesu` Sagramentat

Litanija ta` Riparazzjoni lil Ġesu` Sagramentat

Mulej, ħniena
· Kristu, ħniena,
· Mulej, ħniena,
· Kristu, ismagħna,
· Kristu, ilqa' t-talb tagħna.
· Missier Etern, Alla, ħenn għalina.
· Iben, Alla, li fdejt id-dinja, ħenn għalina.
· Spirtu s-Santu, Alla, ħenn għalina.
· Trinita Mqaddsa, Alla wieħed, ħenn għalina.

· Ostja Mqaddsa, offerta għas-saħħa tal-bnedmin, ħenn għalina.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, umiljata fuq l-Altar minna u għalina, ħenn għalina.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, offiża mill-ħżiena, ħenn għalina.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, miġġielda mill-eretiċi u minn dawk li ma jemmnux fik, ħenn għalina.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, imżebilħa mid-dgħajfa, ħenn għalina.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, ħobż tal-anġli mogħti lil min ma jixraqlux, ħenn għalina.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, ittraskurata u abbandunata fil-knejjes, ħenn għalina.



·  Alla, kun ħanin magħna, u aħfrilna.
· Alla, kun għalina ta' għajnuna, u ismagħna.
· Għad-disprezzi bla qies lejn is-Sagrament hekk tal-għaġeb, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għat-tqarbin ħażin, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għall-Quddies sagrileġġ, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għan-nuqqas ta' qima tal-insara, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għan-nuqqas ta' ġieħ fil-knejjes Tiegħek, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għas-serq tal-Pissidi Mqaddsa, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għad-dagħa ta' sikwit tal-ħżiena, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għall-wiri ta' films ħżiena li joffendu s-sentimenti ta' pajjiż nisrani, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għall-ebusija u kefrija tal-eretiċi, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għal Ġesu’ Kristu ppersegwitat fil-Vigarju Tiegħu f'din l-art, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għal Ġesu’ Kristu ppersegwitat fl-Isqfijiet Tiegħu, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għal Ġesu’ Kristu ppersegwitat fis-saċerdoti Tiegħu, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għal Ġesu’ Kristu diżoronat mill-ġurnali ħżiena, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għad-diskors ħażin li jingħad fil-knejjes Tiegħek min-nies bla għaqal, aħna npattulek, Mulej!
· Għall-profanaturi tal-knejjes, li jagħmluhom post ta' skandlu, aħna npattulek, Mulej!


· Mulej kattar fl-insara kollha r-rispett lejn l-Adorabbli Sagrament tal-Altar,
Ismagħna, nitolbuk, Mulej!
· Mulej, ikxef is-Sagrament tal-imħabba Tieghek lill-eretiċi,
Ismagħna, nitolbuk, Mulej!
· Mulej, ixħet fuqna l-offiżi ta' dawk li jiddisprezzawk,
Ismagħna, nitolbuk, Mulej!
· Mulej, ilqa' t-tpattija tagħna magħmula bi spirtu ta' umilta’,
Ismagħna, nitolbuk, Mulej!
· Mulej, agħmel li togħġbok dejjem l-adorazzjoni tagħna,
Ismagħna, nitolbuk, Mulej!
· Ostja Pura, ismagħna.
· Ostja Mqaddsa, ismagħna.
· Ostja Immakulata, ismagħna.
Ħaruf ta' Alla, li tneħħi d-dnubiet tad-dinja, aħfrilna, nitolbuk, Mulej.
Ħaruf ta' Alla, li tneħħi d-dnubiet tad-dinja, ismagħna, nitolbuk, Mulej.
Ħaruf ta' Alla, li tneħħi d-dnubiet tad-dinja, ħenn għalina.
O Sinjur tagħna Ġesu’ Kristu, f'ġieħ l-Omm Tiegħek Marija jkollok ħniena minna, ilqa' dawn l-atti ta' riparazzjoni, u bierek l-ulied tal-Omm Tiegħek. Ammen.

Inħeġġeġ lil kulħadd biex titolbu din il-litanija wara li smajna b`serqa sagrilega tas-Santissimu Sagrament minn Kunvent fil-Belt Valletta. Wasal il-mument li t-tqarbin jibda isir fil-ħalq biss biex nevitaw aktar riskji.

Tridentine Mass today in Birkirkara

 Sunday Mass will be celebrated in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this afternoon.

Venue: St. Paul's Chapel
Time: 18:30 
Celebrant: Canon Nicholas Doublet

Photo of the Tridentine Mass in Birkirkara

In the previous post, we had advertised this Mass.

A reader sent us this photo, from Facebook showing the Mass held at St. Paul's Chapel.

Between 50 - 60 people, including many young ones, attended this celebration.

It was a great success, bearing also in mind that a heavy downpour had just occurred.

We look forward to more Masses.

Special thanks to Canon Nicholas Doublet, who was the person behind this Mass and who also delivered a wonderful homily.
 

Tridentine Mass in Birkirkara

 

 

 

 

 

 Service at this mass will be offered by members of the Priestly Fraternity of the Opera Familia Christi, from the Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio.

EXCLUSIVE: Tridentine Mass to be celebrated in Malta every Sunday!

 

Sources close to this Blog have confirmed that this year a petition reached the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, asking for Tridentine Mass to start being held regularly in Malta.

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED) has replied and is liaising with the Archdiocese of Malta to establish the Tridentine Mass on a permanent basis in Malta. The emphasis is that Mass will be celebrated every Sunday.

A parish in the South of Malta has already been identified.

We will keep you updated when further details reach us.