The Silent Schism

On May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, William Cardinal Levada, head of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, issued instructions to the Church Universal advising the hierarchy on the implementation of, "Summorum Pontificum" issued July 7, 2007, but as yet implemented by so few priests and bishops.

The Tridentine Mass is referred to as the extraordinary form, while the Novus Ordo as the ordinary form. Rome reminds the bishops of the world it is their responsibility to undertake all necessary measures to ensure respect for the extraordinary form. An interesting choice of word, respect.

The faculty to celebrate in the extraordinary form is given to all priests and they do not require special permission from their ordinaries or superiors. A priest responsible for a church is to be guided by his own prudence, motivated by pastoral zeal and a spirit of generous welcome in offering the Tridentine Liturgy, codified by the Council of Trent in 1570.

The instructions are aimed at "Promoting reconciliation at the heart of the Church" but I wonder does Rome really believe this can happen without a great outpouring of grace from heaven. Given how few priests and bishops have yet to respond to instructions already nearly three years old, why does Rome think these new instuctions will make a difference?

For me, the issue here is not the extraordinary and/or the ordinary forms of the Holy Mass. The issue is will the bishops of the Catholic Church exercise obedience and do what they have been instructed to do? Or will they choose to distance themselves from the Roman Pontif?

Pope Benedict has placed the Pontifical Commission under his direct authority. William Cardinal Levada reports directly to the Pope. I read this as a sign that the Pope will not allow anyone or anything to come between him and the widespread reintroduction of the Tridentine Mass.

It is my opinion, post-council Popes have been unwilling to give direct orders to the bishops of the world, as for example, to consecrate their dioceses to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Recent Popes were afraid the bishops would disobey them and a schism would result.

I find it interesting that the issue of the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass is one on which Pope Benedict is willing to risk schism. I have little doubt that the majority of the bishops will refuse to follow Cardinal Levada's instructions and a "quite schism", will ensue.

Is the reintroduction of the Tridentine Mass something the Pope is willing to risk schism for? It seems yes. Unless he is deliberately trying to bring about a schism, which I doubt, the Tridentine Mass must be something worth risking everything for.

What must we the faithful do?

As for me and my family, we will immediately ask our priest for the Mass in the extraordinary form. We will do this in a spirit of charity in the hope that the grace flowing from obedience to the instruction will be a grace to the Church in a time of great need.

Yesterday, I asked a priest I met in another parish, what his reaction to the instructions was. He told me he was unaware of it but that he had been told in the seminary, from which he graduated three years earlier, that according to Canon Law, the Tridentine Mass could not be celebrated in a church built after the council. Amazing!

The instructions made a point of reminding the bishops and superiors of religious orders, of the Church's rule of prayer, "lex orandi - lex credenti", which I translate, as the Church prays so it believes. Some claim this rule has been reversed in the new revisions to the Roman Missal.

Everything could be at stake with this "Summorum Pontificum".

It is not too early to be asking oneself, "Is there anything that will seperate me from the Romam Pontif?"

When the Son of Man Returns Will He Find Faith on the Earth?

Why did Pope John Paul II, soon to be Blessed John Paul, not order the bishops of the world to join with him when he consecrated the world to the Blessed Virgin in 1984?

Why did John Paul II not proclaim the Fifth Marian Dogma, recognising the Blessed Virgin Mary as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate of the people of God?

Could it be that he was trying to avoid a schism in the Roman Catholic Church?

Why would John Paul II think that such actions could bring about a schism?

Is it because of what John Paul II, as Pope, read on the single page written by Sister Lucia containing the words of the Mother of  God?

Did the Blessed Virgin suggest certain behaviors of the Church hierarchy would cause a schism?

Was John Paul II restricted in his actions out of concern that a schism not occur on his watch?

How else can one explain why the most Marian Pope in recent history chose not to take two actions that could have given greater recognition to the role of the Blessed Virgin in the economy of salvation.

One can argue that the Fifth Marian Dogma would have made ecumenical relations with Protestants more difficult. That argument was advanced for the Fourth Marian Dogma but history has disproved the thesis.

My opinion is that following Vatican Council II many Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church became quite Protestant. As such, their view of the Blessed Virgin's role in the affairs of the modern Church is greatly diminished. This despite the words at Fatima, "In the end My Immaculate Heart will triumph."

The Blessed Virgin went on to say, "The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted..." What does converted mean? Convered to Christian Orthodoxy or to Roman Catholicism?

Before the Bolshevik revolution and murder of the Czar, Russia was arguably the holiest country in the world. With the conversion of Russia, Catholic orthodoxy might have the greatest of allies.

If there is to be a schism within the Roman Church perhaps Orthodoxy may be able to help the faithful decide which side to choose, given the Orthodox Church was not a participant in Vatican II, (two Russian observers notwithstanding).