Rampant Restorationism

The attached account grabbed my attention as it is so similar to some of what is transpiring in my own parish since our pastor of a dozen years retired and was replaced by a younger, recently ordained priest. Not all of the restorations described have come to pass yet, but they are looming in the not too distant future. Will this be the same story everywhere?

"My (former) Catholic Parish has been transformed in less than two years. Our last priest was a good solid man but over-shy. Our parish is small-town, immensely good-hearted but not exactly thoughtful or progressive, and not young in this employment-starved area of England. But we were united and loving, and co-operated widely with other Christians in town.

The new man came with a reputation for the old ways - as a 39 year old he had no personal experience of the Church pre-Vatican 2. He had been required to say that he would celebrate Sunday Mass for the Parish in English, and this promise he has kept - thus far. However, within his first fortnight he had abolished the elected Parish Pastoral Council, forbidden services of Word and Communion led by the Deacon in the absence of the priest saying Mass, established a celebration of the Tridentine Latin (1962 authorised) EF Mass 6 days per week, cut the English weekday Masses which he would celebrate at top speed and provided a table-full of literature promoting ultra-retro books, newspapers, liturgy, retreats, pilgrimages.

Within his first two months he had estranged himself from his fellow priests in the Deanery, refused to work with the other local Christian clergy, introduced old-style devotions (eg Quarant'Ore), attempted to oust the deacon from his very much valued chaplaincy in the local prison. His supporters were about 5% of a 100 approx total parish numbers and the remainder laughed at his biretta brandishing and highly decorated vestments but made allowances for 'difference' _ "After all, we still have Mass, and he's very good with the children."

Two years on he has eliminated the free-standing altar though without reference to the deacon or the foreign priest who comes regularly to celebrate a Sunday Mass for our immigrants in their own language, refuses to celebrate Mass facing the people, has expressed hatred of the English of the Ordinary Form of Mass we were formerly allowed to use and has preached publicly his contempt of the Second Vatican Council. He has disobeyed the Bishop when told to restore the free-standing altar - a defiance that has lasted 8 months already.

Some parishioners, myself included, no longer attend. Others, reasonably, refuse to be driven from their own church which they built, and the school to which they sent their children, the place where they have buried and mourned parents, spouses, off-spring and friends. A Requiem these days is celebrated in full black vestments. or if the chief mourner forbids this, in a green so dark that it is indistinguishable from black.

The Latin Mass, now 7 days a week attracts a zealous company on Sunday who drive in from far and wide. Our country parish church is effectively now the Latin Mass centre of the diocese, a diocese which is often regarded as the most open to the Tridentine forms of all the Sacraments, not just the celebration of Mass. The financial collections have been spectacularly boosted, but members of the drive-in congregation play no part in the social life of the parish and have no responsibility for maintenance of church premises let alone supporting the school.

Some contributors to liturgy blog discussions suggest that there is scope for both forms of Mass (Ordinary and Extra-ordinary) to be celebrated regularly in the same parish. I can assure them that where a priest has an overwhelming preference for the EF, he is put under a considerable tension when celebrating OF. This tension can make attendance at his OF Mass so intolerably agonising that it cannot be deemed worship for the parishioner and presumably not for the priest either.

I have to say to our readers, in my experience these words are possibly all too true a description of a parish situation that may arise next to you - or even take you over. Soon. The majority of seminarians in this country are asking for this style of liturgy, theology and management. By the time they.ve learnt better, most of us will be dead."

We need to stand up and remember that WE are the Church. The body of Christ is one,  whole and entire; without the laity the clergy and the hierarchy are a head without a body or limbs.