Sunday, May 25, 2014
To Those Asking The Same Questions Over And Over
Three months ago, I spoke about Father Neil Xavier O'Donoghue, who published a letter on the Internet on one of my blogsite found here. Father Neil has a Ph.D in Liturgy. His letter answered many questions. Yet, they still ask the same questions over and over and over. One of those questions is the NCW around the world the same as the NCW in Guam? In Father Neil's letter, he stated (the bold is my emphasis):
I have personally attended thousands of Eucharistic celebrations in Neocatechumenal communities in the United States, Canada, Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Estonia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Australia, Guam, Saipan, Taiwan and Israel. All of these Eucharists have been in conformity with the relevant rubrics and used the approved liturgical books of the Roman Rite.
And they still ask if the manner in how the Way on Guam celebrates the Eucharist universal with the NCW around the world. Father Neil already admitted that he has attended all these places (which includes Guam), and if there were differences, he would have noted it. He also admitted in his letter that the Eucharist that the NCW celebrates conforms with the rubrics and approved liturgical books. And they still ask if the NCW follows the liturgical books. Others ask "how?" To this....I would say that he/she would need to take classes in liturgy and not just read the books on their own. It has been shown that there are a vast variety of liturgies celebrated in the Catholic Church, and all these liturgies are accepted by Rome.
Furthermore, on May 23rd, I posted Fruit of the Second Vatican Council not to show that Kiko received an award, but to show that even the prestigious John Paul II Catholic University is quoted as saying that the Neocatechumenal Way has followed "attentively the directions of the Second Vatican Council, bringing back Christians who have strayed from the ecclesia community to the foundations of the faith that spring from the Bible and from Liturgy."
Finally, while it is true that there are some bishops and priests who disagree with the Neocatechumenal Way, the important thing is the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ and Successor of the Apostle Peter. History shows that priests and Bishops have disagreed in the past, but the Pope always have the final say. The Pope even carries more weight than any of the anti-Catholic websites. To put it in simple terms, when the Pope approves and endorses the Neocatechumenal Way, this carries more weight. The Statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way and the Catechetical Directory has been approved by Rome. The NCW is approved by the Holy See, and that makes us legitimate in the eyes of the Catholic Church.
It was God who put the Pope in place, and God will not allow the Pope to lead His Church astray. If there are problems, corrections will be made to ensure unity OR excommunication will be given to those in defiance and who refused to obey. The history of the Church proves this. So, one either trust the Pope or not. One either trust that God is the Head leading His Church or not. It is pointless to keep asking the same questions over and over when the answer has already been given. The answer is we follow the instructions of the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ. If you do not believe that answer, that is not my problem. Of course, you can always fly to Rome and schedule an appointment to meet the Pope to ask him. From what I hear, Pope Francis is a people person and would go out of his way to meet the people rather than stay inside the Vatican.
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Their heart are harden and will not accept it.
ReplyDeleteThere can be no acceptable changes to the Mass without recognitio (written permission) from the Pope himself.
ReplyDeleteFather Neil, nor any other priest, bishop, or cardinal can issue this recognitio. The prestigious John Paul II Catholic University cannot issue this recognitio. The Statutes and the Directory of the Neocatechumenal Way is not this recognitio. (Each addition and deletion of the Neocatechumenal Way Mass MUST BE APPROVED separately in the recognitio.)
Even glowing approvals by the Popes of the Neocatechumenal Way's zeal for evangelization, adherence to Humanae Vitae, desire to missions, increased vocations, etc. IS NOT RECOGNITIO FOR THE NEOCATECHUMENAL WAY MASS with their many deletions and additions.
Please, put an end to all this anti`- NW attacking the NW and also the NW attacking those against the NW. This is all too ugly in the eyes of the Lord. There, however, is legitimate desire for correction, where correction is needed. Please ask Pope Francis to issue Kiko the recognitio for each deletion and addition. When each deletion and addition attains recognitio, then you will have been successful. We must always remember Blessed Mother Teresa`s comment where she states it is not important to be successful, but to be faithful. Peace - May we all be one.
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Please explain why Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) would then write in his book
Dear Anonymous at 11:52 a.m.,
DeleteThe Directory and Statutes have already been approved. It is not my problem if they do not believe it. Like I kept saying, they can book a flight to Rome and ask the Pope himself.
Dear Diana,
ReplyDeleteYes the Directory and Statutes have already been approved. I accept what is written in them, but only what is written in them - not what is taken out of context, or misinterpreted. They, in fact, are not approval for the many individual changes that Kiko and Carman have dictated in the Mass. They DO NOT STATE ANYTHING about the individual deletions and additions being approved. They do not state anything about the deletion of the sacred altar, the deletion of kneeling, the deletion of the priest not consuming both the BODY AND BLOOD ``before`` the others receive (consume) standing, the addition of flowers and the menorah, the addition of music during the Eucharistic Prayers, etc... Please quote what pages of the Statutes and Directory you are finding your information from. If you are getting your information from Kiko or any that are pro-Mass Neocatechumenal Style, it is not good enough. Let`s get the facts. I can`t afford to go to Rome. Can you.
The moving of the Sign of Peace, and the Eucharist under two species were acceptable changes.
Dear Anonymous at 2:0 p.m.,
DeleteIf you recall, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the Neocatechumenal Way, and some of the problems that they addressed were that the admonitions are too long and the way we receive the Body of Christ sitting down. Other things that were not a problem were never addressed. The problems that they addressed were already corrected. Other things that they did not have a problem with continued on as is.
That is the way the Catholic Church has always been. They only addressed problems. So, our written Statutes, was approved to ensure the unity between the NCW and the Holy See. Remember that the Catholic Church believes in both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. We are not like the Protestants who always ask "Where is that in Scripture"?
As for Kiko, he has always been the consultor for the Pontifical Council for the Laity and therefore gets information directly from Rome.....just as the Statutes say. The approved Statutes stated that the International Team (in this case Kiko) must always be in contact with the Vatican and with the diocesan bishops.
Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) PASSIONATELY wrote in his book `THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY`` - the chapter of the Body and the Liturgy - to put kneeling back into the Mass. - So, it makes no sense to me that he would then ALLEGEDLY give the NCW permission to remove it from their liturgy.
ReplyDeleteThe New Roman Missal-GIRM for Canada made it very clear that Canadians are to kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer - even the part ``to STAND in your presence`` was changed to ``BE in your presence``. The NCW does not have the status of a new rite; the NCW is supposed to be part of the Latin rite - which is to follow the New Roman Missal-GIRM no additions and no deletions - which means one is to adore Jesus on one`s knees (if physically able) during the Eucharistic Prayer.
Also, in 2005, the Pope had Cardinal Arinze write Kiko with the request that their Mass return to what is specified in the Roman Missal- GIRM -no additions and no deletions - WITHIN TWO YEARS.
One priest I heard online, in obedience to the Pope, would change back to the regular way of celebrating Mass Immediately. He would not wait for the two years to expire. It can be done. Especially when the members of the NCW love the Lord so much.
So that all may be one.
Dear Anonymous at 4:25 p.m.
DeleteBecause the Way is mainly "missionary," minor liturgical adaptions have been granted to the NCW to help them answer to the needs of the New Evangelization and bring people back to the Church. It was Cardinal Ratzinger who suggested that "our task - the task of the office holders in the Church and of the theologians - is to keep the door open to them." (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger with Vittorio Messori, The Ratzinger Report: An Exclusve Interview on the State of the Church (San Francisco: Ignatius Press 1985) 44.
,
Dear Diane,
DeleteIt was Cardinal Ratzinger with Cardinal Arinze who wrote Redemptional Sacramentum in 2004 for Pope John Paul II stipulating that any changes to the Mass needed RECOGNITIO from the Pope. In 2005, Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, has Cardinal Arinze write Kiko that their Mass has two years to change back to the regular way of saying Mass - according to the Roman Missal-GIRM - without additions or deletions.
This controversy of whether the NCW Mass is approved with all of its adaptation needs only the recognitio -of which we have never seen. All we need to see is this recognitio.
Even their meeting with Pope Benedict in 2012 of January, in Rome, did not result in the expected approval of their Mass.
Pope Francis has not given recognitio either.
The NCW is to be commended for their zeal, missionary efforts, obedience regarding humanae vitae, etc.- I myself have much to learn from their example.
However, when Pope Benedict stated: Precisely to help the Neocatechumenal Way to RENDER EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE ITS EVANGELIZING ACTION IN COMMUNION WITH ALL THE PEOPLE OF GOD, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently imparted to you IN MY NAME certain NORMS concerning the Eucharistic Celebration, after the trial period that the Servant of God John Paul II conceded, I am sure you will attentively observe these NORMS that reflect what is provided for in the LITURGICAL BOOKS APPROVED BY THE CHURCH.
Just think Diane, the NCW can be even better - more effective in evangelizing - if they were obedient to the Pope regarding the Mass. Let us not reject this request. Pope Benedict seemed very optimistic that this would be followed.
That all may be one.
Dear Anonymous at 4:43 a.m.,
DeleteYes, I remember the letter. One of the issues that Pope Benedict had was the way the NCW distributed the Body of Christ. In the past, the NCW used to distribute the Body of Christ sitting down.
According to Cardinal Arinze's letter, it stated:
5.ON THE MANNER OF RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION, a period of transition (not exceeding two years) is granted to the Neocatechumenal Way to pass from the widespread manner of receiving Holy Communion in its communities (seated, with a cloth-covered table placed at the center of the church instead of the dedicated altar in the sanctuary) to the normal way in which the entire Church receives Holy Communion. THIS MEANS THAT THE NEOCATECHUMENAL WAY MUST BEGIN TO ADOPT THE MANNER OF DISTRIBUTING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST THAT IS PROVIDED IN THE LITURGICAL BOOKS.
The letter said that we were to follow the liturgical books REGARDING the way we DISTRIBUTE/ RECEIVE the Body of Christ. In 2008, that has changed. That is what the letter says. The NCW now receives the Body of Christ standing up. Other things that were addressed in the letter were also corrected, such as the way we do admonitions.
The problem here is that people do not believe that those changes were made because they hear all the rumors that no changes have been made. And the ones spreading those rumors are those who have never even been to any of our Eucharist.
Furthermore, those spreading the rumors are also saying that we should kneel. They say that we should kneel because that is in the liturgical books. The only thing addressed in Arinze's letter is the way the Body of Christ is distributed. He clearly stated that the NCW is to adopt the manner in the way the Body of Christ is to be distributed according to the liturgical books....and this was what Pope Benedict was referring to. They also complained that the altar should not be like a table, and the Jewish menorah should not be on the table, etc., etc., etc. Those things were not in Cardinal Arinze's letter. The only changes made were all those things that were addressed in his letter.
In 2012, after the promulgation of the definitive Statutes, Pope Benedict in his address to the NCW stated that the NCW Mass should be "regulated by the liturgical books that must be faithfully followed, with the details approved in the Statue of the Way".
DeleteYes the manner of receiving communion has been "detailed" in the Statutes. Those other problems, such as not kneeling, have not. It is therefore clear that Pope Benedict, as late as 2012 was instructing the NCW to adhere to the liturgical books in all these other matters.
You said "those spreading the rumors are also saying that we should kneel" . No that would be the GIRM that says you should kneel. The Pope, the Holy See, is responsible for the GIRM. If you ignore that, you elect to move away from the Church.
The NCW was asked to follow the Roman Missal-GIRM without any deletions or additions when the 5 year experimental period was over.. The Popes granted the moving of the sign of peace . However, the Pope told the NCW they must receive Communion standing up; he meant (as in the instructions) to consume immediately. They were never meant to sit down holding Jesus and waiting till everyone had Jesus in their hand, before they would consume (RECEIVE into their body.) If they if fact didn't specifically tell the Pope this is what they were going to do, (because this is certainly not what the Pope wanted), they were being deceptive. The priest according to the Roman Missal-GIRM MUST also consume both Body and Blood before any of the parishioners - therefore the way the Way celebrates Mass needs to be corrected.
DeleteThat all may be one
Dear Anonymous at 11:24 a.m.
DeleteSee my post below:
http://neocatechemunal.blogspot.com/2014/05/cardinal-arinzes-letter-to-kiko.html