Sunday, September 16, 2007

Bishop to Pope: Take a Flying Leap!

By Patrick Archbold

This is the most unbelievable thing I have seen! This Bishop is in open defiance of the Pope, Summorum Pontificum, and blatantly ridicules the Extraordinary form!
HT to Amy Welborn
Source


Caserta bishop prohibits traditional Mass -
Parish priest obeys but says he disagrees
By Angelo Agrippa
Corriere del Mezzogiorno

NAPLES - He is known as the bishop of tolerance. Of immigrants. Of deprived persons. He has opened diocesan structures for Muslims to say their Friday prayers, and Ukrainian/Moldavian Orthodox to use for their worship.

But now he has prohibited the celebration of the 1962 Mass restored as of September 14 by Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

With a telephone call, Mons. Raffaele Nogaro ordered the rector of the Shrine of Sant'Anna in Caserta, Don Giovanni Battista Gionti, to stop the Mass he was planning to celebrate at 8 p.m. today.

"This case has nothing to do with tolerance," Nogaro said later.

"The Mass in Latin is a distortion of religious fact. Not even university professors who teach Latin pray in Latin. It is not an appropriate instrument for establishing a true relationship with God. To help people to pray is an honorable effort. That is what I try to do in allowing the Tent of Abraham to be used by Muslims and the chapel next to the Cathedral, to be used by the Orthodox.

"But to assail the faithful with sacred images, theatrical choreography and esthetic embellishments does the opposite. The faithful should be offered something valid and educational, not an occasion for disorientation. In short, murmuring prayers in Latin is good for nothing."

Strong words. A clear dissociation from Pope Benedict XVI's decree regarding the traditional Mass.

"The authority for the theological, liturgical and moral correctness of a diocese is the bishop," Nogaro continued, "even if the Pope has decreed an opening in favor of other rites. I am the only bishop in Campania who has asserted this so far to control the application of the Papal decree.

"Besides, the request of 30-40 persons is not sufficient in order for the traditional Mass to be celebrated. The parish priest is obliged to report it to his bishop. And I was never informed."

In his sacristy, Don Gionti is surrounded by many of those who had requested him for the traditional Mass, and is visibly disconcerted: "I will obey the bishop," he said, "even if this loses us the occasion for a liturgical experience that is important for our community, many of whom requested this. I considered it an experiment, certainly not a replacement for the post-Conciliar Mass.

"I think a priest should respond to a request by his congregation. But the bishop has ordered me to suspend the scheduled Mass, telling me that this would create a dangerous precedent. Though I still do not understand what danger he means."

In short, the Caserta case is everything but "Nulla veritas sine traditione" (Nothing is true outside tradition) as the followers of St. Pius V love to quote.

Fr. Louis Demornex, who studied at the Collegio Russium of Rome and has been the traditionalist parish priest of the Aulpi-Corigliani district in Sessa Auruna near Casertano, commented: "The Tridentine rite is not 'democratic' but for more than a millennium, it was the backbone of the Church. By destroying a traditional valid form of teh mass, one is tearing down the Church itself. The Pope knows this and that is why he issued this decree."

Nogaro, while protesting that he did not wish to be involved in any controversy, said further: "(Celebrating the traditional Mass) is like watching a statue passing in procession and simply admiring its artistic beauty. One cannot say that this is an act of faith or an occasion to inspire spirituality. This is what happens if we communicate in a language which no one knows at all, no one uses anymore, no one understands. The practice has nothing to do with the faith and someone must speak out on what the common thinking is about this."
Anyone want to take bets on whether satanic worship would illicit a similar response from the Bishop?

20 comments:

Tony said...

This bishop's attitude is a result of the Vatican II religion. It's called collegiality.

magdalene said...

There have been openly and publicly disobedient and dissenting bishops for the past 40 years so why are we surprised that this behavior continues? Why are we surprised that some in the episcopate hate orthodox Catholicism? Yet the ironic thing is that they themselves demand obedience and use it as a weapon against the faithful.

Anonymous said...

This is the e-mail of the Bishop of Caserta:
vescovo@diocesicaserta.it

S.E. Monsignor Raffaele Nogaro

Episcopio - c/o Curia Vescovile

Piazza Duomo, 11 - 81100 - Caserta

www.diocesicaserta.it

Pius

Anonymous said...

Pontificia Commissione Ecclesia Dei
Pontificia Commissio Ecclesia Dei
Palazzo della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede, Piazza del Sant'Uffizio, 11 - 00193 Roma
Tel. (06) 69.88.52.13 - 69.88.54.94 - Fax 69.88.34.12 -
e-mail: eccdei@ecclsdei.va

Presidente: Sua Em. Rev.ma Cardinale Darìo Castrillòn Hoyos (Piazza della Città Leonina, 1, 00193 Roma - tel. 68.30.70.88)
Segretario: Rev.mo Mons. Camille Perl (Via di Porta Angelica, 63 - 00193 Roma - tel. 687.48.30)

Anonymous said...

This is a result of John Paul II's pontificate. He was a poor administrator who let the liberals have complete control. They are so used to running the show that they don't even try to hide their contempt for tradition and the papal office any more.
If Benedict would "speak softly and carry a big stick" there might be some changes in the Church.

Anonymous said...

As sad as this particular incident may be, I think that it shows the genius of Benedict's Motu Proprio, which has helped to bring the attitudes (both good and bad) of the Church's leadership out into the open. The more clearly we see the ironic prejudices of people like the Bishop of Naples, who will support anything but tradition, the greater will be the response and support to return things in the Church to a state of normalcy. We should focus on appealing these problem cases to PCEL, praying for change, and be thankfull that the public responses of bishops to Benedict's initiatives will provide him with a better means of determining their appropriatness for future episcopal appointments!

Long Live Benedict XVI!

Unknown said...

Has this poor excuse of a 'Bishop' not Excommunicated himself'Ipso Facto'? Kyrie Eleison!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Unknown said...

With his latest Motu Proprio, our Holy Father is just Beginning to 'Pick up the Pieces' and to clean up the un-Holy Mess of that REVOLUTION known as 'Vatican II'which so greatly pleased the Enemies of the Church: Freemasonry and Communism... Kyrie Eleison!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Anonymous said...

oh brother The Conspiracy theories of freemasonry and communism at Vat II yet again??

It was the excesses that followed the Council not the Council itself which had great and moderate proposals for renewel.

Let us not indulge in the Conspiracy theories and the loony fringes.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

anonymous should read up on the Disaster known as the METZ Pact with the Communists where Cardinal Tisserant, acting for the Vatican, signed an Instrument declaring that in exchange for 2 Soviet 'Observers' at the Council NO Criticism of Communism nor of Soviet Russia would be allowed!
Ever since that shameful surrender, the Vatican has 'Relgiously' kept that unjustifiable silence. Kyrie Eleison.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Steve said...

Anyone care to send the good bishop one of my t-shirts on this topic?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Patrick Archbold said...

Jean,
I respect your right to your opinion but I cannot allow bishops and popes to be accused of freemasonry and such things on this blog. Further, I cannot allow the validity of a council of the church to be questioned. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

The actions of this Bishop need to be addressed by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. He assumes powers equal to the papacy.

Charles El Mexicano said...

Somebody who speaks Italian should send a word of encouragement, or rather, exhortation, to this priest. Tell him that his Bishop is radically disobedient, must not be obeyed, and that one must obey the Pope before the bishop.

Tom Cuddihy said...

It always makes me laugh when I see somebody complain about the TLM because of "people mumbling in a language they don't speak." Here in the diocese of Miami, just about every parish has to have a Spanish mass regardless of attendance. So oftentimes at the Spanish mass, you'll find half the congregation doesn't even speak Spanish, but we go to attend a Mass where the church isn't so full it's 30 to a pew.
It' always funny to stumble though "La paz de Christo," to the guy in front of you, only to grin and say "peace be with you" when you realize neither of you speak Spanish anyway....

Anonymous said...

This is a report on what the bishop said but I do agree with what the bishop is said to be doing. Much of the clamour for the return to the 1962 Missel and style of church seems to me to be just one expression of neo-paganism - a God removed from his people who we need to placate by sacrifice and ritual formalism. More people should read up on the heresy of the Action Française to understand the hidden ideologies (idolatries!) contained in much of the traditionalist movement. Marcus.

Anonymous said...

THE DISOBEDIENCE OF THIS ITALIAN "BISHOP" IS NOT FOREIGN TO THE MILLIONS OF CATHOLICS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,"CARDINAL" ROGER MAHONEY OF LOS ANGELES & "BISHOP" TOD BROWN OF ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA ARE PRIME EXAMPLES OF APOSTATE PRELATES & IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THAT'S NOTHING NEW. MAHONEY THE PEDOPHILE ENABLER AND RAINBOW PRIEST AND TOD BROWN INFAMOUS FOR THE HALLOWEEN AND OTHER CORRUPTED LITURGIES IN HIS DIOCESE HAVE QUIETLY AND NOT SO QUIETY BELITTLED THE RETURN OF THE CLASSIC LATIN MASS AND "BUSINESS AS USUAL" MAHONEY IS STILL RIDICULING THE TRIDENTINE LITURGY AND MAKING IT'S CELEBRATION DIFFICULT TO ATTEND IN HIS LITTLE FIEFDOM.JOHN PAUL 2 DIDN'T HESITATE TO EXCOMMUNICATE THE BISHOPS OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS XTH FOR RESPECTING AND UPHOLDING 2000 YRS OF CATHOLIC TRADITION AND POPE BENEDICT THE 16TH SHOULD HAVE NO APPREHENSION IN EXCOMMUNICATING DISRESPECTFUL AND DISOBEDIENT PRIESTS, BISHOPS AND RELIGIOUS WHO CONTINUE IN THE CRYPTO MARXIST MINDSET OF THE 1960'S. IN CLOSING, GOT SOME NEWS FOR THE TOD BROWNS AND MAHONEYS IN THE CHURCH, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH "DID NOT" BEGIN AND END WITH THE COUNCIL CALLED VATICAN 2, WAKE UP MAHONEY YOU WILL MAKE A GOOD MORMON. P.S. THERE IS A RAPIDLY GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE (MAINLY YOUNG CATHOLICS) IN CALIFORNIA WANTING THE CLASSIC TRIDENTINE MASS AND THE APOSTATE CLERICS ARE STILL, IN DEFIANCE OF THE HOLY FATHER PUTTING UP ROADBLOCKS TO PEOPLE HERE ATTENDING THE TRADITIONAL ORTHODOX CATHOLIC LITURGY.

Anonymous said...

JUST HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ROME TO EXCOMMUNICATE APOSTATES, LIKE ROGER MAHONEY, TOD BROWN, DANIEEL, KASPAR AND THAT HORSES ASS DISOBEDIENT ITALIAN BISHOP THAT TOLD THE HOLY FATHER TO "TAKE A FLYING LEAP". CRYPTO-MARXIST MANURE FROM THE 1960'S REALLY NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED, THEY'VE STUNK UP THE CHURCH FOR 40 YEARS.